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Harmony of Bible records of Paul’s conversion
By Mark Morgan | Harmonies
Paul, the apostle of Jesus originally known as Saul, was converted from Judaism to Christianity by unexpectedly meeting Jesus. Luke describes the events in Acts 9 and also reports two occasions on which Paul himself described his conversion in Acts 22 and Acts 26. Paul also comments on the surrounding events in Galatians 1 & 2. The goal of this article is to put together these four records in chronological order. In this article, we present a harmony of Bible records of Paul’s conversion and the basis for the order chosen.
The chronology of Paul’s conversion and subsequent work as a preacher to the Gentiles seems clear and simple on a first reading of Acts. Chapter 7 introduces us to Saul as a young man who supported the killing of Stephen and looked after the clothes of those who did the killing. Chapter 8 describes the subsequent persecution that caused the believers to scatter and greatly increased the spread of the gospel. Chapter 9 begins with Saul’s determination to eradicate The Way and the desperation that led him to pursue believers even into foreign lands. However, the trajectory of Saul’s life – and history itself – changes when Jesus appears to him as he approached Damascus. Blinded by the sight of Jesus and choosing for the first time to follow Jesus’ instructions, Saul goes into Damascus and thinks, fasting and praying for three days.
After that time, a disciple named Ananias visits him and Paul regains his sight and is baptised.
The story is clear and simple, but we also need to look at Paul’s letter to the believers in Galatia. In chapters 1 and 2 he feels the need to describe the events surrounding his conversion from Judaism. Reading his retelling of the events makes us immediately sit up and take notice, because it seems different from an initial reading of Luke’s narrative in and after Acts 9.
Luke describes Paul as spending several days with the disciples and immediately going into the synagogues of Damascus to preach. He then reports that after many days, the Jews in Damascus plotted to kill Saul so that he had to escape from the city at night, being lowered down the wall in a basket then going to Jerusalem. There Barnabas presented him to the leaders and other believers, until Paul’s bold preaching triggered a plot to kill him – on discovery of which, he was sent away, first to Caesarea and then to Tarsus.
This reads simply enough, but from Paul’s commentary in Galatians, it appears the simplicity is misleading.
From the start, I hasten to say that this does not mean that Luke is wrong. Multiple witnesses of any event will recount what happened in different ways. One witness’ report may concentrate on a particular aspect which another witness completely omits from his report, choosing instead to concentrate on other aspects he considers more significant, or more conducive to a clear presentation of what happened.
This variation can sometimes cause readers to feel that they know all the details regarding an event of importance, until a wider reading of witness reports suddenly makes it clear that there are more details to fit into the timeline.
When we read the gospels, this is exactly what we see. Each gospel tells a coherent and accurate story, but none of them is complete. In fact, John observes that if everything Jesus did was written down, the world itself couldn’t contain all the books that would be written. The gospels we have are curated summaries of Jesus’ life, not exhaustive lists of everything that he did. Each gospel includes some events and omits others. Sometimes one gospel reports events as bald facts while another explains the reasons behind the events.
Putting all of these different reports together into a more complete picture is the task of the discerning reader or writer.
For some reason, Paul found it necessary to straighten out the story of his conversion as it was generally accepted among the believers in Galatia. After explaining the more complete order of events, he adds:
“Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying.”
Obviously people had questioned Paul’s assertions about these events before, and he wants to spell out the truth once and for all!
With this knowledge, we should approach the record of Paul’s conversion in Acts with some caution – not because it is wrong, but because it may be open to misunderstanding, and perhaps may even read most easily in a way that contradicts Paul’s statements in Galatians 1 and 2.
In Galatians, Paul seems to concentrate on two visits to Jerusalem after his conversion and how or when he got to know believers in Jerusalem. He mentions two time periods in his explanation: three years before a first visit to Jerusalem, and 14 years before a second visit. The implication is clear that he made no other visits during these time periods.
To help us identify these two visits in Acts, we can list the first four possible times Paul is described as visiting Jerusalem. When you read the passages, you may see why I have included four and not just stopped at two!
When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 He was with them entering into Jerusalem,[1] 29 preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.
This probably describes the first visit Paul refers to in Galatians 1:18-19. Luke gives a clear picture of the believers in Jerusalem being initially terrified of Paul, yet welcoming him after Barnabas had vouched for him. One could easily get the impression from this passage that Paul visited the apostles at Jerusalem quite soon after his conversion, and joined the believers there for quite some time. In Galatians, Paul makes it clear that he did not go to Jerusalem soon after his conversion but that he first went to Arabia before returning to Damascus, and only then – three years later – did he visit Jerusalem. Not only so, but he also makes it clear that he did not mix freely with the apostles and believers; in fact, he met only two apostles and a few believers before leaving after 15 days. When we know this, we can see that, while the wording in Acts would not suggest the details Paul describes in Galatians, it does not contradict those details. The record in Acts simply omits some details and emphasises others in a way that gives the impression of a visit longer than a mere 15 days. Perhaps this is why Paul felt it necessary to write those clarifications in Galatians – although we can only guess why it was so important to clear up the misunderstanding.
