#St. Paul Epistle

[dilutedh2so4]

[For this is the will of God] that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one.

-> St Paul, 1 Thessalonians 4:6-12 (NRSVue)

1 Thessalonians is believed to be one of Paul's earliest letters, written around 49 to 51 AD. In this passage, he stresses the importance of showing love for others as well as minding your own affairs. You should try not to be a burden on others, however it is still the duty of the community to look after everyone.

[twobrothersatwork]

Catholic Latin Mass, First Sunday of Lent.

"Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

2nd Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians 6:2 Douay-Rheims Bible

Artwork: Jacob Jordaens (Flemish, 1593-1678), The Veneration of the Eucharist (1630s).

[proud-spaniard]

Rom 8, 32

[tgirlsaintlawrence]

St. Paul’s letters have good conclusions but bad logic. This is evidence of how the Holy Spirit guided his writing.

[poligraf]

Unto the pure all things are pure.

— Epistle to Titus

[proud-spaniard]

"Porque yo estoy convencido de que ni la muerte ni la vida, ni ángeles ni demonios, ni el presente ni el futuro, ningún poder, ni las alturas ni las profundidades, ni nada en la creación, podrá separarnos del amor de Dios que mora en Cristo Jesús Nuestro Señor." Rom 8, 38s.

[whencyclopedia]

Bible

The Bible takes its name from the Latin Biblia ('book' or 'books') which comes from the Greek Ta Biblia ('the books') traced to the Phoenician port city of Gebal, known as Byblos to the Greeks. Writing became associated with Byblos as an exporter of papyrus (used in writing) and the Greek name for papyrus was bublos.

Although the Bible is often considered a single, cohesive, work, it is actually an anthology of ancient writings by many different authors over many centuries, which were collected in a single book. The Bible contains works of poetry, religious-themed narratives, philosophical musings such as The Book of Ecclesiastes, epistles, and the apocalyptic masterpiece known as The Book of Revelation.

The common thread in all these collected works is the existence of an all-powerful deity who is the creator of the universe and has an interest in the personal lives and final fate of human beings. The books of the Christian Bible were arranged in the sequence one finds them in today to tell the story of the creation of the world by a supreme deity, the fall of man from paradise, and humanity's redemption by the Son of God but these books were not written in that sequence nor would the original authors of the Old Testament works have had that particular story in mind.

The Bible of Judaism (collected and authorized by c. 3rd century BCE) contains the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and the Tanakh (the stories of the judges and prophets) and makes no mention of Jesus Christ. The God of the Bible in these works is the God of Judaism - a single all-powerful deity - and, prior to the appropriation of Hebrew scriptures by early Christianity, the stories which made up the Bible told the story of God's care for and intervention in the affairs of the Israelites of the Middle East.

Structure of the Bible

In Judaism, the scriptures are called the Tanakh and are recognized as comprising 24 books divided into three categories: The Pentateuch (or Teachings of the Five Books of Moses), The Prophets, and The Writings. Christianity, which appropriated the Tanakh and claimed it as their own early theological history, call it the Old Testament. Early Christian writers, years after the probable date of the death of Jesus, penned the gospels and The Book of Acts. Paul the Apostle wrote most of the epistles which make up the 27 books of the Christian New Testament and whose theology informs the gospels. The Book of Revelation, attributed to John of Patmos, is the last book of the Christian Bible.

It is difficult to accurately date the composition of the books which make up the Bible, but scholars generally agree that the Pentateuch dates to the 10th and 6th centuries BCE and that the Tanakh was fixed as scripture well before the 1st century CE. The books of the Christian New Testament were composed between 60-110 CE (the Gospels), 45-130 CE (the Epistles), and 68-100 (The Book of the Revelation of St. John). Many people of the ancient world, and even today, believe the Bible to have been written by God. It is held to be the bestselling book in history and has influenced religious thought worldwide for centuries.

Continue reading...

