Luke presents the mission of the Church beyond Israel largely through
journeys of Paul and his companions. Acts anticipates the Gentile mission from
the beginning and stemming from Jesus’ teaching that his disciples will be
witnesses from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth (Acts
1.8; thus fulfilling Is. 59.6). This concurs with Jesus’ instructions at the
end of Matthew (28.18-20) and Luke (24.46-49). This Gentile mission starts with
the diaspora Jews visiting on Pentecost, who take the Gospel back to their home
regions (Acts 2.5-11). John hints at the same development, when Gentiles
seek Jesus just before His passion and Jesus says that He will draw all people
to Himself when He is ‘lifted up’ (meaning both crucified and glorified) from
the earth (12.20-36; reflecting Isaiah 52.10, 13). In Acts, the mission continues as the Gospel
is taken to Samaritans (Acts 8.5, 25), to an Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8.27ff),
and to a Roman Centurion's family (Acts 10.1ff). This study, however,
presents the data from Acts for the Pauline missions and offers some external
data that helps us to ascertain the dates for these missions.
FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (WITH BARNABAS)
Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia to Pisidian Antioch (13.13f; Mark quits the mission (15.37f)
Pisidian Antioch to Iconium (13.51).
Considerable time (14.3)
Iconium-Lycaonian cities of Lystra to Derbe
(14.6, 20)
Derbe to Lystra to Iconium to Antioch (14.21)
Pisidia to Pamphylia (Perga) to Attalia
(14.25)
Attalia to Antioch (14.26) Stayed at Antioch
a long time
JERUSALEM VISIT REGARDING GENTILE QUESTION
Jerusalem-Antioch (15.30, 35)
SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (WITH SILAS)
From Antioch through Syria to Cilicia (15.41)
To Derbe, Lystra, Iconium (16.1f)
Throughout Phrygia and Galatia (not Asia
Mysia or Bithynia) to Troas (to
Macedonia)
(16.6-10)
Troas to Samothrace to Neapolis to Philippi
(16.11f) several days
Philippi through Amphipolis and Apollonia to
Thessalonica (17.1)
3 Sabbaths (17.2)
Thessalonica-Beroea (17.10)
Beroea-Coast-Athens (17.14f)
Athens to Corinth (18.1) Aquila and Priscilla
recently expelled from Rome (18.2)
Paul stays one year and six months (18.11)
Gallio proconsul of
Achaia (18.12)
Corinth-Syria (18.18)
Corinth to Cenchrea (18.18)
to Ephesus (18.19) to Caesarea (18.22) to Antioch (18.22); some
time in
Antioch
THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
Antioch throughout Galatia and Phrygia
(18.23)
Road through interior to Ephesus
While Apollos
is at Corinth (19.1), Paul 3 months in Ephesian synagogues (19.8)
2 years
discipling in lecture halls of Tyrannus (19.10)
Ephesus through Macedonia and Achaia to
Jerusalem (19.21)
Plans to go to Rome after trip (19.21)
Ephesus-Macedonia (20.1)
Through
Macedonia to Greece (20.2f), 3 month stay
Greece-Macedonia (20.3)
Philippi-Troas
(20.6) After Unleavened Bread, 5 day
journey, stay of 7 days.