Acts 11:27-30 (WEB) Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius. 29 As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea; 30 which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Agabus prophesied a widespread famine. Luke then tells us that this prophecy was fulfilled in the days of Claudius, and the wording suggests that the original prophecy was given in the time of an earlier king. So who?
Roman emperors around this time were:
Based on this information, we suggest that the prophecy was probably made during the reign of Caligula and fulfilled in the reign of Claudius, sometime between 41 and 54AD. Luke’s commentary also makes it likely that he has included the fulfilment out of chronological order to tie up a loose end and make it clear that the prophecy was fulfilled – though not immediately. The fact that this reference to a visit by Paul to Jerusalem is probably not in chronological order is important, reminding us again of the fact that the “accepted story” of Paul’s visits to Jerusalem was not correct. Luke’s brief aside may have contributed to this misunderstanding (or reflected it). Unfortunately, we do not know where this visit may have fitted into the rest of the narrative: the famine began sometime between 41AD and 54AD, and the welfare assistance would have been dispatched from Antioch to Judea some time after the need became known.
Luke then starts Acts 12 by telling us that “about that time” Herod Agrippa I (who ruled from 41AD) killed James the apostle and brother of John, then tried to kill Peter also. The chapter finishes with God’s fatal judgement on Agrippa I, who died in 44 AD. Agrippa’s death may also be an out-of-order report to wrap up the subject of Agrippa I by reassuring believers of God’s punishment of evil.
In summary, then, chapter 11 finishes with a quick excursion into the future to confirm that God’s prophecies are fulfilled, and chapter 12 finishes with another quick excursion into the future to reassure readers that God will punish persecutors.
So where are we in time at the end of these two excursions?
Before we can answer that, we need to examine the last verse of Acts 12 and try to make sense of it!
Barnabas and Saul returned to[2] Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John who was called Mark. Chapter 13 1 Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Some translations like that above say that Barnabas and Saul returned “to” Jerusalem, while most others say they returned “from” Jerusalem (e.g., KJV, RSV, ESV). Since I am no Greek scholar, I have to rely on the experts who translate our Bible. As most translations seem to say “from”, I will accept that as the most likely meaning. Note also that they took John Mark with them to Antioch.
This passage seems to follow on directly from Luke’s aside in Acts 11:30 where Paul and Barnabas took the collected gifts from Antioch to help the poor saints in Judea. It is as if the episode about Agrippa I has been inserted in the middle of Luke’s aside about the fulfilment of Agabus’ prophecy of famine. It is hard to see why this would be done, but possibly it forms another aside which finishes the narrative about the 12 disciples before switching the focus of Acts to Paul and his preaching, which begins at the start of Acts 13.
In general, Luke writes the book of Acts in chronological order, and these two examples may be the only places in the entire book where Luke looks forward a little with a view to neatly tying up the loose ends of a subject. Perhaps this is why the questions about the events and timing surrounding Saul’s conversion arose in the first place.
If there were no other possibilities, I would conclude that this must be the second visit mentioned by Paul, but at the same time would note that the context doesn’t seem to fit. In Galatians 2, Paul paints a picture of conflict, of false brothers, of people trying to take away the believers’ freedom in Christ. This does not seem to be the situation described in Acts 11, where the delivery of aid is given as the motive for the visit. Since we cannot be sure about the timing of this visit to Jerusalem, I think it is worth looking further on to see if another visit fits the bill better.
Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.” 2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3 They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.
This visit to Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas took place after they returned from their first missionary journey, and certainly did take place against a backdrop of conflict. Visitors from Jerusalem were insisting that Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. Paul and Barnabas strongly opposed this demand, and the conflict resulted in a major council in Jerusalem which agreed with Paul and Barnabas that the demands were wrong and composed a circular letter to be distributed to Gentile congregations.
This context seems to fit closely with the situation described in Galatians 2. Galatians 2:2 describes private discussions with the leaders in Jerusalem (as described in Acts 15:2), followed in Galatians 2:3-5 by a demand from false brothers that Gentiles be circumcised and keep the law of Moses (see Acts 15:5). Acts 15 describes the consideration and subsequent rejection of this demand and seems to include conclusions that align broadly with Paul’s descriptions in Galatians 2:6-10.
