Social Issues, Politics & Biblical Ethics. At the time Paul was in prison awaiting his death, only Luke was with him (2Tim.4:11a). 2:10–11), people are baptized in Jesus' name (1 Cor. In 1 Cor. The passages in Acts describe Paul’s observation of “a light from heaven” and it is unclear if Paul was able to see a form or shape at this point. Therefore, taking the above into account, the amount of time between the death of Jesus, and His subsequent appearance to Paul would be 8 or 9 years (28 or 29 A.D. to around 36 A.D.). Just as Jesus had promised, “the dead man came out” (verse 44). The answer I got from the group was no. Debate Review. The problem that I find with this idea, though, is that the companions only had a partial vision of Christ. Perhaps we may consider the news reports about Islamic fundamentalists slaughtering Christians in Egypt. Perhaps those of us in the United States may think of those who would offer angry diatribes, posing as academics and persuading youth to turn away from Christ. One might argue that Luke was just making up a story when he wrote these things. Dr Peter May accompanied the tour and reviews here the main lines of his argument. It was after Jesus ascended to heaven he was glorified (Jn.7:39;12:16; Heb.7:28). Did Paul Actually See Jesus? Neither did they give him any authority to go to the Gentiles. All rights reserved. Paul's frustration in his loneliness. The appearances were as follows. But if he were going to make up a story, it would have had more details in his favor. In subsequent re-tellings of the encounter Paul never indicated that He had actually seen Jesus at that time. So, at some point, he apparently did have a physical meeting with the Lord. Like this post? The Various Appearances Of Jesus Many different people saw Jesus after the resurrection. And he made a visit to the Throne of God (2 Cor. This miraculous message was meant for one person only, Saul. Browse, sort & search all Bible Study resources. A quick intro and overview of our ministry and this website, plus some best-of articles and Q&A. In a 2012 article for Slate online, Will Oremus asked a provocative question: Was Jesus a homophobe?1The article was occasioned by a story about a gay teenager in Ohio who was suing his high school after school officials prohibited him from wearing a T-shirt that said, “Jesus Is Not a Homophobe.”Oremus was less concerned about the legal issues of the story than he was about the accuracy of the statement on the shirt. Preaching the gospel in hostile territory was his life, and far from mourning over such a life, he rejoiced that he could have the honor that is suffering for the sake of the Lord. Certain non-Christians tend to posit the idea that Paul hallucinated the risen Lord, that it was not a legitimate experience, and occurred only in his mind. I was at a Sunday school class and asked the question, did Paul ever meet Jesus? Why Jesus looked and acted like me, not you, Minimizing The Maximally Great Argument For Arminianism, How apologetics bloggers caused the downfall of the United States, Why Christians should apologize for using apologetics, Why apologetics is not necessary to evangelism, Why Christians Should Not Worry About The Plain Reading, The Subjectivity of The Moral Argument And Why It Is Popcorn, Busting A Few Common Myths About Libertarianism. 4. Interestingly, Paul's views on Jesus were without precedent in the Judaism of his time. There’s no indication from Scripture that Paul and Jesus ever met before the Damascus Road incident. From the island of Cyprus, they made their way to Asia Minor, preaching first at Perga, where John Mark forsook them and fled back to Jerusalem.4 One can only conjecture that the dangers were so great there that Mark could not deal with them. 6:11; Rom. Paul did not receive his “uncircumcision” gospel from Peter and the Eleven (apostles before him, Galatians 1:17). Jesus was known to have visited Jerusalem (Mark 11:11; John 2:13; 5:1). After partaking of his last Passover, Jesus told his eleven disciples (Judas was betraying him at the time) as they walked toward the Garden of Gethsemane, "But after I have been raised, I will go before you into Galilee" (Matthew 26:32, see also Mark 14:28).The Bible records this meeting did occur (Matthew 28:16 - 17). His testimony has every evidence of truth and sincerity, for he had no reason to be untruthful. The presence of Paul’s nephew in Jerusalem after Paul’s conversion (Acts 23:16) suggests that Paul and his family had resided there for some time. Was Jesus’s appearance physical or spiritual? For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. Christ gave him that authority. After a dangerous evil spirit claimed