One of the fascinating, and sometimes perplexing, experiences of those who read the letters of the Paul of Tarsus for the first time is how little he focuses on what Jesus said and did. As Christians we are shaped by the Gospels and their concern to communicate their understanding of Jesus and the Christian life through his words and deeds, parables and miracles. It is then with some surprise that when our attention turns to Paul there are no sayings or reports of miracles in his letters. This does not necessarily mean that Paul was not aware of these traditions but his attention was primarily focussed elsewhere [Gal 1:18 describes how Paul went to Jerusalem after three years and spent fifteen days with Peter. In Gal 2:1 he took Barnabas and Titus with him to Jerusalem again some fourteen years later. The fruits of these visits and discussions can be partly seen in 1 Cor 11:23 (concerning the Eucharist) and 1 Cor 15:3 (regarding the resurrection) where Paul talks of the tradition that had been handed on to him]. It is all too easy for Christians today, shaped as we are by nearly 2000 years of Christian tradition, to forget that when Paul wrote to the Christian communities in places such as Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth and Rome the Gospels as we know them were yet to be written. [The letters of Paul are generally accepted to have been written in the late 40's and during the 50's. The gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke reach their final form some two to three decades later. John's gospel in its final form is considered to have been written even later again]

As he took the message of Jesus into the world of the Roman Empire a not inconsiderable difficulty was that of how to speak about Jesus in any meaningful way at all. Jesus had been executed under Roman law as a threat to the peace of the Empire. There was to be no ruler other than Caesar or those deputed to rule in his stead. Crucifixion was a brutal death and its message was clear to all; this is the fate that awaits anyone who would dare to stand up and challenge Rome. Could a Christian be trusted as a citizen of Rome? If the founder was executed as a revolutionary surely those who followed him were to be considered suspect as well. [It is interesting to see in later works of the New Testament how being faithful members of the Empire was stressed. Christians were urged to accept the authority of the Emperor 1 Pet 2:13. It is interesting in Philippi that Paul will remind the retired soldiers in their midst that as proud as they were of their privileges their true citizenship was in heaven Phil 3:20. The Gospel writers had to face the same problem and it has an impact on the writing of the Passion narratives. Luke for instance will have Pilate declare Jesus to be innocent of any charges three times Lk 23:4,13-16,22 and this will be applied to Paul as well Acts 23:9,29; 26:31. Matthew for his part has Pilate washing his hands of responsibility for the death of Jesus Mt 27:24] These concerns were part and parcel of the array of difficulties confronting the first preachers of the Gospel.

There were obstacles in preaching the message of Jesus to Jews as well since he died rejected by the religious authorities of his day and his death on a cross meant that he died cursed by the Jewish law Gal 3:13. The book of Deuteronomy 21:23 clearly stated that anyone who died hung from a tree was cursed by God. How was devout and God-fearing Jews going to be convinced that Jesus was not only Messiah, but God's son as well? When Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:23 that "we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles" he knew from bitter experience just how dangerous and challenging it was to speak about Jesus, and yet this is precisely what he did. In 2 Cor 11:24-26 Paul provides a glimpse into the violent rejection he faced from Jewish authorities who punished him with the thirty nine lashes five times and stoned him once! Notwithstanding his status as a citizen of Rome he hardly fared better from Roman authorities since he is beaten with rods on three occasions.

The particular genius of Paul and his invaluable contribution to the life of the Church was not simply that he reflected long and deeply about the meaning of Jesus' life and death. Other writings of the New Testament bear eloquent testimony to the fact that this was a point of reflection for early Christianity generally and a scandal to be addressed. [Some of the fruit of this reflection can be seen when the evangelists explore Jesus' death as a ransom for many Mk 10:45; Mt 20:28, and as a necessary part of God's plan Mk 8:31; Mt 16:21; Lk 9:22; 24:7,26; Acts 17:3. The image of the rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone would be taken up by the synoptic gospels, Acts and Peter Mk 12:10; Mt 21:42; Lk 20:17; Acts 14:11; 1 Pet 2:7. Matthew would make use of the imagery of the suffering servant Mt 8:17; 12:18-21 and Luke of the prophet rejected by his own people who would die in Jerusalem Lk 13:33. This list is by no means exhaustive but reveals some of the ways in which early Christians drew on the resources that lay at hand to make some sense of Jesus' death. Other articles in this series will examine the work of the evangelists in greater detail]

