Go Ahead, Make Our Day

Alias said:
You're the one avoiding the questions just like Rana did. When did the Apostle Paul cease being a Jew? Scripture says Paul is a Jew even after he became a Christian. Your turn.
Click to expand...

Paul did not say how he was converted and did not mention a vision of any sort. However, he unambiguously said that when he became a Christian he did not talk to anyone about it.

Galatians provides information to estimate when Paul's conversion may have occurred. Soon after his conversion to Christianity, Paul spent 3 years in Damascus, but escaped the city when the governor under Aretas, king of the Nabateans from 9 BCE to 40 CE, had a garrison deployed to arrest him because of his Christian activities. Paul's conversion could not have occurred later than about 36 CE and was probably somewhat earlier.

Luke's account: Acts
Acts of the Apostles describes a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. Either:

· Paul was blinded by a light and fell down, then heard Jesus, who told Paul that he would be told what to do when he was in the city. His men did not see the light, but heard the voice. (9:3-8)
OR

· Paul was blinded by a light and fell down, then heard Jesus, who told Paul that he would be told what to do when he was in the city. This time, his men saw the light but, unlike Paul, were not blinded, but they did not hear the voice. (22:6-11) OR

· Paul saw a brilliant light but was not blinded, then heard Jesus, who gave him his mission, but did not command him to go to Damascus. He fell down, and for some reason, although there is no mention of the men seeing or hearing anything, his men also fell down.

In the first two narratives provided in Acts, the blinded Paul was taken to Damascus to be cured and taught Christianity. The third narrative differs in this regard, saying that he simply told those at Damascus and Jerusalem about his conversion experience; it also differs from Paul's own account because in Galatians he said that he told noone about his conversion experience.

Acts suggests that Paul's conversion occurred shortly before the famine that occurred between 44 and 48 CE.



Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_and_when_did_St_Paul_convert#ixzz1gqOvFuvr
 
Alias said:
You're getting ahead of yourself.

Does this scripture say Paul is a Jew or not?
Click to expand...

Yes, he was Saul of Tarsus, once he became a convert to Christianity he was known as Paul and brought Christianity to the Gentiles. He disagreed with Peter over Jewish traditions like circumcision and dietary laws, but he was and claimed himself to be a follower of Christ.
 
Last edited:
Rana said:
Paul did not say how he was converted and did not mention a vision of any sort. However, he unambiguously said that when he became a Christian he did not talk to anyone about it.

Galatians provides information to estimate when Paul's conversion may have occurred. Soon after his conversion to Christianity, Paul spent 3 years in Damascus, but escaped the city when the governor under Aretas, king of the Nabateans from 9 BCE to 40 CE, had a garrison deployed to arrest him because of his Christian activities. Paul's conversion could not have occurred later than about 36 CE and was probably somewhat earlier.

Luke's account: Acts
Acts of the Apostles describes a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. Either:

· Paul was blinded by a light and fell down, then heard Jesus, who told Paul that he would be told what to do when he was in the city. His men did not see the light, but heard the voice. (9:3-8)
OR

· Paul was blinded by a light and fell down, then heard Jesus, who told Paul that he would be told what to do when he was in the city. This time, his men saw the light but, unlike Paul, were not blinded, but they did not hear the voice. (22:6-11) OR

· Paul saw a brilliant light but was not blinded, then heard Jesus, who gave him his mission, but did not command him to go to Damascus. He fell down, and for some reason, although there is no mention of the men seeing or hearing anything, his men also fell down.

In the first two narratives provided in Acts, the blinded Paul was taken to Damascus to be cured and taught Christianity. The third narrative differs in this regard, saying that he simply told those at Damascus and Jerusalem about his conversion experience; it also differs from Paul's own account because in Galatians he said that he told noone about his conversion experience.

Acts suggests that Paul's conversion occurred shortly before the famine that occurred between 44 and 48 CE.



Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_and_when_did_St_Paul_convert#ixzz1gqOvFuvr
Click to expand...

Nothing there suggests Paul ceased being a Jew.
 
Alias said:
There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people.

Scripture tells us the church is the believers, not a religious organization. There is no Christian denomination mentioned in scripture. Those came later. The church is everyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior.
Click to expand...

Then why did you bring up the Catholic church?
 
Rana said:
What do you think conversion means, remaining purposefully ignorant?
Click to expand...

You're still operating under the premise that "conversion" automatically means you are no longer a Jew. It never says that. Your mind tells you that. Read what it says and don't inject your personal belief into the scripture. Paul says he is a Hewbrew, an Israel, and a son of Abraham. Paul says Christians and Jews are sons of Abraham. You don't leave something behind when you become a Christian. That's where you make your mistake and many others along with you.
 
Here is an enlighteningn article for those who wish to learn.

http://www.wordofmessiah.net/2/post/2011/02/how-can-a-jew-believe-in-jesus-and-still-be-jewish.html


"Please notice also how these believers understood themselves. In both Acts 21:39 and 22:3 in the New Covenant, Paul declares first to the Romans, then again to his own Jewish people, “I am a Jew from Tarsus.” Now at this time, Paul had been a believer in Yeshua for well over twenty years. So it isn’t that he’s confused or that he’s trying to say one thing to the Romans, and something else to the Jews. Paul doesn’t say that he “was a Jew,” or “an ex-Jew from Tarsus,” or a “former Jew,” etc.—Paul considered himself a present-tense Jew."

I think we're done here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top