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COMMENTS
Approximate Date for Paul’s Conversion
Comment: We believe that the conversion of Paul took at some point between 33 and
35 AD.
Resources: Hawthorne, Gerald, and Martin, Ralph ed. Dictionary of Paul and His letters. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1993. Page 117.
Whenham, David, Steve Walton. Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Gosples and Acts. Vol. 1: Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2001. Page 286.
Date of the Famine Collection
Comment: Claudius reigned from 41-54 AD. Josephus writes that a severe famine
affected Jerusalem soon after the Death of King Agrippa in 44 AD. Hengel and Schwemer note that the death of Agrippa probably severly shook the Jewish Community. Luke writes in Acts 12:25 that John Mark returned to Antioch with them. They probably did not stay long in Antioch before embarking on the first missionary journey. Therefore, the last possible date for the famine is probably the best. Lastly, this offering was given to the elders in the church, which indicates that the leadership in the church had time to develop, again pushing for a later date. Therefore, we support a date of 44 or 46 AD for the famine collection.
Resources: Hengel, Martin and Anna Marie Schwemer. Paul:
Between Damascas
and Antioch. Louisville: John Knox, 1997. Pages 239-43.
Josephus, Flavius. The Words of Flavius Josephus. Translated by William Whiston Philadelphia: Henry T. Coates, nd. Pages 113, 587, 590. .
Polhill, John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1999. Pages 73-4.
Tranquillus, Suetonius. Suetonius. Cambridge: Harvard University, 1965. Pages 19-81.
The First Missionary Journey
Comment: We believe the First Missionary Journey occurred between 45-48 A.D.
Resources:
Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough, Encountering the New
Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998. Page 240.
John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishing Company, 1999. Pages 79-80.
The Second Missionary Journey
Comment: We believe the Second Missionary Journey occurred between 48-52 A.D.
Resource: John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999. Pages 79-80.
Timeframe of the Jerusalem Council
Comment: We believe the Jerusalem Council occurred between 48 A.D. because the
Jerusalem Council has to come between the first and second missionary journey.
Resources: John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing
Company, 1999. Pages 79-80.
Length of Paul’s Visit to Ephesus during the Second Missionary Journey
Comment: Acts 19:8 states that Paul spoke in the Synagogue for three months. Verses
nine and ten state that Paul then spent two years discussing daily in the lecture hall of Tyranus. Finally, verse twenty-two states that Paul remained in Ephesis a little longer while sending his helpers to Macedonia. When taken together, these three references to time add up to the three years Paul later mentions in Acts 20:31.
Resource: Polhill, John B. Acts. Vol. 26. The New American Commentary Nashville:
Broadman, 1992. Page 401.
The Third Missionary Journey
Comment: We believe the Third Missionary Journey occurred between 52-57 A.D.
Resources: John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999. Page 80.
Approximate Date of 1 Corinthians and Its Origin
Comment: According to 1 Corinthians 16:8, the epistle was written from Ephesus during
the third missionary journey as Paul was going through Macedonia. The date for this was approximately 55-57 A.D.
Resources: Polhill,John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999. Page 278.
Approximate Date of 2 Corinthians and Its Origin
Comment: According to Polhill, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians while he traveled from
Corinth on his third missionary journey. Polhill cites 2 Corinthians 9:2.
Resources: Polhill, John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999. Page 259.
Approximate Date of the
Caesarean Imprisonment
Comment: We believe the Caesarean Imprisonment occurred between 57-59 A.D.
Resources: John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing
Company, 1999. Page 80.
Approximate Date of the Roman Imprisonment
Comment: We believe the Roman Imprisonment occurred between 60-62 A.D.
Resources: John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999. Page 80.
Provenance and Date of Colossians
Comment: Paul probably wrote Colossians from prison, this is revealed in the text in
Col 4:3-4, 10, 18 where Paul refers to himself as a fellow prisoner, and ask that the reader remember his imprisonment. This reference would likely put the time frame between AD 57-63.
Resources: Lea, Thomas D. The New Testament: Its Message and Background.
Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996. Pages 352-354, 456-57.
Paul’s Location for the Writing of Romans
Comment: According to 1 Corinthians 1:14 and 16:23, and also John B. Polhill, Paul
wrote Romans while in Corinth.
Resources: Polhill, John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman,
1999. Page 278.
Proof that Paul Wrote Romans while on His Third Missionary Journey
Comment: Paul stated in Romans 15:25 that he was on his way to Jerusalem, and in
16:3 he mentioned that Aquilla and Priscilla are no longer with him. During Paul’s three month stay in Corinth, he took time to write the lengthy letter that we know as Romans. This letter was probably put to parchment in either the winter of AD 56 or 57.
Resources: Polhill, John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman,
1999. Page 278.
Provenance and Date of 1 Timothy and Titus
Comment: It is generally accepted that Paul wrote 1 Timothy and Titus at the same time,
possibly from Macedonia. (1 Timothy 1:3) This is strongly supported by the deep structural similarities between the two books. The date is between 65-67 A.D.
Resources: Polhill, John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999.
Date of 2 Timothy
Comment: The text of 2 Timothy establishes the date of the letter sometime after Paul’s
First Missionary Journey (2 Tim 1:5; 3:10-11). We believe that Paul wrote 2 Timothy from prison in Rome (2 Tim 1:16-17; 2:9; 4:9-15) in either late 67 or early 68, just prior to the death of Emperor Nero. In writing the letter, Paul believed that his life was about to end (2 Tim 4:6-8).
