In this Year of St. Paul let us go on a spiritual journey with him. Let us improve the quality of our Christian life by looking into the life and ministry of Paul.
Paul is indeed one of the most fascinating characters of the New Testament. Despite the name Acts of the “Apostles,” more than half of the narration of Acts deals with Paul and his activities. Of the 27 documents of the New Testament 13 carry the name of Paul as author. Paul is therefore the greatest missionary and theologian of the New Testament. In our study we will gather information about Paul both from the Acts and from his Letters.
This series is designed so as to have two study materials each month (to be used once in two weeks in our groups)
By getting to know Paul and by evaluating our life through his life we shall imitate Paul to imitate Christ. As we go through this series throughout this Pauline Year, may our lives be transformed, let us know the depth, width and height of God's love for us and be filled with the fullness of knowledge of Christ and the missionary zeal of St.Paul.
Righteousness
The Righteousness of God It has always been asked as to what exactly is the core or heart of St. Paul 's teaching. Many have pointed to "justification by faith," i.e., a person is justified only by faith. It is not an easy concept to be understood. In fact in two of his letters, to Galatians and to Romans, Paul treats at length this concept. In the letter to Romans the main theme is enunciated in 1,16-17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jews and then to the Greeks, for in it the righteousness of God has been revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'the person man lives by faith.'" In order to understand "justification by faith" we need to first of all see what "righteousness of God" means because the two go together.
We have already seen Paul's understanding of the "gospel." He saw that the gospel is part of a plan thought out by God for a new form of human salvation, to be revealed and realised by his Son, Jesus Christ. Then, describing the qualities of God, Paul singles out "the righteousness of God." "The righteousness of God" or "the uprightness of God" appears as a quality of God in Rom 1,17; 3,5.21-22.25-26; 10,3 in contrast to "the wrath of God" (Rom 1,18), which frightens people. In 2 Cor 5,21 the righteousness of God is conceived of as a special gift to human beings. In the early books of the OT righteousness of God expresses the quality by which Yahweh, depicted as involved in a lawsuit with his rebellious people, judges Israel and displays his righteousness (e.g., Isa 3,13; Jer 12,1; Micah 6,2). That means it describes his legal or judicial activity; he judges with righteousness (Pss 9,9, 96,13; 98,9). In the post-Exilic period, however, "rigteousness" as a quality of God assumes an added meaning: it becomes the quality by which he acquits (sets free) people manifesting towards them his gracious salvific activity in just judgment. See for this Isa 46,13 where "my righteousness" and "my salvation" stand in parallelism. (Parallelism is a technique used, especially in poetry, in which the second line repeats in an interpretative way what is said in the first line ). See also Isa 51,5-6.8 56,1; 61,10; Ps 40,9-10. Paul's understanding is that through the Christ-event God has judged the world, not to condemn it but to redeem it in his mercy, for God did not sent into the world his Son to condemn it but to save it (cf. John 3,17).
In fact if we are to stand before God's judgment seat we can stand only condemned for as the Psalmist sang, "If you were to count our sins, Lord who would survive!" (Ps 130,3). While knowing our sinful situation, he acquits us. Poet Tagore has put it beautifully in a few lines: O my God, when my life is ended shall I stand before you, face to face, alone and speechless." This is the human situation. But we have an intercessor or advocate before the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, who pleads for us, and we will be set free in God's mercy.
Question: How will it be when we stand before God's throne of judgment? Will we need his mercy?
Exercise: Read the texts cited in the write-up.
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