The Heart of Paul's gospel

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 -- Week of 3 Epiphany
-- Ordination of Florence Li Tim-Oi (1st woman priest in the Anglican Communion, 1944)

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 944)
Psalms 119:49-72 (morning) // 49, [53] (evening)
Isaiah 49:1-12
Galatians 2:11-21
Mark 6:13-29

We have significant passages to read in each lesson today.

This section of the letter to the Galatians is a snapshot of Paul's theology. Paul's experience of Jesus freed him from the anxiety and self-concern that had troubled him so terribly before. As a practicing and observant Jew, he had sought acceptance before God through his obedience to the Torah and other traditional laws. He was zealous and careful to follow all the rules and ethical regulations. Instead of feeling right with God, he only experienced "performance anxiety."

His liberation came with the realization that a right relationship with God is God's gift to us in and through Jesus. Instead of relating to God by following the rules, now he related to God by accepting the gift of acceptance.

Here is his language. The goal is to be "justified." An alternate translation says "reckoned as righteous." In other words, to be okay with God.

"We know that a person is justified not by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ." Equally that sentence can be translated: "We know that a person is justified not by works of the law but through the faith of Jesus Christ." For Paul, Christ is the object of our faith because we trust Christ as God's agent of justification. So Paul declares his "faith in Jesus Christ." Also, because Christ's own in faithfulness to God is our example and enables our salvation, Paul can declare he is saved through "the faith of Jesus Christ." For Paul it is both "faith in" and "the faith of" Jesus Christ that liberates him from being justified by his own performance.

In Christ Paul died to his old way of living by the law. Now he lives by faith in Jesus and by the faith of Jesus, "who lives in me..., who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing."

It is easy to see how threatening Paul's gospel must have been to traditional Jews, including those who were Jewish Christians. We see today a reflection of a conflict between Paul and Peter. While visiting in Antioch, Peter was sitting at table eating with Gentiles in violation of kosher laws until conservative leaders came there. Peter separated himself from the Gentile tables out of fear or respect for the "circumcision faction." Paul berates Peter for his hypocrisy.

I can hear Paul berating me for the vote I cast on the last day of General Convention. I believe that gay and lesbian Christians have the same equal standing before God as straight Christians. I believe that in the same way that Paul believed that Gentile Christians have the same and equal standing as Jewish Christians. But out of fear and respect for the Anglican Communion which largely does not recognize that equality, I compromised my beliefs that day.

A comforting image -- In traditional Christian iconography, Paul and Peter are often pictured together as companions in ministry. Their feast days are linked -- the Confession of Peter and the Conversion of Paul being one week apart, marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Their conflict was overcome and transcended by the justifying grace of Jesus Christ. So will ours.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR