" PAST " THE MIRACLE OF LOVE SAINT PETER AND THE HOUND OF HEAVEN

 

This post had an unusual origin but I believe it will be useful, perhaps to a particular person I shall never meet.

 

Saint Peter is of particular importance in the long history of the Church. We know a reasonable amount about him. He came from Capharnaum where he lived with his wife and mother-in-law. He was a fisherman together with his brother Andrew, and it seems they had more than one boat , so they may have been significant among the local fishermen. Fishermen are proverbially rough and tumble folk , hardy and hard living. So it might seem surprising that Jesus chose Simon Bar-Jonah - for that was then his name, to be an Apostle.Jesus knew all about Simon of course, but Simon did not yet know that.
 

Such was the power of God's grace at work, that when Jesus bade Simon and Andrew to "Come follow Me, and I will make you Fishers of men", they dropped their nets and followed Him. In those earliest days their following of the Master was evidently not full time. For a day or so later , we find the two have been fishing when Jesus comes to them and bids them to push out into the deep , and put down their nets for a catch. Here, the Fisherman in Peter comes out fully and he tells Jesus they have been out all night and caught nothing, but, God's grace gets the better of the Fisherman, and because it is Jesus who makes the request, Simon will do it.

 

And what a catch it is! The nets are full to breaking!

 

Simon is no fool- he knows that what he is seeing is supernatural and that Jesus is the Person responsible for it. He still does not understand that Jesus knows everything. He kneels before Our Lord and begs Him in great humility :"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man O Lord".

 

Centuries later , the poet Francis Thompson ( 1859-1907),  because of the misguided medical practice of his day, became addicted to the tincture of Opium, called Laudanum , then very widely used for the relief of pain. Thompson was a devout man , and haunted by his addiction, which after repeated relapses killed him. He was always conscious of God's love and of God's pursuit of him no matter how seriously he fell. He wrote the marvellous, harrowing poem "The Hound of Heaven" to describe the unremitting character of God's love for him, even when -  in the grip of his addiction - he was rejecting it. He wrote of the Hound of Heaven pursuing him "down the labyrinthine ways". He was aware that this loving pursuit was part of a process , and cried out in anguish:

 

 "Must Thou char the wood, ere'st Thou can limn with it?"

Saint Peter was at the beginning of the discovery of the constant faithfulness of God's Love, at the beginning of being "charred"that the Lord might "limn"with him.
 

SAINT PETER

 

 

 

We know even more about Saint Peter, for his personality radiates strongly from the Gospels and his Epistles. Saint Peter is seen to be a man of burning enthusiasms which cause him to often commit himself beyond the strength of his will or common prudence.He is a spontaneous, big-hearted man .He means well but often stumbles. Jesus in due course let Peter know that He had him summed up all along. For He said to him "Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, and thou being once converted confirm thy brethren."

This was a remarkable Revelation of the Life of the  Trinity in effect, but Simon's personality has no time for reflection on Divine wonders : his gratitude and enthusiasm wells up and he positively gushes : "Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to death." We will return to this exchange in due course - but for the moment it clearly reveals the generous, well-intentioned  character of Saint Peter.

Earlier on , Our Lord had given Simon Bar - Jonah  a new name - the beginning of the ancient tradition of adopting "names in religion" - e.g. Brother Albanus, Sister Austin, Father Antonio and Pope Pius XI. In many areas this custom begun by Our Lord has been abandoned by those who say"I gotta be ME". Be that as it may, Our Lord gave Simon the name "Cephas"( in Greek) that is "Petrus"(in Latin) and "Peter"(in English).
The word means "Rock" and Our Lord went on to say "And upon this Rock , I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it."

