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The Acts of the Apostles is universally seen as a history of the Church in the years immediately following the resurrection of Jesus, with its focus on the lives and works of St Peter and St Paul. We have Paul's own epistles as an alternative source of information about Paul, but there are major differences that scholars have long sought to explain.

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According to the epistles, Paul did not spend time in any existing Christian community for the purpose of instruction, nor did he have a mentor who travelled with him in order to instruct him in the faith. In fact, Galatians 2:9 suggests that the Jerusalem leaders and Paul were unknown to each other until nearly twenty years after Paul's conversion. Moreover, Paul claimed to have gone to Jerusalem to communicate to the brethren that gospel which he taught among the Gentiles.

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Acts made Paul a lesser character in the history of the early church, one who did not act on his own initiative but sought the authority of Peter and James on important matters. Paul's miraculous conversion left him temporarily blind and helpless, dependent on the goodwill of the church brethren, who then had the opportunity to instruct him in the faith.

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In the Epistles, Paul seems a particularly modest man, who admitted to having no great power of oratory. He shows no great interest in converting Jews. The Paul of Acts seems to have been a rather headstrong and foolhardy missionary, absolutely determined to convert Jews. In chapter 9, he continued to preach in the synagogues of Damascus until the Jews took counsel to kill him. Again, in chapter 17, Paul "as was his way" preached in the synagogues of Thessalonica until the brethren had to send him away for his own safety.

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In the epistles, there is no mention of Paul performing or experiencing miracles, and Paul presented himself as a man unlikely to have experienced miracles, other than the revelations from God. However, after an interval of several decades, the author of Acts attributed miracles to Paul.

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In the Epistles, Paul seems a quite saintly man. A theme of Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians and Romans seems to be Paul's willingness to expend political capital for the collection for the poor of Jerusalem. Acts gives Paul no real credit in the collection and shows him as willing to use the power of miracles in malicious ways (Acts 13:11, where he blinded Elymas [Bar-jesus] the sorcerer).

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According to Paul's own account, Paul was well disposed towards the Gentiles and demanded that they be treated with respect. He took it upon himself to preach to the Gentiles and even rebuked Peter in Antioch for refusing to eat with them (Galatians 2:11ff). Compare this to Acts chapters 10 and 11, which show Paul as merely someone who followed instructions on this matter. Here, Peter experienced a miraculous vision and was visited by the Holy Ghost, giving him a sign to bring Gentiles into the Church. In Acts, Peter defended his own decision to eat with the Gentiles and asserted that the Church must preach to the Gentiles.

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The most famous story about St Paul is of his conversion on the road to Damascus, when he was blinded by a light and heard a heavenly voice. This is an account that comes only from Acts, with no hint of it in Paul's own writings. Acts has three mutually incompatible versions, that theologians and scholars have struggled to reconcile. In the first two cases, Paul went immediately to Damascus and, since he was blinded by the light, the disciple Ananius miraculously cured him and gave him baptism. In the third case, presented as Paul's own account of the event, Paul is arguably shown as a dissembler, unwilling to talk of his disability or the debt he owed to other Christians.

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When did Paul write some of his letters?

Based on events portrayed in Acts of the Apostles, Paul's epistles are traditionally thought to have been written between 48 and 62 CE. However, the text of Paul's own epistles suggests that some of his epistles might have been written somewhat earlier - between 44 and 48 CE.


Where in the Bible is St.Pauls story written exactly?

Paul's story begins in the New Testament book of Acts 7:58 where he is known as Saul; after his conversion to Christianity he is known as Paul:(Acts 13:9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul). He becomes the main character from this point onward to the end of the book of Acts 28th Chapter.Paul is the writer of 13 of the 22 epistles (letters) written in The New Testament; you can also gain some insight in his character by reading the opening and closing chapters of his epistles: Romans; I and II Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; I and II Thessalonian; I and II Timothy; Titus; Philemon


Why were Paul's epistles named Pauline Epistles?

AnswersIn general terms, Paul's epistles are known as Pauline epistles to distinguish them from the epistles known as the Epistles of James, John, Jude and Peter. In more specific usage, the epistles believed to really have been written by Paul (1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon and Romans) are known as Pauline Epistles to distinguish them from those known as pseudo-Pauline epistles (2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus ).


