How Old Is Jesus Now 2016

If you think Jesus was born in the year 0 you’re dead wrong

Since the years of the Common Era are designated with the abbreviation “AD,” which stands for anno Domini, which means “in the year of the lord” in Latin, it is reasonable to infer that Jesus was born in the year 0 of the Common Era. To be more specific, he is widely thought to have been born on December 25, 1 BCE, eight days before the New Year, making his birth eight days before the New Year. However, this is extremely unlikely. For starters, there is no such thing as a year 0. The day after December 31, 1 BCE is January 1, 1 CCE, and the day after that is December 31, 1 BCE is December 31, 1 BCE.

In the year 525 C.E., Dionysius Exiguus, a monk from what is now Bulgaria, discovered a method of calculating the distance between two points (according to himself).

Given that there is no reason to believe he possessed any information that we do not currently possess, let us analyze the facts for ourselves.

In examining the historical Jesus, modern historians must take these narratives with a grain of salt because the authors of these works were clearly more interested in theology than history; they were written a long time after the fact; and they contradict one another, themselves, and other historical documents on a variety of issues, both major and minor.

  • King Herod was reigning at the time of Jesus’ birth, according to Luke, who tells us that Jesus was born during or shortly after his rule (1:5).
  • In light of the fact that Herod passed away in 4 BCE, it appears that we may safely infer that Jesus was born in that year or before.
  • There is some evidence that Matthew chose to have Jesus’ birth take place during Herod’s reign in order to include his story of the Massacre of the Innocents (2:14), an infanticide that does not have any historical support and is not included in any of the other gospels.
  • So it’s possible that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great, or that he wasn’t (37 B.C.E.
  • What further evidence do we have at our disposal?
  • Penny denarius in honor of Emperor Tiberius, shown as follows: As recorded in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus began his public ministry in the 15th year of Emperor Tiberius’ reign.
  • This is most likely what prompted Dionysius to devise his method of keeping track of the years.

According to Luke (2:1-2), Jesus was born at Bethlehem rather than his family’s birthplace in Nazareth because of the Census of Quirinius (the ruler of Syria), which prompted Joseph to return to his ancestral home in Bethlehem due to the census.

That would imply that Jesus was born either that year or the next year.

Bethlehem during the winter months All four of the canonical gospels agree that Jesus was crucified under the reign of Pontius Pilate as governor of the Roman province of Galilee (26 C.E.

Because all four gospels agree on this, and because Pilate is a real man whose existence has been confirmed by outside evidence, this may be accepted as historical truth by the Christian community.

For the time being, the closest thing we have is Luke’s assertion that he was around 30 years old when he began preaching.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons In the case of Pilate’s governorship, subtracting 30 years from the total number of years gives us a range from 7 BCE to 6 CE, which is the most accurate estimate we can come up with.

Wrong.

The sole clue comes from a passage in Luke, which says that at the time of the birth, “in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock at night” (Luke 2:35).

Because sheep were kept indoors during the cold winter nights in Bethlehem, some academics believe that Jesus could not have been born during the winter.

Other academics have questioned the validity of this claim.

If early Christians were aware of the date of Jesus’ birth, it is puzzling because there is no record of such an event occurring prior to that time period.

That this event was turned from a pagan feast commemorating the rebirth of the sun to a festival commemorating the birth of Jesus appears to be the most plausible explanation.

It appears that we do not know when Jesus was born, neither the day nor the year, but we may guess that it was probably somewhere within the first decade of the first century C.E. or the first decade of the first century BCE.

