Paul and Jesus

  

Kurt,

During our last conversation without Paul, over lunch, you mentioned that the apostle Paul never saw Jesus, his conversion was a ‘near death hallucination’ and therefore his writings could not be true or reliable. That is a problem for me.

Since we did not live in the first century we must rely on those that did for our knowledge. We rely on the writings of eyewitnesses that wrote during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. When other eyewitnesses accept an event as true then we too must accept their accounts as true. To keep from getting it wrong, I’ll quote some New Testament verses to make my point.

Luke wrote in the introduction to his Gospel:

Luk 1:1-4 NET.  Now many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,  (2)  like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning.  (3)  So it seemed good to me as well, because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,  (4)  so that you may know for certain the things you were taught.

And he followed this with the introduction to Acts:

Act 1:1-5 NET.  I wrote the former account, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach  (2)  until the day he was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.  (3)  To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God.  (4)  While he was with them, he declared, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me.  (5)  For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Then in chapter 6 Luke reports the account of Stephen and how Saul (Paul) was guarding the coats of the Stephen stoners and how he went on the persecute the church.

Act 7:58 NET.  When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Act 8:1 NET.  And Saul agreed completely with killing him.   Now on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.

Act 8:3 NET.  But Saul was trying to destroy the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Act 8:4 NET.  Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word.

Paul agreed that he persecuted the church:

1Co 15:9 NET.  For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Gal 1:13 NET.  For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it.

Php 3:6 NET.  In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.

1Ti 1:12-14 NET.  I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry,  (13)  even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief,  (14)  and our Lord's grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus.

Luke records Paul’s conversion and some following events in Acts 9, I’ve copied it here so I don’t get any details wrong:

Act 9:1-25 NLT  Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers. So he went to the high priest.  (2)  He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. 

(3)  As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him.  (4)  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?"  (5)  "Who are You, lord?" Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!  (6)  Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."  (7)  The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone's voice but saw no one!  (8)  Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus.  (9)  He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. 

(10)  Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord!" he replied.  (11)  The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to Me right now.  (12)  I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again."  (13)  "But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!  (14)  And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon Your name."  (15)  But the Lord said, "Go, for Saul is My chosen instrument to take My message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.  (16)  And I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." 

(17)  So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."  (18)  Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 

(19)  Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.  (20)  And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is indeed the Son of God!" 

(21)  All who heard him were amazed. "Isn't this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus' followers in Jerusalem?" they asked. "And didn't he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?"  (22)  Saul's preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn't refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. 

(23)  After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him.  (24)  They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot.  (25)  So during the night, some of the other believers lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.

First, after Jesus, it’s Ananias that believes Paul was converted on the road to Damascus. Paul was a highly successful young Jewish scholar on his first ‘road trip’ and before reaching Damascus he did a 180 in his character. We can’t assume he did it to enhance his career. Something dramatic must happen to cause a man to do what Paul did.

He tells his story this way:

Gal 1:11-24 ERV  Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the Good News message I told you was not made up by anyone.  (12)  I did not get my message from any other human. The Good News is not something I learned from other people. Jesus Christ himself gave it to me. He showed me the Good News that I should tell people.

 (13)  You have heard about my past life in the Jewish religion. I persecuted the church of God very much. I tried to destroy his people.  (14)  I was becoming a leader in the Jewish religion. I did better than most other Jews my own age. I tried harder than anyone else to follow the traditions we got from our ancestors.  (15)  But God had special plans for me even before I was born. So he chose me through his grace.  

(16)  It pleased him to let me see and know his Son so that I could tell the Good News about him to the non-Jewish people. I immediately prepared to do this work without asking for advice or help from anyone.  (17)  I did not go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. But, without waiting, I went away to Arabia. Later, I went back to the city of Damascus.  

(18)  Three years later I went to Jerusalem to meet Peter. I stayed with him 15 days.  (19)  I met no other apostles—only James, the brother of the Lord.  (20)  God knows there is nothing untrue in any of this.  (21)  Later, I went to the areas of Syria and Cilicia.  (22)  No one in any of Christ's churches in Judea had ever met me before.  (23)  They had only heard this about me: "This man was persecuting us. But now he is telling people about the same faith that he once tried to destroy."  (24)  These believers praised God because of me.

Barnabas was the first Jerusalem believer to accept Paul’s conversion experience followed by Peter and James:

Act 9:26-30 NLT  When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer!  (27)  Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. 

(28)  So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.  (29)  He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him.  (30)  When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.

The main point here is the people on the ground saw a 180 change in Paul’s life and they had the opportunity to disclaim what he said – but they believed him and God used him, this seems to me to be proof that his story is real.

From here on I’ll not quote the rest of the New Testament (most of which Paul wrote) but only hit some high points of people that believed Paul’s account of his conversion and proved their beliefs with their lives.

