# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Are you familiar with the term "epistle"? It means "letter." And in the context of the Bible, the epistles always refer to the group of letters grouped together in the middle of the New Testament. Written by leaders of the early church, these letters contain valuable insight and principles for living as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

There are 21 separate letters found in the New Testament, which makes the epistles the largest of the Bible's literary genre in terms of the number of books. (Strangely, the epistles are among the smallest genres of the Bible in terms of actual word count.) For that reason, I've divided my general overview of the epistles as a literary genre into three separate articles.

In addition to the summaries of the epistles below, I encourage you to read my two previous articles: Exploring the Epistles and Were the Epistles Written for You and Me? Both of these articles contain valuable information for properly understanding and applying the principles of the epistles in your life today.

And now, without further delay, here are summaries of the different epistles contained in the Bible's New Testament.

The Pauline Epistles

The following books of the New Testament were written by the apostle Paul over a period of several years, and from several different locations.

The Book of Romans

One of the longest epistles, Paul wrote this letter to the growing church in Rome as a way of expressing his enthusiasm for their success and his desire to visit them personally. The bulk of the letter, however, is a deep and poignant study on the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. Paul wrote about salvation, faith, grace, sanctification, and many practical concerns for living as a follower of Jesus in a culture that has rejected Him.

1 and 2 Corinthians

Paul took a great interest in the churches spread throughout the region of Corinth -- so much so that he wrote at least four separate letters to that congregation. Only two of those letters have been preserved, which we know as 1 and 2 Corinthians. Because the city of Corinth was corrupt with all kinds of immorality, much of Paul's instructions to this church center on remaining separate from the sinful practices of the surrounding culture and remaining united as Christians.

Paul had founded the church in Galatia (modern day Turkey) around 51 A.D., then continued his missionary journeys. During his absence, however, groups of false teachers had corrupted the Galatians by claiming that Christians must continue to observe the different laws from the Old Testament in order to remain clean before God. Therefore, much of Paul's epistle to the Galatians is an appeal for them to return to the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith -- and to avoid the legalistic practices of the false teachers.

As with Galatians, the letter to the Ephesians emphasizes God's grace and the fact that human beings cannot attain salvation through works or legalism. Paul also emphasized the importance of unity in the church and its singular mission -- a message that was especially important in this letter because the city of Ephesus was a major trade center populated by people of many separate ethnicities.

Philippians

While the major theme of Ephesians is grace, the major theme of the letter to the Philippians is joy. Paul encouraged the Philippian Christians to relish the joy of living as servants of God and disciples of Jesus Christ -- a message that was all the more poignant because Paul was confined in a Roman prison cell while writing it.

Colossians

This is another letter Paul wrote while suffering as a prisoner in Rome and another in which Paul sought to correct numerous false teachings that had infiltrated the church. Apparently, the Colossians had began worshiping angels and other heavenly beings, along with the teachings of Gnosticism -- including the idea that Jesus Christ was not fully God, but merely a man. Throughout Colossians, then, Paul lifts up the centrality of Jesus in the universe, His divinity, and His rightful place as Head of the church.

1 and 2 Thessalonians

Paul had visited the Greek city of Thessalonica during his second missionary journey, but was only able to remain there for a few weeks because of persecution. Therefore, he was concerned about the health of the fledgling congregation. After hearing a report from Timothy, Paul sent the letter we know as 1 Thessalonians to clarify some points on which the church members were confused -- including the second coming of Jesus Christ and the nature of eternal life. In the letter we know as 2 Thessalonians, Paul reminded the people of the need to continue living and working as followers of God until Christ returned.

1 and 2 Timothy

The books we know as 1 and 2 Timothy were the first epistles written to individuals, rather than regional congregations. Paul had mentored Timothy for years and sent him to lead the growing church in Ephesus. For that reason, Paul's epistles to Timothy contain practical advice for pastoral ministry -- including teachings on proper doctrine, avoiding unnecessary debates, the order of worship during gatherings, qualifications for church leaders, and so on. The letter we know as 2 Timothy is quite personal and offers encouragement regarding Timothy's faith and ministry as a servant of God.

Like Timothy, Titus was a protege of Paul's who had been sent to lead a specific congregation -- specifically, the church located on the island of Crete. Once again, this letter contains a mix of leadership advice and personal encouragement.

The epistle to Philemon is unique in Paul's letter in that it was largely written as a response to a single situation. Specifically, Philemon was a wealthy member of the Colossian church. He had a slave named Onesimus who ran away. Strangely, Onesimus ministered to Paul while the apostle was imprisoned in Rome. Therefore, this epistle was an appeal for Philemon to welcome a runaway slave back into his home as a fellow disciple of Christ.

The General Epistles

The remaining letters of the New Testament were written by a diverse collection of leaders in the early church.

One of the unique circumstances surrounding the Book of Hebrews is that Bible scholars aren't precisely sure who wrote it. There are many different theories, but none can be proven currently. Possible authors include Paul, Apollos, Barnabus, and others. While the author may be unclear, the primary theme of this epistle is easily identifiable -- it serves as a warning to Jewish Christians not to abandon the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, and not to re-embrace the practices and laws of the Old Testament. For this reason, one of the major focuses of this epistle is the superiority of Christ over all other beings.

One of the primary leaders of the early church, James was also one of Jesus' brothers. Written to all people who considered themselves followers of Christ, James's epistle is a thoroughly practical guide to living the Christian life. One of the most important themes of this epistle is for Christians to reject hypocrisy and favoritism, and instead to help those in need as an act of obedience to Christ.

1 and 2 Peter

Peter was also a primary leader in the early church, especially in Jerusalem. Like Paul, Peter wrote his epistles while under arrest as a prisoner in Rome. Therefore, it's no surprise that his words teach about the reality of suffering and persecution for followers of Jesus, but also the hope we possess for eternal life. Peter's second epistle also contains strong warnings against different false teachers who were attempting to lead the church astray.

