Not everyone agrees, but I think a terribly significant change takes place with Paul. He transforms the common story when he moves from a Hebraic to a universal vision. Previously it was the Exodus which remembered the Jews were slaves whom God rescued. Now it became the Cross when we all were helpless, sinners, and […]
We’ve come to the end of the online course. I have learned a lot about Paul and also about online learning. A number have asked Frontline to offer more online classes. I suspect we shall, but that we shall keep them much shorter. Scott suggests his group finds this works better. I, also, think it […]
My apologies to the Sunday School class at Good Shepherd for reusing a session I thought covered the topic. My apologies to the rest of you for making a longer than usual post. I think the subject warrants it. Whenever Paul is mentioned at mainline churches in the past 30 years, someone expresses distaste. He […]
Often our discussions have ended accepting Paul’s positions for the church but asking how they relate to the larger world out there. It is hard enough for Christians to live by love in their private lives, as eyfishpaw and Bob Nordvall remind us. How can we do it in our public lives and how can […]
The last paragraph of Bob’s comment sets the stage for Romans 12. “Christ lived on earth, died, and was resurrected. Through the Holy Spirit He is among us now. The post-resurrection life is not simply something in the indeterminate future; it is a reality in which we can participate now. Our participation in this life […]
In the last lesson I spoke about “faith active in love” being the best roadmap for living in our time. Paul sometimes describes it as living “in Christ”, sometimes as living “in the Spirit”. He is obviously talking about the same thing. “What is the Holy Spirit?” was a very common question throughout my ministry. […]
Romans 1-8 Salvation: by Faith Active in Love I am going to look at Romans as the best road map for the modern age, emphasizing how much better “faith active in love” is than the religious law which has failed us so miserably. It enables us to adjust appropriately to the diverse situations before us. […]
If religions deal with ultimate questions, they eventually have to deal with death. As Paul says, it is the last enemy, the elephant in the room, or to keep our metaphor, the elephant in the middle of the road. No matter what we do, death is ahead. Paul might have put off the task in […]
After discussing moral issues Paul turns to worship. Again we see the freedom of the Spirit. Although he speaks of tradition (I Corinthians 11: 2) this does not appear to include a formal liturgy. Five years earlier he said, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, do not quench the Spirit (I Thessalonians […]
I have always had a hard time making sense of chapters 5-14. Paul seems all over the place, going hither and yon in his reasoning and counseling. After a lot of struggle, I decided to take Paul at his word. There are no laws. Jesus grants us his Spirit which gives us freedom. The only […]
Frontline Study is an online discussion of the scriptures, inviting you to share your comments and your reflections on each weekly topic. Simply click on the "Add Reply" text at the top of each post to see what others have posted and to add your thoughts.
Fritz invites you to consider reading Pope Francis' encyclical Fratelli Tutti. Consider purchasing a copy of the book here as proceeds benefit St. Jude's Children's Hospital.By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
Recent Comments