Where Paul stands out is that he grapples with the meaning of the death of Jesus, not only for Jesus but also for humanity. The story of Jesus is recounted in the context of the whole narrative of creation and God's relationship with humanity. What his contemporaries would have judged to be the insignificant death of a criminal is placed centre stage in the drama of creation in its quest to become what it was created to be. That would already have been a marvellous contribution to the life of the Church but matters are taken further as the link between the death of Jesus and the experience of the individual Christian is teased out in its various dimensions. For whatever reason Paul was not content to reflect on the passion and death of Jesus solely as a significant saving event in the past. There was a connection between the experience of Christians and Golgotha that left them as more than merely grateful recipients of God's previous graciousness. The Pauline communities were reminded that their initiation into Christian life was a baptism into Jesus' death Rom 6:3, a living memory that lay at the heart of their celebration of the Lord's supper 1 Cor 11:24,25.

The passion of Jesus is primarily understood by Paul as a gift, an unmerited act of love and graciousness on the part of God [Rom 6:23]. There is an overwhelming sense of awe and amazement at the prodigal and costly love made manifest in Jesus crucified.

For Paul the gift is clearly undeserved, unmerited, but so desperately needed. [Paul's view of the plight of humanity is explored particularly in the letter to the Romans 1-3 where both Jews and Gentiles are described as being unable to live in right relationship with themselves, God and the world. In the face of the impasse brought about by sin it is God who provides the solution. When God would be justified in condemning humanity we are given a new and un-hoped for beginning by means of the gift of Jesus.]

Reflection on the gift of Jesus' death could easily have remained at the level of the perspective of God, that is, God's gift, God's love and God's faithfulness to the covenant. However, Paul's reflection extends to an awareness of the will of Jesus himself with regard to his own death. Unlike Isaac in Gen 22:7 who does not realize he is the intended victim Jesus is understood to be much more than a means to an end, and simply a part of God's saving plan. As Gal 1:4 makes clear Jesus is the one who gave himself for our sins according the Father's will. This act of self-giving has an impact on the human drama being played out in the lives of individuals, communities and nations. There is now a fountain of living water which can cleanse and heal the wounds we inflict on ourselves and others. Paul's view of the situation of humanity is that we find ourselves in world where various forces are at work which would keep us from reaching the goal of freedom and peace with God and each other. His language is that of calling it an evil age [Gal 1:4], recognizing the sorry plight of the world in which he lived. Given the events that continue to occur in our own time his thinking is not so far from those we express in the face of continuing violence, bloodshed and greed. He recognized the dire need that we have to be saved, to be brought out of the impasse provided by the cycle of violence and retribution. In the light of Jesus' gift hope is rekindled and we can begin again to live not with the old self but as one freed to live the life of the crucified one since "it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal 2:20.

It would be no overstatement to say that for Paul the death of Jesus is the bedrock of his theology. Like a multifaceted diamond the death of Jesus, its consequences and meaning are explored by Paul throughout his letters using a wide range of available images. At times Paul will use the language of justification Gal 2:16; 3:24; 5:4; 1 Cor 6:11; Rom 3:20,24; 4:25 where Jesus' death provides the means by which we are declared to be in right relationship with God, ourselves and others. In other settings the death of Jesus is the means by which the possibility is opened up for us to be holy and sanctified 1 Cor 1: 2,30; 6:11; 1 Thess 5:23 Rom 6:22. It is the means by which we are now saved/rescued from the power of sin, death and anything that would separate us from the love of God Rom 5:9; 10:9-13; Eph 2:8; Phil 2:12; 1 Thess 2:16; 5:9; 1 Cor 1:18; 15:2; 2 Cor 6:2. [It is always necessary to bear in mind that Paul's world view is different to our own. The context in which he worked was polytheistic where the world was controlled by a variety of gods and powers e.g. 1 Cor 8:5-6 " Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth-as in fact there are many gods and many lordsyet for us there is one God, the Father; from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." It was often the experience of people that they were powerless in the face of capricious deities who needed to be appeased to gain their favour and protection.] Having been rescued in this way the state of the person of faith is now described as being one of freedom Rom 6:7,22; 8:2,21; 1 Cor 7:22,27; 9; 2 Cor 3:17 Gal 1:4; 5:1,33. [Worth remembering is how powerful and evocative the language of freedom would be for many of the early Christians who were slaves 1Cor. 7:21-22 "Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make use of your present condition now more than ever. For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave of Christ ", Gal 3:28 "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."] Like slaves whose freedom has been redeemed we are now children of God Rom 3:24; 8:23; 1 Cor 1:30; Gal 3:13; 4:5; Eph 1:7,14: 4:30; Col 1:14. This new condition of the person is part of the bringing into birth of a new creation Rom 8:19-23; Gal 6:15; 2 Cor 5:17 ; Col 1:15 where we are being transformed 2 Cor 3:18; Phil 3:21 and glorified Rom 8:19,30 1 Cor 2:7.

