“Once was I stoned”, Paul wrote inthat over-powering catalogue of experiences endured for Christ’s sake (2. Cor. 11). This happened at Lystra in the course of his first missionary journey. He does not say : “Once I rose from the dead”, because the catalogue is one of sufferings, but one wonders whether he might not have so written, had he wished.
The details are impressive : “And there came thither (to Lystra) certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city : and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe” (Acts 14. 19,20).
It is well that the reader should allow the force of this simple narrative to make its full impact on his mind. Paul is stoned—a ghastly business always—and apparently is so badly damaged that his enemies are satisfied that he is dead. The “corpse” is then dragged what must have been at least a hundred or two hundred yards, and dumped unceremoniously outside the city gates in a space before the local temple of Zeus (verse 13), thus to demonstrate to all who come and go what is the wretched fate in store for any who dares to call in question the existance and power of the Greek pantheon. The disciples came by and by (for surely they do not dare to invite a similar fate by acting immediately) to collect the body with reverent care. To their uncontrollable astonishment and gladness, Paul rises to his feet and is actually able to walk with them back into the city. More than this, far from needing a period of rest and recuperation from the effects of many wounds, he is up early to do a journey of some 35 miles, which, whether it were accomplished on foot or horseback, would be no small physical strain, even to a fit man.
That this recovery of Paul’s was miraculous is something that can be stated categorically. Men would not normally recover from stoning with this phenomenal speed, nor would they for many a day after that be inclined to face a taxing journey. Certainly, to all outward appearance, it was an actual resurrection ; but whether Paul really did rise from the dead or not is immaterial. It is not worth-while to argue about differences in degree where the miraculous is concerned.
The pattern of events associated with this restoration of Paul has an interest all its own. The sequence can be tabulated thus
1—Paul the worker of miracles (v. 8-19),
2—is applauded by the crowd (v. 11), and
3—accorded divine honours (v. 12).
4—Then the crowd turns against him (v.19). and
5—urged on by Jewish zealots for the Law,
6—they condemn him to death
7—for blasphemy (v. 15).
8—He is left “dead” outside the city (v. 19) , but
9—is restored to life (v. 20), and
10—re-enters the city.
11—Then he goes away to a distant place, but
12—by and by returns (v. 21)
13—to confirm the souls of the disciples (v. 22).
The remarkable parallel with the experience of his Lord can hardly be missed. These things that happened to Paul recapitulate with an obviousness which must have been perceived even at that time as recalling the things that happened to Paul recapitulate when later Paul writes to these South Galatian churches, he remonstrates thus : “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you”. (Gal. 3. 1) Is he not reminding them here that Jesus Christ had been “evidently set forth crucified among them”, not only in his preaching, as it certainly would be, but also in his experience, known to them all. The translators are unanimous that the language here is very emphatic, e.g. Wade : “before whose eyes ‘Jesus Christ crucified’ has been vividly depicted” ; Moffat, “you who had Jesus Christ the crucified placarded before your very eyes”. (It is a pity that so many modern versions omit without sound textual authority the important words “among you”, which—one the allusion is understood—are actually necessary as a supplement to the phrase “before whose eyes”.)
This “resurrection” of Paul is one of the incidental harmonies which meet the diligent and reverent student of the Word not only from time to time, but even frequently. In a very realistic sense Paul knew both the fellowship of his Lord’s sufferings and also the power of his resurrection.
Finally, let it be observed that only by divine manipulation could history thus repeat itself ; and only in a divinely-inspired Book could such things be used as the warp and woof of its fabric. To the present writer—and peradventure to his fellows also —these features are a valuable and greatly esteemed aid to faith.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One