Paul had an experience of the Lord Jesus and saw the Lord, but He didn’t Know the Lord, yet. You can only Know the Lord by the Holy Spirit. Paul had not been baptized in the Holy Spirit yet. But he was about to, Acts 9.
The Lord overcame Saul (soon to be Paul) and manifested Himself to him. Paul was blinded by The Light. He thought he was right but the True Light was manifested to him so that Paul may know that he was truly blind and knew nothing.
Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
V4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?
V5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks……(skipping v6-7 here)
V8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
V9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Acts 9:17-18 And Ananias went his way and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightiest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
V18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
So in the infilling of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s spiritual eyes received the True Eyes (vision) of the Lord, so that He may see clearly and know the Lord and His kingdom. The Way, Truth and Life. Walking by the mind of Christ.
Note 1 Corinthians 2 which confirms this message:
1 Corinthians 2:10-14 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
V11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
V12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
V13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
V14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
As Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, He never knew you to some that manifested the gifts, but didn’t produce after the Spirit in the character and nature of the firstfruits: Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. So take the next step, and ask of the Father to birth forth His Son in You.
John 17:2-3 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. V3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Amen.
