Jesus saves us from sin, not from our diverse cultures.
A few years ago, a brilliant young post-graduate scientist began attending our church services. She started her journey to explore Christianity. Her upbringing was anything but religious, which made her thoughts on faith fresh—and occasionally conflicted. Before too long she asked if we could sit down and talk. She had questions.
Over coffee we discussed all sorts of things: science, theology, politics, resurrection, and the Portland Trail Blazers. It was enjoyable. But I could see her reaching for the real question as the conversation went on. Finally she asked what had been on her mind the whole time: "Can I be a Christian and still believe in evolution?"
Circumstance and "circumcision"
What would lead us to believe that a scientist must reject evolution before embracing the good news of Jesus? Why wouldn't we expect them to become agents of God's grace in the very tension that many stumble over?
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul rambles through instructions for those who've recently converted to Christianity. One of his statements should make attentive observers of the text do a double-take. Paul writes, "Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised" (v.18).
The latter portion of this teaching makes sense—Paul often admonished Gentile converts, directly opposing the Judaizers, that they shouldn't become cultural Jews (via circumcision) in order to follow Jesus. Circumcision, for Paul, was a cultural conversion rather than a heart conversion. After all, Paul wasn't after circumcision of the penis; Paul was after what he called "circumcision of the heart" (see Rom. 2:28-29). Such theology makes sense to contemporary Protestants and evangelicals, who long ago rejected any kind of work-based salvation. But it's the first half of Paul's assertion that catches the modern reader off guard: Why would Paul instruct circumcised converts to not become uncircumcised? Keep reading
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