A Pocket Guide to St. Paul by Scott Hahn

Author:Scott Hahn
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Published: 2010-03-31T08:07:00+00:00

While suffering unites us with Christ's suffering on the cross, sin can certainly separate us from him. We have the Spirit so that we may keep the Law. God gives us that freedom, and with it comes the freedom to reject him as well.

The Problem of Pain

In identifying believers with Christ, St. Paul has given us the key to understanding the mystery of suffering: "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Rom 8:18).

Though he trained his sights on glory, Paul knew that he would have to suffer much while he was "in the flesh" (Gal 2:20), and that one day he would die (Phil 1:23).

For those of us who do not share Paul's great theological gifts, suffering and death remain profound mysteries. We know that they entered the world because of sin (Rom 5:12). Yet we also believe that Christ has set us free from the power of sin and death (Rom 8:2). If that is so, why must we still suffer and die?

Paul taught that Jesus Christ himself suffered, not as a substitute for sinful humanity, but as our representative. Thus, Christ's saving passion didn't exempt us from suffering, but instead endowed our suffering with divine power and redemptive value.

Paul could even "rejoice" in his troubles, "knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Rom 5:3-5).

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