Teachers: the objective of this lesson is to emphasize the importance of Jesus Christ in conversion. We want to stress this: a person is converted to a faith in Christ, not a faith in the church. This lesson is neither intended nor designed to be an attack on the church. Those who are converted to the Christ are the church, but to be the church we must be converted to the Christ. In responding to Jesus as the Christ, there are at least three basic understandings: (1) an understanding of the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion; (2) an understanding of the meaning of Jesus' resurrection; and (3) a desire to redirect life under the guidance of the Christ.
A convert's understanding of these three things will grow and mature as he or she lives for Christ. The need for growth and maturing is evident in the New Testament letters. Yet, the process begins with conversion to Jesus Christ. Converts have a fundamental grasp of those three understandings.
For decades Christians have read the Bible as though it was written to them. We read it as if it were a single book written by a group of authors functioning under the oversight of an editor. We read it as if words appearing in one writing {book} are interchangeable with similar words in other writings {books}. We read it with too little knowledge of context in a conviction that context is insignificant. We read it as if the intent of its message was to address today's questions [thousands of years after a writing {book} was originally written].
This paragraph does not question the Bible's inspiration. It does not question the fact that God worked through the Spirit and the Bible's authors to produce the messages in the Bible's writings {books}. It challenges us to understand two things. (1) We can make accurate applications of God's teachings, purposes, priorities, and values to our lives when (2) we correctly understand the messages of those writings to people who originally received them.
These statements neither deny nor attack the Bible's divine inspiration. God worked through His Spirit to guide the understandings of the people who were authors of the letters, messages, and records that compose the Bible. People collected those writings into one volume, and people named that volume the Bible. God's mind is the origin of the Bible's messages, letters, and records. God's mind revealed the Bible's concepts and teachings through the Spirit's work in the authors' hearts and minds. Its messages [and the meaning of its messages ] are not determined by our desires and concerns. Its meaning must be understood first by understanding the meaning of the messages given to those who first received them.
It is extremely important to help students understand the question this lesson asks is not about inspiration but about meaning.
The concern is not divine guidance. The concern is an accurate understanding of the teachings revealed through divine guidance. We accept the conclusion that the Bible is God inspired. The question is not inspiration. The question is meaning.
The following study of conversion should validate the legitimate concern for meaning.
Conversion illustrates the significance of this question. In the first century, this was the essential conversion concern: is Jesus the Christ? Related to that concern was understanding the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion and the significance of his resurrection. In the first century, converts responded to a life-altering conviction: Jesus was the Christ.
The conviction that typical conversion concerns in today's church are identical to conversion concerns in the first century are more the result of assumption than biblical research. It is much simpler to use "proof texts" to defend positions than it is to study concepts with open minds and hearts. Because first century words are used does not guarantee that first century emphases are achieved. Because we give tribute to first century conversion methods does not guarantee that we understand first century conversion concepts.
Almost 2000 years have passed since Jesus' death and resurrection. Often words in first century conversions are acknowledged, but conversion issues have changed. Many think our conversion issues are identical to those of the first century. They likely think that because they have an inadequate understanding of first century conversion.
Often hearts and minds are challenged to think and examine when people develop a "time consciousness." For divine inspiration to give Christians a message 2000 years ago that could be properly understood only today would mean this: that message was not relevant to the lives or world of the Christians who received it. Would God send messages to Christians that had no relevance to their actual situation or circumstances?
In typical procedures prior to baptism, today it is common to ask a person if he or she believes that Jesus is the Christ. That statement reflects the core of first century conversion. Today the candidate for baptism responds with a statement that affirms belief in Jesus as the Christ. What does the statement mean? What does the affirmation mean? What is the candidate's understanding of the statement and affirmation? What is the significance of the Christ? Is the word "Christ" Jesus' last name? Is it merely Jesus' title? Is a concept of the "Christ" relevant to salvation? What is the relationship between receiving forgiveness and the "Christ"?
To us what is often a procedural affirmation was to them a declaration of faith. Trusting the truth that Jesus was God's Christ; trusting the power of Jesus' blood to atone for their evil acts; and trusting Jesus' resurrection as the power to raise them from the dead were life-altering convictions. It placed trust in truths the majority rejected. It embraced truths that often placed them in conflict with the realities of daily existence. This faith was no mere mental assent. It was a life-altering conviction.
Today, conversion is often synonymous with baptism (immersion). To many, baptism symbolizes conversion. Today, the primary spiritual concern focuses on the act of immersion and the reason for immersion. [In no way does this suggest that immersion into Christ for the destruction of sin is insignificant or unimportant.]
Too often when Christians think of conversions they think only of baptisms.
