Discipleship in Saint PaulDiscipleship in Saint Paul Summit on Lay Ministry – June 6, 2017...
Transcript of Discipleship in Saint PaulDiscipleship in Saint Paul Summit on Lay Ministry – June 6, 2017...
Discipleship in Saint Paul Summit on Lay Ministry – June 6, 2017
Exploring discipleship Going to the source: Sacred Scripture
and Sacred Tradition
Chronological precedence
Paul’s letters (48-58 CE) Gospels (70-95 CE)
Who is this man – Saul/Paul of Tarsus?
A.Dates; B. Influences; C. His Story; D. Sources; E. “Founder” of
Christianity?
Paul’s Dates Born – first decade CE ca. 34 CE – Encounter
with risen Lord 37-49 CE – 1st mission
activity 50-52 CE – 2nd mission
activity 53-58 CE – 3rd mission
activity 58 CE – arrest in
Jerusalem 58-60 CE – in prison
61-63 CE – house arrest in Rome
64-68 CE – martyrdom
Influences Pharisaic Judaism Sanctification of domestic
life and dietary practice
Belief in resurrection from the dead and reward and punishment
Right living beyond ritual
Apocalyptic expectation
Diaspora Judaism Diverse and more tolerant
perspective to surrounding culture
Greek language, use of LXX, reliance on Greek educational system
Less emphasis on Temple and greater familiarity with synagogue
Paul’s Story A. Life BEFORE his
encounter with Christ
B. His encounter with Christ
(reformulating views of Jesus; the
Law; and Jews/Gentiles)
C. Life AFTER his encounter with
Christ
Sources on Paul I Paul’s Letters
Primary Letters: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon
Deutero-Paulines and Pastorals: Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians / 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus
Acts of the Apostles
Written by Luke, Acts of the Apostles features Paul’s story as the second (and larger) half of this interpretive view of the growth of the early community
It does not always agree with Paul’s letters
Legends and ancient
perceptions Paul, his story and his
message were expanded by 2nd and
3rd century works such as: The
“Correspondence between Seneca and Paul,” The “Acts of
Paul,” the “Apocalypse of Paul,” and the “Acts of Paul
and Thecla.”
Modern perceptions Paul’s letters played a dominant role in Reformation
theology. Many view Paul as a rigorous moralist and a misogynist
Did Paul “found” Christianity? Founder? No! Influential? Absolutely!
Discipleship in the Ancient World
A. The word mathetes; B. What are its main features?; C. Where is it found in Paul and how is it used?
Mathetes – “disciple” in Greek
While mathetes could also designate an apprentice, it was primarily used to identify individuals who followed a “master teacher,” especially in philosophical schools
Mathetes in the Greek translation of the Bible
Amazingly, the Hebrew word for “disciple” (talmîd) occurs only one time in the entire Hebrew Bible, and mathetes NEVER appears in the LXX as a translation for talmîd
Due to Israel’s corporate nature – the whole nation is the “disciple” and the lack of any master other than God, the master/disciple relationship is lacking in the LXX
Mathetes in the New Testament
Mathetes is a commonly used term in the New Testament, appearing some 250 times, but only in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles
While most uses refer to Jesus’ disciples, others are also identified as having disciples: John the Baptist, the Pharisees, and even Paul
The main features of mathetes
First, there is ALWAYS a relationship with a Master/Teacher
In the NT, the initiative always comes from the master / teacher (didaskalos)
Second, the resulting personal attachment shapes the ENTIRE life of the disciple, even the inner life
Where is mathetes found
in Paul? Paul NEVER used the term to refer to
himself, or to refer to those who believed in his Gospel. Luke did identify him as
both apostle and disciple (Acts 9:26)
Paul and “discipleship”
A. Paul and his call to discipleship; B. Paul’s “service” to Jesus; C. Excursus on why Paul wrote; D. The
community’s call to discipleship; E. The community’s service to the Body of Christ
The divine source of the call “…when He who had set me apart before I was born…was pleased to reveal His Son to me…”(Gal 1:15-16)
Entrusted with a message / given a new identity Paul wrote that: “The
gospel which was preached to me is not of human origin…it came through a revelation of
Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:11-12) Paul shared a series of
images that helped explain how “it is no longer I who live but
Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20-21)
Paul’s manner of service to Christ
1. To serve Christ: “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1)
2. To share the Gospel: “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” (1 Cor 1:17)
3. To give witness: “…what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord…” (2 Cor 4:5)
4. To suffer in imitation of Jesus: “For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things…” (Phil 3:8)
Excursus on “why Paul
wrote letters” 1. The letter was
Paul’s way of being present
2. His letters were very contextual – they
reflected the circumstance to which they were responding 3. He wrote letters to communities, not to
individuals
Responding to God’s call with FAITH
Faith in the person of Jesus and in his salvific role as presented in Paul’s Gospel was central to the call to discipleship in Paul
Faith was often paired with love, since it was faith that made love possible
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law…the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…” (Rom 3:21-22)
Entrance into Christ through baptism Following upon “faith,” the actuation of God’s original call that led to faith is BAPTISM. It resulted in a complete identification
with Christ
Multiple titles for a new identity
Sons of God; God’s Temple; God’s building; God’s
field; a New Creation; the Body
of Christ; a new unleavened lump of dough; Christ’s
‘possession’
The community’s manner of ‘service’ to the Body of Christ
1. Service is love: “…you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another” (1 Thess 4:9)
2. Love expressed through building up the body: “…strive to excel in building up the church.” (1 Cor 14:12
3. Love expressed through working toward unity: “…stand firm in one spirit, with one mind.” (Phil 1:27); “…Live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify God…” (Rom 15:5-6)
Titles for a community in
the service Imitators of me (Paul) and the Lord; Sons of light and sons of day;
blameless and innocent children of
God; lights in the world; runners in a race; obedient from the heart; slaves of
righteousness; a “letter from Christ”
Who is a disciple for Paul?
Going beyond boundaries: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:26-28)
Attempting a description of discipleship in Paul
First, without using the term mathetes, Paul reflects the NT features of discipleship: a call initiated by God and the disciple was completely transformed by the encounter
Second, Paul emphasized the role of “faith” and expressed service and witness as “love”
Discipleship in Paul A. Concluding comments on discipleship in
Paul; B. Contemporary lessons and applications; C. Final questions
Paul’s understanding of disciple
It is consistent with other parts of the NT
It applies to all believers, not just a select few
The call begins with God, leads to faith, and is actualized in baptism
Discipleship permeates every dimension of life, and is expressed in love
Contemporary lessons and applications
1. Paul reminds us that our commitment in faith is to the person of Jesus Christ
2. Paul contributes to the idea that the Body of Christ is non-hierarchical
3. Paul reminds us that “putting on the mind of Christ” is not just for Sunday
4. Paul’s discipleship reminds us that its primary expression is in loving service and witness
Questions / Comments?