THE SPEECHES OF ST PETER AND ST PAUL IN ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

About half of the Book of Acts consists of a total of 26 speeches, discourses, and letter:

• 21 Speeches
• 8 addresses delivered by Peter,
• 1 lengthy sermon of Stephen before the Sanhedrin (7:2-53)
• 1 brief explanation by Cornelius (10:30-33)
• 1 short address by James at the Jerusalem Council (15:13- 21)
• 1 advice to Paul by James and the elders in Jerusalem (21:20-25)
• 9 sermons and speeches by Paul.
• 5 discourses
• by Gamaliel the Pharisee (5:35-39)
• Demetrius the silver- smith (19:25-27)
• the city clerk in Ephesus (19:35-40)
• Tertullus the lawyer (24:2-8)
• Festus the governor (25:24-27).
• 2 letters: 
• one from the Jerusalem Council to the Gentile churches (15:23-29)
• and the other written by Claudius Lysias addressed to Governor Felix (23:27-30). 

 

The author of Acts gives us two sample speeches of Peter, one to the Jews and the other to the gentiles.  Similarly with Paul, one speech to Jews and one to gentiles.

•  Peter's speech at Pentecost to the Jews (Acts 2:14-36, 38-40))
• Delivered in Jerusalem
• Focuses on the the prophecies in the Psalms (ps 2:14-36) 
• And the fulfillment of what had been foretold in Joel 2:28-32: that in the last days God would pour out his Spirit on “all flesh.”

• Peter's speech to the Gentiles (Acts 10:34-43)
• Proclaimed to the household of Cornelius of Caesarea – a Gentile 
• Summarises the apostolic preaching, exhibiting its four main features: 
• the fulfillment of prophecy;
• the facts of Jesus’ ministry, death, and exaltation; 
• the apostles’ personal witness; 
• and the assurance of forgiveness to all who believe in Jesus. 

• Paul's speech to the Jews and God-fearers (Acts 13:16-41)
• Delivered at Antioch
• Began with a historical survey of the mighty acts of God in the history of Israel from the Exodus to the establishment of David’s kingship
• And focuses on                                  
  
• the testimony of the Scriptures, 
• their fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth, 
• the appeal to personal witness,                         
  
• and the call for repentance and faith

• Paul's speech to the Gentiles (Acts 17:22-34)
• Delivered at Athens
• A hellenistic speech about the true knowledge of God
• God is the creator of all things in general and of human beings in particular, for whose daily needs he makes provision. Human beings are the offspring of God and God has fixed a day on which human beings will be judged for their response to him, and he has marked out the man to whom he will entrust this judgment by raising him from the dead.

 

The similarity between this Pauline address and those of Peter may be considered as an illustrative commentary on Paul’s words: ”Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed” (1 Cor. 15:11).