HONOR AND SHAME

BACK TO HOME PAGE

This is a lesson based on the book by Muller. Read the book; then adapt the lesson to your particular age group.

HONOR AND SHAME
Roland Muller

Genesis 3:1-11
Read and identify what Adam and Eve experienced:

V.7 their eyes were opened (guilt)
v. 7 they realized they were naked (shame) (2:25 no shame)
v. 8-10 they hid themselves (fear)

Define: Guilt: I did something bad

Shame: I am bad

Fear: I am afraid
Do we experience these when we sin?

What does scripture say about each of these?
Identify several scriptures for each:

Guilt: Romans 6:23 the wages of sin is death
Isaiah 53:9 nor was any deceit in his mouth

Shame: I Tim 1:12 I am not ashamed
Romans 9:33 the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame
Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men

Fear: II Tim 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear

Identify the positive of each:
Innocence vs guilt (right vs wrong) (truth vs lie)
Honor vs shame
Power vs fear



Now, let’s look at shame, guilt, and fear in the world today.
The Roman/Greek culture was the foundation of our western civilization. Which of these three do you think was dominant?
Why?
Roman law had a profound impact on Western Christianity. Our nation is a nation founded on the “rule of law.”
Define “Rule of Law:”
What makes it work?

The other main branch of Christianity was in the East. The early
Eastern theologians were influenced by the honor of shame of Israel, and other Middle Eastern countries. They did not place such an emphasis on sin and guilt. Rather, their emphasis was on being able to stand with honor before a holy God.

Into this culture of honor and shame came Islam about 600 A.D. To them it is unthinkable to have a “rule of law” because God establishes all law. In Islam, their religion and culture are interlocked. Our culture is the opposite: “separation of church and state” is taken to ridiculous extremes.




Let’s look at our culture first. What do we value? In what order?
Truth, honor, power.
Have we changed in the last 200 years?

What cultures value honor over innocence?
How is that demonstrated in what you observe?

How might a culture be different that places a higher value on honor? How might their priorities be different?
What do you know about “saving face?”

How would becoming a Christian be different for them compared to our culture? What would be a good salvation scripture for this type of culture?

What cultures value power over honor and truth?
How is that demonstrated in their culture?
What would be a good salvation scripture for this type of culture?

Tell me an example of something that another culture does that just doesn’t make sense to us. Let’s analyze it in these terms and see if it is understandable.
Examples: loudspeakers in the Iraqi war insulting their mother
(Newsweek)
WWII Japanese soldiers committing suicide when their captain dies
Terrorists visiting strip clubs in the US when their own culture bans them…
Other?

Paul told the jailer…”and your house.” How would we interpret this in a culture of honor and shame?

How about fear based cultures?
What motivates them?
How are they brought to the gospel?
Have we been successful?