Lee
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Post by Lee on Mar 10, 2014 1:03:22 GMT
"Paul doubtless alludes to this personage in 2 Cor. 11:14 saying, “the Satan is transformed into an Angel of Light.” Such an angel is a messger enlightened in the word, who handles it in such a way as to test the fidelity of others to it. Such an one becomes a Satan in suggesting a course of action in conformity with the promptings of the flesh. And if Deity became Satan to Israel, and to Job, it is not to be denied that an angel may have assumed the same attitude in the case of Jesus Christ"......."Eureka"
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Lee
Administrator
Posts: 1,047
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Post by Lee on Mar 11, 2015 2:04:27 GMT
2 COR. 11:14: “SATAN TRANSFORMED INTO AN ANGEL OF LIGHT”
(a) This passage really proves too much. For is it not true that those who quote it to support the idea of a personal Devil also believe that Satan was transformed from an angel of light because of rebellion in heaven? They can hardly have it both ways, even though they may wish to.
(b) One is tempted also to ask just what is this personal Devil. For at one moment we are asked to believe he is an angel of light, at another a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), at another a many-headed dragon (Rev. 12). is he also a chameleon?
(c) As in so many places, it is only attention to the context that is needed to demonstrate the true meaning and expose the error which men try to read into these words. Let these passages in the same epistle be studied with care: ch. 3:1 and 10:2, 3, 10, 12, 17, 18 and 11:3, 4, 18–23. It soon becomes evident that Paul writes to defend himself against the insinuations of Jewish adversaries who are doing their utmost to undermine his authority in the ecclesia at Corinth. They set themselves forth as Jews of high standing, they parade proudly their qualifications and they boost one another’s prestige by letters of recommendation and eloquent encomiums about each other. They go further than this, and denigrate Paul in every possible way, making base insinuations about his weak physique and his contemptible speech. And all this in order that another gospel (with a strong Judaistic emphasis?) might be foisted on these hospitable Corinthians. Nevertheless, says Paul, these teachers are really false apostles, deceitful workers—a thing not to be surprised at, since the chief adversary, their leader and organiser, sets himself forth as an angel (or perhaps just a messenger) of light. Thus the Satan is seen to be a human Satan, deliberately and wickedly seeking to subvert the Corinthians from loyalty to Paul and the gospel he has taught them.
The same Satan is referred to in ch. 2:11, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
1958 Christadelphian, 95(electronic ed.), 456.
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