asaris

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this, martinguerre, but it seems clear that Paul assigns are greater authority to most of what he writes than merely just good advice from an Apostle. There is at least one passage (the one where he says it is better to be single than to be married) where he is at pains to say that this is just his opinion, not the word of the Lord. That implies that he thought that the rest of what he writes IS the word of the Lord.

In general, I'm skeptical of metaphorical interpretations of any part of the NT, not just the moral teachings, but especially those. It's just far too easy. I guess at the end of the day, I'll admit the possibility that they're metaphorical, but how many people reject the teaching first, and then try to explain why it's metaphorical, rather than vice versa?

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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."

"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."

-- Friedrich Nietzsche