(October 30, 2015 at 2:26 pm)Drich Wrote:(October 30, 2015 at 2:11 pm)Irrational Wrote: Well, I see you have him all figured out.
I would say more so (Having Paul figured out) than someone who is simply interjecting random possiblities that do not account for any of the written record on who this man was or what he was about, in a half hearted effort to dismiss him.
Again, you dismissal of the physical punishment he endured does not account for the scaring and disfigurment he would have under gone if the reports of his beatings were true. (Again no plastic surgery, meaning if someone broke your nose you went around with a mangled nose the rest of your life) Paul being beaten as he describes left terrible disfiguring scars simply because they could not treat the wounds as we can.
Secondly You calling Paul a masochist does not account for his ablity for living well/under great ease and wealth. Paul knew how to live in times of persecution as well in times of great ease without it changing who he was. Most of us today can not say this. yet this is what he taught and want all of us to be ready for, because life can get away from us either in great wealth or times of great hardship.
Reason I'm not being too serious here is because I realize one can't always be confident in conclusions made about something a man 2000 years ago went through based on his own words and from a source that can't be 100% trusted.
Sometimes it's better to be agnostic and not jump into hasty conclusions. You need to account for the fact that people can lie, exaggerate, confabulate, be deluded, be crafty with their words, say things knowing no one would probably bother to challenge him on it. We have a lot of Pauls in this day and age as well, but you think he was one of a kind because you share the same faith he did.
