St.

Paul University Philippines

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan 3500

FINAL REQUIREMENTS
INS 203: PAULINE ETHICS

MY PERSONAL REFLECTION PAPER

NAME: AIZA CALIMAG PAMITTAN COURSE : MST

ENGLISH

A.MY PERSONAL REFLECTION

• MY ROAD TO DAMASCUS

• CHARACTERISTICS OF SAINT PAUL THAT IS WORTH EMULATING

• SAINT PAUL’S ETHICAL TEACHINGS

• LOVE IS ALL WE NEED

• LETTER STRUCTURE OF SAINT PAUL

• SPECIFIC VERSES WITH INDUCTIVE AND IMPERATIVE (EXPLANATION)

• REFERENCES
 MY ROAD TO DAMASCUS

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" Even though people

are mean, God still loves them and can help them to change. Does
Jesus only care about good people? Before I start with my own Road
to Damascus allow me first to have a very short story that I read
entitled “ The Big Change”
Jenny and Joey sat in the grass, watching the glass jar intently.
At any moment, the butterfly should break completely out of the
cocoon. It had been such a long time since they caught the
caterpillar and placed it in the jar. They had taken especially
good care of it and watched as it wrapped itself up inside the
cocoon. Now it was finally time for the caterpillar to emerge with
its brand-new set of wings.
How exciting it was to watch the cocoon crack open and see the
butterfly begin its struggle for its new life! Sometimes it wiggled
and jiggled as it worked to become free. Other times it remained
motionless as it gathered strength to try again.
THEN IT HAPPENED! They were able to see both wings of the lovely
butterfly as it dropped completely out of the cocoon. WHAT A BIG
CHANGE from the fuzzy caterpillar that had been placed in the jar
so long ago! What a wonderful CHANGE!
As for me, I started my journey to Damascus when I was in
College. I admit I really do not like to enroll at CSU not even to
get Education as my course. I wanted to get Pharmacy as my course.
Thus, it is really against my conviction to enter the school. But
still I entered school for I have no choice. For it is hard to
commute my parents decided to let me stay in a boarding house.
That then is the beginning of my revenge. Revenge if that is really
the right term to be used. I go to school, do the task given by my
teachers; go home from school; study in the boarding house. But I
do it because I have no choice. But because I am far away from my
parents, I can do whatever I wanted to. I go out at night with my
board mates. We even drink alcohol also if we wanted to. To the
extent that I cannot go to school the next day. I was not able to
make my projects with my group mates in school. I was able to get
low results in my examinations and quizzes that resulted in having
failing grades in school. My parents were not able to know on what
is happening on me. And I do not care that time. But one thing
happened during that time that totally changed everything. My
father then was a jeepney driver and had met an accident on his
way home with his passengers. There was an accident between his
jeepney with that of a motor cycle that leads to the death of the
two students who was then with the influence of liquor. Sad to say
but the guy with a motorcycle is a son of a police man. My father
was imprisoned, and it totally changed everything. My mother does
not have enough money to fully support us. We really have to lessen
our expenses at home and in school. I can see my mother crying in
her room. Then there I realized that I have to change, not only
for my self but also for my family. Change is just around the
corner. It’s depressing how this works, but it’s probably the most
reason why people change. It’s much like peer pressure which usually
ends up in the wrong direction. The people we adore love us so much
that they want us to remain the way we are forever. With God’s help
my father was proven not guilty with the accusations. There was the
start of my transformation. I learned to love the course my father
wanted me to get. I was able to comply with my teacher’s
requirements. Pass the examinations and quizzes in school. I also
was able to value money and manage the way on how to use it wisely.
I also learned how to work independently. And love the life they
had given me.
At last I was able to make my parents proud of me. I
graduated on time. And I was proud to say I made it. I made them
proud. Nothing is permanent in this world. As they say Change for
the better! Change is in the very nature of being. Every new day
is different from the previous day. Body metabolism is one such
process as also growth of trees and revolving of planets. Tides
come and go. Sometimes a whole river changes its course
Everything will change and the changed will change further.
Hence, one must neither get attached to joy (happiness) because
that will pass away; nor get depressed with sorrow (suffering)
because that too will pass away. Nothing is really permanent in
this world. Let’s not forget that we create our own reality. The
world will only change as we change ourselves.
 Characteristics of Saint Paul that is worth emulating to My
Personal and Professional Life

