Paul --- Visions, Lepers and Numbers 12

[robert j]

In another thread --- http://earlywritings.com/forum/viewtopi ... 4&start=20 --- Peter and Ulan wrote ---

I'm not finding where the texts discuss let alone dive into details regarding alleged 'dream-like' states. It doesn't appear to arise from the sources, making it difficult to agree to.

At least claiming a vision should be authoritative enough (from a biblical viewpoint):

Numbers 12:6 And he said, “Hear my words:

When there are prophets among you,
I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams.

But yes, there's no direct classification of first sightings as dreams or visions, except with Paul.

It seems Paul used Numbers (chapter 12), including the verse from Numbers cited by Ulan, to construct his story about his earliest experiences with a belief in Jesus Christ. And also to construct his story of his "calling" to the faith through the grace of god by means of a revelation. Paul drew on the story of Miriam to construct his own backstory.

Paul evidently told the Galatians and the Corinthians the story in some detail during his initial evangelizing visit --- and he reminded them about the story in his letters as seen in the first citations in the table ---

Paul Galatians chapter 1 and 1 Corinthians chapter 15	Numbers 12 and Jeremiah 1 (LXX)
For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism … (Gal 1:13) For I delivered to you first of all … (1 Cor 15:3)
... I was persecuting the assembly of God … (Gal 1:13) … I persecuted the assembly of God. (1 Cor 15:9)	And Mariam and Aaron spoke against Moses … (Numbers 12:1) "And why were you not afraid to speak against my attendant Moses?” And the anger of the Lord’s wrath was against them ... (Numbers 12:8-9)
And last of all, as the ektroma, he was seen by me also … because I persecuted the assembly of God. (1 Cor 15:8-9) [Paul was like the ektroma because, like Miriam, he was ignorant and he sinned]	… Mariam was leprous like snow … And Aaron said to Moses, “I beg you, Sir, do not lay extra sin upon us, because we were ignorant in that we sinned. Do not let her be like unto death, like an ektroma coming out of a mother’s womb… " (Numbers 12:9-12)
But when God, the One having selected me from my mother's womb, (Gal 1:15) [But when Paul was younger, he claimed to have persecuted of the assembly of God before being granted spiritual healing by the grace of God, and called by God to bring the word to the Gentiles] and having called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles. (Gal 1:15-16)	And a word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb, I had consecrated you; a prophet to nations I had made you.”(Jeremiah 1:4-5). [Paul would have also found support in Isaiah 49:5-6] [And just like Jeremiah, Paul's calling, his appointment, came later in his life. Jeremiah was a youth (1:6) when the Lord called him to work among the Gentiles, and said to him --- ] "Behold, today I have appointed you over nations ... " (Jeremiah 1:10)
… the gospel having been preached by me, is not according to man … but by a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:11-12) But when God ... was pleased to reveal His Son in me ... (Gal 1:15-16)	"Behold, I have placed my words in your mouth." (Jeremiah 1:9) … And the Lord … said to them, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet of you for the Lord, in a vision I will be known to him, and in sleep I will speak to him." (Numbers 12:5-6)
But when God … having called me by His grace … (Gal 1:15) … I went away into Arabia and returned again … (Gal 1:17) [Like Miriam, after receiving God's grace, Paul separated himself in the land of Moses, and returned cleansed. Paul believed that Mount Sinai is in Arabia, see Galatians 4:25]	And Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “O God, I beg you, heal her!” And the Lord said to Moses … Let her be separated for seven days outside the camp, and afterwards she shall enter.” And Mariam was kept apart outside the camp … until Mariam was cleansed. (Numbers 12:13-15)

The concept of the ektroma --- in the sense of one sinning or doing evil against God as used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:8-9 --- can be traced back in time in a Jewish context ---

The Jewish Scriptures

… Mariam was leprous like snow … And Aaron said to Moses, “I beg you, Sir, do not lay extra sin upon us, because we were ignorant in that we sinned. Do not let her be like unto death, like an ektroma coming out of a mother’s womb… " (Numbers 12:9-12, LXX)

The Jewish Philo, a near contemporary of Paul, expanded on the concept ---

Philo, Allegorical Interpretation I, XXIV (76);

“But, though always in labour, it never brings forth. For the soul of the worthless man is not calculated by nature to bring anything to perfection which is likely to live. But everything which it appears to bring forth is found to be abortive and immature. "Eating up the half of its flesh, and being like a death of the Soul." [from Numbers 12:12] On which account that holy word Aaron entreats the pious Moses, who was beloved by God, to heal the leprosy of Miriam, in order that her soul might not be occupied in the labour of bringing forth evil things. And in consequence he says: "Let her not become like unto death, as an ektroma proceeding out of the womb of her mother, and let her not devour the half of her own Flesh." [from Numbers 12:12-13]

Paul

And last of all, as the ektroma, he was seen by me also … because I persecuted the assembly of God. (1 Corinthians 15:8-9)

robert j

[Peter Kirby]

It does make sense here to say that 1 Cor 15:8-9 is meant to recall the story and language of Numbers 12:1-12.

[Secret Alias]

Numbers 12 comes up in Adamantius with respect to Paul FWIW:

Adamantius: ... With respect to the "Let not the sun go down on your anger" this teaching is found operating in the Law not only in command but also action. There it stands written that Aaron and his sister Miriam angered Moses by their deeds. The result was that Miriam did not await the setting of the sun but immediately was made even in the Law to prevent the sun from going down upon anger. However the Prophet as well openly declares "Do not bear resentment in your hearts, each against his neighbour." It has become clear there that the teaching "Let the sun not go down upon your anger" is found both in the Law and the Gospel.
Megethius: The command about the sun's not setting is not found in the Law. Why do you make contradictory statements?
Eutropius (the judge): You would debate unfairly, Megethius. The teaching has been found both in precept and practice in the Law. Surely the Prophet's instruction not to be resentful must seem to you to meet the case perfectly. Christ actually allowed a period of one day for the anger to subside but the Prophet forbade resentment altogether.
Megethius: It would appear that you are not an adjudicator but an opponent.
Adamantius: Eutropius is not your opponent, but the Truth is. It is her nature to oppose those who speak falsely. Truth is unconquerable and immortal for she is the offspring of the Good God.
Eutropius: Let the audience here present determine whether I have represented the matter unfairly. Indeed I am myself a man of non-Christian upbringing. I would become a Christian. Therefore I must so that I may choose that which is best.

I know I talk until I'm blue in the face about Samaritanism but you guys at least kind of understand (I hope) that this story is the Marcionite/Samaritan understanding of why there can only be one apostle right? One of the most frequent epithets for Moses is that of "THE apostle." The sense here OF COURSE has nothing to do with the nonsense the orthodox see with regards to "apostles" being "ambassadors." The concept of "apostle" in Hebrew is that of "sent for one" and it implies that Moses is God's spokesman. The story in Numbers is used to confirm that there can be only one "divine spokesman." As such the Samaritan repeated formula that there was only one apostle, only one prophet, only one Moses. Clearly the Marcionites thought Paul was THE only Apostle because of an indebtedness to Samaritanism.

FWIW my guess is that rather than being authentically Pauline (i.e. Marcionite) the story in Galatians 1 is an orthodox construct developed from the known lines of reasoning of the original Christian sect. Notice that Jerome's Commentary on Galatians ignores all this material. It derives from an anti-Marcionite treatise by Origen which bypasses (for some unknown reason) chapter 1.