Featured Pauls salvation

I know this is an old debate...

When was Paul actually saved/born again/child of God?

 

I agree...Paul submitted in faith to the Lordship of Christ during his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus!

 

So Paul was converted to Christianity when he saw and spoke to the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and he received his apostleship at that time. However, there was a three-day gap (see Acts 9:9) between the moment when Paul was saved and the moment when he was "filled" with the Holy Spirit when a disciple named Ananias laid hands on him:
"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized" (Acts 9:17-18)

 

"Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?" (1 Corinthians 9:1)

Not only did Saul receive salvation on the road to Damascus, but he was also commissioned as an apostle at that time because Jesus sent him on his mission. One condition for apostleship is having seen Jesus ( Acts 1:22, 1 Corinthians 9:1), and it's easy to demonstrate that Saul (the apostle Paul) saw Jesus on the road to Damascus:

Acts 26:16: [on the road to Damascus] "'Now get up and stand on your feet. I [Jesus] have appeared to you [Saul] to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you."

1 Corinthians 15:8: "and last of all he [Jesus] appeared to me [Saul] also, as to one abnormally born."

So Saul witnessed the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and he immediately submitted in faith to the Lord. Then the Lord appointed Saul as a witness, and said that He was sending Saul out to carry the Gospel to the world (Acts 26:17-18). This is where the apostle Paul received his commission as an apostle. Again...The Greek word apostello ("sending") in Acts 26:17 means, "(by implication) to send out (properly on a mission)" (Strong's Greek Dictionary). Two similar Greek words are derived from apostello:

apostole - "apostleship" (Strong's Greek Dictionary)
apostolos - "apostle, messenger, he that is sent" (Strong's Greek Dictionary)
These words describe a person who has been commissioned by Jesus as an apostle, which is what happened to Saul (the apostle Paul) on the road to Damascus in Acts 26:16-18.

When Jesus commissioned Saul as an apostle, notice what Jesus said and notice how Saul responded:

Acts 26:16: "'Now get up and stand on your feet. I [Jesus] have appeared to you [Saul] to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you."
Acts 26:17: "I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending [apostello] you to them"
Acts 26:18: "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'"
Acts 26:19: ""So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven."
Acts 26:20: "First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds."

In verses 17 and 18 (above), Jesus said that He was sending Saul out to carry the Gospel to the world, "so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Saul pointed out that he was not disobedient to the vision from heaven (Acts 26:19), which tells us that he had responded in faith and obedience to the Lordship of Christ on the road to Damascus. Saul soon began carrying out his apostolic commission, going around and preaching that people "should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds" (Acts 26:20). This perfectly describes salvation by faith alone, and Saul (the apostle Paul) didn't teach that people need to be baptized for salvation.

 

I was thinking this was discussed here...I am on so many forums I forgot!
I included in my post saved/born again/ child of God etc.

Unless others want to discuss this! I will leave it alone...forgot that it has already been discussed!

 

You guys want to discuss Pauls experience or do you want to start a name calling debate??

Never fails when people can not stay on scriptures they start to attack the person!

 

I did not defect! I realize after someone posted that I had already started a thread on this! If you want to debate it! I am up to it! But lets stick to scriptures and not start personal attacks!

 

When did you say that Paul was saved? On the road to Damascus? Well, what happen when Ananias laid hands on him?