Pauls Letters on Christs Death - Essay Example

? Paul’s Letters on Christ’s Death This paper is a reflection on St. Paul’s teaching on Christ’s death, as the core of Christian faith and way-of-living. It is believed that the Christian communities in Philippi and Corinth were both greatly influenced, if not originally formed by St. Paul himself. St. Paul’s letters to these communities reflect the apostle’s very affectionate regard for their spiritual welfare, nothing short of warning them against rivalries, wrongly motivated teachers, and revived pagan practices. Letter to Philippians During Paul’s days, Philippi was a Roman town with a small Jewish community and a larger Greek Macedonian population. (New American Bible, p. 300). While the nucleus of the community was Jewish, Paul’s affinity with the Greek-Roman culture would contribute to his success in converting gentiles to the new religious faith. (Jerusalem Bible, p. 251). In time, this Christian community would be recognized as being the first Christian community in Europe. (New American Bible, p. 300). At this instance, Paul has sent them a spiritual message while warning them against Jewish teachers, who have caused jealousies and rivalries. Paul was firm on his principle: These teachers are “enemies of the cross of Christ” (Phi: 3-18). He would also stress that beyond ritualistic practices, what is important is their being favored to believe in Christ. Then he pleads for unity and humility, even as Christ, he says, “humbled himself, becoming obedient to death” (Phi: 3-8). In the end, he asks for their being true, honorable, just, and pure living in order to earn God’s peace while awaiting the return of the Risen Savior. First Letter to Corinthians At about the year 51 CE, Paul organized a Christian community in Corinth among the city’s poor and underprivileged. (New American Bible, p. 242). While staying in Ephesus, Paul heard of the disturbing news that the community has become divided and has tended to return to pagan practices such as incest, settling of conflict in pagan courts, and temple worship. To settle the problem of rivalries, St. Paul asks for unity of one mind, reminding them that there is but one crucified Christ who is being proclaimed by him and other teachers, such as Apollos and Cephas (Cor.: 2-23). Also, it is only one Christ from whom is drawn righteousness, sanctification and redemption (Cor.: 2-30). The long letter contains advice on problems in Christian practices. It also contains the famous teaching on love, the greatest of all virtues. On a key portion of his message about the resurrection, Paul stresses that “if Christ is raised from the dead. . . there is resurrection of the dead” (Cor.:15-12). Clearly for St. Paul, Christ’s death is the key to the new life and victory over the sting of death caused by Adam (Cor.: 15-53). Second Letter to Corinthians More problems arose in the Church at Corinth, and in his second letter Paul asserts his authority as an apostle. He argues for his position by revealing his personal conviction that the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus should be the pattern for all Christian life (p. 265). Using figurative language, Paul expresses his thanks to God for the experience of triumph in Christian living made evident, he says “through the aroma of Christ for God among those being saved, and among those perishing, the latter an odor of death that leads to death, the former an odor of life that leads to life” (2 Cor.: 2-15). Again in figurative language, Paul alludes to his ministering a new covenant of the spirit, as a contrast to the old covenant of death. In his own words: “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, was so glorious that the Israelites could not look intently at the face of Moses because of its glory that was going to fade, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory” (2 Cor.: 3-7). In the second letter to the Corinthians, it is apparent that that Paul’s authority to teach Christian doctrine is being questioned by Christian Jewish teachers or “Judaizers,” who were demanding that gentile converts first convert to the Jewish faith and undergo its initiation rites. In contrast, Paul would advocate exemption of gentile converts from Jewish rites, most especially the painful process of circumcision. He clarified, however, that he is not less a Hebrew and descendant of Abraham. Still, he has the right to claim authority as an apostle because unlike other teachers he suffered for Christ, being beaten, in danger, and exposed to hunger. (2 Cor.:11-4). Likening himself to the Master, St. Paul clearly reminds them that Christ was “crucified out of weakness” and it is this same weakness which is the proof that Christ gives authority to his teaching ministry. By examining Church history, this problem of Jewish observance by gentile converts to Christianity will only be settled around 45 CE at the Council of Jerusalem headed by James, the brother of the Lord. St. Paul would submit the problem to the Council which would in turn grant exemption for gentile converts from Jewish rites, prior to conversion to the new faith. Conclusion The letters to Christian communities in Philippi and Corinth show St. Paul’s affectionate and dedicated regard for converts to the new faith. For St. Paul, Christ’s death is at the core of the Christian faith, since it is through dying that Christ offered himself and transformed a sinful mankind into a new humanity victorious over sin. During the early years of the Church, it would be the message of Christ’s humiliating and painful death that would convert many gentiles from the poor, oppressed and underprivileged class of the Roman World. On the other hand, it would be the message of victory in rising from the death of the old order which will in time attract those of the higher classes of Roman society to embrace the new religious faith. Modern Christians deserve to reflect on the message of Christ’s death which like a buried seed will sprout into new productivity and life. During the span of Church history, it would not be the death of Christ but greed for earthly life and power which would divide Western Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, kindle prolonged anti-Semitism, provoke religious wars, create the inquisitions, instigate the Reformation and divide Catholic and Protestant Christianity, induce European countries to the First World War, instigate Christian Germany to advance the Reich and murder millions of Jews through the Holocaust. Need more be said and shall Christians continue to be themselves “enemies of the cross” (Phi.: 3-18)? Today’s Christian preachers focus on positive thinking for earthly success, prosperity and happiness. Christianity may have lost the core of the apostolic faith. References The New American Bible (2010). Washington, D.C. : Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Print. The New Jerusalem Bible (1996). Paris: Les Editions du Cerf. Print. Read More