1, 2, and 3 John

Written around A.D. 90, the epistles from the apostle John are among the last books written in the New Testament. Because they were written after the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70) and the first waves of Roman persecution for Christians, these letters were intended as encouragement and guidance for Christians living in a hostile world. One of the major themes of John's writing is the reality of God's love and the truth that our experiences with God should push us to love one another.

Jude was also one of Jesus' brothers and a leader in the early church. Once again, the main purpose of Jude's epistle was to warn Christians against false teachers who had infiltrated the church. Specifically, Jude wanted to correct the idea that Christians could enjoy immorality without qualms because God would grant them grace and forgiveness afterward.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you familiar with the term "epistle"? It means "letter." And in the context of the Bible, the epistles always refer to the group of letters grouped together in the middle of the New Testament. Written by leaders of the early church, these letters contain valuable insight and principles for living as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

# data[].attributes.body
The most important reference tool for your Common Task will be that you actually READ and STUDY the exact text from the the epistle you have chosen.

You will need to use Bible Gateway for this.

Remember to type in the name of the epistle, and check to see that you have the correct version as Paul wrote 2 epistles to some communities eg 1 Corinthians or 2 Corinthians

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read, hear, and study Scripture at the world’s most-visited Christian website. Grow your faith with devotionals, Bible reading plans, and mobile apps.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Bible Project Playlist for all of Paul's Epistles

# data[].attributes.subject
The Bible Project Playlist for all of Paul's Epistles

# data[].attributes.body
This playlist contains all of the video explanations for all 13 Epistles. Pick the video that matches your choice. Click on video link, then on the 3 horizontal lines at the top right hand corner to get access to the full list of all 15 videos.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

# data[].attributes.headline
Paul's contribution to the New Testament

# data[].attributes.subject
Paul's contribution to the New Testament

# data[].attributes.body
Useful summaries from the Encyclopaedia Britannica on each of the Epistles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
© Renata Sedmakova/Shutterstock.com

Although St. Paul was not one of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus, he was one of the most prolific contributors to the New Testament. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 or 14 are traditionally attributed to Paul, though only 7 of these Pauline epistles are accepted as being entirely authentic and dictated by St. Paul himself. The authorship of the others is debated, and they are commonly thought to have come from contemporary or later followers writing in Paul's name. These authors likely used material from his surviving letters and may have even had access to letters written by him that no longer survive. Read on to learn which Biblical books St. Paul is known to have authored and which ones he probably did not write himself.

Letter of Paul to the Romans

The sixth book of the New Testament, the Letter of Paul to the Romans, was written by St. Paul while he was in Corinth about 57 CE. It was addressed to the Christian church at Rome, whose congregation he hoped to visit for the first time on his way to Spain. The epistle is the longest and doctrinally most significant of St. Paul's writings and is more of a theological treatise than a letter. In it he acknowledges the unique religious heritage of the Jews (prior to his conversion, Paul was a Jewish Pharisee) but asserts that righteousness no longer comes through the Mosaic Law but through Christ.

First and Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians and the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians were both written by St. Paul. The first letter was probably written about 53-54 CE at Ephesus and addresses some of the problems that arose in the new Christian community that he had established in Corinth during his initial missionary visit (c. 50-51). The second letter was written from Macedonia about 55 CE and applauds the Corinthians' response to his first letter and reaffirms his apostolic authority. The letters deal with a church of Gentile Christians and are therefore the best evidence of how St. Paul operated on Gentile territory.

Letter of Paul to the Galatians

The Letter of Paul to the Galatians, the ninth book of the New Testament, was authored by St. Paul. The letter was likely written between 53-54 CE and addresses division within the Christian community about whether new converts needed to be circumcised and follow the prescriptions of the Mosaic Law. He reaffirms his teaching that Jewish law is no longer the exclusive path to righteousness and argues that Christians have a new freedom in Christ. The letter is very forceful and specific in dealing with the problems concerned and is the only epistle without kindly ingression, thanksgiving, or personal greetings appended to the final blessings.

Letter of Paul to the Colossians

The authorship of the Letter of Paul to the Colossians is debated. For some scholars, the developed theology of the letter indicates that it was composed by St. Paul during his imprisonment in Rome about 62 CE. Others question Pauline authorship on the basis of the distinctive vocabulary and suggest that it is a deuter-Pauline epistle, written by Paul's followers after his death. Given its similarities to the Letter of Paul to Philemon, some have suggested that a later Paulinist simply changed details to meet a different situation.

First and Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

The first Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians was likely written by St. Paul from Corinth about 50 CE. However, the second letter is possibly deuter-Pauline in origin, though this is debated. Second Thessalonians is obviously an imitation of the style of First Thessalonians but seems to reflect a later time. Additionally, given that there is notable ambiguity about the proximity of Christ's Second Coming, its authorship by St. Paul is doubted.

Letter of Paul to Philemon

The Letter of Paul to Philemon was probably composed by St. Paul in a Roman prison about 61 CE, though some sources date it earlier. The brief epistle was written to Philemon, a wealthy Christian of Colossae, on behalf of Onesimus, Philemon's former slave. While passing no judgment on slavery itself, Paul exhorts Philemon to manifest true Christian love that removes barriers between slaves and free people.

Letter to the Hebrews

While the Letter to the Hebrews has traditionally been ascribed to St. Paul, the work does not contain a salutation with the name of the author. The book is still included in the Pauline corpus in the East but not in the West. Given that the thoughts, metaphors, and ideas of Hebrews are distinct from the rest of the New Testament, most scholars doubt that it was written by St. Paul or his followers. Various authors have been suggested over the ages, and it is possible that the work was composed by a Jewish convert among the second generation of Christians suffering persecution.

