The Calling of Saul of Tarsus

The Calling of Saul of Tarsus A leading persecutor of Christians, Saul of Tarsus sought to destroy the Church (1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13, 23). Except for Jesus, no one influenced the early church more than Saul, also known as the apostle Paul. This paper will examine the circumstances and events prompting a zealous persecutor of the church to become the most influential leader for the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles. It will be shown that the calling of Saul was a true conversion even though he was not moving from one religion to another. His calling emphasized change but emphasized the conviction that the final expression and intent of Judaism had been born. Paul was born a Jew, and was a citizen of Tarsus where he was a tentmaker by trade. He received his rabbinic training in Jerusalem, under the teaching of Gamaliel. According to Pauls own account, he was a strict adherent among Pharisees (Gal. 1:14, Phil. 3:5-6). Paul inherited Roman citizenship (Acts 22:2528), which was widely granted during the latter part of the Roman republic. Paul claims in Acts 22:28, that he had been born a Roman citizen. This would mean that he had inherited Roman citizenship from his father. Little is known of Pauls life prior to the events discussed in Acts. He is first mentioned in chapter 7 in connection with the execution of Stephen. According to Acts 7:58, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Paul was a Pharisee, a prominent young member of that sect. Steeped in the monotheism of the Old Testament Scriptures, he could only count as blasphemy the claims of Jesus disciples that their Master was the Son of God. He could only ridicule the issue of a life that terminated, as he thought, on a despised cross and in a gloomy sepulcher, rather than on a throne of glory. With regard to Pauls pre-Christian attitude to the gospel, one thing is certain; he was opposed to it with his whole heart. In his apostolic letters he speaks of his previous hatred for the church (Gal 1:13; Phil 3:6). His persecution of Christians was to him a holy war. The only explanation that can be given of his sudden reversal is that the risen Christ actually appeared to him and by the sheer persuasion of His deity, claimed the faith and allegiance of the persecutor. Pauls conversion/calling to the Way took place near the city of Damascus. Four characteristics stand out in the accounts of this event. First, Paul was actively engaged in persecuting Christians and did not anticipate his conversion (Acts 9:19; 22:416; 26:917). Second, the event that initiated the unexpected change of course was a revelation of Jesus Christ made to Paul alone. Third, Soon after this revelation Paul had contact with a certain Christian (Ananias) in Damascus who recognized Paul as a believer in Christ by baptizing him. Fourth, Paul was immediately called by Jesus to take the Gospel to the Gentiles (1 Cor. 9:1; 15:89; Gal. 1:1516; cf. Eph. 3:16). Pauls Damascus experience becomes the most famous conversion/calling in history. Suddenly he is blinded by a light from heaven the light of the glory of Christ. His surrender to Jesus was instantaneous and complete: What shall I do, Lord? (Acts 22:10). He could not see because of the glory of that light (Acts 22:11), but he had already seen the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). The god of this world could blind him no longer. At his conversion/calling, Paul was commanded to open the eyes and turn them from darkness to light (Acts 26:18). Although Paul was blinded after his encounter with the Lord, Ananias laid hands on Paul, something like scales fell from his eyes (Acts 9:18), and he was able to see. He had first-hand knowledge and experience of turning from darkness to light, and his command from the Lord was as clear as his newly regained sight. Content to allude to Pauls blindness and recovery as historical events, Luke wishes by a sober narration of carefully selected facts to make it clear that Pauls meeting with Christ is not to be classed with other visions, however supernatural, but is to be accepted on a par with the other appearances of the Risen Lord. So Paul goes from opposing God and persecuting Jesus to joining the persecuted side. After spending several days with the disciples at Damascus, Saul went into the synagogues and boldly proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God (Acts 9:20). Krister Stendahl argues that a proper interpretation of Romans 7 shows that Paul, as a loyal Jew, had experienced no struggle or guilt feelings that would have led him, through dissatisfaction with the law, to turn to Christ.Neither did he suffer from an introspective conscience..Stendahl prefers to regard him as someone who did not abandon his Jewishness for a new religion but, rather, as a Jew who was given a new vocation in service of the Gentiles. The description, in Acts, of Pauls sudden conversion on the road to Damascus is primarily the creation of Luke; Pauls biographer. Lukes description of Paul is not impartial biography either, for it was intended to dramatize the early churchs journey from Judea into the gentile world. In some ways Luke downplays Pauls claims, but he uses Pauls life and mission to illustrate the destiny of Christianity. Many of the details of Pauls life come from Luke since most biographical details are missing from Pauls own letters. Lukes description of Pauls conversion draws on the Hebrew Bible for themes of prophetic calling, paralleling the commissioning of Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5-11) and Isaiah (Isa. 6:1-9). Pauls