The Historical Credibility of the Speeches in Acts

The Acts of the Apostles: Interpretation, History and Theology

In order to assess the historical accuracy of the speeches contained in the book of Acts, it is necessary to compare Luke’s speeches with the standards of ancient speech writing rather than attempting to force Luke’s reporting into the mold of a twenty-first-century perspective. It is difficult to begin any discussion around how ancient historians may have reported speeches without engaging the famous methodological statement provided by Thucydides in The Peloponnesian War (1.22.1). The difficulty occurs because, as Osvaldo Padilla explains, some scholars interpret Thucydides’s statement as playing loose with the facts to further an agenda when reporting speeches, while others assert that Thucydides was committed to historical accuracy even if he embedded ornamental language into his communication.^[1] Assessing the methodological statement by Thucydides is further complicated by certain difficulties in the Greek text as noted by Stanley Porter.^[2] Furthermore, Nathan Erickson highlights the need to engage reception history when studying Thucydides’ statement. Specifically, Erickson investigates how Thucydides was received by future historians such as Dionysius of Halicarnassus, the anonymous Oxyrhynchus commentator, and Flavius Josephus, and then he suggests that, although it is difficult to conclude that Luke would not have been influenced by Thucydides, a simplistic appeal to his methodological statement must be avoided.^[3]

Other ancient thinkers and historians also figure prominently in the conversation. For example, according to Padilla, Polybius of Megalopolis asserts that the historian ought to preserve a transcript or summary of recorded speeches accurately.^[4] The second-century essayist, Lucian of Samosota, emphasizes that speech writing must suit the person or the subject of the speech, which, in line with Dionysius, highlights the criterion of “fit.”^[5] When applying the idea of fitness to the speeches in Acts, the challenge that arises is whether ancient authors placed truth in a primary or secondary position to fitness. According to Padilla, certain ancient authors seemed to emphasize fitness, while other authors seemed to first and foremost emphasize the truthfulness of the speech.^[6]

Regarding the specific speeches in the book of Acts as recorded by Luke, my impression is that the speeches are historically accurate summaries of the speakers’ major points. Although fabricated speeches during ancient times were not out of the question, the accurate recording of events and speeches by ancient authors also existed, which leaves open the possibility that Luke fairly represented his recorded speeches. Padilla also highlights two aspects of Luke’s writing style that provide evidence supporting the truthfulness of Luke’s speech writing: the brevity of the speeches and the lack of pairing.^[7] The brevity of Luke’s speeches most likely points to a concern for an accurate representation without undue embellishment. Further, the common Greco-Roman practice of pairing opposing speeches for rhetorical purposes is lacking in the book of Acts, which also points to a concern for accuracy as Luke avoids fabricating an antagonist. In sum, evidence from ancient authors combined with the conservative nature of Luke’s writing suggests that the speeches in the book of Acts fairly and accurately represented summaries of the speakers’ major points.

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[1] Osvaldo Padilla, The Acts of the Apostles: Interpretation, History and Theology (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2016), 125–27.

[2] See Stanley E Porter, “Thucydides 1.22.1 and Speeches in Acts: Is There a Thucydidean View?,” Novum Testamentum 32, no. 2 (1990): 128–41. Porter identifies seven Greek terms and phrases in the Thucydides’ methodological statement that provide difficulties with regard to translation and meaning.

[3] Nathaniel J Erickson, “Thucydides and the Speeches in Acts: The Importance of the Reception History of Thucydides,” Conversations with the Biblical World 40 (2020): 29–43.

[4] Padilla, The Acts of the Apostles, 129.

[5] Ibid., 132–33.

[6] Ibid., 136–37.

[7] Ibid., 140–46.

Bibliography

• Erickson, Nathaniel J. “Thucydides and the Speeches in Acts: The Importance of the Reception History of Thucydides.” Conversations with the Biblical World 40 (2020): 20–43.
• Padilla, Osvaldo. The Acts of the Apostles: Interpretation, History and Theology. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2016.
• Porter, Stanley E. “Thucydides 1.22.1 and Speeches in Acts: Is There a Thucydidean View?” Novum Testamentum 32, no. 2 (1990): 121–42.