SPIRITUALITY / KABBALAH

Primitive Christian Kabbalah, Part I

When did Christianity and Kabbalah originally intersect? The answer might surprise you…

Photo by Jacob Bentzinger on Unsplash

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you what will likely be a two-part conversation on a very important topic: the relationship between Christianity and Kabbalah. What inspired me to write about this was a dynamite video by the one-and-only Dr. Justin Sledge at Esoterica about “The Esoteric Origins of Christianity”. I highly recommend you watch it, if not just for the reason that someone even more credentialed than I — Dr. Brian Sovryn — walks you down the path of what I’m going to discuss.

To be clear, the endgame of the path that I’m going to take you on is not discussed by Dr. Sledge in that video (though he may hint at it), and I want to get some points made quickly at the onset before we carry on:

1. Christianity, in its most primitive form (ie: Pre-Catholic, pre-Nicean Fathers, post-crucifixion, 1st century CE), was merely a Jewish sect. It was not a distinct religion, it was more a denomination of Judaism. New Testament writings back this fact up.
2. Kabbalah is the most primitive form of Judaism — and most primitive form of spirituality overall — with its concentration on the “Primordial Torah”. This can also be backed up by varying Jewish texts.
3. The Apostle Paul was a real person. His writings with none other than the infamous Seneca of Rome prove this as much as anything can be proven historically. While Jesus actually existing is up to historical debate (and we will discuss this), Paul’s existence is generally not questioned — though some Christians claim Paul was not originally Saul of Tarsus, then converted (they’re wrong, but I just want to be as fair as I can here).
4. The biblical character known as Enoch — of whom Torah says did not die — became a “heavenly being” known as Metatron, or even “The Lesser YHWH” (a scandalous name in Judaism, but attributed to him by Jewish texts, nonetheless).
5. The Book(s) of Enoch are the written words of eyewitness accounts (and is quoted by the New Testament in the Book of Jude, by the way).

Now that we have that groundwork out of the way, let’s talk about the Apostle Paul. Paul is one of the most well-known and revered figures in Christianity, whose conversion and missionary journeys significantly contributed to the expansion of the faith. In fact, most of the New Testament is actually written by Paul (not Jesus, nor Peter) — this fact usually surprises Christians that never actually read their own holy book, but I digress. In many ways, Paul made Christianity what it is, and certainly in its 1st century CE, primitive form.

Perhaps one of his most interesting writings (outside of the Book of Hebrews — which it is contested that he didn’t write, but that’s a story for another time) is 2 Corinthians, Chapter 12. In it he describes his mystical ascent into the third heaven — a concept not at all alien to the writers of the Books of Enoch — and the description that Paul appears to make something very clear: the Apostle Paul was — more than being a Christian, a Pharisee, or anything else — a Kabbalist.

Paul’s Mystical Ascent in 2 Corinthians 12

In 2 Corinthians 12:1–4, Paul describes a vision or revelation in which he was “caught up to the third heaven” and “caught up into paradise” where he heard “inexpressible things.” Although Paul speaks in the third person, most scholars agree that he is referring to himself in this passage. This account of a mystical ascent, where one is transported to a higher spiritual realm, is strikingly similar to the Hekhalot experiences found in Jewish mystical texts known as the Merkabah (or “chariot”) literature. This literature is a precursor to what would be known as Kabbalah, but it’s easy to argue that it is — and it is often quoted within — Kabbalah.

Kabbalistic Hekhalot Experiences

The Hekhalot literature, originating between the 1st and 7th centuries CE, describes the mystical ascents of various Jewish mystics who sought to enter the heavenly realms and stand before the divine throne. These texts contain elaborate descriptions of the heavenly palaces (Hekhalot) that the mystics traversed, as well as the celestial beings they encountered along the way. The ultimate goal of these ascents was to gain access to divine knowledge and achieve a closer union with God.

Similarities Between Paul’s Ascent and Kabbalistic Hekhalot Experiences

1. The journey through multiple heavenly realms: Both Paul’s account and the Hekhalot experiences involve a journey through multiple heavenly realms. Paul mentions being caught up to the third heaven and later into paradise, while the Hekhalot mystics describe ascending through seven heavenly palaces.
2. The ineffable nature of the experience: In both accounts, the experiences are described as being beyond human comprehension or expression. Paul refers to the things he heard as “inexpressible,” while the Hekhalot mystics often use similar language to convey the ineffability of their experiences.
3. The pursuit of divine knowledge: Both Paul and the Hekhalot mystics sought to gain access to divine knowledge through their mystical experiences. Paul’s ascent allowed him to hear “inexpressible things,” while the Hekhalot mystics aimed to acquire secret knowledge and wisdom directly from God or the celestial beings they encountered.
4. Encounters with celestial beings: Both Paul and the Hekhalot mystics describe encounters with celestial beings during their mystical journeys. Although Paul does not provide specific details about these beings, his account parallels the Hekhalot literature in which mystics encounter angels and other heavenly beings during their ascents.

The Case for Paul as a Kabbalist

Given the similarities between Paul’s mystical ascent and the Kabbalistic Hekhalot experiences, it is plausible that Paul was exposed to and practiced Jewish mysticism before his conversion to being a follower of Jesus Christ. This is further supported by the fact that Paul was a Pharisee, a sect of Judaism that was deeply rooted in the study of the Hebrew Scriptures and was likely familiar with the mystical traditions of their time.

Moreover, the Apostle Paul’s writings contain other elements that are reminiscent of Jewish mysticism. For instance, his emphasis on the transformation of the believer through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit aligns with the Kabbalistic concept of devekut, or mystical union with God. Additionally, Paul’s use of the term “mystery” in his letters, which refers to hidden divine knowledge revealed through revelation, bears resemblance to the secret wisdom sought by Kabbalistic mystics.

Furthermore, Paul’s background as a highly educated Jew (a “Pharisee of Pharisees”) with a strong foundation in Hebrew Scriptures would have provided him with ample opportunity to engage with Kabbalistic teachings. His education, as well as his travels and interactions with various Jewish and gentile communities, could have exposed him to the mystical traditions that were emerging and being rediscovered during his lifetime.

The Mistaken Messiah

So…what does this all say about Paul, and for that matter, Christianity? Again, there’s a Part II to this subject, but I want to leave you with some tantalizing ideas.

With what I’ve said thus far, you may assume that Kabbalah in itself is actually just a proto-Christianity (which, of course, many — though not all — Christians see Judaism itself as). Perhaps your line of thinking is that Kabbalah points at Christianity as the one true spirituality, instead of the other way around. I would disagree with you, but if you did think that, then Christians would do well to integrate Kabbalastic concepts and traditions, instead of the often stale practices of the faith of the ol’rugged cross.

However, I want to posit another possibility to you in light of this information — a possibility we’ll break down further in the next newsletter.

Consider the possibility that Paul did have a mystical, ecstatic experience (note that Paul also says in the chapter that he didn’t know if he went up “in the body or just in the spirit”, again proving my point that the physical body matters, and is not to be ignored or tossed away). Consider also that Paul went up into the “heavenly palace” and saw…someone. Now he claims it was Jesus, but what if it wasn’t? What if it was a “magnificent being” that other Jewish mystics had also seen and even confused with “God”? Perhaps a being like Metatron? And if that is who Paul saw…then maybe there is no Jesus — there’s just Enoch.

What does that mean for Christianity as a whole? We’ll discuss this very subject in the next newsletter.

This article originally appeared in the “Spirituality” section of the Sovryn Technica Newsletter, Issue 22.