Abdurrahman wrote:
Notes on Paul's autobiography [according to Acts (of the Apostles) in the Holy Book]
1. In Acts 9 Saul (Paul's original Jewish name before embracing Christianity) is portrayed (years after the ascent of Christ to Heaven) as a fanatic anti-Christ Jew who was "breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord." He went to the high priest of Jerusalem & asked him for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus deputizing Saul to arrest any man or woman embracing the new religion & bring them bound in chains back to Jerusalem. "As he journeyed & came near Damascus, a light from Heaven suddenly flashed around him making him fall to the ground. He then heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?" So he said, "Who are you, Lord?" Then Jesus replied, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Get up & get into the city & you will be told what you must do." At this very moment Saul shifted his beliefs from the far-left anti-Christ stand to become a far right fanatic pro-Christ! Now, three versions of this incident appear in this section of the Bible [Acts], not one of them is identical with the other. So let's review them & note the differences:
a) In Acts 9 "The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. They led him by the hand to Damascus. For 3 days he was blind & did not eat or drink anything."
b) In Acts 22: 9 "…my companions indeed saw the light & were afraid, but they did not hear the voice.."
c) In Acts 26: 13 " … along the road I saw a light from Heaven stronger than the sun, shining around me & those who journeyed with me. We all had fallen to the ground when I heard a voice speaking to me in Hebrew…"
So, in version (a) the companions heard the sound but did not see the light & Saul was blinded. In version (b) they saw the light but did not hear the voice. In version (c) all of them fell to the ground (not just Saul as in a). How can the same crucial event be narrated by the same man (Paul) in the same chapter (only few pages apart) of the same book (the Bible) & be that different? There is no plausible explanation other than being a fabrication or that the man is feeble-minded.
Kai replies:
Bro, honestly you need to read these passages again.
Acts 9: 7 states that the men saw no one; however, this phrase in no way contradict Acts 22: 9 which simply states that the men saw a bright light, not Jesus.
This is further confirmed by Acts 26: 13 which verifies that the light was shining all around them; whoever neither text states that the men saw Jesus.
Similarly in Acts 22: 9 the men did no hear the voice; however, they did hear a sound. A similar phenomena occurs in John 12: 27-29:
‘Now my (Jesus) heart is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father glorify your name’!
Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it and will glorify it again’. The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Well who is now feeble-minded!
Abdurrahman wrote:
2. Now let us carry on with the story in Acts 9 "In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Arise & go to the house of Judas on the street named Straight & ask for the man from Tarsus, Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he saw a man named Ananias coming in & putting his hand on him to restore his sight." Ananias said to the Lord, "I have heard from many about the man & all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. He has come here with an authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles & their kings & before the people of Israel." Then Ananias went into the house & on 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 & be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes & he could see again. He got up & was baptized. After taking some food, he regained his strength. Immediately, he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. " All of a sudden Paul becomes
"Immediately" an expert in Christianity & begins preaching it! And what does he preach: that Jesus is the son of God. Who taught him that? Where has he learned the principles of his preachings?
Kai replies:
Well bro, if you bothered to do your homework, you would have noticed that the ‘Son of God concept’ first appears in Old Testament Messianic prophecy, referring to the anointed one who will rule the world (Psalm 2); thus it is Old Testament terminology.
Secondly, the title Son of God was used as a reference to Jesus frequently before Jesus died and resurrected.
By the disciples (Matthew 15: 32), his followers (John 11: 27)
By the demons (Mark 3: 11)
By Jesus himself (Matthew 11: 25-27) (Matthew 26: 63-64) (John 10: 36) as attested by others (John 5: 17-18) (Matthew 26: 63) (Matthew 27: 40)