Not only James, but Jesus’ other brothers became believers as well. Paul mentions them in 1 Corinthians 9:5: “Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” (RSV). Here Jesus’ brothers are ranked with the apostles as ministers in the early Christian movement. The ancient historian Eusebius records the church tradition that the brothers of Jesus carried out missionary work in Galilee and Syria.4 Thus, Jesus’ other brothers also experienced a remarkable change in their lives.
How is that to be explained? It is historically well-founded that James and his brothers were not believers in Jesus during His lifetime. Not only do we have independent sources attesting to that fact, which is quite plausible in itself, but more important, it is highly improbable that, had Jesus’ brothers been loyal believers in Him all along, the early Christian fellowship in which they served would have invented such vicious and wholly fictional stories about them in the gospels. But if it is certain that Jesus’ brothers were unbelievers during His lifetime, it is equally certain that they became fervent believers after His death. How can that be? Though their brother’s crucifixion might pierce their hearts, it certainly could not have caused them to worship Him as Messiah and Lord, as the early Christians did. When I think about this, I sometimes shake my head in amazement. Many of us have brothers. What would it take for you to die for the belief that your brother is the Lord, as James did? Even Hans Grass exclaims that one of the surest proofs of Jesus’ resurrection is that His own brothers came to believe in Him.5 This remarkable transformation cannot be explained, except by the fact that, as Paul says, “then he appeared to James.”
e) The appearance to all the apostles. Finally, Paul reports, He appeared to all the apostles. It is not clear exactly what group Paul refers to here. It probably does not mean the twelve disciples, for that would be a duplication of the earlier appearance to the Twelve. According to both Luke and John, to be an apostle one must have been with Jesus from the beginning of His earthly ministry (Acts 1:21-22; John 15:27). The apostles were thus a limited group, somewhat broader than the Twelve. In time, the concept of who could be an apostle broadened to include nearly all those sent out to preach the gospel. But the appearance was probably to the limited group. Since this is the last appearance listed by Paul, it could be the same as Jesus’ final appearance in Jerusalem (Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:2, 6-11). Be this as it may, this appearance is also guaranteed historically by Paul’s personal contact with the apostles.
f) The appearance to Paul. Having listed witnesses to the appearances of Jesus, Paul then adds his own name to the list as the last of all. The story of Jesus’ appearance to Paul is related three times in the book of Acts (Acts 9:1-19; 22:3-16; 26:9-23). Here is the version as Luke first tells it:
Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And it came about that as he journeyed, he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who art Thou, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.” And the men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. And Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. [Acts 9:1-9]
That is really quite a remarkable story. Paul—or Saul, as he was called in his pre-Christian days—was one of the Jewish authorities and the chief persecutor of the Christian movement. As an extremely devout rabbi, he hated the Christian heresy and the schism it threatened to bring to Judaism. He was doing all he could to stamp it out, and, according to Luke, he even persecuted to death men and women who believed in Jesus (Acts 22:4). Then came the amazing incident on the way to Damascus.
That the event really occurred is established beyond doubt by references to it in Paul’s own letters. He tells us that he was a Pharisee, extremely zealous for Judaism and perfectly obedient to the law of Moses (Galatians 1:14; Philippians 3:5-6). As a result of this earnestness, he was involved in persecuting the Christian movement, and he carried out his task with a terrible vengeance (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Philippians 3:6). As he was near or in Damascus (Galatians 1:17), Christ appeared to him (1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8; Galatians 1:15-16) and commissioned him to preach the gospel (Galatians 1:16; Colossians 1:25). After that event, which Paul considered his conversion (1 Corinthians 15:8; Philippians 3:7), he remained in Damascus three years before setting out as a gospel preacher in foreign lands (Galatians 1:17-21). The story in Acts mainly adds details.
Jesus’ appearance to Paul changed the course of his entire life. He began to travel around the Roman Empire preaching the gospel. He gave up the prestige and comfort of being a respected rabbi and took on the life of an itinerant preacher, a life full of toil, sacrifice, pressure, and unimaginable suffering. From references in Paul’s letters, we know that he was whipped five different times by the Jews, thirty-nine lashes each time (a triple-thonged whip was used to deliver twenty-six lashes to the back and thirteen to the chest). The Romans whipped him on three occasions. Once he was stoned (according to Luke he was left for dead; Acts 14:19). He was in constant danger during his travels. Three times he was shipwrecked, and once he was afloat in the water for twenty-four hours. Robbers were always a threat, as were both Jewish and pagan adversaries, who sought to kill him. He experienced great hardship, often going without sleep and sometimes without food. He was sometimes poorly dressed and had no place to stay. And of course, every day was passed under the mental pressure of Paul’s intense care for the churches he founded, that they would stay true to the faith and not be led astray by false teachers and heretics. Eventually he made the ultimate sacrifice and was executed for his faith in Rome.
Without a doubt, Paul, whose letters make up much of what we call the New Testament, was one of the most remarkable men who ever lived. And it all began because outside Damascus in A.D. 33 he had an experience that absolutely shattered his former life and outlook and turned him to an unquenchable faith in Jesus. His conversion is just as remarkable as the conversion of James. And Paul tells us the reason for that change: he had seen Jesus the Lord.
All the above goes to prove that the early believers did have experiences that they called appearances of Jesus. We may try to dismiss those experiences as hallucinations if we choose, but we cannot deny that they occurred. I think we sometimes fail to appreciate exactly what we have in terms of historical evidence in Paul’s letters. For think of it: here is an indisputably authentic letter from a man who knew personally Jesus’ own younger brother and chief disciple as well as many other early disciples, all of whom, he says, saw Jesus alive from the dead. Why, that is astounding! We may try to explain away those experiences, but it would be futile to say they never happened.6 Paul’s list of witnesses makes it certain that on separate occasions different individuals and groups saw appearances of Jesus. This fact is virtually indisputable.