© Renata Sedmakova/Shutterstock.com

Although St. Paul was not one of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus, he was one of the most prolific contributors to the New Testament. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 or 14 are traditionally attributed to Paul, though only 7 of these Pauline epistles are accepted as being entirely authentic and dictated by St. Paul himself. The authorship of the others is debated, and they are commonly thought to have come from contemporary or later followers writing in Paul's name. These authors likely used material from his surviving letters and may have even had access to letters written by him that no longer survive. Read on to learn which Biblical books St. Paul is known to have authored and which ones he probably did not write himself.

Letter of Paul to the Romans

The sixth book of the New Testament, the Letter of Paul to the Romans, was written by St. Paul while he was in Corinth about 57 CE. It was addressed to the Christian church at Rome, whose congregation he hoped to visit for the first time on his way to Spain. The epistle is the longest and doctrinally most significant of St. Paul's writings and is more of a theological treatise than a letter. In it he acknowledges the unique religious heritage of the Jews (prior to his conversion, Paul was a Jewish Pharisee) but asserts that righteousness no longer comes through the Mosaic Law but through Christ.

First and Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians and the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians were both written by St. Paul. The first letter was probably written about 53-54 CE at Ephesus and addresses some of the problems that arose in the new Christian community that he had established in Corinth during his initial missionary visit (c. 50-51). The second letter was written from Macedonia about 55 CE and applauds the Corinthians' response to his first letter and reaffirms his apostolic authority. The letters deal with a church of Gentile Christians and are therefore the best evidence of how St. Paul operated on Gentile territory.

Letter of Paul to the Galatians

The Letter of Paul to the Galatians, the ninth book of the New Testament, was authored by St. Paul. The letter was likely written between 53-54 CE and addresses division within the Christian community about whether new converts needed to be circumcised and follow the prescriptions of the Mosaic Law. He reaffirms his teaching that Jewish law is no longer the exclusive path to righteousness and argues that Christians have a new freedom in Christ. The letter is very forceful and specific in dealing with the problems concerned and is the only epistle without kindly ingression, thanksgiving, or personal greetings appended to the final blessings.

Letter of Paul to the Colossians

The authorship of the Letter of Paul to the Colossians is debated. For some scholars, the developed theology of the letter indicates that it was composed by St. Paul during his imprisonment in Rome about 62 CE. Others question Pauline authorship on the basis of the distinctive vocabulary and suggest that it is a deuter-Pauline epistle, written by Paul's followers after his death. Given its similarities to the Letter of Paul to Philemon, some have suggested that a later Paulinist simply changed details to meet a different situation.

First and Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

The first Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians was likely written by St. Paul from Corinth about 50 CE. However, the second letter is possibly deuter-Pauline in origin, though this is debated. Second Thessalonians is obviously an imitation of the style of First Thessalonians but seems to reflect a later time. Additionally, given that there is notable ambiguity about the proximity of Christ's Second Coming, its authorship by St. Paul is doubted.

Letter of Paul to Philemon

The Letter of Paul to Philemon was probably composed by St. Paul in a Roman prison about 61 CE, though some sources date it earlier. The brief epistle was written to Philemon, a wealthy Christian of Colossae, on behalf of Onesimus, Philemon's former slave. While passing no judgment on slavery itself, Paul exhorts Philemon to manifest true Christian love that removes barriers between slaves and free people.

Letter to the Hebrews

While the Letter to the Hebrews has traditionally been ascribed to St. Paul, the work does not contain a salutation with the name of the author. The book is still included in the Pauline corpus in the East but not in the West. Given that the thoughts, metaphors, and ideas of Hebrews are distinct from the rest of the New Testament, most scholars doubt that it was written by St. Paul or his followers. Various authors have been suggested over the ages, and it is possible that the work was composed by a Jewish convert among the second generation of Christians suffering persecution.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Saint Paul's Contributions to the New Testament

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Although St. Paul was not one of the original 12 Apostles of Jesus, he was one of the most prolific contributors to the New Testament. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 or 14 are traditionally attributed to Paul, though only 7 of these Pauline epistles are accepted as being entirely authentic and dictated by St.

# data[].attributes.body
General information on the Epistles of Paul

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Epistles of the Apostle Paul have a very distinctive character. All Scripture, up to the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion, looks forward to the cross, and has primarily in view Israel, and the blessing of the earth through the Messianic kingdom. But "hid in God" (Ephesians 3:9) was an unrevealed fact--the interval of time between the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ and His return in glory; and an unrevealed purpose-- the outcalling of the ecclesia, the church which is Christ's body. In Mat. 16, our Lord announced that purpose, but wholly without explanation as to how, when, or of what materials, that church should be built, or what should be its position, relationships, privileges, or duties.

All this constitutes precisely the scope of the Epistles of Paul. They develop the doctrine of the church. In his letters to seven Gentile churches (in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, and Thessalonica), the church, the "mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God" (Ephesians 3:9), is fully revealed, and fully instructed as to her unique place in the counsels and purposes of God.

Through Paul alone we know that the church is not an organization, but an organism, the body of Christ; instinct with His life, and heavenly in calling, promise, and destiny. Through him alone we know the nature, purpose, and form of organization of local churches, and the right conduct of such gatherings. Through him alone do we know that "we shall not all sleep," that "the dead in Christ shall rise first," and that living saints shall be "changed" and caught up to meet the Lord in the air at His return.

But to Paul was also committed the unfolding of the doctrines of grace which were latent in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul originates nothing, but unfolds everything, concerning the nature and purpose of the law; the ground and means of the believer's justification, sanctification, and glory; the meanings of the death of Christ, and the position, walk, expectation, and service of the Christian.

Paul converted by the personal ministry of the Lord in glory, is distinctively the witness to a glorified Christ, Head over all things to the church which is His body, as the Eleven were to Christ in the flesh, the Son of Abraham and David.

The chronological order of Paul's Epistles is believed to be as follows: 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy. Hebrews has a distinctive place, nor can the order of that book amongst the writings of Paul be definitely fixed.

The Two Silences

Two periods in the life of Paul after his conversion are passed over in a silence which is itself significant--the journey into Arabia, from which the Apostle returned in full possession of the Gospel explanation as set forth in Galatians and Romans; and the two silent years in prison in Caesarea, between his arrest in the temple at Jerusalem and his deportation to Rome.

