gsx1138

This may be a dead horse but I´m new here so cut me a bit of slack. I had always known it to be fact that the Apostle Paul was born after Jesus death and did in fact not even know Jesus or meet him. I´m in a debate on another forum and presented this view and was called an absolute liar. Maybe I´m mixing the Apostle Paul with the Paul that wrote most of the NT or are they one in the same person. Any help in this and links would be helpful. Although, apparently the person with the opposing view does not believe anything on this site so it may be a lost cause anyway. <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

Wyz_sub10

No, Paul didn't know Jesus. There are people more informed than me on this board in such matters, so I will leave it to them.

But in brief, Paul the Apostle and Paul of the letters are one in the same. He was an 'apostle' in the sense that he "served Christ", but he was not one of the 12 disciples.

He did not know Jesus, never met Jesus, and, if you read his letters, seems largely unfamiliar with many of the things Jesus said or did.

Rather than echo Jesus' teachings, it's more likely he projected his own fears and shortcomings into his writtings (kinda like an ancient "Will to Power").

Layman

While its doubtful that Jesus and Paul knew each other before Jesus' death, it's very false to say that "the Apostle Paul was born after Jesus' death." Actually, Paul and Jesus were probably born within a few years of each other. Perhaps you are confused by the fact that Paul converted to Christianity after the death of Jesus.

Tom Sawyer

Which one of these guys is Saint Paul?

[ October 02, 2002: Message edited by: peteyh ]</p>

braces_for_impact

You have to prove there was a Jesus guy to be known by Paul first don't ya?

Atticus_Finch

The Apostle Paul wrote a large portion of the NT. The bible does not indicate that Paul knew Jesus or met him during the earthly ministry of Jesus. In fact, Paul actively persecuted the early church after the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ.

However, Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus which led to Paul's conversion to Christianity. See Acts ch. 9. From that point Paul 'knew' Christ in the sense that those who are Christians believe we have a personal relationship with Christ.

I am a Christian and I am not aware of any suggestion that Paul knew Christ, in any sense, prior to the encounter on the Damascus Road.

Regards,

Finch

CX

A)The Apostle Paul and Paul who wrote the majority of the NT are one in the same. By and large there is little controversy about the historical Paul. There is some debate as to which of the Pauline epistles were actually written by him.

B)Paul was not born after Jesus' death. Paul's ministry and mission work occured in the 50s and 60s. Based on his letters and the portrayal of him in the Acts of the Apostles it seems evident he never knew the human Jesus.

C)This is the mainstream secular and religious view which is supported by the text evidence.

Toto

There's only one Paul in the NT, the apostle Paul who wrote some of the epistles, and had others forged in his name. He also appears as a character in Acts.

Paul was probably born before Jesus' death, if Jesus died around 30 CE, but he never met Jesus in his physical form. He was struck by a mystical appearance of Jesus (or an epileptic fit, or something like that), and counted that as an appearance of Jesus to him. Your debate opponent may be thinking of that. Ask your opponent for the Bible verses showing that Paul knew Jesus.

Kosh

Prior to his conversion, Paul went by the name of "Saul". After his "vision", he changed his name. Since the new "Paul" can be seen as rebirth of the former self through the enlightenment of the soul.

To futher matters, Christians often think of themselves as "born again" once they accept Christ.

So I think you could argue that Paul was "born" after Jesus died...

Geoff Hudson

I am of the view that Paul and Josephus are the same character. Josephus was born in 37 CE. I also think that Jesus was John the Prophet. John was stoned to death during Pontius Pilate's governorship between 26 and 36 CE. It is most unlikely that Paul (Josephus) knew John. It is more likely that Paul's (Josephus's) father Matthias (alias Levi or Zacchaeus) knew John.

G.H.