Acts vs. Paul's Letters: The Thessalonica Contradiction

Описание: Two books of the Bible describe the same events in the same city — and tell fundamentally different stories. This video examines the contradictions between Acts 17 and 1 Thessalonians, exploring how Paul's firsthand account of founding the Thessalonian church diverges from Luke's narrative on key questions: who joined, how Paul preached, and who persecuted the early Christians.

Through source criticism — the standard historical method of evaluating and ranking sources by reliability — we see why scholars prioritize Paul's letters as primary sources over Acts' later theological framework, and what this tells us about how the New Testament was composed.

Key concepts covered:
• The historical setting of Thessalonica on the Via Egnatia and its significance as a Roman commercial hub
• Acts 17's narrative: synagogue preaching, three Sabbaths of scriptural argument, and Jewish opposition
• 1 Thessalonians' account: Gentile converts who "turned from idols," manual labor, and persecution by fellow Greeks
• Why "turned to God from idols" (1 Thess 1:9-10) is decisive evidence of an entirely Gentile church
• The Greek word "symphyletai" (compatriots) and what it reveals about who actually persecuted the Thessalonian Christians
• Luke's repeating literary schema across Acts: synagogue, partial conversion, Jewish rejection, turn to Gentiles
• Primary vs. secondary sources: Paul's letters (~50 CE, written by participant) vs. Acts (~80s-90s CE, written by non-participant)
• Source criticism as standard historical methodology applied to biblical texts
• Why the Bible functions as a library of diverse voices rather than a single unified narrative

ORIGINAL SOURCE
This video is based on content from the following source:
URL:    • 14. Paul as Missionary