Introducing St. Paul
Paul as a Critic of Religion
Thursday, April 2, 2015
We need to understand that Paul was a thoroughly Jewish man until the very end. He never thought he was leaving Judaism. That’s why he always went to the synagogue when he came into a city. Having met the Messiah on the Damascus Road, Paul thought he had the secret to understanding Judaism and bringing it to its fulfillment.
Paul was in love with the Messiah of Judaism and considered himself a Jew, but he did think the religion of his time had gone down the wrong road by its legalism and ritualism. Paul himself was a Pharisee before he met Christ. Pharisees were the fervent ones, concerned with being absolutely orthodox. Whenever you’re concerned about being right, some form of “purity code” takes over—religion as requirements, which is largely about rules. God will love you if you do this or if you don’t do that. This appeals to many people, as it gives the false self a sense of security.
Both Jesus and Paul critique that very mentality, precisely because it is so common. It tends to represent early stage religion, and it cannot get you very far. It becomes all about naval-gazing, about how perfect you are and how terrible other people are, and then leads you to the false conclusion that you’re better than others because you don’t touch this or eat that. If people get stuck here, the purity codes soon morph into what we call debt codes. It’s not just about things that you must do or must not do, but debts you must pay to a wrathful God. It all makes sense inside the small frame of retributive justice. It makes no sense inside of love.
Gateway to Silence:
“I live no longer, not I; but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Reference:
Adapted from In the Footsteps of St. Paul (published by Franciscan Media, 2015) (CD)
