St. Paul's Faith Based Not on Conversion of Thought, but Personal Meeting With Christ, Pope Says

Catholic World News ^ | 9/3/08

[marshmallow]

Vatican, Sep. 3, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) recounted the story of the conversion of St. Paul during his weekly public audience on September 3.

The Holy Father-- who traveled from his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo to the Vatican for the Wednesday audience in the Paul VI auditorium-- continued his series of talks on St. Paul with a discussion of "the decisive moment of Paul's life."

This pivotal event is described at length by St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, the Pope observed. But we also have the perspective of St. Paul himself, in his epistles.

St. Paul, the Pope continued, "never spoke of the particulars of the event, perhaps because he believed that everyone knew its essential details." But the Apostle makes it clear that this event was the foundation of his newfound faith.

Actually St. Paul does not regard the event as a conversion, Pope Benedict remarked. "And the reason is very clear: this transformation of his life was not the result of a psychological process, of an intellectual or moral evolution, but the fruit of his meeting with Christ Jesus."

That is the essence of Christian faith, the Pope said: a direct personal encounter with Jesus. Christianity, he said, is "not a new philosophy or a new form of morality." It is faith in the Person of Christ.

[marshmallow]

Posted as a counterpoint to a widely held viewpoint, especially among my non-Catholic brothers and sisters that Catholics don't "know" Christ or don't have a personal relationship with Christ.

We may have a little more common ground than you think. I'm sure those of you who habitually bag us could sign off on this; "That is the essence of Christian faith, the Pope said: a direct personal encounter with Jesus."

[Salvation]

Bump.

[quadrant]

No one disputes that Paul's conversion came from a personal encounter with the risen Christ, for if his conversion had come by some other manner, he could not be an apostle. Though this encounter was the central fact of Paul's life and the cornerstone of belief, his faith needed to be moulded by thought, study, and prayer. This process began when Paul met other believers and when he spent time alone (three years, I believe) after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus.

[quadrant]

No one disputes that Paul's conversion came from a personal encounter with the risen Christ, for if his conversion had come by some other manner, he could not be an apostle. Though this encounter was the central fact of Paul's life and the cornerstone of belief, his faith needed to be molded by thought, study, and prayer. This process began when Paul met other believers and when he spent time alone (three years, I believe) after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus.

[xzins]

this transformation of his life was not the result of a psychological process, of an intellectual or moral evolution, but the fruit of his meeting with Christ Jesus."

Good.

The pope agrees with me.

[Quix]

Glad to read the Pope’s assertions. He’s quite right and Biblical in what I read above.

As to Vaticans not having a personal relationship with Christ . . .

It’s still mystifying to me that so many Vaticans think so highly of themselves . . .

They seem to think that something magically makes them super human and immune to the human frailties mentioned in the New Testament and common to so many ‘professing’ Biblers/Proddies.

Repeatedly do folks of the EDIFICE clique hereon pontificate about how every last Vatican believes X,Y&Z and if they don’t, then they are automatically NOT Vaitcans.

How tidy.

Every denomination has it’s version of Jack Mormons or as some Vaticans have said—cafeteria Vaticans.

There are also the misguided—who’ve believed the Pastor’s press releases. Or the denomination’s press releases—MORE than they’ve believed The Bible.

Far too often those noises hinder or even prevent or sabotage a vibrant RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST in ‘favor’ of suckling at the breast of the RELIGIOUS EDIFICE.

Very hazardous, that.

[Quix]

My belief is that Christ was with him often in the 3 years in the wilderness.

[quadrant]

Christ was with Paul when he was Saul, even if he didn’t know it.

[Quix]

Not sure about your meaning and foundation for it.

In the sense that God is with all His Creation or what?

[quadrant]

God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent and was with Paul all his life.

[Quix]

As is no doubt true, for all who’s names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life, imho.

[Cronos]

au contraire, mon ami, the one's I've known who keep quoting "have you been saved?" and "I will wipe the dust off my shoes when I leave" have generally not been part of the Apostolic Church.

And while denominations may have various thinkings, that doesn't correspond to the Apostolic Church

[Quix]

It’s been abundantly demonstrated from the Vatican’s own docs as well as conflicting posts hereon

that the Vatican never has really spoken with one consistent homogeneous voice.

It’s a farce of a pretense to pretend it has.

Alas, that’s essentially true of EVERY large bureaucratic edifice/institution of any significant age, at all—particularly a RELIGIOUS one.

[Marysecretary]

Yes, it certainly is the essence of the whole gospel. Most of us here just wish Catholics would get rid of the extra-biblical stuff about Mary, etc. There IS a lot in common and as long as we stick to what the Bible has to say, we’re on common ground. Blessings. M