The vision of Jesus that changed Paul from a Pharisaic Jew to a Christian Jew happened, says Luke's Acts of the Apostles, on the road to Damascus. That event is so important that Luke records it three times for maximum emphasis: first, as it happens (9:1-19); next, as Paul tells it to the Roman officer in Jerusalem (22:3-21); and, finally, as Paul tells it to the Jewish king, Agrippa II at Caesarea Maritima (26:1-18). But that triple account, written around 50 years after Paul's death, has two major historical problems.
The first problem is that, according to Acts, Paul is travelling to Damascus empowered with authority from the high-priest to arrest dissident Christian Jews and bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. But, whatever about high-priestly power in Judea, it could never have been exercised across Roman provincial borders as far away as Damascus.
On the other hand, Paul himself tells the Galatians that after that vocational vision, "I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus" (Galatians 1:11-17). Paul's vision, in the city of Damascus is much more likely as venue than on the road to Damascus.
Persecutor and persecuted were probably members of the Damascus synagogue where Paul had most likely received his previous Pharisaic education.
The second problem is that Luke's triple version describes Paul as seeing "a light" and hearing "a voice" (9:3-4; 22:6-7; 36:13-14). According to Acts, Paul does not see Jesus' face but only hears Jesus's voice.
On the other hand, Paul himself insists that his sight of the heavenly Jesus makes him equal in authority with the Twelve Apostles who saw the earthly Jesus. As he argues in his first letter to the Corinthians: "Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?" (9:1). And later: "Last of all, as to one untimely born, he was seen also by me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (15:8-9).
One major conclusion from those divergent accounts is that Acts never gives Paul the title of an apostle sent by and therefore subordinate only to God and Christ. Paul is, for Acts, a messenger sent by and therefore subordinate to Jerusalem and Antioch. His call was emphatically inferior to that of the Twelve Apostles.
For Acts, only those first 12 were "apostles" and Judas' replacement had to be "one of the males [Greek andres] who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us" (Acts 1:21-22). Acts not only excludes Paul from ever being an apostle, it insures there will never be any more apostles and, above all else, not any women apostles.
The other major conclusion is just as important. Paul already knew enough about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus to persecute his followers for proclaiming its implications to their fellow Jews at Damascus. In Christian gospel, Christian art and Christian mysticism, the risen Christ always retains the wounds of historical crucifixion even or especially on his glorified and transcendental body. Those wounds do not heal or fade. They are forever there.
I take seriously Paul's claim to have seen the risen Jesus and I think I suggest that his inaugural vision was of Jesus' body, simultaneously as crucified (by Rome) and as glorified (by God). That, of course, put God and Rome on a collision course. Such a stunning vocational vision already contained foundationally the full message of Paul's faith and Paul's theology, the full meaning of Paul's life and Paul's death.
Finally, as with his arrival in Damascus, so also with his departure. Paul and Luke both superficially agree and profoundly disagree there as well. They agree that the the city's gates were guarded against Paul and that he escaped by a basket lowered through a window in the wall. Today, Damascus' Bab Kissan Gate is the traditional site of that hurried exit.
But who guarded those gates? For Acts, "the Jews plotted to kill him" and they were "watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him" (Acts 9:23-25). But, for Paul, it was not the Damascene Jews but the Nabatean Arabs who were the actual threat. "The governor," he says, "under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to seize me" (2 Corinthians 11:32-33).
It is not that Luke lacks correct information about Paul. It is that he interprets all he has from the viewpoint of at least two generations after Paul. It is also a viewpoint within which Paul would have been unable to recognize his own mission or message, purpose or intention.
I think James and company were tired of being hounded by Paul and set up their own fake flash-bang "Come to Jesus" experience to get Paul off their backs and it backfired.
I think the differences in the accounts in Acts are precisely because it was this kind of hectic set-up experience and not an actual supernatural event.
Without looking back over the accounts in Acts, if I remember correctly the voice never even ID's itself as being Jesus but rather just says "Paul why do you persecute me?"
I may be wrong.
