Did Paul/Saul actually “see” Jesus, and please give the Scripture if possible. Many times, we read Christ spoke to Paul, but did Paul “see” Jesus? ~ Jack Phillips
Yes, Paul saw Jesus (Acts 9:17; 22:14; 26:16; 1 Corinthians 15:8). Acts 9:17 reads, “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit’” (emphasis added). The word “appeared” (optanomai) means, “to gaze (i.e. with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable” (Strong’s). The Greek word here occurs 59 times in the New Testament, and in instances where no one doubts observation of the physical manifestation of Jesus Christ. One prime example is “to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen [optanomai] by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3 NKJV emphasis added). Paul himself affirmed that he had gazed upon Jesus Christ, just as others had observed the resurrected Christ, too.
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen [optanomai] by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen [optanomai] by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen [optanomai] by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen [optanomai] by me also, as by one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8 emphasis added).
This is the word that the Holy Spirit used to depict the Christian’s observation of Jesus Christ at the Second Coming (1 John 3:2; Revelation 1:7).
Acts 22:14-15 reads, “Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see [eido] the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen [horao] and heard” (emphasis added). The word eido means, “to see”; the word horao means, “to stare at… to discern clearly” (Strong’s). In addition, the idea of being a “witness” involves seeing something.
Acts 26:16 reads, “But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared [optanomai] to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen [eido] and of the things which I will yet reveal to you” (emphasis added). In these four accounts of the apostle seeing Jesus Christ, using three different words for “see” plus references to Paul being a “witness,” one can affirm confidently that Paul saw Jesus Christ.
Works Cited
Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, 2006.
