Re: Naked Bible 164: Paul’s Ascent and Angelic Torment with David Burnett
In 2 Corinthians 11-12, Paul mocks the boasting of those who call themselves “apostles”. Among other things, he said that he was a Hebrew (ethnic identity), an Israelite (covenant identity) and a seed of Abraham — something entirely different. He mentions in Galatians what a true child of Abraham is: someone who carries the faith of Abraham and believes in the promises he received.
Thus, Paul taps into something very special that most modern believers don’t grasp. Within the Second Temple literature is a book called Apocalypse of Abraham. It references Genesis 15 where God takes Abraham outside to look at the stars. The odd thing about the Hebrew language is the grammatical ambiguity of “outside” — it could mean outside of the body, outside of the world, as in a vision of celestial things. Further, when Abraham is directed to look toward the heavens, it could easily be translated “look down” — as if Abraham is above/outside the created universe.
Granted, this is likely somewhat an embellished tale, but the tradition was that Abraham was in the Eighth Heaven. We already know that other New Testament writers would sometimes refer to rabbinical mythology in a literary sense, using the terminology of something to call to mind a much bigger concept than what the words alone mean. So, it is not necessary to insist that Paul actually took literally those traditions, so much as he was using it like poetry to reference things his Hebrew audience would recognize.
The Scripture text refers to Abraham as a prophet. Given the wider context of what he saw from that situation, it is likely he caught a glimpse of the future events that would climax in the victory of his seed. Naturally, that includes the Messiah. That’s our victory as the Elect of Christ’s Kingdom.
Elsewhere in Second Temple literature, Abraham was encouraged to think of the stars — symbolizing the elohim powers in God’s court — as beneath his feet. It was rather like having a good pair of sandals and able to tread down thorns. Thorns are an ancient symbol of the troubles of this world caused by the interference of those higher powers — “thorns and thistles the ground will produce for you.” Thus, Abraham is being told that his seed will someday walk on those powers, as Paul notes in Romans 16 (the Devil under our feet). Back in Genesis 15, his seed will displace those powers: “So shall your descendants be” like the stars. More than just numerous, his descendants will displace the heavenly powers.
This is part of what Paul is indicating by his “fool’s boast” in 2 Corinthians. He shows the inversion of how God works. Christ’s victory was the Cross, so our victory is defeating the flesh the same way. If we catch a vision of what Paul endured as carrying his own cross, then we see how we can defeat all the powers and authorities that opposed Christ.
As with Christ and Paul, we choose to suffer willingly; that’s the victory. We stay here in a world not made for us and turn it all upside down. We are no longer trapped here with the Devil and his allies; they are trapped here with us. We don’t win through marketing, the three Bs (bodies, budgets, buildings) and having a TV channel with church programming. We don’t use earthly powers. We win through the blood of Christ, the Word of testimony, and by not caring about this life.
Paul didn’t see the Eighth Heaven, but the Third. It was enough for him to be granted a vision of this war via spiritual powers over the authorities of our Enemy. Paul received his thorn in the flesh, a reminder that he was still in this world with a mission ahead of him. In an inverse way, he’s “boasting” that he merits a personal tempter lodged in his own flesh. God’s power is perfected in our weakness, our humility about who we are and what is due us.
