St. Paul Session #2

Session 2 was held on Tuesday, July 8 from 7:15 to 9:00 pm. Fr. Sebastian presided. There was a GREAT turnout of over 100 parishioners. The hall was filled!

Fr. Sebastian provided a copy of his notes (attached, p. 1-6) that were presented as a series of overhead slides.

Father covered the Letter to the Philippians and the first part of the First Letter to the Corinthians.
Father described the context and situations of Paul’s early writings; the problems that the young Church was facing.

Philippi the city was name after King Phillip II. It was a Roman city located in Macedonia. Both Italy and Turkey wanted the region of Macedonia. The first European Church was founded there by Paul in AD48.

Paul did not live there but kept in contact via letters. Philippians is a combination of 3 letters written at different times.

Corinth was the primary Greek city after the decline of Athens for jobs, business, etc. It was a pagan city with both Roman and Greek cultures. Due to its prominence, many other peoples moved there and it had a diversity of cultures. Dualism was popular with the Corinthians; Sprit and Body as separate where the spirit/soul is important and the body is not. Body and morals are not important.

People in Corinth practiced a mix of religions (picked and chose what they liked). The main problem in the Christian community there was division; Paul’s preaching vs. Apollo’ preaching. The people were following the preacher instead of following Jesus Christ. The letter of Paul seeks to resolve this difference.

There is too much “me” in our present culture. We must go back to Jesus message of sharing, community, and helping one another (one body of the Church of Jesus Christ). Paul’s letter to Corinth is thus very relevant in our current time.