From: Revcraigh (Revcraigh@aol.com)
Date: Wed Dec 24 1997 - 14:07:04 EST
Dear Rick,
In a message dated 12/18/97 1:04:59 AM, you wrote:
>Meanwhile, I'd be interested in how others understand EQHRIOMACHSA in 1 Cor
>15:32. Without rejecting the usual possibilities, I opt for the line that
>Paul was sick in Ephesus. Anyone who has been pretty crook will understand
>Paul's comment in v 31: KAQ hHMERAN APOQNHiSKW! The hope of the
>resurrection also makes sense when one is deadly sick! I know scholars
>often talk about the possibility of some inherited or congenital defect in
>Paul, like epilepsy or eye-problems etc, but why not consider that there
>were times when the guy was just plain sick? He complains elsewhere of
>being hungry and thirsty and not having anywhere to sleep; when the body is
>not looked after,sickness is not far away.
>
>More suited for a Paul list, so I apologise for that; any comments will be
>appreciated.
>
>Rick Strelan
>Brisbane
Your question has gone for some time without response of any kind that I have
noticed so I'll pitch in. BTW, I don't see why your question should be off
base for b-greek.
It is a puzzling statement when Paul states that he fought wild beasts in
Ephesus. It is highly unlikely that, while in Ephesus he was actually thrown
to the lions (and even more unlikely that he would have survived) since a) he
makes no mention in any of his surviving letters of such an event (imagine
Daniel without mention of his little lunch break with the lions in the den)
and b) such a sentence was illegal to inflict on one who, like Paul, was a
roman citizen. Acts 19 reveals that he was not universally loved, nor his
message universally believed, while he was two years in the region of Ephesus,
however it mentions no particular life threatening perils in conflict with
those who rejected the Gospel. Nor do we read about any particular illnesses
at this time.
In the face of so much silence and the ambiguity of whether EQHRIOMACHSA is
intended to be taken literally of wild beasts or figuratively of antagonistic
men, I suppose it is not inconcievable that illness was among the things which
placed his life daily in peril. It is possible that the ambiguity is
intentional, much as Paul's mention of his thorn in the flesh an messenger of
Satan may be intentionally ambiguous. Why? So that all Christians who face
life-threatening situations (EQHRIOMACHSA) or any kind of physical illness (a
thorn of their own) may identify with Paul's courage in Christ, especially in
light of the resurrection.
Anyway, that's just my two cents worth.
May the contemplation of the incarnation of the Son of God made flesh instill
in you steadfast faith, lasting joy, unshakeable peace, and sure hope of
heavenly splendor.
Rev. Craig R. Harmon.
"Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:38:40 EDT