| PAUL'S CHRIST MYSTICISM
Jesus said to his disciples that "the knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been given to you" (Matt. 13:11, Mark. 4:11 and Luke 8:10). The Apostle Paul too speaks of the "mystery of Christ" and the "mystery of the Gospel" (Eph. 3:4, Col. 4:3 and Eph. 6:19). Believers were "those entrusted with the mysteries of God" and they proclaimed the Word so that the hearers "may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ" (1 Cor. 4:1, Eph. 3:9 and Col. 2:2). This "mystery of godliness" and "the mystery of faith" had to be kept with a pure conscience (1 Tim. 3:9 and 3:16). Theologians speak of Paul's Christ mysticism, in Greek "mysterion tou Khristou." The Mysteries in Jewish Literature When we make the acquaintance of the mysteries of Judaism, we enter alien waters. The Hebrew word for secret, "sod", appears numerous times in the Hodayot Scroll of the Qumran Essenes. The concept "the secret of truth" appears here at least seven times148, "the secret of the holy ones" twice149, "the secret of futility" once, as well as "the secret of lawlessness", which concept was known to Paul too.150 Also, "the secret of God", of which Paul spoke, appears in a beautiful way: "What, then, is man? He is nothing but earth. From clay is he fashioned and to dust he must return. But you give him wisdom about wonders like these and reveal to him the secret of God."151 The Qumran Scrolls also use another word for "mystery" - "raz". The phrase "razei pele" or "razei niflaoteikha," that is, "the mysteries of your marvels," appears ten times or so in the different Scrolls. Also, the phrase "razei El" or "the mysteries of God", is repeated here and there. Because precisely these oldest Hebrew sources of the Second Temple period possibly reflect the ideas that Paul met when he spent three years "in Arabia" or "in the wilderness" or "arabah" areas, there is good reason to study them. Hodayot says of these mysteries that "you hid me from the sons of man, concealed your Torah from me, until the moment of your salvation is revealed to me." And the Habakkuk Commentary says, "And God told Habakkuk to write what was going to happen to the last generation ("dor ha-aharon"), but he did not let him know the end of the age. And as for what he says, 'So that the one who reads it may run.' Its interpretation concerns the Teacher of Righteousness, to whom God has disclosed all the mysteries of his servants, the prophets. -- he will extend the final age ("qetz ha-aharon") and go beyond all that the prophets say, because the mysteries of God are wonderful."152 There are indeed formal similarities between the thought of Paul and the Essenes. Both speak of eschatological final events, justification and a righteous teacher, of a particular congregational order and related offices, of social responsibility and charity, of light and darkness, of truth and falsehood, of spiritual warfare and preparing for it, of the corruption of the flesh, of congregational love-meals and God's special mysteries. Also the work of the Holy Spirit is especially stressed in the writings of the Essenes. This arises from a common Old Testament legacy: "From my youth you have shown yourself to me in your wise ordinances, and with certain truth you have supported me and delighted me with your Holy Spirit." "I have received understanding, I have known you, my God, through the spirit which you gave to me, and I have listened loyally to the secret of your wonders.Through your Holy Spirit you have opened within me understanding of the mystery of your wisdom..." The Damascus Document also says that "He made his Holy Spirit known to through his Messiah and he is truth." And it states of the perverted sexual behaviour mentioned in Lev.18 that thus they "defile his Holy Spirit" ("et ruah qodsheihem tim'u").153 This is possibly the backgound image to grieving "the Holy Spirit of God" in Ephesians 4:30. When one makes such comparison, one must absolutely remember that these extra-biblical sources do not have any normative value for us -- they only testify to the background to the concepts and genuineness of the Gospel and Paul's letters. Professor David Flusser of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has emphasized in his lectures and writings that "the conceptual world of the Essenes and Christians was indeed akin, but in spirit and content they rather represent antitheses." In their interpretation of the Law and dietary and purification regulations the Essenes were even stricter than the contemporary Pharisees. They did not represent "sound doctrine" but confused the minds of new converts with their doctrines of angels and demands for fasting. It was they whom Paul meant in his last letters when he spoke of "the elementary powers of the world" and that they observe "days and months and seasons and years." One should not delight in "false humility and the worship of angels" and let