It was inevitable that a trained intellect like that of Paul, a convinced believer in Mosasism, and, until his conversion on the Damascus road, an eager opposer of Christianity, must seek the underlying principles of the Gospel. Immediately after his conversion he preached Jesus as the Messiah; but the relation of the Gospel to the Law, and, in a lesser degree, of the great Jewish promises, needed clear adjustment if Christianity was to be a reasonable faith, and not a mere dogma. In Arabia Paul sought and found that adjustment through revelation by the Spirit. Out of it came the doctrinal explanation of salvation by grace through faith, wholly apart from the law, embodied in Galatians and Romans.

But the Gospel brings the believer into great relationships--to the Father, to other believers, to Christ, and to the future purposes of God. It is not only a salvation from sin and the consequences of sin, but into an amazing place in the Divine counsels. Furthermore, the new thing, the church in its various aspects and junctions, demanded clear revelation. And these are the chief themes of the Epistles written by Paul from Rome, and commonly called the Prison Epistles--Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. It is contrary to the method of inspiration, as explained by Paul himself, to suppose that these crowning revelations were made apart from deep meditation, demanding quietness, and earnest seeking. It seems most congruous with the events of Paul's life to suppose that these great revelations came during the silent years at Caesarea--often spoken of as wasted.

Article from Scofield Reference Notes (1917) (Public Domain)
For over 90 years people have relied on this reference work in their daily study of God's Word. Written originally in 1909, C. I. Scofield's intent was to provide a concise but complete tool that would meet the need of someone just beginning to read theBible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Epistles of the Apostle Paul have a very distinctive character. All Scripture, up to the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion, looks forward to the cross, and has primarily in view Israel, and the blessing of the earth through the Messianic k...

# data[].attributes.body
Useful links on the context of 1st Century Palestine and each of the Epistles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
The Bible Journey | powered by  Edit.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
13. Paul's Letters to Galatia & Thessalonica

# data[].attributes.headline
Chronology timeline of when and where the Epistles were written

# data[].attributes.subject
Chronology timeline of when and where the Epistles were written

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Conversion of Saul (Paul)

Saul is converted on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus after hearing the voice of Jesus. (He is always called Saul in Acts up until Acts 13:9; see below at First Missionary Journey.) According to Galatians 2:1 his conversion occurred 14 years before the Council in Jerusalem mentioned in Acts 15, which probably occurred in early 49 (see below).

Saul in Arabia

(We are given no other details about why or exactly where, nor how much time he spent there.)

Saul returns
to Damascus

Baker's New Testament Commentary and other commentators suggest that the sojourn in Arabia occurred between verses 22 and 23, taking the phrase "After many days had gone by" to indicate the interval in Arabia. Different commentators think he spent more time in Arabia, or more in Damascus, but we do not know.

Saul flees from
Damascus

Saul is forced to flee the city because the Jews conspired to kill him, and he was let down in a basket from a window in the wall. Galatians makes clear that this was 3 years after his conversion. 2 Corinthians informs us that Damascus at this time was held by the Nabatean king Aretas IV Philopatris, who reigned from 9 B.C. to 40 A.D., and that the Jews apparently appealed to Aretas's governor (ethnarch, ), who tried to arrest Saul.

Saul returns
to Jerusalem

He is initially rejected by the disciples out of fear, but after Barnabas introduces him to some of the apostles he is accepted. (Galatians clarifies that the only apostles that Saul met then were actually Cephas ( Peter) and " James the Lord's brother".)

Because of further death threats he is sent home to Tarsus. (This time period was calculated indirectly from all of the other figures given here.)

Jewish believers fleeing from persecution evangelize Gentiles in Antioch, forming the first multiethnic church.

Saul (Paul) has a marvellous vision of heaven in which he "heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter", which he writes about 14 years later in 2 Corinthians, written probably in Fall 57. If we subtract 14 from 57 we find that this would have occurred in 43, which would put it during Paul's first year of teaching with Barnabas in the church in Antioch described in Acts 11:26. (See my New Testament chronology page.) However, some commentators would associate it with the trance mentioned by Paul in Acts 22:17, which occurred in Jerusalem, and the time frame would permit this if it occurred during the famine relief visit in 44. However, this assumes that Paul is talking about this visit to Jerusalem in Acts 22:17, whereas it seems more natural to me to assume it occurred on the earlier visit in 38 (3 years after his conversion) mentioned in Acts 9:26-30 and Galatians 1:18-19. (Search for Acts 22:17 on this page to see arguments for and against this theory.)

The Apostle James is killed by Herod (Agrippa I), and is never mentioned after this in Acts or in any of the New Testament letters. Every mention of James after this is to James the Lord's brother.

and Saul set out on their First Missionary Journey into Cyprus ( Barnabas's home province, Acts 4:36) and Asia Minor, taking John ( Mark) (Acts 13:5) with them. However, John ( Mark) abandons them in Pamphylia and returns to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13), which becomes an issue later on.

Up to this point , is a loan word from Latin "paulus" which means "the little one", perhaps a nickname like "shorty" indicating his stature. Apparently not just Luke has always called Paul "Saul", but in Acts 13:9 Luke but everyone else, including Paul himself in his letters, uses this name from here on, except when Paul is recounting his conversion in Acts 22:7,13 and 26:14. Luke says: "Then Saul, who was also called Paul...", after which he switches entirely to calling him "Paul", with no further explanation. According to Baker's New Testament Commentary the name Paul, Greek

Also, up until now Luke has always said " Barnabas and Saul", never "Saul and Barnabas", but from here on he usually says "Paul and Barnabas", seldom " Barnabas and Paul", suggesting that the leadership has shifted from Barnabas to Paul.

Paul and Barnabas are involved in a sharp dispute with some Jews from Judea who said that believers must be circumcised to be saved. The church sends them to Jerusalem to a council.

