August 10, 2010
While Away
In his epistles Paul showered the churches with care and concern. He was always thanking God for them, praying for them, thinking of them and wanting to hear reports on how they were doing. I don’t think I’m alone by saying that when I’m out of town or on vacation I give more thought to what I’m doing, than I do to what my church family is doing. Oh, there may be someone or something in particular that crosses my mind, but in general I don’t spend a lot of time in prayer for them when I’m away from them. Nor do I write them a letter of encouragement, or call them to get a report. I really have to wonder what the character of my church would look like if we had our own Paul hovering over us.
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Gail;
-----I’ve been picking my way through an old book (published in the 1960’s) titled, “Paul”. I think it was written by a minimalist, because it mentions not a peep about a very significant experience Paul had after his early Christian stay at Damascus. In II Corinthians 12:1-7, speaking of himself in the third person, he reveals, “I must boast; there is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven - whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into 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...And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh...” And we all may somewhat overlook this experience in trying to figure Paul’s personality, character, and behavior.
-----He definitely heard and saw things in Heaven for a certain period of time. God does not engage in trivial pursuits, as we do, therefore, this arranged meeting with Paul served an important purpose. I believe we can discern that purpose and the nature of what Paul saw there by considering the history of his service in the Lord written in the Acts of the Apostles and into the context of his own epistles. From these we have come to know for sure that Paul was Christ’s instrument for germinating His church in the people of the world and rooting it in Scriptural doctrine and discipline. As the precision of a foundation is important to the quality of a roofline - a small error in the former being magnified into great error in the latter - the accurate representation of Jesus Christ to the founding church of Paul’s day would be indelibly important to the abiding of the church throughout the days.
-----Therefore I think Paul was served some very special training for both his heart and mind to shape not only his teaching, but even more so, his behavior amongst those who were calling upon the Lord. I think these things which he heard that can not be uttered to man impressed upon his thoughts and feelings the stark reality with which he dealt, the overwhelming nature of God’s perfection, and the profound depth to which it effects. I believe what he could not utter he lived, and what he lived he expressed in his greetings, prayers, moral prescriptions, and eulogies. I think that visit to Heaven penetrated his heart and mind to the most refined, insignificant recesses to alter what he was into a living obedience born of places and ideas we can only be and have once deceased. We can only imagine what Paul could not utter. But the more we imagine it, the more his behavior and expressions become understandable. It remains delinquent, by my estimation, that the author of this book did not even mention it.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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