Jan 31, 2025 Can We Still Say, “Outsider”? – Words of Grace Blog – January 31, 2025
This Sunday at Grace we will come to the final exhortation of Paul’s letter to the Colossian church before his closing greetings. He tells them to live and speak wisely and in ways that seek to silence the slander of unbelievers against them and to win a hearing for the gospel of Christ.
These are important exhortations that shape the attitude and guide the conduct of those who are united to Christ and live in the world.
There is a term used in Colossians 4:5 that deserves a bit of attention. Paul said Christians are to walk in wisdom toward outsiders. The question is can we and should we use the word “outsider” in our day?
The short answer is yes. An explanation will be helpful.
In our culture that likes to remove distinctions based on beliefs, referring to someone as an outsider will make you one. Complicating the issue is the progressive approach to Christianity that sees the church as anyone who wants to be in, regardless of profession of faith in Christ, affirmation of biblical doctrine, or conformity to biblical commands. This brand of “Christianity” removes “outsider” from its vocabulary except in the most extreme cases.
So, we come to the reference to outsiders in the New Testament and wonder what to do.
First, we need to understand the reality that everyone is an outsider in some context. Christians in the first century were outsiders to their culture. They didn’t have images of gods or affirm the deity of the emperor. They declared Jesus as Lord and worshipped in private places, sometimes secretly. This went against their culture. They were slandered and labeled outsiders. They gladly bore this reproach.
Second, it’s important to know that the term outsider refers to unbelievers. Paul was referring to people who did not repent of sin and believe Christ and so were outside of Christ and his church. This was not a statement that assigned to them an inferior status or consigned them to an unalterable state. This was merely a reference to the fact that they were not believers. That could change by grace through faith in Christ, as it did for those Paul was writing to in Colossians.
Third, the whole point of the passage is for Christians to live and speak in ways that draw outsiders into Christ. The passage is not encouraging an “us vs. them” mentality. It is encouraging a humble acknowledgment that we all are outsiders until God, by grace, brings us in. It is encouraging those who have been brought in by grace to turn to others with the gospel of Christ, live and speak in ways that commend Christ, and call them into Christ by faith.
If we lose the language of “inside” and “outside” of Christ for fear of being out of step with our culture, we will communicate that there really is no distinguishing mark of a Christian and a non-Christian, there is no need for repentance and faith toward Christ, and that Christ died in vain. This is not the Christian faith at all. And we will be of no help to the very people we think we are helping by altering the language in the first place.
Let us instead humbly receive the word as it is and the truth that it conveys and seek to obey it for the glory of Christ and the good of people. This is what people do who know they are inside by grace alone.
Let’s pray for each other this weekend. I’ll see you Sunday.
-Scott