Examining the Letters of St. Paul

Paul calls us "to serve a living true God." In his book Paul and his letters, Leander Keck believes that Paul focuses on the Jesus-event. Jesus is identified as God's Son who, having been raised from the dead and exalted to heavenly status will come as deliverer from the great judgment. This emphasizes Paul's theme of anticipation and participation.

"Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures" (1 Cor 15: 3-4) Keck believes that this passage is the foundation of Paul's preaching; moreover, he believes that the cross and resurrection as a way of dealing with God's sin is at the core of Paul's preaching.

Paul characterized his own gospel of the cross as "foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God; it is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called to Christ, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God. " (1 Cor 1:18, 1:23)

Keck believes that the Pauline mission practiced baptism in accord with receiving the Holy Spirit, while at the same time it understood the rite in a new way-as an act that made one a participant in Christ's death. Such an understanding of baptism is possible only if "Christ" is understood in a particular way. Keck believes that baptism "into Christ" was a rite by which one became a participant in Christ, the inclusive Man (person), the new Adam. This participation in Christ was not a "mystical experience" of conscious identification or absorption into Christ. To be baptized into Christ is to be included in the domain of Christ, His field of force.

As Paul says in Galatians: "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Greek nor Jew, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus, and if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants." These statements support Keck's belief that Paul reasons this way because he believes baptism actually makes a person participate in Christ.