Overall, I conclude that this visit in Acts 15 is the one Paul is referring to as happening after 14 years. However, I have to acknowledge that I can’t be certain because it is also possible that it was another visit that is not described in Acts but had a similar background of conflict.
One minor point of interest is the location of John Mark, who abandoned Paul and Barnabas in Perga during the first missionary journey and returned to Jerusalem.[3] However, by the time Paul and Barnabas were discussing a second missionary journey in Acts 15:36, John Mark was with them in Antioch. The visit described in Acts 11:29-30/12:25, where Paul and Barnabas delivered aid to poor believers (and returned to Antioch with John Mark), cannot have occurred before the first missionary journey because the 17 years specified between his conversion and his second subsequent visit to Jerusalem will not fit in. It could possibly have taken place after their return from the first missionary journey, but before the visit described in Acts 15; however, for this to be the second visit referred to by Paul in Galatians 2, the background of conflict in Galatians 2 must also have existed, despite not being mentioned in Acts 11/12. On balance, it seems more likely that the visit in Acts 15, although triggered by doctrinal conflict, also delivered the aid collected for the poor believers in Judea and ended with John Mark returning to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas as described in Acts 12:25.
The last piece of the jigsaw that we should discuss is the three- and fourteen-year time periods. A simple reading of Galatians 1:15 to 2:10 suggests that the three years would start from Paul’s return from Arabia and end with his first visit to Jerusalem, while the fourteen years would begin with that same visit and end with the second visit. A careful reading of the three-year period suggests that it could mean three years from Paul’s conversion, the point in time where he states that he didn’t consult with others immediately,[4] but rather waited three years before going to Jerusalem.[5] Given the number of years available in this period of history, I believe that this is the more likely meaning. This would place Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem about three years after his conversion and the second about 17 years after his conversion. We can look at some dates put forward by historians in the list below. Paul’s conversion and the Jerusalem council are highlighted.
Some events from the first century:
This simple framework places Paul’s conversion in 33-34AD, about 3-4 years after Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension (which probably happened in about 30AD). Adding 17 years would locate Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem in about 50-51AD. Since common estimates place the Jerusalem Council in 48-50AD, this seems reasonable.
On this basis, I have interleaved the records of Paul’s conversion and the events he mentions in Galatians 1 & 2.
In Acts, Luke writes in episodes, threads, scenes and themes, sometimes starting or ending them with brief summaries. His telling of this astonishing explosion of preaching across the Roman world is gripping and has inspired readers across the world for almost 2,000 years. The conversion of Paul is pivotal to Luke’s presentation of this phenomenal upending of the empire’s foundations.
In Galatians, Paul felt the need to emphasise the fact that the inclusion of the Gentiles did not come from him or any other disciples of Jesus, but from Jesus himself. Peter and others had tinkered with that inclusion, accepting it in theory and a little in practice, but it was clearly not enough to satisfy Jesus as commander of his preaching army. Paul was given his orders directly from Jesus and executed them without needing immediate confirmation from earlier followers. In short, Paul was not beholden to “the establishment”, but to the commander-in-chief.
This incorporated Gentiles inescapably within the body of Jesus and dragged Jewish believers to the conclusion expressed in Hebrews 7:12 after a discussion of Jesus as an eternal priest, replacing the priests descended from Levi:
“For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.”
Jesus had replaced not only the priests of Aaron’s line, but the law of Moses as well. No longer was salvation focused on being a Jew by birth. Instead, it was about becoming a descendant of Abraham by having the same faith as Abraham.
Jews were still welcome, and salvation had still come through the Jews, but since most of the Jews had rejected the salvation offered, Gentiles had – and still have – been offered an opportunity to grasp the salvation Jesus offers.
Paul saw the urgency of this and took every opportunity to progress the work Jesus was inspiring him to do. Now that Paul, the twelve disciples and the other energetic preachers like Luke are all dead, the responsibility to spread that news has fallen to us. We are now the ones who must turn the world upside down through our preaching, attacking the idolatry and atheism that have conquered so much of the world.
Paul, the apostle of Jesus originally known as Saul, was converted
from Judaism to Christianity by unexpectedly meeting Jesus.
Luke describes the events in Acts 9 and also reports two occasions on which
Paul himself described his conversion (Acts 22 & 26). Paul also makes comments about some surrounding events in Galatians 1 & 2.
Our aim is to put these four records together in chronological order.
The Bible passages which refer to events surrounding Paul/Saul’s
conversion by Jesus on the road to Damascus are as follows:
Other passages of interest on the subject are:
(Last revised 10 January 2025)
The four records of Saul/Paul’s conversion can be interleaved and combined, while adding a few extra verses before and after can aid understanding by providing a little context.