calling, and ultimate conversion to Christianity, depicts the decisive change Paul experienced. Not only was Pauls conversion/calling remarkable with respect to his view of Jesus, but in his attitude toward Gentiles. Judaism is well known for its exclusivist attitude. It was unlawful for a Jew to have fellowship with one who is uncircumcised. Along with his conversion he received a prophetic commission to convert the gentiles. It is inadequate to speak only in terms of Pauls conversionas if he were moving from one religion to another; and likewise only in terms of his callas if he were continuing in an unaltered faith. The conversion-call combination emphasizes both continuity and change. Stendahl challenges the appropriateness of conversion language because Paul has not changed religions, that is, he never turns from loyalties to the God with which he began. While the answer might seem clear enough, working with Stendahls assumptions complicates the task; and furthermore, Luke nowhere explicitly defines conversion, nor provides a consistent pattern of entry into the church. When he does specify the means by which one joins the group, he is generally rounding out narrative portions which demonstrate the overarching effects of preaching. He does, however, offer sufficient material for us at least to consider the nature of a changed relationship with God, and ask whether the change constitutes conversion. Although we customarily label this experience Pauls conversion, this can be done only in retrospect, for at that time Judaism and Christianity were not yet separate religions. In reality, Paul changed brands of Judaism, switching from Pharisaic to Christian Judaism. On e of the main ways that Luke demonstrates Sauls changed relationship with God is to show this change in group affiliations. That is, while not an end in itself, his new corporate identity points to the ultimate reality underpinning his change. What is evident is the fact that the gospel message is beginning to extend beyond Jerusalem and Judea. Paul inhabits that world of Christianity which he formerly tried to exterminate through the killing of Stephen. However, it was Stephen and his circle, not Paul, who launched a mission to Gentiles. Pauls missionary enterprise is not framed in generalities, as it is in Acts 1:8 (to be my witnesses) and Acts 9:15 (to carry my name). In Acts 22 and 26, Paul is directed to testify specifically about what he has seen and heard on the road to Damascus. The missionary charge to preach before kings in Acts 9:15 is Lukes anticipation of the way he closed Pauls public ministry by having Paul preach before King Agrippa (Acts 26:1-32), and it is suggestive of a Pauline appearance before Caesar (cf. Acts 23:11, 25:10-12 and 27:23-24.) Since Paul is the great missionary to the Gentiles, it is appropriate that his conversion/call immediately precede the worldwide spread of the gospel. Hence, Luke introduces it immediately before the movement of the gospel into the Gentile world, as the conclusion to the Palestinian mission. What were the consequences of this event for Pauls theology? The most difficult question to solve was, What impact does the Christian Gospel have on the concept and observance of the Law (Torah)? This question is still disputed today. The basic problem is that Paul seems to be vacillating between two concepts of law, a Jewish concept and his own Christian concept. Paul called his new concept the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). The law summarized the Scriptures in another way, by regarding the love command as the common denominator. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Gal. 5:14). As Paul attempted to make sense of Christian theology, the Damascus event provided an unexpected answer to an old Jewish question: Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of gentiles also? Because Christ ordered Paul to preach the gospel to the gentiles, Paul could now answer boldly: Yes, of Gentiles also Conclusion When reading Acts, one is struck by the immediacy of Pauls activity as an apologist and theologian for the Christian community after his conversion (Acts 9:20-22, 28-29). His theological views were already so profound as to be irrefutable by his first-century Jewish opponents (9:22). Neither the brevity of the Damascus event nor the three short days of blindness following it allowed for a new theological education. Therefore the encounter with Jesus must not have required the abandonment of his former learning, but informed and reoriented it toward a new understanding of salvation-history around some key theological point revealed to him in the event. It was Pauls conviction that if one read the Torah story, emphasizing it as a story of Gods works of salvation and righteousness for ancient Israel, then one could not escape seeing that God had wrought another salvation, and committed another righteousness, in Christ just like the ones of old but an even greater one ! Paul was so excited by his belief that God had committed a new, mighty act in Christ, that he just could not understand why everybody did not see it the way he did. For Paul, as for Jeremiah, it was a question of how you think. The New Testament contains six summaries of Pauls conversion experience (Acts 9:1-30; 22:1-21; 26:1-23; Gal. 1:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:8-10; Phil. 3:4-11). Paul also alludes to the event on the road to Damascus several times (Rom. 10:2-4; 1 Cor. 9:1, 16-17; 2 Cor. 3:4-4:6; 5:16; Eph. 3:1-13; Col. l:23-29). Those references emphasis the significance Paul placed on his conversion experience and for determining his ministry.