There are two times in the Gospels when it seems to me anyway, we can, between the lines see a loving affectionate smile likely on Our Lord's face. One is when the rather short, rich publican Zaccheus clambers up into a sycamore tree in his enthusiasm to see the Lord. He must have looked ridiculous, short, rich , no doubt overweight hanging up there in a tree like some street urchin. And Jesus bids him by name to come down quickly "for this day I must abide in thy house". Each time I read it I cannot avoid the thought that Our Lord was gently, kindly looking upon this man who was in haste and desperation to know Him. Similarly, Our Lord chose the name "Rock"for Simon to reflect the historic role this improbable man was to have in the history of the world. Yet, knowing Simon as the Sacred Scripture presents him to us, warts and all, is there anyone who could be in essence less like a "Rock"? Solid, reliable - that is not the Simon we come to know. But Jesus knows EVERYTHING about Simon Peter and knows all his weakness, and He also knows what he can become with the Holy Spirit's help. Jesus loves Simon Peter, he loves that bigheartedness, that generosity of spirit, and even that weakness that brings all the positives so often undone.It is hard to resist the thought that there was a certain gentle, loving irony in Our Lord's choice of "Rock"for His very wobbly Apostle.

Time and again we see Saint Peter revealed in  various situations, acting in the same way. On the Lake the Apostles  see the a figure walking on the water as they fear their boat will sink in the storm. "Be of good heart : it is I, fear not"Jesus says. Peter as usual in moments of stress or trouble is the one to speak up :"Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come to Thee upon the waters."

Now, a more natural response would have been " Lord , come here and save us ". But Peter was no doubt inspired to say what he did in order that a salutary lesson could be taught.Jesus simply answered "Come"" and that was enough for Peter, over the side he went and began to walk on the water toward Jesus! His Faith drove him. But, what was this? The wind was howling in his face and the sea was lashing him and :"seeing the wind strong, he was afraid: and when he began to sink he cried out saying : "Lord save me".And immediately Jesus stretching forth His hand took hold of him , and said to him : "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?"The lesson is plain for the Church and for all of us, our Faith must be strong and constant in good times and in the face of horrendous opposition, and Our Loving Lord will always see us through!

Still later, very late in the day , as Our Lord , in the Upper Room, goes to wash the feet of Peter, we see typical Peter - he has looked askance as Jesus  washed the feet of the others - this is not fitting he thinks, and he  cannot stop himself saying "Lord, doest Thou wash my feet?"  Unworthy me - and you the Christ - the Son of the Living God! But Jesus answers simply : "What I do thou knowest not now;  but thou shalt know hereafter."Peter is determined and emphatic : "Thou shalt never wash my feet."

Jesus is calm , but resolute : "If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with Me." The response is typically Peter - the big heart, the great enthusiasm : "Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head". Jesus answers him gently, correctingly, as one might speak to an excitable child: "He that is washed, needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly. And you are clean, but not all of you."( The discourse goes on to deal with Judas Iscariot.)

Later in the evening, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when the Temple police/soldiers come to arrest the Lord, and they move to lay hands upon him, Peter - ever excitable- forgets Jesus' foretelling that He must suffer, and whipping out a sword lashes out and cuts off the ear of one of the Temple police. Instantly Jesus commands him to put up his sword and heals the man's ear. Peter is slow to learn , but very quick to act and talk. Earlier he had, as we know assured Our Lord that he would gladly go to prison or to death with Jesus. And the Lord had promised him that before the cock crowed Peter would deny Him three times - not once, but - systematically - three times.

So it happens, in the outer courts of the High Priest's home, whilst the Lord of the World is being questioned and insulted by the proud High Priests who had bought their offices from the Roman conquerors, and assaulted by their crude troops, Peter is hovering safely outside hoping to hear what happens.

 

 Not so safely, as it transpires. For three time in succession he is challenged as a follower of Jesus by common servants of the household.The cock indeed crows and as the Lord is being led out . He is to be imprisoned for a few hours until they can hurry Him as early as possible on Friday before the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate. The Gospel is dramatically sparse in recording the scene. Here is Peter, still in the panicky flush of his third denial of Christ - Jesus is led out past him, and Peter sees his sorry, bloodied condition and the rough handling He is receiving. He is stricken and sick with guilt. And Jesus... and Jesus.. the Gospel tells us simply two words : "Conversus Dominus". The Lord turned and looked at Peter. No words of reproof, no accusation, no correction. 

 

The Anointed One - the Christ -  simply, sadly looked at Peter. And Peter, we are told, burst into bitter and uncontrolled tears. Tears which were to recur and recur as the years passed and he absorbed the horror of what he had done. Tradition has it that his tears created great furrows down his face.