It is mentioned in one of the letters of Paul that between faith,

hope, and love, the greatest is love and that without it, we are
nothing. This teaching of Paul reminds us to love our neighbor.
There are so many ways and forms to do it. Some are the following
which I prefer to present with a key verse in the epistles of St.
Paul.
Paul encourages us to do goodness, and not to get tired of doing
it. That includes becoming kind and generous even if we don’t
receive anything in return. Giving and sharing is goodness. But
giving and sharing without expecting something in return is the
true generosity. And becoming generous to others is showing our
love to our neighbour.
Paul encourages us to be helpful and sensitive to the needs of
others. Burdens and loads that we’re carrying are referred not
only as the tangibles. They can also be the intangibles which are
the problems and trials that we are currently facing or may face
in the future. Helping the others doesn’t mean that we should carry
their loads ourselves. We could help others bear their burden by
helping them how to respond to their problems; drawing them closer
to God to strengthen their faith in him; becoming sensitive in
what they need and if there’s a way that we could give or suffice
it, forget our selfish motives and give and share our abundance
(Cor. 8:13-14).
We should try to understand that different people we encounter
carry different loads and burdens and face different battles in
their own lives. It is up to us in what way we could be a help.

Loving our neighbor includes loving even the sinners. Sinners

tend to feel like being rejected and neglected. Some of the ways
to help them are through acceptance and forgiveness so they can
embrace spiritual change. We should accept them because they are
the one who most need of help, acceptance, forgiveness and guidance
to a path towards righteousness. „Gentile or Jew‟, „circumcised or
uncircumcised‟, „servant or free‟, we should not choose whom to
talk to, who to help, who to accept, and whom to do goodness to.
Status is not even required for salvation. For in Christ, ‘all is
justified by faith‟.
Love is considered as the summation of the law. For if we love
others, doing good to them will follow.
The same can be applied to our own profession. As a young employee
in our workplace, there are those tasks that must be performed
voluntarily. I must say that there is no perfect organization.
Even in the midst of conflicts between works or employees, we are
still encouraged to do what is good: what is good for the other
employees, what is good for the organization, what is good for
ourselves, and what is pleasing to God. It is through love that we
can develop a strong and healthy relationship between the employer
and the employee. To love, for the employer, means to treat his
employees right, by giving just compensation and benefits. And to
love, for the employees, means to respect and obey their superiors
and their employer. It is through our love for one another that
the sense of oneness, teamwork, and being a family can be developed
within the organization. And with this, it is easier for all to
achieve the common goal for the organization.
In order to become an effective and efficient employee, we must
also remember the fruits of the spirit –Love, joy, peace—especially
when there is hatred and rivalry among employees, patience—
especially in learning new things, kindness, generosity—when we
have selfish motives, faithfulness—deserving trust in preparing
the financial reports, gentleness, self-discipline—in following
the policies in our own organization; Or self-control—to avoid the
temptations, especially with our field dealing with financial
matters.
I perceive the teachings of Paul as the source of spiritual wisdom
and inspiration that encourage people towards righteousness. He
teaches righteousness by faith rather than by the works of law
(Rom. 2:28-29). From a persecutor, he became a preacher and a
follower of Christ. As a faithful follower and committed servant
of Christ, we must picture him as an example. We can be followers
of Christ in our own way, wherever we are, whoever we are, whatever
our past is. And as for my personal life, I think the best
characteristic/trait of Saint Paul that I can always bring with me
is to be humble all the time. In all our ways, we should always
keep our feet on the ground no matter how high our achievements
are. We should always be reminded that “the higher we fall, the
painful it is for us”. We must take into considerations things not
only for our personal benefit but also for the benefit of others.
And as we always say “he who humbles himself shall be exalted, and
he who exalt himself shall be humbled.
 SAINT PAUL’S ETHICAL TEACHINGS

