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Conformity to Christ
Abstract
Following Paul’s experience on the Damascus Road, his life was drastically changed. Although he continued to maintain his loyalty to Israel’s God and the Scriptures, he now believed himself to be commissioned to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. At the heart of his theology lay his relationship with Christ – summed up in the phrase ‘in Christ’ – a relationship shared by all Christians, who must be ‘shaped’ by the gospel – conformed to the pattern of self-giving, death and resurrection seen in Christ – not simply in baptism but in their daily lives. Paul’s hope for the future envisages its final fulfilment.
Recent Pauline scholarship has shown increasing interest in the concepts of agency, body, personhood, and self. Situating itself within an emerging current of Pauline interpretation of the σῶμα , this article provides an analysis of Paul’s language concerning the σῶμα in Philippians 3:21. In the first part, we focus on Paul’s description of the body as τῆς ταπεινώσεως , “of humiliation.” It is argued that Paul conceives of the body in terms of its mortality, owing to its tendency towards death, as well as its monstrosity, a characteristic that illuminates how Paul reframes the perception of the body. In the second part, we analyze Paul’s description of Christ’s body as τῆς δόξης , “of glory.” It is argued that the glorification of Christ’s body emerges as a function of heavenly existence in God’s presence. In our third part, we use the results from our preceding analyses of the language in Philippians 3:21 in order to construct a conceptual framework for interpreting the σῶμα in Paul from new interpretive angles. It is proposed that the concepts of fragility and eccentricity will shine more light on Paul’s conception of the body, which has a twofold character as both fragile and eccentric.
Every human being experiences leadership in their daily lives, as leadership is a process of influencing others. When someone tries to influence the thoughts, behaviours, or development of others in their personal or professional life, he is taking on the role as a leader. It is very important for a leader to understand how he will use his authority to influence others. The Christian has a very clear reference point in this matter, as the Bible is a foundation to determine how someone will lead, to lead like Jesus. The purpose of this paper is to describe the Christ-like leadership, which is servant leadership. Based on narrative stories about His life in the Bible, servant leadership was taught and practiced by Jesus Christ more than two thousand years ago, which is measured by His total commitment by serving fellow human beings. For Christian leaders, leadership as an act of service is not an option, but a command. Jesus served, so that we learn to serve with heart, head, hands, and habits. Servant leadership must be a living statement for those who live in Christ, which will be seen from the way they treat one another, and the way they introduce the love of Christ to the whole world. BAHASA INDONESIA ABSTRACT: Setiap manusia mengalami kepemimpinan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, karena kepemimpinan adalah proses mempengaruhi orang lain. Ketika seseorang mencoba mempengaruhi pikiran, perilaku, atau perkembangan orang lain dalam kehidupan pribadi atau profesionalnya, dia mengambil peran sebagai pemimpin. Sangatlah penting bagi seorang pemimpin untuk memahami bagaimana ia akan menggunakan otoritasnya untuk mempengaruhi orang lain. Orang Kristen memiliki acuan yang sangat jelas dalam hal ini, karena Alkitab adalah dasar untuk menentukan bagaimana seseorang akan memimpin, memimpin seperti Yesus. Tujuan dari tulisan ini adalah untuk menggambarkan kepemimpinan seperti Kristus, yaitu kepemimpinan yang melayani. Berdasarkan kisah-kisah naratif tentang kehidupan-Nya di dalam Alkitab, kepemimpinan-pelayan telah diajarkan dan dipraktekkan oleh Yesus Kristus lebih dari dua ribu tahun yang lalu, yang dilihat dari komitmen-Nya yang total dalam melayani sesama manusia. Bagi para pemimpin Kristen, kepemimpinan sebagai tindakan melayani bukanlah sebuah pilihan, melainkan sebuah perintah. Yesus telah melayani, sehingga kita belajar untuk melayani dengan hati, kepala, tangan, dan kebiasaan. Kepemimpinan yang melayani harus menjadi pernyataan yang hidup bagi mereka yang hidup di dalam Kristus, yang akan terlihat dari cara mereka memperlakukan satu sama lain, dan cara mereka memperkenalkan kasih Kristus kepada seluruh dunia.
While acknowledging that Paul imparted this relationship with Christ’s death through preaching the gospel, I demonstrate that he imparted it by embodying the gospel’s pattern in his own life. I maintain that 1 Corinthians represents Paul’s written attempt at imparting the identity and vocation which arise from knowing Christ crucified. Paul uses his own self-portrayal, as an extension of embodying the gospel with his life, to impart a way of thinking and living that makes space for God’s power in the midst of weakness and sacrifice. This impartation of Christ crucified seems to be the heart of what Paul has in mind when he calls believers to imitate him. For the apostle, “making sense of Jesus” means coming to know Jesus Christ in such a way that his crucifixion (and life and resurrection) becomes our way of life. Writing 1 Corinthians was Paul’s attempt to transfer this same reality from himself to the Corinthians, so that knowing Christ crucified would shape the Corinthians even as it had shaped his own life.
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