10.32

Potential Discrepancies between the Book of Acts and Paul’s Letters (Box 10.2)

Many scholars claim that Luke’s portrayal of Paul’s life and theology does not agree with what Paul says in his letters. The following points are frequently raised:

• Paul says that he did not go to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles after his encounter with Christ (Gal. 1:15–18); Acts says that he did (Acts 9:10–30).
• Paul says that church leaders in Jerusalem endorsed his law-free mission to the gentiles and “added nothing” to it (Gal. 2:6–10); Acts says that they assigned Paul the task of promulgating a list of legal requirements for gentiles to keep (Acts 15:22–29).
• Paul claims that he lives like a gentile in order to win gentiles (1 Cor. 9:21); Acts presents Paul as utterly loyal to the law, never acting contrary to it (Acts 25:8; 28:17).
• Paul denounces reliance on Greek wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18–31); Acts presents him as friendly to philosophers and as drawing on Greek wisdom traditions to make common ground with them (Acts 17:22–31).
• Paul says that idol-worshipers are without excuse because knowledge of God has always been evident (Rom. 1:18–23); Acts presents Paul as saying that God has overlooked the worship of idols as a consequence of ignorance (Acts 17:29–30).

Of course, the significance of all of these points is disputed, and some scholars offer explanations for the apparent discrepancies.