Meet the Apostle Paul—Part Eighteen
Last time, we left the Apostle Paul praising the Thessalonian church while also answering their questions about the second coming of Jesus. Paul was in the city of Corinth when he wrote 1 & 2 Thessalonians. A few years later, the Apostle is in Ephesus when he receives a report and a letter from the church at Corinth. That is where we will pick up but let’s take a minute to put all this in context.
Establishing a precise chronology for Paul’s life is an exercise in frustration. Luke and Paul appear to have had little interest in dropping bread crumbs for future historians.
Mark Keown proposes the following outline:
Date Event
c. 1–10 Paul’s birth
Autumn 27–Autumn 28 Ministry of John the Baptist
Spring 28 Baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9–11 and parr.)
Autumn 28–Autumn 29 Galilean ministry of Jesus (Mark 1:14–9:50 and parr.)
Friday April 7, 30 Crucifixion of Jesus (3:00 p.m.)
Sunday April 9, 30 The resurrection and empty tomb
Friday May 19, 30 The ascension of Jesus
Monday May 27, 30 Pentecost
c. 31–33 Conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1–22; Gal 1:15–16)
c. 31/33–35 Three years in Arabia (Gal 1:17)
c. 35 Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26–30; Gal 1:18–19)
c. 35–45? Paul’s mission in Syria and Cilicia (Acts 9:30; 11:25–30; Gal 1:21)
c. 42 Paul’s heavenly vision (2 Cor 12:1–5)
c. 43 Death of James (brother of John) and Peter’s escape from prison (Acts 12:1–17)
March 44 Death of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:20–23)
45–48 Famine in Judea and the first Jerusalem collection (Acts 11:28)
c. 46 Paul and Barnabas visit Jerusalem (Acts 11:30; Gal 2:1)
c. 48 Galatians
49 Claudian Edict expelling Jews from Rome due to conflict over Christ (Suet, Claud. 25.4; Acts 18:2)
c. 49 Apostolic council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:6–29)
c. 49–50 Paul missionary journey to Macedonia, including Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (Acts 16:9–17:14; 1 Thess 1:2–2:2)
Autumn 50–Spring 52 Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:1–18; 1 Cor 2:1–5)
Late 50 1 and 2 Thessalonians
c. May 51 Gallio proconsul of Achaia (Acts 18:12)
Spring–Summer 52 Paul’s return to Judea and Syria (Acts 18:22)
Autumn 52–Summer 55 Paul in Ephesus on his third major missionary journey (Acts 19:1–20:1)
Spring 55 1 Corinthians (1 Cor 16:8)
Autumn 55 Paul in Troas (2 Cor 2:12)
Winter 55–Autumn 56 Paul in Macedonia (and Illyricum?), the second Jerusalem collection (Acts 20:1–2; Rom 15:19)
56 2 Corinthians
Winter 56–57 Paul in Achaia (Corinth), second Jerusalem collection (Acts 20:2–3; Rom 15:25–28; 16:23)
May 57 Paul’s arrival to deliver the collection and his arrest in Jerusalem (Acts 21:15–33)
57–59 Paul imprisoned at Caesarea (Acts 23:23–26:32)
Late 62–63 End of Paul’s Roman detention (Acts 28:30)
62 Death of James the Just in Jerusalem (Josephus, Ant. 20.9)
62–64 Fourth missionary journey west (Spain)? And/or east to Greece and Asia
July 64 Great fire in Rome
64–65 Imprisonment in Rome
64–65 Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy
65? Neronian persecution, Peter and Paul killed[1]
If Keown is right, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians around the same time that Nero is establishing himself on the throne as he had just taken the crown as Caesar in 54 AD. That will come into play when we look at Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.
Lord willing, we will pick up there next time.
[1] Mark J. Keown, Discovering the New Testament: An Introduction to Its Background, Theology, and Themes: The Pauline Letters (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2021), 7–10.