Some Christian leaders have suggested that if we are serious about reaching non believers then we must not use biblical language in our messages. Biblical language is archaic and difficult to understand. I suggest that using proper biblical language is inherent to the successful conversion and discipleship of newcomers to the Faith. Here’s why.
Many years ago I took my first formal theology course at East Coast Bible College in Charlotte, NC under Dr. George Voorhis – Introduction to Theology. Basically, it was a course in theological vocabulary from Anabaptist to Zwingli. It was the most important class I ever took. For the first time the mysteries of the Faith became clear to my mind. I was learning a new language – the language of the Faith.
Language is more than the communication of words and ideas. Language forms culture and ideas. Language is essential to identity. It is the means by which shared values are preserved and transmitted. Christian language, that is, biblical and theological terms, are essential to the formation and enculturalization of new believers. In other words, Christian language is essential to discipleship. Let’s consider a few examples.
The words lost and saved are central to Jesus’ preaching. The word lost signifies the inability to find one’s way; being disoriented; and/or denotes something that has been taken away. The word saved signifies rescue, deliverance, and/or conservation. These words signify that humanity without a proper relationship with God is lost and in need of rescue. This is the heart of the message of Jesus and if we fail to properly use these words we fail to properly preach the Gospel.
When people come to Christ they need to be instructed in the language of the Faith. New believers must learn to speak in new tongues. Biblical words like predestination, sin, propitiation, regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification are foreign to unbelievers but essential to understanding the saving work of God. When preaching to the pagans of the first century the apostles used and defined these terms. Theological words like trinity, hypostatic union, and perichoresis are mysterious, but convey the deep truths of the Faith. Frankly, we need these biblical and theological words because as we come to understand their meaning we are formed and defined by them. If we fail to speak the language of the Faith, we will lose the message.