Luke – he dedicated his life to traveling with and helping Paul.

Barnabas – was the first Jerusalem apostle to accept Paul’s conversion and traveled with him on his first missionary journey. Paul’s conversion was real to Barnabas.

Timothy – as a young boy he saw him stoned and later spent his live under Paul’s teaching and continued after his death.

Aristarchus – a Macedonian, traveled with Paul and Luke on their eventful ship ride to Rome.

There are at least 35 people in the New Testament that believed Paul’s conversion experience, they were all contemporizes and instead of doubting him they dedicated their lives to the Good News that Paul proclaimed. They are detailed here: http://www.christianshepherd.org/meditations/doctrinal_meditations/companions_of_paul.pdf

Without belaboring this point further, I want to go on record saying because of the acceptance of Paul’s conversion by his contemporizes in the book of Acts, his conversion is credible to me. Also, I want to state, for the record, that I don’t see any conflict in Jesus’s teachings and Paul’s teaching.

Since Paul is Jesus’s pick to carry his Good News to the Gentiles I cannot assume, nor understand how they can be teaching different doctrine. If there is any gap between what they teach and my understanding, then it’s my understanding that is faulty – not Jesus’ plan.

The Disciples Creed

If Christianity is wrong, then it's unimportant.

If Christianity is right, then it's most important.

One thing Christianity cannot be is just moderately important.

CS Lewis

The Disciples Creed
Adapted by Ray Sammons

1 This is by Bible.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. (2Ti 3:16 NLT)

2 I am what is says that I am.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2Co 5:17 NLT)

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.(2Co 5:21 NET.)

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. (Rom 8:14 NET.)

3 I can do what it says I can do.

In everything give thanks. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1Th 5:18 NET.)

My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, (Jas 1:2 NET.)

"But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luk 6:27-28 NET.)

4 If it teaches anything that I don’t believe, I will change my belief.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Heb 4:12 NLT)

5 Having studied it [each time I study it], I don’t ever, ever want to be the same.

Don't change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him [and to you] and what is perfect [to him and to you]. (Rom 12:2 ERV)

CS Lewis said Jesus was Wrong

I’ve always liked CS Lewis, I’ve admired his way of writing, his level of thought, and I’ve always had some reservations about him saying “Jesus was wrong.” So I found the source of the claim, because I wanted to read it for myself.

Here is some of what I found.

In 1960 he wrote a book, “The World’s Last Night: And Other Essays”. In the book, he asks the question, “What if last night was the world last night – Jesus returns today?”

I’ve not read the whole book, but the ideas contemplated are most interesting! He deals for several enjoyable pages on the idea of life being discovered on other planets and our interaction with other beings. He concludes:

The supposed threat [of life on other planets] is clearly directed against the

doctrine of the Incarnation, the belief that God of God

"for us men and for our salvation came down from

heaven and was . . . made man." (page 83)

And from there he goes on to develop five points of interesting speculation about these ‘other beings’ interacting with us as fallen beings in need of a savior. I do him a disservice by quoting only select passages but this seems, to sum up his treatise on ‘other beings’:

What we believe always remains intellectually possi- 

ble; it never becomes intellectually compulsive. I have 

an Idea that when this ceases to be so, the world will be 

ending. We have been warned that all but conclusive 

evidence against Christianity, evidence that would de- 

ceive (If it were possible) the very elect, will appear 

with Antichrist. 

And after that there will be wholly conclusive 

evidence on the other side. 

But not, I fancy, till then on either side. 

From here he abandons the idea of ‘other aliens’ and concentrates on the second coming of Jesus. Rather than summarizing such noble thoughts that Lewis develops I’ll copy him:

.HERE are many rea- 

sons why the modern Christian and even the modern 

theologian may hesitate to give to the doctrine of 

Christ's Second Coming that emphasis which was 

usually laid on it by our ancestors. Yet it seems to me 

impossible to retain in any recognisable form our belief 

in the Divinity of Christ and the truth of the Christian 

revelation while abandoning, or even persistently neg- 

lecting, the promised, and threatened, Return. "He 

shall come again to judge the quick and the dead/' says 

the Apostles' Creed. "This same Jesus/' said the angels 

in Acts, "shall so come in like manner as ye have seen 

him go into heaven." "Hereafter/' said our Lord him- 

self (by those words inviting crucifixion) , "shall ye 

see the Son of Man . . . coming in the clouds of 

heaven." If this is not an integral part of the faith once 

given to the saints, I do not know what is. In the follow- 

ing pages I shall endeavour to deal with some of the 

thoughts that may deter modern men from a firm belief 

in, or a due attention to, the return or Second Coming 

of the Saviour. I have no claim to speak as an expert in 

93 

THE WORLD S LAST NIGHT 

any of the studies involved, and merely put forward the 

reflections which have arisen in my own mind and have 

seemed to me (perhaps wrongly) to be helpful. They 

are all submitted to the correction of wiser heads. 

