tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post1825163489407752836..comments2024-03-24T15:19:06.377-04:00Comments on The Continuum: Eleventh Sunday after TrinityFr. Robert Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892141425033196616noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-67878082884200089902011-09-06T09:24:49.284-04:002011-09-06T09:24:49.284-04:00To St Nikao:
Did Paul directly blaspheme the Holy...To St Nikao:<br /><br />Did Paul directly blaspheme the Holy Spirit? In 1 Cor 15:9 we are told Paul persecuted the Church of God. In Acts 26:11 Paul says he "compelled them to blaspheme." In Acts 11:9 Paul says, "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." In Acts 26:15 Christ Himself says to Paul, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." I do not see any blaspheming of the Holy Spirit by Paul, but I am only a novice. Not even Jesus accused Paul of such. <br /><br />We know from Revelation that there were seven churches. What did the Spirit Himself say to each of the seven churches in Revelation? Only one was found by Him to have "a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." The Spirit was referring to the church in Philadelphia. <br /><br />SusanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-17230678521783922072011-09-05T14:16:44.188-04:002011-09-05T14:16:44.188-04:00Paul described himself before the Lord intervened ...Paul described himself before the Lord intervened on the Damascus road as a blasphemer. (I Timothy 1:12-13)St. Nikaonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-16666145068403911632011-09-05T14:12:14.857-04:002011-09-05T14:12:14.857-04:00Some things, as Scripture tells us, God seems to p...Some things, as Scripture tells us, God seems to particularly detest or abhor - the shedding of innocent blood and harming or exploiting a child. Self-righteousness is another.St. Nikaonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-69530589500880160882011-09-05T00:08:12.425-04:002011-09-05T00:08:12.425-04:00I am not aware of a grading scale, but only a dist...I am not aware of a grading scale, but only a distinction between willful (or unrepentant) sin and past sin. A shocking verse, James 2:10, is about the very opposite of justification: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." In what follows we see why: "For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill." That is, the main issue is where do you stand? Are you reconciled to God? Justification, as in "this man went to his house justified," is the opposite of "guilty of all," because the one who is justified is counted as if he has no sin at all. This mystery is expressed in that little Pauline phrase, "in Christ."Fr. Robert Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05892141425033196616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-62077810406904123982011-09-04T21:45:54.905-04:002011-09-04T21:45:54.905-04:00As usual an excellent sermon, Father Hart. Thank ...As usual an excellent sermon, Father Hart. Thank you.<br /><br />Probably everyone agrees that only God can "grade" our sins. But a suggestion we cannot know anything about this "grading" scale (i.e. all sins are equal), it seems to me, has the danger of starting down a slippery path that leads to replacing justification with acceptance and forgiveness with understanding, using Fr. Wells' words in his posting on today's Epistle and Gospel.<br /><br />We certainly should not take lightly even lesser sins, but that is much different than sayings all sins are equal.<br /><br />I would suggest the worst sin is my sin. For when I sin I contribute to the necessity for Our Lord's passion and death. Maybe Isaiah felt that in Isaiah 6:5. Maybe Peter felt that in Luke 5:8. Maybe Saul felt that in Acts 9:6.<br /><br />In this context, a portion of today's Morning Prayer lesson seems relevant. Our Lord says to the Pharisees, "ye shall receive the greater damnation." (Matthew 23:14b)Derrilnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18902745.post-18618607835461758132011-09-03T17:11:47.537-04:002011-09-03T17:11:47.537-04:00"What he learned was that his crowning act of..."What he learned was that his crowning act of righteousness was, in reality, the worst sin a man can commit. By persecuting the Church he was persecuting the Messiah, and making himself the enemy of God."<br /><br />I was under the impression that the "worst" sin a man can commit is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, as doing such is unforgivable. Which leads me to ask, how does God grade our sins? Are not such judgments His alone to make? Sin is sin and we are all guilty.<br /><br />What makes us an enemy of God is our friendship with the world. James 4:4 speaks of adulterers and adulteresses in this manner. According to commentary I have read on this passage, the adultery here referenced is spiritual adultery against Yahweh... that is, love of created things over love of the Creator. Abraham became a friend of God because he was willing to give up his beloved son, Isaac, to please God.<br /><br />SusanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com