Corpus-Paul

[robertbayer AT juno.com]

Although I did not know Bishop Pillai I have many friends who did. 
Bishop Pillai was born in India in the early part of the twentieth
century (or perhaps late 19th century).  He was raised a Hindu in a
traditional Indian village.  He converted to Christianity, but felt that
sometimes the traditional village life he knew reflected the culture of
the Bible better than some western interpretations.  I don't now how
exactly the internet citation reflects his actual teaching but I am
certain that he did observe something similar to what is related below. 
He was not opposed to western scholarship but felt that his experience of
traditional village life was worth consideration.  By the time of his
death, the way of life which had endured for centuries in the village of
his youth was almost over. 
                    

Bob Bayer
Winchendon, MA USA
         


On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 14:50:05 -0500 "James Ernest" <jdemail AT charter.net>
writes:
> Apologies for a low-brow question: I have regarded the explanations 
> such as
> the following basically as homiletical "urban legends." Would 
> someone kindly
> correct me if I'm wrong.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> James Ernest
> jdemail AT charter.net
> 
> --------------------------------------------------
> begin quote from a website that cites Light through an Easter Window 
> by
> Bishop K. C. Pillai:
> 
> Romans 12: 20 -- Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he 
> thirst,
> give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his 
> head.
> 
> To us this verse sounds like it might be some sort of revenge to 
> take on
> your enemies. Dumping hot coals on someone's head sounds pretty 
> serious, but
> in Eastern life it meant something quite different. In the village, 
> not all
> households were equipped to start a fire in the morning. A woman who 
> had a
> flint would start a fire, and she would place hot coals on a shard 
> of
> pottery. Her young son would take the pottery and place it on his 
> head, then
> go from house to house in the village, sharing the coals so everyone 
> could
> have a fire. On those cold mornings, the boy was warmed by the coals 
> he
> carried on his head. This verse is telling us that our actions 
> towards our
> enemies should 'warm them' and is stressed more clearly in the next 
> verse. 
> 
> 
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