St Paul's teaching on the spiritual aspect of man

Abstract

I had a flyer from a church advertising 'Faith seeking and understanding' course. Immediately I decided to join as my faith is not strong and my understanding of theology is poor. I always doubted whether living a good life was rewarding and needed to learn about the soul. We do not see God and likewise we do not see the soul. Thus I started to research the soul, resurrection and afterlife. I imagine that by understanding our inner self we will be nearer to understanding God. Anthropology and the Old Testament: Continental Europe has focused upon the Old Testament sacrifice and ritual as part of a set of coherent symbols. It was thought that the intellectual life of the ancient Israelites was primitive, in their sacred drama they carried out rituals that resembled magical belief, they had little idea of scientific causation. Latter Israelites had established a democratic society, it seems that they were more concerned on their liberation as a people on this earth (prophetic groups led by Elijah and Elisha) than living the prophecy to the Good News (Isaiah and Jeremiah). I will be using Pauline writings to understand anthropology from the beginning as the image of God, than understand Grace through the Christ event and the present eschatological time. In the Genesis we were given the breath, now we have Christ as our Food while the Holy Spirit gives us life and strengthens us on our journey to the final union with God in the end of space and time. In the Old Testament people obeyed God by shaving hair, tearing off clothes, dipping in the lakes, isolation, fasting, offering bloody sacrifices, I think that Jesus went through all this to reconcile the humans with his Father.