Does Acts Portray Paul the Way Paul Portrays Paul?

Episode Outline:
00:00 – Introducing Paul in Acts versus Paul in his letters
01:25 – Why the different portrayals of Paul matter
02:56 – Paul’s major role in the Book of Acts
03:46 – Did the author of Acts know Paul’s letters?
05:23 – What sources might Acts have used for Paul?
08:38 – How Acts portrays Paul and the Jewish law
10:36 – Paul’s theology in Acts versus his letters
17:50 – Differences between Acts and Paul’s own account of his conversion
22:10 – Why Acts emphasizes unity among the apostles
29:09 – Is the Paul of Acts history or literary creation?

Episode Description
The Apostle Paul is a central figure in early Christianity, and features strongly in the New Testament in his own letters, and as a character in the Acts of the Apostles. But is the Paul of Acts the same man as the Paul of the Epistles? Does the writer of Acts change Paul's character and teachings, and why?

Also watch these episodes:

Historical Paul: What Scholars Actually Know About Paul's Life, Beliefs, and Personality
Historical Paul: What Scholars Actually Know About Paul's Life, Beliefs, and Personality

Paul and Jesus at Odds
Paul and Jesus at Odds

Megan asks Bart:

- Why do you think it’s important to talk about the differing natures of Paul?

- What role does Paul play in Acts?

- Would the writer of Acts have had access to the Epistles?

- Do we know what other information the author of Acts had about Paul and his life?

- Why would the author include different, contradictory accounts of the same same event in a single work?

- What are some of the main theological points that Paul makes in Acts, or how is he characterized?

- Do we see theological disparities in Acts?

- How about events? Are there differences in what Paul says or does in Acts and the Epistles?

- Why do scholars think these differences occur? Do they have a substantial impact on the message of Acts?

- Is the Paul depicted in Acts rooted in the historical figure, or is he more of a reflection of the author’s agenda?

- Is it fair to say that the Paul of Acts and the Paul of the Epistles are different men?