Dan Olinger

How to Care for Your Pastor, Part 4: Obey Him

June 15, 2023 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Receive the Word | Part 2: Respect Him | Part 3: Remember Him

Okay, this one’s going to be the most controversial—or at least the one initially suspected of being the most controversial. Someone’s going to mutter something about “patriarchy” and turn away in disgust.

Well, I hope not. In the end, there shouldn’t be anything much controversial in this post, assuming you think the Bible is God’s Word. (If you don’t, then of course you’re welcome to your opinion, but this whole blog probably isn’t of much interest to you—except maybe this part.)

Anyhow, this concept is directly stated in Scripture, and since I’m committed to believing—and reporting—whatever it says, this command gets a post.

So here goes.

This biblical command, like the last one, is in Hebrews 13:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you (He 13.17).

Several things to note here. First. The verbal structure is compound: “obey and submit.” The first verb is often translated “persuade” or “trust” or some form of “confidence.” Note the emphasis on a meeting of the minds, on agreement by the object. This is not the verb the biblical writer would use for “Because I said so!” This is not the word for autocratic decrees. It means the object (that’s you or me) heard what the man said, thought about it, and agreed that this was the right thing to do.

The second verb is much less common; in fact it’s used only once in the New Testament, here in this verse. It’s used some in the Greek classics, including Homer, but that’s centuries earlier and may not reflect usage at the time of the New Testament. It does appear in the Old Testament Apocrypha. (Nerds may consult these references: 4 Maccabees 6.35 [“yield”]; Testament of Abraham 9 [“yield”]; and the first-century Jewish writer Philo, Moses, 1.156 [“obeyed”].) It seems to refer to giving way, as we would at a “Yield” sign in traffic. In the latter case, we yield not because we’re convinced, but because it’s the law, and if we don’t we’ll be at fault in any ensuing accident. In interpersonal actions like that described in our passage, it seems to imply submission even in cases where we’re not convinced.

Note that there are two reasons the writer cites for submitting:

Pastors are accountable (to God, of course, though that’s only implied, not stated). They’re being held accountable for “watch[ing] for your souls,” which is of course a good thing, if it’s a responsibility from God; and if “they may do it with joy,” then what they have done meets with the approval of the God who made us, in whose image we are, and whom he loves enough to die for us. This language clearly does not allow for leaders who are abusing their authority, and it gives no room for mindless submission or cult-like devotion.
These implications are directly confirmed by the succeeding statement that their being judged negatively for that care would be “unprofitable for you.”

When I was studying martial arts in college, I learned elements from all the major subcategories of judo, “the gentle way.” These included nage waza [throwing]; katame waza [grappling]: osaekomi waza [pinning]; kansetsu waza [joint locking]; and shime waza [choking]. Of these the most dangerous—by far—was shime waza. When we did judo demonstrations for the public, we never demonstrated these techniques, for the safety of little brothers everywhere. Most of these techniques are not technically “choking”; they cut off not the airway, but the carotid arteries, causing unconsciousness in seconds. I once demonstrated one of these in front of two physicians, and they came right out of their seats. It’s stuff to be highly respected and “not tried at home.” I will never use one of these techniques outside of a dojo, apart from a clear and present danger.

When we began to learn these techniques, our sensei applied a hold to each of us and told us sternly, “Don’t be a fool. When you feel this fade happening, tap out. Immediately. You’ve lost, but you want to live to fight again.”

Now, that’s a terrible illustration to use for pastoral care.

But here’s the biblical point. When your pastor tells you the truth, and when you know he’s telling the truth, don’t fight him; do the right thing, admit that he’s right, and correct your thoughts and actions. The consequences for resistance in those times are too severe to mess around with.

In those moments, he’s more than just a friend with an opinion. Listen.

Part 5: Reward Him | Part 6: Closing Thoughts

Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash

How to Care for Your Pastor, Part 3: Remember Him

June 12, 2023 by Dan Olinger 1 Comment

Part 1: Receive the Word | Part 2: Respect Him

The last chapter of Hebrews mentions two other ways we can care for our pastor. The first is in verse 7:

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation (He 13.7).

