The Prophetic Command

In this episode, Fr. Paul asserts that the prophetic function, particularly within the clergy, is crucial for dismantling entrenched religious practices and ideologies that contradict the proposition of the biblical text.

In a provocative analysis, Fr. Paul contends that the church’s fixation on orthodoxy has overshadowed the biblical emphasis on orthopraxy—right practice—as heard in Paul’s criticism of Peter for not “walking correctly” in Galatians. Fr. Paul challenges modern clergy to abandon the use of terms and practices not found in the Bible, arguing that they perpetuate a false security among believers, similar to the misguided faith in the temple criticized by Jeremiah or the misuse of scriptures such as the book of Joshua, currently unfolding in Gaza.

Through this lens, the Fr. Paul calls for a radical disruption of the church’s understanding and proclamation of the the biblical text, urging clergy to submit to the prophetic command to dismantle and deconstruct the false logic and practices that have become entrenched in the life of the modern church.