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SUBJECT: Paul and Jesus Christ
QUESTION: I heard somewhere that Paul was taught,
in person, by Jesus Christ after the resurrection for as
long as three years. Is this true? Where in the Bible is
this shown to be fact?
ANSWER:
In any Bible dictionary, the life of Paul takes several
pages as his impact was indeed great. We are going to jump
into that part of Paul’s life where we read of his 3 years
with Jesus. This from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, with my
notes added:
PAUL
Paragraph One:
We have three accounts of his conversion, one by Luke (Acts
9), the others by himself (Acts 22; 26), mutually
supplementing one another. Following the adherents of "the (Christian)
way ... unto strange cities," and "breathing out
threatenings and slaughter," he was on his journey to
Damascus with authoritative letters from the high priest
empowering him to arrest and bring to Jerusalem all such,
trusting doubtless that the pagan governor would not
interpose in their behalf. At midday a light shone upon him
and his company, exceeding the brightness of the sun; he and
all with him fell to the earth (Acts
26:14; in Acts 9:7 "stored speechless," namely, they soon
rose, and when he at length rose they were standing
speechless with wonder), "hearing" the sound of a
"voice," but not understanding (compare
1 Cor 14:2 margin) the articulate speech which
Paul heard (Acts 22:9, "they
heard not the voice of Him that spoke") in Hebrew
(Acts 26:14)," Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" (in
the person of My brethren, Matt 25:40). "It is
hard for thee to kick against the goads" (not
in Acts 9:5 the Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus
manuscripts, but only in Acts 26:14), which, as
in the case of oxen being driven, only makes the goad pierce
the deeper (Matthew 21:44; Proverbs 8:36).
Note: Paragraph
1 establishes the fact that Paul was called by God
Paragraph 2:
Saul trembling (as the
jailer afterward before him, Acts 16:30-31) said,
"Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" the usual question at
first awakening (Luke 3:10), but here with the additional
sense of unreserved surrender of himself to the Lord's
guidance (Isaiah 6:1-8). The Lord might act directly, but He
chooses to employ ministerial instruments; such was Ananias
whom He sent to Saul, after he had been three days without
sight and neither eating nor drinking, in the house of Judas
(probably a Christian to
whose house he had himself led, rather than to his former
co-religionists). Ananias, whom he would have
seized for prison and death, is the instrument of giving him
light and life. God had prepared Ananias for his visitor by
announcing the one sure mark of his conversion, "behold he
prayeth" (Romans 8:15). Ananias had heard of him as a
notorious persecutor, but obeyed the Lord's direction. In
Acts 26:16-18 Paul condenses in one account, and connects
with Christ's first appearing, subsequent revelations of
Jesus to him as to the purpose of his call;" to make thee a
minister and witness of these things ... delivering thee
from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee." Like Jonah,
the outcast runaway, when penitent, was made the messenger
of repentance to guilty Nineveh.
Note: Paragraph
2 established Paul’s mission to go to the Gentiles
Paragraph 3:
The time of his call was just when the gospel was being
opened to the Gentiles by Peter (Acts 10). An apostle,
severed from legalism, and determined unbelief by an
extraordinary revulsion, was better fitted for carrying
forward the work among unbelieving Gentiles, which had been
begun by the apostle of the circumcision. He who was the
most learned and at the same time humblest (Ephesians 3:8; 1
Corinthians 15:9) of the apostles was the one whose pen was
most used in the New Testament Scriptures. He "saw" the Lord
in actual person (Acts 9:17; 22:14; 23:11; 26:16; 1
Corinthians 15:8; 9:1),…
Note: Here are
those 6 verses quoted:
Acts 9:17
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and
putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even
Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest,
hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be
filled with the Holy Ghost.
Acts 22:14
And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that
thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and
shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
Acts 23:11
And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be
of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in
Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
Acts 26:16
But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto
thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness
both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those
things in the which I will appear unto thee;
1 Corinthians 15:8
And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out
of due time.
1 Corinthians 9:1
Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus
Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
Note: Clearly,
we see Paul having seen Christ after the resurrection. An
apostle to be an apostle must have seen Christ.