SAINT PETER - El Greco 

 

Time passed, the Resurrection, the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and Peter is transformed - there he is , the Leader preaching to and converting thousands, speaking out boldly in front of the Temple authorities and defying their strictures not to preach about Christ.He is transformed - largely - but still human. When there are no Jews around Peter rightly ignores the now displaced old Law dietary restrictions. But when some Jews come to town, rather than risk a confrontation with them, Peter conforms to those dietary restrictions. Saint Paul , not without his own human weaknesses , as he tells us elsewhere,and we see for ourselves, will have none of this and confronts Peter on the point and wins the day. A little glimpse of the old weak willed Peter had been seen and put down.

Peter is now no longer a young man. This work of evangelisation had obviously not come easily to someone who had known nothing but catching fish. But he had walked with Jesus Christ and learned from Him and he had received the Holy Spirit, and years on the Mission had made the most of him, from Capharnaum to Jerusalem, to Antioch and finally to Rome the home of the Beast the monstrous pagan Empire. Now as an old man, he works on in the heart of the Evil Empire when persecution breaks out. It seems that the whole future of the Church             (Christ's promise to be with her always, forgotten perhaps) is at risk. It is decided that Saint Peter and numbers of the disciples should save themselves by escaping the City. Out they tramp along the Appian Way, until Saint Peter meets..... he meets Jesus Himself carrying His Cross in the opposite direction! Peter cries out to Him:

 

 "Quo Vadis , Domine?"    "Where are you going Lord?"

The answer is concise "Iterum Romam Crucifigi!' "I am going to Rome to be crucified again!" Saint Peter, even in his old age is still being pursued and humiliated by his failings. He turns about and returns to Rome against all human wisdom. Here traditionally. he was martyred on the very same day as Saint Paul. 

 

Paul a Roman Citizen - that proudest boast of the ancient world - had the "privilege"of being beheaded. But this Jewish Fisherman, Peter,  is to be crucified as befits aliens. But now he has courage in word and in deed : he asks that he be crucified upside down, saying he is not worthy to be crucified as was Jesus Christ. And so it happened on the Circus of Nero across the road from the Vatican Hill and he was taken across that road for burial in the cemetery there which can now be seen in the Scavi or Excavations under Saint Peter's Basilica's High Altar..

Crucifixion of SAINT PETER - Carravagio

The Hound of Heaven , the Love of God , had pursued Peter across the Roman world and won the conclusive victory at what is now the Heart of Christ's Church. The lesson is immense for all of us, God's Love for us is relentless and ardent. No matter what our weaknesses, no matter how often we stumble, God loves us and pursues us for our salvation .

 

The Miracle of Love - how could we fail to respond?

TONY DIXON

" PAST " SAINT PAUL PART VII PAUL WRITES FROM EPHESUS

 

St Paul Writes from Ephesus


In AD 54 St Paul, now in Ephesus, writes to the Galatians. Now 50-51 years old, he has been a Catholic for 20 or 21 years.

He had founded the church in Galatia only two years ago in AD 52, and had made a further visit to the Galatians in AD 53. He has been greatly disturbed by reports reaching him, that these Gentile converts were being led astray by Judaizers. These Jewish converts, most of Pharisaical training, had often been – and would continue to be, the bane of Paul’s missionary life.

Among the Galatians, the Judaizers had advanced three arguments:

Paul was not a “real” Apostle as were those appointed prior to the Crucifixion;

Paul was false to the teaching of Christ and the true Apostles in teaching that converts to Christ, Jew or Gentile, were not bound by the Mosaic Law;

Gentile converts must be circumcised and submit to the ritual and dietary requirements of the Law.

From the heart of the large and busy church in Ephesus, St Paul writes with righteous indignation. The very opening words of the Epistle bristle with his targeted refutation of these falsehoods:

 “ Paul, an apostle sent, not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead……” (Gal. 1:1) 

 

No Galatian reader can doubt that they are about to get the TRUTH with “both barrels”. He offers them his blessing: “Grace and peace be to you from God the Father, and from Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from the wickedness of the present world according to the will of God our Father; to whom is glory forever and ever. Amen” (Gal. 1:3-5) The reference to the “wickedness of this world” suggests his concern at the forces that have been preying on his Galatian flock.

