Which of the three versions?

Question

The story of Saul conversion into Paul has been referred to 3 times in the Acts of the Apostles, and each time it is differently related.
Review it and find the differences, it is mentioned in:

Acts 9:3-7
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ac%209:3-7;&version=9;

Acts 22:6-10
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ac%2022:6-10;&version=9;

Acts 26:12-18

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ac%2026:12-18;&version=9;


Read and think which one should be the true story and why differences are there although all instances of the story are in the same book of Acts.

Answer 1

It should be remembered that St. Paul who was previously called Saul, had been an implacable enemy of Christians before this incident.
The first version of the story runs like this:
"Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “1 am Jesus, whom you are persecuting but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless hearing the voice but seeing no one."
Acts 9:3-7
In this version the incident is related by the author of the Acts. The points worth noting are:
a. The light which Paul saw ‘flashed about him” It is not related that others saw the light, but they did hear the voice.

b. It was Paul who fell to the ground

c. He and the men who were with him heard the voice, but they saw no one.
d. The voice of Jesus ordered him to enter the city and there he would he told what he was to do.”

The second version of the story runs like this as reported in the same book, The Acts of the Apostles, but the words are reported to be spoken by Paul before the tribune and a crowd of Jews as he was answering charges of preaching against the Law and defiling the temple by bringing Greeks into it.

“As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a
great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. And I fell to the ground and hear a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ and he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the Voice of the one who was Speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise , and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’
Acts 22:6.10
This version agrees with the first version in respect of:
a. The one who fell to the pound was Paul and not those who were with him.

b. What Paul was told was to enter the city and there he would he told what to do

It however disagrees with the first Version in that the first says that those who were with him heard the Voice, but it does not say that they saw the light. In this second version it is stated that those who were with Paul “saw the light but did not hear the voice,”

The third version of this vital incident in Christian history is also contained in Paul’s own words as related in the same holy book The Acts of the Apostles

“Thus I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground. I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ and the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Acts 26:12-18
Now here we see great divergences with the statements in chapter 9 and chapter 22 of this very same book.

a. According to this third version it is not Paul alone who saw the light - as related in the first version, but all, as related in the second version.

b. Here Paul says that they all fell to the ground. This contradicts the first and the second versions which relate that it was Paul Wily who fell..

c. Instead of being instructed by the mysterious voice of Jesus to enter the city where Paul would be told what to do, this version gives detailed instructions as imparted to Paul there, furthermore Paul was appointed as the Apostle of Jesus who also promises him that he will appear to him again; and, violating all of Jesus’s teachings to his disciples when he was alive, sends Paul as a special messenger to preach the gospel to non-Jews; and, also contrary to Jesus’s teachings during his life-time, teaches justification by faith alone.

Answer 2

All three are correct and do not contradict each other. If you had to write about the same incident multiple times, you may chose, as Luke the author of Acts does, to vary the syntax and may cut out certain small inconsequential phrases. But like Luke, you would keep the basic truths of the event. In this case, all three passages have the same basics:

1-Saul was on his way to Damascus
2-He was set upon by a great light
3-He and his companions fell on their faces
4-Saul heard a voice talking to him but no one saw anything
5-“Saul, Saul, why does thou persecute me”
6-Off to Damascus as a changed man

There is a perspective difference (first person and third) and some phrases are in one or two but not the third. But the essence is there. From purely a story perspective, I think the Acts 9 one is best, but that is because I like the image of kicking against the goads.

Answer 3

There is great divergences between the statements in chapter 9 and chapter 22 of this very same book.
In chapter 9 Jesus asks Saul to enter the city to be told what to do.
In chapter 22 Paul was appointed as the Apostle of Jesus who also promises him that he will appear to him again.

Answer 4

Same account, just providing the information needed at the specific point to teach a specific lesson.

All three accounts provide us with a better picture of what really happend.

You can do the same thing with a single verse, depending on what you want to stress.

John 3:16, You can stress

the love of God

Faith in the Son

or

Eternal life

by how you read the verse.

Answer 5

All three are true.
But the story is mentioned from three varying perspectives.

All three combine to give us a more complete picture than any single one can individually.

Do you remember the parable of the Prodigal Son?
Read it three times:
1st from the perspective of the father.
2nd from the perspective of the Prodigal
3rd from the perspective of the Prodigal's brother.

all the same story, and all different lessons.

Answer 6

the first is symply a report of what happened and the other to are paul reporting it to others with a little more detail I do not see the differnces as any thing to worry about it reminds me of the fisher man how ends up telling of the woppa he nearly cought I do not think saul was a fisher man though

Answer 7

Finding that the Book of Acts was written by the Apostles together, show me that it is accurate and each one wrote it the same but in their own words.

Answer 8

the basic components are all the same. (I did read them all AGAIN)

Nothing conflicts with the rest.

Do you always tell an experience the same way each time you tell it? Maybe the listeners need to hear certain aspects different times.

Answer 9

Yes I agree with what's been answered

Answer 10

I don't see much difference; generally it's the same story.

Answer 11

It is realted to the person he is talking to and the first is Dr. Luke's pov.