Some of the Pauline language which the contemporary world frequently finds difficult to come to terms with is the language of sacrifice and atonement. Our world is not one in which animal sacrifice is used as a means to regulate our relationship with God. That Jesus' blood was poured out for us is often found to be abhorrent because it gives the impression of an angry God who could not be appeased by any other way than Jesus own death. The language of Rom. 8:32 where "He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us" is sometimes understood to speak of a God who would not be averted from punishing except by the means of a sacrificial death.

The language of sacrifice was part of Paul's Jewish tradition as well as the Mediterranean world in which he ministered. At times our efforts to understand this language in Paul founder because the radical manner in which he made use of sacrificial language is not recognised. In his world the sacrificial system was concerned with either asking for God's assistance, or celebrating and healing a covenant relationship which had been ruptured by sin. In ordinary circumstances the function of the sacrifice was to make an offering of grain or an animal to heal the breach in the relationship, or to gain God's favour. It was the duty of the person who had sinned to take the initiative by recognising their sin and making this gesture to plead for God's mercy and a new beginning. What is often not recognised is that Paul's use of the language of sacrifice turned the existing model on its head. Now it is God himself, through Jesus, who takes the initiative and reconciles us to himself. Our sin has been atoned Rom 3:25 (cf. Lev 16); Gal 1:4; 2:20 through God's gift of Jesus death for our sakes Rom 5:6-8; 1 Cor 15:3. The objection is often made of why it was that God chose this means to bring us to wholeness and the question is asked as to whether God could not have found another way, some other method. Such objections are understandable and yet overlook that Pal's starting point was having to make sense of the fact that Jesus had died a violent and painful death - rejected by his own people and rejected by the Roman authorities. This brutal fact could not be glossed over or avoided. What early Christians like Paul were impelled to do was to search for meaning in what had occurred. The language of sacrifice provided them with a viable way to come to terms with this death as life-giving and as a powerful sign of God's love.

Mention has been already made of the fact that Paul saw the death of Jesus on a cosmic scale. What looked like the death of a messianic pretender in a backwater of the Roman empire was understood to have consequences for all of creation and for human history. They were surprising and extravagant claims to be made by early Christians and they are found in liturgical passages in letters written by Paul or attributed to him. [Or those who are attributed to Paul. Of the thirteen letters attributed to Paul those whose Pauline authorship is undisputed would be 1 Thessalonians, 1-2 Corinthians, Romans, Galatians, Philippians and Philemon. 2 Thessalonians and the letters written to Colossae and Ephesus continue to be debated as to their provenance. At the very least they are written to communities strongly influenced by Paul and his co-workers.] These texts were used in the worship of the primitive communities and they provide an invaluable glimpse into the development of early Christianity's understanding of the person and work of Jesus. Scholarly opinion is divided as to whether these hymns were written by Paul or whether he made use of existing hymns and adapted them to needs of the communities to whom he wrote. [Origins suggested for the hymn found in Phil 2:6-11 range widely from the gnostic scheme of the Primal Man myth; the Genesis story of Adam as well as later Jewish speculation about two Adams; the Deutero-Isaianic figure of the Suffering Servant; and the figure of divine Wisdom in Hellenistic Judaism. Sometimes only one source is recognized in the hymn, but more often the confluence of motifs from several sources, both Hellenistic and Jewish, is detected. The passage from Colossians 1:15-20 has been suggested as originating from gnostic circles, Rabbinic Judaism or Hellenistic Judaism's reflection on the Old Testament figure of Wisdom] While these matters will continue to be debated what is not in dispute is that these passages were used by Paul and those who followed soon after him. Within them we see how the memory of Jesus' death is preserved and the depths of its meaning sounded and beautifully brought to expression. Only twenty years after his death the first Christians proclaimed not only God's vindication of Jesus' person and mission, but that it had consequences for all of humanity as well.