The passage starts out simple enough, telling us simply to “remember” him. But there’s considerably more depth to that word in the biblical world than in ours.

Today we view remembering as a skill, an ability: “I can’t remember names”; “I don’t remember where I put my car keys.” Remembering is an intellectual ability over which we typically have little or no control.

In the Bible, however, it’s often not like that. For example, God is said to not remember our sins:

For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more (He 8.12).

And we know He has the ability to remember; he’s omniscient. So there’s more to the word than that. What does it mean?

One clue comes from the fact that remembering is commanded or requested:

Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do (Ga 2.10).

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you (Co 4.18).

Note that these verses imply an action that we take as a result of thinking about the situation: “remember the poor.”

It also implies placing a priority on what we’re thinking about:

If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return (He 11.15).

By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones (He 11.22).

In both of the preceding verses, the underlined words translate the same Greek word for remembering.

So remembering, in this context, is something we choose to do. It is to place our minds on something, to think about it intentionally. It’s something young lovers do when their minds are idle. It’s what Scarlett O’Hara refused to do: “I’m not going to think about that.”

So what is our original passage saying? “Turn your mind to him; let your thoughts dwell on him.”

Some years ago I was sitting quietly at home when an elder from my church called to say that our pastor had just collapsed in the church parking lot. He had been taken to the emergency room. (We later learned that his collapse was the result of a malignant brain tumor, the same kind–glioblastoma–that had taken my brother’s life the year before. It would take our pastor’s life, too, a year later.)

My immediate thought was to go to the hospital, but I realized that a lot of people were already there, and I would just add to the congestion in a place where medical professionals were trying to get their jobs done.

So I prayed. Long. Hard. Intensely.

And then it occurred to me.

My pastor was just as much in need of my prayers the night before, and the night before that. But I hadn’t prayed for him then.

I hadn’t remembered him.

I had missed countless opportunities to help, to be of service.

Our verse goes on to say that we should take his faithfulness—and his faith—as an example to follow. We should imitate him when he’s right. And why? Because we consider “the end of [his] conversation.”

Most of us know that in the KJV, the word conversation does not mean a session of talking with someone; it means a lifestyle, the way we choose to invest our time, energy, and other resources.

If our pastor has been faithful, he has invested in valuable things with no speculative risk, and with infinite payout.

That’s an investment worth imitating.

Part 4: Obey Him | Part 5: Reward Him | Part 6: Closing Thoughts

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How to Care for Your Pastor, Part 2: Respect Him

June 8, 2023 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Receive the Word

Later in the same epistle, Paul requests something else from the Thessalonian believers. He uses two nearly synonymous verbs to make his point:

¹²We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves (1Th 5.12-13).

We all know what respect is. It’s to place value on someone for an appropriate reason. It’s a custom in most cultures to respect an older person, usually because he is considered wiser due to his greater experience. Similarly teachers, because they’re (supposedly) wiser due to education. To such people you show deference; you show that you value them by doing helpful things.

When I teach in Africa, it’s common for a student to ask to carry my Bible or my backpack from the car to wherever I’m headed, and back again later. The student is not saying that I’m old and feeble—at least I hope not. I can handle the heft of my Bible, and even of my backpack. It isn’t that I need the help; it’s just a service, a sign of respect.

At first I was uncomfortable with these things. I was born a Westerner, and we take care of ourselves, thank you very much. Why should someone else carry my stuff?

But I’ve come to realize that these dear people want to indicate their respect, and it is wrong of me, both culturally and otherwise, to deprive them of the joy of giving that gift.

Note what this does not mean. It does not mean that your pastor is better than you are. It does not mean that you have to do whatever he says. It does not mean that you are his servant.

It means that you appreciate the labor that he expends on serving as your shepherd, that you benefit from that labor, and that you freely and willingly want to demonstrate that.

Paul amplifies the force of this word by adding a second. “Esteem them,” he says—and do so “in love.” The Greek word translated “esteem” comes from a root meaning “lead.” The idea is that this person’s leadership places him in a position of respect.