[portraitsofsaints]

Happy Feast Day

Pope St. Clement I of Rome

35-99

Feast Day: November 23

Patronage: stonecutters, marble-workers, mariners, sailors, tanners, sick children

Saint Clement was an early successor to St. Peter, installed as Pope in the year 88 and one of the 5 Apostolic Fathers, who provide a direct link between the Apostles and later generations of the church fathers. He’s a contemporary of St. Paul and is mentioned in Philippians 4:3. St. Clement's First Epistle to the Corinthians, condemned the unauthorized and unjustified division between the laity and clergy, urging charity to heal this riff. It’s said that he was miraculously saved from martyrdom when he was cast in the sea with an anchor bound to him.battle with the disease.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase. (website)

[janeeyreofmanderley]

One of my favourite moves when dealing with "conservative Christians" who claim to take the Bible literally, is that whenever they quote sth like "Women should not be pastors" or "Homosexuality is a sin" I politely ask for their car keys and tell them I will come by and collect all technical devices, in fact all tools they own the very next day and hope they use the time to get their bank statements in order so I can take control over their finances too.

Why?

Firstly the look on their faces is priceless.

Secondly I have long ago learned that arguments don't work. I used to explain that all their precious passages they quote are actually taken out of context. St Paul never said "women should be silent in the congregation" we can prove thorugh linguistics that it was a later interpolation. Also it makes no sense in the epistle itself because Paul wrote several paragraphes on, HOW women should speak in the congregation. (Also the first congregation on European soil was run by a woman, someone tell Rome please). I also explained that when Paul criticises homosexuality in Corinth, he does so in a context where there was a widespread practice of brothels with young boys who were hired out. So when he argued against homosexuality chances are pretty good he thought of child prostitution. Also it was 2000 years ago and it is impossible to blindly apply conventions and lables from this time to the present but this is another story. However, no matter what, the fact I learned the original languages and studied the Bible for 10 years means nothing to these people, so I don't even bother with that.

Thirdly, it is beating them with their own weapons. They claim to take the bible literally then they don't get to pick which part. That means God's commandement from Gen 3 that man has to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow? Applies! And that nice car, these helpful tools, that nifty computer is robbing you of your chance to live a life in compliance with the scripture! Can't let that happen! And the bank accounts, well. Jesus never judged anyone by their sexuality or gender but he was VERY clear when it came to wealth. No rich man can get into heaven. YOu need to shed yourselves of all your possessions. SO when you take the bible literally, give me your money.

I promise I won't keep anything, I will sell your goods and donate your money to charity. Just helping you following the bible the way you see fit.

Funnily enough no one has ever accepted my helpful offer.

[twobrothersatwork]

“To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge, that you may be filled unto all the fulness of God.”

Reading: Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians13:19

[thecatholiclingering]

something I find really funny and also really important to bear in mind is the theory that Peter and Paul did not get along very well

mainly because of Peter, but that's just Peter being Peter lol

there are two reasons for that that I've heard (both from my dad, he's a brilliant person; absolutely one of the smartest and wisest people I know) but one's a lot more 'Peter-esque' than the other

the first is that Peter found St. Paul's writings to be exasperating to read due to their long-windedness (which is funny because my mom and I have always loved making comments about Paul's writing, especially since I adore his way of writing, and emulate it constantly)

but the other is more sentimental, and it sort of shows what person Peter really is - He's not your "ideal human" or anything; he's just a simple fisherman with a hot head and a large faith (there are somewhat plausible speculations, actually, of his epistles and writings having been merely orated by him, but written by somebody else, since he may have been unable to write)

the second one is that Peter never really got over Paul's condemnation and persecution of the Christians under Saul

I think this one is a lot more beautiful and, if I may, human

Peter was so genuinely hurt by Saul's actions against his people that, when Saul just sort came up and said "Well, y'know, so like, God appeared to me, knocked me off my horse and everything, I'm gonna join you guys" out of the blue, Peter probably had a little bit of a hard time accepting that

which all sort of ties into this profound message of how Mercy and Love is so hard to show

it's up there as one of the works that Christians are known for, as well as one of the hardest things to do in life

to truly Love people such as Nero, Hitler, politicians, hateful people, ignorant or lazy persons, and especially those who affect you so deeply? to still want the absolute best for them, and work for that, even after hate is wrought? that's hard

Loving someone isn't denying the fact that they are bad, nor is it being pushovers for them, nor even learning to enjoy their presence

Loving someone is simply working for their ultimate good, and their place in Heaven

and even Peter struggled with that

everyone struggles with that

so remember, we're all having a hard time with something, which makes us as humans so much more universally together

