Although God communicated with Paul...
Illustration
Object:
Although God communicated with Paul somehow about spiritual gifts, maybe Paul's
teaching about spiritual gifts didn't begin with a revelation from God. Perhaps
Paul's teaching about spiritual gifts began by his looking at the constructive, helpful
things Christians did in serving God. That's the first indication of God's presence in
people's lives and service, one that hadn't shown up uniformly in all Paul's
congregations.
In Saint Benedict's rule for monasteries he included the essentially positive direction that Paul noted about the Christian faith. In line with Paul's recognition of different gifts Benedict instructed the monastery's abbot to adapt himself to different personalities within the community. Above all, the abbot must wield his authority in ways that are ultimately positive. In exercising his gift of supervision, as Paul would also urge, the abbot "should know that he has undertaken care of sick souls, not tyranny over healthy ones."
In Saint Benedict's rule for monasteries he included the essentially positive direction that Paul noted about the Christian faith. In line with Paul's recognition of different gifts Benedict instructed the monastery's abbot to adapt himself to different personalities within the community. Above all, the abbot must wield his authority in ways that are ultimately positive. In exercising his gift of supervision, as Paul would also urge, the abbot "should know that he has undertaken care of sick souls, not tyranny over healthy ones."