The grounds for modern embarrassment about this 

doctrine fall into two groups, which may be called the 

theoretical and the practical. 1 will deal with the theo- 

retical first. 

Following page 93 he develops several ideas about the Second Coming from the doubter’s and naysayers point of view.

Then on page 97 comes the quote where Lewis supposedly calls Jesus wrong. He is postulating about what the doubters might say:

But there is worse to come. "Say what you like/* we 

shall be told, "the apocalyptic beliefs of the first Chris- 

97 

THE WORLD S LAST NIGHT 

tians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the 

New Testament that they all expected the Second 

Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they 

had a reason, and one which you will find very embar- 

rassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and 

indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many 

words, 'this generation shall not pass till all these things 

be done/ And he was wrong. He clearly knew no more 

about the end of the world than anyone else." 

End of quote – these are not Lewis’ words, but a conjured quote for the sake of argument.

Lewis acknowledges these are difficult verses and then goes on to show how they are basic proof that the New Testament writers and their copyists were honest men:

And unless later copyists were equally honest 

they would never have preserved the (apparently) mis- 

taken prediction about "this generation** after the pas- 

sage of time had shown the (apparent) mistake. This 

passage (Mark 13:30-32) and the cry "Why hast thou 

forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34) together make up the 

strongest proof that the New Testament is historically 

reliable. The evangelists have the first great characteris- 

98 

THE WORLD S LAST NIGHT 

tic of honest witnesses: they mention facts which are, 

at first sight, damaging to their main contention. 

I don’t see from these passages where Lewis thought Jesus was ‘wrong’. Lewis understands us to be fallen people, Jesus is Incarnate, and he’s coming again.

The doctrine of the Second Coming teaches us that 

we do not and cannot know when the world drama will 

end. The curtain may be rung down at any moment: 

say, before you have finished reading this paragraph. Page 105

The doctrine of the Second Coming teaches us that 

we do not and cannot know when the world drama will 

end. The curtain may be rung down at any moment: 

say, before you have finished reading this paragraph.

Lewis understands the Bible says we too are to be ready for his coming at any time:

Note the therefore. Precisely because we cannot pre- 

dict the moment, we must be ready at all moments. Our 

Lord repeated this practical conclusion again and again; 

as if the promise of the Return had been made for the 

sake of this conclusion alone. Watch, watch, is the bur- 

den of his advice. I shall come like a thief. You will not, 

107 

THE WORLD S LAST NIGHT 

I most solemnly assure you you will not, see me ap- 

proaching. If the householder had known at what time 

the burglar would arrive, he would have been ready for 

him. If the servant had known when his absent em- 

ployer would come home, he would not have been 

found drunk in the kitchen. But they didn't Nor will 

you. Therefore you must be ready at all times. The 

point is surely simple enough. The schoolboy does not 

know which part of his Virgil lesson he will be made to 

translate: that is why he must be prepared to translate 

any passage. The sentry does not know at what time an 

enemy will attack, or an officer inspect, his post: that is 

why he must keep awake all the time. The Return is 

wholly unpredictable. There will be wars and rumours 

of wars and all kinds of catastrophes, as there always are. 

Things will be, in that sense, normal, the hour before 

the heavens roll up like a scroll. You cannot guess it. If 

you could, one chief purpose for which it was foretold 

would be frustrated. And God's purposes are not so 

easily frustrated as that. One's ears should be closed 

against any future William Miller in advance. The 

folly of listening to him at all is almost equal to the folly 

of believing him. He couldn't know what he pretends, 

or thinks, he knows.

I‘ll quit here – my temptation is to quote the whole book – Lewis is interesting reading.

His lines at the end of the book don’t read like he thought Jesus was wrong:

We always hope that those who so clearly think us cowards or bullies are 

ignorant and malicious; we always fear that those who 

trust us or admire us are misled by partiality. I sup- 

pose the experience of the Final Judgment (which may 

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THE WORLD S LAST NIGHT 

break in upon us at any moment) will be like these lit- 

tle experiences, but magnified to the Nth. 

For it will be infallible judgment. If it is favorable 

we shall have no fear, if unfavorable, no hope, that it is 

wrong. We shall not only believe, we shall know, know 

beyond doubt in every fibre of our appalled or delighted 

being, that as the Judge has said, so we are: neither 

more nor less nor other. We shall perhaps even realise 

that in some dim fashion we could have known it all 

along. We shall know and all creation will know too: 

our ancestors, our parents, our wives or husbands, our 

children. The unanswerable and (by then) self-evident 

truth about each will be known to all. 

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