This was the first church council, and Paul and Barnabas attended from Antioch. See also the comment on Galatians 2:1-10 in the discussion of the date of writing of Galatians below. James (the brother of Jesus) and the apostles Simon Peter ( Cephas) and John confirmed that they should not put a heavy yoke on the Gentiles.

(The apostle John is never mentioned again in Acts or anywhere else in Paul's letters. The only place he is mentioned after this is several times in the book of Revelation. He is not even mentioned in the three letters that John wrote, except in the titles of these letters. The writer of 3 John calls himself simply "the elder".)

Galatians 2:1-3 is the earliest mention of Titus, who surprisingly is never mentioned by name in Acts, though other important disciples and companions of Paul, like Timothy, figure largely there. Thus the only information we have about him is found in Paul's letters. He does not appear again for another 8 years, when he is mentioned repeatedly in 2 Corinthians (see multiple references in the year 57 below). He was evidently a Greek, possibly from Antioch, and was apparently never circumcised (as this passage shows), unlike Timothy (Acts 16:3).

This event is also the earliest mention of Silas (called Silvanus in Paul's letters and in 1 Peter 5:12), not yet as a companion of Paul, but as one of two delegates sent by the council from Jerusalem to Antioch with the results of the council. They apparently return to Jerusalem as stated in Acts 15:33, but Silas reappears in Antioch a few months later as Paul's companion on his Second Missionary Journey.

Peter visits Antioch, acts hypocritically with respect to the principles resolved in the Council in Jerusalem (and which had already been established in part in Acts 11:1-18), because of the arrival of some brothers from James (the brother of Jesus) in Jerusalem, and leads many other Jews astray, including Barnabas, but is confronted by Paul. This event is only mentioned in Galatians. Most commentators take the natural sequence of events in Galatians and place this event after the Council in Jerusalem. It looks a bit like what happened in Acts 15:1-3, but is clearly a distinct event. I have placed it here, since it seems to follow naturally after the account in Galatians of the Council in Jerusalem, and would not likely have been separated from it by the Second Missionary Journey. In any case it occurred before the writing of Galatians, but this is itself is quite uncertain, so doesn't help much.

(However, this rift between Paul and Barnabas and John Mark turns out not to have been permanent: Barnabas is mentioned several times in Paul's letters (see endnote 3), always positively, and John Mark is similarly mentioned quite positively, in Colossians 4:10 as someone to be welcomed, in 2 Timothy 4:11 as someone useful to Paul for ministry, and in Philemon 24 as being Paul's fellow worker and sending greetings to Philemon.)

(from Rome based on material provided by John Mark was apparently Peter's companion later on, as is suggested in 1 Peter 5:13, and early tradition, likely reliable, says that he wrote the Gospel of Mark Peter.)

joins them in Lystra (his hometown) and is circumcised. Paul had probably met him several years earlier on his First Missionary Journey (see NT Chronology expanded).

They travel from town to town, strengthening the churches. (The only other churches we know to have existed in the area then were those in Iconium and Antioch.)

They continue travelling, but the Holy Spirit forbids them to preach the word in the province of Asia.

apparently meets Paul and his companions in Troas (possibly for the first time), joins their group from that point on, as evidenced by his suddenly beginning to use the pronoun "we" and its corresponding Greek verb forms, and travels with them to Philippi. (See the "we" sections of Acts in NT Chronology expanded.)

Paul and Silas are arrested in Philippi (and plant the church there). (Their companions Timothy and Luke are not arrested with them.)

Acts 16:12‑40

1 Thess. 2:2

( in Luke may have remained in Philippi for the next 9 years , until April 58 , since the next time he travels with Paul they leave from Philippi. See the "we" sections of Acts NT Chronology expanded.)

Silas and Timothy arrive in Athens, and Timothy (and Silas) are immediately sent back to Thessalonica to see how the church is doing and to strengthen and encourage them.

1 Thess. 3:1‑5

Paul moves on to Corinth and meets Aquila and Priscilla, who had recently come from Rome because of the expulsion of the Jews by Claudius, which some external evidence suggests occurred in 49, which fits perfectly into the time frame.

Acts 18:1‑4

Paul immediately writes 1 Thessalonians, with Silas ( Silvanus) and Timothy's help. The book itself makes it clear that it was written in this context, since it details almost all of Paul's itinerary in Europe up to this point, as can be seen in the rightmost column for the events above. This allows us to cross-reference it with Acts. It is this cross-referencing that makes it clear that the letter was written from Corinth, immediately after the arrival of Timothy (and Silas).

1 Thess. 1:1, 3:6

Gaius (of Corinth), who will be his host for 3 months 7 years later when he writes Romans,

who were the very first converts in Corinth. Stephanas later visited him in Ephesus before he wrote 1 Corinthians.

1 Cor. 16:15-18

It is clear that this book was also written during Paul's stay in Corinth, based on 2 Thess. 1:1 and the subject matter, but after 1 Thessalonians (2 Thess. 2:15). (This is the last information we have about Silas / Silvanus travelling with Paul. He may have returned to Antioch, his home church, since he apparently does not accompany Paul when he leaves Corinth. He is mentioned one more time by Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:19 in 57 (as Silvanus), but only looking back at this period. Peter later refers to a Silvanus in 1 Peter 5:12 as the coauthor of the letter, who may have been the same person.)

Final legal attack on Paul by the Jews before the proconsul Gallio. It ends with Sosthenes the synagogue ruler being beaten by his fellow Jews. He may later have become a believer and been the same Sosthenes who coauthored 1 Corinthians with Paul 6 years later.

"After spending some time there..." Paul continues to minister in Antioch some 2 years .

