The first 500 or so...

Yes, in 1 Corinthians 15:6, Paul says that Jesus appeared to over 500 people at one time after his resurrection.

He also says that if no one believes him that they can ask those witnesses themselves because most of them were still living at the time of Paul's writing.

I'm not sure that I understand your second question.

Could anyone have refused Jesus after He revealed Himself to him/her after the resurrection?

Yes. People are confronted with Jesus, the Living Word everyday and refuse Him still. I don't know if any of those who saw Him during the 40 days of between the resurrection and ascension refused Him, but many believed Him.

Just simply being in Jesus' prescence, whether physically, as were the witnesses or "spirtually" as in our experiences since the ascension,....just simply being in His Holy presence does not guarantee that someone will accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.

That is evidenced by people in the Bible who turned their backs on Him and people, today, who know the Truth and turn their backs on Him still.

 

Well, I don't think that Paul knew Jesus nor witnessed his ministry, but I think that he knew OF Jesus.

In my mind, and I may be wrong, it wasn't that Paul was too young, it was that Paul, growing up, wasn't geographically where Jesus was.

A timeline of Acts 1-7 tells me that Paul (Saul) was probably a little younger than Jesus.

 

Yes, that is what I was talking about, Bapmom.

The timeline of Acts 1-7.

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• chap. 1.....the promise of the Holy Spirit, the ascension of Jesus, and Matthias replacing Judas</font>
• chap. 2....the coming of the Holy Spirit and Peter's sermon and the first converts</font>
• chap. 3....more about Peter</font>
• chap. 4....Peter and John before the Council</font>
• chap. 5....Ananias and Sapphira, healings, and persecutions</font>
• chap. 6....seven appointed to serve and Stephen's arrest</font>
• chap. 7....Stephen's addressing the Council and his subsequent stoning and the first appearance of Saul</font>

It just all depends on how much time passes between each chapter and event. I personally think that it was days, weeks or months and not years or decades.

I believe that based on the "flow" of the seven chapters.

Paul (Saul) is referred to as a "young man" while everyone laid their coats at his feet.

Soooo....if he is a young man weeks or months after the ascension, then he is probably somewhat younger than Jesus. That's just my surmising.

Peace-
Scarlett O.
&lt;&gt;&lt;

 

The purpose of the 40 days between the time that He resurrected and the time that He ascended was NOT to minister to the masses.

The very short time that He had left was to equip His disciples, many of them, so that THEY could heal and minister and preach salvation after His ascension.

This was a very personal time and a very brief time. Jesus was leaving and the Holy Spirit was coming in His place.

Jesus said that He HAD to leave...if He didn't the Holy Spirit couldn't do His job.

With only 40 days, Jesus HAD to spend His time with those most intimately familiar with Him to prepare them to receive the Holy Spirit and to be ministers of the gospel themselves.

 

Please read John 16:5-16.

Jesus clearly states that He MUST go back to heaven. Back to "to one who sent Me"...that's God.

He also clearly states that if He doesn't go back to heaven that the Holy Spirit cannot come and do His job.

What does Jesus say is the job of the Holy Spirit?
</font>

• to convict people of their sins</font>
• to bring people into an understanding of "truth"</font>
• to bring glory to the name of Jesus</font>

Please read that above passage and read Acts chapter 1.