BEMA Episode Link: 142: Calling of a Prophet
Episode Length: 21:54
Published Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 01:00:00 -0700
Session 4
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings circle back to a question from a few episodes ago: Did Paul experience a conversion, a repentance, or something else entirely?

Discussion Video for BEMA 142

BEMA 138: Unclean Sheets

Transcript for BEMA 142

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 142: Calling of a Prophet - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode Title: BEMA 142: Calling of a Prophet
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings
Release Date: November 2023

This episode revisits and resolves the question from Episode 138 about whether Paul’s Damascus road experience should be understood as a “conversion” or something entirely different. Through careful textual analysis and comparison with Old Testament prophetic callings, Marty argues that Paul understood his experience not as a conversion but as a prophetic calling similar to Jonah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah.

Key Takeaways

• Paul’s Damascus road experience was not a conversion from one religion to another, but rather a correction of his understanding about God and his faith • Paul deliberately embellished details in his Acts 26 testimony to King Agrippa for theological purposes, not due to faulty memory • The added details (goads, brilliant light, “stand on your feet”) intentionally echo Old Testament prophetic calling narratives • Paul saw himself as continuing in the tradition of Hebrew prophets called to bring light to the Gentiles and confront God’s people • Paul’s three days of blindness with scales falling from his eyes parallels Jonah’s three days in the fish (also covered in scales) • Paul’s use of “set apart from my mother’s womb” language directly echoes Jeremiah’s prophetic calling • The apostolic practice of embedding Scripture within their own words was believed to carry divine power beyond human logic

Main Concepts & Theories

The Nature of Paul’s Experience

Paul’s Damascus road encounter represents a prophetic calling rather than a religious conversion. Unlike modern Western interpretations that frame this as changing religions, Paul remained Jewish while receiving a corrected understanding of God’s work through Jesus. This distinction is crucial for avoiding replacement theology and maintaining continuity between Judaism and early Christianity.

Jewish Hermeneutical Principles (Remez)

The concept of remez involves finding deeper meanings hidden within the text through subtle hints and allusions. Paul’s testimony changes aren’t errors or embellishments but intentional theological signals to those familiar with Hebrew Scripture. This represents sophisticated Jewish interpretive methodology.

Prophetic Calling Patterns

Several consistent elements appear across Old Testament prophetic callings:

• Divine appearance with brilliant light/fire (seen in Ezekiel’s vision)
• Command to “stand on your feet” (Ezekiel 2:1)
• Mission to rebellious/stubborn people (Ezekiel, Jeremiah)
• Promise of divine protection during difficult ministry (Jeremiah 1:8)
• Calling from the womb (Jeremiah 1:5)
• Mission to the Gentiles/nations (Isaiah 49:6)

The Power of Contextual Scripture

The apostles believed that embedding God’s words within their own speech carried supernatural power beyond human reasoning. Even when audiences might not consciously recognize the biblical allusions, the divine words themselves were thought to accomplish God’s purposes.

Examples & Applications

Jonah Parallels

• Jonah: Kicked against the goads, spent 3 days in darkness inside a fish covered in scales
• Paul: References kicking against goads, spent 3 days blind with scales falling from his eyes

Ezekiel’s Calling (Ezekiel 1-2)

• Ezekiel: Brilliant light “like fire,” fell face down, commanded to “stand on your feet,” sent to rebellious Israel
• Paul’s Account: Light “brighter than the sun,” fell to ground, told to “stand on your feet,” sent to stubborn Jewish people

Jeremiah’s Calling (Jeremiah 1)

• Jeremiah: “Set apart from the womb,” appointed as “prophet to the nations,” promised divine rescue
• Paul’s Language: “Set apart from my mother’s womb,” called to preach among Gentiles

Isaiah’s Mission (Isaiah 49)

• Isaiah: Called to be “light for the Gentiles” and restore Israel
• Paul’s Ministry: Brought light to Gentiles while confronting his Jewish kinsmen

Modern Application

This hermeneutical approach suggests that apparent discrepancies in biblical accounts may actually be intentional theological communication rather than historical errors. It encourages readers to look for deeper scriptural connections and patterns rather than surface-level contradictions.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

• Session 4 Studies: How other apostles employed similar scriptural embedding techniques in their writings and speeches • Replacement Theology: How misunderstanding Paul’s experience as conversion rather than calling contributes to problematic theological frameworks • Jewish Hermeneutics: Deeper study of remez and other Jewish interpretive methods used in New Testament writings • Prophetic Literature: Comparative analysis of calling narratives across all Hebrew prophets • Turkey Study Tour: Immersive study of these concepts in their geographical and cultural context • Acts Textual Analysis: Examination of how Luke presents versus how Paul recounts his own experience • Galatians Context: How Paul’s prophetic self-understanding shapes his arguments in his letters • King Agrippa’s Background: Whether Agrippa would have caught these Old Testament allusions and what that means for Paul’s strategy

Comprehension Questions

1. Analysis: What specific details does Paul add to his Acts 26 testimony that weren’t present in the original Acts 9 account, and how do these additions connect to Old Testament prophetic callings?

2. Comparison: How do the calling experiences of Jonah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah parallel Paul’s Damascus road experience, and what does this suggest about how Paul understood his own calling?

3. Interpretation: What is the significance of the phrase “kicking against the goads” in relation to Jonah’s story, and how does this help explain Paul’s three days of blindness?

4. Application: How does understanding Paul’s experience as a prophetic calling rather than a religious conversion affect our interpretation of early Christianity’s relationship to Judaism?

5. Synthesis: What does the concept of remez teach us about how New Testament authors used Hebrew Scripture, and why might they embed scriptural language even when their audience might not recognize it?

Brief Personalized Summary

Episode 142 fundamentally challenges the traditional “conversion” narrative of Paul’s Damascus road experience. Rather than changing religions, Paul received a prophetic calling that corrected his understanding while maintaining his Jewish identity. His testimony variations aren’t historical inconsistencies but sophisticated theological communication using Jewish hermeneutical principles.

The episode demonstrates how Paul deliberately wove Old Testament prophetic calling narratives into his own story—particularly drawing from Jonah (kicking against goads, three days in darkness with scales), Ezekiel (brilliant light, “stand on your feet,” mission to rebellious people), Jeremiah (set apart from the womb), and Isaiah (light to the Gentiles). This pattern reveals Paul’s self-understanding as continuing the Hebrew prophetic tradition rather than founding something entirely new.

This perspective has profound implications for understanding early Christianity’s continuity with Judaism and avoiding replacement theology. It also introduces the concept that apostolic writers believed embedding scriptural language carried divine power beyond human words, even when audiences didn’t consciously recognize the allusions. The episode sets up broader themes about apostolic biblical interpretation methods that will be explored further in Session 4.

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