In our democratic culture we Americans are uncomfortable with this idea; we think everybody should be equal. But we still esteem people; we just do so on an irrational and senseless basis. We go nuts over people who sing, who act, who bounce balls. Now, of course it takes work and skill to do those things at a professional level. But even though some heroes are indeed talented—and work unimaginably hard to get that way—it’s still only a game with a ball. This word speaks of an honor that is the result of careful, rational analysis; you look at the facts, and you determine that this is a person worthy of honor.

And, Paul says, you esteem them because of their work. Not their charm, their eloquence, their rugged good looks, but because of the labor that they expend that makes a difference in your life and because of their faithfulness to the work that God has given them to do.

A qualifying thought. We have all heard of pastors who abused their authority, who demanded respect that they had not earned, who claimed authority over areas of life that the Bible does not give them. Some cite such examples to excuse themselves from following the Scripture even when they ought to. I would remind them that there’s a baby in that bathwater.

The fact that something is done badly is not an argument that the thing ought not to be done at all.

When your pastor, through his labor, has earned your respect, you should give it—freely, creatively, effusively, and, as the verse notes, “in love.” You take care of people you love; you honor them; you reciprocate. Love is, after all, a two-way street.

Have fun thinking of ways to do that.

Part 3: Remember Him | Part 4: Obey Him | Part 5: Reward Him | Part 6: Closing Thoughts

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How to Care for Your Pastor, Part 1: Receive the Word

June 5, 2023 by Dan Olinger 4 Comments

Over the years I’ve had opportunities to preach as a guest in various churches, in the US and abroad. Often I take that opportunity to preach about how a church can care for its pastor, following the Bible’s teaching on the subject. I tell the congregation that while their pastor seeks to give them the whole counsel of God in his preaching, many pastors think that preaching on this topic would be a little, well, self-serving. Since I’m not their pastor, and since I’ll be in their church for just a day or two, I can say what needs to be said and then move on.

I’ve heard lots of sermons on how pastors should care for their churches—usually at ordination services:

¹I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching (2Ti 4.1-2).

But never one on the inverse. It just isn’t done.

So. Here we go.

The Bible does address this topic at reasonable depth, though not in a single concentrated passage. I’ve chosen here to cover the relevant passages, biblical-theological style, in the order in which they were written.

Receive the Word (1Th 2.13)

On his second missionary journey, Paul and his new associate, Silas, received a vision of a man calling, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” (Ac 16.9). Believing this vision to be from God, the men immediately crossed the water from Asia Minor (modern Turkey) to Macedonia (northern Greece), thereby venturing for the first time from Asia to Europe—and how different the world is today because they did.

They preached in Philippi, founding a church there (Ac 16.12-40), and then traveled down the main drag, the Egnatian Highway, to the city of Thessalonica, where they founded another church, despite no little opposition (Ac 17.1-9).

Later Paul wrote two epistles to the Thessalonian church—as well as one to Philippi—in which he describes his ministry there and fills them in on several doctrines. (We actually know more about Paul’s preaching in Thessalonica from his epistles than from the historical account in Acts.)

It is in the first epistle that he comments specifically on their response to his preaching:

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers (1Th 2.13).

They received the Word.

Now, we need to qualify this in a couple of ways.

First, Paul was an apostle (1Co 9.1), and thus, I believe, was inerrant in his preaching (Jn 14.26). Your pastor will readily admit—I certainly hope—that he is neither an apostle nor inerrant, and that his interpretations of Scripture are thus subject to correction.

But second, the Scripture commends the folks in a church in Berea, just down the road from the Thessalonica, because

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so (Ac 17.11).

I don’t think they needed to check up on what Paul said. But they did, searching the Scriptures. And the Spirit commends them for that.

So.

How do you “receive the Word” in the biblical sense?

First, you listen. For some people that means leaning forward. For some it means taking notes. For some—and God bless those folks!—it means showing in your facial expressions that you agree, or don’t, or wonder, or have a question. Showing that you’re alive. Letting your pastor know whether he’s reaching his listeners.

Second, you think about what you heard. You compare it with the rest of Scripture to see if it passes muster.

And third, you let your pastor know what you thought. You share other passages that confirm or throw more light on what he said. You ask about the parts that you don’t understand. You interact.

Many pastors would faint if their congregation regularly did that. There is nothing more encouraging than knowing that your hearers are actually listening.

Frankly, that requires more than just a “Good sermon, pastor.”

Part 2: Respect Him | Part 3: Remember Him | Part 4: Obey Him | Part 5: Reward Him | Part 6: Closing Thoughts

Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash

In Christ, Part 9: Corollaries

May 29, 2023 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

There are several things that regularly—I’m tempted to say necessarily—accompany being in union with Christ. I don’t think it’s quite correct to call them consequences, because I think they have independent origins. But when you see someone in union with Christ, you will typically find these corollaries.

The first is the indwelling, and thus actively working, Holy Spirit. This indwelling comes to all believers, as Christ promised (Jn 14.17) and as Paul confirms (Ro 8.9). But I mention it here because John connects the indwelling with the union specifically:

Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit (1J 4.13).

The two seem to be necessarily collocated.

A second corollary is that believers grow, and specifically they grow together. If we are “in Christ,” and if Christ “is the head of the body, the church” (Co 1.18), then it makes sense that the parts of the body would work together and that the overall body would grow as a result. Paul writes,

That we … may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: ¹⁶From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (Ep 4.14-16).

¹⁸Let no man beguile you … not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God (Co 2.18-19).

Another corollary is protection in suffering. If we are in Christ, then when we suffer, Christ is the one being attacked. Now, God was protecting his people long before there was union with Christ; David frequently rejoices in his protection. But I find it interesting that when Saul is persecuting the early church, Christ himself confronts him on the road to Damascus and says, “Why are you persecuting me?” (Ac 9.4). This is personal.

One more.

Our friend John writes further in his first epistle,

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming (1J 2.28).

Now, our confidence at Christ’s coming comes from a number of factors, including justification, remission, adoption, and a whole long list of God’s works. But one thing is sure: those who are united with Christ spiritually can be confident that that union will eventuate in a deeper, more visible, and more fulfilling union in the end. It is no coincidence that Revelation includes a celebration of the marriage of the Lamb:

⁵And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. ⁶And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. ⁷Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. ⁸And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. ⁹And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. … ¹¹And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. ¹² His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself (Re 19.5-12).

This is where it’s all heading, folks. We have, with all these present blessings, merely a foretaste of glory divine.

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In Christ, Part 8: And More

May 26, 2023 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Another outcome of our union with Christ might surprise some Christians. It’s brought to the fore in two New Testament passages, both well known.

In John 13, Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. To do so, he wraps himself with a towel. Both the wrapping and the washing are the typical tasks of a servant. The account indicates that Peter, at least, is uncomfortable with the implication; he bursts out with “You’re going to wash my feet?! … You shall never wash my feet!” (Jn 13.6, 8). As we all know, he relents—we might say over-relents—and Jesus patiently explains how the action is going to proceed (Jn 13.8-10).

When he’s finished, Jesus says,

¹⁴If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you (Jn 13.14-15).

A minority of Christians have taken this as an ordinance; they have foot-washing ceremonies in church, as they do with baptism and the Lord’s Supper. I don’t see a problem with that, but I don’t think it’s necessary; in fact, I think that in a way it misses the point, particularly as expressed in Jesus’ next words:

The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him (Jn 13.16b).

I think he’s using foot-washing, a servant’s task in his day, to illustrate a larger principle: no follower of Jesus is too big, too important, to be above serving his fellows. I’d suggest that for us to think that we’ve fulfilled this responsibility by washing a fellow church member’s feet once a month, in a day when foot-washing is not a cultural necessity (and I’m not saying that this is the typical attitude among those who practice the rite), is to fall far short of Jesus’ teaching. We need to serve one another—in any or all of the forms that such service takes today. That may be as simple as holding a door, or more intensive, such as cooking a meal or watching someone’s kids or fixing their car (or paying to have it fixed).

What does your colleague need, that you are in a position to provide? Provide it.

Paul strongly reinforces this concept in the well-known Christological hymn in Philippians 2:

⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Php 2.5-8).

Christ didn’t hang on to his heavenly status, as though he would be at risk to take “upon him the form of a servant”; that’s a sign of insecurity, of weakness. He willingly set that aside—there’s not room here to go into detail about what that involved—and humbled himself, and met the needs of all of us.

