Sunday, December 30, 2007

components of freedom

Robert Banks, in Paul's Idea of Community, proffers that for the Apostle Paul freedom consists of three main components:

Independence
  • from certain things, e.g., sin, the Law, death, and alien powers
  • for certain things, e.g., righteousness, conformity to Jesus, and suffering
  • resulting in a personal and life-giving experience of liberty
Dependence
  • upon Christ, who terminated humanity's enslavement through his death and resurrection
  • upon the Spirit, who communicates Christ's life and purpose as a received divine gift rather than innate possibility
Interdependence
  • with others, since liberty leads to service and can only be practically defined in relation to their needs
  • with the world, since the universe itself will experience the liberty of transformation along with those who are Christ's
  • giving liberty a social and cosmic, as well as personal and theocentric, dimension
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. - 1 Cor 3.17

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