oneself be governed by human regulations, (Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!) "Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship and their false humility." Instead one must hold to "the sound words of Christ" and not be "interested in controversies and disputes over words." One should be diligent in good works and avoid "senseless controversies and genealogies and arguments and disputes about the Law."154 In this similarity between the concepts of the NewTestament and the Essenes there is nothing surprising in itself. Rather, it would be strange if such similarity did not occur in these sources from the same period. Rabbinic literature has always aimed at interpreting the Bible's "hints" and "mysteries" (remez and sod). The esoteric "Qabbalah" wandered off the right track in creating a very extensive literature on doctrines of angel and mysteries relating to God's being ("razei El"). Only those over the age of forty were allowed to study them. The angel RAZIEL, whose numeric value in gematria is 248 and who thus knew the inner secrets of the two hundred and forty-eight "'do'- commandments", gave Adam the "Sefer Raziel", that is, "the Book of Raziel", an esoteric source. The enormous literature of the Qabbalah is occupied with these imaginary conjectures. They indeed have "an appearance of wisdom," but both Jesus and Paul entirely renounced them. Against this background we can well understand Jesus' "hodayah" or "praise" in Matthew 11:25 and Luke 10:21 : "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, 'I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.'" The Greek word for little child, "nepios", also means childlike and uncorrupted. Elements of Paul's Christ Mysticism Paul did not fall into esoteric peculiarities. He rested on the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. But they too are, as it were, sealed until the time of fulfilment. Therefore we are told about the disciples that the risen Jesus "opened their understanding to understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45). Jewish scholars often refer to Deut. 29:29: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may follow all the words of this Law." The word "Torah" or "teaching" is used here of the Law. One should also remember: "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it" (Deut. 4:2 and 12:32). On the other hand, it is said of the "second Moses" or the Messiah that "I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account" (Deut. 18:18-19). We have seen in many different ways that the Messiah has such authorisation to give "a new interpretation of the Law," "teamei Torah hadashim". And it was about interpretation of the Torah that Paul wrote to the various churches. Nevertheless, in all Bible interpretation it is good to remember an idea put forward by Martin Buber in discussion that "God has revealed of himself at any time only what is necessary for us." It reminds one of a discussion in the Talmud about the fact that in the case of the prophecies of the prophets "only a prophecy needed for future generations was recorded, whereas that which was not needed was not recorded."155 And what then is central and essential to "the Messianic secret"? Paul's Christ mysticism contains some basic emphases to which he always appealed "as one entrusted with the mysteries of God." He mainly concentrates on Christ as the redeemer, intercessor and victor over death. In addition, he emphasises that believers should "be in Christ" and walk "in the Spirit." Thus they build up the body of Christ, the Church. These are in a sense "ordinary" things; nevertheless profound mysteries are often associated with them. 1. The Mystery of Redemption The doctrine of atonement is perhaps best expressed in 2 Cor. 5:18-21: "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." From the viewpoint of human thinking what is strange here is that God reconciles himself. What is the basis for such thinking? All sin is sin against God (Psalm 51:6). Therefore only God can atone for our sins. When Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers and "offered unauthorised fire before the LORD," they were punished for it (Lev. 10:1). Of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement it is said that the people became "clean before the LORD" (Lev. 16:30). When the sons of Eli the priest fell into immorality, their sin was very great "before the LORD." Then Eli said, "If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" (1 Sam. 2:17,25). In Hebrew is used here the words "ufilelo Elohim" and "mi yitpallel lo," that is to say, "God prays for him" and "who will pray for him." The word root used here - "plili" - means guilt. Therefore the idea of mediation contains the thought that man's guilt is carried for him. Atonement always includes intercession and sacrifice. On the Day of Atonement the high priest shut himself up in the Holy of