The Impact of the Gospel

Perhaps the greatest observable impact of the gospel was the breakdown of barriers between different groups of people. On Pentecost, through the action of the Holy Spirit, people of different languages were brought together (Acts 2:9-11, Acts 2:44). Paul has recounted his chiding of Peter (Cephas) for separating himself from non-Jewish Christians (Gal 2:11-14). And now Paul explains that, because all are children of God on the same basis of faith, we are now all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:26). The distinctions that applied in society are now submerged in the unity of sharing in the one Spirit (Gal 3:28). The visible nature of this unity began to cause offence, first for the Jews and then for the pagans. Some saw that the very structure of society was being threatened - and they were right. The subversion of Graeco-Roman culture (based on distinctions of race, class and gender) had begun. There was no doubt that the church, though only a tiny fraction of society, impacted society far more than its numbers would warrant. Hence persecution also began. Maybe our failure to impact our own society is because no one any longer sees the church as a threat to current way of life of our own society. Max.