Why Paul's and Jesus' Teachings Differ
Conclusion
This article shows that there is no evidence that the
Christianity spread by Paul was the same Christianity of the disciples
in Jerusalem or was the same Christianity that lead to the production of the Gospels. Indeed, Paul had so little
interest in what the disciples had to say about Jesus that he never mentions
any person, who,
according to Paul, saw Jesus while he was alive.
Indeed, Paul had so little interest in what the disciples
had to say about Jesus that he couldn't be bothered to talk to most of
them, even when he had made a special trip to Jerusalem.
Paul did not regard being a companion of Jesus as anything
special. As far as he was concerned, the earthly life of Jesus had no
interest and being a companion of Jesus did not mark one out as an apostle.
How could this be if Jesus did
all the things attributed to him in the Gospels?
Where did Paul learn all of this? Paul claims revelation.
More likely, he learned from others, if not from Peter, James and John.
31.3.14
Jesus is Not All-Powerful, and Not All-Knowing: - Islam Guide: The Bible Denies the Divinity of Jesus
Islam Guide: The Bible Denies the Divinity of Jesus
Jesus is Not All-Powerful, and Not All-Knowing:
Jesus is Not All-Powerful, and Not All-Knowing:
Christians and Muslims agree that God is
all-powerful and all-knowing. The Gospels show that Jesus was not
all-powerful, and not all-knowing, since he had some limitations.
all-powerful and all-knowing. The Gospels show that Jesus was not
all-powerful, and not all-knowing, since he had some limitations.
Mark tells us in his gospel that Jesus was unable
to do any powerful work in his hometown except few things: “He could not do
any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.”
(Mark 6:5). Mark also tells us that when Jesus tried to heal a certain
blind man, the man was not healed after the first attempt, and Jesus had to try
a second time (see Mark 8:22-26).
to do any powerful work in his hometown except few things: “He could not do
any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.”
(Mark 6:5). Mark also tells us that when Jesus tried to heal a certain
blind man, the man was not healed after the first attempt, and Jesus had to try
a second time (see Mark 8:22-26).
Therefore, although we hold a great love and
respect for Jesus, we need to understand that he is not the all-powerful God.
respect for Jesus, we need to understand that he is not the all-powerful God.
Mark’s Gospel also reveals that Jesus had
limitations in his knowledge. In Mark 13:32, Jesus declared that he
himself does not know when the last day will occur, but the Father alone knows
that (see also Matthew 24:36).
limitations in his knowledge. In Mark 13:32, Jesus declared that he
himself does not know when the last day will occur, but the Father alone knows
that (see also Matthew 24:36).
Therefore, Jesus could not have been the
all-knowing God. Some will say that Jesus knew when the last day will
occur, but he chose not to tell. But that complicates matters
further. Jesus could have said that he knows but he does not wish to
tell. Instead, he said that he does not know. We must believe
him. Jesus does not lie at all.
all-knowing God. Some will say that Jesus knew when the last day will
occur, but he chose not to tell. But that complicates matters
further. Jesus could have said that he knows but he does not wish to
tell. Instead, he said that he does not know. We must believe
him. Jesus does not lie at all.
The Gospel of Luke also reveals that Jesus had
limited knowledge. Luke says that Jesus increased in wisdom (Luke
2:52). In Hebrews too (Hebrews 5:8) we read that Jesus learned
obedience. But God’s knowledge and wisdom is always perfect, and God
does not learn new things. He knows everything always. So, if Jesus
learned something new, that proves that he did not know everything before that,
and thus he was not God.
limited knowledge. Luke says that Jesus increased in wisdom (Luke
2:52). In Hebrews too (Hebrews 5:8) we read that Jesus learned
obedience. But God’s knowledge and wisdom is always perfect, and God
does not learn new things. He knows everything always. So, if Jesus
learned something new, that proves that he did not know everything before that,
and thus he was not God.
Another example for the limited knowledge of
Jesus is the fig tree episode in the Gospels. Mark tells us as follows: “The
next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the
distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When
he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for
figs.” (Mark 11:12-13).
Jesus is the fig tree episode in the Gospels. Mark tells us as follows: “The
next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the
distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When
he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for
figs.” (Mark 11:12-13).
