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• Kyeres0011@gmail.com 1 month ago

  It Is Unwise to “Christianize” Anything Without Understanding It
  
  It is unwise to “Christianize” any matter without understanding its historical and theological background. Many today accuse Christianity of being re ...
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  It Is Unwise to “Christianize” Anything Without Understanding It
  
  It is unwise to “Christianize” any matter without understanding its historical and theological background. Many today accuse Christianity of being restrictive—saying it teaches “don’t touch this” or “don’t do that,” especially concerning the roles of women or matters of household life. But such claims often come from misunderstanding both Scripture and the progression of divine revelation.
  
  Christianity does not oppose helping women in household work or any act of love and service. In fact, Christ dignified women more than any culture of His time. The problem arises when people confuse the ancient customs of Israel with the moral essence of the Christian faith.
  
  In the Old Testament, God permitted certain customs because they suited the moral and social conditions of early civilizations. At that time, there were no structured workplaces or equal societal roles for women; life was largely agricultural and patriarchal. These customs were not permanent divine ideals but temporary cultural frameworks through which God gradually prepared humanity for the fullness of His revelation in Christ.
  
  The coming of Jesus marked a transformation — a shift from external restrictions to internal transformation. The gospel of Christ liberates both men and women, teaching equality before God and freedom from ceremonial or cultural barriers.
  
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  Key Verses and Explanations
  
  Mark 7:18–19 (NIV)
  
  “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
  
  Here, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees’ obsession with external rules—ritual washings, dietary laws, and taboos. He declared that defilement is not about physical contact or food, but about the heart—evil thoughts and intentions. This teaching dismantled the system of “don’t touch, don’t eat, don’t go there,” shifting the focus from outward observance to inward holiness.
  
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  Acts 10:9–16 (especially v.15, NIV)
  
  “The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’”
  
  Through Peter’s vision, God revealed that what was once considered unclean—both foods and Gentiles—had now been made clean through Christ. The message is clear: no human being or act of service is defiling when done in love and truth. The gospel breaks down walls, not builds new ones.
  
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  Romans 14:14, 20 (NIV)
  
  “I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself… All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.”
  
  Paul reinforces that under the New Covenant, no object or act is inherently unclean. What matters is the motive and effect—whether it stems from faith and love. Therefore, helping in household work or performing any act of care is not unspiritual; it is Christlike.
  
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  The New Covenant Principle
  
  These truths align with the New Covenant announced in Jeremiah 31:31–34 and fulfilled in Christ.
  
  Hebrews 8:13 (NIV):
  
  “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete.”
  
  The old ceremonial laws—“do not handle, do not taste, do not touch” (Colossians 2:21)—were shadows pointing to Christ. Now, through His death and resurrection, those external restrictions have been fulfilled and rendered obsolete.
  
  Hebrews 9:14–15 (NIV):
  
  “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ… cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”
  
  Christ’s blood cleanses the conscience, not just the hands. This means holiness is now inward, not tied to ritual or gender roles.
  
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  The Message Summed Up
  1. Fulfillment, Not Legalism: Jesus fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17). Christianity is not about forbidding ordinary things but about revealing their true spiritual meaning.
  2. Freedom Through the Spirit: The gospel liberates men and women from cultural and ceremonial bondage (Galatians 3:28).
  3. Purity from Within: True defilement is of the heart, not of the hands (Mark 7:20–23).
  4. Love Over Regulation: The believer’s guide is love, not fear of impurity (Romans 14:20–21).
  
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  Conclusion
  
  Therefore, it is a serious mistake to accuse Christianity of opposing progress or household cooperation. True Christian teaching does not condemn acts of love or service; rather, it sanctifies them. The faith of Christ is not about superstition or restriction—it is about freedom, wisdom, and inner transformation.
  
  So, quoting Christianity without understanding its true doctrinal foundation does not do justice to the faith. It simply reveals ignorance of its message. Christianity is not the religion of “don’t do this” but of “do all things in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).

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