Proselytes or Converts?

In our morning worship I'm preaching through Galatians. Galatians is essentially a letter about a church fight. Seems like there is a lot of church fighting going on these days within denominations. The Anglicans have been in the news lately for the divisions between the so-called liberals and conservatives.

In the churches in Galatia (modern day Turkey) the fighting was over Jewish cultural and religious traditions. Did the new Christians (who weren't of Jewish ancestry) need to serve a "cultural apprenticeship" (Lamin Sanneh's provocative term). Sanneh points out that Rabbinic literature of the day "compared God-fearing Gentiles (non-Jews) to stags whose habitat was in the wild but who were now given provisional leave to graze with sheep of the flock." (Disciples of All Nations, 7). Wow. And the irony is the Rabbis thought they were being inclusive!!!

Paul, of course, stands against that. He argues for full inclusion WITHOUT the cultural apprenticeship. He argues for Gentile CONVERTS rather than second class citizen PROSELYTES.

Seems that this is one of the problems churches face today. So many churches are completely patronizing to their prospects. (Should I say "our" prospects?) We require people to "become like us" (cultural apprenticeship) before we validate their love for Jesus with full inclusion in the body.

What sort of cultural apprenticeship are you requiring? Are you willing to give it up for the sake of someone else coming to know and love Jesus? Isn't that what it's all about?