April 20, 2011 – 2 Corinthians 12-13

12:19 – St. Paul says here that if you think that this whole time he has just been defending himself against other critics, that is a misunderstanding.  He is speaking in the place of Christ, of God.  Thus we understand times when the Priest at Mass or in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is speaking or is in the place of Christ. 

http://parishbulletin.com/Organizations/8190/Documents/InPersonaChristie.pdf

We also have this understanding for the writing of Sacred Scripture that the authors were writing the words, but they were writing the words of God.  

Does St. Paul sound like someone that is tolerant of acts that are sinful.  Where do you think he would stand on the issue of abortion.  Would he say, “I am opposed to the act, but people can do with their body what they want.”  Would he say the same for pre-marital sex, homosexual acts, divorce.  The non-denominational sects point to St. Paul a lot for their understanding of “faith alone” and the theology of not having authorities telling us what and how to worship and what to believe.  These groups go on and on about being tolerant of those that have different beliefs and not wanting to be confrontational.  Is that what St. Paul sounds like.  13:2 “2: “I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them”.  There is no tolerance in St. Paul’s voice for sinful actions and we should not accept sinful actions of others in the name of tolerance.