The Different Accounts Of Pauls Conversion Religion Essay

Introduction

Paul ‘s Life Prior to His Conversion

Paul, a Pharisee, spend the early old ages of his life analyzing in Jerusalem and oppressing Christians. He took portion in the lapidation of Stephen who was the church ‘s first sufferer. However, he met with Jesus on his manner to Damascus where he was converted from oppressing Christians, to a great sermonizer of the Gospel. In one of his missive to the Galatians Christians he wrote: ‘You have heard of my earlier life in Judaism, how I violently persecuted the church of God and was seeking to destruct it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my people, for I was more avid for the tradition of my ascendants ‘ Galatians 1: 13-14. He besides discussed his pre -conversion in one of his missive to the Philippians where he states: ‘if anyone else has ground to be confident in the flesh I have more: circumcised the eight twenty-four hours of the stock of Israel, of the folk of Benjamin, a Hebrew Born of Hebrews, as to the jurisprudence a Pharisee, as to zeal, a tormentor of the church as to righteousness under the jurisprudence, blameless. ‘ ( Philippians 3: 4-6 ) .

The Different Accounts of Paul ‘s Conversion

The Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke the doctor, it discusses Paul ‘s transition experience in three different topographic points. Harmonizing to the history in Acts 9:1-19, Paul ‘s transition occurred as he was going to Damascus where he came in contact with a blinding visible radiation, and was pass oning with an unknown voice. The 2nd history occurs in a address he gave when he was arrested in Jerusalem, he addresses the crowd and told them of his transition Acts 22:1-21. The 3rd history of Paul ‘s transition occurs when he addresses King Agrippa supporting himself against the accusals of prophesying contrary to the Judaic jurisprudence Acts 26: 12-18. There are three chief differences in the histories of Paul ‘s transition. In Acts 9: v. 1-21, Paul ‘s comrades heard the voice of the risen Christ, but saw no 1. They might hold seen the bright visible radiation. However, in Acts 22: v.9, Paul states: ‘they saw the visible radiation and were afraid, but they did non heard the voice of him who spoke to me. ‘ What they heard was supposable a sound, but non something they could understand. While the history in chapter 26, does non refers to the comrades either seeing or hearing. In Acts 9: v.4 and 22: v.7, the lone individual reference falling to the land was Paul. Though this demand non except the possibility that the others might hold fell to the land as province in chapter 26: 14. In Acts 9: v.6, and 22: v.10, Paul was told to travel to Damascus where he would be instructed what to make. Whereas, in chapter 26:16, his committee to be an apostle was given to him on Damascus route. Paul subsequently confirmed this in one of his missive to the brethren at Galatia. Galatians 1:11-12. Drane in his book entitled The New Testament, provinces: ‘like most noteworthy events, Paul ‘s transition did non spring from nowhere, he farther states that unquestionable, he already knew a great trade about the life and instructions of Jesus of Nazareth so on the footing of what he wrote in 2 Playboies 5 ; 16. Said besides that some have concluded that he might hold been personally acquainted with Jesus during His life clip[ 1 ]. ‘ In response to the last citation in Drane ‘s statement that seems really much improbable, but what is certain, is that he must hold taken acute involvement in the sort of reading placed on Bibles by Judaic Christians. The ulterior instructions of Paul on Old Testament Torahs and compacts in the Christian life which is found in Galatians 3: v.1-25, was an extension of the Jews who were Christians before him.

Paul Preaches Christ

Nicholas King describes the narrative as an first-class one related with elegant economic system by Luke. Pointed out that ‘Luke respects it so of import that he told it twice more, seting it as a first individual narrative on Paul ‘s lip. First to Jews in chapter 22, and so to separate Gentiles in chapter 26. He notice the subject of journeying, the importance of visions, and yet Luke restrain in describing them. The reversal from collaring officer to brother Saul, that Paul experiences, are the feature of Luke.[ 2 ]‘ In Acts 9: v.17 Paul was called ‘brother Saul ‘ by Ananias when he was send by the Lord to put custodies on him that he might have his sight. From that minute ; Jesus and the church is something that becomes really of import in Paul ‘s ulterior Hagiographas. Paul transition is clearly cardinal to Luke ‘s intent in Acts, because he recorded it three times. The 2nd and 3rd histories are in context of Paul carry throughing what he has been called to make, and that is what Luke wanted us to detect. Paul was given a new position which made him God ‘s chosen vas ; he was besides given a new service. He was traveling to Damascus transporting missive of disapprobation, now his new undertaking was to transport Christ ‘s name to Gentiles and to male monarchs. He was besides promise to travel through enduring which was non a penalty for oppressing Christians, but a portion of the Christian life. Bruce suggest that: ‘Anyone who accept Paul ‘s account of his Damascus route transition, it would be hard non to hold with the observation of an eighteen-century author that the transition and apostleship of Paul entirely, punctually considered, was of itself a presentation sufficient to turn out Christianity to be a godly disclosure. ‘[ 3 ]Paul ‘s transition was the most fantastic event of his life, his vision of the risen Christ while on his manner to Damascus, stopped him in his paths. It turned his whole life around and launched him into a wholly new way.

The Double Vision of Paul and Ananias

In Acts in 9: v.10-16, Paul had a vision in which he saw a adult male named Ananias came in and laid his custodies on him so that he may have his sight. In Acts 9: v.12, Ananias had a vision, in which he was instructed to travel to the street called directly, and at the house of Judas, there he would establish a adult male named Saul praying. The two visions were connected, and besides demonstrated that a Godhead beginning was at work behind this event.

Etienne argued that ‘As a sincere Pharisee, Paul had merely one passion ; to function God by scrupulous observations of the jurisprudence.[ 4 ]‘ The minute Paul got converted he experiences two things ; negatively, he saw what his true province truly was before God. Positively, he saw who Jesus truly was, what he discovered on Damascus route, was that he was opposing God. He saw besides that by oppressing the Christian church, he was oppressing Jesus, whom he discovered in that minute to be God. In other words Paul came to recognize that he was non working for God has he had assumed, but instead working against God. Pagels in his remark provinces: ‘Decades before Luke his wise man, Paul of Tarsus so unknown to Jesus ‘ adherents, claimed that Jesus had personally appeared to him in a blaze visible radiation, and take him as His particular representative.[ 5 ]‘ Paul the Apostle wrote in one of his missive to the Christians at Corinth about his ain disclosures of the Lord. In 2 Playboies 12: v.2-3, Paul declares: ‘I know a adult male in Christ, who fourteen old ages ago caught up into the 3rd Eden, whether in organic structure God knows. I heard things that are non to be spoken, that no person is allowed to talk.

Decision

The two chief elements in Paul ‘s transition were a turning from and a turning to. He turned from oppressing the church to fall ining the church, He turned from opposing Jesus, to following Jesus, and he turned from what he thought to be satan ‘s manner to what he now learned to be God ‘s manner. Paul ‘s life was being transformed ; His first response was to be baptized and preached the good intelligence about Jesus. His original intent in traveling to Damascus to see the Judaic Christians temples has alteration. Alternatively of denouncing the Christian religion, he proclaimed it, and do known his new found religion in Jesus the Messiah. His transition was non simple to give him a new life, but to committee him to function God and others. We are saved in order to function others.