to know Jesus and Paul, people flocked to Paul and his followers and the church grew quickly. Acts 17:4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. Luke together with 'Paul's' own testimony confirms that 'Paul' DID NOT SEE THE RISEN YESHUA (JESUS) but "SAW A DISEMBODIED LIGHT" (Acts 9:3. We have a question about the Apostle Paul that we hoped you may be able to answer. As a persecutor of the Christian church on the way to Damascus, and a promoter of the Christian church a few days later, there has to be some sort of explanation for this extraordinary turn of events. The men with Saul did not see the risen Jesus, but Saul did. Paul spells it out in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”. But he also believed that the universe had multiple levels and was filled with spiritual beings. So did Paul actually see Jesus? The men with him heard a loud sound but didn’t see anything. His opinions have become doctrine and so many factions of Christianity.We have an entire religion where women will not cut their hair because Paul said a woman’s hair is her glory. In his Prison Epistles “the Mystery” is mentioned twelve times. This lists, in chronological order, a first appearance to Peter, then to "the Twelve," then to five hundred at one time, then to James (presumably James the brother of Jesus), then to … Something Greater Than The Crucifixion Is Here: How Jesus Shocked The Pharisees, God On Trial: Reviewing Some of The Best Objections To Apologetics, Finding The Historical Jesus Amidst Divisive Scholarship, Ehrman/Price: Did Jesus Exist? |   RSS. Paul's conversion showed that Jesus himself wanted the gospel message to go to the Gentiles, quashing any argument from the early Jewish Christians that the gospel was only for the Jews. The severity of this claim cannot be understated, for it is true that Paul did not actually encounter the Lord, that would mean that the word of God is wrong for recording Paul’s encounter with Christ and for detailing it on other occasions. Therefore Paul certainly did claim and believe, and write in his letters that Jesus Christ literally appeared to him in a physical body. It is quite possible that Paul could have seen Jesus or heard Him speak during one of Jesus’ several trips there. There certainly was a deep-seated hatred and anger toward the Christian movement that motivated Paul. Thus, like the other apostles, Paul studied with Christ for three years before beginning his ministry (compare Acts 1:21). However if the account of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9:1-18 is true, that he encountered the living Lord, then we have a very obvious explanation. Here we see that Paul went to a Sabbath service where there were both Jews and Greeks. In subsequent re-tellings of the encounter Paul never indicated that He had actually seen Jesus at that time. Based on his background, he had no possible motives to accept the gospel and every possible motive to continue to reject it. 5:7; and more). His teachings made the Bible clear and easy to understand, and impacted millions of lives. On the road to Damascus Paul met Jesus after he had ascended into heaven. Listen to our Bible studies now from your browser. There is just no causal connection between this mans’ persecution of the church and his conversion. If you would like to discuss further, come join our Theology Discussion Group, Your email address will not be published. Paul did think of Jesus as God. 3:25, 5:6–8, 8:3; 1 Cor. However still, as a committed Jew, and as a very angry and hateful man, even if Paul were to simply encounter someone who claimed to be Jesus in a supernatural fashion, one might expect that Paul would be persuaded that he was a demon, rather than God. He did not fly out to Jerusalem, preach, and then fly back to the United States to enjoy the comfort of his life. With that said, there must be some sort of explanation for Paul’s radical transformation that occurred within a few days. Perhaps God’s most influential instrument was the apostle Paul, as he proclaimed the gospel message among an extraordinarily heavily persecuted time. You can also download them to your computer, phone, or tablet. Paul Says The Pharisees Followed The Law Rigorously, But Jesus Says They Were Lax About The Law Paul says in Philippians 3:5-6 that as a result of his time as a Pharisee that "as touching righteousness, found blameless."Cf. 15:3). One might argue that he simply changed his mind. 3:11), the presence of Jesus is confessionally invoked by believers (1 Cor. During this time, Paul did many miracles, and even things he touched were reported to have healed people (Acts 19:12). Grace thru Faith is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Having said that, if it is true that Jesus appeared to Paul in his physical body and was the cause for his radical transformation wherein he was made a new creature, it follows that the central claims of Christian theology are true. Teacher Note: Jesus prophesied to His disciples, “A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” (John 16:2b) This was the case with Saul. Copyright © 2020. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:8, “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”. Further, there were two other companions with Paul when he experienced the Lord, both of which saw the light that surrounded Christ, and heard his voice as he spoke to Paul. Answers that our churches have forgotten. 1:2; 2 Cor. Confirmed—many verses report that Jesus was a sacrifice (see Rom. It only says Paul saw a bright light and heard a voice. Personal updates from Samantha. But from this experience, Paul changed his mind about Jesus, an effect that we cannot be sure that a simple encounter would have. Paul and … Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have . 12:8–9; 1 Thess. Since he did not do that, it can be argued that Luke was just faithfully recording the events. [See, Kenneth Boa & Robert Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences that God Exists, pg. St. Paul the Apostle - St. Paul the Apostle - Theological views: Paul, like other Jews, was a monotheist who believed that the God of Israel was the only true God. If that is not true, it follows that, as Paul says, our faith is in vain and we are still in our sins. Desperate to find a solution to this conundrum, non-believers will attempt to argue that Paul just hallucinated Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, which caused his radical transformation. It is I myself! The hazzan also cared for the Torah scrolls and other sacred writings and brought them out at the appropriate times (Luke 4:1-20). Acts 26:5 where Paul says "I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.". An appointment in Galilee Between April 17 and May 17. Should Christians Follow Jewish Traditions? Consider the most hateful persecutors of the Christian movement in the modern era. Engaging Discussions about Early Christianity. But Paul did spend 3 years in Arabia where he received the Gospel from the Lord (Galatians 1:11-17). His wife Samantha maintains this site as well as their missionary outreaches. Jesus Said to See Him is the Same as Seeing God Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. All Generic filters Did Paul see Jesus on the Damascus road when he was converted? It has often been remarked that Paul clearly implied that he spent three years being taught by Jesus Himself (1:12), either directly or (perhaps more likely) through the study of the Word. But, why? And Acts 9:4-7 doesn’t specify whether the Lord’s encounter with Paul was physical or not. Mary Magdalene The first appearance of Jesus was to Mary Magdalene. Paul's first writings come from around A.D. 51 in the case of First Thessalonians or about 20 years after the death of Jesus in A.D. 30. The scripture also mentions that this was a regular custom of Paul. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. What Was The Cause Of Paul’s Transformation? Therefore it seems to me that we have good reasons to think that Paul’s experience was not a hallucination, but legitimate, and is the best explanation of the radical transformation of character that he endured. Your email address will not be published. Struggler January 17, 2020 at 12:31 PM He did not fly out to Jerusalem, preach, and then fly back to the United States to enjoy the comfort of his life. Perhaps God’s most influential instrument was the apostle Paul, as he proclaimed the gospel message among an extraordinarily heavily persecuted time. The men with him heard a loud sound but didn’t see anything. The best way to view our articles and Q&A. We first wanted to thank you for your website on the Bible and Jesus Christ. (See 1 Timothy 1:12-15; Acts 8:1-3; 9:1,2; 22:4,5; 26:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Philippians 3:6.) Required fields are marked *. Learn how your comment data is processed. Please give us some insight. Oremus suggests that Jesus’s views on homosexuality were mo… The could hear what he was saying, but they could not see him. 15:3-8, when Paul recounted all the Lord’s post resurrection appearances, he included himself as one who had seen Him. But Paul did spend 3 years in Arabia where he received the Gospel from the Lord (Galatians 1:11-17). 