( on the . (For both of these dates see This 2-year figure for Paul's stay in Antioch is not provided in the text of Acts. Instead, I calculated it from both ends , from the two known dates of Gallio in 51 and Porcius Festus in 60 , both known from extra-biblical sources and shown in lavender Second Missionary Journey depends on when Gallio was proconsul in Achaia in mid-51 , whereas the start of the Third Missionary Journey New Testament chronology page), and then using other clues in the text to work towards the middle. Thus, the date of the end of the depends on when Porcius Festus became procurator of Judea in mid-60 , and is then calculated back to early 54 by using all of the other figures provided in the text of Acts Chronology of the Early Church.) Another evidence of the reliability of the Bible is that all of these figures fit nicely into the time available.)

Galatians 2:1-10 is almost certainly (in my opinion, weighing all the evidence) talking about the Council in Jerusalem, which probably occurred in early 49 (see above). If so, then this book must have been written sometime after that, but cannot be pinned down any more than that. (This is the earliest mention of Titus, and one of the few mentions of Barnabas outside of Acts. See the Council in Jerusalem above.)

Other events and time spans mentioned in Galatians from the year 35 to the year 49 can be seen above and on my New Testament chronology page.

Galatia was not a city, but a Roman province (shown in green on the map below). The only places we know of that Paul visited in this province were Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, all in the far south of the province, and he apparently visited these cities on all three of his Missionary Journeys. Evidently this letter was intended to be circulated among all of these churches.

"...and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples". The only places we know of where there were believers in Galatia were Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia, where Paul planted churches on his First Missionary Journey and visited on his Second Missionary Journey and again here.

As for where in Phrygia there were believers, this is not clear. On the Second Missionary Journey around 49 he and Colossians below). Antioch in Pisidia and Iconium were sometimes considered part of Phrygia, which the Romans had split between the provinces of Asia and Galatia, and it seems likely that the believers in one or both of these towns are the ones referred to. Silas travelled through Phrygia (Acts 16:6), probably the northern part since they were headed for Mysia, but there is no record of them doing any evangelism there, in fact the verse says that the Holy Spirit had forbidden them to speak in the province of Asia, of which Phrygia formed a part. The cities of Colossae and Laodicea were part of Phrygia, but the evidence suggests that Paul had never met any of the believers there, and it seems likely that the churches there had not yet been planted (see

Apollos arrives in Corinth and greatly helps the believers. Thus when Paul says "I planted the seed" in 1 Cor. 3:6 he is referring to Paul's 1½ years in Corinth in 50 and 51, and when he says " Apollos watered it" he is referring to this period of time when Apollos was in Corinth. ( Apollos and Paul had evidently not yet met at this point, since Paul will only arrive in Ephesus after Apollos left. See comments in Spring 57 below.)

Paul arrives in Ephesus at some time during , continuing the work of planting a church there that was started by ). (For more details about this time period, see my Apollos's time in Corinth, and he will stay there for 3 years Priscilla and Aquila. They are not mentioned here or again in Acts , but are clearly still there and working with Paul, as 1 Corinthians 16:19 suggests (see more below at 1 Corinthians New Testament chronology page.)

1 Corinthians was not Paul's first letter to the Corinthians: there was an earlier letter about which we know very little. It may have been written during this time.

1 Cor. 5:9‑10

The Corinthians had also written an earlier letter to Paul, probably after the preceding, raising various questions, which he answers starting in chapter 7. Answers to specific questions are introduced by the phrase "Now concerning..." (in the ESV), in 1 Cor. 7:1, 7:25, 8:1, 12:1, 16:1, and 16:12. It was almost certainly written during Paul's stay in Ephesus, since he would not likely have waited 3 years to answer their important questions.

Sometime before the writing of 1 Corinthians, Paul is visited in Ephesus by Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus from the church in Corinth, and is encouraged and refreshed by them. Stephanas was one of the few people that Paul had baptized during his initial stay in Corinth in 50-51. They could have brought the letter from the Corinthians to Paul.

Paul's initial plans (as expressed in 2 Cor. 1:15‑2:4) were to visit Corinth first after leaving Ephesus, but he changes his mind before writing 1 Corinthians, because of the problems in the church in Corinth, and decides to visit Macedonia first, but to write them a letter (1 Corinthians) first to address the problems. This new plan is expressed in 1 Cor. 16:6‑8 and in Acts 19:21.

2 Cor. 1:15‑2:4

1 Cor. 16:6‑8

Paul sends Timothy and Erastus ahead to Macedonia, with the intention that they continue on to Corinth if possible, as he makes clear in two places in 1 Corinthians, their purpose in Corinth being "to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church" (1 Cor. 4:17), and perhaps they were also to take the time to encourage and exhort the churches in Macedonia. However, since Timothy is still in Macedonia at the writing of 2 Corinthians a few months later, and since Paul found it necessary to send Titus to Corinth in the meantime (see below), it seems probable that they never got there.

Paul "himself stayed in Asia for a while" (Acts 19:22), specifically planning to stay until Pentecost (1 Cor. 16:8).

Paul writes 1 Corinthians from Ephesus before Pentecost, planning to spend the winter in Corinth. I believe that this is the letter later referred to in 2 Corinthians, though others have assumed an intermediate letter that was even more severe than 1 Corinthians!

1 Cor. 1:1

1 Cor. 16:6‑8

2 Cor. 2:3‑4, 7:8,12

Apparently Apollos is back in Ephesus from his time of "watering the seed" in Corinth (see above), and evidently he and Paul first meet here at some point during Paul's 3-year stay in Ephesus. According to 1 Cor. 16:12, Paul had wanted to send him back to Corinth "with the other brothers" who were taking this letter, but it was not convenient, and he would come "when he has opportunity". (Among the Corinthians factions had developed around Paul and Apollos and others like Cephas ( Peter), as various passages in the book show, but clearly Paul and Apollos feel no rivalry and are in perfect unity.)

This letter includes the only confirmation that Jesus appeared separately to Cephas ( Peter) after the resurrection, told very briefly in Luke 24:34.

This letter also includes one of the few mentions of Barnabas outside Acts, where Paul says, "is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?", as distinguished from others like Cephas ( Peter).

