Key:
Green – shared word for word
Yellow – approximate or stylistic
Blue – uniquely
Above are the comparative columns.
Laid out in columns in order to compare the accounts it is apparent how much of Paul’s speech to the crowd in Jerusalem is given over to how Paul persecuted the followers of the Way but he doesn’t tell them it was he who instigated the letter from the High Priest and Sanhedrin. Rather he implicates and draws them into the action with him. We saw from the last Gems the significance of the VERY BRIGHT LIGHT FROM HEAVEN. Now notice what Paul does. He makes it very clear that Jesus, THE NAZARENE, was the One talking to him. In fact the remarkable feature of this whole speech are Paul’s quotes are the how and where of the things both Jesus and Ananias said to him.
Some questions for you to ponder which either I myself or you readers have come up with.
- Why the use of “the Nazarene” ?
- Why doesn’t Paul refer to Jesus as the Christ / Messiah as Peter did in Acts 2 and other places?
- Wouldn’t that make his case stronger?
- How can Paul use some many quotes of what people said? This is years after the events happened.
- And besides, it is not Paul writing this account, it’s Luke. Can we trust the accuracy of the record of what was said?
- Notice carefully the role of the other players, how they are introduced and the part they play.
- What is your overall observation?
- Why has Paul constructed his speech like this?
My input next Gem.
When you’re in a heated argument, stop and ask “What evidence would change your mind?” If the answer is nothing, there’s no point in continuing the debate. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it think!
Rick Godwin
The greatest enemy of Christianity isn’t secularism, atheism, or Islam. It’s bad Christianity!
Rick Godwin
Everyone is a genius, but judge a fish on ability to climb a tree & it will live its life believing it is stupid.
Albert Einstein
Robert Louis Stephenson
Saints are sinners who kept on going.
Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.
Henry David Thoreau
Every successful person I have heard of has done the best he could with the conditions as he found them, and not waited until next year for better.
Edgar Watson Howe