The Mysticism of Paul

(Originally written November 12, 2006 in Book 11)

Chapter 2: Christianity: The Formative Years: The Mysticism of Paul

Paul was a Jew of the Diaspora. He was Hellenized, of a well-to-do family, educated and a Roman citizen.

Paul was extremely proud of his Jewish heritage.

He aimed himself to destroy the heretical Christian movement.

Paul's vision

Paul switched from persecuting Christians to spreading Christianity after a vision.

Christians explain this vision as a direct intervention of God, Freudians explain it as a psychotic man suffering from sexual repression and a father fixation. Epilepsy, fatigue and other mental problems have been labeled as the cause of Paul's transformation.

Paul's transformation, whatever the cause, had a monumental effect on the history o the Western world.

Paul interpreted Jesus' teachings in light of familiarity with Eastern mysticism.

Paul interpreted all of Early Christian teaching in a way that the Roman world could accept. His reinterpretation of it led to a cult to become a world religion.

The Letter to the Romans

Paul made the historical Jesus into a savior god and "built up a mythical setting for this god out of the Jewish legends and stories" (Jones, 41).

All men have inherited sin from the sin of Adam. Because of sin man's doomed, but Jesus was a savior for all.

Paul was ascetic, holding that the functions of the body were low.

Sin in Paul became associated with flesh and much wider than mere incontinence.

Paul adopted a dualism battle between flesh and spirit for his metaphysical base.

He held that the will was divided unless God intervenes to make it a unity.

This dualism was markedly different from Jesus' teachings.

Paul's asceticism was also much more severe than Jesus' mind-set.

Jesus took for granted that man was capable of working at his own problems, whereas Paul held man to be incompetently helpless.

Jesus held salvation to be obtainable by taking care of one's inner life. Paul believed man needed transcendental help.

Paul's dualism was two-fold:
1) Man was body and spirit
2) Jesus was God and Man

Each dualism had a battle between higher and lower principles, the only difference is that Jesus' higher principles was out unaided by God.

Paul placed emphasis on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus more than any other part of Jesus' life.

Jesus' suffering for us became Paul's chance to give all men hope to achieve the higher principle of life.

Like the Mystery cults, Paul emphasized the union of God and men. According to Paul, this happened through the salvation of man through Christ.

The Mystical Union with Christ

Paul's focus on the mystical union with Christ was a radical departure from the old worship of YHWH.

Man becomes identical with Christ according to Paul.

Paul regarded the Law as the way for man to live prior to the coming of Christ.

Paul attacked the Judaizing of Christianity. He focused on the ritual of circumcision.

Despite using Jesus as  a freeing from the Law, Paul still maintained religious rules so people did not live life as there were no consequences.

Some followers of Paul abused the freedom from the Law, but Paul corrected them, especially in Galatians.

Paul maintained that those who truly live in spirit will no longer want to do evil deeds.

Paul held love as the ultimate virtue; knowledge, beauty, strength and wisdom are nothing without love.

Love was the source of all other virtues. Paul also added to love the virtues of faith and hope as important virtues.

Paul's mysticism

Paul was eloquent and a phenomenal missionary.

Paul was brought before the Roman leadership in Jerusalem by the Jews. He was then imprisoned in Caesarea, transferred to Rome, had a long imprisonment and was executed in 62 AD.

Pauline Christianity

Paul was a mystic, not a philosopher. Paul's views have however persisted to be a part of philosophy since the Middle Ages.

Paul's unique cultural background is what enabled him to turn Christianity into a world religion.

The synthesis of Paul's views into a systematic view was a difficult task for Paul's followers.

Paul's view of salvation freed contradicting theses in his own works:
1) Salvation is magical (through ritual acts)
2) Salvation is spiritual (through mystic inner changes)

Paul was contradictory in faith and works to salvation.

Paul's doctrine of original sin was almost problematic. How did men inherit the sin of Adam? If man inherited sin how is he responsible for it? Why did God allow Adam to sin? These questions plague theologies still today.

Another major problem for Paul is Jesus is son of God, but monotheism has to be maintained by now.