Doesn't much matter- the fact that the tomb where Jakob was buried was misidentified as Shekem in Acts 7 and that the Acts account states Abraham bought the tomb in Shekem and not Yakob- Abraham bought the tomb in Mamre- is enough for me to count Acts as a regular faulty historical account and most definitely NOT "inspired."
"Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the LORD will be exalted on that day of judgment." Isaiah 2:11
Many search errors THROUGHOUT bible designed to promote disbelief. We know even Pharisees didn't believe Jesus fit Messiah prophecy. What's new? FAITH is the answer.
God had said "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8
"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter." Proverbs 25:2
I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6
Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon when baby Jesus brought to temple and Jesus as LIGHT to Apostle Paul chosen to fulfill it:
My eyes have seen your salvation...a light for revelation of the Gentiles Read Luke 2: 25-32
But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man (Saul who became Paul) is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles... Acts 9:15
Paul calling himself LEAST but writing about 2/3 of New Testament?
Jesus: "Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then." Luke 13:30
Are you saying it's a lie when Jesus said "upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not prevail against it" Matthew 16:18?
How, then, can ALL power in heaven and earth be in His hands now, if what you say is true?
Jesus did appoint "others" (Luke 10:1)
the problem that develops after Jesus leaves is that the "believers, a group numbering about 120" Acts1:15 are only comfortable with sharing the message with those that are Israel descendants (Matthew 10:5,6 and 15:24)
the Apostles are a little awkward, somewhat like children left alone without their parent, (John 21 and 22) after Jesus' resurrection Thomas doubts the other Apostles that Jesus appeared to them, and after Jesus' second appearance to them, the best idea they came come up with to do is as Peter says "I'm going out to fish" which was his job before, so Jesus has to come to them a third time and confronts Peter with the "Do you Love me? then feed my sheep" instead of being a fisherman (Matthew 4:18,19)
so it is the "other sheep, not of this sheep pen, I must bring them also, they will listen to my voice" (John 10:16) that is a future work needing to be done, and we can tell the 12 Apostles are not up to the task, so Saul/Paul is brought in
it is alright for Paul to call himself an Apostle, though the 12 wouldn't
Paul surely redeemed himself from early on being "a Christian persecutor -- to being the most prolific of God inspired Bible writers was Paul!
Now should, and can, Paul be considered the 13th. apostle? Hands down deservingly yes!
Be viligant brother -- for remember Satan is out there maniacal and cunning -- knowing he's in his last-throes ..desiring to take as many of us as possible to the abyss with him!
the evil Spirits overwhelm him, and his character changes from Dr Jekyll to Mr Hyde, in each individual case, it is a little different, some may be greed, hate, lust, pride
then comes the "Day of the Lord", and his car, "on the rode" in Damascus/Florida is struck down/fire hydrant and is 3 years in the "wasteland" or "wilderness" as the soul is cleansed (thats baptism) of uncleanness, if the person survives the trauma, they are restored
as it says in Deuteronomy 30:1-3
"when the blessing, and then the curse comes upon you and you humble yourself, and return and come to your senses, God will restore your prosperity"
"now I understand what Joel 2 is talking about"
"the coming of 'the Day of the Lord is darkness, blackness and gloom, who can endure" the "army" of the destroyer of evil Spirits, "repent and turn with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning, who knows the Lord could be compassionate and gracious and relent from sending calamity, and have pity and leave you a blessing, God will repay you for the (3) years of destruction and shame"
"then afterwards I will pour out my Spirit"
here is "The Gospel of Tiger"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/25/tiger-woods-wins-arnold-palmer-invitational-bay-hill_n_1378545.html?ref=tiger-woods
"Woods had gone 923 Days" in the wilderness
Daniel 12:11,12
The primary role served by Paul is that he introduced and developed the notion of salvation by faith alone. The Jewish "Christians" of the time considered such teaching a vast departure from their accepted beliefs. Paul became a marketing guy, correctly realizing that average people would not convert to any faith that is more difficult to follow then the one they already have.
“1 Corinthians 9:19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”