Phil. 2:6-11 who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death –

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:6-11 challenged its original readers to become like Jesus who humbled himself to accept not only our human condition, but a violent and humiliating death on a cross. This was to provide the yardstick and model for Christian community where all are called to look after the interests of others before their own, and to make their own the mind of Christ Jesus.

As the hymn continues God's response to Jesus' self-emptying is seen in that he is exalted and becomes the object of worship and proclamation, not just by humanity, but by all that exists. How these early Christians came to this perception will probably remain shrouded in mystery but one can only wonder at the incredible leap of faith they made moving from Jesus' brutal death to proclaim his lordship over all that exists.

Col. 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of all creation;

for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created,

things visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers –

all things have been created through him and for him.

He himself is before all things,

and in him all things hold together.

He is the head of the body, the church;

he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,

so that he might come to have first place in everything.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things,

whether on earth or in heaven,

by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Like the Philippians hymn this passage in Colossians reveals how Paul brought materials from various streams of thought and applied them to the person of Jesus. As in the previous hymn there are powerful elements of exaltation and proclamation of the person of Jesus. He is the one who is now the first born of all creation, the image of the God we cannot see, and the head of the body the Church. Jewish reflection on the figure of Wisdom was applied to Jesus who is now understood to play a critical role in God's creative activity from the beginning of time itself. We see the faith of early Christianity as it extends the framework it had inherited from Judaism and enters into uncharted territory attempting to articulate Jesus role in God's creative and saving history. So central is the person and role of Jesus in the story of salvation that the narrative can no longer be told without him. [An example of this is in I Cor 10:4 where use is made of the tradition of rock that followed the people of Israel in the desert and provided water for them. Paul makes use of that tradition and identifies the rock that followed them as Christ.]

The passion and death of Jesus is remembered in a manner which is all encompassing. It is now recognised as the very means by which all of creation is now set at rights with God. It reveals God's gracious and saving activity for humanity and all creation as God makes peace with us through the blood of Jesus. The death of Jesus then is that means by which creation can now be once again what it was created to be, the gift which enables us to find peace with God, ourselves and others. As Eph 1:7-8 proclaims redemption, understood as forgiveness, has been lavished on us through the gift Jesus' death. The reconciliation which has been achieved in Jesus' death extends to that which separates groups from each other. Now the divisions between Jews and Gentiles have been abolished so that "he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it." Eph 2:15-16

THE MEMORY OF THE PASSION AND OUR EXPERIENCE

Paul's experience as an apostle

One of the most vivid descriptions of Paul's apostolic experience comes in 2 Cor 11:21-29 where he counters the claims of other preachers of the Gospel who are having an impact on the Corinthian communities.

"Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am L Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I am talking like a madman-I am a better one: with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless floggings, and often near death. Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked. And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches. "

In the face of claims by his opponents that they work on the same terms that he does he becomes indignant and reminds the Corinthians just what his life as a preacher has cost him. We sense that not only was he angry but bitterly disappointed that he had to be the one to bring to their attention the price he paid for his apostolic ministry in punishments meted out by civil and religious authorities, not to mention the dangers of betrayal and those associated with his travels.

This text is particularly helpful in showing what Paul endured as a missionary. It also brings into relief something of his character as a person who would suffer so much for the sake of the gospel. Helpful and instructive as it is even more fruitful to explore how he understood what he endured and for the answer to this question 2 Cor 4:6-12 provides much of the answer.

"For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness, " who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.

