ContradictionsReading order 487Bible context 2 min read

Did Paul visit all of the disciples when he went to Jerusalem after his conversion?

Acts gives a broad account of Paul's welcome, while Galatians tightly limits the apostles he met. Acts does not explicitly say he met every disciple.

Textual conflict: Weak contradiction; The supplied passages do not establish incompatible claims. Different events, meanings, or conditions may account for the difference.
Importance: Supporting; A supporting event, teaching, or biographical claim.

Acts' plural apostles can be Peter and James, so it does not contradict Paul's restricted list of contacts.

An editorial assessment of the quoted passages. Importance describes the stakes; it does not increase certainty. Reading order weighs both.

Barnabas introduces Paul to apostles in Jerusalem

And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

Acts 9:26-28

Translation / edition: King James Version (KJV)

Read the full chapter:Acts 9

Paul says he saw Peter and James but no other apostles

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

Galatians 1:18-19

Translation / edition: King James Version (KJV)

Read the full chapter:Galatians 1

Understanding the contradiction

Acts 9:26-28 describes Saul trying to join the disciples, their initial fear, Barnabas introducing him to apostles, and his subsequent activity with them in Jerusalem. The word all applies to the disciples' fear; it does not say that he later met all of them individually.

Galatians 1:18-19 describes a fifteen-day visit to Peter and says Paul saw no other apostles except James. This limits the contacts more precisely than Acts does. Two named people can satisfy a plural reference to apostles, so the quoted sentences do not give incompatible headcounts. The accounts differ in how broadly they portray Paul's integration into the Jerusalem group, but the claim that one says every disciple was visited depends on adding a quantifier the passage does not use.

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contradictionActsGalatians

Barnabas introduces Paul to apostles in Jerusalem

Paul says he saw Peter and James but no other apostles

Understanding the contradiction

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