Troas-Assos (on
foot) to Mitylene (by ship) (20.13f)
Mitylene (one
day)-Chios
(one day)-Samos (one day)-Miletus (20.15)
Paul in hurry to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost (20.16)
Miletus to Cos
(one day) to Rhodes to Patara (21.1)
Patara-Phoenicia (on a new ship) (21.2)
Route: Patara-south of Cyprus-Syria
Tyre
(21.3)
7 days
Tyre-Ptolemais
(21.7) 1 day
Ptolemais-Caesarea (21.8) a number of days
Caesarea-Jerusalem (21.15)
ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT IN JERUSALEM AND CAESAREA
Day 1 Reception (21.17)
Day 2 Meeting with James (21.18)
Days 3-10 7 Day Purification nearly completed (arrest)
(21.26f) Commander
Claudius Lysias
Day 1 (after arrest) Sanhedrin (22.30)
Day 2 Revelation of testimony in Rome
(23.11)
Day 3 Jerusalem to Caesarea (23.12, 23)
Day 4 Paul’s hearing set in Caesarea
(24.31-33)
Day 9 Ananias states case against Paul
(24.1)
"12 days ago I went to Jerusalem" (24.11)
Governor Felix--governor "for many years" (24.10)
Several days later Paul’s 2nd hearing with
wife Drusilla (24.24)
2 years later change of governor to Festus
(24.27)
Day 3 of Festus’ rule: Festus goes to
Jerusalem (25.1)
Day 11-13 Festus goes to Caesarea
(25.6) "8-10 days later"
A few days later Agrippa and Bernice visit
for several days (25.13f)
(Next day after explaining Paul’s case) Paul speaks (25.23ff)
IMPRISONMENT JOURNEY TO ROME
Adramyttium-Sidon (one day by ship) (27.3)
Sidon, under lee of Cyprus, past Cilicia and
Pamphilia, to Myra in Lycia (27.4f)
Myra (new ship) to off Cnidus (several days)
to under lee of Crete off Salmone (27.7f) (a
number of days as the wind was against them)
Fair Havens
near Lasea (27.8) "a long time" (27.9)
Day of
Atonement already past (27.9)
Along Crete toward Phoenicia (Crete) for
winter (27.12)
Storm; blown to
lee of island Cauda (27.16)
Driven along by
wind (hoping to avoid sandbanks off coast of Syrtis) (27.17)
Next day:
Cargo overboard (27.18)
Next day:
Ship’s equipment overboard (27.19)
Many days
(27.20)
14th
night: driven in Adriatic Sea (27.27)
15th
night: shipwreck at Malta (27.39; 28.1)
Chief Official at Malta: Publius (28.7)
3
months on Malta (28.11)
Malta-Syracuse (3 days) (28.12f) to Rhegium
(28.13)
Next day:
Rhegium-Puteoli (2 days) (28.13) 1 week (28.14)
Puteoli-Rome via Forum of Appius and Three Taverns (28.15)
ROME
Day One:
Arrival
3 days
later: meeting with Jewish leaders (28.17)
2 yrs. in
rented home preaching (28.30)
Externally Ascertainable Dates for a
Pauline Chronology
I. Edict of Claudius (Acts 18.2)
A. References:
1.
Suetonius, Life of Claudius 25
2. Dio Cassius
60.6.6
37 Orosius (5th
c. Church Historian, History 7.6.5)
B. Conclusions:
The evidence of Acts
and the dating of Orosius would place this edict Jan. 25,
49-Jan. 24, 50.
II. Gallio Proconsulship (Acts 18.12)
Archaeology: Gallio Inscription
Gallio was evidently in Corinth between July
1st, 51 and July 1st, 52. Paul was in Corinth at
this time and stayed there a total of 1 and 1/2
years.
III. Egyptian Rebel and 4,000 Zealots (Acts 21.38)
A. Josephus, Ant. 20.158ff
This happened before Paul’s arrest in
Jerusalem, under Felix, after Claudius’ death.
B. Paul’s arrest must have happened
after 55.
IV. Paul’s Hearing Before Felix and Festus (Acts 24.10, 27; 25.1)
A. References:
1.
Tacitus, Ann. 12.54
2.
Josephus, Bell. 2.232ff; Ant. 20.182.
B. Felix took office 52/53.
Festus replaced him probably in the summer of 59 or 60.
V. Encounter with Ananias (Acts 23.1-5; 24.1)
A. Josephus, Ant. 20.125-133, 179.
B. Ananias was appointed high priest in
A.D. 47. His appointment was questioned
in 52, but he probably continued in office until 59.
VI. Dates for other rulers:
A. The Herodians
Herod the
Great 37 BC - 4 BC
Herod
Antipas 4 BC - AD
39 (Mk. 6.14ff; 8.15; Lk. 3.1; 13.31;
23.6ff)
Philip (Mk.
8.27) 4 BC - AD 34
Herod Agrippa
I AD 37-44
(Acts 12)
Agrippa II 53-100 (?) Acts 25.13ff)
B. Emperors (dates of rule, always
ending by their deaths)
Augustus 27 BC - AD 14
Tiberius 14-37
Gaius
Caligula 37-41
Claudius 41-54
Nero 54-68
VII. King Aretas (2 Cor. 11.32)
A. Josephus, Ant. 16.294
B. Ruled Nabataean Kingdom 9 BC - AD 38-40. When was he likely to have ruled Damascus?
Tiberius’ policy discouraged client kingdoms in favor of provinces (e.g.,
Syria), whereas Caligula favored client kingdoms. Thus it is likely that
Aretas ruled Damascus only during Caligula’s rule.
C. So, Paul’s conversion must have happened between 37-40.
References:
Jewett, Robert. A Chronology of
Paul's Life. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.
Lüdemann, Gerd. Paul, Apostle to
the Gentiles, I: Studies in Chronology. Trans. F. Stanley
Jones. Philadelphia: Fortress Press,
1984.
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