( Simon Peter has figured largely in Acts and in two of Paul's letters, Galatians and 1 Corinthians. The only other time he is mentioned in the latter part of the New Testament is as the writer of 1 and 2 Peter.)

Aquila and Priscilla are still living in Ephesus, having presumably lived there for the last 5½ years, since around late 51. They were mentioned once in the interim, around early 54, in Acts 18:24-26. Paul says that they and "the church [that meets] in their house" send greetings, which is clearly not the entire Christian church in Ephesus at the time, since the very next verse says "All the brothers [and sisters] send you greetings" (ESV). This might suggest that there were multiple full churches. Whether this was more of a Bible study or an official church congregation is unclear. (Similar questions arise in Romans 16:5, Colossians 4:15, and Philemon 2.)

At some point after writing 1 Corinthians Paul apparently sends Titus to visit Corinth to see how his letter was received, expecting to meet him later in Troas (see below). This is only the second time Titus appears in the record, after the Council in Jerusalem 8 years earlier.

(2 Cor. 2:12‑13,
7:5‑8, 7:13-15)

The event that brings about Paul's departure from Ephesus is a major riot that occurs by idol worshippers against the Christians. Gaius and Aristarchus, described as "Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel" are with Paul during the riot, and are seized and dragged along by the crowd.

"hardships we
suffered in the
province of
Asia"

This riot could have been the "hardships we suffered in the province of Asia" that Paul mentions in 2 Cor. 1:8‑10, though this is just one possibility. (As Baker's New Testament Commentary and a number of other commentators point out, Paul's friends kept him relatively safe during the riot, so it seems unlikely that he "despaired even of life".) It could just as easily have been an event that is not related by Luke in Acts, as explained in "(Other hardships Paul suffered at some point)" below.

2 Cor. 1:8‑10

Paul leaves Ephesus for Macedonia, presumably at Pentecost (unless the riot prompted him to leave earlier, which is unclear). Acts 20:1 makes it sound like he was alone, but from 2 Cor. 7:5‑7 we know that he was not alone, because of the first person plural Greek verb forms and pronouns used ("we", "us", "ours"). Who was with him? It was not Luke, who would not rejoin Paul's party until April 58 when they leave Philippi (see the "we" sections of Acts in NT Chronology expanded). Nor was it Timothy or Erastus, who had been sent ahead to Macedonia (Acts 19:22).Coneybeare and Howson (page 479) suggest that it was probably Tychicus and Trophimus, since they are with him later in Corinth (Acts 20:4) and were both from the province of Asia, Trophimus specifically from Ephesus (Acts 21:29) and Tychicus probably so. John Phillips also proposes this, and it seems quite likely.

He passes through Troas, expecting to find Titus there with news of his visit to Corinth, and apparently plans to stay there a while, but when he does not find Titus there, he hurries on to Macedonia.

2 Cor. 2:12‑13

He arrives in Macedonia (city not specified), and finds Titus there with good news from Corinth.

2 Cor. 7:5‑8, 7:13-15

(Other hardships
Paul suffered at
some point)

Here Paul gives a long list of things he suffered at some point in his ministry, and a number of these things are not related at all by Luke in Acts, so we know that Acts is an incomplete narrative. Specifically, Luke only mentions one imprisonment before Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, but evidently there were more; Luke mentions no cases of the Jews' 39 lashes, and only one case of a beating of any kind; and the only shipwreck Luke mentions is in Acts 27, 3 years after writing 2 Corinthians.

2 Cor. 11:23-27

Paul writes 2 Corinthians from Macedonia, after experiencing more severe trials there. He apparently sends Titus back to Corinth with the letter, and also to get things moving for the collection for Judea. Two other brothers accompanied him, who are not named. The first of these, described in 2 Cor. 8:18-19 as a famous preacher and companion of Paul, may have been Luke (who may have lived in Philippi from Late 49 until April 58; see the "we" sections of Acts in NT Chronology expanded), but if so he returned to Macedonia before Paul went there to spend the winter, since he does not travel again with Paul until April 58. However, it could just as easily have been someone else. (See biblehub.com/2_corinthians/8-18.htm, especially Jamieson-Fausset-Brown.) See also endnote 4. The second is similarly unknown; various opinions can be seen at biblehub.com/2_corinthians/8-22.htm.

Paul arrives in Corinth in Achaia, stays 3 months, and receives from them the collection for Judea.

1 Cor. 16:1‑7

2 Cor. 8‑9

He is the guest of Gaius (of Corinth), whom he had baptized there 7 years earlier. (See more below.)

This was Paul's third visit to Corinth. The first visit was clearly his 1½-years stay (2 Cor. 18:11) in 50-51, because that was when the church was planted, but when the second one occurred is not known. The second visit was apparently a painful one, since Paul wanted to avoid "another painful visit" (2 Cor. 2:1) before writing 2 Corinthians. Some (e.g. the New Bible Dictionary and Baker's New Testament Commentary) have suggested that this first painful visit was after writing 1 Corinthians, but this would be hard to fit into the tight time frame of the year 57. Others (e.g.Expositor's Greek Testament) suggest that it was during Paul's 3-year stay in Ephesus in 54-57.)

1. Paul asks the Roman Christians to give Phoebe a good reception. She was from the church in Cenchreae, a town near Corinth. This letter may have been delivered by her.

Romans 16:1‑2

2. The Gaius in Corinth whom Paul had baptized is likely the same Gaius who provided hospitality to Paul and many others mentioned in Romans (or, following translations like the ESV: " Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church", some commentators think that "the whole church" in Corinth met at his house). He seems to be a native of Corinth whom Paul met there, and who remained there for at least the next 7 years. In this case he would not be the same as Gaius the Macedonian who was with Paul in Ephesus in Acts 19:29. Nor would he be the same as Gaius of Derbe who was actually with Paul in Corinth in Acts 20:4 at the same time that Paul would have baptized this Gaius, or at least was there at the end of Paul's time in Corinth, because he then left Corinth with Paul (Acts 20:4-5), whereas this Gaius apparently stayed.

