St. Paul always insisted that his authority came due to his personal contact with the Risen Jesus. However, he knew that was not the whole story. As he says in his first letter to the Corinthians, “I handed on to you what I myself received.” Paul knew that he was part of a tradition and that his individual relationship with the Lord only made sense by fitting into the larger story of God’s action in the world. We also must make sure that we connect our own relationship with Jesus into the traditions we have received. The process of receiving, warming what we receive in our own faith experience, and then handing on preserves the authenticity of the tradition.
MAY32016
By Church Staff
