The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1920-02-07


ter 12:1-10.
1. The visions and revelations of the
Lord which were given unto Paul-Verst
One
g. He obtained these by being caught up tt
the Third Heaven and into Paradise-Verse
Two to Four.
He went INTO Paradise but not into the
Third Heaven.
Paradise is only the receptacle of the
departed (Righteous) spirits. Since oul
Lords Resurrection it is the outer court Of
the Third Heaven.
3. Paul's catching up (and the revelation
of persons and conditions in Paradise to him)
occurred ''above fourteen years" before go
A. D., when he wrote II Corinthians. That
would be 46 A. D. when he was stoned and
left for dead at Lystra (Acts IA: 1929. AS
his mangled body lay there outside Lystra, he
had this experience. He knew not whether
he was Gin the body, or out of the body
''God knOWeth.''
perience came, Paul, the Apostle, would boast,
but of himself, as man in the flesh, he would
not-Verses Five and Six.
s. Verse Seven clearly Identifies Paul as
! the man who was caught up-who had the
wonderful experience
g. WHAT WAS THE THORN?
Cd "The messenger of Satan to buffet
! (prick and remind) me-"
GU Some think it was the women of the
Corinthian Church. especially some particular
| ly obnoxious one This is mere speculation.
There is no Scripture for any such theory.
| CD This much is certain 1t was a thorn
in the f1esh''-his body. 1t vitality affected
his bodily appearance-in some respects MAX
ing it repulsive and offensive to the "high-
toned and inconsiderate
Do other Scriptures justify this view?
Carefully compare II Corinthians 10:8-11; 2:
3, 4; Corinthians 2:1-5; Galatians 4:13-15
From these and other passages we
learn that it greatly affected his body:
(a) 1t made him appear weak" and con-
temptible
CD 1t greatly affected his eye-sight: at
times he could scarcely see. Galatians GIL
ought to read: ''Ye see with what large let
ters I have written with mine own hand
having to make very large letters in order to
see what he had written.
Co Some think that it so bent his body
over with his head down to shield his eyes
that he became an actual hunchback
(4) Paul again refers to it in Galatians g.
II and calls it THE MARKING OF THE
LORD JESUS CHRISTINE way that the
Lord had marked him out as the chief suffer
ing Apostle. Compare Colossians 1:24
Z. THE OBJECT OF THE THORN is twice
stated in Verse Severn
''Lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelation
Self-infation (too much of your own self is
such notorious sin that it seems like "a
thorn in the flesh would be good thing for
both officers and members in Zion today. See
Romans 1878; Galatians 6:3; I Corinthians
1912.
8. Paul's prayer to have the ''thorn" re-
moved-Verse Eight. His prayer was heard,
but why was it not answered as he AT FIRST
desired?
CD 1t was necessary that it continue to
prick him in order that he might be kept
humble-"lest I should be exalted above
measure etc. This purpose was accom-
plished to the end of his Apostleship. See
Ephesians 3:8, first line.
CD "My grace is sufficient for thee"-and
it was.
60 Paul said, "My Strength (Jesus Christ
Himself) is made perfect" full chance,
Sin my Weakness
Cd In enduring the thorn the power of
Christ rested upon him-Verse Nine.
90 cit constantly shows me my weakness,
but then I become strong in Christ; SO that
I can rejoice as in Verse Ten.
CO In suffering he could become the
"chiefest'' Apostle-Verse Eleven.
8. That Pauls thorn was not removed has
nothing to do in refuting the doctrine of
Divine Healing
The Bible is full of Divine Healing aside
from this incident.
The enemies of Divine Healing make
much ado about Paul's not getting his thorn
removed. They do this in order to throw
out case in favor of doctors, surgeons and
drugs.
According to an apostate church-system,
a surgeon ought to have come in and cut out
Paul's thorn when the Lord refused to take
it out.
What fool Paul was to endure suffer-
ing ministry when he could have had his
thorn cut out!
But that would have meant to ignore
the Lord Jesus!
Lord Jesus make to Internal, Satanically-
invented medical fraternity? In their estim-
alton the Lord Jesus is only piece of rubbish
to be brushed to one side.
II. THE APOSTOLIC ATTITUDE TOWARD
CORINTH-Chapter Twelve, Vers e
Eleven to end of Epistle.
1. Paul became the ''chiefest" Apostle to
them by his suHerings, preaching, signs and
wonders, etc.-Verses Eleven and Twelve.
2. He mistakably refused to use any tithes
from that church for himself. He asks them
to forgive him that WrOng-Verse Thirteen
AS General Overseer, he was entitled to an
allowance. So, too, is the present General
Overseer.
8. Paul's present attitude clearly stated in
Verses Fourteen to Sixteen.
This was his third visit, and that Church
could make it easy or difficult for themselves
4. His service and that of the Apostle Titus
was disinterested-fo their good and Gods
glory-Verses Seventeen to Nineteen, Chapter
Twelve
5. Pauls fear of some in that church to
the very last-Chapter Twelve, Verse Twenty
to Chapter Thirteen, Verse Four Note the
sins mentioned and the intimation that apos-
tolic discipline would have to follow.
Note we'll the fact that it was in Corinth
where so many refused to recognize Paul's
Apostleship, as the General Overseer, and that
here these sins and weaknesses grew up.
The same will hold good in Zion today