Paul's Teaching on the Church

Zenit News Agency ^ | November 22, 2006 | Benedict XVI

[ELS]

Pope Benedict meets Iraqi Sunni Moslem tribal chief Sheikh Ali Ibrahim Al-Faris Hamad Al-Dulaimi (R) during his weekly general audience at the Vatican November 22, 2006. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano (VATICAN)

Pope Benedict XVI meets European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner (R) during his weekly general audience at the Vatican November 22, 2006. REUTERS/Osservatore Romano (VATICAN)

Pope Benedict XVI gives his weekly general audience in St Peter's square at the Vatican, November 15. The pope has put the finishing touches on the first volume of a work titled "Jesus of Nazareth" that will hit the bookstores in the spring, the Vatican has said.(AFP/File/Vincenzo Pinto)

[ELS]

Paul of Tarsus: Be Imitators of Me, As I Am of Christ (October 25, 2006)
Paul of Tarsus, Continued (November 8, 2006)
Paul's Teaching on the Holy Spirit November 15, 2006

[ELS]

NOTE BY FR. LOMBARDI ON BENEDICT XVI'S FORTHCOMING BOOK

VATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2006 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., has written a note concerning a forthcoming book by Benedict XVI, scheduled for publication in the spring of 2007. The title of the volume is: "Gesu di Nazareth. Dal Battesimo nel Giordano alla Trasfigurazione" (Jesus of Nazareth, From His Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration).

The Vatican Publishing House, which holds the copyright on all the Pope's writings, has ceded the world rights for the translation, distribution and marketing of this book to the Rizzoli Publishing House.

"The fact that Benedict XVI has managed to complete the first part of his great book on Jesus, and that within a few months we will have it in our hands, is wonderful news," writes Fr. Lombardi in his note. "I find it extraordinary that despite the duties and concerns of the pontificate, he has managed to complete a work of such great academic and spiritual depth. He says he dedicated all his free time to the project; and this itself is a very significant indication of the importance and urgency the book has for him.

"With his habitual simplicity and humility, the Pope explains that this is not a 'work of Magisterium' but the fruit of his own research, and as such it can be freely discussed and criticized. This is a very important observation, because it makes clear that what he writes in the book in no way binds the research of exegetes and theologians. It is not a long encyclical on Jesus, but a personal presentation of the figure of Jesus by the theologian Joseph Ratzinger, who has been elected as Bishop of Rome."

In the book's preface, Fr. Lombardi's note says, the Holy Father "explains that in modern culture, and in many presentations of the figure of Jesus, the gap between the 'historical Jesus' and the 'Christ of the faith' has become ever wider. ... Joseph Ratzinger, taking into consideration all the achievements of modern research, aims to present the Jesus of the Gospels as the real 'historical Jesus,' as a sensible and convincing figure to Whom we can and must trustingly refer, and upon Whom we have good reason to base our faith and our Christian life. With his book, then, the Pope aims to offer a fundamental service to support the faith of his brothers and sisters, and he does so from the central element of the faith: Jesus Christ."

In the introduction to the book, Fr. Lombardi continues, "Jesus is presented to us as the new Moses, the new prophet who speaks with 'God face to face,' ... the Son, deeply united to the Father. If this essential aspect is overlooked, the figure of Jesus become contradictory and incomprehensible. With passion, Joseph Ratzinger speaks to us of Jesus' intimate union with the Father, and wishes to ensure that Jesus' disciples participate in this communion. It is, then, a great work of exegesis and theology, but also a great work of spirituality."

Fr. Lombardi concludes: "Recalling the profound impression and the spiritual fruits that, as a young man, I drew from reading Joseph Ratzinger's first work - 'Introduction to Christianity' - I am sure that this time too we will not be disappointed, but that both believers and all people truly disposed to understand more fully the figure of Jesus, will be immensely grateful to the Pope for his great witness as a thinker, scholar and man of faith, on the most essential point of the entire Christian faith."

