Lesson 5 of 8 · Biblical timeline · Paul's Journey
From Damascus to “That I May Know Him”
Revelation can begin suddenly, but knowing Christ is never exhausted in a single experience. Paul's writings reveal a man still reaching for deeper knowledge of the One he had already met.
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection.”9 minute study
The Christian life begins with a true encounter with Jesus and matures through an ever-deepening knowledge of Him.
01
A true beginning on the Damascus road
Paul did not spend his life trying to make the Damascus encounter real. Jesus truly appeared, truly spoke, and truly redirected him. The pursuit that followed rested on grace already given.
Christian growth has the same shape. We do not seek God to persuade Him to become willing to reveal Himself. We seek because He has first drawn near in Christ and awakened us to desire Him.
02
The answer grew richer across Paul's life
Acts shows Paul immediately proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ. His letters then give increasingly rich language to the identity and work of Jesus: crucified and risen Lord, image of the invisible God, head of the Church, wisdom of God, and the One in whom all fullness dwells. Paul did not discover another God; he discovered the incarnate Christ in whom the one God had drawn near.
This does not mean Paul moved from a false Jesus to a true one. It means the true Christ he met was inexhaustible. Faithful revelation grows in depth, coherence, worship, and consequence.
03
Believers still need enlightened eyes
Paul prayed that established believers would receive wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, with the eyes of their understanding enlightened. Conversion was not the end of seeing; it opened a life of sight.
We need more than accumulated lessons. We need the Spirit to make the truth of Scripture luminous—to press what is true about Jesus into the imagination, desires, relationships, and decisions of His people.
04
The mature confession: I am still pursuing
Philippians 3 combines confidence and holy longing. Paul belongs to Christ, yet he has not arrived. He knows Christ, yet cries, “That I may know him.” He has been taken hold of, therefore he presses on.
A lifetime with Jesus should produce neither boredom nor spiritual superiority. It should produce deeper hunger, greater humility, stronger hope, and a growing willingness to share both the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.
Study the Word
Read these passages in context.
Paul's public witness begins immediately with the identity of Jesus.
Paul prays for believers to receive wisdom, revelation, and enlightened understanding in the knowledge of Christ.
Knowing Christ is both Paul's present treasure and his continuing pursuit.
Respond
Questions for reflection
- Has familiarity with Christian language weakened my sense of wonder?
- Where do I need the Spirit to move truth from information into lived reality?
- What practice could make room for a deeper, steadier pursuit of Jesus?
Lord Jesus, preserve in me the wonder of first seeing You and the hunger to know You more. Enlighten the eyes of my heart, deepen truth into love, and keep me pressing toward You for all my days.