The conversion of St. Saul

[Carl Emerson]

Are you trying to make a case for God not killing people?

 

[Blade]

I'd really have to back and search. I have heard a few stores like this. Mostly in 3rd world nations is where it happened.

Now seeing Christ as very very very bright light? Blinded? yes. Many Muslim stories. See the second you see Him.. you know that you know that you know.. There is no other.. you fall you keep repenting. You know how evil you are and holy and true He is. And we need to remember whats written is just what we need. ALL that talk that may have happened with even Paul/Saul.. have to ask him when we get there

 

[Carl Emerson]

That is the tried and true method involving repentance and blind faith, two key ingredients in all conversions.

What are you implying - the guy has had a very significant impact on the Christian world, Pastored Churches, you name it...

 

[Carl Emerson]

Paul was Born again and Baptised in the Spirit being a fluent tongue speaker. There is no way he wasn't converted - the Apostles would have sensed that immediately.

 

[SkyWriting]

Paul was Born again and Baptised in the Spirit being a fluent tongue speaker. There is no way he wasn't converted - the Apostles would have sensed that immediately.

26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

Jesus did not blind people. It was not His style.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Acts 9 tells us that Pauls temporary blindness was associated with his encounter with Jesus.

 

[Carl Emerson]

26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

Fair point, but that didn't last long as Barnabas immediately spoke up for Him. In Damascus he was immediately accepted by the disciples.

Are you suggesting Paul was not born again when preaching the Gospel in the Synagogue ??

 

[SkyWriting]

Fair point, but that didn't last long as Barnabas immediately spoke up for Him. In Damascus he was immediately accepted by the disciples.

Are you suggesting Paul was not born again when preaching the Gospel in the Synagogue ??

That's not my place to say.
What Does the Bible Say About Judging Others?

 

[SkyWriting]

Acts 9 tells us that Pauls's temporary blindness was associated with his encounter with Jesus.

So Jesus would be the"Bringer of blindness" or "The Lord of Darkness."
And before people are baptized, they should be blindfolded for three days.
Is there any valid reason this is not the case?
Wouldn't this be a practice is some odd church somewhere?
If it was, would we ridicule them?
It seems to me if some odd church did this, that we would be banned from disparaging them.

 

[SkyWriting]

Fair point,

No, it was your exact point.

..the Apostles would have sensed that immediately.

Which is exactly what happened.
26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

 

[Carl Emerson]

26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

Jesus did not blind people. It was not His style.

How then do you account for Acts 13:6-12 ???

6When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, 10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11“Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

 

[SkyWriting]

How then do you account for Acts 13:6-12

I can find no evidence to defend it. I have looked for any at all.

John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
(Lord, please blind me instead!)

1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.(Lord, please blind me instead!)

John 12:46
I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.(Lord, please blind me instead!)

1 John 1:1-10
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ...(Lord, please blind me anyways!)


2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.(Lord, please blind me anyways!)

John 1:4
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.(Lord, please blind me anyways!)

John 9:1-41
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (Lord, please blind me anyways!)

Psalm 146:8
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.(Lord, please blind me anyways!)

Proverbs 20:12
The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.(Lord, please blind me anyways!)

Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.(Lord, please blind me anyways!)

 

[Carl Emerson]

Sorry I can make no sense of your reply.

Can someone else chip in and shine light on SW's response and remove my 'blindness'

 

[Carl Emerson]

No, it was your exact point.

Which is exactly what happened.
26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

They were temporally blinded by their fear.

 

[SkyWriting]

They were temporally blinded by their fear.

You're just making stuff up now.

 

[SkyWriting]

Sorry I can make no sense of your reply.

Jesus doesn't blind people to force them to convert. Jesus does not do that. Never before, never since. THATS not how Jesus converts non-believers.

It's a perfect rule you can write down. Jesus is light, Jesus does not blind.
The rule will work for you forever without fail.

 

[hedrick]

Since this is the liberal group, I think I can reasonably observe that Paul denies the account in Acts 9 in Gal 1. It doesn’t make sense to discuss the implications of something that didn’t happen.

 

[SkyWriting]

Since this is the liberal group, I think I can reasonably observe that Paul denies the account in Acts 9 in Gal 1. It doesn’t make sense to discuss the implications of something that didn’t happen.

Correct. I am unable to support such statements with scripture.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Paul denies the account

Paul denies what account?

 

[hedrick]

Paul denies what account?

Acts 9