St Paul asserts firmly that he has preached the truth of Christ’s Gospel to them and that anyone, man or angel, who preaches otherwise – even if it were Paul himself – must be declared anathema. He emphasises that in his preaching of the Gospel, his only purpose is to please God – not men.

St Paul vigorously asserts that what he preaches is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ and not something taught to him by other men. He recounts the story of his miraculous conversion, his retreat in Arabia, his time in Damascus, after three years his fifteen day visit to St Peter in Jerusalem, where he also met St James. Then he briefly recounts his early missionary journeys and after 14 years his visit to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus. He emphasises that “the leaders” St Peter, St James and St John did not see any need for the circumcision of Titus – a Gentile. The leaders shook hands with St. Paul and confirmed his mission and teaching to the Gentiles, only reminding him to have care for the poor “ the very thing I was eager to do.” (Gal. 2:10)

St Paul explains how in Antioch he found it necessary to remind St Peter of their freedom from the Law since Peter was continuing the observances of the Law when eating with Jewish converts.

In the course of outlining the consequences of being saved by and converted to Christ St Paul utters the sublime phrase that glows ever more powerfully as the centuries pass:

 

 ”It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) 

 

He wraps up his opening argument against the Judaizers quite succinctly: “For if justice is by the Law, then Christ died in vain.” (Gal. 2:21)

St Paul now lays out in detail the essence of his argument (we can see here the outline of the argument, mature and fully developed, in his mighty Epistle to the Romans (Foundation December, 2008). He reminds the Galatians of the movement of the Holy Spirit which brought them Faith in Jesus Christ. But he shows that the Law is concerned with the flesh not the Holy Spirit Who even worked miracles among them. Faith is the key as it was for Abraham who               “ believed God and it was credited to him as justice. ” (Gal. 3:6) He teaches that “men of Faith are the real children of Abraham” (Gal. 3:8) and reminds them of the words of God to Abraham “in thee shall all nations be blessed”. (Gal. 3:9) Here he is highlighting the situation of the Gentile converts. The covenant God made with Abraham was made 430 years before the Law was given and was not annulled by the Law. The promises of the Covenant were made to Abraham “and his offspring” (Gal. 3:16) – Christ – and now by grace and faith all converts are one in Christ and thus heirs to the promises of the Covenant. The Law is not relevant to them..

St Paul is very movingly personal in demonstrating his concern that the Galatians might give up the freedom they have been given in becoming one with Christ. “I fear for you, lest perhaps I have laboured among you in vain….”. (Gal. 4:11) “And you know that on account of a physical infirmity I preached the Gospel to you formerly; and though I was a trial to you in my flesh, you did not reject or despise me; but you received me as an angel of God,, even as Christ Jesus.. ” (Gal. 4:13-14) Paul’s intimate concern for his Galatian children in Faith is powerfully evident. It is the greater because of their generous and grace-filled treatment of him when he first brought the Good News to them, despite the fact that his illness at that time evidently disfigured him or affected him in some way that made him a “trial” to them. “I wish I could be with you now, and change my tone, because I do not know what to make of you.” (Gal. 4:20) He begs them once again not to accept circumcision and the obligations of the Law which would separate them from Christ. He sums up: ”For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision is of any avail nor uncircumcision, but faith which works through charity”. (Gal 5:6) This latter statement most clearly refutes the mischief of false teachers such as Luther who tried to argue that St Paul taught salvation by Faith alone and attempted to contrast his teaching with that of St James (who taught that Faith without good works is dead). Clearly St Paul and St James were of one mind – the mind of Christ.

St Paul now reminds his Galatians of the characteristics of the life of followers of Christ who, being led by the Holy Spirit avoid all lustful behaviour, idolatry ,sorcery; witchcraft, and all negative viciousness. Rather, in them can be found” charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, modesty and continency.” (Gal. 5:22)

He specifically counsels them to concentrate on the conduct of their own lives. But where one of their number goes astray to counsel that one in meekness and humility. “….while we have time, let us do good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith”. (Gal. 6:10)

In his concluding remarks he attacks the motives and the actions of the Judaizers. He cries out, “God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ…”

I Corinthians

Three busy years later in AD 57 St Paul is in the early years of his third missionary journey (see Foundation October 2008). He is disturbed by reports he has received from the church he had founded in Corinth. He was last there in AD 51 and it seems that the Gentile converts in that wealthy pagan city had tended to lose their way in important matters.