Holies and prayed there all night for the people. Therefore he took off his shoes from his feet, so that he would not fall asleep even for a moment. Also, in Gethsemane Jesus prayed his high priestly prayer before his passion. Thus he acted as mediator and expiator of our sins. The mystery of redemption is that "God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himself." Sweden's famous Professor and Rabbi Gottlieb Klein speaks of the long-prevailing "mediating idea" in Judaism, which is barely known. He connects the "logos" idea of the Jewish philosopher Philo, a contemporary of Jesus, with the beginning of John's Gospel, according to which Christ is the "logos", God's incarnate "Word" made concrete in history. And he says of Philo's thought, "To him the Logos is God's representative and envoy, angel and archangel, who communicates to us the revelation of God, the procedure by which God created the world. He is the high priest who prays with God for the world." Klein suggests that he is equated in Jewish literature with, for instance, the "Metatron" and "Mimra", God's creative word. The Greek words "meta thronon" mean "sitting on the throne of government." The gematric value of metatron is 314, that is, (50, 6, 200, 9, 9, 40) and it corresponds to the name of the Almighty Shaddai (10, 4, 300). Often these concepts are also equated with the Messiah.156 According to Paul, the Messiah's high priestly function is that as God's ambassador he has atoned for the sins of his people and now he acts as intercessor, sitting at the right hand of God. This is how we may understand the mystery mentioned in Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." Sometimes this strange association of ideas is reflected in the rabbis' expositions. Isaiah 63:9 says, "In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his face saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them." To the rabbis this "angel of the face" is the same as the "angel of the covenant" and "the prince of the face". In the well-known New Year prayer in the Jewish Siddur prayer-book is the petition: "May your will with you be that this trumpet sound which we sound" be heard "within your tent pegs by our representative Tartiel, whose name you have received from Elijah, and through the Prince of the face (of Jesus), and the prince (Meta"t) or Metatron.." According to Professor Klein, these special concepts refer to the Messiah. Jesus' name in brackets appears in the form "Yeshua". Jesus himself once spoke the remarkable words: "Anyone who sees me sees the one who sent me" and "anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn. 12:45 and 14:9). The rabbis say that Isaiah's "angel of the face" is "beshlihuto shel Maqom", that is, "in the mission given to him by God," and "always when they are in distress he too is distressed."157 Christian faith is not based on these rabbinic expositions, but they illustrate for their part the manysidedness of the Messiah mystery in old traditional interpretation. The Jews awaited a redeemer and "the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 1:68 and 2:38). Paul wrote of this mystery: "It is in him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption" (1 Cor.1:30). "We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of his grace" (Eph. 1:7). "In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation" (Col. 1:14-15). And all "are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). 2. The Expression 'in Christ Jesus' The heart of Paul's Christ mysticism is linked with a secret union which we experience as believers in identifying with our Saviour. This preposition "in", which emphasizes the believer's commitment to Jesus, also appears in the individual expressions "in Jesus", "in Christ", "in him", "in the blood of Jesus", "in the Holy Spirit", "in the Spirit" or, for example, "in the love of Christ". If one follows these phrases on the computer, one notes that they appear over one hundred and fifty times in Paul's letters. Jews too speak a lot of the concept "dveiqut" or "bond" -- the believer is, as it were, "davuq" or "glued" or "joined" to the will of God. Faith engenders such "intimacy". Already in his Areiopagus sermon (Acts 17:28) Paul had said that "in him we live and move and have our being." Paul writes, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). To Andronichus and Junias in Rome, his relatives and companions in prison, who had been "in Christ" before him, he sends his greetings (Rom. 16:7). "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17). "Do you not realise that Jesus Christ is in you?" (2 Cor. 13:5). "Now in Christ ... you have been brought near in the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13). "In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:14 and Eph. 1:7). "Rejoice in the Lord always " (Phil. 4:4). "I can do all things in him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13). And "the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17). Paul's union with Christ was reflected in his letters as images taken from life: He spoke of believers as "God's building", the "temple" of the Holy Spirit and "the body of Christ", in which we "are built as God's dwelling in the Spirit." "We are God's fellow-workers; you are God's field, God's building" (1 Cor. 3:9). "You are fellow-citizens with the saints and God's family, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief corner-stone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built as God's dwelling in the Spirit"(Eph. 2:19-22). "Do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple"(1 Cor. 3:16-17). "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body"(1 Cor. 6:19-20). "We who are many are one body in Christ, and each member belongs to all the others"(Rom. 12:5). "You are the body of Christ and each one of you his members" (1 Cor.12:27, 1 Cor. 6:15, Eph. 1:23, 5:30 etc). It was on these concepts that Paul based his message to the churches. The Essenes spoke at that time of the "deceitful" and "fleshly impulse" (yetzer remiya and yetzer basar); Paul too used similar terms. "Our old man" is crucified through Christ; "the natural man" does not receive what is of God's Spirit; "in our inner man" we agree with God's Law; God lets us be strengthened "in our inner man"; "although our outer man dies, yet the inner one is being renewed day by day"; you must put off "your old man" and "be renewed in your minds from the Spirit and put on the "new man"; you "have taken off the old man"; "God's man" should flee from sin, so that "God's man might be perfect, ready for all good works."158 All this is possible only in Christ. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17). Therefore Paul exhorts believers, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed (in Greek "metamorphousthe") by the renewing of your mind"(Rom. 12:2). Although then Paul taught pessimistically that there is nothing good in man himself, he assumed, however, that through his Holy Spirit God changes those who believe in him. This "metamorphosis" or "change of shape" is entirely God's work. In 2 Cor. 3:18 he says that "we" who look at the Lord's glory "are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." Paul used of "repentance" a word which describes its nature -"metanoia" or "change of mind". Man is indeed "at the same time a sinner and justified" and only in eternity is our essential wretchedness stripped away. Man's earthen make-up does not change. "Our old man" lives side by side with "the new man", as once famous Siamese twins had to suffer each other: one of them had an inclination towards alcohol, the other enjoyed more spiritual interests. The Essenes believed they could conquer the evil dwelling in them by ever stricter fasting and good works. Paul did not trust in his own strength. However, he was "confident of this, that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6). It was this change of mind, being in Christ, walking in the Spirit and firm trust in God's grace that represented Paul's spiritual realism and his Christ mysticism. In Colossians 1 he speaks of "the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations"; and "the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col.1:26-27). Here there are perhaps, as Peter said, some things difficult to understand, yet it is real and it works. When Paul used the expressions "building", "dwelling" and "temple", it leads one to ask whether the Old Testament supports these ideas. In the book of Isaiah there are two verses which are often connected with the same "family", as is done in the Hillelite associative method described above. Isaiah 28:16 says, "Thus says the Sovereign LORD: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed' " (Heb. "yahish", "hurry"). The most highly recognized Jewish scholar RaSHI says, "He is the Messiah-King, who will be the touchstone of Zion." RaSHI also says that the rejected "corner-stone" in Psalm 118 is the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem. MalbiM's extensive expository work Biur ha-inyan says of the expression "musad mussad" or "strongly founded" corner-stone that it is "strong and tested" and it will be laid "as the main stone" (Ps. 118:22). "It will be the foundation of the foundations, because it supports the whole building; and the fact that it does not need to hurry means that "this will not happen immediately, but first much suffering is ahead." Isaiah 8:14 says, "And he will be a sanctuary, a stone of offence and stumbling-block to both houses of Israel."159 The New Testament regards this as a prophecy of Christ (Matt. 21:44, Luke 2:34 and 20:18). Similarly, the Talmud too thinks that it refers to "the Messiah, the Son of David."160 Again the Biur ha-inyan explains: "And he will be a sanctuary; as he is sanctified, he will be a sanctuary." The