Chronology and other inconsistencies between Paul’s
epistles and other NT books:
Trying to determine the chronology of the Apostle Paul’s life and
travels is challenging.
There is limited information; some of which appears contradictory
and while we have a number of epistles to factor into this chronology, the
period to cover is actually quite long, from around 33/34 CE to 68 CE. That is,
over 30 years!
In a casual reading of his letters and the information about his
life available as well in Acts, I don’t believe we would easily recognize a
period being spanned of some 34 years.
Dr J Paul Tanner has given a convincing overview of this
chronology and makes some important comments in his introduction, including:
“Any attempt to reconstruct a chronology for the events
in the life of Paul must admit to some degree of approximation, though we can
‘come close’ to dating certain aspects of the Apostle's life. In reviewing the
scholarship of others, two key decisions have strong bearing on most everything
else. The first is the date that one presumes for the crucifixion of Christ.”
(Tanner assumes 33 CE/AD), and “The
second is the date of Paul's ministry at Corinth. Acts 18:12 mentions that Paul
was brought before Gallio who was proconsul of Achaia (lower Greece). The year
of his office was from early summer of AD 51 to early summer of AD 52.
Thus, Paul's stay in Corinth had to overlap with the administration of Gallio. Although most scholars agree on this date for Gallio, they differ over the exact years that Paul was in Corinth. Had Paul recently arrived in Corinth when Gallio took office, or was he already near the conclusion of his Corinthian ministry (which lasted at least 18 months − Acts 18:11)? Hence, some will date Paul's arrival in Corinth as early as Dec AD 49, while others will date it in the spring of AD 51. Most attempts to reconstruct a chronology for Paul's life will be made as a result of working backward and forward from the date of Paul's time in Corinth. This accounts for a slight difference of a year or two in most schemes.
Inevitably, one must also make certain assumptions on
certain other matters. The fourteen years mentioned in Gal 2:1 for Paul's 2nd
Jerusalem visit are probably fourteen years from the time of his conversion
rather than fourteen years from the 1st Jerusalem visit mentioned in Gal 1:18.
Also, most time periods should probably be understood on the basis of
"inclusive dating" (whereby a portion of a year would be counted as a
full year). This is the common understanding of most scholars. I also assume
that Paul's 2nd Jerusalem visit (Acts 11:30; Gal 2:1) for the purpose of famine
relief is distinct from Paul's visit to Jerusalem for the "Jerusalem
Council" (Acts 15), and that Paul wrote Galatians before the Jerusalem
Council.”[1]
Some argue that the chronology in Acts 9 (by Luke) is in conflict
with that given in Galatians 1 (by Paul). They see a conflict between the
‘immediately’ of Acts 9:20 and that in Gal 1:17.
In Acts 9: 19 -30 we read:
“Now for several days he was with
the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately
he began to proclaim Yeshua in
the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All those hearing him continued
to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those
who called on this name, and who
had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”
But Sha’ul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at
Damascus by proving that this Yeshua
is the Messiah. When many days had
elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, but their plot became
known to Sha’ul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they
might put him to death; but his disciples took him by night and let him down
through an opening in the wall,
lowering him in a large basket. When he
came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they
were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took
hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had
seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus
he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them, moving
about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. And he
was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. But when the
brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent
him away to Tarsus.”
And in Galatians 1:15-22 we read Paul’s account of his initial
travels after the Damascus Road event:
But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called
me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might
preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not
immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to
those who were apostles before me; but I
went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.”
Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.”
Now let’s look at how Dr Tanner lays out this chronology, from
around 33-35 CE:
1. At
Jerusalem
a.
Witnesses the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58)
b.
Participates in the persecution of the Jerusalem church (Acts 8:1-4)
c.
Receives authority from the High Priest to go to Damascus to persecute
Christians (Acts 9:1-2)
2.
Experiences at Damascus
a.
Confronted by Jesus on the Damascus Road and converted (Acts 9:3-8; 22:5-11;
26:12-18)
b.
Ministered to by Ananias of Damascus (Acts 9:9-19; 22:12-16)
c.
Initial testimony at Damascus (Acts 9:19-22; 26:20)
d.
Departure to Arabia (Gal 1:16-17), which probably occurs between Acts 9:22 and
Acts 9:23 – referring to the ‘many days had elpased’
e.
Return to Damascus (Gal 1:17)
f.
Attempt to kill Paul by Jews during the reign of Aretas IV (Acts 9:23-25; 2 Cor
11:32-33)
3. Return to
Jerusalem (3 yrs after conversion − Gal 1:18) – in summer of 37 CE
a.
Befriended by Barnabas (Acts 9:26-28)
b.
Stays 15 days with Peter and visits with James (Gal 1:18-19)
c.
Hellenistic Jews attempt to kill Paul (Acts 9:29)
4. Departure
to Tarsus
Christians
bring Paul to Caesarea and send him off to Tarsus. There he ministers in the
regions of Syria and Cilicia (Acts 9:30; Gal 1:21-24). Note: During Paul's
tenure in Syria-Cilicia, Peter is used to initiate the inclusion of Gentiles in
the church (Acts 10−11).
5.
Activities at Antioch
a.
Church at Antioch develops from persecution that arose in connection with
Stephen (Acts 11:19)
b.
The Jerusalem church sends Barnabas to investigate the activities of Antioch
(Acts 11:22)
c.
Barnabas goes to Tarsus and returns with Paul to conduct intensive teaching
ministry (Acts 11:25 26) – Spring 43 CE?[2]
I find Dr Tanner’s chronology here reasonable and consistent. Note
that when Paul states that he ‘did not immediately consult with
flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before
me’, he is NOT saying he did not immediately start speaking of Yeshua
in the synagogue each Sabbath. He appears reasonable to assume from the limited
detail given that once he had regained his sight, he proclaimed Yeshua in the
synagogue, then departed to Arabia for some time, and then on returning to
Damascus, he again began to proclaim Yeshua before heading off to Jerusalem for
the first time.
Note though that the Acts 9 account does not mention the side-trip
to Arabia during the 2-4 years (most probably around 3 years), from the
Damascus Road event to the arrival in Jerusalem. Does this omission by Luke
suggest that Paul is in error and dishonest in Galatians? I can’t see this as
very likely. Luke appears to have no reason to mention the excursion to Arabia;
we are not even told why Paul mentions it. It does not seem valid to me that to
argue that this suggests Paul is being dishonest.
If you have any other questions regarding the chronology of Paul’s
life, I would recommend checking out Dr Tanners full chronology at the link I
provided above.
Next: Differences in the Damascus Road narrative:
[2] Note: Herod Agrippa I initiates a persecution
against Christians and has James the apostle killed. Peter is freed, and
Agrippa is struck by God in AD 44 (Acts 12). Note that the details recorded in
Acts 11−12 may not be in strict chronological order, so that the events of
11:27-30 (including the famine) may be after Agrippa's death. Acts 12:25 would
then resume the story of Paul.
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