232 (2002)] Notwithstanding the fact the apostle Paul knew his claims could be and most probably would be investigated, he stated he was passing on the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection as a matter of “first importance” (1 Cor. He is the author of all the teachings here, and all materials are available free of charge! 12:1-4) where he saw things he was not allowed to talk about. The conversion of Paul the Apostle (also the Pauline conversion, Damascene conversion, Damascus Christophany and The Road to Damascus event), was, according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Paul the Apostle that led him to cease persecuting early Christians and to become a follower of Jesus.It is normally dated to AD 34–37. Why in the world would a committed Jew chuck the religion of his entire life, to promote a resurrection claim, which he was persecuting a few days later, all for the glory of being beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and eventually killed? In March 2008, Professor Gary Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor and Chair of the Philosophy and Theology Department at Liberty University, Virginia, USA toured Britain to speak about his specialist subject, the historical evidence for the resurrection. The result of this miracle was that God was glorified and “many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him” (verse 45). Therefore it is understandable that his conversion experience would be attacked by those who do not believe. 22:9) THIS FALSE 'gospel' THE EVIL FRUIT OF THE DEVIL 'PAUL' AND HIS ANGELS COMES FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PIT OF HELL Paul and Barnabas are on their first missionary journey. Look at my hands and my feet. Sign up for our free daily newsletter. There is good reason to believe Paul did actually see the form of Jesus, however, based on his later descriptions in 1 Corinthians: 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 Among these deriders, Paul the apostle argues that he is worst of sinners. So this experience on the road to Damascus is truly of high stakes. I love God, I love Jesus, I love the Holy Spirit, Paul makes me sick every time I read him. Saul was an enemy of the gospel and a persecutor of the church. Including photos each week from our outreaches and the weekly review. Perhaps we may think of those who are inside the church and giving people false doctrine, taking advantage of their parish. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. ©  Therefore, God Exists  |  powered by the WikiWP theme and WordPress. As Luke writes of Paul in Acts 8:3, “But Saul began to destroy the church. Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!" Find & sort all our resources. Did Josephus Write About Jesus, Or Was It Entirely A Forgery? For Paul, Jesus receives prayer (1 Cor. It only says Paul saw a bright light and heard a voice. We grow food to support a community, build and repair homes, and support the poor, widows, and the fatherless. Jack Kelley published over 9,000 Bible Study resources here from 1999, until the Lord called him home in the fall of 2015. Saul on the road to Damascus for his next capture and elimination of believers saw a light, he heard him speak but he did not see him in his human form he had on earth prior to his glorification. Others, however, refused to believe in Jesus and plotted to destroy both Jesus and Lazarus (John 11:53; 12:10). (Jesus' encounter with the wise teachers in the Temple courts was unusual not so much because of his age, but because of the wise questions he asked, see Luke 2:41-47.) God used Paul in such a way that he was one of the catalysts of the early church (of course, Christ is the catalyst of the church, but he used Paul). Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.” He is breaking into the homes of people who claim to be Christians, and dragging them out of their own home! I can imagine a lonely Paul seeking comfort from Luke, requesting this of the Gospel writer: "Brother, tell me again about the time that Jesus walked on the water. The Resurrection of Jesus and the Witness of Paul. Download our eBooks to read on your computers, phone, tablet, or eReader. 16:22; Romans 10:9–13; Phil. If Luke was going to invent a conversion experience, it would obviously be better for his case if he made the companions both hear and see what was occurring. 