July 8: The Heart of St. Paul
In many of his writings, Paul makes it clear that he is not creating new teachings or doctrine, but rather is passing on what he has first received from Christ. This is clear in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 when he writes: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I have also received, that Jesus Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas and the twelve.”
Tradition is very important for Paul. It is clear that he wants his teaching to be in union with that of the Apostles, so in Galatians 1:19, he writes that he visited with Peter and James, presumaby to make sure that his teaching is consistent with theirs.
Paul heard that in Corinth, many believers were denying or questioning the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Paul addresses this in Chapter 15 of First Corinthians when he writes that “If the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile and you are still in your sin. those who have fallen alseep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are the most to be pitied of all men.”
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not something Paul made up. He directly experienced it. Christ’s death and resurrection are at the center of the faith and without them, there would be no faith at all. Paul is humble enough to realize that the faith is not his own personal possession. It is what unites him to Christ and to the entire Church.
Please pay for all priests and seminarians and support Sacred Heart Radio.
