Noteworthy Points about Paul

Question 1

Redemption by Blood: Paul’s Thinking

Answer 1

How does Redemption by Blood Happen?

“They are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” Romans 3:24-25

Christ died (shed his blood)
As a sacrifice
Of atonement
To redeem us from our sins

Question 2

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Answer 2

Proposed the popular “Substitutionary Sacrifice” theory

Based on medieval feudal structures in Cur Deus Homos (Why God Became Human)

Medieval Feudal Society was based on

1. Liege Lord (God)
2. Vassal (Humans)

Question 3

Key Concepts of Anslem’s “Substitutionary Sacrifice”

Answer 3

• Forgiveness requires compensation
• An offence to an infinite being can only be repaid by an equally infinite being
• Jesus (who is also God) had to become a human to compensate for sin through his substitutionary (in place of humans) bloody sacrifice on the cross

Question 4

How is Paul’s “sacrifice of atonement” misinterpreted?

Answer 4

Anselm’s thinking is not Paul’s thinking! Although it is often mistakenly thought to be so.

Anselm’s Explanation has lead to the popular misconception that God is like Dracula, the vampire - thirsty for blood!

Borg and Crossan say that “atonement as substitutionary sacrifice” was foreign to Paul’s thinking.

Question 5

Paul’s Take on Christ’s “Sacrifice”

Answer 5

For Paul, the cross is always connected to the Resurrection.

• Christ’s sacrifice is an indictment of “empire”
• It is a revelation of the path that all followers of Christ have to go through: through the cross to the resurrection
• Christ’s sacrifice does not save us from any of that
• Christ is the image/revealer of God (particularly God’s compassion/love)
• He reveals God’s character: God is love, inclusive, prepared to lay down one’s life for the sheep
• He reveals God’s passion: God is passionate for the well-being of humanity
• Christ struggles to communicate those matters through his life and teaching/ - He was prepared to die in order to stand by what he taught and lived!

Question 6

Paul’s view of the Redemption was furthermore…

Answer 6

A “Participatory Sacrifice” kind of thinking in which Christ died to atone for our sins but that humans have to participate in-in Christ’s sacrifice through being plunged into the paschal mystery through baptism and even, ultimately,
“making up for what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ” (à la Col 1:24 although this is a disputed letter).

Question 7

Christ as Sacrifice of Atonement

Answer 7

In the temple, lambs (and other animals) were offered as atonement sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins.

Blood was thought of as having atonement value.

Blood: blood is the seat of life, it is the most precious thing a person could offer.
Leviticus 17:14

This “seat of life” was also considered to have an atonement or purificatory powers. Thus, blood was considered an efficacious element for the forgiveness of sins

Question 8

Redemption through Christ’s “Blood” (Death)

not Paul’s thinking

Answer 8

Therefore, “blood” offering to God should be understood as:
Since blood is so precious, it is the rightful offering to the holy God of Israel.
In offering his life on the cross, Christ performed such an offering of his own blood.
In a mysterious way, this results in the redemption of humanity, forgiveness of sins, reconciliation between God and humanity.

Question 9

Christ as the Lamb of God

not Paul’s thinking

Answer 9

Early Christians used a lamb to symbolize Jesus instead of the cross because the cross symbolizes something to horrible for them

“Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace”

Question 10

Caesar’s & Christ’s Different Peace Programs (Chapter 4 B/C)

Answer 10

Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
Achieves peace through:
Religion (worship the gods)
Wage war in honour of the gods
Attain victory and there you have peace

Paul thought of peace as:
Acknowledge Jesus as the now-glorified-Christ
Resist any kind of violence
Instead, practice (distributive) justice (just conditions for everyone)
By this, peace will be achieved

Question 11

Paul and Thecla

Answer 11

There is an apocryphal writing (not included in Christian list) about the influence of Paul on a virgin named Thecla.

Mentioned by the Church father Tertullian (190 CE)

Tells the adventures and near-martyrdom of Thecla

Paul is a major character in the story

A cult crew up around St. Thecla

Question 12

What does Paul and Thecla’s relationship tell us?

Answer 12

Paul was very empowering of women in ministry. Female leadership.

Question 13

Image of Paul and Thecla

Answer 13

In 1906 a small cave was discovered cut into the rock on the northern slope of BülbülDag, high above the ruins of ancient Ephesus, just off the mid-Aegean coast of Turkey.

To the right of the entrance and beneath layers of plaster, Karl Herold of the Austrian Archaeological Institute uncovered two sixth-century images of Saint Thecla and Saint Paul.

• They both have the same height and are therefore iconographically of equal importance.
• They both have their right hands raised in teaching gesture and are therefore iconographically of equal authority.
• But while the eyes and upraised hand of Paul are untouched, some later person scratched out the eyes and erased the upraised hand of Thecla.
• If the eyes of both images had been disfigured, it would be simply another example of iconoclastic antagonism since that was believed to negate the spiritual power of an icon without having to destroy it completely.
• But here only Thecla’s eyes and her authoritative hand are destroyed. Original imagery and defaced imagery represent a fundamental clash of theology.
• An earlier image in which Thecla and Paul were equally authoritative apostolic figures has been replaced by one in which the male is apostolic and authoritative and the female is blinded and silenced.
• And even the cave-room’s present name, St. Paul’s Grotto, continues that elimination of female-male equality once depicted on its walls.