If It Works...Don't Fix It

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” says Paul in Romans 8:1. We would agree with nary a dissenter among us. The dispute arises when someone asks, “What must I do to be ‘in Christ Jesus’?” Then there are hundreds of answers!

Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, says some cardinal things. We will list a few and then reason to some conclusions.

First, he exhorts “that there be no divisions among you” (1 Cor. 1:10). Next, he applies some things figuratively to himself an Apollos (4:6) for their sakes, that they “may learn not to exceed what is written.” Stay within what is written. Finally, Paul says something in 4:17 that would solve many problems of unity if we would only listen: he sends Timothy, who will “remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere and in every church.”

Now, that’s a mouthful! Paul’s ways were in Christ, where there Is no condemnation, just where we want to be. Also, those ways were taught by Paul “everywhere and in every church.”

See, there was a time when the teaching in every place was that which caused people to be “in Christ Jesus.” The doctrine (teaching) of the church at Corinth was the same as was taught in Jerusalem, Ephesus, Colossae, Rome, everywhere. That’s not the way it is today, is it? I think if Paul knew how badly we had messed this up he’d be spinning like a lathe.

The apostle Peter, in his final epistle, said that in God’s divine power He “has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness.” Paul said, “don’t exceed what’s written,” so all we need to know about how to live here and hereafter is within what’s written. People, we need to get back to the Bible, back to the saving gospel taught to and in those churches of the first century.

When I wanted to know how to get into Christ Jesus where there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1, the verse where we started), I discovered Romans 6:17:28: “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that form of teaching to which you were committed, then having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” This is your basic 3-point Preacher Passage: What they were, What they did, What they became. Jumps right off the page at you – they were slaves of sin, they obeyed from the heart (there’s the faith aspect) that form of teaching (more about “form” in a minute), and they became free of sin and slaves of righteousness. They were lost, they obeyed a form of teaching, and they became saved. It worked for them, it will work for us.

The word “form”: here is tupos in the original, and it means: a mold into which you pour wax or lead. They obeyed from the heart – they poured themselves into that teaching. Later, Paul tells Timothy to “retain the standard of sound words.” (2 Time. 1:13).

The word “standard” there is tupos as well. So, there is a standard of sound words, and we are to keep that standard. It works, so why change it? Want to be “in Christ Jesus”? Find out what they did and do it. Pour yourself into the form, the standard, the teaching that saves.

The Gospels record events yet under Mosaic Law; the Epistles are written to people who already are saved. The book of Acts is the single book where lost folk become saved under the New Covenant. Read it and make a list of what they were taught, of what moved them from sinner to saved, of what they did to “obey from the heart” and then do it. It worked in the first century and it still works now.

NOTE: This was written by John Duford, of the Whitehall Church of Christ. We invite you to come visit in Bible study on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. with worship to follow at noon. We will be participating in the Lord’s Supper. We also join in Bible study on Thursday at 6 p.m. All are welcome. Our temporary meeting place is at 11 N. Division (three doors, we are the middle one). The textbook we use is the Bible, so bring yours or use one of ours.