Saturday, June 22, 2013

What? Me, A Counselor Part 2

In Part 1 we were looking at Colossians 3:16 where Paul tells these Christians that they are to “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another.” Our focus was on the word “admonishing”. But as we studied this word we noticed that there are some other words used in the Bible that have a similar meaning. Today we will look at these other words and compare them in order that we might see what we need to be doing to help other Christians in their walk with Christ.
But let’s remember, this is not a moralistic lesson that gains acceptance with God when we do it. This is what the normal Christian life should be like. Why? Because of the gospel! Because it’s what Jesus Christ expects of His followers. Because we have the “want to” built into our life through the Holy Spirit who indwells us. Notice what Paul says to the Romans:   But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
With that in our mind, let’s look at some other New Testament words that will show us how we are to be obedient from the heart in helping other Christians.
1.     What does it mean to TEACH someone?
The expectation of teaching other Christians is included in the passage before us, but also in chapter 1. Notice what Paul says he was doing in His own ministry: We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Of course, this is the great apostle Paul. That’s HIS ministry. Is that something that is also expected of the normal, every-day believer, too? Well, according to our verse (3:16), it is expected.
 Of course, there is a special spiritual gift of teaching that is described in scripture, but that does not suggest that only those with the gift should teach. Paul does not make any clarification about teaching if you have that gift. This is for everyone to be doing, though it may be done in different contexts. Some may teach a Bible study or a Sunday school class. Others may just do it with a small group, perhaps just one other person. Since it is paired here with the direction to admonish, we can assume that as you warn someone of their wrong behavior, you are also prepared to show them from the Word of God what is the right behavior.
And that is exactly what is involved in teaching: showing someone else what God’s Word says. It does not have to have a fancy outline, with dramatic illustrations and deep theological truths. It means that we are providing information to someone that they can understand and use.
2.     What does it mean to EXHORT someone?
When you see the word “exhort” in the Bible, it is actually translated from a couple of different words. Most frequently, it is the same word as the one used for encourage, which is also translated as comfort, urge, plead, beg, and implore. The context would determine which meaning should be used in any given passage. But the basic idea of the word is to come along to the side of someone to offer assistance. What kind of assistance? That’s where we need to see the context of the passage. We’ll look at a couple of verses that are specifically related to what we are expected to do in our relationships with other believers.
1 Thessalonians 4:18  This is the well-known passage where Paul explains the rapture to a group of believers who were worried about some who had already died without seeing the return of Christ. They were grieving. So Paul explains what will be happening with those departed saints with a description of what will take place when Christ returns for the church. Paul concludes this instruction with the direction to come alongside one another to help each other not be discouraged or grieving as those who have no hope. There is hope! So the context would seem to suggest that believers should be a source of comfort for each other in the face of grief.
1 Thessalonians 5:11  Immediately following the rapture passage, Paul turns his attention to the actual return of Christ to earth, what we can actually call the Second Coming of Christ. In this situation, Paul is challenging the Christians who have not died to consider their present situation and to live for Christ and be alert, not lazy and to be self-controlled or sober, rather than neglectful of our responsibilities (5:6). With that expectation in mind, Paul concludes his teaching on the subject with the words, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” It’s the same word that is used in 4:18, but this time with a different context, a need for Christians to be doing something in their life. So most translations use the word encourage. But exhortation might also be a good translation. We are to come along to the side of other Christians to encourage them in their walk with Christ.
3.     What does it mean to ADMONISH someone?
And now we look at the word we studied in part 1. We said that it had the idea of putting something into someone’s mind. The Biblical Counseling movement have used the Greek word for admonish as their main word to describe their approach to counseling (nouthetic). We saw this being used in both Colossians 3:16 and in Romans 15:14. In the latter passage, Paul even makes it clear that all these believers were “able” to admonish one another. It is also translated as warn/warning, and instruction. This word suggests that a person needs  to be confronted with something that is wrong and then helped to see how they should change to conform to God’s Word.
Conclusion:
Two questions need to be asked. First, how do these different words relate to one another? In a way they are  synonymous, but synonyms do not mean exactly the same meaning, but rather, close to the same meaning. Teaching is definitely giving out information, exhorting and encouraging is helping someone to put that information into practice, and admonishing is challenging them to change their behavior according to the information.
The second question is easy. Are we expected to teach, exhort, encourage, comfort, and admonish other Christians? Answer:  YES! It’s right there in the verses we have studied. Some of us may be better equipped at doing it. We may do it in different ways according to our personalities/temperaments. But we need to be looking for opportunities to help build up one another in Christ through the Word of God. We may do it in small groups, but often this is a one-on-one situation where we have established a spiritual relationship. Don’t have anyone like that? That’s a problem. And you should address it. With all these “one another” concepts, it would appear that God expects to be involved in the lives of other people.
You may not be the appointed “admonisher” or “teacher” or “exhorter”. In fact, you should not be! But you should be preparing yourself to do any and/or all of them on an as-needed basis. And if you are involved in other people’s lives, it will be needed. Because we are all sinners. Are you ready to receive it? God will use others in your life to so that, with the apostle Paul, we may say “so that we may present every man complete in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).