How Old Is Jesus This Year? – Religion

How Old Is Jesus This Year?byMyX1:3:08amOnDec 25,2016
The people that are celebrating Christmas.I have this Question for you.Since Christmas is meant for Christ Birthday, please HOW OLD IS JESUS THIS YEAR?If None of you is able to answer this question. That means you do not really know what you are celebrating.1 Like1 Share
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byBlakjewelry (m):3:15amOnDec 25,2016
2000 years +1
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?bywtfCode:4:33amOnDec 25,2016
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byiammo (m):5:49amOnDec 25,2016
2016 + 33
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?bySmellymouth:5:59amOnDec 25,2016
Forget the age, enjoy the rice.Happy birthday Jesus.Farano, rice never dorn? Na your house I wan eat Christmas rice oo.
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byVickyRotex (f):6:14amOnDec 25,2016
iammo: 2016 + 33If we’re to go by your point, then it means he was born 2016 years ago not 2016+33.The 33 years he lived is inside the AD2016.It means He is 2015 years, as AD starts from 1 not 0.But this Op sef
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byfriedcorn:6:27amOnDec 25,2016
Well jesus rose from dead but mohammed is died and remain deas up till date. His bones are still in mecca worshipped by his followers.
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?by Nobody:6:38amOnDec 25,2016
He’s ageless God,ancient of ages. I am that I am,1 Like
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byiammo (m):8:14amOnDec 25,2016
VickyRotex: If we’re to go by your point, then it means he was born 2016 years ago not 2016+33.The 33 years he lived is inside the AD2016.It means He is 2015 years, as AD starts from 1 not 0.But this Op sefI guess he was 33 years as at time of his death and it’s been exactly 2016 years after his death. So am also guessing his posthumous age would likely be 2049 years old
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byBlakjewelry (m):9:01amOnDec 25,2016
wtfCode: na u born am?Them say na 2000 years ago them born am na em make I put plus 1 though if I want to do actually calculation I can but like everyone, I have to stop at the year of death
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byVickyRotex (f):2:20pmOnDec 25,2016
iammo:I guess he was 33 years as at time of his death and it’s been exactly 2016 years after his death. So am also guessing his posthumous age would likely be 2049 years oldI hope you know AD doesnt mean “After Death”?
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byVickyRotex (f):2:21pmOnDec 25,2016
Jeffboi: He’s ageless God,ancient of ages. I am that I am,Correct!
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byiammo (m):2:26pmOnDec 25,2016
VickyRotex: I hope you know AD doesnt mean “After Death”?Oh.now I knowmerry Xmas
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byVickyRotex (f):3:04pmOnDec 25,2016
iammo: Oh.now I knowmerry Xmaslol. Thanks. Merry Christmas to you too!
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?bymrmrmister:3:06pmOnDec 25,2016
What is jesus?
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?by Nobody:3:25pmOnDec 25,2016
He is called Ancient of Days. He existed before time began
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byUyi168:3:28pmOnDec 25,2016
friedcorn: Well jesus rose from dead but mohammed is died and remain deas up till date. His bones are still in mecca worshipped by his followers.Silly comment.are we discussing mohammed here?.infact,whats the proof that ur jesus rose from the dead?
Re: How Old Is Jesus This Year?byorunto27:7:54pmOnDec 25,2016
Jesus Christ is Ageless. He is The Beginning, The Now and The Forever. The Rock of Ages and The Life in you, I and in everyone.

Jesus’ Birthday – December 25

Who was Jesus Christ, and why is December 25 honored as a major holiday around the world, regardless of geography, political affiliation, or religious affiliation? Interestingly, while Jesus is predominantly linked with Christianity in the Western world, he is also regarded as a prominent figure by other religions. As we celebrate this intriguing, complex, and occasionally contentious man’s life on his birthday, we invite you to learn more about him.

Jesus’ Birthday timeline

The birth of Jesus takes place in the year C. 4 AD. Jesus was born in Nazareth, in the Galilee area of Israel, during the reign of Herod the Great, and grew up in Nazareth with his parents. Jesus was baptized and officially began his ministry in the year 26 AD. When Jesus was 30 years old, he came into contact with John the Baptist, who recognized Jesus as the Son of God and baptized him in the name of the Father. The Transfiguration of Jesus took place around the year 27 AD. After ascending to the summit of a high mountain to pray, Jesus’ face began to glow, and soon his entire body was bathed in a brilliant white light.

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Jesus landed in the city of Jerusalem.

The Last Supper took place around the year 29 AD.

How to Celebrate Jesus’ Birthday

  • Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day with a broad range of traditions, the majority of which feature reenactments of the Nativity scene, which depicts Jesus’ poor beginnings. Caroling and Handel’s Messiah oratorio are among the highlights of the Christmas season, which ranges from simple carols to magnificent performances of Handel’s oratorio. Many Christian families make it an annual ritual to attend a midnight church service on Christmas Eve, which is lighted only by candlelight.

