Being conformed to Christ in community...

1. Paul’s apostolic commission included delivering believers mature in Christ on the last day.

I want you to see the ongoing nurture of communities of believers. For example, from , in which Paul exhorts the Philippian church to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (vv. 12–13) and, unlike the grumbling Israelites, to be blameless and hold fast the word of life in the midst of a dark world (vv. 14–16). This is all so that on the day of Christ, Paul will be able to boast that he has not run or labored for nothing. Paul sees himself as responsible for the delivery of ‘blameless’ people on the day of Christ. Do we understand that as well? We are devoting ourselves to their pattern.

How much does our church’s mission efforts reflect a commitment to present believers mature in Christ, not merely to produce “decisions”? Do we measure success in evangelism by the number of decisions made, regardless of whether those “decisions” get baptized, join the church, and bear genuine fruit over the long haul? Or would you, like Paul, consider your work as a believer to have been in vain if these “decisions” do not end up growing to maturity?

2. In Paul’s absence, local churches are held responsible to grow believers to maturity.

Paul envisioned this project of maturation being carried out. For instance, there’s a number of passages that in Paul’s absence, he expects the maturing aspect of his apostolic commission to be done by the local community. Paul expected the churches, in his absence (; ), to build each other up in Christ. Further, our contention is that the role of the apostolic ministry does not decrease, but transfers to the community (our church family) as a community and not simply to the next generation of leaders.

Today, with Paul and the other apostles permanently absent, the local church is the means God has ordained for bringing Christians to maturity. Paul’s work of maturing believers is now the church’s work. The whole church is responsible to grow believers in conformity to Christ.

This leads to another important observation: Paul expected believers’ participation in the local community to be beneficial for their maturity. Paul’s metaphors of the church as a field or building (), for example, imply that the church itself, is to be a place of growth

But, as obvious as it may seem, I, as a pastor have to ask myself:

Does FBR help Christians grow to maturity in Christ?

Therefore, obvious as it may seem, pastors should ask themselves: Does the church I pastor help Christians grow to maturity in Christ? Would the members of my church say that participation in this local church helps to conform them to the character of Christ?

Would the members of FBR say that participation in our local church helps them to conform to the character of Christ?

Better still:

Does each corporate worship service, each Bible Study, each Care Group help believers grow to maturity in Christ?

If not, what can I do about it?

Jamieson, B. (2012). Review of Being Conformed to Christ in Community: A Study of Maturity, Maturation, and the Local Church in the Undisputed Pauline Epistles by James G. Samra. 9Marks Journal.

Jamieson, B. (2012). Review of Being Conformed to Christ in Community: A Study of Maturity, Maturation, and the Local Church in the Undisputed Pauline Epistles by James G. Samra. 9Marks Journal.

Jamieson, B. (2012). Review of Being Conformed to Christ in Community: A Study of Maturity, Maturation, and the Local Church in the Undisputed Pauline Epistles by James G. Samra. 9Marks Journal.

Jamieson, B. (2012). Review of Being Conformed to Christ in Community: A Study of Maturity, Maturation, and the Local Church in the Undisputed Pauline Epistles by James G. Samra. 9Marks Journal.