The teachings of St. Paul had influenced so much the beliefs and
perceptions of people all around the world. His teachings had been
a great inspiration to others to live the path of righteousness,
on how to live a more meaningful life and how to bring back
ourselves to the Lord. That man by nature is sinful, his wisdom
encouraged us that we are just humans, and for sure we would always
commit sins, and from that sin that we had committed, we will come
to realize the value and essence of what we call life. We changed
for the better even for the best. Saint Paul had inculcated in us
that no matter how sinful we are, there is always that spot in our
hearts that will tell us that we are “innate good” despite the
fact of our judgments and shortcomings that we had made. He let us
realize that there is always God at the end of the line who will
catch us every time we fall, when we feel that there’s nothing
left for us, when we feel broken and empty and when we need crying
shoulder to lean on, he let us realize that God will always cure
our wounded hearts.
In the world where we live today, it seems that we had already
forgotten the virtues Saint Paul had taught. It seems that we set
aside God in our daily life, sad to say but this is now the
immediate concern that should be addressed by the church. Rampant
crimes, rape, kidnapping, extra judicial killings, human
trafficking, sex labor, child abuse. If we come to think about it,
why are these things happening? What are the reasons behind these
concerns that we have today? And how do we solve these issues? I
my personal conviction, the reasons that we had these problems is
simply because we no longer keep in mind the teachings of Saint
Paul, that there is God. We no longer had that receptive hearts
because we are much pre-occupied by things that we do, that’s why
at the end of the day we find ourselves in the dark side of our
life committing these kinds of illegal crimes. If we had only lived
the way Saint Paul did, from being persecutor of the church to a
man living the Christian faith and value. Living a life filled
with the spirit of God. And if we only had God in our midst, we
will surely be that one good Christian living the path of goodness.
We are always fond with “come what may” not knowing the consequence
of what it is to come. The world will suffer from chaos if we will
set aside the ethical teachings of Saint Paul. Hoping that someday
as we reflect in the things that we do to improve our life as
Christians, may we realize the good from the bad, may we come into
our senses as we make decisions for the betterment of things around
us. And of course let us not forget god in every path that we
partake in.
Another issue which the world is facing now is GENDER AND
SEXUALITY which I do believe Saint Paul has a great view with.
With regards Saint Paul’s sexual ethic and, eventually, the
Church’s own teaching on sexuality. Let’s try to uncover the
principles which undergird this ethic.

First, Paul’s morality is not about a list of permitted or

forbidden actions. He is not interested in drawing up a series of
rules which, if broken, would then be considered sins. Paul is
more interested in answering this question: what human choices
correspond best to the life that God is shaping in us through the
Spirit? We are confronted, then, with a quest for freedom and
growth, a morality which seeks the good because the good is what
helps us grow in humanity. Life is not a test to determine who
will be allowed into heaven: it is rather a process of unending
growth which God invites us to embrace.
Paul explains that sexuality is not a simple appetite like hunger
or thirst. This is because human sexuality involves relationship
with another. Human beings build themselves up or tear themselves
down through their relationships. This is why sexuality cannot be
reduced to a simple question of pleasure or of need: it is deeply
relational. Our way of building and living our relationships must
correspond to the relationship which grounds our life, which is to
say our relationship with God in Jesus-Christ. Paul gives a very
blunt example: to reduce sexual activity to a commercial exchange
limited to the sole dimension of pleasure (prostitution) cannot
correspond to the relationship God wants to live with us, full of
respect, graciousness and love. This is why an unbridled sexual
life can never be compatible with the life of grace we have
discovered in Jesus.