It is clear from these verses that the knowledge
of Jesus was limited on two counts. First, he did not know that the tree
had no fruit until he came to it. Second, he did not know that it was not
the right season to expect figs on trees.
of Jesus was limited on two counts. First, he did not know that the tree
had no fruit until he came to it. Second, he did not know that it was not
the right season to expect figs on trees.
Can he become God later? No! Because there
is only one God, and He is God from everlasting to everlasting (see Psalms
90:2).
is only one God, and He is God from everlasting to everlasting (see Psalms
90:2).
Someone may say that Jesus was God but he took
the form of a servant and therefore became limited. Well, that would mean
that God changed. But God does not change. God said so according to
Malachi 3:6.
the form of a servant and therefore became limited. Well, that would mean
that God changed. But God does not change. God said so according to
Malachi 3:6.
Jesus never was God, and never will be. In
the Bible, God declares: “Before me no god was formed, nor will there be
one after me.” (Isaiah 43:10).
the Bible, God declares: “Before me no god was formed, nor will there be
one after me.” (Isaiah 43:10).
The Bible clearly shows that Jesus was not
all-powerful and all-knowing as the true God should be.
all-powerful and all-knowing as the true God should be.
Did Paul Invent Christianity? Is the Founder of the Christian Religion Paul of Tarsus or Jesus of Nazareth?
Did Paul Invent Christianity? Is the Founder of the Christian Religion Paul of Tarsus or Jesus of Nazareth?
early Christian religion, changing the theology from what Jesus originally
taught. Usually offered as proof for this claim are the doctrines found in
Paul's great theological work, his letter to the Romans. Without a doubt, the
book of Romans contains the most complete exposition of orthodox Christian
doctrines. Are these doctrines contrary to what Jesus taught? Do they conflict
with the teachings of the Old Testament from which they were purportedly
derived? If Paul really "invented" Christianity, then one would expect that his
teachings would be different from Jesus, the other apostles, and disciples.
Christians in Damascus. Struck blind for three days, Paul waited for Ananias
(one of Jesus' followers) to heal him. Converted by the experience, Paul
passionately proclaimed the gospel to the Jewish and Gentile world. This gospel
included doctrines including the atonement of sin through Jesus' death on the
cross and justification through faith. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians,
indicated that he received this gospel by revelation of Jesus Christ:
Christ, then surely Jesus Himself would have taught what Paul
was preaching.
"But it
happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about
noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all
around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' "And I answered, 'Who are
You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you
are persecuting.' "(Acts 22:6-8)
This is Paul's account of his encounter with the risen Jesus Christ.
Paul said that it was through this event that he stopped persecuting
Christianity, becoming its greatest proponent and evangelist.
Introduction
Many skeptics assert that Paul of Tarsus (the apostle Paul) hijacked theearly Christian religion, changing the theology from what Jesus originally
taught. Usually offered as proof for this claim are the doctrines found in
Paul's great theological work, his letter to the Romans. Without a doubt, the
book of Romans contains the most complete exposition of orthodox Christian
doctrines. Are these doctrines contrary to what Jesus taught? Do they conflict
with the teachings of the Old Testament from which they were purportedly
derived? If Paul really "invented" Christianity, then one would expect that his
teachings would be different from Jesus, the other apostles, and disciples.
The claims of Christianity
Christians claim that Paul of Tarsus met Jesus on a trip to persecuteChristians in Damascus. Struck blind for three days, Paul waited for Ananias
(one of Jesus' followers) to heal him. Converted by the experience, Paul
passionately proclaimed the gospel to the Jewish and Gentile world. This gospel
included doctrines including the atonement of sin through Jesus' death on the
cross and justification through faith. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians,
indicated that he received this gospel by revelation of Jesus Christ:
For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which wasIf it were true that Paul received his teaching directly from Jesus
preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from
man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of
Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12)
Christ, then surely Jesus Himself would have taught what Paul
was preaching.
"But it
happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about
noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all
around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' "And I answered, 'Who are
You, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you
are persecuting.' "(Acts 22:6-8)
This is Paul's account of his encounter with the risen Jesus Christ.
Paul said that it was through this event that he stopped persecuting
Christianity, becoming its greatest proponent and evangelist.
Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed. — Martin Luther
Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed. Faith must trample underfoot all reason, sense, and understanding.
— Martin Luther
What Did Paul Know About Jesus? Not Much.