Now, we obviously can’t give our lives to redeem all who will believe—and that’s already been accomplished anyway—but we can imitate his attitude and devotion in any number of ways, the opportunities that present themselves to us.

We love it when other people do that, but we’re afraid to do that ourselves.

However, that is precisely what it looks like to be in Christ.

Part 9: Corollaries

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In Christ, Part 7: Even More Outcomes

May 23, 2023 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

And there’s more. Which shouldn’t surprise us; that’s how God does things (Lk 6.38; Ep 1.3).

The Scripture ties our union with Christ to other delightful outcomes.

Power Through Prayer

Since we were in John 15 in the previous post, let’s notice one more outcome that Jesus mentions there.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (Jn 15.7).

That makes sense, doesn’t it? If we are in Christ, shouldn’t that make a difference in the way we pray—and in the Father’s response to our prayers?

We know that promises like this one are often abused. Little children pray for barrels of candy. Purveyors (I won’t call them “preachers”) of the prosperity “gospel,” which is really just the idolization of the self, encourage people to “name it and claim it”—in the name of Jesus Christ!

What a horrific twisting of Jesus’ words—in a very real sense, what blasphemy. These adults—if that’s what they be—haven’t progressed at all beyond the 7-year-old boy praying for that barrel of candy.

What is Jesus saying? He’s describing our being united with him. Now, if we’re united with him, our thinking is going to change—specifically, it’s going to mature. We’re going to be of one mind with him; our desires are going to be his desires. We’re going to pray what he would pray—and that would not be for a barrel of candy or a new Rolls Royce or a house the size of Nebraska. Jesus got on well with no house at all, you know (Mt 8.20; Lk 9.58).

And so, when we pray we’re going to ask for things that are in the will of the Father; and Jesus says elsewhere that those prayers get answered (Mt 7.7; 18.19; 21.21).

Now that is powerful prayer—the kind only those who are in Christ can pray.

Accurate Judgment

In a sense what we’ve been talking about so far in this post is simply wisdom—the wisdom that enables you to discern the Father’s will, and the spiritual vitality to desire it. The Bible extends that wisdom even further. In his first epistle to the Corinthian church, Paul spends a few column inches meditating on what it means to have this kind of mental connection with God. In the paragraph from 1Co 2.6-16, he makes a number of astounding claims.

God hath revealed [unseen things] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. … Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. … He that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. ¹⁶For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ (1Co 2.10, 12,15-16).

We have the mind of Christ.

Of course we do, since we’re united with him. And that mind is mediated—clarified or explained, if you will—through the Spirit, who, as God, knows the Father and the Son perfectly.

In this context Paul is applying this principle directly to the matter of judgment. Initially he calls it wisdom (1Co 2.6-7), then revelation (1Co 2.10), then judgment (1Co 2.15).

Everyone who is in Christ has the Spirit dwelling in him. The Spirit helps him understand the Scripture (1Co 2.14-15), through which we learn the mind of the Triune God. This is an intimate relationship.

And with that mind, we can make wise choices—unlike the demonic forces, who thought it would be a good idea to kill Jesus while he was walking on the earth, at his most vulnerable (1Co 2.8)—and then found that their unspeakable crime was actually the very means their great Enemy would use to defeat them and to free millions of their slaves.

If they had had the mind of Christ, they wouldn’t have done that.

So we can do better.

Part 8: And More | Part 9: Corollaries

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In Christ, Part 6: More Outcomes

May 18, 2023 by Dan Olinger 2 Comments

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Pictures | Part 3: More Pictures | Part 4: Even More Pictures | Part 5: Outcomes

What else results from our being in Christ?

Stability

When Jesus introduced the metaphor of the vine and the branches, he was emphasizing the concept of nourishment: the vine feeds the branches, because it is the conduit of the branches’ lifeblood (to use a decidedly non-botanical term). The branch cannot survive unless it is attached to the vine.

On the positive side, then, the vine brings life and stability. Paul speaks of our being “rooted and … established in the faith, as you have been taught” (Co 2.7).

