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Vernon · Apr 24, 2005, 01:40 pm

Well, one pope has gone, and the next has arrived! John Paul is buried and Benedict is enthroned!

There has been so much information coming from Rome, from the Vatican, during the dying and funeral, as well as during the voting and enthronement of each pope in turn.

We have heard about what the last pope did and what he wrote. We are now being told what the new pope has written and what he, as a cardinal, has said.

Indeed, one responsibility on the new pope, a responsibility ranked at the top of a list by a professor of catholic theology is that of evangelising the world.

However, what we have heard about the role of a pope appears to be concerned predominantly, though not exclusively, with the condom & AIDS; abortion; homosexuality; the celibacy of priests.

Such a group of issues does seem to be a surprising focus of attention on what is "below the belt", on matters "pelvic", on the private parts of the body!

Is this what the Vicar of Christ should be most concerned about, as it seems to some of us looking on from the outside? Is sexuality in various forms to be so strongly associated with the Holy Father? Is this why Christ came into the world?

If the Vicar of Christ is so concerned about these humanly biological things, what did the Vicarious Christ teach about what was important to the Church of Christ on earth?

If the human holy father must grapple with these reproductive matters, how did the Holy Father add new members to the kingdom of heaven through his dearly loved Son?

The Apostle Paul wrote, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting...to a different gospel, which is no gospel at all" {1}.

Paul continues, "When I saw that they (Peter and the others) were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, {2} ...'We know that a person is...justified righteous...by faith in Jesus Christ'." {3}.

Paul, as he exposes Peter's serious error regarding salvation, goes on, "We have put our faith in Jesus Christ, so that we might be justified righteous by faith in Christ...{4}.

Writing to the Christians in Rome long before the papacy started, Paul says, "Now a righteousness from God...has been made known. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who have faith... All are justified righteous freely by his grace through the redemption which came by Jesus Christ" {5}.

"God, the Holy Father, presented the Vicarious Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood" {6}.

This is the evangel, the gospel, which is to be evangelised. How can a sinning person be made righteous so as to be accepted by God, the Holy Father? By faith alone in the person and death of Jesus Christ because of sinning.

The gospel is not about bodily parts and their function or dysfunction!

The gospel is about being made sinless, that is righteous, in the eyes of God, the Only Father.

1 Galatians 1:6, 7
2 Galatians 2:14
3 Galatians 2:16a
4 Galatians 2:16b
5 Romans 3: 21, 22, 24
6 Romans 3:25

Apr 24, 2005, 01:40 pm	#1 (permalink) (top)
Vernon Sedimentary Rock Posts: 9	THE POPE & EVANGELISING THE WORLD Well, one pope has gone, and the next has arrived! John Paul is buried and Benedict is enthroned! There has been so much information coming from Rome, from the Vatican, during the dying and funeral, as well as during the voting and enthronement of each pope in turn. We have heard about what the last pope did and what he wrote. We are now being told what the new pope has written and what he, as a cardinal, has said. Indeed, one responsibility on the new pope, a responsibility ranked at the top of a list by a professor of catholic theology is that of evangelising the world. However, what we have heard about the role of a pope appears to be concerned predominantly, though not exclusively, with the condom & AIDS; abortion; homosexuality; the celibacy of priests. Such a group of issues does seem to be a surprising focus of attention on what is "below the belt", on matters "pelvic", on the private parts of the body! Is this what the Vicar of Christ should be most concerned about, as it seems to some of us looking on from the outside? Is sexuality in various forms to be so strongly associated with the Holy Father? Is this why Christ came into the world? If the Vicar of Christ is so concerned about these humanly biological things, what did the Vicarious Christ teach about what was important to the Church of Christ on earth? If the human holy father must grapple with these reproductive matters, how did the Holy Father add new members to the kingdom of heaven through his dearly loved Son? The Apostle Paul wrote, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting...to a different gospel, which is no gospel at all" {1}. Paul continues, "When I saw that they (Peter and the others) were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, {2} ...'We know that a person is...justified righteous...by faith in Jesus Christ'." {3}. Paul, as he exposes Peter's serious error regarding salvation, goes on, "We have put our faith in Jesus Christ, so that we might be justified righteous by faith in Christ...{4}. Writing to the Christians in Rome long before the papacy started, Paul says, "Now a righteousness from God...has been made known. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who have faith... All are justified righteous freely by his grace through the redemption which came by Jesus Christ" {5}. "God, the Holy Father, presented the Vicarious Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood" {6}. This is the evangel, the gospel, which is to be evangelised. How can a sinning person be made righteous so as to be accepted by God, the Holy Father? By faith alone in the person and death of Jesus Christ because of sinning. The gospel is not about bodily parts and their function or dysfunction! The gospel is about being made sinless, that is righteous, in the eyes of God, the Only Father. 1 Galatians 1:6, 7 2 Galatians 2:14 3 Galatians 2:16a 4 Galatians 2:16b 5 Romans 3: 21, 22, 24 6 Romans 3:25