THE IDEOLOGY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PHRASE “IN CHRIST” IN PAULINE THEOLOGY

THE IDEOLOGY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PHRASE “IN CHRIST”

IN PAULINE THEOLOGY

Submitted to: Prof. Augustine

Introduction                                                        By: Henry, M.Th/ Reg.1211

It is said that everyone, who writes or speaks a lot, has some

favorite phrase he uses very frequently. The Apostle Paul, as for me, had such a phrase, and it is “in Christ” (en christo). John Murray  says, “in Christ” is “the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation.”[1] And the expression “in Christ,” as Bruce Demarest observes, occurs 216 times in the Pauline letters and 26 times in the Johannine literature.[2] According to Albert Schweitzer, this ‘being-in-Christ’ is the main key of the Pauline teaching: “Once grasped it gives the clue to the whole.”[3] Given the large number of occurrences and the wide range of contexts, Demarest affirms, “The phrase embodies a breadth of meaning.”[4] For Paul, as Michael Parsons also affirms, “Union with Christ is summed up in the short phrase ‘in Christ’ and its various equivalents. It is supposed by many to be original with Paul, and the idea appears in different ways about two hundred and sixteen times in his writing.”[5] However, in this paper, I will not be able to explain each and every aspect or usage of Paul’s ideology, the phrase ‘in Christ,’ but I would like to try my best to clarify a few aspects in briefly.

Definition of the Phrase “In Christ”

To be honest, the ‘in Christ’ formula is a very difficult for me to pen-down a clear definition. Markus Barth and C.K. Barrett also, for instance, point out the impossibility of elaborating a final definition of the meaning of ‘in Christ’ simply because Paul uses the phrase in more than one sense. Moreover, Paul himself does not elucidate the ‘how,’ of such a union evidently suggested by the phrase.[6] According to Schweitzer, the phrases such as, “‘in Christ’, ‘fellowship with Christ’ and ‘belonging to Christ’ were the original ideas which became, over time, ‘in Christ.’ This was a mystical participation in Christ and his body which means, he affirms, ‘I am in Christ; in him I know myself as a being who is raised above the luxurious, sinful and transient world and I already belong to the transcendent; in him I am assured of resurrection; in him I am a child of God.’[7] According to Dunn, it is ‘a consciousness of Christ.’[8] But it should not be misunderstood that ‘being in Christ,’ is not only concerned about an individual (II Cor 5:17; Rom 8:1; Phil l: l, 14; Eph 3:12; Col 1:2) but also of whole churches and fellowships (Gal 1:22; 1 Thess 1:1; 2:14; 2 Thess 1:1). As E. Best affirms, “It is not individual but social in its implication.”[9]

The Origin of Paul’s Ideology of the phrase ‘In Christ’

It is believed that the expression ‘in Christ/the Lord’ probably came from earlier Jewish Christianity. The book of Acts provides evidence that, before Paul, the earliest believers in Jerusalem proclaimed Jesus as the decisive ‘sphere’ of God’s saving action (Acts 4:2,12). And as Paul’s reliance on a traditional statement in Romans 6:3 shows, prior to him participation in salvation had been expressed in baptism, through which one was transferred into the ‘realm of Christ.’ This language and these ideas came into special prominence and underwent further definition in Paul’s letters.[10]

The preposition “in” (ἐν, en)

The preposition “in” (ἐν), according to Robertson, is the most common and frequently (2698 occurrences) used preposition in the New Testament.[11] The ancient Greek writers used the primary preposition ἐν originally with either the locative or the accusative.[12] The simplest use is in the phrase of place, thus referring to a fixed position. It may appear in expressions of time and may not necessarily refer to time, but rather to a certain period time within.[13] Therefore, the term ἐν has various meanings, but of significances are the locative (in, inside, within, among, on, at, by, beside, near), associative (in union with, joined closely with), instrumental (with, by), substantial (of, consisting of), activity (with regard to, in the case of, in, about), relation (to), time (during) and agent (by, from).[14] The preposition ἐν can be used with singular or plural nouns. With plural nouns or collective singular it may signify “among.”[15] In the majority of cases, the word ἐν occurs when the singular of a person is used.[16] Paul’s frequent use of ἐν with Christ or Jesus Christ may be compared with Jesus’ own words, “in Me.”[17]

The Phrase “In Christ” Used in Various Contexts

Paul uses the formula in various contexts and with differing shades of meaning. E. Best is the most helpful on this point.[18] He usefully classifies Paul’s employment of the term in the following ways:

1.      ‘A is in Christ’: for example, Paul speaks of the saints ‘in Christ Jesus’ (Phil 1:1), of ‘those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Rom 8:1) and of himself as ‘a man in Christ’ (II Cor 12:2).

2.      ‘A does something to B in Christ’: the apostle urges the Thessalonians ‘in the Lord Jesus’ (I Thess 4:1; Eph 4:17).

