Resurrection on the Road to Damascus? Exploring Paul’s Purview on His Damascus Experience

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/sacrascripta.2021.11

Keywords:

Grace, transformation, resurrection, God, Abraham, paradigmatic

Abstract

Scholars agree that Paul's Damascus experience was life-changing, but they disagree when it comes to how that is to be defined.
This article delves into the resurrection-aspects present in how Paul describes this event. Romans 4,17 about God "who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist" is given a bearing on Paul's experience. The grace he found in this event is resurrection at work.

References

BARCLAY, John M. G., Paul and the Gift. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015.

–––, “Paul’s Story: Theology as Testimony,” in Narrative Dynamics in Paul: A Critical Assessment. Edited by Bruce W. LONGENECKER; Louisville, KE: Westminster John Knox, 2002, 133–56.

CAMPBELL, Douglas A., The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2009.

–––, Pauline Dogmatics: The Triumph of God’s Love. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2020.

CHESTER, Stephen J., Conversion at Corinth: Perspectives on Conversion in Paul’s Theology and the Corinthian Church. London: T&T Clark, 2003.

DIETZFELBINGER, Christian, Die Berufung des Paulus als Ursprung seiner Theologie. WMANT 58. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener, 1985.

DUNN, James D. G., The Theology of Paul the Apostle. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998.

EASTMAN, Susan, Recovering Paul’s Mother Tongue: Language and Theology in Galatians. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007.

ECKSTEIN, Hans-Joachim, „Die Wirklichkeit der Auferstehung Jesu: Lukas 24,34 als Beispiel früher formelhafter Zeugnisse,“ in Die Wirklichkeit der Auferstehung. Edited by Michael WELKER; Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener 2010, 1–30.

EISENBAUM, Pamela, Paul was not a Christian: The Original Message of a Misunderstood Apostle. New York: HarperCollins, 2009.

FELDMEIER, Reinhard, „Vater und Töpfer? Zur Identität Gottes im Römerbrief,“ in Between Gospel and Election: Explorations in the Interpretation of Romans 9–11. Edited by Florian WILK and J. Ross WAGNER; WUNT 257. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2010, 377–90.

FELDMEIER, Reinhard and SPICKERMANN, Hermann, Der Gott der Lebendigen: Eine biblische Gotteslehre. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2011.

FREDRIKSEN, Paula, Paul: The Pagans’ Apostle. New Haven. Yale University Press 2017.

GAVENTA, Beverly Roberts, “On the Calling-Into Being of Israel,” in Between Gospel and Election: Explorations in the Interpretation of Romans 9–11. Edited by Florian WILK and J. Ross WAGNER; WUNT 257. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2010, 255–69.

HAWTHORNE, Gerald F., Philippians. WBC 43; Waco TEX: Word Books, 1983.

HOFIUS, Otfried, „Die Gottesprädikationen Röm 4,17b,“ in Paulusstudien II. Edited by Otfried HOFIUS; WUNT 143. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2002, 58–61.

KIM, Seyoon, The Origin of Paul’s Gospel, WUNT2.4. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1981.

MITCHELL, Matthew W., “Reexamining the ‘Aborted Apostle’: An Exploration of Paul’s Self-Description in 1 Corinthians 15.8,” JSNT 25 (2003):469–85.

MOXNES, Halvor, Theology in Conflict: Studies in Paul’s Understanding of God in Romans. NovTSup 53. Leiden: Brill, 1980.

SANDNES, Karl Olav, Paul¬–One of the Prophets? A Contribution to the Apostle’s Self-Understanding. WUNT 2.143. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1991.

–––, “Abraham, the Friend of God, in Rom 5: A Short Notice,” ZNW 99 (2008):124–28.

–––, “Prophet-Like Apostle: A Note on the ‘Radical New Perspective’ in Pauline Studies,” Bib 96 (2015): 550–64.

–––, “Justification and Abraham; Exegesis of Romans 4,” in God’s Power for Salvation: Romans 1,1–5,11. Edited by Cilliers BREYTENBACH; Colloquium Oecumenicum Paulinum 23. Leuven: Peeters, 2017, 147–81.

¬–––, Paul Perceived: An Interactionist Perspective on Paul and the Law. WUNT 412. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018.

–––, Var Paulus kristen? Har kirken forstått hans teologi og tro? Follese: Efrem, 2021.

SANDNES, Karl Olav and HENRIKSEN, Jan-Olav, Resurrection: Texts and Interpretation, Experience and Theology. Eugene, OR: Pickwick 2020.

SPRINKLE, Preston M., Law and Life: The Interpretation of Leviticus 18:5 in Early Judaism and in Paul. WUNT 2.241. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008.

STENDAHL, Krister, Paul Among Jews and Gentiles. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1976.

THISELTON, Anthony C., The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans 2000.

WARE, James P., Paul’s Theology in Context: Creation, Incarnation, Covenant & Kingdom. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2019.

ZIMMERMANN, Christiane, Die Namen des Vaters: Studien zu ausgewählten neutestamentlichen Gottesbezeichnungen von ihrem frühjüdischen und paganen Sprachhorizont. Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity 69. Leiden: Brill, 2007.

Downloads

Published

2026-05-12

How to Cite

SANDNES, K. O. (2026). Resurrection on the Road to Damascus? Exploring Paul’s Purview on His Damascus Experience. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Sacra Scripta, 158–174. https://doi.org/10.24193/sacrascripta.2021.11

Issue

Section

Articles