Valerie Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hello, all. I am an emerging PC attending a liberal Methodist church where questioning is encouraged. At the moment I am trying to make sense of the "salvific" language in Paul's letters to various ones. An ongoing journey ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephM Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Hi Valerie and welcome, Personally, I found it best to not to try to make sense of the writing of others but rather wait on the spirit that was pointed to. Paul had many things to say but i found it best not to assume anything was true before it was personally revealed to me. As result, i know very little, but i have subjective experience that has served me very well. Love in Christ, Joseph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivanna Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Welcome Valerie, There are a few here who like to discuss bible passages from a progressive / liberal perspective, I’d be glad to hear what specifically you’re wondering about in Paul’s letters. My view is close to Marcus Borg’s, if you’re familiar with any of his work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglocatholic Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hello, all. I am an emerging PC attending a liberal Methodist church where questioning is encouraged. At the moment I am trying to make sense of the "salvific" language in Paul's letters to various ones. An ongoing journey ... Hiya Valerie I always find it helps to remember two things about dear Paul. The first is that he was a hot head, often speaking from the heart but not always putting his mind in gear first. The second is that when people are speaking generally to others, chances are the person they are actually addressing is their own self (always fun to remember this one on a Sunday, when listening to those interminable sermons). Therefore, in reading of Paul's salvific message, very often what we have is his description of his own experiences, in moving from a very strident, very antagonistic pov towards the followers of the Way, and into a more accepting, more loving position. In other words, it is Paul who is saved, from his own zealotry. His whole mission from that point on is one of giving thanks for that salvation, and trying to live up to the expectations the Lord has of him. As with all of us, sometimes he succeeds, sometimes he fails. But always he tries to express his love for the Lord. And this love is the single most important key to understanding Paul; read his words without it and they are meaningless, as he says himself. Read them with the love, and they make sense. Nice to meet you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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