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The Mention of Change in the New Testament
The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:21:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
This is one example of change in the Bible. There are several Greek words translated into “change.” The one here has the meaning of “transform.” Paul writes in Romans 1:26:
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature.
This is a different Greek word, which means, “exchange something for something else,” that also appears in Romans 1:26 in the sense of changing the truth into a lie. Hebrews 7:12 uses a different word:
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
The word “change” here is the same Greek word for changing the gospel in Galatians 1:6. For sure, in the Bible is bad change and good change. The change of our vile body into a glorious body is good, and women changing the natural use into that which is against nature is bad.
The Good in Changing and Not Changing
Matthew Henry wrote in his commentary on the Bible:
This ought to be the care of all who profess the Christian faith, that they be new creatures; not only that they have a new name, and wear a new livery, but that they have a new heart and new nature. And so great is the change the grace of God makes in the soul, that, as it follows, old things are passed away–old thoughts, old principles, and old practices, are passed away; and all these things must become new.
He uses the word “change” to describe what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,” which is appropriate. On the other hand, Malachi 3:6, God says concerning Himself:
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
People call that the immutability of God. He doesn’t change in His nature, which is perfection.
Good Change
Because men are born in sin (Psalm 51:5), they must change. Ezekiel 36:26-27 says that a heart of stone must become a heart of flesh, describing the inward change necessary for salvation. Paul writes that someone must put off the old man and put on the new (Eph 4:22-24, Col 3:9-10). He beseeches brethren to be “transformed by the renewing of [their] mind” (Romans 12:2). Jesus calls the change, “new birth” (John 3:3ff). Paul also says that it is turning from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9).
The New Testament describes good change as “growth” (2 Peter 3:18) and adding to your faith (2 Peter 1:5). The Apostle Paul says it is apprehending that by which he was apprehended and reaching forth unto those things which are before, because he is not already perfect (Philippians 3:12-13). These are all changes also described as conforming to or changing into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). When someone receives reproof or correction from the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), he is swift to hear it (James 1:19) and ” lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word” (James 1:21).
The Impetus of Good and Bad Change
Scripture, a true church, the work of the Holy Spirit, the preaching of the Word, the provoking by a brother unto love and good works, the intercessory prayers of other saints, and a brother going and telling someone his fault like Paul withstood Peter to his face all can, will, and do precipitate godly, necessary change. On the other hand, the doctrines of devils, false teachers and prophets, evil communications, temptations, trials and tests, fear of man, persecution, fleshly lust, the wisdom of men, philosophies and vain deceit, laxity, pride, and laziness all can, will and do precipitate ungodly, troublesome change.
Good change is called conversion and sanctification. Bad change is called sin and apostasy. Among the steps in the right process of change are the recognition of change occurring and evaluating whether it is good or bad, based on scripture. Since whatever the belief or practice is scriptural, right, and good, someone shouldn’t change from that. If it is unscriptural or at least unhelpful, not edifying or advantageous, someone should change from that.
When a good change occurs, most often the person who changes will recognize it and declare it. Sometimes he won’t. As long as the one changed gives credit where it is due, not to himself, that is a good testimony. It is good to explain a good change. That announcement will bring responsibility. It will promote something good and encourage others to change. Maybe he doesn’t want to tell anyone because he’s afraid of reverting back, of receiving backlash, offending those who don’t agree or who oppose the change, or that he can’t yet explain why he changed.
The Justifications of Change
Many changes have occurred in churches and with professing believers in the last thirty to fifty years to what once was thought and said to be bad. Many of these are cultural issues. Activity once opposed by churches is now instead approved, supported, and encouraged. When this change occurred was there an explanation of what was wrong with what churches did before and how it was wrong for all of previous church history? That should matter to people and this explanation should accompany the change.
A good change might be more lenient or more strict. The Pharisees sometimes were more strict than the Bible actually taught. You see this with their added regulations for Sabbath violations. Prayer is good and Moslems require five times daily and toward a certain direction. The Bible doesn’t have such a requirement. That would be more strict than the Bible. Honesty will accompany good change, being honest about the real reasons for the change.
People will also sometimes either excuse or justify bad change. This is not an explanation. The explanation from scripture precedes good change. Excuses and justification comes after the bad change. If someone were honest, he could say, “I was tired of fighting, “My children didn’t like it, and I was afraid of losing them,” “This is more popular than what the Bible teaches,” or “My friends are all doing the same thing.”
Modeling Change in Revelation 2-3
If you read Revelation 2-3, you can see changes already occurring in churches in the first hundred years of Christianity, and Jesus explains them to those churches. For instance, to the church at Ephesus, He says, “Thou hast left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4). Many other reasons, given by Jesus Himself, explain how bad change occurred. The good change that Jesus wanted and expected, He introduced by saying, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works” (Revelation 2:5).
You can see in Revelation 2 that the decent church at Ephesus had changed. That church had fallen from something it was and was no longer doing its first works. First, it needed to remember what it was, what it had fallen from, repent, and then do what it had done before. That is a great explanation of good change. It had participated in bad change, leaving what it believed and was. Now it needed to return to where it was. The church at Ephesus participated in bad change. Jesus required good change.
When a church or person will not change back to what it left, it will just get worse. Jesus says that through Revelation 2-3. In Revelation 2:5, Jesus warned that He would remove the church’s candlestick. He’s saying it would just get worse for Ephesus if it did not change back to what it was before.
Apostasy and Battling It
Apostasy in the world has occurred, but it will get worse in the future. The church should battle apostasy. That is the purpose of such New Testament epistles, such as 2 Peter and Jude. Apostasy, which is bad change, is not viewed well in the Bible. Scripture is against it. This is turning from a right doctrine or practice or lifestyle to a bad or wrong one. It happens. Churches and believers should recognize this and oppose it.
Scripture shows that pointing out apostasy will come at a cost. The Old Testament prophets did that and they suffered and died for it. They are the chief example in the Bible. These men pointed out the bad change and those leading in that change opposed them and often threatened them. Very often, these men functioned alone. They were not with the crowd and had to be willing to stand alone and be in a very small minority to do this job.
More to Come