Was Paul Raised From The Dead?

Tom:

This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, and we are in Acts Chapter 14.Dave, I think we got to Verse 19, but we’ll back up to 18, but we’ll back up a little bit more because what happened was, there was a man in Lystra, and Paul, through the grace of God, mercy of God, healed this man.There was a wonderful sign, it was a wonderful miracle, but it didn’t go down well because the people got so excited that they thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods.They came out to worship them, and Paul got all upset about it, which he should have, rightly so, not like some who profess to do miracles today and have their entourage and have their following, their crowds, and so on, and basically was thought to be more than they are.

Dave:

Yeah, because they don’t really do miracles anyway.

Tom:

Paul is then addressing this crowd and, not only did they believe that they were gods, they came to worship them, make offerings to them and so on, which upset Paul and Barnabas.And Paul cries out saying, Verse 15:“Sirs, why do ye these things?We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness.”And you would think that would make sense to them, right?But Verse 18 it says:“And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.”Verse 19:“And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city:and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.”

Dave:

Well, he must have had a real headache.Of course the Lord could have delivered him, and maybe He did deliver him.Later on in the Book of Acts, we find a viper comes out of the fire and hangs onto Paul and pumps poison in him, and Paul feels no harm.

Tom:

Dave, it’s supposed in this experience that Paul went through that maybe this is where he had a vision of heaven.Maybe he did die and the Lord sent him back.What do you think about it?

Dave:

Well, let me read what he says:2 Corinthians Chapter 12, he says:“I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or out of the body, I cannot tell:God knoweth;) such a one caught up to the third heaven.And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell:God knoweth;)How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” and so forth.So, I think he is talking about himself, and what other time than this, probably when it happened but we’re not sure.But the fact is, they thought he was dead, and he was not dead.It doesn’t say that he was resurrected, but he came back to consciousness, and went in with them into the city.

Tom:

It’s amazing how straightforward it says it: “Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him”I mean, what were they expecting?You know, I’m sure they were grieved, sad, confused, shocked, but it just lays it out.“He rose up and came into the city and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.”It doesn’t make a big issue of it.

Dave:

Right.Paul has suffered so much for Christ.In 2 Corinthians Chapter 11, he tells about it; how many times he was beaten with rods and scourged with a cat-of-nine-tails, and probably had glass or steel, or whatever, that would just tear up your body; how many times he was in prison and shipwrecked and now, stoned.And he counted it glory—O, joy, he said, that he could suffer for the cause of Christ.And, in fact, he says, “Even hereunto were you called” that is, to suffer.In Philippians Chapter One, he says, “It’s given unto you to suffer for the cause of Christ.

Tom:

And not in any sense to expiate his own sins, or to, you know, as we know today or, but in being given that, that wouldn’t be a popular message today, Dave.

Dave:

He didn’t flagellate himself.This was the world, the hatred we talked about earlier against Christ and against the message of the gospel, against the truth.So, he suffered for the sake of Christ, and I think, you know, he said, “Whether in the body or out of the body” what does that mean?In 2 Corinthians Chapter 12, where we read it, Paul says, “Whether in the body or out of the body” what does that mean?What’s the importance of that?Well, if you are in the body you’re unconscious but you’re still alive.If you’re out of the body you are dead, and it would be a resurrection, because James clearly says, “The body without the spirit is dead.”And these people who claim to have out of the body experiences are out there.It’s a delusion, a demon is playing a video tape of their brain.If they were out of their body, then when they came back into it, it would be a resurrection, they would have been dead and resurrected.But anyway, Paul, I guess, he’s going to go into hiding now, and he’s going to retire and he’s not going to preach the gospel anymore because it is just too much suffering.The next verse says:Acts:14:21And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
See All..., “And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch.”I mean, he’s going back to the place where they stoned him and left him for dead.What is he doing there?Verse 22, “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”Tom, I remember being, in the Iron Curtain days, traveling through Eastern Europe, Russia.We were there a number of time, and the Christians back there wondering, Why are we, that is, we Soviet citizens, why are we suffering so much?We have to meet in secret.We get put in jail.We’ve been killed by Stalin.But over in America huge churches, Christianity is so popular.I’m not going to say it’s entirely this, but maybe we don’t have a kind of Christianity in the United States that Satan feels he needs to attack.In fact, could it be possible, and again Tom, I don’t want to get letters saying you guys are so negative and you are trashing everybody.No, I’m not doing that.I’m raising a question.Will you consider that Paul says, “We must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God.” In 2 Timothy Chapter 3:12, he says:---all those who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.Okay.And the big thing in America today is, well, Joel Osteen for example, my goodness, nobody is going to fight that gospel because it’s just a positive thinking message, you know, success and happiness.So maybe we are presenting a Christianity that, not only doesn’t Satan feel he needs to attack, but he kind of wants to help it grow.Let’s get bigger churches, and let’s get more people who think they are Christians and who really aren’t.

Tom:

Dave, didn’t you, sometime back, I mean, years and years ago, tell a story about, what happened, in fact, those who had gone through persecution behind the Iron Curtain, and then came here and their faith became shipwrecked.They were destroyed because they couldn’t handle the so-called prosperity.

Dave:

Well actually, Tom, some of their children.And again, it’s a complicated thing, because when they came here they were so separated from the world that their children resented it.They had no choice in the Soviet Union, but now they resented it, and they got into all kinds of worldliness and drugs and so forth, and, yes, lost their faith.I don’t think the kids really had the faith of the parents.They had no choice except to go along with it.So, that was the tragedy that the parents were not able to pass that on to their children in thee West.Now, on the other hand, Tom, I guess we could say, Well, had they not come to the West, maybe the fact that they didn’t have real faith in Christ would never have been discovered.Better to discover it now when you can remedy it than in eternity.