If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. Paul

The whole and complete thesis of this book is to introduce others to the light of God. The light of God is simply the meaning of the word light that is expressed in the Bible, the word of God. In this chapter we will discuss the process used by the apostle Paul, in the Corinthian church, to help bring a collective to the light. Also, in our examination of Paul's teachings, I will define how he opened the door to an understanding of the statement: the heavens declare the glory of God.

Requiring much effort, and though I gained a minimal amount of knowledge compared to the whole of the information extant, physics and astronomy gave me more insight into my social, economic, and psychological malformations than any other of my worldly endeavors. The study of these disciplines bore a direct relationship to my need for the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when Christ came into my heart, I immediately understood my calling-to preach and teach God's word in the physics community. At the same time though, I was a drunken drugged out street urchin. As a result, God has given me many joyful years laboring in Rescue Mission ministries. However, as I learn the wisdom of, and gain the ability to expound the scriptures, a portion of the apostle Paul's hard hitting words never ceased to resound in my heart: Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. (1 Corinthians 7:20-24)

I believe God placed me in the Rescue ministry to understand who I am; that he might teach me, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little; and that I might be constantly aware of the truth, by keeping a mirror image of myself before me. The ministry has helped me to grow and to love and admire those who are homeless with me in Christ, for they are content to help the needy no matter what the difficulty. My personal struggle though, is to do what I am called to do, in faith, hoping that the result will bring a clearer understanding of the blessings God has given us toward the unbeliever. Those closest to me in Christ are helping me, and are in support of my realizing what I am called to do.

I brought many difficulties into the Christian community-personal difficulties, like anger and the need to blame everyone for my inadequacies, and the inability to hear. While working on these faults, I see one thing clearly; I should not cast my pearls (the Gospel of Jesus), before swine. That is to say, no judgment, for I am what I judge. If I am righteous, righteousness will come forth. If I cast my pearls before swine, for example, if I think of someone as a dirty rotten swine pig, and I cast my pearls toward them, they will perceive of my inner hypocrisy and may turn around and rend me. If I truly love those who are unbelievers or unlearned, and they perceive my honest intention, I (but not I-the Christ that is within me) will be received with open arms.

I have chosen to follow the apostle Paul, in the way he followed Christ. Am I an apostle?-No! I believe Paul to be a tentmaker. I am convinced that for the remainder of his time on earth, after receiving Christ, his endeavor was to build the tabernacle of God amongst men. I believe him to be a wise masterbuilder.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul told King Agrippa that on the road to Damascus he encountered a great light. When Paul saw the light, he asked, Who art thou, Lord? The reply was, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. Moreover, Jesus told him to ... "rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Then Paul said, Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. Knowing from the Revelation of the apostle John, that the temple of God is a temple of Light, and that Paul was receiving help from God, I believe that Paul-from the moment of his encounter with the Lord-labored to build the temple of God amongst men.

The word "tentmaker" has a particular connotation to me. The Greek word skenopoiov is translated tentmaker. skenopoiov is a rare word. It is thought to be formed by combining skhnhv and poievw. If so, in an earthly sense, skenopoiov would mean pitching or erecting a tent or booth. Therefore it could possibly mean "tent-maker" as in that of a tradesman. This meaning is wholly within the range allowed by the etymology, and would be natural if Paul was a tradesman for a living; or, after meeting Christ on the road to Damascus he went out to make tents for his friends. Along this line of thought, the tents of antiquity were for the most part made of leather, so, it is reasoned that more than likely Paul, being a skenopoiov was a leather worker.

The word skenopoiov is used only once in the New Testament (Acts 18:3), so there is nothing to compare it to there. In the book of Acts, Paul went to Corinth and stayed with Aquila and Priscilla, because they were of the same (tevcnh/) occupation. What tevcnh/ (kind of work), is not shown in the context of the passage, so, we must lean on the rest of the scriptures. Paul, in his letters, says that he earned his own way, but there is nothing that I can find to show he worked other than his labor for the Lord. (Ref: 1 Cor. 4:12; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2Thess. 3:8; Acts 20:34) In Acts 17:16,17 Paul disputed in the streets daily: Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul asks, ... "are not ye my work in the Lord?"-meaning the Corinthians are a result of his labor. He goes on, rhetorically, to say that he does not have the power to forbear working. He then suggests that he preaches and teaches to them without charge, even though, in the law of Moses, the ox that treads out the corn should not be muzzled. It looks pretty dim for my thesis-until we read 2 Corinthians 11:7-9. Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. Paul's work was to preach and to teach the Gospel etc., and he stayed with Aquila and Priscilla because they were of the same craft. The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. 1Co 16:19

The meaning of the word skenopoiov is disputed by some of the great etymologists showing that skhno" (not skhnh) meant body-the human or animal body dead or alive. skhno" originally meant tent but was almost never used as such-the normal use of the word is the transference-body. The use of body for skhno" is so firmly established that it is not really understood by these linguists how the word could be translated tent-nevertheless it is.

The word skhnhv is an incredible word. It occurs 20 times in the new testament-ten times in Hebrews alone. The word means tabernacle. In Hebrews 9:1 skhnhv refers to the physical tabernacle in the old testament and in 9:11 to the spiritual tabernacle of Jesus, one that is not made with hands. It is curious that in the Gospel of John, 1:14, Jesus is said to have dwelt (tabernacled=eskhvnwsen) among us. All considered and taken to its end, I understand the word in an eschatological sense to mean not the dwelling place of God, for God is the dwelling place, but the very presence of the glory of God-indicating Jesus the light of the world.

In the Septuagint (Greek O.T.) skhnhv occurs over 400 times; mostly for tent or tabernacle and in many cases the Hebrew equivalent means dwelling place-not especially a place for God to dwell, but, a place to assemble with or be joined with God. It seems that our earthly concept of skhnhv (tent and/or tabernacle) is a pattern of that which is to come. It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: (Isaiah 40:22) The word tent is rendered from skhnhv in the Septuagint.