Chapter 1

Cosmic Paul

These are times of unprecedented mental confusion, emotional distress and social turmoil, though not surprisingly for those with an ear to the prophetic. Modern technology has advanced far beyond
man’s capacity to use it for good or value it with a long term holistic perspective; God, man, flora, fauna and heaven’s inhabitants considered. What behooves the human race? What are the answers to the questions? What are the questions? What is of consequence? Philosophers, theologians, performance coaches, new age gurus, charismatic religious leaders, brokers of politics and finance have become industries in modern society, sought out for answers and leadership by
the benighted masses. These all represent the best in an age of scripted solutions bartered or sold for influence or money. Paul is both victim and victorious. A victim in that he had been accosted, arrested and taken captive by God against his will to live and act in ways he never intended for himself; victorious as one who soon became aware of the exalted mission he was chosen for — a mission with cosmic ramifications.[1] He engaged his mission not as one taking up a story line or explaining the meaning of Jewish history to his sectarian brethren, but as one with an entirely new message; a message never heard or even conceived of by men or angels. In reading Paul’s letters, we soon appreciate his struggle as a revealer of mysteries, using languages and concepts hardly suited to his other-worldly task. His personal experiences, instead of being reference points on a quest for wisdom and personal growth were lost to him as distractions.[2] Language and culture and history were extraneous to the essential message, hence, the Greek Paul in Greece, the Roman Paul in Rome, the man for all places and all times — the free man. He refused to judge himself and felt inadequate to judge others[3]. This was the cosmic Paul who acknowledged having a complete lack of useful reference points from which to judge the ultimate value of others. There is a cosmic Paul and there is a cultural, ecclesiastical Paul; understanding the difference will clear up much confusion when interpreting his epistles. Remember, he had been to heaven and back and what he saw opened his mind. The dichotomy of Paul is not surprising since he learned of Christ as one with both a mission to his people, Israel, as well as a mission to the whole world.