Astoundingly, Paul never quotes Jesus’ words as delivered to him which are supernaturally delivered that involve any kind of substantive message to us, i.e., a command, a moral or religious truth, etc., that we should adopt, etc. As we will prove below, the following are all the words that Paul attributes to the Jesus of Paul’s revelation from “Jesus”:

Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8..., I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. ...Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. (Acts 22:7, 8, 10).

Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;...go because to nations far off I will send thee. (Acts 22:17-18, 21, Paul’s “Jesus” telling Paul not to go see the 12 apostles / disciples at Jerusalem).

Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace. For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this city. (Acts 18:9-10, ascribed to be "the Lord [speaking] to Paul in the night by a vision").  

Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome." (Acts 23:11, "following night the Lord stood beside him").

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor. 12:9 ESV, “Jesus” explaining why he will not release Paul from a torment by an “Angel of Satan” who uses a “thorn in the flesh” to keep Paul humble).

That's it. No other unique quote by means of revelation from Paul's Jesus to Paul is ever attributed by Paul to "Jesus." This includes the entire revelation outside Damascus or in a later trance or vision. This is true whether we look at Acts or Paul's Epistles.

By contrast, the role of the true 12 was to be messengers of what Jesus taught them as commandments while He was among them, so as to make disciples of Jesus:

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them... 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20.

But Paul never served that messenger role to teach anything new that Jesus was supposedly only communicating through Paul. Paul never quotes Jesus in a post-Ascension revelation that involves a general message to us rather than an individual message only for Paul. This is true for both Acts and Paul’s Epistles. Paul is simply writing and speaking on his own about abrogation of the law, grace, faith-alone, predestination, etc., never ascribing his principles directly to a quote from Jesus by revelation.

Compounding that problem, Paul in his epistles never quotes Jesus except one or two times from Luke’s Gospel. The only other quote of the “Lord” (apparently the Damascus Jesus) in Paul’s epistles is a very odd refusal by Jesus to release Paul from an affliction by an “Angel of Satan.” (2 Cor. 12:7, "angelos Satana") The latter involves no valuable message to Christians. In fact, the consensus is that it is very problematic. This response of “Jesus” to Paul should not be a guide regarding what Jesus would do for us if we made a similar prayer to the true Jesus.

Thus, Paul did not serve as a messenger of Jesus that was at all analogous to what the 12 apostles were commissioned to do. Then realize the word apostle is from the Greek word apostolos. In Greek, it simply means messenger. Hence, while Paul claimed to be an “apostle” of Jesus Christ, Paul never actually served that role. Paul was his own messenger of what Paul referred to multiple times as “my gospel.” (Romans 2:16; 16:25; II Timothy 2:8; Gal.1:8-9.)

Paul quotes words of Jesus speaking once -- words that appear in Luke’s gospel. Other than this, there are no other quotes of Jesus in Paul’s 13 epistles other than a strange decision by the "Lord" (presumably Jesus)  not to release Paul from an "Angel of Satan"  afflicting Paul.

But some cite Paul in 1 Timothy 5:18 as quoting Jesus. But Paul is alluding to a familiar passage in Leviticus about “the worker deserves his wages.” Paul does not say he is quoting Jesus. Now these same words are in Jesus' mouth in  Luke 10:7. However, Paul does not ascribe this to Jesus. It could be that Paul is simply paraphrasing the Law in Leviticus which Jesus was likewise paraphrasing. So this does not count as a quote by Paul of Jesus. It is just Paul coincidentally using words that summarize a provision of Leviticus which Jesus likewise similarly summarized. 

This leaves us only one time that Paul quotes Jesus speaking, and it comes form the Lord’s Last Supper in Luke 22:19 et seq.

Paul is clearly not claiming to have received these words by special revelation from Jesus.

Paul Claims Unspeakable Revelations from the Lord Who Then Refuses To Give Release From Satan’s Angel

Paul speaks about a ‘man’ who had revelations that were ‘unspeakable.’ Then Paul clarifies he is speaking about himself. He said that his pride could get the better of himself due to the exceeding unspeakable revelations. For this reason, Satan torments him with a stinger to keep Paul humble. Paul then explains he asked the “Lord” for release multiple times from this “angel of Satan” but the Lord refused, finally saying “my grace is sufficient for you.” Hence, this becomes the only example in Paul’s epistles where Paul is likely quoting the Damascus Jesus. Here is the entire passage to consider — 2 Corinthians 12:1-9:

12 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger [i.e., in Greek “Angelos”] of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Cor. 12:1-9 ESV).

The bolded portion again represents the only words from this “Lord,” presumably the Damascus Jesus. This “man” caught up in the heavens is evidently Paul. Paul does not come out and say this directly, apparently to be ‘humble’ about the superior revelation he had received. It is obviously Paul because Paul speaks about his own revelations after speaking of this man’s “revelations.” Paul then speaks about the purpose of an Angel of Satan to “torment” Paul to keep Paul humble. It is a physical “thorn in the flesh” that Satan’s Angel uses to torment Paul. Regardless, whatever were these revelations from the ‘Lord,’ Paul says they are “unspeakable.” This helps explain why Paul never quotes the Lord Jesus in Paul’s epistles to support any of Paul’s doctrines.

