JAC Online

Monumental Change
by Major Stephen Court

 

God has put eternity in our hearts – it’s an internal inclination to aspire to the optimal.  It plays out in Christianity in different spheres in predictable ways. 

 

In our personal lives, we seek improvement by applying more spiritual disciplines and developing new habits, by borrowing better devotional books and testing different Bible versions.

 

It is commendable to want to improve our relationship with God personally in these and similar ways.

 

Corporately, we look to optimize public gatherings.  Within our local expression of the body of Christ that can mean tightening up the order of meeting, upgrading the overhead and sound technology, hiring people to professionalize the music, cleaning up the kids room…

 

But for those of us who feel such ‘freedom’, it can mean shopping for the most entertaining preaching, the most anointed worship, the most spacious parking lot, the best-equipped children’s programs, and more.

 

While the local approach commends itself to a limited extent, the latter epitomizes a consumer Christianity at odds with the Biblical version.

 

This book is going to offer definitions from the Greek language.  Here’s one to kick us off – “paradigm: a typical example or pattern; a model; a worldview underlying the theories and methodologies of a particular subject.”

 

The worldview implicit in these personal and corporate approaches to optimizing our Christian experience is the conventional paradigm. 

 

The conventional paradigm is characterized by incremental change. 

 

What would happen if we burst out of the conventional paradigm?  What would happen if we decided to live our lives, fight our salvation warfare, serve our King of kings within a revolutionary paradigm, one unbounded by cultural accretions to the Gospel, one unmoored from human expectations and limitations? 

 

Monumental change.

 

Look, the typical Christian paradigms are characterized as follows:

 

Conventional – incremental

Revolutionary – monumental

 

We cannot expect monumental change in our personal lives while those lives and those changes are sought and wrought within the conventional paradigm. 

 

The most significant spiritual transformations are revolutionary in nature. 

 

Our conversion is described as being born again, transmuting from death to life.  Paul and Timothy put it this way: (2 Corinthians 5:17): “So, if you are united with Christ, you get a fresh start, new from nothing.  Neglected, the old life is rendered void.  Focus on the fresh development and opportunities emerging as you grow in this new realm.[1] 

 

Our entire sanctification – Holy Spirit filling us - is just as spiritually cataclysmic.  Paul testifies (in Galatians 2:20): “20 I’m crucified together with Christ – what was ‘me’ is no longer breathing.  Instead, this life you see is Christ living in me as I act on my convictions about God the Son, who welcomed me, and committed Himself to me.[2]

 

Neither can we expect monumental change corporately within the conventional paradigm.  If we escape the conventional paradigm, if we enter the revolutionary paradigm together, we can believe for and experience metamorphic corporate change.

 

How will it look? 

 

Answer: A lot different than you might expect.  But radical revolutionists aren’t just making this stuff up.  Paul did, in 1 Corinthians 14:26ff:

 


So how does it look, then, comrades?  When you gather each contributes your part –a song, a lesson, a dialect, a disclosure, an explanation – and everything should be constructive.[3]

 

27 If you speak in dialects, do it one at a time, three at most, along with a thorough explanation.[4] 

 

28 If there is no one among ‘the called out’ to explain, silently communicate with God.[5]

 

29 Two or three can prophesy, and the others can weigh what they hear.[6]

 

30 If someone in the crowd receives disclosure then the first one should wrap it up.[7]  31 Everyone dynamically prophesies, one at a time, and everyone gets discipled and exhorted.[8]  32 Prophets can control their breath, can wait for the right moment.[9]  33 God is not anarchy; He’s prosperity.  All ‘the called out’, all ‘the sanctified’ can testify.[10]

 

Compared to the preaching-industrial complex of modern western Christianity typified by 90 minutes of announcements \ worship \ Scripture \ preaching on a Sunday morning, we’re talking about revolution.

 

We’re exhorting you to leave the conventional paradigm for the revolutionary paradigm.  We’re inviting you to trade in the incremental for the monumental.  We’re introducing to you ekklesia.

 

 



[1] (all the Scripture references in the foreword are from the Boundless New Testament and the footnotes provide the Greek definitions of the words rendered into English)
oste = so as to, so then, therefore (so); tis = a certain one, someone, anyone (you); en – in, by, with (united with); kaine = new fresh; Strong’s – unused, novel; HELPS – new in quality, fresh in development or opportunity (fresh… new… fresh developments and opportunities); ktisis = creation, the act or the product; HELPS – creation, creature which is founded from nothing (start… new from nothing); archaia = original, ancient (); parelthen = to pass by, to come to; Strong’s – pass out of sight; rendered void, become vain, neglect, disregard (Neglected… rendered void); idou = look, behold; Strong’s – See! Lo! Behold! Look!; HELPS – the imperitave (Focus); gegonen = to come into being, to happen, to become; Strong’s – am born; HELPS – properly, to emerge, transitioning from one point / realm / condition to another, signifies a change of condition, state, or place, implying motion, movement, or growth (emerging as you grow in this new realm)

[2] sunestauromai = crucify together with (crucified together with); ouketi = no longer (no longer); zo = to live (breathing); ze = to live (life); zo = live (living); sarki = flesh (life you see); pistei = persuasion, moral conviction (acting on convictions); agapesantos - Strong’s – to welcome, entertain, be fond of, love dearly (welcomed); paradontos = to hand over, to give over, deliver over; Strong’s commit, commend (committed); [‘am crucified’ verb tense perfect passive indicative]

[3] ti = who, which, what (); + oun = therefore, then, so + (So how does it look, then); adelphoi – ESV notes – sibling (comrades); otan = whenever (when); sunerchersthe = come together (gather); ekastos = each, every (each); echei = have, hold (contributes); psalmon = a striking, a psalm, set piece of music (song); didachen = doctrine, teaching (lesson); apokalupsin = an uncovering, disclosure, revelation, manifestation (disclosure); gloassan = the tongue, language (dialect); ermeneian = interpretation; Strong’s - explanation (explanation); oikodomen = building; Strong’s – constructive, edification (constructive)

[4] glosse = tongue, language (dialect); meros = part, share, portion (at a time); diermeneueto = explain thoroughly (thorough explanation)

[5] diermeneutes = an explainer (explanation); sigato = keep silent, keep secret (silently); ekklesia = a calling out, assembly (‘the called out’) 

[6] prophetai = a prophet (prophesy); laleitosan = to talk (speak); alloi = other, another (others); diakrinetosan = to distinguish, to judge, contend, discern (weigh what they hear)

[7] apokaluphthe = to uncover, reveal, disclosure, manifestation, revelation (disclosure); allo = other, another (someone); kathemeno = to be seated (in the crowd); sigato = keep silent, keep secret (wrap it up)

[8] dunasthe = be able, have power (dynamically); pantes = all, every (everyone); propheteuein = foretell, prophesy (prophesy); kath = down, against; Vine’s – according to one’s own, privately (at a time); manthanosin = to learn, a disciple (discipled); parakalontai = call to or for, exhort, encourage (exhorted)

[9] pneumata = wind, spirit (breath); propheton = prophet (prophets); upotassetai = place or rank under, to subject (control… wait for the right moment)

[10] akatastasias = instability; Strong’s – upheaval, disturbance, anarchy (anarchy); eirenes = peace, prosperity; Strong’s wholeness, health (prosperity); ekklesiais = a calling out, assembly (‘the called out’); agion = sacred, holy (‘the sanctified’)

 

  

 

 

   

 

 

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