How many appearances?

[rlvaughn]

Below is a list of 11 appearances of our Lord Jesus Christ after his resurrection (to which is added the post-ascension appearance to Paul). Is this correct? Is this all of them? Your thoughts?

The appearances of our Lord Jesus after His resurrection
Before his ascension

1. To Mary Magdalene, Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11-18.
2. To Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James, Matthew 28:9-10.
3. To Peter, Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5.
4. To Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24:13-35.
5. To the apostles at Jerusalem, except for Thomas, Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25.
6. To the eleven Apostles at Jerusalem, i.e., with Thomas, John 20:26-29.
7. To the disciples by the Sea of Galilee, John 21:1-25.
8. To the apostles on a mountain in Galilee, Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18.
9. To over five hundred brethren, 1 Corinthians 15:6.
10. To James the brother of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 15:7.
11. To the apostles at Jerusalem before his ascension, Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:3-12.

After his ascension

1. To Paul, Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8.

 

[37818]

Some time before Jesus appeared to Saul, Stephen had ". . . said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. . . ." -- Acts of the Apostles 7:56.

 

[Jerome]

"I John....heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last....And I turned to see the voice that spake with me....And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen"

 

[Jerome]

To the twelve, 1 Corinthians 15:5.

 

[kyredneck]

After his ascension

1. To Paul, Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.
57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord;
58 and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts of the Apostles 7

 

[canadyjd]

I Cor 16 says more than 500 people saw Jesus alive after the resurrection.

peace to you

 

[Steven Yeadon]

Great resource, thank you all. I wonder if there were even more incidents of Jesus appearing to the saints after His resurrection.I am reminded of John 21:25 NASB:

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.

 

[rlvaughn]

Great resource, thank you all. I wonder if there were even more incidents of Jesus appearing to the saints after His resurrection.I am reminded of John 21:25 NASB:

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written.

The list should be qualified as a list of recorded appearances -- he very likely did have appearances that weren't recorded.

 

[rlvaughn]

Thanks for the comments and addition. When I started this, I was thinking mostly about Jesus's appearances the earth in bodily form after his resurrection and before his ascension. Then I decided to add Paul, based on his wording in 1 Corinthians 15:8. I didn't think to include Stephen since he saw him in heaven, and concerning John in Revelation, I usually think of that more as a vision. Though he certainly did see Jesus, what he saw was quite different from the Lord's post resurrection appearances -- Revelation 1:14-15 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

To the twelve, 1 Corinthians 15:5.

Do you think this one is a different appearance, not encompassed in the other descriptions of appearances to the apostles? Thanks.

 

[37818]

Thanks for the comments and addition. When I started this, I was thinking mostly about Jesus's appearances the earth in bodily form after his resurrection and before his ascension. Then I decided to add Paul, based on his wording in 1 Corinthians 15:8. I didn't think to include Stephen since he saw him in heaven, and concerning John in Revelation, I usually think of that more as a vision. Though he certainly did see Jesus, what he saw was quite different from the Lord's post resurrection appearances -- Revelation 1:14-15 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Do you think this one is a different appearance, not encompassed in the other descriptions of appearances to the apostles? Thanks.

Hebrews 9:12, ". . . he entered in once into the holy place . . . ." After Christ's ascension He remains as intercessor in Heaven until His second appearing, Hebrews 9:28. So when He appeared to Saul and John He did so from His place in Heaven. That word translated "once" is that very word translated "once for all" used in Hebrews 10:10. This is the reason for my understanding this in this way.

 

[Jerome]

To the twelve, 1 Corinthians 15:5.

Do you think this one is a different appearance, not encompassed in the other descriptions of appearances to the apostles? Thanks.

