Being "in Christ"?

[Elijah John]

Paul frequently uses the term "in Christ" and often spoke of being "in Christ".

For debate, what does being "in Christ" mean?

And does that Pauline concept have any roots in the Synoptics or in the OT/Hebrew Bible?

If so, where?

[Monta]

Paul frequently uses the term "in Christ" and often spoke of being "in Christ".

For debate, what does being "in Christ" mean?

And does that Pauline concept have any roots in the Synoptics or in the OT/Hebrew Bible?

If so, where?

OT is suited to the people of that age. As an example rituals. We can not comprehend the need for animal sacrifices etc.

Being in Christ is being in His will - doing good and speaking truth.
By doing that we show love towards the Lord and love our neighbor.

[2timothy316]

Excellent subject! However, the answer I will provide will come from the whole Bible, if a person accepts the whole Bible. Not just the parts they agree with. Paul didn't event the concept. He took the lead as an example.

To live 'In Christ', from my study of the Bible, is simply this: To live by Jesus' example and to listen and do the commandments he gave not only while on Earth but also the commandments he gave to his apostles to give to others after the ascension into Heaven. Jesus said that after he left them for his Heavenly home that Jesus would send God's Holy Spirit as a 'helper'. (John 16:7)

That means to limit oneself to only some synoptic pattern and/or only the Hebrew scriptures will not be able to live 'in Christ'. The Acts of the Apostles are extremely important. The whole Greek scriptures are important because it's the only in depth record of how people who had faith that Jesus was the Son of God lived their life. Not just living their lives as a normal people but one directly guided by Jesus Christ through angels and God's Holy Spirit.

[ttruscott]

Being in Christ is being in His will - doing good and speaking truth.
By doing that we show love towards the Lord and love our neighbor.

Yes, but maybe not perfectly yet...
I think that the legitimate children of GOD though still being chastised as sinful as in Heb 12:5-11 are 'in Christ'. To be a sheep is to be a member of His flock. To be gone astray is to be not in Christ but enslaved to sin. To come back into Christ is to be reborn, our free will returned to us and trained in righteousness to cure our memories of the pleasures and profits of sin.

To be Christ's means to be a believe already, ie, never condemned Jn 3:18, even it they are sinful, like the people of the kingdom on earth are called called the good seed though they are sinners under the promise of being gathered back into Him. To be in Him means the person has returned to their Shepherd....