For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you. "

Paul is able to make sense of his experience as an intensely personal sharing in the dying and rising of Jesus. In his ministry he carries Jesus' death in his own body, that is in a twofold manner; firstly as the message he preaches, and secondly, in that his experience of suffering and rejection links him to the experience of Jesus. Paul could have understood his sufferings as a sign that his message was mistaken, that the disapproval and rejection by Jew and Gentile alike proved how misguided were those who dared to preach the message of Jesus. While this would have been an understandable response it is not Paul's. The context in which he can understand his experience is that just as Jesus' death gave life to the world, so Paul's suffering paves the way for the new life of Jesus in his converts. This doesn't mean that he equates his ministry to that of Jesus. 1 Cor 1:13 makes it quite clear that he does not. [" ICor. 1:13 "Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" This text makes it clear that what Jesus endured was a once and for all and that whatever his achievements Paul was no more than an apostle.] It would be more accurate to speak of how he has come to understand that those who would preach the message of Jesus are invited to be conformed to the image of the crucified one whom they preach. There is no doubt that the content of the message is not Paul but the person of Jesus in whose crucified face the glory of God can be seen 2 Cor 4:6.

In a number of contexts he expresses his view that his own persecution of the Christian community makes him unworthy to be called an apostle 1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13-17; Phil 3:6. While it is never stated in any explicit manner one can be excused for wondering whether Paul understood his own persecution for the sake of the Gospel as being an appropriate recompense' for the suffering he had caused others. In any case the impression is never given that suffering is sought for its own sake but is a consequence of preaching the message of the cross.

In 2 Cor 4:7 Paul spoke of the treasure that he carries in an earthen vessel. It is an honest appraisal of himself when compared to the liberating and life giving message he considers himself privileged to bring to others. As he reflects on his past, his character with its strengths and weaknesses, there is a sense of wonder as he ponders his call to be a Christian and apostle. It is in Phil 3:4-12 that he weighs up all that he had as a devoted Pharisee and how that pales into insignificance in comparison to the beauty of knowing Jesus Christ. The desire to know Christ and the power of his resurrection leads him to become like Jesus in his death, to share in his sufferings.

" even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. "

Becoming like Jesus in his death is not some morbid desire to suffer or be persecuted, rather, there is a profound sense that one cannot know Christ and the power of his resurrection without knowing something of his passion as well. Becoming like Jesus in his death refers not simply to the manner of his death but making one's own Jesus' attitude to his death. While Paul does not speak in his letters of the detail of the crucifixion he does give us some indication of Jesus' attitude in texts such as Gal 2:20 where Jesus is described as loving and giving himself for Paul. The death of Jesus is for humanity but it is instructive to see that Paul perceives this in an intensely personal way.

Another element of Paul's memory of the passion in his own experience of weakness. In 2 Cor 12:7-10 Paul speaks of a thorn in the flesh that was given to keep him from over estimating his own strength in the light of his mystical experiences.

"Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. " So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. "

The nature of this personal suffering continues to be the subject of conjecture and speculation. [Some have suggested that the thorn was a physical defect and illness such as malaria, epilepsy or defective eyesight, others Satan working through his opponents or even sexual temptation.] While uncertainty remains the weakness is one which interferes with his preaching of the Gospel and he wrestles with God so that he can continue his ministry uninhibited. The lesson he is invited to learn is that God's power is expressed in weakness. One cannot help but be struck by the consistency of this image and that of the contrast between the wisdom of the cross and human wisdom in 1 Cor 1-2 and 2 Cor 4 where the treasure of the person of Jesus is carried in earthen vessels.

If one is to synthesise Paul's memory of the passion in his apostolic ministry we are led to see his profound insight that his own experience, and that of the passion of Jesus, are part of the one fabric. If one is to preach the message of a crucified messiah then the preacher is called to be conformed to the message one proclaims.

For Paul the desire to be like his crucified master was no intellectual exercise. He knew from experience the cost of preaching the message of Jesus. He wrestled with this internally and externally. It was clearly not his desire to have to live with the physical constraints imposed by the `thorn in the flesh `. The degree of the struggle is seen in that three times he asked to be rid of this burden and yet the lesson to be learnt was that it was in his own weakness that the power of Jesus would be able to shine forth. Using the image of the triumphal procession he saw himself bringing the message of the Good News after hard fought battles and struggles and humbly and honestly asked the question "Who is worthy of these things?" 2 Cor 2:16

The passion of Jesus in the life of the community:

While attention has been paid to Paul's memory of the passion as an individual it is not as though he understood this as an isolated phenomena apart from the life of other Christians. Christian life, his own included, was to be lived in the context of community. The journey into Christian community was marked by the ritual of baptism - that transitional and transformative moment when the person is now immersed in the mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is nowhere more clearly stated than when the Romans are questioned, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. " Rom 6:3-4

A consequence of this ritual sharing in the dying and rising of Christ is the leaving behind of old ways of being, perceiving and acting in the world. The language used is that of the old self being crucified so as to share in the new life of Christ Rom 6:6 or being clothed in Christ Gal 3:27. Old ways of seeing oneself and others are radically challenged since "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. " Gal 3:28 because the person has been "baptized into one body- Jews and Greeks, slaves or free"-1 Cor 12:13.

