Unveiling the Hidden Wisdom of God in Paul’s Teachings
Speaking “In a Mystery” Among the Mature
Paul's assertion that he speaks “in a mystery” among the mature (1 Cor 2:6-7) raises significant interpretative questions. This phrase can be understood in various ways, and its meaning is crucial to grasping Paul’s message. As T.J. Lang’s research reveals, the prepositional phrase ἐν μυστηρίῳ (in a mystery) frequently modifies verbs related to speaking or transmitting information in early Christian texts, suggesting that Paul’s use of the term points to a mode of communication rather than the content of the wisdom itself.
In Mark 4, Jesus speaks to the crowds in parables but provides private explanations to a select group, “those around him with the Twelve.” This inner circle receives the understanding that the parables convey the "mystery of the kingdom of God," hidden from those outside. This scenario is echoed in Irenaeus’s account of Carpocratian teachings and Clement of Alexandria’s writings, where Jesus is depicted as speaking “in a mystery” to his disciples. This combination of private, enigmatic instruction aligns with Paul’s approach of imparting wisdom among the mature, suggesting that his hidden wisdom is similarly conveyed in a figurative and private manner.
The Essence of Paul’s Hidden Wisdom
Paul’s description of the hidden wisdom in 1 Corinthians 2:6-10a provides essential clues about its nature:
"Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit."
This passage contrasts the wisdom of God with worldly wisdom and highlights the eschatological reversal that God’s wisdom entails. The rulers of this age, symbolizing human wisdom and power, failed to comprehend this divine wisdom, leading to their crucifixion of the "Lord of glory." Paul’s use of "glory" here is significant, connecting the crucifixion with the ultimate glorification of believers, a theme he elaborates on further in his writings.
Transformative Glory and the Image of God
Paul’s understanding of transformation into the image of the risen Christ is further elucidated in 2 Corinthians 3:18 and 4:3-6:
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
These passages indicate that believers are being transformed into the glorious image of Christ. This transformation is an ongoing process, moving "from one degree of glory to another." Paul’s attribution of "the image of God" and "the glory of God" to the risen Christ evokes the biblical concept of the Kavod, the human-like incarnation of God’s glory depicted in throne visions. This transformative process aligns with Paul’s broader theological vision, where believers are progressively becoming their future, resurrected selves.
The Interconnectedness of Glory and Transformation
Paul’s understanding of the believers’ transformation involves a transition from the natural (psychikos) body to the spiritual (pneumatikos) body, as described in 1 Corinthians 15:36-44:
"You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."
Paul explains that earthly bodies possess a kind of glory, albeit lesser than the glory of heavenly bodies. This lesser glory of the natural body is transformed into the greater glory of the spiritual body through resurrection. This transformative process mirrors the transition from the image of the earthly man (psychikos) to the image of the heavenly man (pneumatikos), consistent with Paul’s use of these terms in characterizing spiritual maturity.
The Suffering and Glory Connection
Paul's depiction of his ministry as the “manifestation of the truth” and the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor 4:2, 4) emphasizes how the life of Jesus is revealed through suffering:
"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." (2 Cor 4:8-11)
Here, “the life of Jesus” likely refers to the resurrection power, as it becomes evident through Paul’s sufferings. The statement "So death is at work in us, but life in you" (2 Cor 4:12) highlights the transformative impact of witnessing this manifestation of Jesus’ life in Paul’s dying.
This theme of inner renewal and outward decay is further developed at the end of the chapter:
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Cor 4:16-18)
Participation in Jesus’ suffering and death is crucial for achieving the glory and immortality of the resurrection body. The inner person is renewed through the death of the outer person, analogous to a plant emerging from the death of its seed (1 Cor 15:36-38, 44). Paul suggests that for the inner person to be transformed into the glorious image of the risen Lord, the outer person must simultaneously conform to Jesus in his death.
Vision of the Risen Lord
Paul's inclusion of his collaborators as recipients and containers of the light God has “shone in our hearts” suggests that they, too, might have experienced some form of direct vision of the risen Lord. Descriptions of Christ’s appearances to Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:6 and Galatians 1:15-16 imply that he considered this appearance an inner event, visible with the eyes of the soul. Paul recounts being "caught up to the third heaven... in paradise" (2 Cor 12:2-4) and experiencing "visions and revelations of the Lord" (12:1) in an altered state of consciousness. Although this extraordinary experience was unique to Paul, it suggests that the hidden wisdom he imparted could aim to facilitate less extraordinary mystical experiences of noetic realities alluded to in 1 Corinthians 2:9 and 2 Corinthians 4:18, ideally culminating in a vision of Christ as the glory of God.
Paul's choice of the title "the Lord of glory" for Christ in 1 Corinthians 2:8 reinforces this hypothesis by evoking the Kavod, the divine glory seen in mystical throne visions. This provides further evidence that his hidden wisdom pertains to the glory described in 2 Corinthians 3:18 and 4:4, 6.
Predestination and Glorification
Before concluding that the process of internal transformation into the glory and image of the risen Christ is central to Paul’s hidden wisdom, we must consider two elements in 1 Corinthians 2:6-9 that do not appear in his development of this theme in 2 Corinthians: the glorification preordained by God “before the ages” and prepared “for those who love him.” These thoughts appear only in one other place in Paul's writings: Romans 8.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Rom 8:28-30)
Paul’s theology here is more systematic than in the Corinthian letters, describing the glorification of “those who love God” as the final outcome of a preordained purpose connected to Jesus’ resurrection. These verses also describe glorification in terms of conformity to the image of God’s Son, aligning with the concept Paul applies in 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Conclusion
Paul’s hidden wisdom involves a transformative process whereby believers, through suffering and inner renewal, are progressively conformed to the image and glory of the risen Christ. This process, preordained by God and revealed through the Spirit, transcends human understanding and worldly wisdom, ultimately culminating in the glorification of believers. By speaking "in a mystery," Paul preserves the sacred and transformative power of this wisdom, ensuring it is grasped by those spiritually mature and prepared to understand its profound implications.
This blog post is based on content from Scott Brown's paper, L'esoterismo in Paolo: La sapienza nascosta di 1 Cor 2,6-3,4.
Comments
Post a Comment