Faith and conversion in St. Paul’s life and thought

Abstract

Like few others, Paul leaves us with personal details of his life of faith on which he has reflected and pondered. From this intense self-reflection he directly states how real conversion is to be understood. In his opinion, it is not something that needs to negate our common humanity nor is it the result of our best human efforts to attain it. True conversion comes from a desire for an absolute new beginning when Jesus Christ enters into our human life.

Accordingly, this metánoia (as we have come to know it) both precedes faith and is the foundation of it. The life of faith itself is also the fruit of this radical change. Both metanoia and faith are closely related to one another, but care must be taken not to confuse them or think they are the same thing.

Metánoia can always be understood in this way, as an openness and availability to the eschatological and Christological novum of the Kingdom of God and, as such, in an absolute terms leads to a moral decision which an individual takes. According to Paul therefore, only faith in Jesus Christ may cause man to enter the reality of “justice”, remission of sins, the New Covenant, sanctity, and the New Creation.

The remission of sins summons from us a profound change that is only possible in this encounter with the crucified and risen one, “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Such a metánoia is called faith.