When did Apostle Paul appear before Caesar?

The appearance of Paul before Caesar is mentioned in Acts of the Apostles, which does not provide any reliable information as to when this would have occurred. There is no confirmation of the appeal to Caesar and the journey to Rome, in Paul's own epistles, leading some scholars to challenge the historicity of Acts and dismiss this as novelistic fiction.


Writers of the epistles?

Paul wrote most of the epistles in the Bible. Others were written by James, John, Jude and Peter.

Related Questions

What are the 21 books of epistles in bible in New Testament?

Paul wrote 13 epistles and not 21 epistles in the new testament.


When did Paul write some of his letters?

Based on events portrayed in Acts of the Apostles, Paul's epistles are traditionally thought to have been written between 48 and 62 CE. However, the text of Paul's own epistles suggests that some of his epistles might have been written somewhat earlier - between 44 and 48 CE.


What did the apostle Paul say about his birthplace?

Paul himself, in his epistles, never mentioned his birthplace. The Acts of the Apostles, written some decades later, has Paul say that he was from Tarsus.


Where in the Bible is St.Pauls story written exactly?

Paul's story begins in the New Testament book of Acts 7:58 where he is known as Saul; after his conversion to Christianity he is known as Paul:(Acts 13:9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul). He becomes the main character from this point onward to the end of the book of Acts 28th Chapter.Paul is the writer of 13 of the 22 epistles (letters) written in The New Testament; you can also gain some insight in his character by reading the opening and closing chapters of his epistles: Romans; I and II Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; I and II Thessalonian; I and II Timothy; Titus; Philemon


Acts versus Paul's letters?

The literary forms are different. Acts is written in the form of history. The Epistles are written as letters to church communities or to individuals. Both tell us something about St. Paul and his preaching. Each has a different point of view. Acts was written by St. Luke, a companion of St. Paul on part of his missionary journeys, while the Epistles were written by St. Paul himself.


What is a fact about St. Paul?

Care must be taken in seeking to establish facts about Saint Paul, since the only sources we have are his own epistles, Acts of the Apostles, written many decades after his death, and some unsubstantiated Church traditions about his execution.In his epistles, Paul tells us that he persecuted Christians but was himself converted to Christianity and then committed his life to spreading the gospel. He does not mention that his conversion was accompanied by a bright light or that he then went to Damascus where his sight was retored, and in fact these passages in Acts strongly contradict Paul's own account. It seems more likely that Paul's conversion was far less miraculous than stated in Acts. Once we go beyond these broad facts, using either analysis of Paul's own epistles or analysis of Acts, we can not be entirely sure of exactly what the facts about Paul really are.


Who was the young pastor to whom Paul wrote two Epistles?

The young pastor to whom Paul wrote two Epistles was Timothy. Paul wrote the First and Second Epistles to Timothy, providing guidance and encouragement in his ministry.


Where can you find Paul in the Holy Bible?

The Bible's first mention of Paul (then known as Saul of Tarsus) is found in Acts 7:58.If you're referring to his writings, they begin with the epistle to the Romans.


What are the 14 letters or epistles that are attributed to Paul are said to be the oldest books of the new testament?

Paul wrote 14 books of the Bible, starting with Romans and continuing through Hebrews.


Why were Paul's epistles named Pauline Epistles?

AnswersIn general terms, Paul's epistles are known as Pauline epistles to distinguish them from the epistles known as the Epistles of James, John, Jude and Peter. In more specific usage, the epistles believed to really have been written by Paul (1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon and Romans) are known as Pauline Epistles to distinguish them from those known as pseudo-Pauline epistles (2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, Colossians, 1Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus ).


Did Paul go to Rome twice?

Paul's own epistles give no information, other than that he plannedto go to Rome. Since there is no confirmation in Paul's own epistles of the appeal to Caesar and the journey to Rome, some challenge the historicity of Acts and dismiss the account of Paul's hazardous sea journey in Acts 27:1-28:14 as novelistic fiction. The only other source that could help us is Clement of Rome, who appears to suggest that Paul eventually went to Spain. If so, Paul almost certainly went to Rome at least one time.


What is the Greek term for letters of Paul?

epistles