To: keats5
"Do we know what his "thorn in the flesh was yet?"
Many(most?) conservative Biblical scholars think it was a vision problem. Probably after suffering temporary blindness on the road to Damascus, he was never restored to full sight. There are things in his letters that would indicate he had poor eyesight.
A lesser held view was that Paul was marryed to a woman that wasn't a believer. This is not supported directly by scripture.
Whatever it was, it was given to him to keep him from becoming arrogant or prideful - that much scripture tells us.
28 posted on
02/17/2005 1:30:36 PM PST by
Sola Veritas
(Trying to speak truth - not always with the best grammar or spelling)
To: Sola Veritas; keats5
I'm betting that his side hurt.
43 posted on
02/17/2005 1:50:08 PM PST by
DannyTN
To: Sola Veritas
We also know that St Paul was a killer. He could have suffered from the trauma that killing brings to a soul: paranoia, vanity (rush of power), rage (or impatience with others' views). Recall that he encouraged those who wanted gentiles to be circumcised that the enforcers should go further and castrate themselves completely. That's not something I'd expect Jesus Himself to say, but hey, St Paul was just human. He had his pride to conquer.
Also, those who've murdered/killed have to deal with the ghosts of their past--literally. Jesus describes that when a Christian returns kindness for those who persecute, it's like dumping hot coals on their head. Persecuting Christians before becoming a Christian may have had lingering affects of guilt, along with the feeling of betraying his hardliner scholars and colleges he left behind (and had to abandon).
96 posted on
02/17/2005 3:32:04 PM PST by
SaltyJoe
("Social Justice" begins with the unborn child. "Fetus" means "young one".)
To: Sola Veritas
Thorn in the flesh?
I vote for Cardinal Sodano...
150 posted on
02/17/2005 5:57:48 PM PST by
Siobhan
(Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. Blessed Jacinta, pray for us. Blessed Francisco, pray for us.)
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