What Paul Taught In Every Church
Teaching That Aims at Transformation
We’ve all had an experience where something new pops out at us from something we considered familiar. This happened to me while reading Michael F. Bird’s post, Six Things I Bet You Did Not Know About the Apostle Paul!
With not even a little bit of humility I can say that these articles typically contain nothing enlightening to me. Except this time it did.
#2 What is the one thing Paul said he taught in all the churches?
An interesting question with many possible (good) answers; here is the answer raised from Paul’s own hand, as it were.
I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me. For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and trustworthy child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, as I teach them everywhere in every church. - 1 Cor. 4:16-17
I knew that Paul often said “Imitate me as I imitate Christ,” but the end of that verse never registered with me. At first I was bugged that I never noticed it, but then I was thrilled! Wherever Paul went he not only taught about Jesus, but he showed them what he was doing to walk in the way of Jesus.
This involves both the mind and the body. Proper education aims at both. John Wesley understood this. It was what he was referring to when he wrote:
“It was a common saying among the Christians in the primitive Church, ‘The soul and the body make a man; the spirit and discipline make a Christian;’ implying, that none could be real Christians, without the help of Christian discipline. But if this be so, is it any wonder that we find so few Christians; for where is Christian discipline?”
Informative teaching about God that does not include something we can do with our bodies end up causing an ever-widening chasm between what we think we should be and what we actually are. The student that has learned everything about driving, without ever getting behind the wheel is in big trouble. The same is true of the Christian who takes the same approach. Thus Willard writes:
“One of the greatest deceptions in the practice of the Christian religion is the idea that all that really matters is our internal feelings, ideas, beliefs, and intentions. It is this mistake about the psychology of the human being that more than anything else divorces salvation from life, leaving us a headful of vital truths about God and a body unable to fend off sin.” — The Spirit of the Disciplines
To correct this we cannot walk in the tradition of the scribes and Pharisees who, “say and do not” (Matthew 23:3). No, we must insist on the kind of teaching that aims at our minds and our bodies. We must insist on classic discipleship.
This is why I’ve written about the need to have modern saints. That wasn’t my attempt, as many assumed, to increase my chances of being canonized, but I wrote it in recognition of the need to highlight recent disciples who can model the way of Christ in the 21st century.
To have a seasoned veteran disciple with experience living in the 21st century, dealing with all our modern problems and opportunities, around to say, "be imitators of me... these are the ways I walk in Christ," would be the chef's kiss.
Here’s a challenge for you. Reread the Gospels and Epistles, pay attention to what Jesus and the apostles did to cultivate a love for God in their hearts, and pray about what you can practice with them.
Such a study might open our eyes to (re)discover grace-filled, embodied, practices that will help bridge the knowledge gap between mind and body, and carry us along the way that leads to eternal living.
Thanks to all of you for reading and for your support. If you haven’t subscribed, please do. If you have subscribed and you find my posts… interesting, please become a paid subscriber. If you’re a paid subscriber
:
I’ve recently been reminded that Jesus said to love God with all our heart, soul, and MIND. I’m discovering that a disciplined mind is very important to a closer relationship with God. The Scripture talks not infrequently about our mind, i.e. be transformed by the renewing of your MIND; let this MIND be in you which was also in Christ Jesus......these are just a couple of examples. I never really thought a lot about the role of my mind in my relationship with God but I think it is very important.