OPINION:
Christian participation in politics should not be so driven by the issues that we become incapable of adapting to become “all things to all people that by all means I [we] might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).
As the Apostle Paul interacts with various groups inside and outside the community of faith, he adjusts the way that he relates to those he is addressing. Paul does not compromise his convictions or scratch the itching ears (cf. 2 Timothy 4:3) of his audience. Instead, he “speaks the language” of those in his audience. He doesn’t convey the truth without considering how his speech and actions will be received.
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Paul’s adaptability does not preclude challenging language (cf. Galatians 3:1-6; 5:12). He is not always gentle. Being all things to all people isn’t about being “nice” or “agreeable.” It is about learning to proclaim the truth (in word and deed) in ways that others will understand and with which they will resonate.
In today’s language, we might say that Paul was “reading the room.” For better or worse, our “room” is a bit bigger than Paul’s as we have mass communication systems that outpace handwritten letters copied and read orally to local congregations. To some degree, it may be wise for Christians to make our rooms a bit smaller.
For instance, with the first GOP debate in the books, the 2024 presidential election will, in all likelihood, begin to dominate the news cycle. As the GOP candidates jockey for position, Christians are already being sucked into the quagmire that is the American political process.
For instance, in a recent Rolling Stone article, Tim Dickinson highlights pastor Hank Kunneman’s objections to Vivek Ramaswamy, who is a practicing Hindu, quoting Kunneman as saying, “If he [Ramaswamy or, presumably, other candidates] does not serve the Lord Jesus Christ, you will have a fight with God.”
Dickinson notes, “The pastor’s [Kunneman’s] remarks…underscore the challenges faced by non-Christian candidates seeking the nomination of a party whose base is rife with evangelical conservatives. The reactionary goal of large numbers of Republican Christians is the imposition of a Christian faith — and fundamentalist biblical strictures — on a country they see as seduced by secularism.”
While it would be easy (and in some cases correct) to blame the “liberal” media for mischaracterizations of Christians and Christianity, there is a very real sense in which we, as Christians, have been guilty of refusing to read the room.
With the rise of mass and social media, the shift to 24-hour cable news, and data-mining and research efforts making correlations between voter trends and religious affiliation transparent, the sort of adaptability that allowed Paul to be “all things to all people” has become more challenging. Once communication went global, “reading the room” and adjusting to one’s audience was virtually impossible, particularly when addressing issues in the context of U.S. politics, which have become less trusted in recent years.
Taking a political stand as Christians may, at some points, be appropriate and necessary; however, if the church and state begin to align more closely or, presumably, as Christianity is perceived to have beneficial ties to the state, it may be less than conducive to the growth of the church. As Nilay Saiya and Stuti Machanda note in their 2022 study, “countries where Christianity has historically been robust, like the United States, could experience declines in their Christian populations over time as church and state move closer together.”
In a polarized context where the world (or at least a much larger part of it) is looking on, Christians need to prioritize what it means to be all things to all people so we might save some as we determine two things: what aspect(s) of the truth to proclaim and how to go about proclaiming it.
When individual Christians feel the urge to express their political views online, we should ask ourselves how doing so may be the equivalent of being a Jew to the Greeks (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:19-21). Are we speaking a “language” that other people can’t understand?
Conversely, we must not shy away from proclaiming the gospel and conveying the truth in ways that will push non-Christians to consider Christ (cf. Acts 17:22-34). As Christians, we need to consider seriously the responsibility we have to “give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God” because we do not seek our own advantage, “but that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33).
If we embrace being “all things to all people,” I have my doubts that Christians will be able to advocate for one candidate or party without offending some of those who advocate for an opposing candidate or party. Discussions of policy will likely be similarly polarizing. Thankfully, the truth is sufficiently disruptive without us giving reason for offense. It is not that we ignore political issues or live in fear of “triggering” those who may disagree with us. Rather, the political issues become secondary to the eternal life of our neighbors.
There are a number of legitimate reasons to engage in politics. However, none of those legitimate reasons overshadow our fundamental mission of making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).
As such, it is not that Christian participation in the political realm is precluded so much as that participation is governed by the broader mission of the church. The church must continue to proclaim the truth in word and deed, even if that means stepping away from political discussions to proclaim the truth in different ways and in different realms. As Christians, we happen to live in the United States at this time. We need to reckon with how to be a people “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) by proclaiming the truth as we seek to be all things to all people so that we might save some.
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James Spencer earned his Ph.D. in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He believes discipleship will open up opportunities beyond anything God’s people could accomplish through their own wit and wisdom. As such, his writing aims at helping believers look with eyes that see and listen with ears that hear as they consider, question, and revise the social, cultural, and political assumptions hindering Christians from conforming more closely to the image of Christ. James has published multiple works, including “Christian Resistance: Learning to Defy the World and Follow Christ,” “Useful to God: Eight Lessons from the Life of D. L. Moody,” “Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony,” “Accountability, and the Christian Mind,’ and “Trajectories: A Gospel-Centered Introduction to Old Testament Theology.” In addition to serving as the president of the D. L. Moody Center, James is the host of “Useful to God” a weekly radio broadcast and podcast, a member of the faculty at Right On Mission, and an adjunct instructor with the Wheaton College Graduate School.
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