The Portrayal of Paul in Acts and the Pauline Epistles

The Apostle Paul: His Life, Thought, and Letters

Scholars have long noted the differences between Paul as recorded in Acts, and Paul found in his epistles. Stanley Porter identifies five specific differences, which include the lack of references to Paul’s letters in Acts, the absence of a missionary strategy in Paul’s letters, Paul’s convincing rhetoric in Acts contrasted with his inability to convince in his letters, the emphasis of citizenship in Acts as compared to Paul’s letters, and the importance of Paul’s apostolic position in his letters as compared to Acts.^[1] First, regarding the lack of references to epistolary correspondence in the book of Acts, arguments from silence often create weak evidence. As Porter points out, several topics, which are known elsewhere as central to Pauline thought, also do not exist in the book of Acts.^[2] However, it is also possible that Acts does, at times, point to Paul’s letters. For example, Steve Walton identifies several parallels between the Miletus speech in Acts 20:18-21 and 1 Thessalonians. Walton contends that the content of 1 Thessalonians parallels four key themes in the Miletus speech that use A similar vocabulary: (1) leadership, (2) suffering, (3) wealth, and (4) Jesus’s death.^[3] Based on similar thematic initiatives and vocabulary, Walton suggests that it is possible that Luke utilized Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians when writing the Miletus speech.^[4] Thus, the possibility that the book of Acts references Paul’s letters does exist.

A second difference between Paul, as represented in Acts and the Pauline letters, is that Paul does not mention his missionary strategy or, in particular, his visitation of Jewish synagogues in his letters. Again, by definition, each of the differences, in some way, uses an argument from silence. However, plenty of evidence exists to support the idea that, although Paul may have emphasized his ministry to the Gentiles, Paul also ministered to the Jews. For example, Paul emphatically notes that the message of the gospel was first to the Jew and then to the Greek (Rom 1:16). Furthermore, Paul clearly contends that God has not rejected the Jews for even Paul was a Jew who descended from the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 11:1). Paul also makes it clear that God is the God of the Jews (Rom 3:29) so it would not be inconsistent with Paul’s letters that he would have visited and preached in Jewish synagogues.

A third difference exists with regard to Paul’s rhetorical ability. Porter recognizes that Paul in Acts is portrayed as a strong rhetorician while in Paul’s letters the Apostle is less convincing.^[5] Several reasons may exist to explain the difference. However, first and foremost, a leader’s rhetorical abilities do not necessarily correlate to changing listeners’ minds. By definition, leaders are change agents. The speeches and written communication from gifted leaders attempt to change the minds of their listeners and readers. However, the basic human tendency is for individuals to remain status quo. Accordingly, one would expect a great rhetorician to experience significant pushback from his listeners and readers. In fact, some of the greatest leaders and rhetoricians in American history, such as Abraham Lincoln, actually completely failed to change the mind of certain individuals, which ultimately resulted in his murder. In sum, if everyone agrees with the change agent, the leader is not a change agent, and nothing changes. Accordingly, one would expect a friend and observer such as Luke to recognize Paul’s abilities and simultaneously expect resistance from individuals who were entrenched in the status quo as documented in Paul’s letters.

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[1] Stanley E. Porter, The Apostle Paul: His Life, Thought, and Letters (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2016), 40–41.

[2] Ibid., 40.

[3] Steve Walton, Leadership and Lifestyle: The Portrait of Paul in the Miletus Speech and 1 Thessalonians (New York: Cambridge University, 2000), 157, 174.

[4] Ibid., 203.

[5] Porter, The Apostle Paul, 41.

Bibliography

• Porter, Stanley E. The Apostle Paul: His Life, Thought, and Letters. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2016.
• Walton, Steve. Leadership and Lifestyle: The Portrait of Paul in the Miletus Speech and 1 Thessalonians. New York: Cambridge University, 2000.