Paul the pharisee had a very unique experience on his way to Damascus. His experience is documented for us in three accounts as found in Acts 9:1-9, Acts 22:5-11, & Acts 26:12-20. One extremely interesting aspect of these three accounts of Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus is that they all differ significantly from each other!

 

Acts 9:1-9 seems to be Luke’s attempted summary of Paul’s experience. Conversely, Acts 22:5-11 & Acts 26:12-20 both have Paul speaking in the first person. In Acts 22:5-11 & Acts 26:12-20, Paul was describing his experience to different audiences.

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Comparing Paul’s first person accounts of Acts 22:5-11 vs. Acts 26:12-20, one can’t help but wonder...  “what exactly did the voice from heaven actually say to Paul?”

 

Was it…

 

Acts 22:5-11

…Saul, Saul why persecutest thou me?… I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest… Arise & go into Damascus & there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

 

Or did the voice from heaven say something along the lines of  …

 

Acts 26:13-19

…Saul, Saul why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks… I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise & stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister & a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen & of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people & from the gentiles unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes & to turn them from darkness to light & from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins & inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

 

It is not possible to determine exactly what the voice from heaven actually said to Paul, because of Paul’s own self-contradictory accounts of the experience. One thing we should be absolutely certain of is what voice from heaven did not say to Paul... There is no mention in any of these accounts of the voice from heaven telling Paul that he had been selected to be an “Apostle”!

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Before getting into the obvious differences between the two accounts, please note that in his defense before Agrippa in Acts 26:13-19, the voice from heaven says, “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Whereas, in his defense before the men of Israel of Acts 22:5-11, the voice does not say this. Why the omission?

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Apparently the statement about, “kicking against the pricks” had its origin in the story, “Bacchae”, written by Euripides about four hundred years earlier.(1) It is the story about the punishment of a king who refused to worship the Greek god, dionysus, aka bacchus. In the story, dionysus tells the king that it is hard for him to kick against the goads & to refuse to worship dionysus. 

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Given the prohibitions against idolatry found in the Scriptures (Exodus 20:1-6, Deuteronomy 12:28-32, etc.), it is extremely difficult to imagine our Sinless & Risen Saviour quoting, paraphrasing, or “borrowing” lines from a play about the Greek god, dionysus! Why would Paul intermittently claim that He did?  Why did Paul claim the voice from heaven used that quote before Agrippa in Acts 26:13-19 but not in his defence before the men of Israel in Acts 22:5-11? Most likely, the Israelites would have been familiar with the Scriptural prohibition against idolatry so they would have easily recognized the absurdity of such a claim! It appears that Paul selectively inserted or withheld  this quote from an idolatrous fictional story, depending on whom he was speaking to! 

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It is not difficult to visually see the difference between the two accounts of what the voice from heaven told Paul. In Paul’s defense before the men of Israel in Acts 22:5-11, the voice is very cut & dry. The voice is abrupt, & almost curt. In Paul’s defense before Agrippa of Acts 26:13-19, the voice seems much more talkative, & is practically flattering Paul! 

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What is the problem with this? If I told you that something supernatural had happened to me, you may or may not accept what I tell you. If the next time I described the same event, my description was significantly different & even more self aggrandizing; which version should you believe? Should you believe my claims at all if I contradicted my initial description of the supernatural encounter?

Paul’s devotees may try to spin the obviously different versions of what the voice from Heaven told Paul by saying that Paul was just giving a more detailed & explicit version of what the voice from Heaven told him on the road to Damascus in the Acts 26 account. However, that explanation necessitates that Paul’s version in his defense before the men of Israel of Acts 22:5-11 is untrue, incomplete, & incorrect.

 

Furthermore, it would be extremely incorrect & difficult to describe the Acts 26 account before Agrippa as being more detailed when it omits any mention of Paul being blinded, fasting for three days & nights, being healed by Ananias, or being baptized!

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Another problematic aspect of these conflicting accounts is the following verse …

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John 14:26   

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my Name, he shall teach you all things, & bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

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In John 14:26, Adonai YAHUSHA told His real Disciples that the Holy Spirit or the Ruach Elohim would remind them of everything YAHUSHA told them! How could Paul even have the Holy Spirit given his documented inability to accurately & consistently remember & restate the relatively few statements that the voice from Heaven allegedly told him?

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Paul the pharisee’s encounter on the road to Damascus was probably the most memorable & remarkable experience of Paul’s life at that point. How unfortunate that Paul the pharisee was unable to accurately & consistently convey what the voice from heaven actually told him on the road to Damascus! His inability to accurately recall what the voice from heaven said is clearly demonstrated by the obvious differences in the two first person accounts of his road to Damascus experience. Which version do you believe? Should you believe either version, or do they both invalidate themselves because of Paul’s self contradictory accounts?  

