“Acts versus Galatians – the crux of apostolic history” By Kevin Rogers
August 22, 2019
Date/Time
Date(s) - 22/08/2019
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
Online
Categories
In Galatians Paul incidentally provides auto biographical information about his former life, his conversion in Damascus, two of his visits to Jerusalem and his interactions with Peter, James, John and Barnabas. Acts contains parallel accounts from a different perspective. There are similarities, overlaps, additional information and seeming differences. These have been described as the “two accounts of the most vital points in the origin of gentile Christianity.”
Christianity was very young and had emerged from a distinctively exclusive Jewish background. The church in Jerusalem, headed by James the brother of Jesus was strongly Jewish, was considered a Jewish sect and still maintained many Jewish practices, but Paul had taken the gospel to the gentiles. This raised huge issues at the time:
- Did Paul have apostolic authority?
- How are people justified by God?
- Could the gospel go to the unclean gentiles?
- Should the gentiles be circumcised and follow Jewish law and ritual practices?
- Should Jewish Christians eat with gentiles?
- What Old Testament standards were now applicable to Jew and gentile?
All of the above have been the subject of intense analysis by historians and biblical scholars. Critics have also claimed that Luke has contradicted Paul in some instances. Kevin Rogers will compare the relevant passages, discuss the overlaps and differences between the two accounts and the tensions that were being resolved between the key apostolic leaders.
Kevin Rogers is the director of Reasonable Faith Adelaide and is a research fellow, PhD student and lecturer at the University of South Australia.
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