--We’re starting a whole new series on Christianese…terms and words Christians use that other people don’t necessarily understand, including many Christians.
--People sometimes ridicule or lament the existence of such terminology. But this misses the point a bit.
--So why do we have such specialized words?
--Having insider terms and lingo is normal.
--Any group of people with a long enough history and complex enough concepts is going to develop shorthand terminology to refer to more complicated subjects or ideas. This is the way all language works.
--Try imagining every time someone wanted to talk about politics and didn’t have the word “republic.” You’d have to say, “I’m glad we live in a place where the citizens hold the political power and delegate representatives to make rules on their behalf within limits set by a Constitution and without royalty.” See why we use terms?
--But the advantage that terminology gives to insiders is precisely its greatest problem to outsiders and newcomers who don’t yet speak the lingo.
--And since Christianity is specifically intended to reach out to non-members, this creates a structural problem which tends to hinder the very work of evangelism (a term we’ll define, but not today).
--People sometimes ridicule or lament the existence of such terminology. But this misses the point a bit.
--So why do we have such specialized words?
--Having insider terms and lingo is normal.
--Any group of people with a long enough history and complex enough concepts is going to develop shorthand terminology to refer to more complicated subjects or ideas. This is the way all language works.
--Try imagining every time someone wanted to talk about politics and didn’t have the word “republic.” You’d have to say, “I’m glad we live in a place where the citizens hold the political power and delegate representatives to make rules on their behalf within limits set by a Constitution and without royalty.” See why we use terms?
--But the advantage that terminology gives to insiders is precisely its greatest problem to outsiders and newcomers who don’t yet speak the lingo.
--And since Christianity is specifically intended to reach out to non-members, this creates a structural problem which tends to hinder the very work of evangelism (a term we’ll define, but not today).
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