Decide for yourself:
Act 9:7 The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had HEARD the voice, but they had not seen anyone.
Act 22:9 The men who were traveling with me saw the light, but DID NOT hear the voice.
What is your take on this and do you know of any others?
2006-07-26 21:54:46 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This is regarding the SAME incident! First in Acts 9:7, when this actually ocurred and then in Acts 22:9, when he is retelling this same incident!
2006-07-26 22:05:48 · update #1
Acts 7:1-7
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
Acts 22:1-9
1 "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense."
2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said:
3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
8 " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked." 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied.
9 My companions saw the light, but THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE VOICE of him who was speaking to me.
It seems to me that it's a matter of hearing the voice and not comprehending it.
2006-07-26 22:09:32 · answer #1 · answered by mwrc09 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This incident was repeated by Paul three time in the book of acts. Both descriptions of this incident are correct. At one time some men saw the light but did not hear voice, in the the other incident, some men heard the voice but did not see the light. Paul meant to describe it in both ways in two different time. He can't be that stupid or fool those who were after his trial to kill and get rid of this witnessing of Jesus Christ. In simple words, some of the men who were with Paul saw the light but did not hear the voice, the others heard the voice but did not see the light. God wanted it in this manner for all to witness this incident that happened to Paul on his way to Damascus.
2006-07-27 05:08:16 · answer #2 · answered by lonelyspirit 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, in the Bible I read one situation where Jesus was talking to a teacher, who had asked him which of the Commandments was the most important. (He replied with "Love thy neighbour.")
Funnily enough, I read the same event in different parts of the Bible, and in one the teacher was trying to trick Jesus, and in the other the teacher was actually keen to know because he had watched Jesus give good advice to some other guys.
I might just have to advise that the Bible was written by many different people, with many different opinions, whether there was a God telling them what to say or not. One version of the teacher's question was from Matthew and the other from Mark.
I mean, I read the Qu'ran, which was written by only one guy, and you can really tell the difference (it's a lot shorter, for one) because there's none of those little discrepancies there and there's no contradictions in what it says.
It doesn't mean that either Christians or Muslims are right, just means that different people have their own opinions.
2006-07-27 05:18:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well that is a big jump in scriptures from 9:7 - 22:9 put the all of it down so we get the context.
Also I cannot be arsed.
2006-07-27 04:57:16 · answer #4 · answered by Gingerbread Man 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are lots of contradictions in The Bible but just remember...
The Bible has been re'phrased' and written many times over... Which concludes as a human error but the moral of the story is still the same isn't it??????
2006-07-27 05:01:35 · answer #5 · answered by Chellie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just read those verses and upon first blush, I would say that it could have been a translation error. I will ask my Bible College nephew and niece, though.
2006-07-27 05:03:10 · answer #6 · answered by Bobbie Joe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bible is a story book. A very nice storybook, but a story book nonetheless.
2006-07-27 05:02:10 · answer #7 · answered by GS1969 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Out of context, is it the same men? the same day? the same occurrence??
2006-07-27 04:57:57 · answer #8 · answered by gracefully_saved 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course it's a contradiction, it's from the Bible!
2006-07-27 05:00:52 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you're being a little too picky on this one.
2006-07-27 05:24:02 · answer #10 · answered by Arkangyle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