Everything in this world is meant to serve our growth in freedom

and humanity. If I enslave myself to an earthly reality –
sexuality, for example – then I am moving away from the loving
plan God has framed for me. But if this earthly reality allows me
to grow in God’s love, to embody it and express it, then I will
live more fully and more humanly. This is what happens when
sexuality becomes the language of love, faithfulness and
fruitfulness it is called to be in marriage.

As a whole, sexuality is an ethical project that involves the whole

human being. How blessed are we that the Spirit should abide in us
to give us the wisdom and strength to enact that vision in our
lives!
 Love is the Highest Virtue

Love is a matter of emotions and feelings we have for a

person. We all know that love is such a great thing we have in
this world, that we cannot live without love. Love completes you
as a person and it is a conditional love that we always give. There
are many kinds of love, but above all we always want to have this
unconditional love that our parents give us. The unconditional
love of our parents that even in the good and bad times they are
there to love us no matter what. That unconditional love of our
parents is as close to the unconditional love of our God; even
though we are sinners He is willing to accept us as His children.
As stated to the Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrate his own love for
us in this: while were still sinners, Christ died for us”, how
great the love of our God for us that He sacrifice His only begotten
so just to save us for our sins. Love for our God is sacrificing
that he is willing to lay down His son just for our sake, that no
matter who we are He is willing to accept us even though we are
the worst person in this world. God is patiently waiting for us to
repent on our sins and go back to His arms wholeheartedly.
There are three theological virtues: faith, hope, and love
and in precedence love/ charity is the highest virtue. Love is the
highest virtue because this virtue incarnates the very essence of
God who is love. This is the illustrated for the prominent letters
of Paul to the churches of Corinthians and Romans especially on
their dealings with their fellow Christians that love must be their
criterion of their action; passion to serve, a framework of their
belief in Jesus Christ.
Just like how Jesus Christ love us that he sacrificed himself
and accept the judgement that people laid unto Him and lead to His
death. Jesus Christ wholeheartedly accepts his death just to save
us from our sins because He loves us. Love is not rude that cares
about others and respects the differences from our own way. That
God loves us even though we are different from each other that in
His eyes everyone is equal in His love. Love is not self-seeking
that we always put God first before our own self because we must
put all our actions in the goodness of our god. Love does not
rejoice on the wrong doings of other love always appreciate and
rejoice when others are blessed and does not allow resentment and
jealousy to take root because if we love we must envy others for
their blessings if we love we should not pull them down but instead
be happy in every success that others achieve. Love should always
forgive, even they are repeated many times always forgive and never
be tired to forgive because love is forgiving. Always offer
forgiveness to the people who made mistake, because our God never
feel tired forgiving our sins.
Love always protect others just like our God that He always
protect us from evil, that we His children must do the shame we
should protect each other instead on putting them to shame and
harm. Love always trust just like how God trust us to repent our
sins and make the things that He wants us to do. He is letting us
to do things that we know is good and according to His will because
he trusts us that much and he wants us to learn from our mistakes
and repent for it. The love of our God always persevere he is
willing to endure all our mistake just to show how much he love us
just like Jesus Christ, he endures all the painful things that
people throw to Him because He loves us. We should also persevere
in everything we do and always have a strong faith in Him
especially in those times of difficulties and trials, we always
choose to believe and have faith in Him rather that to loss hope
and questions all his plans for us.
The love of our God has no boundaries and it transcend because
His love is eternal and divine. The love of our God never gives up
that we will return to Him and embrace the goodness that we want
for Him and for that we should never loses faith because the love
of our God never ends, and it will last forever. Mankind should
always give love because love completes our life just like God
completes us.
 LETTER STRUCTURE OF SAINT PAUL