What Did Paul Know About Jesus? Not Much.
For being the founder of Christianity, Paul knew surprisingly little about Jesus.
Paul is our first and, for that reason, potentially our most reliable
source of information on the life of Jesus. Let’s sift Paul’s writings
for information about Jesus.
If we were to do this with the gospels, we’d have a long list—the
story of Jesus turning water into wine, walking on water, raising
Lazarus, the Prodigal Son story, curious events like his cursing the fig
tree, and so on. But what information about Jesus does Paul give us?
We’ll start with that well-known passage from 1 Corinthians 15.
1. Jesus died “for our sins.”
2. Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days later, in fulfillment of prophecy.
3. Jesus made many post-resurrection appearances.
Though 1 Corinthians was written perhaps 20 years after the death of
Jesus, some scholars argue that this 3-sentence passage was written with
a different style and so is an early creed that preceded Paul’s
writing, taking us back closer to the earliest disciples. Others use the
same logic to argue the opposite conclusion: that it was a later
scribal addition. (Our oldest copy of this passage comes from our earliest complete Bibles, written in about 350. That’s three centuries of party time during which changes could’ve been made.)
First, we’ll sift through Paul’s epistles to find confirmation of these first claims.
1. Confirmed—many verses report that Jesus was a
sacrifice (see Rom. 3:25, 5:6–8, 8:3; 1 Cor. 5:7; and more). The passage
above does not contain the word “Jesus,” but many other Pauline verses
combine “Jesus” and “Christ.”
2. Confirmed: many verses report
that Jesus was raised from the dead (see 1 Cor. 15:20; Rom. 1:4, 4:24; 2
Cor. 4:14; and more). Note, however, that there is no confirmation of
the three days or the scriptural prophecy.
3. Not Confirmed: I could find no confirmation of the post-resurrection appearances in Paul’s epistles.
What other biographical details about Jesus can we find in Paul?
4. He was crucified: “we preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23; also 1 Cor. 2:2, Gal. 3:1, 2 Cor. 13:4, and more).
5. He was a descendant of David: “his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David” (Rom. 1:3).
6. He was betrayed: “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed” (1 Cor. 11:23; also 2 Tim. 2:8).
7. He asked that his followers eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of him (1 Cor. 11:23–6).
8. Jesus was killed by Jews: “the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus” (1 Thes. 2:14–15)
We can go further afield, into books that are almost universally
rejected as authored by Paul. For example, 1 Tim. 6:13 places the trial
of Jesus during the rule of Pontius Pilate, and Heb. 5:5 gives an
adoptionist view of Jesus (that is, Jesus was a man adopted by God).
By the way, this list comes from my own search. Please point out any omissions.
If we stick to the reliably Pauline works and assume the authenticity of 1 Cor. 15, here is the Gospel of Paul:
important element—death as a sacrifice for our sins and resurrection—but
very little else.
No parables of the sheep and the goats, or the prodigal son, or the
rich man and Lazarus, or the lost sheep, or the good Samaritan. In fact,
no Jesus as teacher at all.
No driving out evil spirits, or healing the invalid at Bethesda, or
cleansing the lepers, or raising Lazarus, or other healing miracles. As
far as Paul tells us, Jesus performed no miracles at all.
No virgin birth, no Sermon on the Mount, no feeding the 5000, no
public ministry, no cleansing the temple, no final words, and no Great
Commission. Paul doesn’t even place Jesus within history—there’s nothing
to connect Jesus with historical figures like Caesar Augustus, King
Herod, or Pontius Pilate.
Perhaps everyone to whom Paul wrote his letters knew all this
already? Okay, but presumably they already knew about the crucifixion,
and Paul mentions that 13 times. And the resurrection, which Paul
mentions 14 times.
Paul indirectly admits that he knew of no Jesus miracles.
didn’t Paul convince the Jews with these? Paul apparently didn’t know
any. The Jesus of Paul is not the miracle worker that we see in the
Jesus of the gospels.
But perhaps the problem is Jews demanding actual miracles performed
in front of them, not merely stories of miracles. That shouldn’t be a
problem either. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I
have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these” (John
14:12). And, indeed, Luke (that is, the author of both Luke and Acts)
reports that this happened. Peter healed a lame man (Acts 3:1–8) and
raised a woman from the dead (Acts 9:36–42), Philip exorcised demons to
heal people (Acts 8:5–8), and “the apostles performed many signs and
wonders” (Acts 5:12).