Celebrate as a winter nature and music festival

  • A number of rituals are observed by Christians on Christmas Day, the majority of which feature reenactments of the Nativity scene, which depicts Jesus’ poor birth in the manger. From modest carol singing to grandiose performances of Handel’s “Messiah” oratorio, religious music is a key component of the Christmas season. In addition, many Christian families make it an annual habit to attend a midnight church service on Christmas Eve, which is lighted by candles.

Celebrate as an occasion for joyful giving

  1. Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day with a broad range of traditions
  2. The majority of them feature reenactments of the Nativity scene, which depicts Jesus’ poor beginnings. From modest carol singing to magnificent performances of Handel’s “Messiah” oratorio, religious music is a prominent component of the Christmas season. Many Christian families make it an annual ritual to attend a midnight church service on Christmas Eve, which is lighted only by candles.

3 Little-known Facts About Jesus Christ

  • “Christ” is a title or office rather than a given name, and it is derived from the Hebrew term for “anointed,” which is transliterated into English as “Messiah.”

Jesus was part of a big family

  • In addition to his brothers James, Joses (or Joseph), Judas, and Simon, Jesus also had at least three sisters, the identities of whom have not been documented.

Some non-Christian religions also recognize Jesus

  1. According to Islam, for example, Jesus (often transliterated as Isa) is revered as one of God’s most prominent prophets, as well as a bringer of scriptures and as the promised Messiah. Islam, on the other hand, does not regard him to be the Son of God, as Christians do.

Jesus’ Birthday dates

Year Date Day
2022 December 25 Sunday
2023 December 25 Monday
2024 December 25 Wednesday
2025 December 25 Thursday
2026 December 25 Friday

The Young Messiah (2016)

A young Jesus Bar-Joseph lives with his family in Alexandria, Egypt, where they had taken refuge in order to avoid a murder of children by King Herod of Israel when he was seven years old. In his heart, Jesus understands that his parents, Joseph and Mary, have secrets they are concealing from him, secrets about his birth and secrets about the characteristics that distinguish him from other boys. His parents, on the other hand, think he is too young to comprehend the significance of his miraculous birth and destiny.

[cc] Jim Beaverjumble ([email protected]).

  • Some violence and thematic themes are included in the PG-13 rating.

What was the official name given to The Young Messiah (2016) when it was first released in Canada in English? Answer

Jesus’ Burial Tomb Uncovered: Here’s What Scientists Saw Inside

JERUSALEM According to preliminary findings, portions of the tomb where Jesus Christ’s body is traditionally believed to have been buried are still in existence today, despite the centuries of damage, destruction, and reconstruction that have occurred in the surrounding Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is located in Jerusalem’s Old City. The tomb, which is the most revered location in the Christian world, presently consists of a limestone shelf or burial bed that was hewn from the cave’s wall, and it is the most visited site in the world.

  1. During the first removal of the marble cladding on the night of October 26, the restoration team from the National Technical University of Athens discovered just a layer of fill material beneath the marble.
  2. After being discovered intact in the middle of the night on October 28, just hours before the tomb was to be resealed, the original limestone burial bed was discovered.
  3. Because I was not anticipating this, my knees are trembling a little,” said Fredrik Hiebert, archaeologist in residence at National Geographic.
  4. Despite the fact that we can’t be certain, it looks to be visual confirmation that the site of the tomb has not changed through time, something scientists and historians have been wondering about for decades.
  5. To allow visitors to see one of the cave walls, a window has been carved into the southern interior wall of the shrine.

“This is the Holy Rock that has been adored for ages, but it is only now that it can be seen,” said Professor Antonia Moropoulou, the Chief Scientific Supervisor in charge of the conservation and restoration of the Edicule.

Was This Really the Tomb of Christ?

The tomb recently discovered in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre may not have been the burial site of a specific Jew known as Jesus of Nazareth, but indirect evidence suggests that the identification of the site by representatives of Roman emperor Constantine some 300 years later may have been a reasonable assumption. Historically, the Canonical Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, include the earliest descriptions of Jesus’ burial. The Canonical Gospels are thought to have been written decades after Christ’s crucifixion, around the year 30 A.D.

While the specifics differ, the overall picture is similar.

Individual remains were placed in lengthy niches carved into the sides of the rock to fit them in each of these family tombs, which included one or more burial chambers.

“This does not, of course, establish that the incident took place in the past.

