In
Acts 9:3-4, we have this account: “As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’” This was definitely Jesus.
In v. 17, we are told that this was “…the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came…” Here was a
post-ascension appearance by Jesus in which there is no mention of a “bodily” appearance. The only physical manifestations mentioned were a bright “light from heaven” and a voice. Remember that those who were with him were not blinded and it is said they witnessed the appearance of Christ as a “light” (
Acts 22:9).
If Jesus had a physical, corporeal body which He will inhabit when He comes a second time, why did He not reveal Himself with this to Paul on the road to Damascus? Was He saving His physical body for later? Or, could it be that His physical body had been
changed into its glorious essence by this time?
Then we have the clincher:
2 Corinthians 5:16
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we
have known Christ according to the flesh,yet
now we know Him thus no longer.