A LITTLE GRAMMAR LESSON FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST

“IN CHRIST” can be the locative case or the instrumental case.
In I COR 15:22– and in EPH 1:10… the “IN CHRIST” or “IN HIM” is the instrumental case.
You can tell this way….
When a person or all people are in view, the case is INSTRUMENTAL.
When salvation is the main subject of the sentence the case is LOCATIVE.
Thus —
How does God save Fred?
He saves Fred IN CHRIST — the instrumental case.
How does God save the entire human race?
He saves them IN CHRIST — the instrumental case.
HOWEVER….
But — When the emphasis of the sentence shifts —
Who does God save? (“Who” becomes the subject of the sentence)— Then the answer: He saves those in Christ — the locative case.
If you force the case to be locative when it was meant to be instrumental, you not only destroy the meaning of the sentence, you also LIMIT God and the objects of His love. (Sinners).

EXAMINE I CORINTHIANS 15:22: (PART ONE)

“For even as in Adam ALL die…
(so here we see “IN Adam” in the instrumental case, not the locative case. The subject is ALL, the question is HOW DO THEY COME TO DIE?, the answer: the instrument of Adam.

All are IN Adam as a matter of course, No one has to do anything special to be IN Adam. You don’t have to believe in Adam to be “in” Adam, you don’t have to obey Adam to be “in” Adam, you don’t have to dress like Adam to be “in” Adam.

The phrase “IN ADAM” is in the instrumental case in this verse. If IN ADAM were the locative case, it would exclude some humans, making those who die a special class. Some would be IN ADAM and some would not be IN ADAM. Therefore it is the instrumental case.)

EXAMINE I CORINTHIANS 15:22: (PART TWO)

“So also in Christ shall ALL be made alive“
(Again, here we see the INSTRUMENTAL CASE in the phrase “IN CHRIST“… not the locative case. The subject is ALL, the question is HOW DO THEY COME TO BE MADE ALIVE? the answer: the instrument of Christ. All are assumed to be IN CHRIST just as much as all are assumed to be IN ADAM. In this context, no one has to do anything special to be IN CHRIST. The subject is not HOW they came to be in Christ, the subject is that ALL WILL BE MADE ALIVE, thus the “in Christ” is the instrumental, not locative case.

You may find the locative case in other passages of scripture regarding “those in Christ”… but you cannot force the locative case here in I COR 15:22
Here it clearly says ALL DIE… and ALL WILL BE MADE ALIVE. The instrument of these great events are Adam, and Christ.

For those freewillers who cannot handle this verse as it stands… and must change IN CHRIST ALL shall live… to… ALL IN CHRIST shall live…..
Then, you must give the same treatment to those who die, THEY ALL DIE IN THE INSTRUMENT OF ADAM. . You must say…
ALL IN ADAM WILL DIE
(Ahhh but that would expose your ruse. For all do die, the question is, HOW, the answer is, they are in Adam, like it or not. And all are in Christ, like it or not.