Outside the City Walls

While it is impossible to say with certainty that the tomb recently discovered in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the burial site of a specific Jew known as Jesus of Nazareth, there is indirect evidence to suggest that the identification of the site by representatives of the Roman emperor Constantine some 300 years later may have been a reasonable assumption. Christ’s burial is recorded in the Canonical Gospels, which are the first four books of the New Testament and are thought to have been written decades after Christ’s crucifixion, around the year 30 A.D.

There are differences in versions, but they all describe Christ being buried in a rock-cut tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy Jewish disciple of Jesus.

According to archaeologist and National Geographic granteeJodi Magness, archaeologists have discovered more than a thousand of these rock-cut graves in and around Jerusalem.

This, according to Magness, “is fully compatible with what we know about how affluent Jews disposed of their deceased around the time of Jesus.” “Of course, this does not establish that the incident occurred in the past.

However, it does show that, whomever wrote the gospel narratives and whatever their sources were, they were familiar with this tradition and these burial practices, which is a positive indication.”

Months of Restoration, Decades of Study

The burial bed has been resealed in its original marble coating over the course of the previous few days, and it is possible that it will not be revealed for hundreds of years or possibly millennia. It is the goal of Moropoulou and her team to ensure that the architectural conservation they are performing will survive forever. Prior to the rock being resealed, however, significant documentation was carried out on the surface of the formation. A careful review of the data gathered when the burial bed and cave walls were exposed, according to archaeologist Martin Biddle, who published a seminal study on the history of the tomb in 1999.

In addition to other tombs in the area that must have been of great significance because they are covered with crosses and inscriptions painted and scratched into the rock surfaces, Biddle says, “the surfaces of the rock must be examined with the greatest care, I mean minutely, for traces of graffiti.” “As Biddle points out, “the problem of graffiti is vitally critical.” “We know that there are at least a half-dozen more rock-cut graves beneath various portions of the cathedral,” says the researcher.

So what was it about this tomb that convinced Bishop Eusebius that it was the tomb of Christ?

I don’t believe Eusebius made a mistake—he was a brilliant scholar—so there is certainly some proof if one is simply willing to search hard enough.” As a result of their efforts, the National Technical University of Athens’ crew has continued its renovation work on the Edicule.

The National Geographic Channel will premiere the documentary Explorer in November, which will take an in-depth look into the holy city of Jerusalem.

Now You Know: When Did People Start Saying That the Year Was ‘A.D.’?

Do you have a question concerning the history of the world? Send us your question at [email protected], and you might just discover the answer in a future issue of Now You Know, which is published monthly. According to Lynn Hunt, author of Measuring Time, Making History and professor of history at UCLA, despite the fact that the system is used to designate accurate calendar years, it is hard to determine when the “A.D.” calendar designation originally came into being. In that history, there are several inflection points that are commonly mentioned, such as recorded occurrences of specific books employing one method or another.

  • Prior to the widespread adoption of B.C./A.D., systems of dating were frequently based on key events, political leaders, and a meticulously maintained chronology of the order in which they reigned.
  • They employed a variant of this method, numbering years according to the number of years a monarch was in power (for example, an event would be dated to the fifth year of a monarch’s reign), and then preserving a record of the monarchs who utilized it.
  • “The past is really foggy,” Hunt explains, “since it takes a long time” to adopt this type of dating methodology.
  • Sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter to get all of your historical fix in one place.
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Knowing how important it is to calculate when important religiosities should be commemorated, he devised a new chart of when the festival will fall, beginning with the year he designated as “532.” He claimed that this technique of counting “with years from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ” would replace a system based on the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, which he referred to as “the remembrance of an impious persecutor of Christians,” and that it would be implemented immediately.

  1. It does not follow, however, that he was the first or only person to utilize this method of dating, or that it was very popular or quickly gained widespread acceptance and acceptance.
  2. on papers such as charters and church records began in the eighth and ninth centuries in England, and from there spread to France and Italy by the late ninth century.
  3. So what’s the deal with “B.C.”?
  4. However, according to Hunt, B.C.
  5. The terms used to allude to this “before” changed throughout history, including the 18th century.
  6. He utilized the same dating scheme as Exiguus throughout his history of England in 731, which he began with Caesar’s incursions (55-54 B.C.) and ended with the incarnation of our Lord.
  7. In the next decades, several versions were released, and it was translated into English, where the acronyms A.C.

Chri.

