Did Paul, from the Bible, ever meet Jesus?

Question

Paul, we know, never claimed to have met Jesus, not before he died. He didn't meet the physical Jesus after the Resurrection. In fact, one of the ways we know this for sure is that if Paul had met Jesus and known him, he would have said something about him. Yet never does Paul quote a single Gospel saying of Jesus, anywhere in all of his writings -- and his writings were first. Never does Paul make reference to any of the miracles of Jesus that appeared in the Gospels. And Paul supposedly hung around with these people, and talked to them. And Paul talked about a lot of the same issues and would have benefited from quoting Jesus.

So how does this person who never even saw Jesus when he was alive get to tell the world thru time about his deeds?

There have been 20 books written about Elvis Presley by people who hung with him. And they can't even get his recipe for Fried Chicken the same! C'mon people, admit it. It's a sham!

Answer 1

Christianity is a collection of beliefs by various people, chief among them Paul followed closely by Constantine. Trailing far behind but still very relevant is Augustine and Martin Luther. NONE of them ever met Jesus (nor did any of the authors of the Gospels for that matter)

Answer 2

Paul met Jesus on the way to Damascus. After his conversion, he spent 3 years being taught by Jesus before he started his ministry. Read the Bible. Also, the Gospels were being written around the same time Paul was writing his letters. So how can he quote from what was being written? Paul was writing to the various churches with guess what Christians who knew Jesus' miracles and what He had done. So why would Paul have to reiterate all that?

Also, the 20 guys who wrote books about Elvis were out to make a quick book not due to an ideal to spread the truth about Elvis. Will you buy another book about Elvis if all the details are the same as the original. Now you have 20 guys saying his is the right recipe to Elvis' Fried Chicken. Oh which one of them is right? What a dilemna?

One simpleton's musings don't the Bible a sham make.

Answer 3

Atheist4choice,
"Paul, we know, never claimed to have met Jesus, not before he died."
That's only because he hadn't met him. Was there a reason why you brought that up? Martin Luther never met him. That didn't stop him from paying attention to what Christ did.
"He didn't meet the physical Jesus after the Resurrection."
Are you trying to get away from mentioning what happened to Paul on the road to Damascus?
Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

What?
"In fact, one of the ways we know this for sure is that if Paul had met Jesus and known him, he would have said something about him."
You've got it! Paul did nothing other than what you read in the Bible! If it's not in there, Paul did not do it, is that it? Over 200 times Paul brings up Jesus and reveres Him, but NO! You didn't think that meant anything. So your whole arguement is based upon the lack of value on what you place on the name of Jesus.

You haven't been taught in the word, Atheist4choice. What does hilasterion mean? What does pistis mean? What is the significance of soterion, and how does it figure in the life of a Christian?

If you knew those words, you would at least undertand that English doesn't cut it the way the Greek does. And that there are different meanings in the words used in the Bible that we are familliar with only in English, so we miss the intricacies of what is being said in them.

So I hope that you at least can take a step back and see that it isn't the simple solution you figured it is.

You simply don't know what you are talking about.

Answer 4

Paul did see Jesus after His resurrection. This was at the point of Paul's conversion when Paul was still known as Saul. You may think Elvis Presley's fried chicken recipe is as important to people as matters of faith but I can assure you that people of faith don't. This is a strawman argument. Just prejudice from someone who is trying to make the evidence fit what he wants to believe.

Answer 5

Yes,..Paul never met Jesus in person in the flesh. He only met him in spirit,..on the road to Damascus
.
....Do you think if Paul had met Jesus in person....they might have had fried chicken together??

....would they have had a red wine with that or white?

....and would Paul get to keep the "cup" after Jesus was finished with it ?

....after dining,...would they have gone for a stroll by the water?...........or ON it?


....now see what you did with this question?
....now we'll both be in-for-it!

lol lol

P.S. ....let's say 3 hail Mary's, 2 our Father's,
put $20 in the poor box...and "BUY"
our way out... like the rest !
...after-all....it's the
good, Christian-thing to do!
RIGHT?

WOW....it's like a Christian - pirranha feeding frenzy out here.
Don't ya' think they'd lighten up a bit with some age and time?....hey...there's always hope?....or is that FAITH?

Answer 6

Acts 9:1-9, 17-18
Saul's Conversion
1Meanwhile, 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. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.... 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,
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Acts 22:14-16
"14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'"
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So many scholars and professors whom which I've been taught believe that Paul being fillied with the spirit and him being chosen to "know his will" means that when Paul believed, he was filled with the holy spirit and the knowledge of Christ. Though he only met Christ initially in spirit, he knew all about him and spoke with him and performed His will.

Answer 7

A sham, i think you helped me out

A man Paul

Never saw Jesus EVER and here he goes

God is so great he used a man that never saw what Jesus did ,preach to the world

I never saw Jesus

i can say He died on the cross for you

i can say He is Gods son

i can say He was perfect, thus proving He was Gods son

i can say all of this and my info is only second hand

Answer 8

You are wrong! Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Once you have an encounter with the son of God, you will be changed! The men who wrote the bible were inspired by God to write what they wrote. You can think it is a sham but one day you will have to answer for your words.

Answer 9

I think my God is real...and if he isnt..then honestly and truthfully...this whole life and world would be a game for no reason at all, people make a mocorry of him...it aint right. Some people believe in demons and in ghosts lmao c'mon now..if you believe in that HOW SEROUSLY HOW can my God not be real...but yah...i think he met him...wasnt he one of his disciples man lol.

Answer 10

Jesus just may be a Myth.......... I've looked at both sides of this coin and I'm on the edge. Probably not.

kurleylovesc... I heard it was a goat not Jesus *-)