4412. About Paul
Paul is among the worst of the apostles, as has been made known to me by much experience. The love of self, by which he had been ensnared prior to his preaching of the Gospel, remained with him even afterwards, and because he was then almost in the same state, he was prompted by that love and by his nature to want to be in crowds, doing everything with the motive of being the greatest in heaven, and judging the tribes of Israel. That he remained of this nature afterwards is shown by much experience, for I spoke with him more than with the others. In fact he is such that the rest of the Apostles in the other life rejected him from their company, and they no longer acknowledge him as one of them - this for the reason also that he allied himself with one of the worst devils, who wants to control all things, and pledged himself to him in order to achieve this.
[2] There were many other points, which would be too much to recount. If all the things I know about Paul should be described, it would fill sheets. The fact that he wrote the epistles does not prove his good character, for even the impious can preach well, and write letters. It is one thing to be, and it is another to speak and write, as was also said to him. Moreover, in his epistles he did not mention the least word about the Lord, or what He taught, nor does he mention a single parable of His, so he received nothing from the life and preaching of the Lord - which was also said to him, whereas in the Evangelists is the very Gospel itself.
4412. CONCERNING PAUL.
Paul is among the worst of the apostles, which has been made known to me by ample experience. The love of self, whereby he was ensnared before he preached the gospel, remained with him also afterwards, and because he was then, for the most part, in a like state, he was prompted by that love and by his nature to wish to be in scenes of tumult. He did all things from the end of being greatest in heaven, and of judging the tribes of Israel. That he remained such afterwards appears from very much experience, for I spoke with him more than with others; nay, he is such, that the rest of the apostles in the other life rejected him from their company, and no longer recognize him for one of themselves. [I know it] also from the fact that he associated himself to one of the worst devils, who would fain rule all things, and pledged himself to this spirit to obtain for him his end; besides many other things, which it would be too tedious to relate. If all the things which I know concerning Paul should be related, they would be enough to fill sheets. That he wrote epistles does not prove that he was such [as that would seem to imply], for even the impious can preach well and write epistles; it is one thing to be, and another to speak and to write, as was also said to him. Moreover he has not mentioned, in his epistles, the least word of what the Lord taught, nor cited one of his parables, so that he received nothing from the life and discourse of the Lord, as was also said to him, when yet in the Evangelists is the very Gospel itself.
4412. De Paulo
Paulus inter pessimos apostolorum est, quod a multa experientia notum factum; amor sui, quo inescatus fuit, antequam praedicavit Evangelium, mansit apud eum, etiam postea, et quia tunc paene in simili fuit, incitatus ab amore illo et natura, ut in turbis esse vellet, omnia egit ex fine ut maximus esset in coelo, et judicaret tribus Israelis; quod talis postea manserit ex plurima experientia constat, nam loquutus sum cum illo plusquam cum aliis; imo talis est, ut caeteri Apostoli in altera vita rejecerint eum e consortio suo, nec amplius agnoscant eum pro uno eorum, ex eo etiam quod se adsociaverit uni ex pessimis diabolis, qui regere omnia vult, et spospondit ei, ut hoc obtineret; praeter plura alia, quae nimis prolixum foret referre; omnia quae novi de Paulo, si describerentur, foret membranas adimplere: quod epistolas scripsit, hoc non testatur de eo quod talis, nam etiam impii possunt praedicare bene, et literas scribere, aliud est esse, et aliud est loqui et scribere, quod etiam illi dictum; et praeterea in suis epistolis ne verbulum memoraverat de Domino quid docuit, nec unam Ipsius parabolam memorat, sic ut nihil ex Domini vita et sermone acceperit, quod etiam ei dictum, cum tamen apud Evangelistas est ipsum Evangelium.