> General Discussions
A question derived from one of ray's papers.
DuluthGA:
HO! Well Kat, what can I say? No wonder I didn't get it right the first time... I didn't get it right the second time either! LOL.
Ok, I think I've got it now thanks to you. The creature must have been able to manifest physically in order to beat Paul up. [I was thinking it was a spirit and was causing him painful blows from the inside.]
Thanks kindly for bearing with me!
Janice
Kat:
Hi Janice,
Hey, I don't understand this whole demon thing to good either, I have never had any personal demon experiences. I'm just learning along with you :)
So how did Paul receive blows from this spirit 'creature,' I just don't know.
But I'm quite sure it was not 'inside' or possessed Paul.
Can a spirit being manifest itself physically? I didn't think so. It could possess animals as when Christ sent the demons out of the man into the swine (Matt 8:31). So did animals attack Paul?
I'm thinking how Job was beat down by Satan, maybe it was something like that.
Job 2:7 And Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah and struck Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head.
Maybe as with Job, Satan brought about all the calamities that came upon him, so with Paul, all the calamities that came upon him were from this demon creature. Interesting stuff, but hard to comprehend, for me anyway.
mercy, peace, and love
Kat
DuluthGA:
Hi Kat,
I'm just now getting back around to this; I'm so glad this came up. I think I'm gonna have to stick with the concept that Paul's splinter was an evil/nonbenevolent spirit messenger that was manifested physically [an animal or human form or some odd-looking creature, I don't know], not mind you, habiting an existing human life as in them being possessed, but just simply manifested physically so as to render the inordinant blows to Paul. It defies the laws of physics otherwise that a spirt form could beat up a physical form. Granted, it seems that this is the only instance of this occurring in Scripture that I know of, that is, of a nonbenevolent messenger given a physical form. [Other than the demons that were cast by Jesus into pigs, as you had mentioned.]
I think another clue comes from Ray's statement that "Only a creature of intelligence and mobility can possibly "withdraw" from someone." Mobility being the key word here indicating physicality.
There are several examples of benevolent messengers manifesting in physical human form in the O.T. The three guests that appeared to Abraham and Sarah and did eat, those who appeared to Lot predicting the ruin of Sodom, he who spoke to Hagar in the desert commanding her to return to the dwelling of Abraham, he who wrestled with Jacob on his return from Mesopotamia, the one who presented himself armed to Joshua on the plain of Jericho who declared he was the head of the army of the Lord, and more. Even Jesus' different physical manifestations gives the idea that God has ultimate control over these kinds of arrangements of matter.
With God all things are possible, of course. So until I hear evidence to the contrary, I think I now know for sure what Paul's splinter in the flesh was. Poor Paul!!
Thank you for your kind and diligent assistance in helping me put this together!! :)
... Just love stretchin' the ol' bean! :D
Joy, Janice
Deborah-Leigh:
I believe Paul was tormented by a poltergeist: that is a spirit believed to manifest its presence by rappings and other noises and also by acts of mischief, such as throwing furniture about. Ref Collins English Dictionary
DuluthGA:
Ahhh... with God all things are possible... ;)
Janice
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version