The Bible NETWork ~ Impacting the World for Christ one post at a time!

How are we to understand the events following Paul's conversion? In the account in Acts it seems to portray that Paul visited Jerusalem after the initial stay in Damascus. There Paul tried to make contact with the disciples, who were afraid of him since they didn't trust him as converted. Barnbas took him to the apostles and witnessed about his conversion on the road to Damascus and that he freely had been preaching in Damascus. According to Paul's own account in Galatians (Gal. 1:16-17) he didn't left for Jerusalem at all but for Arabia, and then back to Damascus. First three years afterwards he went up to Jerusalem and met with Peter for fourtheen days.

Ryrie comments in his study Bible on Arabia mentioned in Gal. 1:17 "This may mean anywhere in the kingdom of Nabataeans from near Damascus down to the Sinaitic peninsula. Paul's intent is not to pinpoint the location but to emphasize that it was a place (in contrast to Jerusalem) where there was no apostle to instruct him. In Arabia he was alone with God, thinking through the implications of his encounter with the risen Christ on the Damascus road. Though not mentioned in Acts, this period in Paul's life would probably fit between Acts 9:22 and 9:23." from the Ryrie Study Bible, NASB, p. 1867.
"According to his own account [Paul's] in the letter to the Galatian churches, he began his ministry in Damascus and Arabia. Yet for Paul in measure, as for Luke's absolutely, Jerusalem is the starting-place of the gospel..." F.F. Bruce, "Paul Apostle of the Heart Set Free," p. 322
Bruce, in his book, gives a chronological table of Paul: (p. 475)
33 AD Paul's conversion
35 AD Paul's post conversion Jerusalem visit
35 - 46 AD Paul in Cilicia and Syria
46 AD Paul's second Jerusalem visit

I hope this helps

I believe this falls under the study of http://bible.org/seriespage/inerrancy.

In telling our own life stories, there are times we give more details, and times we omit details. It might appear that the there is conflict between the two, but in reality, it is just our decision about what to or not to include.

As we add or omit some of the details, it appears to link things together differently, especially chronologically. It's not always an error but merely a choice as regarding what we are emphasizing in the telling of the experience, or even perhaps just a matter of how much time is available to recall the incident.

I am always excited to get the longer version of the story. However, as Paul was in the middle of writing to the Galatians regarding their slipping away from faith, he was merely pointing out to them that even Peter had to be rebuked for starting to return to the bondage of the law.

The comparison of cocks crowing during the questioning of Jesus, or how many Marys were at the tomb on Sunday of Resurrection day, and many other issues also fall under this inerrancy issue. The problem comes when young Christians see what appear to be errors between the Gospels, and walk away from faith because they can't trust the Word. That is tragic.

One of the things God said to me as a young Christian, "It is not always either/or, but sometimes it is and [both]." That is not a cop out--it is the Truth. Consider the issue of what is sin to one is not sin to another.

_________________
Blessings in the Lord to all whose names are in the Lamb's Book of Life

We preach Christ, and Him Lifted Up!

Certainly that's right. However, the main point of this is that Paul specifially stated in Galatians that he didn't go to Jerusalem afterwards. In other words it doesn't seem to to fall under omission but deals with something stated.

Acts 9:23 says, "Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted together to kill him". The adjective "some" is translated from the Greek ικαναι, which has a range of indefinite meanings. The KJV, NASB, NIV, and ESV render it "many" in this verse. Elsewhere the NET renders this word as "many," "long," "considerable," "a long time." The point is that an indefinite amount of time passed between the day of Paul's conversion and the Jews' decision to kill him. It was likely a long time, as verse 22 suggests, and could have been a period of years. So it's entirely possible that during this interim Paul went to Arabia and returned to Damascus, as described in Galatians 1:17. And it could have been three years, or more likely some portion of three years as the Jews reckoned time, before the Jews in Damascus decided to kill Paul and he then went to Jerusalem.

_________________
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

Forum Code of Conduct
The Bible NETWork Doctrinal Statement
The NET Bible Study Environment
Pastors Pro-Life Resource Center
Biblical Eldership

That's a satisfying explanation for me if it's possible from the Greek to indicate a longer period in Acts 9:23. That could hold it together, indicating though that Acts skipped the interaction Paul had with Peter for fourtheen days in that immediate time period.

Right. That interaction could well be within the scope of Acts 9:28, which says, "So he [Paul] was staying with them [the apostles], associating openly with them in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord." Since Luke was writing Acts as an historian with a theological purpose, he may not have thought it important that Paul interacted with Peter in particular at that time. That he interacted with the apostles in general was perhaps more to his purpose.

_________________
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

Forum Code of Conduct
The Bible NETWork Doctrinal Statement
The NET Bible Study Environment
Pastors Pro-Life Resource Center
Biblical Eldership

Thanks, Gideon, for showing how they (Acts 9:26-30 AND Gal. 1:17-24) can both be correct!


Mt. 13:55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? 70  And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? 13:56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where did he get all this?” 71  NET Bible
To the people who thought they knew Him best, if was inconceivable that Jesus could be the Messiah.

John 1:46 Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” ...NET Bible
Not only CAN it, but HE HAS.

Did Satan number the children of Israel--or did God. The Word says it both ways. How can that be? Surely one of the two statements must be an error. But neither one of them is an error! How do you figure this out? I don’t know about you, but for me the answer is simple. I ask God. I get His answer. If anyone is interested in His answer to this seeming enigma, I’ll be glad to relay what He told me.

Many times we settle an issue based on prejudice.

Other times based on incorrect or insufficient information.

Some times we make pronouncements out of our negative attitudes.

Then there are those time we miss the truth because we see through fleshly eyes instead of using the eyes of the Body of Christ.

Many, many times because we continue to use our own minds rather than the mind of Christ that God has given to us we fail to understand.

The short list above could be expanded to fill books. Psalm 118:19 KJV says: “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them [the gates], [and] I will praise the LORD. “ How many times we have the Truth right in front of us, and yet refuse to go in. How many times do we look at that Truth and confront the LORD who gave it to us rather than praise Him?

When we FINALLY come to the commitment that we choose to agree that God is ALWAYS TRUE and if there is any disagreement, it is MAN who is the liar, what a glorious day that will be in the Kingdom of God. Romans 3:4 KJV

When we FINALLY come at the Word from the perspective of its being right and us finding out HOW, we begin to walk in victory--we quit being accusers and become those who agree with the MOUTH OF THE LORD.

I KNOW we can do it. If you think the celebration in Heaven is magnificent when a person receives salvation, just imagine the celebration that takes place there when we finally BELIEVE the Word and stop challenging it!

Many times its not either/or, but the answer is found in the AND.

_________________
Blessings in the Lord to all whose names are in the Lamb's Book of Life

We preach Christ, and Him Lifted Up!