Resources:
Hawthorne, Gerald, and Martin, Ralph ed. Dictionary of Paul and His
Letters. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1993. Page 722.
Polhill, John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishing Company, 1999. Page 406.
Paul’s Re-Arrest and Death
Comment: We believe Paul’s re-arrest and death occurred between 67-68 A.D.
because traditionally Nero is credited with killing Paul and Nero died in June of 68 A.D.; therefore, Paul had to be dead before then. We believe the date to be at least 67 A.D. because we believe 2 Timothy to be written in 67 A.D.
Resources: John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999. Pages 405, 438-40.
Date and Provenance of 1 Corinthians
Comment: 1
Corinthians was written from Ephesus (1
Corinthians 16:8) during the third
missionary journey as Paul was going through
Macedonia. The date for this was
approximately 55-57 A.D.
Resources: John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999. Page 278.
Date and
Provenance of 2 Corinthians
Comment: 2 Corinthians was written on the way back from Corinth on the third
missionary journey according to 2 Corinthians 9:2. The date written was 56 A.D.
Resources: John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999. Page 259.
Date and Order of Writing of 1 and 2 Thessalonians
Comment: Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians following the reunion and report of Timothy
and Silas with Paul in Corinth (1 Thess 1:2-10, 3:6-10). There appears to be a connection between the two Thessalonians letters. Because of the lack of normality, it can be determined that 2 Thessalonians followed closely after 1 Thessalonians, probably within six months (2 Thess 2:15).
Resources: John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman
Publishing Company, 1999. Page 180.
Provenance of Philippians (Minority Report)
Comment: Reasons for Authorship in Ephesus: (1) Timothy was with Paul (Phil 1:1;
Acts 19:22) in Ephesus, however, no evidence is given that Timothy was with Paul in Rome; (2) Praetorium and Caesar’s household (Phil 4:22) in Ephesus; (3) Distance between Ephesus and Philippi is minimal (100 miles); whereas, the distance between Rome and Philippi is vast (800 miles); (4) Evangelistic activity on and around Ephesus; (5) Paul mentions “frequent” imprisonments (2 Cor 11:23) and fought wild beasts in Ephesus (1 Cor 15:32); and, (6) Ruin of a prison cite in ancient Ephesus locally known as “the prison of Paul.”
Resources: Hawthorne, Gerald F. & Ralph P.
Martin. Dictionary of Paul and His
Letters. DownersGrove: InterVarsity Press, 1993. Page 710.
Polhill, John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999. Pages 165-66.
Provenance and Date of Philippians (Majority Report)
Comment: There is Biblical evidence for Philippians being written from Paul’s Roman
Imprisonment (Acts 28:16, 30). First of all, when Colossians and Philemon were written, Timothy was present (Col 1:1; Phlm 1). Additionally, Archippus is sent greetings from Paul (Col 4:17; Phlm 2), and Onesimus was sent with the Colossi and Philemon letters (Col 4:7-9; Phlm 8-12). Additionally, there is a reference to Paul being in prison in Rome in both Colossians 4:18 and Philemon 23. In Philippians 1:1 Paul mentions Timothy while in he is in prison (Phil 1:7-26). Paul is sending the letter with Timothy to the Philippians (Phil 2:19-30). Also, Paul is mentioned as sharing his faith with the entire palace guard in Philippians 1:13, which would point to Caesar’s household. See also Minority Report.
Resources: Hawthorne, Gerald F. & Ralph P.
Martin. Dictionary of Paul and His
Letters. DownersGrove: InterVarsity Press, 1993. Pages 709-710.
Polhill, John B. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999. Page 165.
Provenance and Date of Philemon
Comment: It can be determined that Philemon was written around the same time as
Colossians, there is a prison reference at the end in verse 22, and a number of the same fellow prisoners are mentioned in Colossians 4:10. also the bearer of the letter to Philemon is Onesimus who is is mentioned in Colossians 4:7-9 as being a travel companion to Tychicus, and the text also makes clear that Onesismus is a native of Colosae, which would lead one to believe that Philemon was also of Colosae, since Onesismus was his slave.
Resources: Lea, Thomas D. The New Testament: Its Message and Background.
Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996. Pages 352-354, 464.
Paul’s Third Visit to Corinth
Comment: In 2 Corinthians 12:14, 20-21 and 13:1-14, Paul wrote of plans for a third
visit to Corinth. One can not, however, be certain about Paul’s visit to Corinth. Acts’ purpose was not to be a complete chronology of Paul but instead one of the early church. Therefore, one must assume that Paul made another journey to Corinth that Acts does not record.
Resources: George Beasley-Murray, 2 Corinthians. Vol. 11. Broadman Bible
Commentary. Nashville: Broadman, 1971.
John B. Polhill. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1999.
Paul Mentions Shipwreck?
Comment: 2 Corinthians 11:21-28 mentions several hardships which span the Acts’ chronology. In this passage, he mentioned being shipwrecked three times but Acts only cites one shipwreck occurring in Malta (Acts 27:39—28:1). If Paul is specially referring to the shipwreck in Malta, then the writing of 2 Corinthians would be later than the proposed date.
Resources: George Beasley-Murray, 2 Corinthians. Vol. 11. Broadman Bible
Commentary. Nashville: Broadman, 1971.
John B. Polhill. Paul and His Letters. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1999.
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Last revised: April 1, 2003