As much as Paul speaks of the creation of a new human family by means of the death of Jesus this is tempered by a realistic assessment of the danger that what has been gained in baptism can be lost, that salvation is not something we can claim to have attained once and for all. The message of the cross of Jesus is "foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Cor 1:18. "Being saved" means that whole complex of invitations accepted, difficulties acknowledged and challenges gradually overcome as God's grace works within the human person and actualises what is ritually celebrated in baptism. For Paul what has been gained can lost if it is not actualised by the love which overcomes fear Rom 8:15.There is no place for misplaced pride among those being saved since "if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall" 1 Cor 10:12

While Paul's converts may feel that they have been saved, they are reminded that they are in the process of being saved. The race is a long and arduous one in which we may lose our way and be found to have run in vain. A clear example of this can be found in the Corinthian community and its misunderstanding of the meaning of the Lord's supper and manner in which it was to be celebrated.

1 Cor 11 with its reflection on the nature of the Lord's supper is of particular interest because it highlights the tradition which the Pauline communities used some decades before the synoptic gospels reached their final form. The communities gathered regularly for the Lord's supper which was understood as being faithful to Jesus' command to take the cup and bread in his memory and to proclaim his death until his return at the end of time. Paul reminded them that "I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. " 1 Cor 11:24-26

Where they were falling down was that the poor and slaves in the community would arrive at the Lord's supper only to be greeted by fellow community members who were either drunk or already finished their meal. In such situations insult was added to injury for poorer members of the community who could draw no other conclusion than that their presence was at best only tolerated. This lamentable situation prompted Paul to remind the richer members of the community as to the purpose and meaning of the Lord's supper. Never one to mince words Paul attempts to shock those who have not considered their brothers and sisters by letting them know that the Lord's supper that they celebrated did not lovingly remember the death of Jesus but was responsible for brutally killing him all over again. They had learned the lesson that the bread and wine were the body and blood of the Lord as he had promised. What they had not learned was to discern the presence of the Lord in their brothers and sisters.

This idea of the dignity of our brothers and sisters and the memory of the passion can be seen in Rom 14 and 1 Cor 8. In both these instances the eating of meat which had been sacrificed to idols was an issue where those who condoned such action saw it as an expression of their new-found freedom in Christ. The difficulty was that others in the community whom they judged to be weak were either scandalised or left unsure of their Christian commitment in such circumstances. Paul's starting point is that fellow Christians are to be honoured and respected because they were ones " for whom Christ died" Rom 14:15, 1 Cor 8:11. It is a powerful way of remembering the passion of Jesus which leads to a more profound appreciation of the dignity of each person and the love Christ has for them. Community based on the memory of the passion of Jesus is one in which leads the believer to go beyond themselves and grow into a deeper sense of participation in the lives of others. What Paul urged the Corinthians to see was that "If one member suffers, all suffer together" 1 Cor 12:26 and that the inverse was also true "if one member is honoured, all rejoice together."

In the beautiful hymn found in Philippians the matter is stated succinctly that our way of acting and being in community should be modelled on that of Jesus who emptied himself that we might be filled with the promise of Easter. Having the same mind as Jesus Christ means learning to take the path of emptying oneself so that others might live "Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Phil 2:4

The passion of Creation

Just as the individual and the community are invited into a constant process of growth and transformation into what we are called to be, so it is with creation itself. Creation is described as having been "groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies." Rom 8:22-23

In this context it becomes apparent that while the death of Jesus ushers in the dawn of a new age creation still has to go through a process of transformation and purification to realise God's purpose. By means of this evocative image Paul is able to convey his deep sense of hope in God's enduring loving care, and the power and promise of the resurrection. At the same time ther