Alternatively, the Julian Periodsystem, which was developed in the 16th century by Joseph Scaliger and integrated numerous previous calendars to produce a master calendar that went approximately 5,000 years back to the year one, might be used.

Newton wrote, “The times are put down in years before Christ,” but he did not utilize acronyms to indicate the years.

As part of the expanding interest in working out concordances—links between historical events and biblical occurrences—during the 18th and 19th centuries, Newton’s chronology was a component of his work.

Because the B.C.

Because it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old, Hunt believes that the A.D./B.C.

In the end, even if it took decades for the ancient worlds to catch on, they did.

(“common era”) instead of BCE and A.D.—especially in the past 30 years—the practice of counting from the birth of Christ continues.

As early as 1708, individuals were referring to the system by a number of titles, including “common era.” In its 1797 edition, the Encyclopedia Britannica used “common era” to refer to dates alongside “Christian era,” indicating that the vocabulary of the system was still evolving.

“You become accustomed to a particular manner of doing things,” she explains.

For comparison, the dilemma of the metric system, which was established in the 18th century and took a very long time to be accepted even in France, is somewhat comparable. ” “It is now used by practically everyone on the planet.” More TIME Magazine’s Must-Read Stories

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Please contact us at [email protected].

Paul as a Witness to the Resurrection of Jesus

Submitted by Charles L. Quarles When people think of the witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection, they think of people like Peter, John, the surviving members of the Eleven, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Cleopas, and his companion, to name a few. Paul may possibly receive an honorable mention at the very most. After all, he did not see the stone that had been rolled away from the path. When the angel announced, “He is not here, for he has risen!” He did not hear it because his ears were closed.

Paul was, without a doubt, absent throughout the forty days following the resurrection, during which Jesus gave his followers with several indisputable evidence of his divinity.

Jesus’ appearance to Paul after his resurrection is described in length three times in the Book of Acts, and it is also referenced to several times by Paul himself in his letters.

As a result, Paul is not only a credible witness to the resurrection of Jesus, at least according to the canons of history, but he is also one of the most important of all of these witnesses to the resurrection.

THE POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCE TO PAUL

Acts 9:1–19, 22:6–16, and 26:12–23 provide detailed accounts of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to Paul and the apostles. After Paul’s initial narration of the encounter, Luke could have saved a great deal of time and space by simply writing, “And Paul told to the crowd/Agrippa how Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus,” or anything along those lines, instead of going into great detail. The fact that Luke insisted on documenting the episode in detail three times in Acts demonstrates how significant the incident was in Luke’s thinking at the time.

When two or more accounts agree on something, it is called consensus.

  1. The circumstances (9:2, 22:5, and 26:12) – Paul was traveling to Damascus in order to extradite arrested believers to Jerusalem for trial. When did the event occur? (22:6
  2. 26:13) — It happened around noon or midday. The event took place on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, near Damascus, according to the Scriptures (9:2–3, 22:6, 26:13). An angelic light flashed around Paul on three separate occasions (9:3, 22:6, and 26:13). Reaction (9:4, 22:7, and 26:14) – Paul (and his companions) fell to the ground, seemingly out of reverence for what they had seen
  3. Throughout the book of Samuel, a voice calls out, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (9:4–5, 22:7–8, 26:14–15). “Who are you, Lord?” Paul asks in response. When asked who he is, the Lord responds, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” There is just a tiny difference between the three summaries of the dialogue. The term “the Nazarene” is included in the 22:8 story. “It is difficult for you to kick against the goads,” the account from 26:14 continues. (“Verses in this article are taken from the HCSB translation unless otherwise specified.”)
  4. Paul received two commands from the Lord: “Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (9:6) and “Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (22:00) Result (9:8–9
  5. 22:11) – Paul is blinded by the intensity of the light, and he must be carried into Damascus by hand. He also fasts for three days after the incident.

There are significant discrepancies between the two accounts, particularly in terms of the experience of spectators and Paul’s call to the Gentile mission. In 9:3, bystanders heard a voice but did not see anyone as the story progressed. The passersby in 22:9 were able to see the light, but they were unable to hear it. There is no substantial conflict between the two reports of the bystander’s visual experience in the two narratives. Luke merely stated that they were able to see the dazzling light, but not the person (Jesus) who spoke from the light as Luke had previously stated.

