The death and resurrection of Jesus are not only the heart of the Christian profession of faith but are also the main themes of the Church's preaching. This is witnessed by the apostle Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians (ca. 55 A.D.) which contains in 1 Cor 15:1-11 what seems to be the oldest Christian profession of faith. This passage, including 1 Cor 15:3b-5, is presented by Paul as the kernel of the Gospel which he himself received and which he in turn preached to others. In this way, Paul demonstrates that Christian preaching is essentially the 'transmission of the Gospel!' Transmitted in this fashion, the Gospel centers on four realities concerning Christ: his death, burial, resurrection and subsequent apparitions as the Risen Christ (15:3b-8). It is important that the authenticity of the Gospel preached in his fashion can be testified to by eye-witnesses, well-known personalities and holders of responsible positions in the early Church (15:5-7). Paul is able to count himself among these witnesses (15:8). Holding firmly to the message of the Gospel, proclaimed by Paul and the early Church (15:11), brings salvation to every human being.
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In the Pauline commentaries of Ambrosiaster (for centuries ascribed to Ambrose of Milan), a double interest may be observed: to defend God's justice and the responsibility of every human being for his/her deeds. According to the author, the consequences of Adam's fall affect the whole human race but he cannot admit that someone could be condemned for a sin he did not commit. This is why he draws a distinction between a physical death which affects everyone, and a spiritual or 'second' death reserved only for those who sinned in the similar way as Adam. Even though Satan can lure a soul away from good by means of a body, the ability (and responsibility) of soul to resist is preserved. After man agrees to the temptation, the bad habit makes future decisions more difficult. Predestination is explained as God's foreknowledge with the accent on perseverance. God foreknows who will obey his vocation and persevere until the end; he who obeys but does not persevere has never been called. God's foreknowledge and vocation impose no pressure on human will; people are invited and encouraged to believe but the decision seems to be entirely on them.
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In the second half of the 4th century, the first Latin commentaries on the Pauline epistles emerge. This article examines how human freedom is treated in the earliest of them, the commentaries of Marius Victorinus on Ephesians, Galatians and Philippians. The theme is touched especially in the passages explaining the pre-existence of human souls, their descent to the world and return back to God. According to Victorinus, the souls have already existed before the creation of the world, 'spiritually', in Christ. Having separated from Logos, which necessarily happens, they are confronted with the world and have to choose between God and the sensual world. Whatever they choose, the decision completes their perfection. The souls, which got entangled in the sensual world, are not able to free themselves and return back to God. They are redeemed by Christ, through his incarnation and crucifixion. The souls have to do nothing but believe in Christ; thus their 'spiritualization' and return to God begins. The question whether this faith is an act performed fully from human power, or whether it is God's gift, is not answered unambiguously.
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The article deals with two Pauline texts: 1 Cor 13 and Rom 8.31-39. The former well-known text is traditionally called the hymn to love (or hymn on love or hymn of love). But this appellation has been recently criticized with good reason. Instead, a number of different literary genres have been proposed for this chapter of 1 Corinthians. However, it seems that a consensus on this question can hardly be reached. The pericope Rom 8.31-39 has been called a 'Hymn to the Love of God Made Manifest through Christ Jesus' by J. A. Fitzmyer. Although the apostle Paul possibly sings the praises of love more strongly in this latter text, the classification as 'hymn' is not generally accepted, either. Other definitions of the literary genre as 'diatribe' or 'plea for love' are also not without difficulties. We can see that the problem of genre is common to both our texts. But more important is the common theme, i.e. love, and the message. Even though Paul speaks of love in each pericope in a different manner, we must see these texts as complementary. The apostle Paul exalts and extols the love that comes from God, i.e. as God's gift, but it is also the love we are to have and to accomplish for God and for our neighbors.
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