Friday, March 3
A new insight
Scripture: Romans 6
Romans 6:17–18 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.
Observation
I saw something I’d never noticed before in Romans 6 (one of my favorite chapters in the NT). Paul rejoices that they, who had been slaves to sin, had obeyed “the pattern of teaching you were entrusted to.” You’d expect him to say, “the pattern of teaching entrusted to you.” But the teaching wasn’t entrusted to them—they were entrusted to the teaching.
Commentators point out that the “pattern of teaching” was “the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42), the “law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2) and included the gospel and ethical instruction for life. There was a pattern or form that was universal from church to church. Think of the Didache (“the Teaching”)—an early church manual—as one example. In modern terms, think of a discipleship course that covers the basics of what we believe and how we behave—such as Rooted, a course used by thousands of churches.
To this teaching they were entrusted. Imagine a child being entrusted to a teacher or apprenticed to a master. That’s the idea. The teaching of God’s word—the good news of Jesus and his way of living—will have its effect on us. And that effect according to verse 18 is that we will be “freed from sin” and “enslaved to righteousness.” We will be changed!
Application
Our job is entrust people to the apostles’ teaching. I want to get God’s word into people so deeply that it becomes their mentor, the voice in their heads saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21) I believe that God’s word has power and when we embed it in our lives, it becomes a trustworthy guide and mentor. The key is that we embed it.
The church has used various methods such as creeds and catechisms to accomplish this. We’ve gotten away from that and need to find a way to embed “the pattern of teaching” in people’s hearts. If we do, it is trustworthy and will do it’s work.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.
Prayer: Lord, I love you and I want to be used for your purposes. And here is a noble one: to entrust others to the apostles’ teaching—to God’s word.
More: Numbers 5-6, Matthew 3