Consider the most hateful persecutors of the Christian movement in the modern era. Perhaps we may think of those who are inside the church and giving people false doctrine, taking advantage of their parish. Did Josephus Write About Jesus, Or Was It Entirely A Forgery? An appointment in Galilee Between April 17 and May 17. So this experience on the road to Damascus is truly of high stakes. His testimony has every evidence of truth and sincerity, for he had no reason to be untruthful. Including photos each week from our outreaches and the weekly review. 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). Thus, like the other apostles, Paul studied with Christ for three years before beginning his ministry (compare Acts 1:21). Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have . Jesus was known to have visited Jerusalem (Mark 11:11; John 2:13; 5:1). 5:7; and more). 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. 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. But he also believed that the universe had multiple levels and was filled with spiritual beings. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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). Perhaps we may consider the news reports about Islamic fundamentalists slaughtering Christians in Egypt. In subsequent re-tellings of the encounter Paul never indicated that He had actually seen Jesus at that time. Neither did they give him any authority to go to the Gentiles. But Paul did spend 3 years in Arabia where he received the Gospel from the Lord (Galatians 1:11-17). With that said, there must be some sort of explanation for Paul’s radical transformation that occurred within a few days. He did not fly out to Jerusalem, preach, and then fly back to the United States to enjoy the comfort of his life. 15:3-8, when Paul recounted all the Lord’s post resurrection appearances, he included himself as one who had seen Him. The best way to view our articles and Q&A. The could hear what he was saying, but they could not see him. 3:25, 5:6â8, 8:3; 1 Cor. Among these deriders, Paul the apostle argues that he is worst of sinners. Acts 26:5 where Paul says "I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.". 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. The result of this miracle was that God was glorified and âmany of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in himâ (verse 45). Find & sort all our resources. He did not fly out to Jerusalem, preach, and then fly back to the United States to enjoy the comfort of his life. His wife Samantha maintains this site as well as their missionary outreaches. 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. 6:11; Rom. Listen to our Bible studies now from your browser. Sign up for our free daily newsletter. There is just no causal connection between this mans’ persecution of the church and his conversion. During this time, Paul did many miracles, and even things he touched were reported to have healed people (Acts 19:12). Answers that our churches have forgotten. Confirmedâmany verses report that Jesus was a sacrifice (see Rom. I was at a Sunday school class and asked the question, did Paul ever meet Jesus? 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