PAULINELETTER: 2 TIMOTHY

LETTER OPENING
-Identification of the sender Paul
-Designation of recipient To timothy my beloved child
-The Greeting To Timothy my dearly beloved son,
grace, mercy, and peace, from God
the Father, and from Christ Jesus
our Lord.
LETTER THANKSGIVING
-Thanksgiving I give thanks to God, whom I serve
from my forefathers with a pure
conscience, that without ceasing, I
have a remembrance of thee in my
prayers, night and day!
-Function Desiring to see thee, being mindful
of thy tears, that I may be filled
with joy,
THE LETTER BODY
-A. Disclosure of the problem For which cause I admonish thee,
that thou stir up the grace of God
which is in thee, by the imposition
of my hands. 7 For God hath not
given us the spirit of fear: but of
power, and of love, and of
sobriety.
-B. The Appeal Be watchful
 -C The Now About Section
-D. The confidence Section
-E. The Exhortation Section
THE LETTER CLOSING
A. The Peace Benediction
B. The Final Greetings
C. The Autograph
D. The Final Exhortation
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus,
by the concern of God our savior
and of Christ Jesus and hope
Grace, Mercy and peace for God the
Father and Jesus Christ our Lord
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who
has given me strength that he
considered my faithful, appointing
me to his service.
You, therefore, my child, be strong
in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus, 2 and the things which you
have heard from me in the presence
of many witnesses, entrust these
things to faithful people who will
be competent to teach others also.
As you go from here, may God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Lord
give you grace, mercy, and peace.
Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the
household of Onesiphorus.
I want men everywhere to lift up
holy good in prayer without anger.
But flee from youthful desires, and
pursue righteousness, faith, love,
and peace, in company with those
who call upon the Lord from a pure
heart.
 E. The Grace Benediction And may the grace of God,
the love of Jesus Christ,
and the presence of the Holy Spirit
be with you and among you
in the days ahead. Amen.

F. The Greetings 2The Lord be with your spirit.

Grace be with you all.

SPECIFIC VERSES THAT INDICATES INDICATIVE AND IMPERATIVE VERBS

But you, you have followed my teaching, conduct purpose,

faith, patience, love, perseverance and persecutions,
sufferings such as happened to me at Antioch at Iconium and
Lystra such persecutions I endured. And from all of them the
lord rescued me. Indeed, all who want to live Godly in anointed
Jesus will be persecuted, Evildoers and imposters will go from
bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

EXPLANATION

Life has its bitter hardships but also with sweetest success. We
are all humans and created equal in God’s image, but the way we perceived
life make us unique. The way we believe things makes us different from
the others, and this belief sometimes lead us in the wrong direction of
our lives. And this part of our life really needs enlightenment. As for
Saint Paul, he had mis-beliefs which made him lose the path to God. And
as for us human beings, we always have short comings in our life, we
always have that doubt in our neighbors and to the extent of cursing
them. We make decisions which only benefit our personal consumption.

If we follow what is good, make purposes in life, be patient in

everything we do, love one another and appreciate what God has given us,
We will live a happy and contented life.
 L. William Countryman. (2007). Dirt, Greed, & Sex: Sexual
Ethics in the New Testament and Their Implications for
Today, revised edition. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
 Abbolt, Lyman. 1898. The Life and Letters of Paul the
Apostle, Boston, MA: Houghton Miffin
 Arnold, Clinton E. 2002. Zondervan Illustrated Bible
Backgrounds Commentary. Vol.2. Grand Rapids,MI: Zondervan.
 Bruce,FF 1977. Paul Apostle of the Heart set Free. Grand
Rapids. MI. Zondervan
 Danker. F.W.et al.2000. A Greek English Lexicon of the New
Testament .Chicago, IL; University of Chicago
 Boswell, John. (1980). Christianity, Social Tolerance and
Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the
Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century.
Chicago: Chicago University Press.
