Corpus-Paul

["Doug C" <archy AT clara.co.uk>]

Hi Mark,
As far as I know even conservative commentators don't make this
identification but dismiss it fairly firmly (eg Ralph Martin in his Word
Commentary). I suppose the firmest internal argument against the
identification is that Paul is fairly clear that what he was given in
his "conversion" experience, his call to apostleship, was something he
could clearly speak of, whereas this is explicitly about mysteries he
cannot speak.
As far as the skolops goes: I've never seen an interpretation that
hasn't seemed like guesswork, based on some larger theory about Paul.
I've sometimes wondered if he knew, or even alludes to, Aesop's fable of
Androcles, but that's unproveable (and maybe fanciful). I have no idea
whether a careful reading of medical texts might point to a clue, but
suspect there's not enough extant material to do that work.
The metaphor would, I think, suggest the kind of sharp or burning pain
associated with a foreign body being inserted and causing inflammation,
which would probably rule out suggestions such as epilepsy or blindness,
but beyond that, I suspect we have only guesswork.

Doug Chaplin
archy AT clara.co.uk
 

-----Original Message-----
From: corpus-paul-admin AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:corpus-paul-admin AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Mark Goodacre
Sent: 08 January 2003 17:28
To: corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Corpus-Paul] Third heaven

Another question on 2 Cor. 12.  Is there anyone (reputable) who 
identifies the experience Paul speaks about here, 14 years ago, with 
his call/conversion?  I reckon it'd be difficult to squeeze 
everything from Paul's call to the writing of 2 Cor. into 14 years, 
but I'd be interested if anyone has made the identification.

Anyone willing to help me out with my earlier question on the thorn 
in the flesh?