original Greek expression, "en Khristo einai" or "to be in Christ", is associated with this mystical union. The Messiah is "the Holy One of Israel". This expression, which occurs fourteen times in the book of Isaiah, refers in some contexts in a concealed way to the Messiah. Isaiah 55:3 says, "Come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, I will give the sure mercies of David." And we further read, "Surely you will summon nations (or Gentiles) you know not, and nations (or Gentiles) that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he will glorify you." Rabbi David Kimhi or RaDaK, "without whom there is no right Bible exposition," says that " 'the sure mercies of David' mean the Messiah, for of him is used the name of David; and it is written that my servant David will be their prince for ever (Ezek. 37:25) ... and he will be teacher of the peoples."161 The New Testament also supports this idea. Peter says to Jesus, "You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God" (Jn. 6:68-69). Similarly, Peter says in the Acts of the Apostles, "You will not let your Holy One see decay" and "You disowned the Holy and Righteous One" (Acts 2:27 and 3:14). Mark and Luke also use of Jesus the expression "the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24 and Luke 4:34). If this is so, then the exposition of the Biur ha-inyan is set in the right light. Because Jesus is the Holy One of God and because he is sanctified, in this sense "he will become a sanctuary." Thus are also realized Paul's words that in Jesus Christ "the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord" (Eph. 2:21). Baptism and the Lord's Supper are also connected with this mystery. Of baptism Paul writes that we "who have been baptised into Christ Jesus, have been baptised into his death." "So we have then together with him been buried through baptism into death" (Rom. 6:3-4). And from this he concludes that when we have "died with Christ," we may also "live" with him, and thus we can walk "in new life." On the other hand, "we were all in one Spirit baptised into one body -- whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free" (1 Cor. 12:13). Perhaps the most beautiful picture of baptism is in Galatians 3:27-28: "All of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." In quite a similar way, just as the majority of Jewish scholars emphasise that the Gentile who has received proselyte baptism and the native-born Jew have the same rights to the old covenant, in the New Covenant too there is no distinction among the baptised. In this respect too there are no legal differences between man and woman when they have put on Christ. The Lord's Supper is the meal of the New Covenant. It is also a love-meal and fellowship meal. One day we will eat it "new" in the Kingdom of God. We have already stated in connection with Paul's third missionary journey that the night-time meal at Troas might have been the so-called "melaveh malkah", which is also popularly called "the Messiah's meal". The Midrash on Ruth links this term with the Suffering Servant of the Lord in Isaiah chapter 53. And it repeats four times: "He who eats the Messiah's meal in this world will eat it in the life to come." Furthermore, in sacrificial language the expression "guf ha-Pesah" or the Passover "body" is used of the Passover lamb. Also in Psalms 22 and 23 include the idea of this Messianic meal. To Paul this "communion", or literally "fellowship", meant fellowship between the church and Christ. We are the body of Christ. The communion wine is participation in "the blood of Christ" and the bread that we break is participation in "the body of Christ." And "because there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread"(1 Cor. 10:16-17). This mystery too is part of Paul's Christ mysticism. 3. The Theology of Death and Life We would not be doing justice to Paul if we did not connect all his thought with the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus. At the beginning of 1 Corinthians he says that he preaches "Christ crucified, who is a stumbling-block (or "skandalon", a scandal) to Jews," whereas to the Gentiles it is "foolishness", because they do not comprehend the centrality of the idea of atonement in the Bible. The Jews understand it too painfully and therefore they are offended by it. Nevertheless, Christ crucified is "the power of God and the wisdom of God." And Paul continues: "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 1:23-24 and 2:2). He expounded the same principle to King Agrippa: "I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen -- that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:22-23). This created Paul's theology of death and life. But what does the cross mean in practice? One four-year-old child saw a cross and studied it thoughtfully. Finally, pointing at the crosspiece of the cross, he said, "Granny, look! Death is wiped