Paul's in& out Experience
Paul's in& out Experience
If we see the content of the persuasion of Paul's letter, we find out that the framework, ‘in Christ’ is propositioned in it. The framework of this content of persuasion, ‘in Christ' is generally revealed in several places of Paul's letter. And in Thessalonians it exposed as follows; the Church in Christ(1:1, 2:14), the Life enduring sufferings and living a new life in Christ(3:8, 4:1, 14, 16, 5:12), Delight/Pray/Thanks(5:16~19) etc.
‘Delight/Thanks/Pray’ is the vital ethical norms of Christians but it is impossible for Christians to embody them, Therefore Paul presupposed 'in Christ' ahead of the ethical norms. To this I shall, first of all, analyze the meaning of 'in Christ'. And then I shall examine the experience of Paul, which can connect with this framework of Paul's ethics, 'in Christ' because it is evident that this derived from Paul's experience of faith.
in↔out
In Christ
Paul's ethical standard, 'In Christ' is founded on the act, the life and the saying of Jesus. Jesus said, “Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you”(John 14:10-20).
Then, if we accept the notion of ‘In’ as spatial conception, we hardly understand and realize this saying of Jesus. To this, Jesus interpreted this with the easier parable “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”(John 15:5).
In this parable the branches are parts of grapes. Only when the branch is connected with the grapes or transplanted with the grapes, despite being cutting off from the grapes, it can grow, Otherwise it is no less dead. That is, only when men are in Christ, in other words, men accept Jesus as Christ, the ethical norms possibly can be practiced, that is, men can do the good behavior. On the contrary, when men do not accept Jesus as Christ, that is, men do not believe in Jesus and do not follow, these things are impossible.
Hardware & Software
To this, I shall add the further explanation to the preceding interpretation. Jesus compared the saying 'In Christ' to the parable of grapes and branch but I would try a new approach for modern people to understand easily by comparing this saying to hardware and software of computer. Jesus Christ is like the hardware of Computer and men are like the software of computer. The software is the object that has its own program. However, it is no use, without computer itself, that is, without hardware. The Hardware is equipped with the center managing device, the remembering device and the input-output device, so it can embody the algorithm, which means the method of solving the problem, with its own machine (with its own electric way). The software has its own program that can embody the algorithm but it cannot embody the algorithm without hardware, speaking in detail, without the remembering device and the managing device. Therefore, the software must be in the hardware(‘In Christ’) or it must be connected with the hardware through the supplementary device, if it may not be in the hardware, Then the software can possibly function. I shall describe this into the following diagram.
I believe that the we can easily understand, ‘In Christ’ through this comparison and diagram. Consequently speaking, Just as the software of Computer can operate the all kinds of machines in factories or embody the necessary calculation in social science and other professional tasks, only when it must be in the hardware or be connected with it, men can naturally practice the ethical norms only when men are in Christ, or men are connected with Christ.
In&out experience of Paul
In Acts I can find out the ground and the circumstance from which the framework of Paul's ethic, ‘In Christ’, was abstracted. That Paul innumerably repeated the word, 'In Christ' and the word turned out to be a big stream of Paul's ethic is due to the particular experience of Paul. That is to say, the fact that Paul repeated and empathized 'In Christ' by using the conception of in & out is derived from the changing experience of Paul.
The experience of Paul that comprises of the apparent contrast structure of 'In & Out' is the very faith event of Paul on his way to Damascus : “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." he replied, "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do," (Acts 9:3~6).
When Paul did not encounter with Jesus Christ, that is, he did not have a changing experience, we call this state 'Out of Christ' not 'In Christ', he was only 'Saul', who was persecuting Jesus Christ. However, when he encountered with Jesus Christ, that is, he had a changing experience, we call this state 'In Christ' not 'Out of Christ', he became Paul, who was proclaiming Jesus Christ.
Paul is a person who realized how Jesus was by his own experience. Thus he could be aware that it is possible for us to practice the ethical norms, only when we are in Christ, And he realized that the ethical values can be naturally embodied, when we are in Christ.
