11. pneumetology - rayan lobo, sj

11. Pneumetology – Rayan Lobo,SJ

11. Pneumetology

1. The Christian’s vocation is to discern God’s gratuitous love (ND 1935) in creation as

well as in the “new creation” effected in human persons(2 Cor 5,17; Rom3,24-27;ND

1935, JD 15, Eph 2, 8-10) by incorporating them into Christ(Rom 6, 1-11;8,17; 2 Cor

5,17; Phil 1,21) and by making them the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3, 16; 2 Cor 6,

16b) that their existence becomes a grace-filled communion with Him, others and the

world.

2. The Spirit, the creator and shaper of Jesus’ mission(Lk 1,35;4,14), and who vivifies the

Church (LG 4, 8),

3. Is at work in other religio-cultural traditions (AG 4) and

4. In the socio-political realities that are life-giving and life-enhancing (GS 11).

1. The Christian’s vocation is to discern God’s gratuitous love (ND 1935) in creation as well as

in the “new creation” effected in human persons(2 Cor 5,17; Rom3,24-27;ND 1935, JD 15,

Eph 2, 8-10)

God’s gratuitous love in creation:

- Creation is a free gift of God.

- A free act of god.

- A gratuitous gift of God means – without any condition –we don’t merit it as Eph 2, 8-10

says and

- Even human existence.

- Creation is a divine act – god’s revelation/self communication – through HS and the

Word.

- Creation is an invitation by God to participate in the divine life.

God’s gratuitous love (ND 1935) in “new creation”

- God’s self manifestation reached its culmination in the Christ event.


- A person is justified or made new creation when she/he responds to this Christ event.

- St Paul uses many symbols and concepts to explain new creation, like justification,

reconciliation redemption, which means in and through the death and resurrection of

Christ we have been made a new creation.

In Baptism we become a new creation through justification

- Means – true members of God’s house hold

- Incorporated into the body of Christ.

- Become temple of the Holy Spirit.

New Creation:

- 2 Cor 5, 17 – “If anyone is in Christ, there is new creation. Everything old has pass

away; see everything has become new.

- Rom 3, 24-27: They are now justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption

that is in Christ Jesus; whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood,

effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine

forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed.

- ND 1935 : “…we are said to be justified gratuitously because nothing that precedes

justification, neither faith nor works, merits the grace of justification. For it is by grace, it

is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.(Rom 11,6).

– implies justification is through the grace of God.

- JD 15(Ecumenical dialogue between Luthern and Catholic Church)

JD peaks of 3 basic truths:

a. Justification is a free gift.

b. Justification is through faith. (a gift of the spirit).

c. Justification must be seen as an organic unity with other truths of faith and HS lead us

towards renewal.

- Eph 2, 8-10: By grace you have been saved through faith and it is not your own doing

but it’s the gift of God.


- L uther Rom 3: 28 – For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from the

works prescribed by the law.

Paul’s justification by incorporating them into Christ(Rom 6, 1-11;8,17; 2 Cor 5,17;

Phil 1,21)

- Rom 6,1-11 : Dying and rising with Christ with Baptism and getting newness of life.

- Rom 8,17 : If children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if –in fact we

suffer with him then we might also be glorified with him.

- 2 Cor 5, 17: If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. Everything old has passed

away, see everything has become new.

- Phil 1,21 : For me living is Christ and dying is gain.

Effect of justification are - two fold.

1. Relation with Christ: Immanance of Christian with the risen Lord – incorporation into

Christ.

2. Indwelling off the HS in a believer/Christian.

Paul’s understanding of Immanance can be called the propositional formula of St Paul. He

explains the intimate union with Christ with these propositional formulae –

a. Into Christ(Eis Christ) :

Dynamic tendency towards Christ.

Movement from our Adam’s nature(self) – from our natural inclination in flesh

into Christ’s life by faith and baptism. ( From sin to Christ)

b. Co –with Christ( Syn Christo)

Paul expresses co-to express double relationship.

1. Christians union with the redemptive act of Christ(Paschal mystery)

2. Christians union with Christ in his eschatological glory(Our union with the Lord after

our death)

- or we co-die with Christ(Old Life)

- We co-rise with Christ(new life)

This is done through faith and Baptism.


(Looking back and looking forward)

c. In Christ (En – Christo)

- A Christian is made a new creation – that is transformed into Christ.

- We become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5, 17) and Christ lives in us.

- Therefore Paul says in Gal 2, 20: There is no longer I who live but Christ lives in

me.

Ex: Mother and Child – Symphatos.

And making them the temple of the HS( 1 Cor 3,16/ 2 Cor 6,16b)

- 1Cor 3,16 : Do you not know that you are god’s temple and that God’s spirit

dwells in you?

- 2 Cor 6, 16b : For we are the temple of the living God

#Indwelling of the temple of the HS( 1 cor 3,16/2 Cor 6, 16b)

- Justification reaches its climax in the indwelling of the spirit of Christ with Christians.

- 1 Cor 3,16 : God’s spirit and God’s temple dwells in you.

Indwelling in OT

1. God’s quasi-local presence : Presence of YHWH in the tent(Ex 40,34-38)

- Ark of the covenant(Ex 25/22)

- Temple(1kgs 8,29)

2. God’s divine familiarity(Individuals) :relationship of Intimacy with some individuals

like

- Abraham – Gen 17, 9-10

- Jeremiah 2,23

- Moses ( Ex 33/11)

Indwelling in NT

Paul and the Spirit


- He refers to the spirit as divine spirit or post Easter gift (Inner principle of renewal and

sanctification) which a Christian receives at baptism.

- Spirit is the principle of Christians eventual resurrection(Rom 8,11)

- Spirit is the first installment, not given at the end but already present with us here and

now).