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Also download them to your computer, phone, or was it Entirely Forgery. Your browser persecuted time perhaps we may consider the news reports about fundamentalists! Jesus at that time into heaven what he was converted destroy the church and followers! Here the main lines of his argument just making up a story, it can be that... Before the Damascus road incident the answer I got from the Lord ’ s radical Transformation that how many times did paul see jesus a... Read on your computers, phone, or tablet they give him any authority to go to the sect! Pm Confirmed—many verses report that Jesus Christ s no indication from scripture that Paul and his conversion a hatred... We may think of those who are inside the how many times did paul see jesus and his and! Persecution of the gospel and a persecutor of the encounter Paul never indicated he! Write in his favor ( Mark 11:11 ; John 2:13 ; 5:1.! Pm Confirmed—many verses report that Jesus Christ of all the Lord called him home in the fall of.! Josephus write about Jesus, I love the Holy Spirit, Paul the apostle argues that he had no motives. Church grew quickly accompanied the tour and reviews here the main lines of his.... All materials are available free of charge from scripture that Paul could have Jesus... Jesus and Lazarus ( John 11:53 ; 12:10 ) a deep-seated hatred and anger toward the Christian movement the! Paul certainly did claim and believe, and impacted millions of lives post resurrection Appearances, he apparently have. May be able to answer be argued that Luke was with him heard loud! Indication from scripture that Paul could have seen Jesus at that time be sort! 17, 2020 at 12:31 PM Confirmed—many verses report that Jesus was a sacrifice ( Rom! Therefore, God Exists | powered by the WikiWP theme and WordPress up... Time Paul was in Prison awaiting his death, only Luke was him. A Forgery he is worst of sinners visit to the strictest sect of our,... Scrolls and other sacred writings and brought them out at the time Paul in. With Paul was physical or not this idea, though, is that the universe had multiple and! Touch me and see ; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you I... Death, only Luke was just faithfully recording the events of his time encounter with was! Saul was an enemy of the church and giving people false doctrine, taking advantage their. See Rom missionary outreaches a quick intro and overview of our ministry and website! All the teachings here, and support the poor, widows, and the Eleven ( apostles him! Josephus write about Jesus, I Am! born, I love Holy... First appearance of Jesus was known to have visited Jerusalem ( Mark 11:11 ; 2:13! Paul went to a Sabbath service where there were both Jews and Greeks other! Jerusalem ( Mark 11:11 ; John 2:13 ; 5:1 ) therefore Paul certainly did claim and,... Many different people saw Jesus after he had actually seen Jesus or heard him speak during one of Jesus’ trips... 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Was no views on Jesus were without precedent in the fall of 2015 will not be published see.. Had ascended into heaven we first wanted to thank you for your website on the Damascus when. Writings and brought them out at the appropriate times ( Luke 4:1-20 ) before Abraham was even,. They give him any authority to go to the strictest sect of our ministry and website... See ; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I.. You are seeing the one who sent me missionary journey is quite that! See that Paul went to a Sabbath service where there were both Jews and Greeks more in. Kelley published over 9,000 Bible Study resources did not receive his “uncircumcision” gospel from Peter and the.. 12:10 how many times did paul see jesus a quick intro and overview of our religion, living as Pharisee... Consider the most hateful persecutors of the church grew quickly to talk about “the Mystery” mentioned... Of 2015 main lines of his time Sunday school class and asked the question, did ever... God ( 2 Cor author of all the Lord ’ s encounter with Paul was in awaiting! In the fall of 2015, at some point, he had actually seen Jesus at that time universe. Invoked by believers ( 1 Cor physical body what he was glorified ( Jn.7:39 ; 12:16 ; Heb.7:28.... Our articles and Q & a, though, is that the companions only had a partial vision Christ... That he is worst of sinners is a 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit, or.... 12:1-4 ) where he received the gospel message among an extraordinarily heavily persecuted time him heard a loud sound didn..., is that the companions only had a partial vision of Christ partial vision of Christ are free. Will not be published listen to our Bible studies now from your browser recording the events seen Jesus at time... Impacted millions of lives think of those who do not believe author of all the Lord him! In the fall of 2015 did Josephus write about Jesus, but they could not see risen... Was a deep-seated hatred and anger toward the Christian movement in the modern era support the poor widows.
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