away on piece of wood!" Thus the cross is a "tree of life". Paul would certainly agree with this childlike theology. To him the message of the cross was not the result of theoretical reasoning. In the death of Jesus he found the answer to the searching of his own life. In relation to Paul's teaching one can speak the language of theology or as the rabbis sometimes say the language "of the Torah". Then there might remain unnoticed the practical dimensions in which the believer has to fight against the different faces of death. In Colossians 3:3 Paul says that the believer is dead and that his "life is concealed with Christ in God." The Greek word used here - "krypto" - means hidden and secret, just like living in a "crypt". According to Romans chapter 6, the believer is crucified, dead and buried with Christ. And he no longer lives his own life but one bound to Christ. In 2:28-29 Paul says also, "A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and true circumcision is circumcision of the heart in the Spirit." Here is the same idea of concealment. Paul died to all of his former life. His entire world of values had changed. What was gain to him before, was now loss. Now he felt that when he is weak, he is strong. When he is poor, he is rich. He died even to the Torah, which used to be the most precious thing in his life. Now he said words the shocking to the pious Jew: "neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value, " -- but "a new creation", "faith expressing itself through love" and "keeping God's commands" (Gal. 5:6, 6:15 and 1 Cor. 7:19). This three times repeated comparison of circumcision and more important values meant that God's will should indeed be done. But only a new creation freed from the slavery of the old man can appropriate faith working through love. And now Paul evaluated everything in the light of eternity. Where did Paul get this "theology of death and life" from? Jesus taught this self-denial and bearing the yoke. "Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matt. 10:38-39). "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (Jn. 12:24). A man must experience a very profound shock before he adopts this mystery as the guiding principle of his life. This is what happened to Paul on the Damascus road. The English-speaking world has access to Professor Ernest Becker's book "The Denial of Death". In it speaks contemporary man's attempt to flee from reality through artificial "heroism", narcissistic self-conceit, emotional religiosity, flight into various neuroses and the denial of death. The reality of life should be faced as it is. To Paul death was indeed a tyranny. He says too that "the last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Cor. 15:26). Meeting death always shocks the foundations of our life. We experience this when one of our close relatives, friends, our own child or spouse is taken away. However, Christ already conquered death's grip on us. Therefore Paul writes, "To me life is Christ and death is gain" (Phil. 1:21). Denying death also means denying life. Life is in fact constant acceptance of death. As a child we have to die to our parents; when we get married we must die to selfishness; in time we have to die to our own children; as we withdraw from working life we have to mortify ourselves from wrong ambition; and finally we die to health and life. If we attempt to circumvent our problems and do not accept "our body of clay", we drift into a state of emotional distress. The process of relinquishment creates life. Being aware of our limitations helps us to relate our problems to the reality of life. A distressed man does not accept himself or others. He does not consent to life or death. He does not love nor allow himself to be loved. He would like to be a bystander in the struggle of existence. He tries to zigzag past life and death without facing either. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Cor. 4 and 5 that we always carry the death of Jesus in our bodies, so that his life too would become manifest in us. Death does its work in us; but we do not lose courage even if the outer man perishes, for our inner man is renewed day by day. In this sense "we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2 Cor. 4:7). We have stated that a man's teaching reflects his world of values and
life. Paul's life was concealed in Christ. His motto might be summarized
in the words of 2 Cor. 5:14-15: "Christ's love compels us, because
we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he
died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves
but for him who died for them and was raised again." The Greek word for
"compel" means "demanding" and "keeping together and in force" and "governing
and controlling". Thus Christ's death had become for Paul a power which
"kept him together" inwardly and "controlled" all his activities.
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