Here is our harmony of Bible records of Paul’s conversion. The harmonisation is shown in a table format and best viewed on a screen that is wider than it is high.
The passage in Galatians is ordered based on logic rather than chronology, so two verses of the text in the following table have been duplicated and placed in two matching places in the chronological order given in Acts. The text that has been duplicated is indented and highlighted in cyan. An explanatory note is included in the place from which it has been copied, highlighted in light blue.
Time periods specified in the text are highlighted in yellow.
The Bible text is taken from the World English Bible (WEB) which has been released into the public domain.
Luke’s narrative |
Paul’s speech to temple crowd in Jersualem |
Paul’s defence before Agrippa |
Paul’s explanations to Galatians |
Acts Chapter 22 |
Acts Chapter 26 |
Galatians Chapter 1 |
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| 3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are this day. | 4 “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5 having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. | 13 For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, | |
| 6 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa! | |||
| 8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead? | |||
Acts Chapter 7 |
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| … | |||
| 58 They threw [Stephen] out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep. | |||
| … | |||
Acts Chapter 8 |
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| … | |||
| 1 Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him. 3 But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison. | |||
| … | |||
Acts Chapter 9 |
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| 1 But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, | 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. | 9 “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them. 11 Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. | how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it. |
| 14 I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. | |||
| went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. | 5 As also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished. | 12 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests, | |
| 3 As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. | 6 As I made my journey, and came close to Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky. | 13 at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me. | |
| 4 He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” | 7 I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ | 14 When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ | |
| 5 He said, “Who are you, Lord?” | 8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ | 15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ | |
| The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. | He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’ | “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. | 15 But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace, 16 to reveal his Son in me, |
| 9 ‘Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me. | |||
| 10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ | |||
| 6 But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” | The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’ | 16 But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you; 17 delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, 18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ | |
| 7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one. | |||
| 8 Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. | 11 When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. | ||
| 9 He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank. | |||
| 10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. | 12 One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus, | ||
| The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” | |||
| He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.” | |||
| 11 The Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying, 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.” | |||
| 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” | |||
| 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” | that I might preach him among the Gentiles, | ||
| 17 Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” | 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ | ||
| 18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. | In that very hour I looked up at him. | ||
| 14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. | |||
| 15 For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard. | |||
| He arose and was baptized. | 16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ | ||
| 19 He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus. | |||
| 20 Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God. | 19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to them of Damascus, | I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, | |
| 21 All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!” | |||
| 22 But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. | |||
| but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus. | |||
| 23 When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him, | 18 Then after three years | ||
| 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him, | |||
| 25 but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket. | |||
| 26 When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. | 17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem, | at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, | I went up to Jerusalem |
| 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. | to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But of the other apostles I saw no one, except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying. | ||
| 28 He was with them entering into Jerusalem, | |||
| 29 preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him. | |||
| and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance, 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’ | |||
| 19 I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you. | |||
| 20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’ | |||
| 21 “He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.'” | |||
| 30 When the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus. | 21 Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. | ||
| 22 I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ, 23 but they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me. | |||
Skipping Acts Chapter 9:31 to Chapter 14:28 (including Paul’s first missionary journey) |
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Acts Chapter 15 |
Galatians Chapter 2 |
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| 1 Then after a period of fourteen years | |||
| 1 Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.” |
4 This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;
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| 2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, |
5 to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.
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| they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3 They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they had come to Jerusalem, | I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. 2 I went up by revelation, | ||
| they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them. | and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. | ||
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verses 4 and 5 have been duplicated above before verse 1 and below after verse 6.
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| 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” |
4 This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage; 5 to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.
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| 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7 When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.” | |||
| 12 All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them. | |||
| 13 After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written, 16 ‘After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up, 17 That the rest of men may seek after the Lord; all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things. 18 All of God’s works are known to him from eternity.’ | |||
| 19 “Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, | 6 But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn’t show partiality to man) – they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me, | ||
| 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” | |||
| 22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers. | |||
| 23 They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings. | |||
| 24 Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment; |
4 This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage; 5 to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.
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| 25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.” | 7 but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcision, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcision 8 (for he who appointed Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision appointed me also to the Gentiles); 9 and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision. | ||
| 10 They only asked us to remember the poor – which very thing I was also zealous to do. |
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Notes
| ↑1 | Translations of this clause vary. KVJ: “He was with them, coming in and going out at Jerusalem”. ESV: “So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem”. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Translations of this word vary depending on the manuscripts used and some linguistic ambiguity, e.g., KJV and ESV: “from”. See https://bterry.com/tc2/lay12act.htm for more information. |
| ↑3 | See Acts 13:13 |
| ↑4 | Galatians 1:16 |
| ↑5 | Galatians 1:18 |