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Did Paul believe Jesus appeared to him as a non-physical vision/light?

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02 Reasons
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04 Reasons
challenging

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01 Question

According to Paul, Jesus appeared to him alive from the dead. However, what was the nature of this appearance? Did Paul most specifically maintain that, when Jesus appeared to him, the appearance was in fact a non-physical vision? Could it even have been a vision of a dazzling light and nothing more?

The argument field

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6 arguments at this level

For

Supports this claim

2 reasons

  1. Paul: “Jesus physically appeared to me”

    01 Supporting reason Paul: “Jesus physically appeared to me” Read argument · 9 paths deeper

    Paul denies that Jesus appeared non-physically (e.g. intra-mentally), insisting instead that what appeared to him was quite physical and extra-mental; it was Jesus in the flesh, and so externally perceptible. It was not a mere vision or epiphany.

    This page analyzes these 8 arguments:

    This is relevant, because if Paul hallucinated, it would’ve been either through a visual hallucination or non-visual hallucination (e.g. an epiphany), and neither of these is compatible with Paul’s understanding of the event.

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  2. A non-physical vision wouldn't persuade

    02 Supporting reason A non-physical vision wouldn't persuade Read argument

    If Paul only had a vision (hallucination?) on the road to Damascus, it is improbable that it would have resulted in Paul's converting.

    • Ancients knew about hallucinations.
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Against

Challenges this claim

4 reasons

  1. Optasia (e.g. Acts 26 “vision”) isn’t physical

    01 Challenging reason Optasia (e.g. Acts 26 “vision”) isn’t physical Read argument · 1 path deeper

    The Greek “optasia” philologically denotes a denotes a non-physical experience. (See full page here.) This is relevant because Acts 26:19 reports Paul saying “I did not prove obedient to the heavenly vision [optasia]” and the “heavenly vision” was Jesus himself (or the nature of his appearance).

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  2. 2 Cor 4:6 (“shone in hearts”)= the appearance

    02 Challenging reason 2 Cor 4:6 (“shone in hearts”)= the appearance Read argument · 2 paths deeper

    In writing 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (“[Jesus] has shone in our hearts”) Paul is he referring to Jesus’ appearing to him?

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  3. Acts: “Jesus appeared as a shapeless light”

    03 Challenging reason Acts: “Jesus appeared as a shapeless light” Read argument · 2 paths deeper

    **In the purported appearance of Jesus to Paul recorded in Acts, did Paul in fact only see a “light” which he identified as Jesus (rather than seeing Jesus himself)? **

    This page analyzes this 1 evidence:

    This is relevant because a light as such is non-physical.

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  4. Paul ”I felt him appear in me”

    04 Challenging reason Paul ”I felt him appear in me” Read argument · 5 paths deeper

    Paul actually was proclaiming that Jesus appeared inside of him in some sense.

    This full page analyzes these 4 arguments:
    Sources and notes
    1. That is to say, these scriptures at best support the vision hypothesis by highlighting that there was a non-visual component to the experience, one that is subjective and epiphany-like. But you can have this subjective and epiphany-like experience just as easily if Paul was seeing the physical Jesus before him.
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