Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - Re: Acts and Paul's relationship to Jerusalem

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Acts and Paul's relationship to Jerusalem
  • Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2001 12:09:08 -0600


Dear Mesfin,

> However, my suggestion is
>a methodological consideration that all readers of the Pauline corpus can
>not ignore. We do not need to (and can not) harmonize the Lukan Acts and the
>Pauline letters! Each can stand for what it's worth (but McIntosh and
>Microsoft PC in many details when mixed! Gal.2 and Acts 15 for example).

HH: Conservative Bible scholars have been harmonizing the Lukan Acts and
the Pauline letters for centuries. There are ways to harmonize the texts.
Your conclusions seem unnnecessary.

>The Lukan "Jerusalem motif" is quite evident everywhere in both Luke's
>Gospel and Acts. First, in the prologue of the Gospel, Luke associates the
>identity of Jesus with Judea- in Jerusalem- and (Temple, Simeon, Anna,
>etc.). Near the end of the Gospel the Lukan Jesus instructs the disciples to
>wait for the promise in "Jerusalem." Since the center of Israel is
>Jerusalem, Luke needed to establish the connection of Christianity in or
>near Jerusalem in his first 7 chapters of Acts.

HH: How can you prove that Luke "needed to" establish the connection that
you mention? What if it just was the case?

>In Chapter 7 the long
>theological speech of St. Stephen followed by his death and at the closing
>of the chapter the Lukan Paul comes to the picture. Then throughout the book
>we read that Paul needed a Jerusalem visit every time he made a "missionary
>journey." (contrary to the fact Gal. 1:20-no one seems to believe him so
>far, even if he swears "before God!")

HH: There are several ways to harmonize Galatians and Acts.

>Not that Paul necessarily did in that
>way but Luke portrayed the fact that way. Luke labors to connect Gentile
>Christianity with Jerusalem for acceptance. Therefore, the Lukan Paul was
>dragged into this "Jerusalem motif" without his autonomy. In his letters
>Paul refutes such association with Jeruralem.

HH: Nothing in the Pauline letters contradicts the possibility of visits to
Jerusalem.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page