Again, the Jesus of Paul isn’t the Jesus of the gospels. Robert Price
questions whether Paul even imagined an earthly Jesus (Bible Geek
podcast for 10/3/12 @ 1:15:10). I’ve written more about the evolution of the Jesus story here.
What would Paul have said about the philosophical issues that divided the church for centuries?
These don’t mean much to most of us today because they’ve long been
decided, but they were divisive in their day—whether Jesus was
subordinate to God or not, whether Jesus had a human body or not,
whether he had a human nature or not, whether he had two wills or not,
whether the Holy Spirit was part of the Godhead, and so on. No one knows
how Paul would have resolved them or even if they crossed his mind.
The Gospel of Paul is more evidence that the Jesus story is a legend that grew with time.
December 17, 2012 By 220 Comments
For being the founder of Christianity, Paul knew surprisingly little about Jesus.
Paul is our first and, for that reason, potentially our most reliable
source of information on the life of Jesus. Let’s sift Paul’s writings
for information about Jesus.
If we were to do this with the gospels, we’d have a long list—the
story of Jesus turning water into wine, walking on water, raising
Lazarus, the Prodigal Son story, curious events like his cursing the fig
tree, and so on. But what information about Jesus does Paul give us?
We’ll start with that well-known passage from 1 Corinthians 15.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appearedThis tells us that:
to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than
five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom
are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to
James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also,
as to one abnormally born. (1 Cor. 15:3–8)
1. Jesus died “for our sins.”
2. Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days later, in fulfillment of prophecy.
3. Jesus made many post-resurrection appearances.
Though 1 Corinthians was written perhaps 20 years after the death of
Jesus, some scholars argue that this 3-sentence passage was written with
a different style and so is an early creed that preceded Paul’s
writing, taking us back closer to the earliest disciples. Others use the
same logic to argue the opposite conclusion: that it was a later
scribal addition. (Our oldest copy of this passage comes from our earliest complete Bibles, written in about 350. That’s three centuries of party time during which changes could’ve been made.)
First, we’ll sift through Paul’s epistles to find confirmation of these first claims.
1. Confirmed—many verses report that Jesus was a
sacrifice (see Rom. 3:25, 5:6–8, 8:3; 1 Cor. 5:7; and more). The passage
above does not contain the word “Jesus,” but many other Pauline verses
combine “Jesus” and “Christ.”
2. Confirmed: many verses report
that Jesus was raised from the dead (see 1 Cor. 15:20; Rom. 1:4, 4:24; 2
Cor. 4:14; and more). Note, however, that there is no confirmation of
the three days or the scriptural prophecy.
3. Not Confirmed: I could find no confirmation of the post-resurrection appearances in Paul’s epistles.
What other biographical details about Jesus can we find in Paul?
4. He was crucified: “we preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23; also 1 Cor. 2:2, Gal. 3:1, 2 Cor. 13:4, and more).
5. He was a descendant of David: “his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David” (Rom. 1:3).
6. He was betrayed: “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed” (1 Cor. 11:23; also 2 Tim. 2:8).
7. He asked that his followers eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of him (1 Cor. 11:23–6).
8. Jesus was killed by Jews: “the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus” (1 Thes. 2:14–15)
We can go further afield, into books that are almost universally
rejected as authored by Paul. For example, 1 Tim. 6:13 places the trial
of Jesus during the rule of Pontius Pilate, and Heb. 5:5 gives an
adoptionist view of Jesus (that is, Jesus was a man adopted by God).
By the way, this list comes from my own search. Please point out any omissions.
If we stick to the reliably Pauline works and assume the authenticity of 1 Cor. 15, here is the Gospel of Paul:
Jesus died for our sins by crucifixion and was thenThe Gospel of Paul is one brief paragraph. It arguably has the most
raised from the dead three days later, according to prophecy. He was
seen by many after the resurrection. He was a descendant of David, he
was betrayed, he defined a bread and wine ritual for his followers, and
the Jews killed him.
The End.
important element—death as a sacrifice for our sins and resurrection—but
very little else.
No parables of the sheep and the goats, or the prodigal son, or the
rich man and Lazarus, or the lost sheep, or the good Samaritan. In fact,
no Jesus as teacher at all.
