speaking like St. Paul

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Oct 03, 2005

Wouldn’t it be wonderful for our country, for each one of us, if our discourse could mirror that of the apostle [Paul]...?

Yes; absolutely.

Now let's see if we can distinguish between the discourse of St. Paul and that of a contemporary American successor. If he were speaking to American lawmakers today, would St. Paul say this:

We know that we must become friends again, not agreeing on everything, of course, but striving to dialogue more gently, more positively; more careful to set the conversation within a forum of mutual respect by being willing to listen for the good points that are usually present in every reasonable discourse and so will help us learn again to build and not to tear down.

or this:

To preach this morning in the presence of the President of the United States, our new Chief Justice and many members of the Supreme Court, the other federal, state and local courts and the distinguished members of the Bench and the Bar is a very humbling thing for me...

or this?

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live." For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.