My Trip On The Ganges River :: essays research papers

My Trip on the Ganges River About 2 weeks ago I went on an exciting trip along the Ganges River. In this letter I'll tell you all about it. It turns out that the Ganges has its beginning in an ice cave 10,300 feet above sea level in the snow-covered Himalayan Mountains of northern India. From there, the river flows towards the southeast and goes through East Pakistan, for about 1,557 miles. Ganges River then empties into the Bay of Bengal. Several tributary rivers, including the Jumna, Rmganga, Gumti, Gogra, Son, and Kusi also add to the waters of the Ganges. As I was going past the Bay of Bengal I noticed some people with severe sicknesses and crippled bathing in the Ganges River. My guide told me that to Indians, Ganges River is sacred and people believe that the touch of its water will cure some diseases. I was shocked to find out that people even go to that river to die in hope that they will go to paradise. I should point out that the river is only sacred to Hindus. It was interesting to find out that each year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit such holy cities as Benares and Allahabad along the banks of the Ganges. They go there just to bathe in the river and to take home some of its water. The Ganges River is so important to the Indians that they call it "Ganga Mata" or Mother Ganges. It is also the greatest waterway in India and one of the largest in the world. Temples line the riverbank, and stairways, called ghats, lead down to the water. I am enclosing one of the pictures I took of the Ganges River. The river is an important trade place. Its valley is fertile and densely populated. Some of India's largest cities like Calcutta, Howrah, Patna, Benares, Allahabad, and Cawnpore are located on the river. India's capital, New Delhi, is on one of its tributaries, the Jumna. The Ganges River however, isn't as

