Bible. New Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Christianity -- Origin; Paul, the Apostle, Saint
As to Apollos, if so it was, that, at one time, in the mind of our
spiritual monarch, any such sentiment as jealousy, in regard to this
sub-minister had place, it seems to have been afterwards, in some way or
other, removed: for, in his Epistle to Titus, bearing date about seven
years after, namely A.D. 64, the devotion of the subject seems to have
been entire. Speaking to Titus, Tit. 3:13, "Bring with you," says Paul,
"Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos, on their journey diligently, that
nothing be wanting to them."
[84] Paul must have thought that he had the Church at Corinth under
complete control of his hypnotic suggestion or otherwise so much under
his control as to assume the exalted office of Clairvoyant Oracle
without question. He says, 2 Cor. 1-7, "I must needs glory, though it is
not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord, I
know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body I know
not; or whether out of the body, I know not, God knoweth). Such a one
caught up even to the third heaven. And I know such a man (whether in
the body, or apart from the body, I know not, God knoweth); how that he
was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is
not lawful for a man to utter. On behalf of such a one will I glory: but
on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weakness. For if I
should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the
truth: but I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which
he seeth me to be, or heareth from me.
"And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations--wherefore,
that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me _a thorn in
the flesh_, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be
exalted overmuch. Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that
it might depart from me.
"And he has said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee."
It would require a Swift, Dryden, Pope, Milton or Knowles to stage the
above so as make appreciable objective quantities out of the above
verbal terms. They might create characters and give them the plumage of
angels, nymphs, spirits, heathen gods, etc., and so feast the
imagination into paranoia.
"Thorn in the flesh." This phrase has baffled the Ecclesiastics. The
earlier Commentators interpreted it to mean Paul's great disappointment
in all his schemes to subordinate the Apostles of Christ to his
personal dominion of which so much has been disparaged by the author.
END.
INDEX TO CONTENTS.
TABLE I-XXII
CHAPTER I.
Paul's Conversion. Improbability and Discordancy of the
Accounts of it 1
1. List of these Accounts, with preliminary Observations.
Table in which they are confronted 1
2. Vision I. Dialogue on the road: Paul hears a voice,
sees nothing 8
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