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  • From: "Jeffrey B. Gibson" <jgibson000 AT mailhost.chi.ameritech.net>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Paul & Authority
  • Date: Mon, 05 Jul 1999 20:09:01 -0500


Jon Peter wrote:

> The most coherent sense I can make of Paul's attitude towards human
> authority is this: Such authority did indeed devolve from God to various
> kings *originally*. However, on earth this authority fell under corruption
> so that now such power is being exercised in the service of metaphysical
> evil.
>
> Other apostles shared this view of the power structure as well. (Jn
> 19.10-11, Jesus before Pilate).
>
> Apostles used Christ's superior spiritual power to wrestle the corrupted
> power away from the demonic forces which were manipulating kings and
> emperors like puppeteers. Demons are behind the thrones of corrupt earthly
> power. Said Paul --
>
> " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
> against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
> spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12
>
> Such power came from God originally -- "For by him were all things created,
> that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether
> they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were
> created by him, and for him."
>
> Even though the demons usurped these powers during the prior aeon, yet
> Christ has now conquered the Devil. -- "And having spoiled principalities
> and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."
> (Colossians 2:15 )
>
> Apostles possess this triumphant spiritual authority too, as deputies who
> may apply it against the demons. Neverthless, the apostles will also, like
> Christ, have their flesh destroyed by carnal potentates. The spiritual
> victory remains assured, in the dimension that really counts.

Two reactions to this:

First, even assuming you've interpreted the "powers" language of Ephesians and
Colosians correctly, a view rendered highly suspect when Walter Wink's work
on the
"powers" language of the NT is taken into account -- I wonder if you could
actually
make Paul as much a proponent of this essentially Gnostic view if you were to
limit
yourself to Epistles that have no suspicion of being Deutero-Pauline ?.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, how would you square your view up with
a theme
that is not only unquestionably Pauline but also appears in Colossians and
especially
Ephesians, namely, that what Jesus does -- or more accurately, what God has
done in
Jesus -- is the fulfilment of a national not a metaphysical, let alone an
individualistic, hope and brings to fruition the promise that Israel should
be the
source of blessings on all nations, reversing a curse that plagues this
world, not the
next?

Yours,

Jeffrey Gibson
--
Jeffrey B. Gibson
7423 N. Sheridan Road #2A
Chicago, Illinois 60626
e-mail jgibson000 AT ameritech.net






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