--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ministry. Sadly, there has never been a…" description: "\"“ministry. Sadly, there has never been a city on earth that is not saturated with human sin and corruption. Indeed, to paraphrase a Woody Allen joke, c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/timothy-keller-240_bible_ministry-sadly-there-has-never-been-a-ci_468956.jpg" --- # ministry. Sadly, there has never been a city on earth that… ![“ministry. Sadly, there has never been a city on earth that is not saturated with human sin and corruption. Indeed, to paraphrase a Woody Allen joke, cities are just like everywhere else, only much more so. They are both better and worse, both easier and harder to live in, both more inspiring and…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/timothy-keller-240_bible_ministry-sadly-there-has-never-been-a-ci_468956.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/timothy-keller-240_bible_ministry-sadly-there-has-never-been-a-ci_468956.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/timothy-keller-240_bible_ministry-sadly-there-has-never-been-a-ci_468956.jpg) > ““ministry. Sadly, there has never been a city on earth that is not saturated with human sin and corruption. Indeed, to paraphrase a Woody Allen joke, cities are just like everywhere else, only much more so. They are both better and worse, both easier and harder to live in, both more inspiring and oppressive, than other places. As redemptive history unfolds, we begin to see how the tension of the city will be resolved. The turn in the relationship between the people of God and the pagan city becomes a key aspect of God’s plan to bless the nations and redeem the world. In the New Testament, we find cities playing an important role in the rapid growth of the early church and in spreading the gospel message of God’s salvation.”” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cities embody human sin yet also provide a stage for redemption through the gospel. **In simple terms:** Cities are sinful but can be redeemed. Key Takeaway Seek to transform urban culture with faith. Themes sin redemption urban life church growth Mood hopeful reflective Type theological missional When to use this quote - church planting - city outreach - social justice - community building Key Concepts theology missiology urban sociology Questions to Reflect On - How can believers influence city culture? - What role does the church have in urban renewal? A Different Perspective Urban transformation faces entrenched corruption and resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [God'S Plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-s-plan/) [Message of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message-of-god/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [New testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-testament/) ## Related quotes > [I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcqueen/i-would-rather-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-than-in-any-city-on/) [Steve McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcqueen/) > [“Redemptive history supplies what is lacking in natural revelation, the means by which God forgives sin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/redemptive-history-supplies-what-is-lacking-in-natural-revelation-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Following Vos, Van Til places epistemology where it truly belongs, within the eschatological status of history: either one is a member of the kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-d-dennison/following-vos-van-til-places-epistemology-where-it-truly-belongs/) [William D. 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The word enthusiasm means 'filled with a god,' so what makes you enthusiastic? Follow it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/how-do-you-find-the-divine-power-in-yourself-the-word-enthusiasm/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. 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He hates the idea of people going there. 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Peterson > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) Stephen Taylor > [O Word of God incarnate . . . 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They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“ministry. Sadly, there has never been a city on earth that is not saturated with human sin and corruption. Indeed, to paraphrase a Woody Allen joke, cities are just like everywhere else, only much more so. They are both better and worse, both easier and harder to live in, both more inspiring and oppressive, than other places. As redemptive history unfolds, we begin to see how the tension of the city will be resolved. The turn in the relationship between the people of God and the pagan city becomes a key aspect of God’s plan to bless the nations and redeem the world. 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