One thing for sure: the message and action of this “Jesus” cannot be a guide to the church at large. For Jesus never leaves demons in control of a believer if Jesus is asked to cast out a demon. If Paul needed to control humility, Jesus would not use an Angel of Satan on that errand of virtue. And why would an Angel of Satan join in such an effort to keep Paul humble? This is a most strange passage.

As Dickason says, rather than this verse being inspiration for any of us, instead it can be read so Paul’s “apostolic mission [is cast] under suspicion.” (C. Fred Dickason, Demon Possession and the Christian (Crossway, 1989) at 120.)

It is such a notorious verse that could never apply to true Christians, other Christian scholars lament that “12:7 is notoriously difficult, prompting Barrett to write ‘it can hardly be in the form Paul intended it....’” (David L. Barr, The Reality of the Apocalypse (Society of Biblical Lit, 2006) at 105.)

Thus, the only time Paul quotes Jesus in his epistles that is not from a gospel record, it is a verse that certainly is not a message for the church at large. It is for Paul alone. Christians have a right to expect Jesus would give them freedom from demonic influences. Paul’s situation appears to defy any explanation if Paul met the true Jesus outside Damascus.1

Why Paul Only Once or Twice Quotes Jesus From the Gospels in His Epistles

Paul boasts that he learned “nothing” from the apostles when he first visited them three years after his experience outside Damascus with “Jesus.” (Gal. 1:16-21; 2:6-9.) We will demonstrate this below. This will prove why Paul did not quote from the gospels about Jesus more than twice: Paul did not spend time with the apostles so as to learn Jesus’ Gospel.

As mentioned before, Paul in his Epistles has only one certain, and one possible quote of Jesus in his Epistles taken from the Gospels. Luke’s Gospel to be precise. Other than that, Paul quotes the “Lord” in an apparent reference to Jesus when Paul is refused to be released from a Satanic influence causing Paul physical stress.

To understand why Paul does not know much about the Gospel of Jesus, we need to next read from Galatians and later from Acts 9:26-30. This will help explain why Paul never quotes Jesus’ Gospel except once for sure, and maybe twice.

We just quoted above that in Galatians 1:17-19, Paul said after his Damascus Wilderness experience he did not go to Jerusalem to see the apostles for three years. Let’s read it again with a few more verses at the end:

I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas [i.e., Apostle Peter] and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.(Gal. 1:16-21 ESV.)

Then let’s read Paul’s further explanation of whether he needed the 12 apostles’ approval. Referring to this same visit in year three after Damascus, Paul explains in Galatians 2 as follows:

But from those who were reputed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth not man’s person) — they, I say, who were of repute imparted nothing to me:...and when they perceived the grace that was given unto me, James and Cephas [i.e., Peter] and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship....(Galatians 2:6,9 ASV.)

So on this third-year journey, Paul only visited with Peter over the course of 15 days. The only other “apostle” Paul met was James, the Lord’s brother. However, James was not one of the 12 apostles. He was simply Jesus’ brother. The 12 made James bishop of Jerusalem. Thus, Paul did not stay long enough to familiarize himself with the true 12 apostles to know who was who. Paul also did not know John was an apostle, as Paul says he met John in Galatians 2:6, but in Galatians 1:17-19 Paul believes the only apostles he met were Peter and James, not realizing John too was an apostle.

Next, let’s go to Acts 9 which likewise is apparently about this visit at the three year mark spoken about in Galatians chapter one. In Acts 9, Barnabas takes Paul to Jerusalem to meet the apostles. If one reads carefully, Luke does not say the apostles received Paul in a truly fully engaged manner when Barnabas made the effort to present Paul to them. This is the only way Acts 9:26-30 reconciles with Paul saying the apostles “imparted nothing to me” in his first encounter with them. Indeed, as Luke records it, the interaction was one-sided, and fits Galatians chapter one. Luke records a presentation by Barnabas alone, and silence by Paul. Then the response by the Apostles is never stated by Luke. So we read in Acts 9:26-30 as follows:

26 And when he [i.e., Paul] had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him.30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. (Acts 9:26-30 ESV.)

Miscellaneous Passages in Paul Also Do Not Quote Jesus

None of Paul’s epistles expressly claim Jesus spoke to Paul a message contained therein other than the highly problematic refusal by the “Lord” (Jesus?) to release Paul from a demonic influence in 2 Corinthians 12:7.

A few other times Paul in his epistles says the “Lord” or “God” commands or influences something. However, these appear to be Paul saying these were message from the Lord Yahweh—the Father or His Holy Spirit. These references may even be Paul simply alluding to the Law of the Elders, not the Law given Moses. None of these conceivably imply Jesus prophetically spoke to Paul the content of the statement.

These passages are: 1 Cor. 7:25, 40; 1 Cor. 14:37; 1 Thess. 4:1-2,8; and 1 Thess. 2:13. Let’s review them one by one.