Body and communion in Paul\u27s Letter to the Corinthians: between individualism and ecclesiality

Pavlova opredelitev občestva kristjanov kot Kristusovega telesa (1 Kor 12,27) sporoča, da je kristjan ontološko določen z odnosom oz. pripadnostjo Kristusu. Izvorna stopnja tega odnosa je Kristusova podaritev človeku, faza odgovora pa človekova podaritev Kristusu. Gospodova izročitev človeku predstavlja Njegovo zedinjenje s celotno človeško naravo, kar pomeni, da so človekova dejanja sočloveku hkrati dejanja, ki so storjena Kristusu. Odgovor na Kristusovo daritev je človekova podaritev Kristusu v Svetem Duhu, ki se uresničuje v odnosih z ljudmi. Njen prvi korak je sveti krst in pomeni, da se v človekovem življenju v moči Svetega Duha prične uresničevati življenje Kristusa – človek postane ud Njegovega telesa. Vsebino oz. načela tega življenja podaja modrost križa in pomeni popolno podaritev lastnega življenja iz ljubezni, ki je v celoti usmerjena na drugega in se uresničuje kot milostni dar Svetega Duha. Uresničenje kristjanove zedinjenosti s Kristusom se na posebno odličen način vrši v obhajanju evharistije. V njej se v sprejemanju Kristusove osebne in popolne daritve občestvo vernih v enakem smislu podari Kristusu, v tem pa drug drugemu. V evharistiji Kristus v Svetem Duhu v občestvu stopi na pot daritve za svet in torej po ljudeh, ki mu pripadajo, nadaljuje darovanje za ljudi. Od tod izhaja dejstvo, da obhajanje evharistije kristjane samo po sebi kliče, da v obhajanje vstopajo z držo sprejemanja Kristusove daritve in pripravljenostjo na izvrševanje Njegove daritve v ljubezni do ljudi.Paul\u27s identification of the communion of Christians as the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27) expresses the fact that the identity of Christians is defined through the relationship with Christ. The initial phase of this relationship is the Christ\u27s offering to men and the second phase the offering of men to Christ. The Christ\u27s offering to men and his reconciliation with the mankind implies that all man\u27s deeds that are done to another man are at the same time done to Christ himself. The man\u27s response to the Christ\u27s offering is his own offering to Christ that is realized in the Holy Spirit and becomes efficient in the man’s relationship with other persons. The first stage of this offering represents the holy baptism. Its theological content is in the fact that through the baptism the being of Christ is initiated in the being of the baptized person. Through the power of the Holy Spirit the human person becomes a limb of Christ. The principles that govern the being of a new born Christian are identified with the wisdom of the Cross which implies a total offering in the act of love that is directed into the »other« and realizes itself through the power of the Holy Spirit. The realization of the oneness between the Christian and Christ takes place in a unique way in the celebration of the Eucharist. Its content is the following: In the acceptance of the Christ\u27s offering the communion of Christians realizes its own offering to Christ. Both offerings are of the same quality: they both include the totality the offering. In the Eucharist Christ himself in the power of the Holy Spirit and through the cooperation of the communion of Christians realizes and proceedes his offering to people. This fact alone suggests that the celebration of the Eucharist demands that the persons who celebrate it enter the celebration with a spiritual disposition in which they accept the Christ\u27s offering and at the same time prepare themselves for their offering to Him through the relationship of love with respect to other people