Paul as a Role Model in the Third Conversion Story

This study aims to shed a new light on Paul’s third speech (Acts26:2-23) including the third conversion story (26:9-18) with the helpof narrative criticism. In consideration of the journey motif throughoutthe book of Acts, we draw a literary boundary for the Jerusalem-Caesarea narrative (21:17-26:32) that includes Paul’s three differentspeeches (22:1-21; 24:10b-21; 26:2-23). Unlike the comparative studiesbetween the three conversion accounts (9:1-19; 22:6-26; 26:9-18) inprevious scholarship, this study concentrates on the literary location ofeach account in the book of Acts.
On the basis of literary analysis, which indicates that the firstspeech and the third speech include the second and the third conversionstory respectively in the Jerusalem-Caesarea narrative, this studyconfirms that the implied author edits the speeches to meet his ownpurpose for the sake of the audience currently being addressed. In thelast part of the Jerusalem-Caesarea narrative, the third speech showsthat Paul plays a role both as a successful apologetical speaker and as acommissioned role model proclaiming the gospel to the Jews as well asthe Gentiles under all circumstances. In addition, by using the conversionstory as part of the probatio in Paul’s rhetoric, the author allowsPaul to change and generalize his conversion experience for the sakeof the Jewish and Gentile audiences. Paul’s third speech contains thecharacter’s voice for the antagonists and the voice of the implied authorfor his readers at the same time.