[churchblogmatics-blog]

Books for spiritual formation

Books that have left an indelible mark on my understanding of God or the Christian faith in some way. My spiritual development is unfinished, so this list is unfinished - I'm always open to suggestions

Soren Kierkegaard

The Sickness Unto Death - Explained how sin works psychologically, illustrates how it can be its own punishment

Works of Love - What it means to love, what it costs, what it gives us

Fear and Trembling - What faith means, its miraculous nature

Karl Barth

Evangelical Theology - What theology actually means, how the gospel is good news

The Epistle to the Romans - Shows the need for continual reformation of thought within the church, introduced (to me) the idea of God's freedom in communication to man

Church Dogmatics II.2 - Election is good news! It is God willing to choose humanity despite sin - universal reconciliation can and should be hoped for

The Journal of John Woolman

What undying commitment to justice means, what it looks like

Martin Luther King Jr

Letter from a Birmingham Jail - Made me understand how Romans 13:1 can be integrated into radical politics

A Gift of Love - Brought to life 1 John 4:20

A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving

A narrative illustration of unwavering faith

The Imitation of Christ, Thomas Kempis

What we're saved to, salvation has a telos

Flannery O'Connor

Wise Blood - Life without Christ, the perils of sola scriptura

A Good Man is Hard to Find - Shows grace as an intrusive lived experience

Marilynne Robinson

Gilead novels (Gilead, Home, Lila) - Rich illustration of Imago Dei

When I Was a Child I Read Books - Bolstered my understanding of the 8th commandment (reading with charitable intent, in interactions with others in life and on the page)

What Are We Doing Here? - Illustrates what the glory of God means in daily experience

Garry Wills

What Paul Meant - Paul and Jesus were of a unified mind, stop reading Paul as a bible thumper, start reading him as a man who loved dearly and wrote with urgency on live issues

Religio Medici, Thomas Browne

Ecumenism is a beautiful thing and should be strived for in all Christian communities

The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton

The gospel brings peace of mind and soul, searching for peace is a valid epistemology

Eichmann in Jerusalem, Hannah Arendt

Wickedness is not inevitable, it arises from moral and intellectual sluggardliness

The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Learn to love the church, it is the arms of Christ; great exegesis of the Sermon on the Mount; great companion to the book of James

White Evangelical Racism, Anthea Butler

Evangelicalism did not emerge from theological first principles, it is a diseased expression of the faith informed by racism at the root

Jesus and John Wayne, Kristin Kobes du Mez

Evangelicalism did not emerge from theological first principles, it is a diseased expression of the faith informed by misogyny at the root

C.S. Lewis

The Great Divorce - Eternity begins now, sin is its own punishment and grace is its own reward

Till We Have Faces - God has compassion and patience for those who wrestle with him, to summon the boldness to contend with God can be a blessed thing

The Courage to Be, Paul Tillich

The dynamics of Christian faith explained in the abstract

As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner

The thinness of intellectual assent, the richness of faith

The Denial of Death, Ernest Becker

Explanation of the existential need faith meets in the language of continental philosophy

Confessions, St. Augustine

The most theologically and philosophically rich testimony besides that of St. Paul

An Unpublished Essay on the Trinity, Jonathan Edwards

What is the trinity, why is it important

John Milton

Areopagitica - Enforced virtue means nothing

Paradise Lost - Human beings are worth saving even if they aren't deserving of God's favor

Civilization and its Discontents, Sigmund Freud

Illustrates the necessity of grace by exploring a world through the assumption of its absence (excellent foil to A Gift of Love)