Since my church is halfway between my city’s rescue mission and one of its soup kitchens, we get a fair amount of foot traffic between the two, with consequent opportunity to interact with a variety of homeless people. The stories I hear from them, and the obstacles in their lives, will break your heart. Most of them have no sense of stability because they have no job, no income, no place to live, no way to get around. Everything’s just up in the air. I can buy them a meal or a few bags of groceries—and I have—but that’s not really a solution. And when you start looking for solutions, as those with extensive experience dealing with the homeless will tell you, the obstacles are often insurmountable. Sometimes they come from the homeless person himself; sometimes from the civic structure; sometimes from family; sometimes from somewhere else.

That level of instability is a deeply frightening and frustrating thing.

In Christ, Paul says, we’re rooted; we’re built up; we’re established.

Solid. Firm. Confident.

We don’t always feel that way. Most often that’s because we forget the Source of our stability and look to ourselves, or someone else, to solve our problem.

That’s a shaky foundation.

But the more you know—and practice—about your union with Christ, the fewer times those earthquakes in your soul will happen.

Growth

There’s more to this concept.

In the verse I quoted above, there’s a set of ellipsis marks. Whenever you see those in a quotation, you should ask yourself, “What did he leave out? and why? What’s he up to?” Bowdlerizing is a thing, more these days than ever before. Did I leave something out because it weakened my point?

Well, not this time. :-)

I left something out because I was saving it for later. Between “rooted” and “established,” which are closely similar concepts, Paul places the phrase “built up in him.” That’s a step beyond the other two; it speaks of not only surviving, but growing.

Prospering. Thriving.

We shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus includes this same idea in his original metaphor of the vine and the branches. He speaks of the branches “bearing fruit” and “bring[ing] forth more fruit” (Jn 15.2) and “bring[ing] forth much fruit” (Jn 15.5, cf 8).

Jesus doesn’t unite us with himself just so that we’ll be safe—though indeed we will be. As he left, Jesus promised that he would always be with us (Mt 28.20), and he promised that he would send his Spirit, who “dwells with you, and shall be in you” (Jn 14.17)—and who has been in us, since Pentecost. And Jesus also told us, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12.32).

Yes, we are safe, but as the old saying goes, “A ship in a harbor is safe; but that is not what ships are for.” (I don’t know whether John A. Shedd or Grace Hopper originally said that, but it’s true regardless.)

Jesus unites us with himself so that we will thrive through our intimate connection with him.

Is your connection with him like that? You can’t thrive—really thrive—without it.

Part 7: Even More Outcomes | Part 8: And More | Part 9: Corollaries

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In Christ, Part 5: Outcomes

May 15, 2023 by Dan Olinger 6 Comments

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Pictures | Part 3: More Pictures | Part 4: Even More Pictures

With the broader understanding of our union with Christ that these metaphors give us, we’re in a position to understand and appreciate the results that this union brings to our spiritual life and health. The New Testament mentions several.

What things result from our being in Christ?

Well, to begin with, there’s a whole bunch of stuff that doesn’t happen—or rather, stops happening. Let me present two of them as pairs—what stops happening, and what starts happening.

Condemnation Becomes Acquittal

We started out life in serious trouble. We had received a sentence of guilt—of condemnation—from our first father, Adam. (You think that’s not fair? Well, there are some things to consider about that.) And shortly we had confirmed that guilt by demonstrating our own sinfulness—selfishness, rebellion, and eventually all the rest of it. As time went on, our guilt just kept on accumulating—even among the best of us. And as Jesus noted in his metaphor of the vine and the branches, the fate of unattached branches is to be gathered up and burned (Jn 15.6).

But with our grafting into the vine that is Christ, all that changes dramatically. Where there was condemnation,

¹There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Ro 8.1-2).

You have been declared not guilty in God’s courtroom because the penalty for your crimes has been paid—completely—by Christ, and you are in him.

But that’s only half of it. If you’re a bajillion dollars in debt, and some rich person pays that debt off completely, that’s great—you’re debt-free!—but the truth is that you’re still broke; your net worth is precisely zero.

What you need is some assets.

Bankruptcy Becomes Wealth

Our standing as “in Christ” doesn’t stop with paying off the old debt, forgiving our accumulated sins. It goes infinitely beyond that.

Since we’re “in Christ,” we are identified with him—and that means that his righteousness becomes ours.

