July
8, 2012
David Timbs
Paul
of Tarsus – the thorn in his flesh
Paul does
most of the talking
Paul
had no patience with those who either subverted his ministry or who challenged
his credentials as an authentic Apostle.
He was handicapped because he was regarded by the leadership of the Jesus
Movement in Jerusalem as suspect from the beginning to the very end. Paul,
however, had invested everything in the mission to the Gentiles and he was not
going to see it compromised in any way.
Paul
sets the scene
Paul
was forced to confront Peter over his regressive behaviour among the Gentile
Galatians. He fearlessly named the James party as the principal obstacles in the
way of the Gospel to non-Jews (Gal 2: 11-21). These people hounded Paul
relentlessly. In one of the most uncompromising passages in all of his letters,
Paul unmasks the hubris of his opponents, their manipulation and self-interested
imposition of Jewish purity laws on the Galatian disciples,
It
is those who want to make a good showing from but from inauthentic motives that
would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be
persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do
not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they
may glory in your flesh. But far be it from me to glory in anything except in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me
and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor un-circumcision counts for
anything, but a new creation (Gal
6: 12-15).
He
had no time for these people at all and made this perfectly clear in other
correspondence. Paul was most forthright in his views of the ambivalent
Jewish-Christian legalists who played on the scruples of the weak minded and
easily led. He warned against them and gave them no quarter,
Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil-workers, look out for those who
mutilate the flesh. For we are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit
and glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh. (Phil 3:
2-3)
Paul
under attack from within
In
2 Corinthians Paul was forced into the most spirited defence of his apostolic
credentials he was ever compelled to do. His character, credibility and motives
were all called into question by his detractors within the Jesus Movement. He identifies them as, the Super Apostles (11: 5).
An
accusation particularly irksome to Paul was that, while publicly claimed that he
earned his own way as a tradesman, he was actually accepting material support at
the same time from his convert communities. He made it quite clear to the
Corinthians and everyone else that he did indeed welcome financial backing for
his ministry. He made a point, however, of not accepting subsidies from the
community he was actually working in at the time. Such support for Paul could
lead to his mission being compromised by patronage
and the subsequent pressure to dispense special treatment and consideration to
those who provided for his needs. With some irony Paul declared,
Did
I commit a sin in abasing myself so that you might be exalted, because I
preached God’s good news without cost to you? I robbed other churches by
accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and
was in want, I did not burden any one, for my needs were supplied by the
brothers and sisters who came from Macedonia. So I refrain and will refrain from
burdening you in any way
(11: 7-9).
A
related matter
It
might be noted here that many of the key women within the Jesus Movement initially came to exercise some significant power,
authority and influence because of their material patronage. Eventually, it
seems, they lost all of these precisely because they became too identified with
their function as material supporters and not with the ecclesial exercise of
their personal baptismal gifts. They were gradually written out of the New
Testament Tradition – the Acts of the Apostles is a clear example – and they
have remained marginal ever since the early second century CE.
Paul
defence
Paul’s
major conflict with his protagonists in the Christian community was over
credentials as an apostle. He was not one of the Twelve – he referred to
himself as an apostle born out of time - so he was forced continually to
authenticate and validate himself. This irked him greatly. These Super Apostles whom Paul regarded as stumbling blocks to the Gospel
are graphically described as, false
apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ (11:
12) and false brothers (Gal 2: 4).
Paul,
in a typical rush of blood, claims not only equality but superiority as an
apostle,
But
whatever any one dares to boast of – I am speaking as a fool – I also dare
to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are
they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better
one – I am talking like a madman – with far greater labours, far more
imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. … (11:
21b-23). The list of his sufferings for the Gospel is extensive!
The
thorn in the flesh – it was really a plague
It
has been suggested that Paul’s discomfort was the result of his lack of
eloquence (11: 6), or even as some have jested, that it was the Corinthian
community itself which cause his greatest pain and anguish. But the real answer
is more intriguing and compelling.
A
major boast of Paul was the foundational life change of his conversion
experience. Paul was utterly transformed as a human being from being a
persecutor of Jesus to being the foremost promoter of his Gospel. This turn
around in Paul’s life from antagonistic opponent to apostle was so dramatic
and profound that he struggles for words to describe its scope and depth,
I
must boast; there is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go to visions and
revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ (himself)
who fourteen years ago was carried away to
the third heaven – whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God
knows. And I knew that
this man was carry away to Paradise – whether in the body or out of the
body, I do not know, God knows – and he heard things that cannot be told,
which man may not utter. (12: 1-4)
The
references here to the third heaven and
to Paradise are not spoken in a
vacuum. They come from a Jewish commentary, written in Greek before Paul’s
time, on the story of Adam and Eve before and after the Fall. This story is
known as The Apocalypse of Moses.
Adam’s created place is Paradise in the
third heaven. (ApM, 40). Paul, however, says that his beatific state had its
own limits, And to keep me from being too
elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh (skolops
en sarki, in fact a ‘plague on his humanity’), an angel (messenger) of Satan,
to assault me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord
about this, that it should leave me; but he said, “My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. I will all the more gladly boast
of my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (12: 7-9)
His
reference to an angel of Satan sent to harass him is a subtle swipe at his
subversive detractors, the Super Apostles.
The Apocalypse of Moses speaking of
the Temptor in the garden says, “…Satan
appeared in the form of an angel and sang hymns like the angels.” (ApM,
17, 2) Paul
refers to his opponents who, true to character, continued to undermine his
ministry at Corinth. He writes,… And no
wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not
strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
(11: 14-15)
A
sobering conclusion
In
2 Corinthians 11-12, Paul is making one of the biggest claims in all of the New
Testament narratives.
Its sheer scale is staggering. He is saying unambiguously that his fellow
Christian evangelists, the Super Apostles,
were causing as much damage to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the Fall of Adam
and Eve did to all of humanity in the history of Salvation. These false,
dissembling brothers who, like Paul, had been entrusted with spreading the
message of Christ were now in fact placing insurmountable obstacles in its way.
They were for their own selfish motives actually working against the redemption
and reconciliation accomplished in Christ’s life, death and resurrection. They
were destroying the very hope of salvation.
For
Paul of Tarsus, this was more than a thorn in his own side. It was more than a
personal irritant. It was a plague on
the Church. It was a catastrophe, a massive and near mortal disaster for the
whole Body of Christ. There may be important lessons for us today as we see the
Gospel and Christ’s people being dangerously compromised by leaders who should
know better. The dangerous perception is that they are, by their power games and
empire building, placing their own self-interests above the good of the People
they are called to serve not to
dominate.
David Timbs writes from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.