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Devotees of Paul the pharisee will attempt to defend Paul by blaming Luke for the inconsistencies, given that Luke wrote the book of Acts. Yet clearly the problem is not with Luke. Luke does a most excellent job of showing the consistency of Peter’s account of his vision from heaven before those of the circumcision in Jerusalem in Acts 11:1-18 & the narrative account in Acts 10:10-19. Luke shows that the Apostle Peter had no problem being consistent in telling those of the circumcision in Jerusalem what his vision from heaven was, & what happened next in that Peter's first person account before those of the circumcision in Jerusalem matches the narrative account as found in Acts 10:10-19 practically perfectly. On the other hand, Luke records that that Paul clearly changed his account of what the voice from heaven told him, depending on whom he was speaking to!!

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When pressed, Paul’s devotees will invariably seek to discredit & blame Luke for the discrepancies in regards to what the voice from heaven told Paul in the accounts of Acts 22:5-11 & Acts 26:13-19. However, Paul completely neglected to offer any significant description of his experience on the road to Damascus in any of his own New Testament letters. It follows that Paulinists who seek to discredit Luke’s accounts from the book of Acts are left without a single reliable or correct account of what happened on the road to Damascus. As a result, Paul’s claims of Apostleship are tremendously eroded & diminished, since Paul himself never bothered to elaborate on it in any of his New Testament letters! Without a reliable account of the road to Damascus event written directly by Paul, it seems reasonable for people to question whether it ever really happened or not, given the contradictory accounts in Acts!

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Jeremiah chapter 36 (Jeremiah 36:1-4 & Jeremiah 36:27-28) reveals how YHWH instructed Jeremiah to write in a book everything that YHWH had ever told him, beginning from the time that YHWH first started speaking to him. Jeremiah recruited Baruch to be his scribe, & dictated everything that YHWH ever told him. Baruch took the book to the princes & scribes of the kingdom, who attempted to read the book to Yahuyakim, the king of Yahudah. Unfortunately the king cut, & burned the book after hearing a few pages of it. YHWH then instructed Jeremiah to make another copy of the book with everything that he had written in the first book. Jeremiah repeated the process, & did so! In contrast, Paul was clearly unable to consistently & accurately recall just the few statements that the voice from Heaven told him on the road to Damascus!! That is quite a contrast between Jeremiah, a true prophet of YHWH, & Paul the pharisee!

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What did the voice from heaven actually say to Paul?? How could Paul have been telling the truth about what the voice from heaven said in both accounts if they contradict each other?  Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus is his primary claim to fame. If Paul had such difficulty consistently recalling or restating what the voice from Heaven told him, is he a reliable witness?  Did a voice from heaven actually say anything to Paul at all? Is this the “LIE” that Paul was referring to in Romans 3:7, or the dishonesty that Paul admitted to in 2 Co 12:16? 

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Sources

(1)http://www.truthseekers.co.za/paul-quotes-freely-from-pagan-writings

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Passages Referenced in Above Text

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Acts 9:1-9

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man:but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

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Acts 22:5-11

As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

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Acts 26:12-20

Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

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Exodus 20:1-6

And Elohim spake all these words, saying, I am YHWH thy Elohim, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:              

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I YHWH thy Elohim am a jealous El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

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Deuteronomy 12:28-32

Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of YHWH thy Elohim.

When YHWH thy Elohim shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto YHWH thy Elohim: for every abomination to YHWH, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it:thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

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Acts 10

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side:he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten:but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice:and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.

 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing:for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek:what is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for:I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side:who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by YAHUSHA HaMashiach :(he is Lord of all:) That word, .... I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed YAHUSHA of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power:who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through His Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

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Acts 11:1-18

And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of Elohim. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying, I was in the city of Joppa praying:and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. But I said, Not so, Adonai:for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. But the voice answered me again from heaven, What Elohim hath cleansed, that call not thou common. And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house: And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. And as I began to speak, the Ruach Elohim fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of Adonai, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Ruach Elohim. Forasmuch then as Elohim gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on Adonai YAHUSHA HaMashiach; what was I, that I could withstand Elohim? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified Elohim, saying, Then hath Elohim also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

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Jeremiah 36:1-4

And it came to pass in the fourth year of Yahuyakim the son of Josiah king of Yahudah, that this word came unto YirmeYah from YHWH, saying,Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Yahudah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of YoshiYah, even unto this day. It may be that the house of Yahudah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. Then YirmeYah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of YirmeYah all the words of YHWH, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.

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Jeremiah 36:27-28

Then the WORD of YHWH came to YirmeYah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of YirmeYah, saying, Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Yahuyakim the king of Yahudah hath burned.

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Romans 3:7

For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my LIE unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

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2 Corinthians 12:16

But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

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