He has made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2Co 5.21).

Wow. That “some rich person” not only paid off our debt, but he made us cosigners on his own bank account. We have access to all the riches of righteousness available there.

That’s astonishing.

And now we have access to all kinds of other things that were infinitely out of reach before. We have what Paul calls “newness of life”—and his description of that life is radically different from how we used to live:

⁴But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; ⁷by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything (2Co 6.4-10).

More briefly, he says that we’re a “new creation”:

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2Co 5.17).

Paul summarizes all this up in a simple statement:

If Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness (Ro 8.10).

Yes, we continue to sin, because there are stumbling blocks along the way of life, and because our fallen nature has not yet been eradicated (Ro 7.18-25). But there is a simple path to forgiveness and a promise of restoration (1J 1.9).

So we ought to walk—and we can walk—even as Jesus himself walked (1J 2.6)—because we are in him.

Part 6: More Outcomes | Part 7: Even More Outcomes | Part 8: And More | Part 9: Corollaries

Photo by Wylly Suhendra on Unsplash

In Christ, Part 4: Even More Pictures

May 11, 2023 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Pictures | Part 3: More Pictures

A metaphor of union with Christ that we saw briefly in the previous post is one we should develop further here.

We are, Paul says, a building, specifically a temple, a building where God lives (Ep 2.20-22). In its simplest sense this means that because we live in God’s house, we’re members of his family, his “household” (Ep 2.19); we belong, we have access to the house. We’re keyholders. That’s a mark of great privilege.

But this isn’t just an ordinary house; it’s God’s house, a temple, a place of worship. It’s a place that should inspire us to worship God, and a place where we should serve as agents to inspire others to worship God. We’re “a priesthood” that should “show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1P 2.9). Here, too, is a picture that urges us to be about our responsibilities, not just to enjoy our privileges.

And this is a temple like no other.

It’s alive.

We are “living stones” (1P 2.5), making up a building that “grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Ep 2.21). This is not a cold, dank, dusty place whose glory days are long past—a tomb, in effect. This is a vital, vibrant, active temple, where God currently resides and where the business of worship is at its highest point in history—and will continue to increase forever, every day a new record, an unprecedented, joyous celebration.

I can’t even imagine.

What a picture.

And if this is the metaphor, what must be the reality?

There’s one more picture to consider, probably the one most widely known, because it’s in the passage most frequently preached.

At pretty much every wedding you’ve ever attended, the officiant at some point has referred to Ephesians 5.25-33. He has probably commented that the union of husband and wife illustrates the church’s union with Christ.

My colleague Dr. Gary Reimers has convinced me that the passage is not that simple. He notes that husbands are told “to love their wives as their own bodies” (Ep 5.28), which is “even as Christ also loved the church” (Ep 5.25). And as we’ve seen earlier in this series, the church that Christ loves is indeed his body. So this is perhaps more a further discussion of Paul’s key theme in this epistle—the church as the body of Christ—than the introduction of a new metaphor per se.

But that said, the Scripture does use nuptial language of the relationship between God and his people. Paul says that he wants to present the Corinthian church “as a pure virgin to Christ” (2Co 11.2), and the New Jerusalem is described as “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Re 21.2, 9). Now, the New Jerusalem is not the church, in my opinion, but I suspect that it represents all the people of God, which includes the church (yep, there’s my dispensationalist premillennialism rearing its head again), so I think it’s legitimate to consider the metaphor here.

Marriage is the most intimate of earthly relationships. A married couple is a team, a partnership, and a permanent one at that, at least for earthly life. The couple works together, cares for each other, supports each other, loves each other, “till death us do part.”

Like all of these pictures, it’s deficient, because no earthly relationship captures the eternal relationship between Christ and his church. But for the time it lasts, it has the potential to illustrate the key features of that relationship: its commitment, its love, its fierce endurance through all sorts of attacks from the enemy, its sense of stability, hope, and trust.

In union with Christ, we have all this, and more.

Part 5: Outcomes | Part 6: More Outcomes | Part 7: Even More Outcomes | Part 8: And More | Part 9: Corollaries

Photo by Wylly Suhendra on Unsplash