St Paul addresses the problems in broad groupings. The first is factionalism, then Christian life, the sacrament of marriage, the consumption of idol offerings, the celebration of the Eucharist, appropriate dress, the Mystical Body of Christ, prophesy and speaking in tongues, the resurrection of the body and finally St Paul’s intentions. The list is extensive and the letter is long in fact St Paul’s second longest, exceeded only by the Letter to the Romans (Foundation December 2008) The difference is that this first epistle to the Corinthians is “ an easy read” unlike the complex letter to the Romans. It should be noted here that there is evidence in this letter (at 1 Cor.5:9) that there had in fact been an earlier letter from St Paul to the Corinthians and there is evidence in the Second letter to the Corinthians (at 2 Cor. 2:4 and 7:8) of another letter preceding it -neither has come down to us. So that the letters we have are actually the second and fourth of St Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.

Factionalism is the first topic which no doubt reflected or resulted in, some of the other issues dealt with later. St Paul tackles it head-on. He reminds the Corinthians that it was Jesus Christ he preached to them and into whom they were baptised. Therefore their slogans of “I’m for Paul/Apollos/Cephas are absurd. Paul, Apollos, Cephas are for Christ and Christ should be the unifying common inspiration of every one of them. He then sets about elaborating on the origins and implications of the Christ-centred reality of the Church He points out that “… Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks look for “wisdom”, but we for our part, preach a crucified Christ – to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men…” (I Cor. 1:22-25) “Therefore let no one take pride in men. For all things are yours whether Paul, or Apollos or Cephas ;or the world or life or death; or things present, or things to come – all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” (I Cor. 4:22-23) He tells them that he is sending Timothy to assist them to re-order their approach and conform with what he has taught them.

Apollos was an Alexandrian Jewish convert. He was evidently a highly educated man in terms of philosophy, and may have been influenced by the ideas of Philo of Alexandria. However that may be, his knowledge of Christ’s Gospel, which he began to preach, was seriously deficient. (Acts 18:24-28) As we have seen earlier, St. Paul discovered that Apollos had been unaware of the Holy Spirit and was simply performing John’s baptism., rather than the Sacramental Baptism of Christ. It will be recalled that St Paul left Aquila and Priscilla the task of completing Apollos’ instruction in the Faith. St Paul properly baptised those Apollos had earlier “ baptised “ It would seem that Apollos was certainly not a wrongly intended person, and he was certainly not unintelligent, but perhaps his very intelligence had led him to believe he knew it all, long before he did. St Paul treats of him kindly and carefully in his writings, no doubt not only out of regard for his abilities and work, but also on account of his strong following in Corinth.

St. Jerome recounts that Apollos was so disenchanted by the divisions in Corinth that he retired to Crete, but when St Paul’s letter healed the divisions there Apollos returned, becoming in due course bishop of the city.

St Paul moves on, addressing the scandal of one of the community who has been carrying-on with his father’s wife. (Paul notes that even the pagans would not behave so.) He forcefully insists that the man be excommunicated – separated from the community. He also refers to cases where members of the community are prosecuting cases in the civil courts against one another. He strongly upbraids them for not dealing with the problems within the community itself. In any case he says, if an agreement cannot be reached, “Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?” (I Cor. 6:7)

In a summary section useful still in to-day’s society St Paul says ”Do not err; neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor the covetous nor drunkards nor the evil-tongued nor the greedy will possess the Kingdom of God” (I Cor. 6:9-10)

Urging them to physical morality he says:” For you have been bought at a great price. Glorify God and bear Him in your body.” (I Cor. 6:20)

In an extended consideration of the married state St. Paul makes it clear that he is answering questions that the Corinthians have put to him in a letter(I Cor. 7:1) St Paul heavily emphasises the preferred status of the celibate life. But he makes it plain for them that there is nothing wrong in being or getting married. He simply makes it clear that the single person needs only to please God, whereas the married person has to please his/her spouse also. His comments are equally applied to those who are widowed.