OP/BOOK BENEDICT XVI/LOMBARDI VIS 061122 (600)

[ELS]

Weekly audience ping!

Please let me know if you want to be on or off this list.

May everyone have a happy Thanksgiving!

[Iscool]

One of Paul's letters goes so far as to present the Church as the bride of Christ

The pope has erred...The church is not 'yet' the bride of Christ...The wedding in heaven has not yet taken place and the marriage supper of the Lamb has not taken place...

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Not only did Paul NOT present the church as the bride of Christ, he (Paul) presents the church as the 'engaged' (espoused) virgin...

Some folks claim the wedding has taken place alreay which one would have to destroy and pervert a lot of scripture to achieve...And they act as tho they can still become part of the bride of Christ AFTER the wedding has taken place...Funny...

[AmericaUnited]

The pope has erred...

Paul had to correct 'the First Pope', Peter, for having faulty theology.

Note: I do think the current Pope is great.

[Running On Empty]

Marking

[onedoug]

Hyam Maccoby, Revolution In Judaea: Jesus and the Jewish Resistance

[ELS]

The pope has erred...

LOL! And what authority, knowledge, or experience do you have to make that claim? Thanks, but I'll take his word over yours.

God bless and have a happy Thanksgiving.

[padre35]

I would like to be added to your ping list.

And perhaps a digression, but doesn't the Orthodox church teach the same doctrine on "One church?"

[Iscool]

LOL! And what authority, knowledge, or experience do you have to make that claim?

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

That about covers it...

Thanks, but I'll take his word over yours.

Not my word...God's word...And I'll take that over any pope, any time any where...

[adiaireton8]

Not my word...God's word...

As interpreted by Iscool, whose interpretations have no authority.

-A8

[Iscool]

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

So that verse and verses like it take some masterful interpreting, eh??? A twelve year old kid can read this and understand it...

As interpreted by Iscool, whose interpretations have no authority.

You're not being honest...I didn't interpret anything...I believed it as I read it...Did you, or your pope believe it as you read it??? Or did one of you interpret it to mean something else as warned against by the Apostle Peter???

There seems to be a lot of confusion in your church about this interpretation thing...

If you had a blue car and I called it red, that would be interpretation...Or dishonesty...We all know what a blue color is...

And we all know what espoused means...And we all understand that I may present you is a future event, if we have an eighth grade education, that is...

Of course this will not sway your position on the matter but tell us, what evidence do you have that your church is currently the Bride of Christ???

[adiaireton8]

The concept of 'bride' does not refer only to a woman who has already said her wedding vows. It also refers (by way of anticipation) to a woman who will shortly but has not yet said her wedding vows.

-A8

[Titanites]

It appears you received a good eighth grade education.

[Iscool]

The concept of 'bride' does not refer only to a woman who has already said her wedding vows. It also refers (by way of anticipation) to a woman who will shortly but has not yet said her wedding vows.

Now there's a private interpretation of 'Bride' if ever I saw one...

I know what a Bride is (and isn't)...The Apostle Paul knows what a Bride is and God knows what a Bride is...

And that's why Paul called the church the 'Espoused' chaste virgin instead of Bride...

There will be no Bride until the Espoused chaste virgin gets to heaven for the wedding ceremony and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb as referenced in the book of Revelation...There are millions of Christians who already know this fact...

[adiaireton8]

It appears you received a good eighth grade education.

That is an ad hominem.

-A8

[adiaireton8]

Why do you think the song "Here comes the Bride" is played while the bride is walking down the aisle (toward the altar)? Yours is the "private" and idiosyncractic conception of 'bride'.

-A8

[ELS]

You are pulling a non sequitur. Why don't you try discussing the Scriptures that Benedict XVI was referring to (Ephesians 5:21-33) when you try to argue that he is wrong. You have given your interpretation of something Paul said in a different letter (2Co 11:2).

That is like saying an apple is not an orange. Benedict is a world class theologian. What are your credentials?