During the ministry of Jesus, Saul (who later became Paul), was a dedicated member of a powerful exclusive Jewish sect called Pharisees. These overbearing vainglorious Jews were labeled as stiff necked hypocrites, for their pretensions to sanctity. When they confronted Jesus, he called them; the sons of a liar.

"You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
                                John 8:44

     A question of the fundamental importance is; If the story of "Vision" by Paul, who had never before met Jesus, is the Truth then; What did Jesus really say to Paul? There was only ONE VISION, but we find contradictions of very serious nature within the following two narration describing the single event. Both these narrations are told by Paul himself and recorded in the "first person". Often I hear from the evangelical Christians, in the defense of these glaring contradictions; there must be an error on the part of the one who wrote down these narrations (probably Apostle Luke). Paul did not write the Book of Acts. If that defense is to be admitted then we have also to admit that Book of Acts is not a hundred percent trustworthy or reliable Book of the Bible. 

Narration No. 1:

              <Acts 22:1ff>. While defending himself before the people of Jerusalem, Paul narrated the first narration in the Hebrew dialect; "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you."  <Verses 6ff> "And it came about that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And I answered, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.' And those who were with me beheld the light, to be sure, but did not understand that voice of the One who was speaking to me. And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus; and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do." 

Note:  In this first narration, Paul tells us that Jesus Christ simply directed him to go to the City of Damascus and there he will receive instructions from some one. Paul does not mention having personally received the "instructions" concerning his ministry and/or his mission  "directly" from Jesus Christ, which is recorded in the Narration No. 2. The Book of Acts later confirms that Paul DID get the instructions in the city of Damascus from one of the disciple of Jesus Christ. 
A narration very similar to the above is also found in Acts 9:5ff.

                Acts 26:12ff.  While defending himself before King Agrippa Paul narrates the incident in first person; "While thus engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way alight from heaven, brighter than the sun, shinning all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads'. And I said, 'Who are Thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the thing which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."

Note:  In this second narration, Paul says; Jesus Christ himself personally gave all the instructions for his future role as a minister. And, Jesus Christ himself personally appointed Paul as his Minister. Paul did not mention in this narration about Jesus telling him to take the instructions from some one else when he goes to the City of Damascus.
Similarly, in the earlier narration Paul did not mention he was given any instruction of his Ministry directly by Christ himself during the Vision.  
This cuts down the defense that Paul was given the "Instructions" directly, as well as told to take more "Instructions", when in Damascus.

IF Jesus had already given the needed guidance to Paul and also made him the Minister then why the story of a disciple of Jesus named Ananias breaking the news of appointment to Paul, three or four days later in the city of Damascus, who already knew it? (see Acts 22:14) 

Defense from the readers:

   The common defense that I have so far heard from the readers is that the first narration is a shorter version of the encounter and the second is a longer version. To this I say; please read carefully the above "Notes" and the "Question" with an open mind and then "honestly" and "truthfully" reflect, if you are indeed a Seeker of The Truth, 
Does NOT the Second Narration contradict and repudiate the First Narration? If it does, then would an appointee of Christ make TWO self contradictory statements and then go against the teachings of Christ?  

Remember Jesus said: 
        "..and the truth shall make you free". Jn 8:32.

       Did Jesus Christ personally speak of the sanctification by faith in Jesus, as narrated in the second narration by "Saint Paul"?

       If your answer is YES: Then the text which reads, "And the Lord said to me, "Arise and go on into Damascus; and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do" should be the UNTRUTH. 

      If your answer is NO: Then the rest of the writings of Paul and Paul's theory of Justification by Faith, should be the UNTRUTH.

    Finally, if you are at a Cross Road; Which path should you take? 
A path shown by a so called "Minister" of Jesus, or a path shown by the "Messiah" of God, if they both differ in the fundamental teachings? Please read Mt. 5:19 and 19:17.

A Recent Christian Criticism on the subject: 
     Under the heading; "Responses to Akbarally Meherally's site", Section A, Part 4, sub-heading "Paul's Authority" and under the URL
         http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Meherally/
         the Christian Critic responds to the above question of Cross Road as under: 

    "Amen! I choose to follow Jesus and His servant Paul."

My Comments to the Critic's reply:

       I have read that the Almighty God, under the Trinitarian Concept, could exist simultaneously as "Three Persons". And, could supposedly take THREE different paths simultaneously living in Three different forms. But, I have not read that a Believer of Trinity could also exist simultaneously as "Two Persons" and could take Two different paths, one going to the Right and the other going to the Left!!!
     I wonder, where would "he" go to sleep, at the end of the day?

On this fundamentally vital subject of the discourse between Jesus and Paul, it is recorded as under, in the Book of Acts:

That the men traveling with Paul, stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one. (9 :7)

That the men traveling with Paul, saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to Paul. (22 : 9)

YOU BE THE JUDGE...

I am repeating the story that I tell my audience:

Say, you went to a Sermon and heard a Minister saying that last month while he was sitting on a bench in a park an elderly man came and set next to him. The elderly gentleman identified himself as a Professor of Theology. The Minister asked the Professor: "How to have an eternal life?" The Professor suggested that he should go to the public library get a particular book by the famous author so and so and read the relevant chapter on the subject. The Minister thereupon borrowed that book from the library and read the suggested chapter. He added; It was an enlightening material on the subject of Eternal Life and he was fortunate to have met that Professor of Theology. 

Say, the next Sunday you went to another Church and happen to hear the same Minister saying the same story and asking the same question to the Professor. But, this time the Professor of Theology opens his brief case, takes out the book by the famous author and the Professor  himself reads the entire chapter on the subject of Eternal Life to the Minister. 

Say, if you raise your hand and ask the Minister; "How many times have you met this Professor of Theology in a park or outside?" And, if the Minister tells you: "My son, I have met this Professor only once." 

Please tell me honestly; Would you hear the rest of his Sermon?
 

Paul's Confession to his Falsehood!!!

Please read below what Paul has questioned to the readers of his Epistle, and then you be the Judge of Paul's Confession to Falsehood.

Paul interrogates:
"But if through my falsehood ("lie" in K.J.V.), God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned ("judged" in K.J.V.), as a sinner?"
                                         Romans 3:7 (N.R.S.V.)