Encounter: Journal for Pentecostal Ministry, Fall 2013, Vol. 10
Editorial: Business, the Internet,
and the Christian Life
Paul Lewis, Ph.D.
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
Encounter Editor
International Journal of Pentecostal Missiology Editor
Admissions and Program Coordinator, Intercultural Doctoral Studies
Over a decade ago, my wife and I were
living and working in East Asia. Due to the
available avenues for ministry and the need
for visas where we lived, an opportunity
opened up for us to start a business.
Originally, we saw our business as a
potential venue by which ministry training
and materials could be developed (and
distributed). However, quite unexpectedly,
other dimensions not initially apprehended
emerged. First, we were able to meet and
work with people who were not touched by
or in the sphere of fellow believers in the
traditional church or educational avenues.
Many of these local people did not have a
close relationship with any believers or
foreigners. Amazingly, relationships and
opportunities to serve grew. Second, due to
the growth of the business, we were able to
hire several local people and model good
Christian business practices. We saw these
workers develop many office and
operational skills for the marketplace as they
grew in the Lord. Today, one of them owns
and operates a similar company, doing well
financially (supporting her family), and still
following the Lord in all that she does.
the burgeoning Internet, there was a
tradeoff. Relationships were truncated,
social awareness was stunted, and addictions
(such as pornography and online gaming)
were taking over lives. The Internet and
business are similar to technology in this
one sense, as Ian Barbour notes about
technology, it is neither a liberator nor a
threat in itself; it is a tool within a social
context that can be used in a positive or
negative way.1 The theme of this issue,
“Business, the Internet, and the Christian
Life,” speaks to the integration of a life
following Jesus in the world today.
One highlighted avenue of this Christian life
is seen in the applicability of the gospel in
the business world. Many people in our
churches are engaged in business, so looking
at the importance of business as a mean of
expressing our Christian life is foundational
(Smith, da Silva). Similarly, reevaluating
our concept of vocation expands our
understanding of the Christian Life and how
it fleshes out (Walls). Likewise, the
convergence of faith, work, and economics,
as led by the Spirit, is vital for the growth,
development, and flourishing of our
churches, families, and communities
(Grabill, Gibson, and Forster). Faith, work,
our vocation, and our communities are all
part of the Christian life.
At that time, we also noted the rapidly
increasing arena of the Internet. The
opportunities for connection with family and
friends (like my parents who were half way
across the globe), business, and information
engagement were immense. However, with
1
As believers follow Christ in the world
today, they face the pervasiveness of the
Internet. As noted above, while there are
vast opportunities in its usage, yet
relationships can suffer as a result of
Internet abuse, and one’s values can be
modified due to the Internet and social
media (Nance). Believers must carefully
consider the implications of Internet usage
on the Christian life. Further, online gaming
can shift one’s values, and easily become an
addiction—an issue to which the Church
must actively respond (Whipple). As
believers integrate twenty-first century
technology into their lives, they must reflect
on both the positive and negative aspects of
these tools. It is only as a true disciple of
Jesus Christ (Aker) that the way forward can
be seen as part of our journey in following
Him.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we live the
Christian life in business, in usage of the
Internet, and in every aspect of our lives—
both to engage in our society as it is
(Chaves), but also to reach out to a lost and
dying world (Ma). It is my hope that the
essays and lectures found in this issue will
be an aid and a blessing to all those who
look into and reflect on them. All to the
glory of God!
1
Ian Barbour, Ethics in an Age of Technology, The Gifford Lectures, vol. 2 (San Francisco, CA:
HarperSanFrancisco, 1993), 3-25.
2