1 Samuel 10:14-16- a key to unlocking the multicultural church.

I was reading my Reformation Study Bible this morning over coffee and a commentary note stuck out to me, the note on 1 Samuel 10:14-16.

The Western commentator (maybe R.C. Sproul himself) seemed perplexed as to why Saul didn't mention his kingship- just a conversation about donkeys.

I had a hinch and I ran my theory through three different AI apps- ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok. They all agreed with my idea and I will mention a point all three brought up without it being pointed out myself, cultural conversational styles.

I was first introduced to the 'High Conversational Style' when I made friends with British Pakistanis and learnt how they talked to their families, this was a useful lesson God showed me as I would later marry my wife, originally from Zambia, and she communicates with her family in the High Conversational style.

Simply put the High Conversational style is used by South Asian, African, Arab, etc communities, in this stylre of communication not everything is said explicitly, the meaning of what is said depends on relation, status, etc and people may intentionally leave out information because "It's understood" or not appropiate to say yet because of their social context. Add that to concepts like face, their idea of social harmony, etc. Very different to our Western direct style.

To really drive home the idea to the mostly American audience reading this, the people of the Bible spoke, thought and acted more like the Somalis in Minnesota than your typical American family.

The ultimate point of this post is to remind us all about the international church and our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world and how our Triune, Thrice Holy God saves and uses His people in various cultural contexts, for me it is awesome to think about this diversity God has created in our family in Christ!

Below- a frustrated Western time traveller tries to understand an ancient Biblical extended family.