Stand Firm in the Faith

In Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth he makes a very politically-incorrect statement.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (1 Cor 16:13)

Umm ... Paul ... didn't you know that "act like men" is sexist, that this whole military sort of language would be unacceptable to today's culture, that this whole concept is bad? The text sounds exactly like the instructions a commander might give to his men. "Stay alert. Stand firm. Act like men. Be strong. Hoorah!" Not acceptable language in today's world. Besides, everyone knows that this "act like men" concept is simply a social construct and ... well ... you know. But Paul didn't.

It's interesting, then, that -- under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- Paul told the church at Corinth to "act like men" as if there is a real "like men" to act. What really caught my attention, though, was the prior phrase: "Stand firm in the faith." We know that there are lots of places where we're told to "Stand firm." It's just that usually the point is against whom we stand firm -- the world, the schemes of the devil, spiritual forces, that kind of thing. But in this instance Paul tells them to stand firm in the faith. That's a specific instruction.

In Paul's epistle to Colossae, he tells them, "As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him." (Col 2:6) He makes it clear that there is a contrast between being "established in the faith" (Col 2:7) (There's that phrase again -- "in the faith".) and the alternative:

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Col 2:8)

In this text, then, we see a parallel to the passage above. "Stand firm in the faith" sounds a lot like being "established in the faith", and the contrast isn't with false doctrine or satanic forces, but with "philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition." To be sure, this philosophy is linked to its source -- "elemental spirits" -- but it is a contrast with a view that is rooted in human tradition rather than "according to Christ."

In both cases "the faith" is a reference not to "faith", but to the body of the Christian doctrines, the embodiment of the totality of biblical truth. It is the thing that Jude urges us to "earnestly contend for" (Jude 1:3). Not just "belief", but the whole of biblical Christianity. It is this corpus, this body of beliefs in which we are to stand firm (1 Cor 16:13), to be established (Col 2:8). This in contrast to human philosophy and tradition which is rooted in worldly basics rather than Christ.

This is the instruction we receive. Stand firm. Be established. In what? In the faith, not in human-based philosophy and tradition. Why? Well, obviously, the human-based version is predicated on the deceitful (Jer 17:9), blind (2 Cor 4:4) human heart. What we need is a solid structure -- "the faith". That structure is built on Christ and His Word. As the song says, "All other ground is sinking sand." So, what is your basis?