No driving out evil spirits, or healing the invalid at Bethesda, or
cleansing the lepers, or raising Lazarus, or other healing miracles. As
far as Paul tells us, Jesus performed no miracles at all.
No virgin birth, no Sermon on the Mount, no feeding the 5000, no
public ministry, no cleansing the temple, no final words, and no Great
Commission. Paul doesn’t even place Jesus within history—there’s nothing
to connect Jesus with historical figures like Caesar Augustus, King
Herod, or Pontius Pilate.
Perhaps everyone to whom Paul wrote his letters knew all this
already? Okay, but presumably they already knew about the crucifixion,
and Paul mentions that 13 times. And the resurrection, which Paul
mentions 14 times.
Paul indirectly admits that he knew of no Jesus miracles.
Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles (1 Cor. 1:22–3)Why “a stumbling block”? Jesus did lots of miraculous “signs”—why
didn’t Paul convince the Jews with these? Paul apparently didn’t know
any. The Jesus of Paul is not the miracle worker that we see in the
Jesus of the gospels.
But perhaps the problem is Jews demanding actual miracles performed
in front of them, not merely stories of miracles. That shouldn’t be a
problem either. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I
have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these” (John
14:12). And, indeed, Luke (that is, the author of both Luke and Acts)
reports that this happened. Peter healed a lame man (Acts 3:1–8) and
raised a woman from the dead (Acts 9:36–42), Philip exorcised demons to
heal people (Acts 8:5–8), and “the apostles performed many signs and
wonders” (Acts 5:12).
Again, the Jesus of Paul isn’t the Jesus of the gospels. Robert Price
questions whether Paul even imagined an earthly Jesus (Bible Geek
podcast for 10/3/12 @ 1:15:10). I’ve written more about the evolution of the Jesus story here.
What would Paul have said about the philosophical issues that divided the church for centuries?
These don’t mean much to most of us today because they’ve long been
decided, but they were divisive in their day—whether Jesus was
subordinate to God or not, whether Jesus had a human body or not,
whether he had a human nature or not, whether he had two wills or not,
whether the Holy Spirit was part of the Godhead, and so on. No one knows
how Paul would have resolved them or even if they crossed his mind.
The Gospel of Paul is more evidence that the Jesus story is a legend that grew with time.
Where did Paul get his authority? | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
Where did Paul get his authority? | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
If Paul did not know Jesus while He lived on this earth, then how can Paul have any authority to teach and preach the Gospel?
Though Paul did not walk with Jesus while he was on this earth, he did receive
approval from the followers of Jesus. In Galatians chapters 1-2, Paul
explains that he took two different trips to Jerusalem to see the
Jerusalem apostles.1
have discussed some very important matters! I wish that I could have
been a fly on the wall to hear Paul and Peter's conversation. What a
sight that must have been! As one scholar stated, they probably did not
spend all of their time talking about the weather. It is quite likely
that given the context of Galatians 1 where Paul is discussing his
authority to preach the gospel, that Peter and Paul discussed the
content of the Gospel during their time together.
before the Jerusalem apostles (Peter, James, and John). He indicates
that he had a fear "that I might be running, or had run, in vain." Some
have speculated that Paul wanted to verify the content of his preaching
to be sure that he was correct. Therefore, he goes up to Jerusalem a
second time to see Peter, James, and then John.
Interestingly, the apostles respond:
nevertheless, Paul claimed that his ultimate authority did not come from
humans, but directly from Christ's revelation to him:
If Paul did not know Jesus while He lived on this earth, then how can Paul have any authority to teach and preach the Gospel?
Though Paul did not walk with Jesus while he was on this earth, he did receive
approval from the followers of Jesus. In Galatians chapters 1-2, Paul
explains that he took two different trips to Jerusalem to see the
Jerusalem apostles.1
Trip #1: 36 A.D.
In his first trip, Paul mentions the most popular apostles by name: Peter and James. In Galatians 1:18-19, Paul says,
"Then three years later [36 A.D.?] I went up to Jerusalem to become
acquainted with Cephas [or Peter], and stayed with him fifteen days.
19But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's
brother."
If Paul and Peter spent fifteen days together, they mustacquainted with Cephas [or Peter], and stayed with him fifteen days.
