Paul in Acts

by Porter, Stanley E.

• ISBN13: 9781565636132
• ISBN10: 1565636139
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: Baker Academic

Summary

Stanley E. Porter focuses upon the depiction of Paul in the book of Acts from literary-critical, rhetorical, and theological perspectives, among several others. The essays within this volume examine various topics related to the Paul of Acts such as the extent to which the we passages of Acts should function as a source regarding Paul, and the theology and perspective of these passages in terms of their portrait of him. Porter analyzes the Acts passages that deal with Paul and the Holy Spirit and the question of whether Paul is an epistolographer or rhetorician. He examines Paul s missionary speeches and apologetic speeches in Acts. Porter also looks at Acts 21 and Paul s arrest in Jerusalem before he closes with an analysis of some common conceptions and misconceptions of the Paul of Acts and the Paul of the letters.

The Library of Pauline Studies is a series of books exploring key issuesin Pauline and related studies. This series is edited by Stanley E. Porter, Principal, Dean, and Professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario,

Author Biography

Stanley E. Porter's writings include Early Christianity and Its Sacred Literature and New Testament Introduction, of which he is co-author, and Dictionary of New Testament Background and Pauline Writings, of which he is co-editor

Table of Contents

Preface	v
Methods and Assumptions in this Study of the Paul of Acts	1	(9)
The ``We'' Passages in Acts as a Source regarding Paul	10	(37)
Introduction	10	(2)
Theories regarding the Literary Character of Acts	12	(15)
Acts as Reflecting the Old Testament	13	(1)
Acts as Ancient Romance	13	(7)
Acts as Ancient Sea Voyage	20	(4)
The ``We'' Passages as Redactional Additions	24	(3)
The ``We'' Passages as an Independent Source regarding Paul	27	(14)
Defining the ``We'' Passages	28	(5)
Implications of the ``We'' Passages	33	(8)
Conclusion	41	(6)
Excursus: The ``We'' Source of Acts	42	(5)
The Theology and Perspective of the ``We'' Passages in Acts and the Portrait of Paul	47	(20)
Introduction	47	(1)
The Theology and Character of the ``We'' Source	48	(14)
Understated Depiction of Divine Guidance	51	(4)
Hellenism and Judaism in the ``We'' Passages	55	(3)
Paul, the Man of Competence but not the Orator	58	(2)
Paul as Miracle Worker?	60	(2)
Luke's Use of the ``We'' Source and his Depiction of Paul	62	(3)
Conclusion	65	(2)
Paul and the Holy Spirit in Acts	67	(31)
Introduction	67	(2)
Exegesis of Pauline Holy Spirit Passages in Acts	69	(24)
Paul's Meeting with Ananias (Acts 9:17)	70	(3)
Paul's Commissioning with Barnabas and Initial Missionary Events (Acts 13:2, 4, 9)	73	(2)
Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:8, 28)	75	(2)
Paul's Thwarted Missionary Endeavors in Asia, and his Subsequent Visit to Macedonia (Acts 16:6, 7)	77	(3)
Paul's First Visit to Ephesus (Acts 19:2, 6)	80	(6)
Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders (Acts 20:22, 23, 28)	86	(3)
Last Warnings to Paul before Going to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4, 11)	89	(2)
Encapsulation of Paul's Mission to the Gentiles (Acts 28:25)	91	(2)
Implications of the Exegetical Study	93	(3)
Conclusion	96	(2)
Paul as Epistolographer and Rhetorician? Implications for the Study of the Paul of Acts	98	(28)
Introduction	98	(1)
The Relationship between the Paul of the Letters and the Paul of Acts	99	(2)
The Rhetoric of Paul and his Letters	101	(8)
The Rhetoric of Paul and the Speeches in Acts	109	(16)
Paul's Speech to the Ephesian Elders at Miletus (Acts 20:18-35)	115	(3)
Paul's Speech on the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17:22-31)	118	(7)
Conclusion	125	(1)
The Argumentative Dimension of Paul's Missionary Speeches in Acts	126	(25)
Introduction	126	(1)
Speeches in Acts: Their Purpose of Purposes	126	(3)
Paul's Missionary Speeches in Acts: An Analysis	129	(21)
Paul's Speech at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:16-41)	131	(5)
The Speech of Barnabas and Paul at Lystra (Acts 14:15-17)	136	(5)
Paul's Speech on the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17:22-31)	141	(9)
Conclusion	150	(1)
The Argumentative Dimension of Paul's Apologetic Speeches in Acts	151	(21)
Introduction	151	(1)
Paul's Apologetic or Defensive Speeches in Acts: An Analysis	152	(11)
Paul's Speech to the Jerusalem Jews (Acts 22:1-21)	152	(2)
Paul's Speech before Felix (Acts 24:10-21)	154	(4)
Paul's Speech before Agrippa and Others (Acts 26:2-23)	158	(4)
Paul's Speech to the Roman Jewish Leaders (Acts 28:17-20)	162	(1)
The Argumentative Dimension of the Speeches of Paul in Acts	163	(2)
Comparison of the Paul of Acts and the Paul of the Letters	165	(5)
Conclusion	170	(2)
Acts 21:17-26 and Paul, the Man for All Seasons, or the Man Betrayed by his Friends?	172	(15)
Introduction	172	(2)
Acts 21 and Paul's Participation in the Temple Ritual	174	(11)
Conclusion	185	(2)
The Paul of Acts and the Paul of the Letters: Some Common Conceptions and Misconceptions	187	(20)
Introduction	187	(2)
The Paul of Acts and of the Letters	189	(16)
The Person of Paul in Acts and in the Letters	190	(9)
The Theology of Paul in Acts and in the Letters	199	(6)
Conclusion	205	(2)
Select Bibliography	207	(6)
Index of Sources	213	(11)
Index of Names	224	(6)
Index of Subjects	230