Where a person is married to an unbeliever they should continue in that marriage as long as the unbeliever consents to live with them. But if the unbelieving spouse leaves the marriage St Paul rules that the abandoned party has the right to marry within the Church. (This is known as the Pauline Privilege.)

He urges the Corinthians to adhere to their status on becoming Christians, whether single, married or slave. Further he urges those now married or single to remain in that state, those in charge of an unmarried ward should have the ward follow the same counsel. However, those who are widowed or single and wish to marry may do so. St Paul’s concern is the approach of the Second Coming and his aim is to concentrate their attention on God, rather than the affairs of this world.

Food which has been sacrificed to idols and then offered/sold for consumption presents problems Paul says. He insists the food itself is not a problem – the “gods” it has been sacrificed to are nothing. But he does see potential for giving scandal. This would be particularly the case if the Christian party was seen eating the food where it might appear that he was consenting to the sacrificial rite e.g. in the pagan temple feast or in the home of someone who makes a point of identifying the food as having been sacrificed to a “god”. Any onlooker might assume that the Christian had apostasised. In other circumstances St Paul says, there is nothing to worry about.

He considers at length the right of preachers and teachers of the Gospel to support. He insists on the right whilst noting that he has never taken advantage of it, supporting himself through his tent making activities. As we have noted elsewhere in our examination of St Paul’s life and work, these were skills he probably acquired among the nomadic tribes of Arabia during his three year retreat there. His present prolonged stay in Ephesus was facilitated by the tent making opportunities created in that pagan pilgrimage centre by the four yearly festival of the “goddess” Diana which is believed to have swelled the population of the city from 35,000 to 1,000,000 this was the “great opportunity” St Paul referred to- great as a source of income from the tent dwelling pilgrims, but more importantly great in delivering to him over 950,000 people to evangelise.

He comes to the consideration of the celebration of the Eucharist. St Paul vigorously remonstrates with the Corinthians for their unworthy celebration of the Eucharist. It was the custom of the very early Church to integrate the essence of the Eucharistic celebration within a light meal- after the fashion of the Last Supper (in which it will be remembered, Our Divine Lord consecrated the bread at the beginning of the ritual Passover meal, and the wine at the end of the meal). However the Corinthians had descended into a routine in which each party brought his own food – the rich an abundance and the poor their own meagre fare. The result was a shameful clash of scandalous excess and miserable poverty in the midst of the celebration of the Eucharist – the heart of Christian unity. St Paul puts them straight in short order.

He reflects on the distribution of spiritual gifts in the Church. He acknowledges the value of both prophesy and speaking in tongues in the Church. But he emphasises the importance of all gifts to the Mystical Body of Christ, just as every organ of the physical body has its role and complements the others.

He injects at this point his truly superb reflection on Charity (Love):

Charity is patient, is kind,

Charity does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up,

is not ambitious, is not self-seeking

is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth; bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (I Cor 13:4-7)

Now he returns to the question of prophesy and of tongues. He accords prophesy the higher standing. He sees value in the gift of tongues when they can be properly interpreted by the speaker or another. But, he says, “….yet in the church, I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may also instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue”. (I Cor. 14:19) He proposes that when the church assembles no more than three persons should speak in tongues, and then only if there is an interpreter. He requires women to remain silent in the churches and they should veil their heads just as men should leave their heads uncovered. Above all he stresses the need for order and proper procedure in the churches.

Toward the end of the Epistle there is a lengthy examination of the question of the resurrection of the body. St Paul insists that the Resurrection of Christ has won for us the resurrection of our own bodies as incorruptible spiritual bodies.

In concluding he urges them to assist in the collection for the saints in Jerusalem currently being taken up in the churches, asking them to appoint a delegate to go to Jerusalem with their contribution in company with other such delegates.

He foreshadows a possible visit to Corinth and urges their wholehearted cooperation with Timothy during his visit. Paul reports that although he asked Apollos to go to Corinth he would not do so at present.

He urges them also to co-operate with Stephanas and Fortunatus in Achaia, together with Achaicus and sends greetings from the churches of Asia and from Aquila and Priscilla.

Paul signs off in his own hand and blesses them in Christ. At the same time he anathematises any member who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ.



TONY DIXON
COPYRIGHT This article first appeared in the January 2009 issue of FOUNDATION.