  1. A voice was heard by the companions in 9:3, but the description in 22:9 makes it clear that only Paul comprehended the words said by the voice in 9:3 and 22:9.
  2. The stoning of Stephen, as recorded in Acts 6:9 and 7:58, demonstrates that Paul collaborated with the leaders of the Synagogue of the Freedmen.
  3. Because of the linguistic barrier that prevented Hellenists from participating in traditional synagogue service, this particular congregation was most likely founded.
  4. If any of their own number had seen the light and heard the commotion on the Damascus Road, they would have been an especially suited group for Paul’s message.
  5. Although the evidence is insufficient to identify why the spectators heard but did not comprehend the voice that spoke to Paul, this theory is at the very least reasonable given the circumstances.
  6. The third version indicates that Paul received and then transmitted to Ananias Paul’s divine call to take Christ’s name into the Gentile world (Acts 9:6,15; 22:10, 15).
  7. They must be opened by faith in Me so that they may be transformed from darkness into light and from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:16b –18).
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It would be impossible to argue that this account contradicts the earlier accounts without assuming that Luke had forgotten the content of the previous accounts, despite the fact that the same essential account had been recorded twice and despite the fact that the last account only occurred four chapters before the episode of Paul’s appearance before Agrippa.

As a result, the most likely explanation for the discrepancy between the first two stories and the final story is that Luke retrojected the commission given by Jesus through the prophet Ananias into the Damascus Road incident in order to strategically shorten the tale.

Most likely, Paul himself served as Luke’s source for these reports.

Luke had regular and direct access to Paul’s witness, as evidenced by both the Book of Acts and Paul’s writings to the Corinthians.

During the time that Paul was writing his Prison Epistles (Col 4:14), Luke was present with him, and the two had become so close that Paul referred to him as “the beloved physician.” Furthermore, Luke’s accounts of Paul’s experiences are corroborated by allusions in Paul’s correspondence (1 Cor 9:1; 15:8).

THE NATURE OF THIS APPEARANCE

Whether the apparition of the risen Jesus to Paul was an objective or subjective event is a point of contention among academics for centuries. The Acts’ accounts lend weight to the idea that the experience was objective in nature. Even though they did not see Jesus, onlookers noticed the light from heaven and fell to the ground with Paul. They were also aware of the voice (though for reasons not explicitly identified they did not understand thewords uttered bythevoice). As a result of these considerations, it is reasonable to conclude that Jesus’ apparition to Paul was no simple vision that occurred solely in his mind.

Bruce Chilton determined that Paul’s experience was not an objective occurrence that other people experienced (or might have witnessed) alongside him, but rather a “personal moment of revelation,” a “mystical breakthrough,” based on the words “uncoverhis Son in me” (Gal 1:16).

For the most part, those who support this point of view appear to believe that the Greek prepositionenis is the equivalent of the common English gloss “in.” This idea is supported by the glosses that are utilized in many current translations of the Bible.

NASBAlthough the NRSV and the ESV (both of which I believe correctly translate the clause “was pleased to reveal his Son in me,” italic The comments give the sense that the Greek preposition is the equivalent of the English preposition “in,” which would appear to imply that the translators chose an alternate interpretation for religious rather than linguistic grounds when translating the text.

Paul’s Damascus Road experience was objective, but the prepositional word “in me” underlined the interior revelation that occurred as a result of the incident, according to F.

Bruce, Gordon Fee,Don Garlington, William Hendriksen, Bruce Longenecker, and Leon Morris.

Theologians like as Longenecker, for example, contend that theen emoiof 1:16 relates to theen emoiof 2:20 (“Christ dwells in me”), which is analogous to the phrase “in our hearts” in 4:6 and so stresses the interior reality of the Christian experience.

The prepositional phrase “God was pleased to disclose” does not work in the same manner as the statements “Christlives” (2:20) and “God sent the Spirit of his Son” (John 14:16), hence it cannot be assumed to function in the same way as the statements “Christlives” and “God sent the Spirit of his Son” (4:6).

The main Greek lexica and grammars demonstrate that the Greek prepositionenis capable of a surprising number of various meanings, as seen in the following examples.

The passage Galatians 1:16 is cited as an example of this use in a number of these resources (Nigel Turner; BDAG; BDF).

Prepositions with a personal object are frequently employed with verbs from the semantic domain “reveal” or “make known,” and this type of usage is common when the preposition has a personal object as well.