…(continuing paragraph 3)…
which was a necessary qualification for apostleship, so as
to be witness of the resurrection. The light that flashed on
his eyes was the sign of the spiritual light that broke in
upon his soul; and Jesus' words to him (Acts 26:18), "to
open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light" (which
commission was symbolized in the opening of his own eyes
through Ananias, Acts 9:17-18), are by undesigned
coincidence reproduced naturally in his epistles (Colossians
1:12-14; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 1:18, contrast
Ephesians 4:18; 6:12). He calls himself "the one
untimely born" in the family of the apostles (1 Corinthians
15:8). Such a child, though born alive, is yet not of proper
size and scarcely worthy of the name of man; so Paul calls
himself" least of the apostles, not meet to be called an
apostle" (compare 1 Peter
1:3). He says, God's "choice" (Acts 9:15; 22:14),
"separating me (in contrast
to his having been once a Pharisee, from pharash, i.e. a
separatist, but now 'separated' unto something infinitely
higher) from my mother's womb (therefore
without any merit of mine), and calling me by His
grace (which carried into
effect His 'good pleasure,' eudokia (NT:2107),
revealed His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the
pagan," independent of Mosaic ceremonialism (Galatians
1:11-20)….
Note: These are
the scriptures (Galatians 1:11-20) that show Paul going to
Christ for 3 years:
Galatians 1:11-20
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was
preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught
it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the
Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the
church of God, and wasted it:
14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals
in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the
traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my
mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among
the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and
blood:
17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were
apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned
again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see
Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the
Lord's brother.
20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before
God, I lie not.
Note: Paul went
up to Damascus and Arabia for 3 years. In these 3 years,
Paul was face to face with Christ learning the gospel and
his mission to the Gentiles. See also that Paul states
emphatically that he learned the gospel of no man.
…(continuing in Paragraph 3)...
Ananias, being "a devout man according to the law, having a
good report of all the Jews there," was the suitable
instrument of giving him bodily and spiritual sight in his
transition stage. His language accords, "the God of our
fathers (compare Paul's own,
2 Timothy 1:3; Galatians 1:14) hath chosen thee
... that thou shouldest see that Just (righteous,
a legal term) One."
Paragraph 4:
Saul directly, on his conversion "preached Christ in the
synagogues that He is the Son of God," to the astonishment
of his hearers (Acts 9:20-21); then followed his retirement
to Arabia for a considerable part of the whole "three years"
between his conversion and his visit to Jerusalem. From
Arabia he returned to Damascus, where with his increased
spiritual "strength" he confounded the Jews. Then on their
watching to kill him lie was "let down by the wall in a
basket," under ARETAS (which
see) (2 Corinthians 11:32; Galatians 1:15-18).
His three years of direction by the Lord alone answer to the
about three years' intercourse of Jesus with His twelve
apostles. This first visit to Jerusalem is that mentioned
Acts 9:26,
Note this in Acts 9:26 and verse 27:
Acts 9:26-27
26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join
himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him,
and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles,
and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way,
and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached
boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
Note: Barnabas
says it clearly that Paul was in Damascus and Arabia and was
with Christ. We know from above that Paul was in Damascus
and Arabia for 3 years.
…(continuing in Paragraph 4)…
at which occurred the vision (Acts 22:17-18). His "increase
in strength" (Acts 9:22) was obtained in communion with the
Lord in Arabia near the scene of giving the law, a fit scene
for the revelation of gospel grace which supersedes it
(Galatians 4:25).
Paragraph 5:
Ananias his first instructor, esteemed for his legal piety,
was not likely to have taught him the gospel's independence
of the Mosaic law. Paul received it by special revelation (1
Corinthians 11:23; 15:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:15)...
Note: Let us
look at these 3 scriptures:
1 Corinthians 11:23
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered
unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was
betrayed took bread:
1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures;
1 Thessalonians 4:15
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent them which are asleep.
Note: These
verses show direct contact with Jesus.