3.      ‘A does something in the Lord’: in this way Paul exhorts the Philippians to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ (Phil 3:1; 4:4-10; II Cor 10:17).

4.       ‘God gives us (does to us) something in Christ’: E.g. God forgave us ‘in Christ’ (Eph 4:32; 1:6).

5.      ‘...the gift of God ... in Christ’ (Rom 3:24).

6.      It is interesting at this point that the Thessalonian church is said to be ‘in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1).

7.      The formula sometimes has cosmic significance, as it does in Colossians 1:16-17: ‘in him all things hold together’ (Eph 1:9-10; 3:10-11).

8.      The use of the phrase in Colossians 2:9 deserves singular mention: ‘For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives.’

Paul’s Ideology on the Phrase “in Christ”

Paul’s ideology of ‘in Christ’ is very vast. Some commentators, like Barclay, even believe that the phrase ‘in Christ’ is the center pillar of Paul’s theology and the deepest meaning of his Christian experience.[19] Here, I would try to unearth Paul’s ideology on the phrase ‘in Christ’ with different usages which are very significant in order to understand Pauline theology since ‘in Christ,’ as I said, is the nutshell of Paul’s theology. 

1.   Comparison with other Phrases:- Paul doesn’t use the phrase to describe that he alone can enjoyed because his unique experience with Christ and peculiarity, but the phrase describes something to be known and experienced by all Christians. The phrase “in Christ” describes the essence of the Christian life of every Christian and not just the Christian life in general. It is, as Foulkes affirms, “a spiritual relationship to a person not limited by time and space, a relationship to the ever living Christ and the everywhere present risen Lord.”[20]

2.   Adjectival Meaning:- Sometimes the phrase “in Christ” and “in the Lord” simply means “Christian” in the real and deepest sense of that term. These phrases fill the place of an adjective or adverb which the linguistic process had not yet developed, ‘Christian’ or ‘as a Christian,’ ‘in a Christian manner’ such as speech (II Cor 2:17; 12:19); and exhortation (Phil. 2:1), boldness (Phlm. 8), brotherly love (I Cor. 16:24).[21]

3.   Local, Spatial Meaning:-Adolf Deissman suggested that the phrase en christo can be interpreted on the analogy of the way we live in the air. According to him, “Just as all men live in the air, and cannot live without air, so the Christian lives in Christ... To be in Christ is to live a life in which Christ is the atmosphere which we breathe”[22] 

4.   Mystical Meaning:-There is a great difference between Paul’s teachings and pagan mysticism in at least three essentials—God and Man, salvation, and eschatology. Paul’s ideology of the Christian’s relationship to Christ is highly personal in which God reveals seeks in love to enter into fellowship with man, and as Brunner states, “Man in his freedom can choose to acknowledge the dominion and Lordship of the Creator and respond to His love in obedient faith and trust.”[23]

5.   Representative Meaning:-The key to the understanding Paul’s ideology of the phrase “in Christ” is the biblical doctrine of the representative man.[24] This is the doctrine that Christ acted not for Himself alone but also for all men whom He represents. His death was not just the death of a man but was the death for all men. He died on their behalf (huper) (II Cor 5:14-15; Rom 5:14). There are two sides to Christ’s representative work: Christ took part or shared our situation and thereby we come to take part or share in His situation (Heb 2:9, 14, 15; Eph 2:5).

Theological Significance of Paul’s Usage of the Phrase ‘In Christ’[25]

According to M.A. Seifrid, the occurrences of the expression of ‘In Christ’ may be divided into five major categories.

(1)   More than one-third affirm something that God has done or does through Christ for salvation (e.g. redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24).

(2)   Around another third have to do with exhortation or commendation of behavior or character (e.g. Rejoice in the Lord always (Phil 4:4).

(3)   About twenty of the expressions describe the present state of believers in view of Christ’s saving work (e.g. we, who are many, are one in Christ (Rom 12:5).

(4)   A final dozen or so describe specific persons or particular situations in relation to salvation (Rom 16:7, 22; I Cor 1:30; Gal 1:22).

(5)   Two references in Colossians have to do strictly with the nature of Christ (Col 1:19; 2:9).

As M.A. Seifrid states, the expansion of the phrases in the vocabulary of Paul’s letters and churches is very likely the product of two basic concerns:

(1)   In varying ways Paul found it necessary to asset the exclusivity or distinctiveness of God’s saving action through Christ. To describe God as having acted ‘in Christ’ or redemption as being ‘in Christ’ succinctly conveyed this thought (Rom 6:23).

(2)   It was also significant to Paul to define how believers were to live under Christ’s saving lordship. In statements which call for, “in Christ/the Lord” communicates simultaneously the gift of salvation and the accompanying divine demand (Phil 4:1).