Immersion into Christ is the response of the person who believes Jesus is the Christ. Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17 easily can be misunderstood. [An accurate understanding of this statement must come from understanding Paul's point to the Christians at Corinth. In context, he was concerned about party loyalties that fractured their fellowship.] In his statement, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel..." an obvious fact is relevant to a discussion of conversion. Baptizing and preaching the gospel are not identical. Faith in the gospel produces the response of baptism. Baptism is a response to the gospel, not the gospel itself. The gospel's core is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
In the thinking of too many Christians, baptism is the gospel. According to Paul, when baptism is understood, it is the reenactment of the gospel (Romans 6:1-11). The meaning and significance of immersion comes to baptism through the gospel. Without the "good news" of what God did in Jesus' death and resurrection, baptism would have neither purpose nor meaning. An understanding of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection is critical.
Long ago faith fell on hard times. Faith in Christ does not receive the emphasis today that it received in the New Testament. The primary issue in the first century conversion process was faith in Jesus as the Christ. Faith in the Christ was far more than accepting the accuracy of a historical fact. Faith accepted a life-altering understanding. Today we assume faith exists. In the fear that faith's role in conversion will be over emphasized, faith's importance has been reduced to a ritual question: "Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?" In America, that question can be answered without consequence or [sadly] significance.
Today's attitudes toward faith in Christ are shaped more by the fear of "faith only" than by the New Testament's teachings concerning faith. Because of this, often our emphasis borders on "faithless" obedience. The reality of this concern is seen in the people who have been baptized and obey "the essentials," but do not live daily life on a "faith in Christ" basis.
Repentance is virtually a nonexistent consideration in today's conversion. Conversion emphasis seems to fall more on questions concerning church membership than on a redirection of life. It should trouble us that many "converted" people never consider changing their use of life or direction in life. First century Christian teachers found it inconceivable that a Jew could be converted to Christ without conversion impacting the direction of the convert's life. To them it was inconceivable that a person who worshipped idols could be converted to Christ without conversion impacting the direction of the convert's life.
Too little was (and is) done to build the New Testament's concept of repentance. Often our primary concept of repentance is based on either (1) retribution or (2) sorrow. The essence of repentance is reflected in a redirection of life. Many do not see a desire to redirect life as a basic conversion issue. The reality of this concern is seen in the people who have been baptized and continue living lives very similar to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.
This does not suggest that all first century converts had a clear, accurate understanding of conversion. It states that Christian teachers understood that conversion (1) was the result of faith in Jesus being the Christ and (2) produced a redirection of the convert's life. Conversion understood the significance of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Conversion trusted the significance of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.
Misunderstandings of conversion occurred from the beginning. However, those misunderstandings were not ignored. Many of the teachings concerning baptism were written to Christians who failed to understand the significance of their faith, commitment, and redirection of life. These challenges to understand their baptism were often linked to a proper understanding of conversion to Christ.
In the first century did situations occur when converts continued their preconversion lifestyle? Yes! Consider Ephesians 4:17-32 or Colossians 3:1-17. Was "no redirection of life" an acceptable result of faith in the Christ? No! Did baptism make continued preconversion lifestyles "okay"? No! That was not what they were taught when they learned Christ. That was not the substance of being raised with Christ.
In each of these situations, Christians failed to understand the meaning and significance of their conversion. They failed to understand the importance of the "new self." Note this: they needed an understanding of the Christ's essential role to correct their incomplete or flawed understanding of conversion.
Please note when such misunderstandings occurred, the issue was a proper understanding of Christ. Corrections of a conversion misimpression were not based on the organization of the church, on the need to represent the church properly as an organization or institution, or on establishing a tradition for the future. Corrections of any misimpression were based on understanding the Christ.
The connection between a proper understanding of Christian existence and a proper understanding of the Christ should be stressed.
Regarding today's conversions, the important question Christians ask is not about faith or the redirection of life. It is, "Have they been baptized?" When a believer repents and responds to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection through baptism, God powerfully acts in his or her life. When immersion occurs without faith in Christ and a desire to redirect life, baptism is meaningless.
We urgently need to renew an understanding of the role of Christ in conversion.
Thought question:
Read the two examples (Ephesians 4:17-32 and Colossians 3:1-17) and note the stress on Christ. Note that an understanding of Christ results in a desire to be the new self. What can we do to help converts realize they are responding to the Savior? What can we do to make conversion a process of "becoming" instead of a process of "placing membership"?
The object of these questions is to stimulate class reaction, class sharing, and class thought. Solutions to the noted needs will arise from the minds and hearts of Christians who place their faith in Christ. For preachers, teachers, and church leaders to see the problem is certainly needful, but is also insufficient.
Link to Student Guide
Quarter 2, Lesson 12