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Why Paul in the Book of Acts Differs from Paul’s Letters
A Bible and Beyond Discussion
Monday, February 12, 2024
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With guest scholar Dr. Perry Kea and host Dr. Shirley Paulson
Dr. Perry Kea helped us grapple with the differences we see in the authentic letters of Paul and the way Paul is portrayed in the Acts of the Apostles. Kia explained that neither Paul nor the author of Acts was focused on writing history. They both wanted to convey important messages about Paul’s mission, but their goals were different. Understanding these differences gives us greater insights into Paul himself and the way he was remembered in the Christian churches that followed.
Perry emphasized that the author of Acts and the author of Paul’s letters were not competing or representing some kind of right versus wrong. Rather, both authors contributed enormously to the emerging church. Paul’s letters are the first known writings of the Jesus people, and the book of Acts was written at least a generation or two afterward (40 or maybe even 60 years later). By then, the authors’ differences became apparent.
An example Perry cited was the contrast between Paul’s own account of his visit with the group of leaders in Jerusalem and the account in the Book of Acts. The goal of the author of Acts involved his promotion of the idea of a unified church in Jerusalem. Paul’s own account of that event was more contentious, where he disagreed with some of the issues James and Peter had been dealing with.
The differences – some more subtle than others – leave scholars wondering how dependent the author of Acts was on Paul’s letters. The historical differences indicate the author must not have known of Paul’s letters. On the other hand, there are some similarities that are just too congruent to disallow the possibility of the Acts author having known at least some of the earlier writings of Paul
The historical truth would probably have leaned more toward Paul’s own accounts. This would have been especially true of his account of his struggles with the adjustment needed for the welcome of non-Jews into the community. Paul’s concern focused on the issues of Jewish purity in the context of welcoming outsiders; the goal of Acts was to inspire the idea of a unified and successful community of Jesus followers.
Perry also touched on some key issues related to Paul and his mission:
- What was the difference between Paul’s own attitudes toward women in leadership roles and the goal of the Book of Acts?
- Why did he appear to have such an enthusiastic apocalyptic attitude in his own letters, but that theological perspective is hardly noticeable in Acts?
- What kinds of ‘gifts’ did Paul expect to see in his communities of Christ followers, and how did that appear differently in his own writings and Acts?
Texts:
On Women
Romans 16:1-23
1 Corinthians 1:10-13
1 Corinthians 11:2-5
Philippians 4:2-3
Philemon 1-2
On Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12:4-10 and 14:1-5
On Paul’s “conversion”
Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18
Galatians 1:13-17
Travelling throughout Provence with a Bangor Theological Seminary group, I came across what I see today as a possible reason for the noted absence of Mary of Magdala in the authentic letters of Paul, and especially her absence in the book of Acts of the Apostles. The Camargue (delta of the Rhone river) retains multiple traditions that attest to the inclusion of Mary Magdala in a boatload of Christ followers who fled Jerusalem in anticipation of the Roman siege of 66 -70 CE. They came ashore and continued their missionary work in France, establishing a strong presence that included healing. I visited the church which even today keeps alive their works, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. The name commemorates three disciples by the name of Mary. The boatload contained other disciples, named or not in Acts or by Paul, such as Trophime (St.Trophime church in Arles), Martha, Lazarus, Jesus’ mother, and an African named Sara, who centuries later became the patron saint (uncanonized, in both meanings of the term) of the Roma. I was taken by the history, legends (stories coming down from the past which are popularly regarded as historical though not verifiable), and present aura of this church. I added a candle to the glowing array in the open crypt.