The Pursuit of the Holy God - Church of God of Prophecy

the other hand debilitates and results in negative purity ultimately being the end of the means.
3. Sanctification in African culture is most times conscription and a community decision, but biblical
sanctification is also a personal private affair and voluntary.
4. Biblical sanctification is by grace and is administered by God, the other is by law of men and
administered by men as a cult.
Culture often played a significant role in how the moral imperatives were understood and applied.
Often, the cultural distinctives of the first century which produced the particular tensions within the first
century believers are not easily translated into contemporary contexts. Therefore, the distinctive moralethical
demands relating to Christians have required some re-interpretation throughout the history of
the church, especially as it relates to the doctrine of holiness. This is especially true regarding ‘external
distinctives’ such as apparel, adornment, and secular activities.
Chapter nineteen of Leviticus deals primarily with holiness in social ethics. The chapter begins with
the divine declaration, “. . . Be ye holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:1 NIV).
The chapter defines and describes holiness in all areas of life. The following quote captures the spirit in
this section of the Holiness Code:
Holiness stands as the foundational principle in the long list of precepts set forth in this
chapter. Holiness is the object of all of the moral and ceremonial law. But since God sets
the norm and defines just what holiness does and does not include, God’s holiness acts
both as model and as motivating force in the development and maintenance of a holy
character. To make sure that the point is not lost, fifteen times the sixteen subsections end
with the reminder that, “I am the Lord your God.” 103
It is obvious that many of the culture-specific injunctions of Leviticus cannot be translated into
contemporary social conditions and therefore necessitates some cultural re-interpretation in order to
maintain the relevancy of the principles to contemporary readers as well as those whom they were
originally presented.
The Holiness and Pentecostal movements were birthed out of an American “cultural cradle” and thus
reflected a culturally distinct view of the social aspects of personal holiness. This culturally distinct view
produced certain prohibitions that were targeted against some of the pervasive social ills. Similarly, the
position of women in society during this time informed some of the doctrinal positions as well. Many
of the prohibitions which became part and parcel of holiness doctrine in America and other Western
cultures reveal little or no relevance when placed in different cultural contexts around the globe. Social
issues such as apparel, adornment, social activities, and others are sensitive issues that are inextricably
bound to culture and may not have identical applications in relation to defining holiness.
The obvious challenge faced when holiness and culture are juxtaposed is coming to some
determination of the “necessary things” (see Acts 15:28) of holiness, regardless of culture, while
avoiding perceptions that the decisions are simply the result of some kind of ‘cultural compromise.’
Acts chapter fifteen is considered to be a watershed event in the book of Acts. In this chapter,
the Lucan account provides the narrative surrounding the events of the so called Jerusalem Council.
Although this narrative is usually interpreted in a soteriological context, there is a salient sociological
context with accompanying cultural implications. The cultural aspects dealt with whether or not it was
necessary for the Gentiles to observe the Jewish cultural observances - many of which were inextricably
bound to their identity as God’s holy people.
103 Walter C. Kaiser. New Interpreters Bible (Volume 1). Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1994, page 1131.
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