Educational Implications Essay

The educational implications of Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky are very precise and distinctive. These three articles focus on the application of cognitive, social and psychosocial theories and their implications within an effective classroom. Each individual psychologist puts into practice learning practices that can be executed within a classroom to increase student’s success and achievement. Piaget’s article stresses the educational practices of peer learning, and depicts possible outcomes from this strategy. Vygotskys article highlights the importance of developing an efficient social climate within the classroom, whereas Erikson draws our attention to teaching children of diverse cultures. Piaget: Implications of Piaget’s Ideas about Peer Learning Peer-learning has great significance in the classroom settings and can be considered imperative in its usage in the classroom. The essential function of peer learning is to sharpen academic skills and manage interactions with classmates (De Lisi, 2002). DeVries stated that student learning is extended when teacher generate an environment of mutual respect in their classrooms. When mutual respect is established in the classroom peers demonstrate a higher probability to freely exchange ideas that later lead to deeper understandings and positive reception of individual personalities. The article also suggested that peer learning occur in the classroom rather than being extended outside of the classroom. This suggestion is made because of differences in social-moral contexts outside of the classroom; however teacher can require particular individual parts. Piaget suggested that developing knowledge as a relationship between a child’s current cognitive system and the object, task, or problem at hand. When this relationship is balanced the cognitive system is engaged in its entirety and essential components of the problems are addressed. Balanced problem elements and cognitive system foster deeper levels of understanding and comprehension of problems. When the components in the task and problem is outweighed by the child’s cognitive system the child will most likely become imbalanced in their thinking by develop various individualistic interpretations. In these instances details are often ignored and overlooked, resulting in no change of understanding. When problem elements dominate the cognitive systems minimal engagement is acquired (De Lisi 2002). An example of an unbalanced developing knowledge is in the instance of two students working on a reading assignment. If the assignment is above one of the student’s ability level there is high likely chance the student will copy off of the student and never comprehend author’s purpose. The article also addresses preconceptions about peer-learning among students personally. Students possess feeling and consciousness about these particular experiences. Feelings provide motivation for actions, while thoughts draw up the margins of their potential on an assignment. Intentional teachers must fashion clearly designed socially interactive components in peer learning activities to ensure positive experiences. Teachers can amplify the growth of innovative and critical thinkers through calculated peer learning activities. Weather peer-learning occurs in or outside that classroom it can produce many beneficial outcomes. Erikson: Teaching the Immigrant Child Immigrant children are immensely populating our classrooms requiring a change in earlier used strategies. These strategies are now proven to be obsolete and no longer effective. English languages Learners (ELL) are students who are learning English while speaking other languages including their native tongue (Onchwari, etl 2008). A great amount of this population of students derives from poor families and homes where there is limited education which produces greater obstacles for teachers and students. In the scenarios educators must be sensitive to the students needs and look for ways to foster high self esteem and incorporate their personal cultural beliefs. According to Erickson’s theory, children progress through eight universal psychosocial stages. Immigrant children battle through the first three stages of Erikson’s theory; trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, and initiative vs. guilt. As educators create an atmosphere of cultural respect, children develop acceptance which leads to additional confidence in their abilities (Onchwari, etl 2008). Teachers can learn about a child’s culture and teach acceptance, in result immigrant and non immigrant students ill learn cultural differences. Vygotsky: Developing Tools for an effective classroom. This article focuses on cognitive and social constructivism to produce an effective classroom. Cognitive constructivism is constructed through a personal process, while social constructivism is where ideas are constructed through interaction with teachers and peers. After Piaget describe his theories on cognitive constructivism Lev Vygotstky later followed these theories with his belief in social interactions and its fundamental role in learning. Vygotsky’s main theory is the zone of proximal development or ZPD. This is the part that controls how a child learns. ZPD is the area where learning occurs when a child is assisted in a concept that is being expressed in the classroom. Research proves consistently that learning is smooth when it occurs within this zone and others are involved (Vygostky, 1962) ZPD focuses on the different psychological functions that emerge as a child grows and occurs when a child is helped in learning a concept in the classroom (Vygotsky, 1962). Once the skill has been mastered, the child’s ZPD increases. As a result of this, the child is able to do more activities independently and with less teacher guidance. Vygotsky’s theory also includes the concept of scaffolding. Scaffolding takes place during the ZPD stage to help the child understand skills taught by the teacher. The teacher works closely with the student to solve problems and complete tasks After reading these articles I was able to grasp a better understanding of the positive impacts these theories have on student learning and achievement. Each theorist are diverse in their approach but their research merits great positive outcomes. All three theories incorporate diversity, communication, engagement, language, and inquiry base learning. Jesus in the New Testament established a new command that stated we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Teachers must keep in the forefront of their minds that located inside of each student is a heart; a heart that has different motivations, beliefs, values, goals and feelings. That same heart is to be love and cultivated because each one is an individual.

Nursing Reflection - 1924 Words

†¢ Reflect on your capacity for the 5 Cs. Describe how you demonstrated each capacity: Compassion: Doanne Varcoe refers to Compassion not only means sharing in the moment, but additionally, â€Å"offers a way of being and orienting relationally in the midst of discomfort and angst/ to join and be in our ‘common suffering’† Through engaging to what seemed to be a flurry of discourse and to being present I was able to demonstrate this compassion as evidenced by active involvement, or listening. Adding along with the nuances of small expression revealed through my relaxed posture and face of concern. Curiosity: â€Å"Curiosity is not only whether to know or not knowing, but is to step out of one’s life experience / prior study to consider other†¦show more content†¦(3 marks) Contextual influences Refer to the influences of p. 152. †¢ Describe 3 contextual influences that may have affected the interaction between you and the person (include a value-driven label that might be assigned to this person). For each ‘influence’ provide your rationale. (3 marks) Sociopolitical context refers to the social environments and can also infer how power creates a caste or a system of hierarchy where values are attributed to people depending on where they fall under different headings; this can be but not limited to economic success. In this situation, the power was perceived as equal or shared as neither of us live in an historic, visible caste system but rather being situated in the public sector, Vancouver East side to be exact; though it is inferred that those living on the east side are to be lesser than those on the west side: this however did not have an effect, much less being near in age. These values may have allowed enough common ground for a conversation between two associates in education is socio-politically equal in ground as opposed to a millionaire born trying to converse and understand the plight of poverty born. Physical context can refer to the environment in which one lives, such as line of work recreation. TheShow MoreRelatedNursing reflection.12855 Words   |  52 PagesReflective Essay This essay will look at reflection on a critical incident that has promoted a positive outcome. It is not a very major incident but it stands out as it has a potential for learning. 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