SPSA Church Giving (opens in a new tab)

Questions & Answers

St. Paul

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › St. Mary and the Saints › St. Paul

The question

According to the Holy Book of Acts,a few days after his baptism Paul immediately preached in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God."Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God" (Acts 9:18-20). However, in the Holy Book of Galatians we read "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days" (Galatians 1:15-18).

Could Your Grace explain if the word "immediately" in both situations does or does not bring about contradiction.

The answer

There is no contradiction between these two passages. The 'immediately' in the two verses in the two different contexts do not refer to the same thing. In (Acts 9:18-20), it refers to him taking immediate action in preaching. In Galatians, however, it refers to Paul not wasting time trying to consult people's opinion on what the Holy Spirit had ordered him to do. Rather, he immediately took action and proceeded to spread the message of the Holy Gospel.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 968 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.