The phrase ‘In Christ,’ therefore became a vehicle for Paul to describe the life of faith under Christ’s lordship in a world where other powers and temptations were present. To act ‘in Christ’ is to act in faith and obedience in the face of false alternative: “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any force, but rather faith working through love” (Gal 5:6). No doubt as the years passed the meaning of this phrase ‘in Christ’ enriched and intensified for Paul, but it is clear from this pattern of occurrences that it was no late and sudden development in the thought of Paul. From the beginning to the end of his Christian life the phrase expresses, as Barclay states, “the center of his theology and the deepest meaning of his Christian experience.”[26]

Conclusion

After reading and studying a few books concerning Paul’s ideology on the phrase “In Christ,” I would like to conclude that Christ is the nutshell and central pillar of Pauline Theology. Paul’s use of the phrase relates to both God’s work through the agency of Christ as well as the sphere of Christ and the consequent effect on believers’ behavior in the world. “Christ represents God working in the universe.”[27] Christ is central in Pauline Theology. God’s work, accomplished in and through Christ, brings glory to God (3:21). “There is no more majestic theme, no more noble pursuit that the glory of God.”[28] To be ‘in Christ’ is to be a participant in the representative work of Christ on our behalf. As Irenaeus said, “He became like us that we might become like Him.” Because of this representative act of Christ on our behalf, by faith we can identify ourselves with Him in His death and resurrection. To be ‘in Christ,’ according to Paul, is to be dead with Christ and raised with Christ from the dead and to be alive to God in Him (Rom. 6:8-11). To be a Christian is to be ‘in Christ.’  Moreover, since Christ has also been exalted to God’s right hand, we also have been raised up with Him and made to sit with Him in the heavenly places ‘in Christ Jesus’ (Eph. 2:6). Those who were subjected to death and in bondage to sin are now reigning as kings in life through Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17). Lastly, praise be to God for His love toward us ‘in Christ Jesus’ (Rom. 8:39).

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[1] John Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955), 161.

[2] Bruce Demarest, The Cross and Salvation: The Doctrine of Salvation (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1997), 313.

[3]  Albert Schweitzer, The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998), 3.

[4] Demarest, The Cross and Salvation., 326.

[5] Michael Parsons, “‘In Christ’ in Paul,” Vox Evangelica, Vol. 18, 1988, 25-44.

[6]M Barth,  Ephesians, Vol. 1 (New York: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960), 70. See also C.K Barrett, ‘New Testament Eschatology,’ SJT (1953), 149.

[7] Albert Schweitzer, The Mysticism of the Apostle Paul (ET London: Inter Varsity Press, 1953), 16. See also V P Furnish, Theology and Ethics in Paul (Nashville: Oxford University Press, 1968), 258ff. See also L Cerfaux, Christ in the Theology of St. Paul (ET London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1959), 324-325. See also S F B Bedale, “The Theology of the Church,” In Studies in Ephesians (London:  Adam and Clark Black, 1956), 75.

[8] J. D. G. Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit (London: Adam and Clark Black, 1975), 324. 

[9] E. Best, One Body in Christ (London: SPCK, 1955), 20, 58.

[10] M.A. Seifrid, “In Christ,” In Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (ed.) by Gerald F. Hawthorne and Ralph P. Martin (Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 435.

[11] Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1934), 586.

[12] Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research., 584.

[13] Robertson., 586

[14] Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11^th ed.) (Springfield, Mass: Merriam-Webster Inc, 2003),

[15] Oepke, Theological Dictionary of the NT (ed.) by Bromiley G. W (Michigan: WB Eerdmans Publishing Co., Vol. II, 1964), 539.

[16] E. Kawamorita, The Formula “en Christo” in the Writings of Paul (Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley: Unknown binding, 1927), 14. Unpublished Thesis.

[17] Robertson., 587.

[18] E Best, One Body in Christ., 1-7.

[19] William Barclay, The Mind of St. Paul (New York: Harper & Row Publication, 1958), 122.          

[20] Francis Foulkes, The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1958), 124.

[21] Rudolf Karl Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament (ed.) by Kendrick Grobel (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1951), 329.

[22] William Barclay., 130.

[23] Emil Brunner, Truth as Encounter: The Divine-Human Encounter (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1964), 93-99.

[24] Alan Richardson, An Introduction to the Theology of the New Testament (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1958), 251.

[25] M.A. Seifrid, “In Christ,” In Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (ed.) by Gerald F. Hawthorne and Ralph P. Martin., 436.

[26] William Barclay, The Mind of St. Paul.,122.             

[27] JT Greene, “Christ in Paul’s Thought: Romans 1-8,” In Journal of Religious Thought, 49/1, 1992), 58.

[28]Deffinbaugh B, The Uniqueness of Ephesians Among the Epistles, Online Article. Accessed from http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=483, Feb 28, 2016.