Objection · Case 02 · Resurrection of Christ
Paul never met Jesus during his lifetime, so he couldn’t have recognized him. Isn’t his appearance worthless as identification?
One objection from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
Response
That is why Paul’s own experience is not the anchor of the list. Peter, the Twelve, and James all knew Jesus intimately, and it is their testimony, received in Jerusalem, that Paul is passing on. Paul’s experience matters for a different reason: it turned an active enemy of the movement into its chief missionary, at real cost to himself. That is a data point about the force of whatever happened to him, not primarily about whether he could pick Jesus out of a crowd.
About this exhibit
This objection is to The named witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:5 to 8).
The summary lists specific people said to have seen Jesus alive: Peter, then the twelve disciples, then more than five hundred people at once, then James, then all the apostles, and last Paul…
Under Claim 02: People who knew Jesus reported seeing him alive after his death.