…(continuing in Paragraph 5)…The
"many days" (Acts 9:23) answer to "three years" (Galatians
1:18), as in 1 Kings 2:38-39. In Arabia he had that
retirement after the first fervor of conversion which great
characters need, preparatory to their life work for God, as
Moses in Midian (Acts 7:20,22). His familiarity with Mount
Sinai in Arabia, the scene of the giving of the law, appears
in Galatians 4:24-25; Hebrews 12:18; here he was completely
severed from his former legalism. Thence He returned to
Damascus; then he went to Jerusalem to see Peter. He saw
only Peter and James, being introduced by Barnabas not to
seek their sanction but to inform them of Jesus' independent
revelation to him (Acts 9:26-29; Galatians 1:18-19).
Note: The rest
of paragraph 5 shows that in part of this time with Christ
was actually at Mt. Sinai where the law was given.
Paragraph 6:
His Grecian education adapted him for successfully, like
Stephen, disputing against the Grecians. He had a vision
later than that of Acts 22:17-18, namely, in 2 Corinthians
12:1, etc., six years after his conversion, A.D. 43. Thus
Paul was an independent witness of the gospel. When he
compared his gospel with that of the apostles there was
found perfect harmony (Galatians 2:2-9).
Note: This is a
key point to say that though Paul was with Christ
separately, his understanding of the gospel was found in
perfect harmony with the other apostles. This despite the
fact that you will find Internet web sites showing Paul in
disharmony with both Christ and the apostles. Let us look
at the quote verses of Galatians 2:2-9:
Galatians 2:2-9
2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them
that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately
to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should
run, or had run, in vain.
3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was
compelled to be circumcised:
4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in,
who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in
Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour;
that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever
they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's
person) for they who seemed to be somewhat in
conference added nothing to me:
7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the
uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the
circumcision was unto Peter;
8(For he that wrought
effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision,
the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be
pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they
gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that
we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the
circumcision.
Note: We see the
apostles in harmony despite the situation with circumcision.
…(continuing in Paragraph 6)…After
staying only 15 days at Jerusalem, wherein there was not
time for his deriving his gospel commission from Peter with
whom he abode, having had a vision that he should depart to
the Gentiles (Acts 22:18-19), and being plotted against by
Hellenistic Jews (Acts 9:29), he withdrew to the seaport
Caesarea (Acts 9:30), thence by sea to Tarsus in Cilicia
(Galatians 1:21), and thence to Syria. His journey by sea,
not land, accounts for his being "unknown by face unto the
churches of Judaea" (Galatians 1:22), so that he could not
have derived his gospel from them. lie puts "Syria" before "Cilicia,"
as it was a geographical phrase, the more important being
put first. Meantime at Antioch the gospel was preached to
Gentile "Greeks" (Hellenas
in the Alexandrinus manuscript, not "Grecians," Acts 11:20)
by men of Cyprus and Cyrene scattered abroad at the
persecution of Stephen; Barnabas went down then from
Jerusalem, and glad in seeing this special grace of,
"exhorted them that with purpose of heart they would cleave
unto the Lord." Desiring a helper he fetched Saul from
Tarsus to Antioch, and for a whole year they laboured
together, and in leaving for Jerusalem (Paul's
second visit there, not mentioned in Galatians, being ford
special object and for but "few days," Acts 11:30; 12:25)
brought with them a token of brotherly love, a contribution
for the brethren in Judaea during the famine which was
foretold by Agabus and came on under Claudius Caesar (Acts
11:22-30: A.D. 44).
Note: Another
important point: Paul was in Jerusalem only 15 days and
then he was off doing God’s work spreading the gospel. He
did not have time to learn it from the apostles in
Jerusalem. Besides, he had already been preaching the
gospel. He must have been with Christ.
The rest of Paragraph 6 shows Paul at work.
~from Fausset's Bible
Dictionary
CONCLUSION:
Using line-upon-line (Isaiah 28:10, 13) and Spirit of God
driven logic and understanding (1 John 2:20) we can easily
conclude and readily see that Paul was:
1)
Called by
God.
2)
Communicated with by Christ in this calling.
3)
Went to
Damascus and Arabia after his calling.
4)
Was there 3
years.
5)
Was with
Christ for that time learning the gospel.
6)
Was given
the mission to go to the Gentiles.
7)
Could not
have learn the gospel from any other source. |