"contextualizing" is not a dirty word

Todd Burus has done some homework regarding biblical examples of contextualizing. Go take a look.

here is a bit of his work, but you have to go read the rest to see his argument and evidence:

A rough definition of “contextualization” for the church is “being aware of the cultural context in which lost people around them live, and [making] every effort to bring the love and truth of Jesus in word and deed to be ‘all things to all people’ using ‘all means’ to ’save some’” [Mark Driscoll, Vintage Church, p.228]. It is “not making the gospel relevant, but showing the relevance of the gospel” [ibid.].
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This has never been about compromise, it has always been about reaching people for Christ in a way which is most appropriate for their life. It is not a thing we should be afraid of; “contextualizing” is not a dirty word, it is the way of biblical evangelism.

Read those words of Driscoll again. Contextualization is “not making the gospel relevant, but showing the relevance of the gospel.” Do you get the distinction? Is there such a distinction to be made? why or why not?

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