II. Corinthians 7:8–10

Pentecost: Paul the Pastor in 2 Corinthians

Corinthians 13:8–13 and the Cessation of Miraculous Gifts

8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with chi...

A Comparison of Glossolalia in Acts and Corinthians

Some people accuse Pentecostals of neglecting Pauline evidence and of constructing their theology on inferential evidence rather than scriptural statements. In other words, they claim Pentecostals employ passages in Acts on the sheer basis of precedent in order to build a doctrine of the initial evidence of tongues to support their experience. To augment their position they advance the followin...

“SEEING THE ERRoR of My WAyS”. REvISITING PAul’S PARAdIGMATIC, SElf-CRITICAl REMARkS IN 1 CoRINTHIANS

In the ancient Mediterranean world any public admission of weakness reflected badly on one’s personal status and honour, as well as the public reputation of one’s group. However, in 1 Corinthians 15:8-10 Paul openly admits about being in error in the past regarding the true identity of Christ. Within the larger cultural framework of meaning, the apostle’s graphic confession redefines his prior ...

The Ascension Motif of 2 Corinthians 12 in Jewish, Christian and Gnostic Texts

The heavenly ascent motif is common in religious documents of late antiquity. A preoccupation with the similarities between these accounts leads some to overlook the equally important differences. Care should be taken, however, to distinguish between mystical esotericism and extraordinary religious encounter. Earlier Jewish traditions provide the proper context for understanding Paul's visions ...