Friday, June 21, 2013

Book Review: One Forever

Christian. Believer. Saved. Disciple. All of these are words that people use to describe a person who is a Christian. Here is a term that is used frequently in scripture: in Christ. In his book One Forever, Rory Shiner explores what the Bible means when it says the Christian is “in Christ.” With a subtitle of The Transforming Power of Being in Christ he wants to show us how such a term is “graspable, substantial, and, above all, liveable.
Cover
     How does Shiner do that? He begins at the beginning: Creation, when God created man and woman, which Paul uses in Ephesians 5 to picture our relationship to Christ. He then proceeds to take us to the incarnation of Christ where we see the union of God become united to man through the coming of Christ.
     Those first two chapters set up the great truth of being in Christ is seen everywhere in the New Testament. Shiner points out important pictures that show a relationship of Christ with the believer: the vine and the branches, the body of Christ, as well as the “one flesh” picture already mentioned. 
     This is followed by a wonderful chapter on justification, the important doctrine of being declared righteous in the “righteous court of God” (p. 45). He then uses the questions found at the end of Romans 8 to show that our union with Christ is eternal. Nothing can separate us from Christ.
     That brings us to the all-important topic of sin in the Christian life. Our union with Christ is our “defence against the playground bullies of sin and temptation” (p. 56). In chapter 5 he goes to Romans 6 to find that we have new life because we have been crucified with Christ.
     The final two chapters then deal with our union with Christ as it relates to the Church and the Resurrection. In the chapter on the Church, Shiner turns to 1 Corinthians 12 to talk about the relationship we have with one another as the body of Christ. He makes a great conclusion when he says, “So, here’s a practical suggestion for growing in union with Christ: show up to church. I mean really show up. Go expecting to be a gift to the body, to bless the body, to love the body, and so to love Christ.” (p. 74) I couldn’t have said it better.
     The resurrection chapter takes us to 1 Corinthians 15, showing how we are united to Christ also in His resurrection, with the practical conclusion of being “steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:5). Shiner challenges us in light of our resurrection of Jesus and our future hope to be engaged “passionately, with your whole heart. With single-minded devotion. With everything you’ve got.” (p. 87).
     This book is short, easy to read, and helpful for all Christians. I especially like the description that Shiner provides (click here to see the description on video) when he compares our relationship to Christ to a passenger in an airplane. After using terms that we might use to describe our relationship to Christ as being under Christ, inspired by Christ, or following Christ, he says this:
Of course, the key relationship you need with the plane is not to be under it, behind it or inspired by it. You need to be in it. Why? Because by being in the plane, what happens to the plane will also happen to you. (p. 34)
     I like that idea. Trusting Christ means that we are united in Him. “And we are in him, so that whatever is true of Jesus is also true of us.” (p. 35) I would encourage you to read it and share it with someone else. It makes a great discipling tool for a new Christian or a book that you can read together with another one who is “united with Christ” like you are. Your life just might be transformed! Here is a link to purchase the book: One Forever