Testing the spirits

[Stravinsk]

The only problem with that is it did not happen that way according to Paul. That is not what the text states. It says nothing about being blinded by Jesus in the clouds. You are simple adding elements that are not there.

Acts 9:3-8
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing.

Acts 22:6-11
As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

Acts 26:13-16
At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.'

Paul makes it very clear he was blinded by a bright light from heaven. Paul never says he saw Jesus or clouds only that he heard a voice.

Just a note here, you are quoting the NIV, a somewhat notorious bad translation of the text. Not that the KJV does not have problems, but the NIV is worse.

The subtle differences in Paul's conversion story are much more evident in the KJV. Here they are:

Acts 9:3-9. Light shines around Paul. Paul falls to the earth, the men with Paul stand speechless, hear a voice, but see no man. Paul is told to go to the city, and there he will be told what to do.

Acts 22:6-11 Light shines around Paul. Paul falls to the ground. The men with Paul see a light but don't hear a voice. Paul is told to go to Damascus and there he will be told all things he is appointed to do.

Acts 26:12-19 Light shines around Paul and the men. Paul and all the men fall to the ground. Paul is told on the spot of the things he is appointed to do.

The story changes about the men with Paul. They hear a voice and then they don't hear a voice. They see no man then they see the light. They stand speechless then they fall to the ground.

1. The light shines around Paul in Acts 9 and 22, around Paul and the men in Acts 26
2. The men with Paul stand speechless, hear a voice but see no man in Acts 9.
3. The men don't hear a voice but see the light in Acts 22. (NIV changes "hear" to "understand". Bad translation of Strongs G191)
4. The men with Paul don't stand speechless but fall to the ground in Acts 26.

One other thing to note is the "kicks against the pricks (or goads)" reference. This is a direct quote from Bacche, by Euripides.
Note on Euripides: The context is that Dionysus discards his divine nature and walks in the human world disguised…Dionysus, the god disguised in human form, tells him that his efforts to resist the new movement will be completely worthless; he is not contending against flesh and blood, but against a god. “You are mortal, he is a god. If I were you, I would control my rage and sacrifice to him, rather than kick against the pricks” [From Euripides, The Bacchae].

It's hard for me to imagine a Hebrew God quoting a Greek fable about the Greek "god" Dionysus in identifying Himself.

Wikipedia quote:

Dionysus (/daɪ.əˈnaɪsəs/; Greek: Διόνυσος) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine, of fertility, orchards and fruit, vegetation, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity and theatre in ancient Greek religion and myth

 

[Origen]

Just a note here, you are quoting the NIV, a somewhat notorious bad translation of the text. Not that the KJV does not have problems, but the NIV is worse.

First, I was not quoting the NIV. However, the NIV does have the same idea that I offered and for good reason.

Second, I gave two example: 1. "is not man’s gospel" and 2. "it is not the Gospel according to man," and neither are from the NIV. Others translations could also be provided supporting the same idea. The phrase in Greek is literary "is not according to men" = (not according to human beings).

Third, the noun "men" is ἄνθρωπος. A quick glance at any scholarly lexicon will verify and support my claim (and that of the NIV as well) of human origin.

Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament Vol. 1, p. 100

As anyone can see the noun ἄνθρωπος is more encompassing than merely "a male person." It denotes "mankind, human beings." If this one example from a Greek lexicon many more can be provided.

Fourth, N.T.\Greek scholars also agree with me on this point. For example Craig S. Keener

Galations: A Commentary, p. 71

Another example is Timothy George. He states:

Galatians, The New American Commentary, p.108

Again many more sources could be added to these.

The story changes about the men with Paul. They hear a voice and then they don't hear a voice. They see no man then they see the light. They stand speechless then they fall to the ground.

Even if that were true, and I do not concede that it is, Paul STILL never claims he saw Jesus. He says he saw a bright light from heaven, it blinded him, and he heard a voice. Those three elements are consistent in every telling of the story.

One other thing to note is the "kicks against the pricks (or goads)" reference. This is a direct quote from Bacche, by Euripides.
Note on Euripides: The context is that Dionysus discards his divine nature and walks in the human world disguised…Dionysus, the god disguised in human form, tells him that his efforts to resist the new movement will be completely worthless; he is not contending against flesh and blood, but against a god. “You are mortal, he is a god. If I were you, I would control my rage and sacrifice to him, rather than kick against the pricks” [From Euripides, The Bacchae].

It's hard for me to imagine a Hebrew God quoting a Greek fable about the Greek "god" Dionysus in identifying Himself.

On this point we agree. Jesus never said that. The earliest manuscripts of Acts do not contain that saying (in fact I don't believe any Greek manuscript has that reading but I would have to check and make sure). That is the problem when you use an out of date translation that has not kept up with current scholarship.

Just a note here, you are quoting the NIV, a somewhat notorious bad translation of the text. Not that the KJV does not have problems, but the NIV is worse.

Not even close to being true. It has been my experience people complaint about things they don't understand because they do not have the necessary prerequisite knowledge required. In other words, they don't do honest research nor do they dig into qualified scholars. They merely seek to confirm their own point of view and stop. The fact is every translation has it good point and it bad points.