urselves' (Acts 20:28; 1 Tim 4:16), 'consider' (Acts 20:31; 1 Cor 16:13; Col 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:6, 10), 'build up' (Acts 20:32; Rom 15:20; 1 Cor 8:1, 10; 10:23; 14:4, 17; Gal 2:18; 1 Thess 5:11), 'inheritance among the saints' (Acts 20:32; Col. 1:12), 'hands...working' (Acts 20:34-35; 1 Cor 4:12; Eph 4:28), and repeated language of earnestness (Acts 20:31; 1 Thess 2:7-8). The second set of parallels includes biographical details: for example, Paul's not wishing to be a burden to his churches (Acts 20:33-34; 1 Corinthians 9; 2 Cor 11:7-11; 1 Thess. 2:9-12), and the length of his stay with the Ephesians. The third set of parallels covers theological similarities, including reference in Acts 20:28 to 'the blood of his own.' This redemptive language is untypical of Luke, both in the Gospel and in Acts.
Stanley E. Porter, Paul in Acts, page 117.
As a result of these similarities, "[t]he Miletus speech is widely conceded to contain Pauline characteristics." Hemer, op. cit., page 425. There are striking similarities of language, biography, and theology. "This is Paul, not some other speaker, and he is not evangelizing but recalling an already evangelized community to its deepest insights. The situation, like the theology, is precisely that of a Pauline epistle, not of preliminary evangelism." Ibid. at 426.
It appears that ancient historians were expected to accurately represent the speeches they recorded in their works. Although some did not, they were generally criticized for it. Luke's style is representative of those ancient historians which we know attempted to accurately record speeches in their works. Even more importantly, we know from reviewing the Gospel of Luke that the author of Acts was committed to faithfully relying on pre-existing traditions for his speech material. While it is true that Luke consistently polishes the Greek style throughout his work, this is not the same as redacting or manufacturing material. Finally, an examination of several of the major speeches in Acts reveals that while the author smoothed out the Greek in some cases, he clearly relied on preexisting material to reconstruct his speeches. He did not believe himself at liberty to invent material, but attempted to accurately record the reality of the speeches in Acts.
Bruce, F.F. The Acts of the Apostles Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1999
Barnett, Paul, Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity Intervarsity Press,1999
Carson, D. A., et al., An Introduction to the New Testament Zondervan, 1992
Fornara, Charles The Nature of History in Ancient Greece and Rome University of California Press, 1983
Guthrie, Donald New Testament Introduction Intervarsity Press, 1990
Harris, J.R. Testimonies, II Cambridge, 1920
Hemer, Colin Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History Coronet Books, 1989
Marshal, Howard I., Luke: Historian and Theologian Intervarsity Press, 1998
Mayor, J.B. The Epistle of St. James Kregel Publications,1990
Paffenroth, Kim The Story of Jesus According to L Sheffield Academic Pr., 1997
Porter, Stanley, Paul in Acts Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2001
Van Voorst, Robert E. Jesus Outside the Gospels Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000
Walbank, F.W., Speeches in Greek Historians in Selected Papers, Cambridge, 1985
Witherington, Ben The Acts of the Apostles Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997
©2003 Christopher Price
Questions or comments concerning this article or the use of this article should be directed to Christopher Price.