Walking with St. Paul St. Paul helps us understand truths about Jesus

Oct 6, 2008

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities – all things were created through him and for him. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross" (Colossians 1:15-20).

For St. Paul the entire Gospel message is about the person of Christ. In fact the Gospel is Christ. Everything he says is said in relation to Christ. He knows that he is "an apostle of Christ Jesus…" (Colossians1:1) He is "a slave of Christ Jesus…" (Romans 1:1) He knows that he is an apostle "not from human beings nor through a human being but through Jesus Christ… (Galatians 1:1). He writes his letters "to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus…" (Philippians 1:1) To these same holy ones he became "your Father in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (1 Corinthians 4:15). He urges his children to "conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ… (Philippians 1:27).

The whole of St. Paul’s existence after his conversion is about Jesus. "I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me…" (Galatians 2:19b-20)

If all of this is the case, then we must understand who Jesus is, according to St. Paul.

First and foremost St. Paul knows that this Jesus he met on the road to Damascus in none other than God himself. We see this in the above quoted letter to the Colossians. "…For in him for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…" (1:16, 19). This is one of the clearest assertions of the divinity of Jesus in all of Scripture. We also see here that Jesus is the creator of heaven, earth and the angelic hosts.

Another clear statement of the divinity of Christ is that mentioned in Galatians. Paul’s apostleship comes not …"through a human being but through Jesus Christ and God the Father…" (1:1). Here he equates the Father and Jesus; neither are human persons.

However, St. Paul also understands Jesus to have fully taken on human nature. "For in him dwells the fullness of the deity bodily…" (Colossians 2:9). Jesus is fully God, and the fullness of God dwells in him bodily. God has assumed an actual body.

In Galatians we read, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman…" (4:4). God the Son, is the apostle (one who is sent) of God the Father, and God the Son is born of a woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Also important for St. Paul is that Jesus is the last Adam, literally in the Greek, the eschatological Adam. (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:45). The first Adam deemed equality with God a thing to be grasped at, a thing to be taken by his own power, might, strength of will, self-exertion and pride. But the last Adam "…did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:6-8). This is the example Christ gives us to imitate.

Adam, through his actions, brought about physical and spiritual death. Jesus, through his actions, is the one who has destroyed death, and brought about physical and spiritual divine life. "Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). "For just as through the disobedience of one person (Adam) the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of the one (Jesus) many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19).

Jesus comes to restore the divine, spiritual life lost by the first Adam. He also comes to restore truly human life to the body as well. Speaking of the resurrection of the body at the end of time St. Paul proclaims, "It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible. It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak; it is raised powerful. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual (a Spirit-filled) body" (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

Finally, according to St. Paul, Jesus is the one who brings about our redemption, through the forgiveness of sins. "In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us" (Ephesians 1:7-8). Christ comes to redeem us from sin through the superabundance of divine grace.

What glorious truths St. Paul proclaims. God becomes man in order to reconcile us to himself, reconciling a breach between God and man that was caused by Adam, and our own sinfulness.

Like St. Paul, may own entire lives be one great proclamation of the Gospel, one great proclamation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in word and action.

Printed with permission from the Northern Cross, newspaper from the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota.