Technically it’s called a “Christophany,” I think. The word literally means “an appearance of Christ!”
And the Apostle Paul has had so many of these, has experienced them so often, that he quantifies their number like this: “an abundance of revelations!” (2 Corinthians 12:7, maybe even innumerable!)
I am supposing that when Paul wrote Romans, for example, he received such a “Revelation” to do so! Two more “Revelations” (maybe 3) when he wrote the Epistles to the Corinthians! His life is filled, punctuated with such “Christophanies!” I’d even go so far as to say that Paul’s very salvation experience consisted of one of them, a “Christophany!” (Acts 9:5 … “And Paul said, WHO ARE THOU, Lord? And the Lord said, I AM JESUS whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”)
And yet again in today’s Lesson Paul is given a “Christophany!” (Acts 22) He has recently been arrested (once) and nearly killed (twice and counting) when on a trip (his final one) to Jerusalem.
Paul is pretty discouraged, looks like.
After all, he just caused a riot! And would have been killed, except for a Roman garrison nearby! Luke continues the story: “And when there arose a great dissension (among the Sanhedrin), the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.” Acts 23:10
Paul, now all alone … judging by the pronouns here used … needs a word of exhortation! Watch what occurs: “And the night following the LORD (JESUS) stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” Acts 23:11
Yes … Jesus came down! Appeared, as in “Christophany!”
No mention here of a “vision.”
Or “dream.”
Or that Paul was “hallucinating!”
“The Lord stood by him!”
And encouraged him, “Be of good cheer!” That’s really the positive side of “Fear not!”
Then, as if helping Paul get back on the right track … “You are yet going to yet testify of me in Rome!”
In other words: Paul, they are not going to kill you here. No matter how they “plot!” You will preach God’s Word in that far away Capital of the World! (Acts 1:8 … “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the UTTERMOST PART of the earth.” That last phrase, “Rome” for sure! The end of the map! “All roads led to Rome!”)
And, surely, Paul took courage!
He’s ready to live another day!
Jesus was trained of His Father to do this: “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” Isaiah 40:4, “a word to the weary!”
Here is Jesus as “Comforter!”
And here I just end today’s thoughts … yet I must testify that the Lord Jesus has “comforted” me many a time as well. I’ve never seen Him literally (not yet) or heard Him audibly (not yet) … but He sure has “stood by me” (via His Holy Spirit) and “spoken to me” (via His Word) again and again!
Oh yes, Jesus did promise: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5, a Promise He has kept!
And in the “Great Commission,” too … “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20
Amen!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
Jesus “stood up” as Stephen was dying! Jesus “came down” as Paul was languishing!
What a Saviour!
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