It's Cultural

In a recent conversation a brother whom I know indicated that Christians might be affected a little by the culture around them. After many years of contemplating that theme, I believe that we are dominated by the culture around us- the values, thought patterns, beliefs and practices of the society that we live in. Over time I have heard any number of people who have walked with Christ for long periods refer to one or another thing in the Bible as "cultural," with the sense that it is no longer relevant modern day, and that we don't have to do it. Granted that everything in the Bible was written at a specific time, to a specific group of original recipients. If we accept the principle of inspiration of the Bible, i.e. dual authorship of the Holy Spirit and the human author, (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21 et. al.) then the choice of when and to whom things were written is a matter of God's sovereignity. If we accept the eternal nature of the Bible, then it is written to everyone. (Mark 13:31, Isaiah 40:8)
     What are we saying then, if we state that something is cultural? First, I think we are making a value judgment that our culture is better than the ones in which the Bible was written. Our technology may be better, but are we more enlightened in the eyes of God or just as sinful as any other generation that has walked the face of the earth? I also notice that things designated as cultural are usually things with which the designator disagrees or doesn't understand. Is this a basis to disobey Scriptural commands? Is there any consistent basis on which we could determine whether any given item is "cultural?" One author maintains that physical actions with symbolic meaning, such as foot washings or greeting one another with a holy kiss, are cultural. In that case, what about baptism or the Lord's Supper? Are we not setting ourselves up as the arbiters of Christianity by our picking and choosing?
     Let us beware justifying disobedience to NT commands by resorting to the cultural argument.