Well, your #5 would presumably be to ten apostles.
And #6 to eleven.
Well I'm stumped.
Oh, and I also see another unlisted reference, v. 7 'all the apostles'

 

[Marooncat79]

I think that there are either 15 or 17. I cannot remember

 

[rlvaughn]

Well, your #5 would presumably be to ten apostles.
And #6 to eleven.
Well I'm stumped.
Oh, and I also see another unlisted reference, v. 7 'all the apostles'

I am stumped by all that as well. I'm sure Paul knew what he meant, but I do not. The whole text is:

...he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

I have always assumed "then of the twelve" should be taken generically as the group name, not that there were actually twelve in number. If it does mean literally twelve in number, then Paul must either mean that Judas was with them at some point when Jesus appeared, or that Matthias was with them. ? "Of all the apostles" seems to mean the same group, but Paul does this as a different appearance than the one in verse 5, even if it is the same people. I suppose it could coincide with my number 11 (his last appearance before the ascension).

 

[Jerome]

I would expect to see those incorporated somehow, or at least mentioned, if it's supposed to be an exhaustive list.

 

[37818]

". . . then of the twelve: . . ." Would include Matthias.

". . . then of all the apostles. . . ." The twelve plus all the other apostles not numbered with the twelve. Preascension.

 

[rlvaughn]

I would expect to see those incorporated somehow, or at least mentioned, if it's supposed to be an exhaustive list.

I understand. Any suggestion on incorporating them would be welcome. I struggle to put them in a place in the list when I am not sure where to put them.

". . . then of the twelve: . . ." Would include Matthias.

I definitely think this is a good possibility. Though he was not numbered with the twelve until after the ascension (Acts 1:26), he was a witness of the resurrection (Acts 1:22) and one of the twelve.

". . . then of all the apostles. . . ." The twelve plus all the other apostles not numbered with the twelve. Preascension.

This one I don't see. Other people seem to be called apostles in the New Testament (e.g. Barnabas, Acts 14:4,14; 1 Corinthians 9:1-6; James, the Lord’s brother, Galatians 1:19; 1 Corinthians 9:5; Silas, 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; Timothy, 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; Apollos, 1 Corinthians 4:6,9), but I don't see that any were so called as early as pre-ascension.

 

[rlvaughn]

Hebrews 9:12, ". . . he entered in once into the holy place . . . ." After Christ's ascension He remains as intercessor in Heaven until His second appearing, Hebrews 9:28. So when He appeared to Saul and John He did so from His place in Heaven. That word translated "once" is that very word translated "once for all" used in Hebrews 10:10. This is the reason for my understanding this in this way.

Interesting. I see the "once" motif as more about a one time (once for all) sacrifice than about where Jesus could or could not appear. Hebrews tells us our Lord Jesus "offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." Yet he did not remain seated when he appeared to Stephen, but stood (Acts 7:55-56).

Paul's manner of writing in 1 Corinthians 15 at the least implies, if not states, that the way he saw the Lord was of a kind like all the previous mentions.

 

[rlvaughn]

I would expect to see those incorporated somehow, or at least mentioned, if it's supposed to be an exhaustive list.

Perhaps this would work, 1 Corinthians 15:5 inserted between "To Peter" and "To Cleophas," and 1 Corinthians 15:7 incorporated into what is now number 12?

The recorded appearances of our Lord Jesus after His resurrection
Before his ascension

1. To Mary Magdalene, Mark 16:9-11; John 20:11-18.
2. To Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James, Matthew 28:9-10.
3. To Peter, Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5.
4. To the twelve, an unspecified mention that may include Matthias, 1 Corinthians 15:5.
   
5. To Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24:13-35.
6. To the apostles at Jerusalem, except for Thomas, Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25.
7. To the eleven Apostles at Jerusalem, i.e., with Thomas, John 20:26-29.
8. To the disciples by the Sea of Galilee, John 21:1-25.
9. To the apostles on a mountain in Galilee, Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18.
10. To over five hundred brethren, 1 Corinthians 15:6.
11. To James the brother of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 15:7.
12. To the apostles at Jerusalem before his ascension, Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:3-12; 1 Corinthians 15:7.

After his ascension

1. To Paul, Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:8.

 

[Jerome]

[Matthias] was a witness of the resurrection (Acts 1:22)

The other one likewise: "Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus"

 

[Jerome]

I have always assumed "then of the twelve" should be taken generically as the group name, not that there were actually twelve in number.

As a figure of speech: totum pro parte.