19But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's
brother."
have discussed some very important matters! I wish that I could have
been a fly on the wall to hear Paul and Peter's conversation. What a
sight that must have been! As one scholar stated, they probably did not
spend all of their time talking about the weather. It is quite likely
that given the context of Galatians 1 where Paul is discussing his
authority to preach the gospel, that Peter and Paul discussed the
content of the Gospel during their time together.
Trip #2: 47-50 A.D.
However, Paul also mentions a second trip to Jerusalem in Galatians 2:1-2:
"Then after an interval of fourteen years [47-50 A.D.?] I went up again to
Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2It was because of a
revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach
among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of
reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain."
In this second visit, Paul mentions that he explicitly brought his gospel Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2It was because of a
revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach
among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of
reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain."
before the Jerusalem apostles (Peter, James, and John). He indicates
that he had a fear "that I might be running, or had run, in vain." Some
have speculated that Paul wanted to verify the content of his preaching
to be sure that he was correct. Therefore, he goes up to Jerusalem a
second time to see Peter, James, and then John.
Interestingly, the apostles respond:
"And recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and
John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right
hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to
the circumcised (Gal. 2:9)."
In other words, the early apostles agreed with Paul's Gospel that he preached.John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right
hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to
the circumcised (Gal. 2:9)."
The Ultimate Authority
Even though Paul had approval from the eyewitnesses of Jesus' life,nevertheless, Paul claimed that his ultimate authority did not come from
humans, but directly from Christ's revelation to him:
"For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by
me is not according to man. 12For I neither received it from man, nor
was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:11-12)."
Paul himself saw Jesus via revelation on his encounter on the road to Damascus (Acts 9, 22, 26) in which Christ revealed Himself to Paul . He was an eyewitness in the sense of having seen Jesus after his death (1 Cor. 9:1). Therefore, Paul certainly had the authority to teach and preach the Gospel.me is not according to man. 12For I neither received it from man, nor
was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:11-12)."
Summary:
- 33 A.D. - Paul's Conversion
- 36 A.D. - 1st Trip to Jerusalem: meets Peter and James
- 47-50 A.D. - 2nd Trip to Jerusalem: meets Peter, James, and John
Did Paul Ever Meet Jesus? - Gracethrufaith
Did Paul Ever Meet Jesus? - Gracethrufaith
Q. We first wanted to thank you for your website on the Bible and Jesus Christ. We have a question about the Apostle Paul that we hoped you may be able to answer. I was at a Sunday school class and asked the question, did Paul ever meet Jesus? The answer I got from the group was no. On the road to Damascus Paul met Jesus after he had ascended into heaven. Was Jesus’s appearance physical or spiritual? Please give us some insight.
A. There’s no indication from Scripture that Paul and Jesus ever met before the Damascus Road incident. And Acts 9:4-7 doesn’t specify whether the Lord’s encounter with Paul was physical or
not. It only says Paul saw a bright light and heard a voice. The men with him heard a loud sound but didn’t see anything. In subsequent re-tellings of the encounter Paul never indicated that He had actually seen Jesus at that time.
But Paul did spend 3 years in Arabia where he received the Gospel from the Lord (Galatians 1:11-17). And he made a visit to the Throne of God (2 Cor. 12:1-4) where he saw things he was not allowed to talk about. In 1 Cor. 15:3-8, when Paul recounted all the Lord’s post resurrection appearances, he included himself as one who had seen Him. So, at some point, he
apparently did have a physical meeting with the Lord.
A. There’s no indication from Scripture that Paul and Jesus ever met before the Damascus Road incident. And Acts 9:4-7 doesn’t specify whether the Lord’s encounter with Paul was physical or
not. It only says Paul saw a bright light and heard a voice. The men with him heard a loud sound but didn’t see anything. In subsequent re-tellings of the encounter Paul never indicated that He had actually seen Jesus at that time.
But Paul did spend 3 years in Arabia where he received the Gospel from the Lord (Galatians 1:11-17). And he made a visit to the Throne of God (2 Cor. 12:1-4) where he saw things he was not allowed to talk about. In 1 Cor. 15:3-8, when Paul recounted all the Lord’s post resurrection appearances, he included himself as one who had seen Him. So, at some point, he
apparently did have a physical meeting with the Lord.
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