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In this episode titled “Paul and ‘Established’ Religion,” hosted by Victor Vigorito and introduced by Voiceover, Victor addresses a specific question about the Apostle Paul’s letters, particularly focusing on the absence of the word “saints” in his salutation to the Galatians.
Victor begins by noting that in most of Paul’s letters, he includes the term “saints” when addressing church congregations. However, in his letters to the Galatians, as well as to the Thessalonians, he instead uses the term “church.” He poses the question of whether Paul’s omission of “saints” was intentional and if it relates to legalism.
Victor argues that it wasn’t a deliberate omission but rather a result of the chronological order in which the letters were written. He explains that Galatians is the earliest letter, written around 48-49 AD, followed by the Thessalonian letters in 50 AD, where “church” is used instead of “saints.” In contrast, his later letters, such as First and Second Corinthians (written in 54-55 AD), include both terms, and he emphasizes the connection between being sanctified in Christ and being called saints.
As he examines subsequent letters, he highlights that Paul begins to refer to believers exclusively as “saints” in Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians, raising the question of why he chooses not to mention “church” in these epistles. Victor discusses the implications of using the term “saint,” emphasizing that it is an individual designation that highlights one’s identity in Christ rather than a collective label.
He stresses that the term “saint” signifies a holy one set apart for God’s purposes, grounding this identity in the grace of Christ rather than personal merit. He references Biblical verses to support his claims, urging listeners to embrace their identity as saints based on the finished work of Christ and to walk in accordance with this identity.
Main Theme: Why does Apostle Paul not refer to Galatian believers as saints in his letter?
In this episode titled “Paul and ‘Established’ Religion,” hosted by Victor Vigorito and introduced by Voiceover, Victor addresses a specific question about the Apostle Paul’s letters, particularly focusing on the absence of the word “saints” in his salutation to the Galatians.
Victor begins by noting that in most of Paul’s letters, he includes the term “saints” when addressing church congregations. However, in his letters to the Galatians, as well as to the Thessalonians, he instead uses the term “church.” He poses the question of whether Paul’s omission of “saints” was intentional and if it relates to legalism.
Victor argues that it wasn’t a deliberate omission but rather a result of the chronological order in which the letters were written. He explains that Galatians is the earliest letter, written around 48-49 AD, followed by the Thessalonian letters in 50 AD, where “church” is used instead of “saints.” In contrast, his later letters, such as First and Second Corinthians (written in 54-55 AD), include both terms, and he emphasizes the connection between being sanctified in Christ and being called saints.
As he examines subsequent letters, he highlights that Paul begins to refer to believers exclusively as “saints” in Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians, raising the question of why he chooses not to mention “church” in these epistles. Victor discusses the implications of using the term “saint,” emphasizing that it is an individual designation that highlights one’s identity in Christ rather than a collective label.
He stresses that the term “saint” signifies a holy one set apart for God’s purposes, grounding this identity in the grace of Christ rather than personal merit. He references Biblical verses to support his claims, urging listeners to embrace their identity as saints based on the finished work of Christ and to walk in accordance with this identity.
Main Theme: Why does Apostle Paul not refer to Galatian believers as saints in his letter?