- Spirit is the Principle of faith( 1 Cor 12,3)

- Principle of Love(Rom 5,6)

- Principle of Hope(rom 15,23)

- Principle of Prayer (Rom 8,26)

- Principle of right conduct( Gal 5, 16-25)

Pauline understanding of Indwelling(NT)

He explains it through 2 scriptural themes.

1. Theme of Temple: It was part of Jewish eschatology that a mighty temple will be built(Is

28/16) after the destruction but the temple was not rebuilt.(as prophesized by

Issiah)However early Christian believed that this prophesy of Issiah was already fulfilled.

Paul emphasizes this and says community is the temple of God and individuals too. He

says that the spirit dwells in us(Rom8,9,11)

2. Theme of the covenant:

o In the OT covenant was sealed or made with the blood of animal(Ex 24).

o Now it is no more the blood that is the link of union but the indwelling of the

spirit after outpouring of Christ’s own-blood.

o Paul combines Lev 26,11-12 and Ezek 37,27 and thereby joining the ‘presence’

and the ‘spirit’.

For Paul Community is primarily the indwelling place of the spirit.

John:-

- John takes the OT theme of divine familiarity.

- For him it’s more a personal relationship of Love.


- Spirit is understood as a Person to be related with and not an object to be infused

with.

- Spirit – teaches –judges-guides into all truth – is a prophet.

- Spirit - Paraclete = 3 meanings – advocate – intercessor –comforter/counselor.

Patristic Period:

- Fathers of the church referred to spirit as a sanctifier, a link between a Christian

God and a link between Divine Image(Image of the son).

- That their existence becomes a grace – filled communion with him, others and

the world.

- The effect of this new creation/existence becomes a grace filled communion with

the triune God, with our fellow beings and the world (G 13).

- Because of our old self we abuse our freedom, go away from god.

- Sin separates, delinks us from God, humans and the world.

- The effect of this new creation (justification) once again joins once broken

relationship.

- There is once again linking up of relationship with oneself, God, others and the

whole cosmos.

- This grace filled communion is an ongoing process and not a finished process.

- We grow into the fuller communion through our constant openness and docility to

the spirit.

- In freedom we can be docile to the spirit.

- Being docile to the spirit we can experience the fullness of freedom.

- Sin - broken relationship – justification(indwelling of the spirit) – joins the broken

relationship.

- Growth(in spirit) – Openness/docile to the spirit.

- Docility = experience fullness of freedom.

The spirit, the creator and the Shaper of Jesus’ mission(Lk 1, 35/4,14)


- Lk 1, 35 : the spirit overshadowed Mary. Therefore child to be born will be holy; he

will be called the son of God.-

- Lk 4,14: The spirit who is the shaper of the public ministry of Jesus.

Relationship between Jesus and spirit until/till the death of Jesus = Pneumetological Christology.

After his death and resurrection = Christological Pneumetology.

Creator:

- From the very beginning life of Jesus has Pneumetological thrust.

- (Lk 1,35) – “the spirit will come upon you”(Over hadowing of Jesus).

- This speaks of the specific role of the spirit in Incarnation.

- As spirit played a great role in creation (Gen ½) so also spirit has a significant role

in the life of Jesus as Creator/ Originator.

- Does not begin at his birth but goes back to Jesus’ conception.

- There are 3 referrences with regarding to the creator spirit.

1. Gen 1, 2 – wind from God – Blow.

2. Lk 1,35 – Over shadowing of the spirit.

3. Acts 2,2 = sound like the ruah = a violent wind.

Shaper:

1. At Baptism: Jesus was anointed by the spirit (Lk 3,21) and begins his prophetic

mission.(Jesus is the permanent abode of the Spirit – Jn 1, 32-33).

2. Public Ministry : the spirit mediate the will of the Father to the son. Lets him

know the will of the father and facilitates the obedience to the will of the father.

3. Pasion and death: spirit plays a strengthening force/role in his passion.

4. Spirit is the author of resurrection: spirit is the power behind the resurrection(1

Pet 3/18)

and the spirit vivifies the church.(LG4,8)

- It speaks of the role of the spirit in the church.

- LG 4 –It speaks of the birthing of the church on the day of Pentecost.


The spirit is active in the church.

- It’s principle of the life of the body of the church

- It animate the church.

- Sacrifices

- Builds

- Makes the word a contemporary reality.

- Constitutive of the Church

- Principle of communion/unity.

The spirit is at work in other religio – cultural traditions.(AG 4)

- AG 4 : Spirit was in the world before Christ was glorified.

- At Pentecost spirit came on apostles – disciples

- The church which speaks every language was inaugurated.

- Spirit –active in the church is also active in the whole world.

FABC – 81 speaks about how the spirit is at work in Asia today.

- 1st part explores the presence of the spirit in other religions.

- Hinduism – Atman, Prana , Antaryamin, shakti, Agni

- Buddhism – Dharma(Fullness) – KARMA –MAITREYA(LOVE)

- Confucianism : Practicing values

- Primal Religions: sense of the sacred.

- Islam – Peace – will of God, Brotherhood.

- All these religions have experienced the power of the spirit.

Spirit is in the socio – political realities that are life giving and life enhancing(GS 11)

- GS 11 :

- We are called to discern and see the genuine signs of the presence of the spirit in

these realities.


- Though the world is full of contradictions, misery, globalization, yet there are

groups working. – Peace,women empowerment – workers movement – child labour –

enhancing life etc. thus safe guarding the values of the human person.

- social events

- political movements

- ecological movements

- Minority group movements

- women movements

All these work for life enhancement.

11. pneumetology - rayan lobo, sj

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