The preposition indicates a place (1 Kgs 8:53; 1 Chron 16:8; Ps 76:15; Prov 3:6; Ezek 22:10; 1 Macc 15:9), defines the means or cause (1 Sam 6:2; 2 Sam 22:16; Ezek 16:36), or acts as a marker for the indirect object (1 Kgs 8:53; 1 Chron 16:8; Ps 76:15; Prov 3:6; (Judg 5:2; 2 Sam 6:20; Prov 11:13; Isa 64:1).

Time (2 Cor 11:6; 2 Thess 2:6; 1 Pet 1:5), place (John 9:3; 2 Cor 2:14; 4:10, 11); 1 Tim 3:16 (Col 3:4), instrument or means (Rom 1:17; 1 Cor 3:13; 2 Cor 11:6; 1 John 3:10; 4:9), method (Eph 6:19), and indirect object (Rom 1:17; 1 Cor 3:13; 2 Cor 11:6; 1 John 3: (Rom 1:19; 1 Cor 11:19; 2 Cor 5:11).

  1. The employment of theenphrase in conjunction with linguistic constructions relating to revelation in theLXX, the NT, and notably elsewhere in Paul severely limits the interpretative alternatives available to the reader.
  2. Taking a mechanical approach to exegesis, Chilton’s handling of the preposition simply equatesenwith “in” and overlooks the complexities of Greek grammar in order to simplify his argument.
  3. According to J.
  4. Lightfoot, the preposition here means “through,” and it serves to identify Paul as the agent through whom God revealed the Son to others in the New Testament.
  5. Lightfoot’s view has been embraced by a few contemporary commentators, such as Timothy George.
  6. No unambiguous examples of theenexpressing personal agency can be found in the constructions reviewed above, despite the fact that theenwas employed to represent means or instrument in those constructions.
  7. Scholars such as Udo Schnelle are accurate in asserting that the word emoiin Galatians 1:16 “is to be interpreted as the simple dative,” as Udo Schnelle explains.
  8. In one instance, Paul claimed he was as much of an apostle as the Twelve and the Lord’s brothers: “Am I not an apostle?” he asked.
  9. The Greek language of both questions suggests that a positive response is appropriate.
  10. In addition, Paul included himself, Cephas, the Twelve, the Five Hundred (including James), and the remainder of the apostles on a list of individuals who were visited by the resurrected Jesus.
  11. “Appeared” is the same word that is used in 15:5, 6, and 7 to describe the people who found the empty tomb, saw the risen Jesus in the upper chamber, and ate with him on the beaches of the Sea of Galilee, among other things.

We must emphasize that both of these comments are featured in one of Paul’s letters that is universally accepted as authentic, even by skeptical critical scholars, and that was written relatively early in his ministry (probably mid-50s).

CONCLUSION

Paul saw Jesus’ death as vital to the gospel (Rom 1:1–8; 1 Cor 15:3–4), and hence as needed for the forgiveness of sinners (Rom 1:1–8; 1 Cor 15:3). (1 Cor 15:17). According to him, Jesus’ resurrection provided the foundation for believers’ hope in the resurrection (1 Cor 15:20–28) as well as their bravery in the face of severe persecution (1 Cor 15:29b–34). The apostle Paul did not have to depend solely on the witness of others when he proclaimed about the resurrection of Jesus. Paul appears to have referred to his own firsthand account of Jesus’ post-resurrectionappearance in order to support his claims.

When Paul went to Jerusalem, he made a point of emphasizing the fact that he “had seen the Lord on the way and that he had talked to him,” and it was on this premise that Barnabas and eventually the disciples in Jerusalem welcomed Paul (Acts 9:26–28).

Acts 13:32 states that Paul is identifying himself as an equally trustworthy witness to the resurrection, as evidenced by the words “And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was promised to our forefathers.” The Resurrection of Jesus was a central theme in Paul’s teaching at Thessalonica (Acts 17:3), Athens (17:31), and most likely in Corinth as well (Acts 17:4).

Taking all of the evidence into consideration, Paul should be considered to be one of the most prominent witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

QUARLES, PhD, is a Professor of New Testament Studies and Biblical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also serves as the Director of Graduate Studies.

1 Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography (New York: Doubleday Religion, 2004), p.

Bruce Chilton, Rabbi Paul: An Intellectual Biography (New York: Doubleday Religion, 2004).

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