[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 18 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – The Feast of St Luke, the Evangelist – 2 Corinthians 8:16-24, Luke 10:1-9 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “The harvest indeed is great but the labourers are few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest that He send labourers into His harvest. ” – Luke 10:2 REFLECTION – “That Luke was inseparable from Paul and his fellow-labourer in the Gospel, he himself clearly evinces, not as a matter of boasting but as bound to do so by the truth itself. For when Barnabas and John Mark, had parted company from Paul and sailed to Cyprus, Luke writes: “We came to Troas” (Acts 16:8.11)… Then he carefully indicates all the rest of their journey as far as Philippi,and how they delivered their first address … And all the remaining details of his journey with Paul, he recounts with all possible diligence … As Luke was present at all these occurrences, he carefully noted them down in writing, so that he cannot be convicted of falsehood or boastfulness for all these details were well known … That Luke was not merely a follower but also a fellow-labourer of the Apostles and especially of Paul, Paul himself declared too in his Epistles, saying: “Demas has forsaken me and has left for Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me” (2 Tim 4:11). From this Paul shows that Luke was always attached to and, inseparable from him. And again, in the Letter to the Colossians, he says: “Luke, the beloved Physician, greets you” (Col 4:14)…” – St Irenaeus (c130-c202) Bishop, Martyr, Theologian, Father of the Church (Against the Heresies III).

(via One Minute Reflection – 18 October – “Luke, the beloved physician, greets you” – AnaStpaul)

[orthodoxadventure]

Praying the Bible in the Liturgy

Orthodox Christians are not merely to read the Bible; we are also to pray the Bible. This takes place most clearly and completely in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom on a Sunday to Sunday basis. Yes, there are two readings from the New Testament during the Liturgy -- an Epistle reading from one of the Letters of the apostles, Paul, Peter, James and John or other apostolic writings; and a Gospel reading from one of the four evangelists -- but we pray the Lord's prayer and also sing verses from the Book of Psalms. In the priest's blessing, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all," we hear St. Paul's final farewell to the Church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 13:13); and in the choir's singing of "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabaoth, Heaven and Earth are full of Your glory," we hear the song of the angelic cherubim first heard by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah in the Temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 6:1-5). The prayers of the Liturgy are full of biblical imagery and shot through with hundreds of Biblical quotes. In fact, the late French Orthodox theologian, Paul Evdokimov (1902-1970), once calculated that there are 98 quotations from the Old Testament and 114 quotations from the New Testament woven into the prayers of the Liturgy. The language of the Liturgy is the language of the Bible! To come to Liturgy attentively is to learn to pray the Bible!

But more than this: the priesthood, the vestments, the altar, the tabernacle, the oil lamps, the incense, and so much else of the Church's structures for worship are taken from the Old Testament Scriptures, particularly Exodus, Leviticus and the Book of Psalms, and are seen as the Christological fulfillment of the worship of the people of ancient Israel in both the synagogue and the Temple as described in the New Testament's Letter to the Hebrews. Every aspect of the Old Testament Passover/Exodus has been fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ and this is what we celebrate at each Divine Liturgy!

[Source of text: The Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom (with Commentary and Notes)]

[momentsbeforemass]

Old houses

I love old houses. In fact, I’m on my third one.

There’s something about walking through one that’s been, well, let go. And letting your imagination run. To see in your mind’s eye what it used to be, and what it could be. Including things that the original builder never imagined.

And then to do it. To fix what’s broken. To repair what’s been let go. To make improvements, to modernize – but in a way that’s totally in character.

Not so it can be a museum, but so it can be lived in. So that it can be my home.

Like I said, I love old houses.

Not everybody sees old houses that way. For some people, they’re just dumps that have outlived their usefulness. Too far gone or too out of date to be worth the bother. 

But for me, there’s a real joy in making an old house come to life again.

One that’s given me a better understanding of what St. Paul’s talking about in today’s epistle. About how the whole “you are the temple of God” thing really works. 

Because being the temple of God isn’t about perfection. And it’s really not about anything that we do. It’s about each of us being the focus of God’s loving building and rebuilding.

No matter what we’ve done, or where we are in life, God doesn’t look at us and see dumps that have outlived their usefulness. People who are too far gone or too out of date to be worth the bother. 

Because when God looks at you, He lets His imagination run wild.

He sees in His mind’s eye who you could be. Including things that you never imagined.

And then – if you’ll let Him – His greatest joy will be to do it.

To fix what’s broken. To repair what’s been let go.

To build you into everything that you were meant to be.

To make your heart His home.

Today's Readings

[buggie-hagen]

Thus, St. Paul, as a true interpreter of the law, leaves no one without sin, but proclaims the wrath of God upon all who would live well simply by nature or of their own volition. ~Martin Luther, "Preface to the Epistle to the Romans" in The Annotated Luther, vol. 6: The Interpretation of Scripture, 471.