Romans 16:23

(One other Gaius is mentioned in the New Testament, as the addressee of the book of 3 John, but it is impossible to know if he is to be identified with any of the es associated with Paul.)

3. Erastus, the "city treasurer" (ESV) or "city's director of public works" (NIV) (ὁ οἰκονόμος τῆς πόλεως) mentioned in Romans, is likely the same Erastus that Paul will leave behind in Corinth a decade later. He is also likely mentioned in the Erastus Inscription (with pictures here), found in Corinth in 1929. (I personally doubt that he was the same Erastus as mentioned in Acts 19:22 as being Paul's helper who was sent from Ephesus to Macedonia, since he would have been an important official in Corinth.)

Romans 16:23

4. Timothy and Sosipater are with Paul as he writes, and Timothy and Sopater (similar though not identical name, but evidently the same person) accompanied Paul to Jerusalem right at the end of his Third Missionary Journey, soon after his departure from Corinth.

Romans 16:21

5. He expects to visit Rome after he delivers the collection for Judea from the Macedonian and Achaian churches, after which he plans to go to Spain. This clearly puts the date at the end of the Third Missionary Journey.

Romans 15:23‑29

Priscilla and Aquila are evidently now living in Rome again, having moved back there in the last few months, since they were still in Ephesus at the writing of 1 Corinthians in Spring 57, and Paul greets them and "the church [that meets] in their house". Claudius died in 54 (see NT Chronology expanded), so presumably his expulsion decree was no longer in force, and Rome may have been their home town (or at least Priscilla's, since Acts 18:2 says Aquila was from Pontus).

Romans 16:3-5

They arrive in Jerusalem, probably by Pentecost. This completes the Third Missionary Journey . (It is not stated how many made the entire trip from Troas to Jerusalem, but at least Paul, Luke, Trophimus, and Aristarchus did, since we hear about these later. Baker's New Testament Commentary suggests that "The seven men [mentioned in Acts 20:4], delegates from various churches [who were sending money for the church in Jerusalem], accompanied Paul to protect him from physical harm. Their numbers also safeguarded the money they were bringing to the Jerusalem church." Thus it is probable that the entire group made the trip, 9 in all.)

They visit , the letter his brother wrote. James and the elders of the Jerusalem church and give a report. This is the last mention of James in Acts or any of the letters except in James , the letter he wrote, and Jude not too many years after this, perhaps as early as 62 Tradition suggests that he was martyred . (Apparently by this point the apostles are no longer an important part of the leadership in Jerusalem, even though at the Council in Jerusalem 9 years earlier mentioned in Acts 15 they definitely are. They are never mentioned again after Acts 16:4, shortly after the Council. Perhaps many have moved elsewhere or possibly even died.)

The leaders suggest a plan for Paul to improve his reputation among the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, which Paul follows.

Paul is arrested in Jerusalem (as a result of a misunderstanding concerning Trophimus). After various turmoils the decision is made to move him to Caesarea for his own safety.

Paul is imprisoned for 2 years in Caesarea. The second "we" section of Acts ends with Acts 21:25 (21:18 is the last usage of "we" or "us", but Acts in Luke was clearly there for the rest of the meeting), but this does not prove that Luke left him at this point, simply that he had no occasion to use a first-person plural pronoun or verb again until chapter 27. The great detail of the intervening chapters suggests to me that he was present. See the "we" sections of NT Chronology expanded.

Paul is sent to Rome by ship, again accompanied by in Luke (see the "we" sections of Acts NT Chronology expanded) and by Aristarchus (Acts 27:2), who may have stayed with them since leaving Corinth in Early 58 . They are shipwrecked on the way.

Paul arrives in Rome, where he will be imprisoned for 2 years , his First Roman Imprisonment . The four letters written during this time are commonly called the 2 Timothy , but it is not normally included in this group, forming instead a part of the Prison Epistles. (He was also in prison when he wrote Pastoral Epistles.)

Paul is in prison, which makes Rome the likely place of writing. It makes no mention of Paul's imminent death, suggesting the first imprisonment. Tradition concurs with this.

A few manuscripts, including some of the oldest, omit "in Ephesus," but the vast majority includes this phrase, and the claim that it was not sent to Ephesus seems to have been started by the heretic Marcion. The problem with this idea is that the Greek seems to require an expressed location:

If "in Ephesus" was not in the original it would leave the phrase "to the saints who are" incomplete! The footnote in the ESV suggests that the phrase that follows would complete it: "to the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus," and the Greek certainly allows this, but it seems an odd thing to say. Which saints who are also faithful? All of them? It still seems incomplete. And it is unlike the salutation in any other letter Paul wrote, and Paul is clearly the author (1:1, 3:1), something no one has disputed, except some liberal scholars since the 19 th century. So I am convinced that it was indeed addressed to the saints in Ephesus.

However, the lack of any personal comments, again something all of Paul's other letters have, and the fact that Paul writes as if he had not met at least some of his readers but had only heard about them (1:15) and they about him (3:2), makes it probable that it was intended to be circulated among various churches near Ephesus, including Colossae and Laodicea and probably also Hierapolis, after the Ephesians had read it, like the letter to the Galatians. In fact, it is quite possible that this is "the letter from Laodicea" (i.e. the letter that would come to them by way of Laodicea) referred to in Col. 4:16.

Carrier: Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25, 4:18)

Paul is in prison (1:7,13,14,17), but expects to be released soon (2:24). This clearly places it as written from Rome in late 62 or early 63. He hopes to send Timothy to them soon (2:19-23), though evidently later than Epaphroditus who carried the letter.

These two letters were evidently written at the same time, and delivered together to Colossae, the first to the church in general, and the second personally to Philemon, and to Apphia and Archippus, probably members of his family, most commentators assuming them to be his wife and son, the latter also mentioned in Colossians 4:17; the letter is also addressed to "the church (or perhaps Bible study; see 1 Corinthians above) [that meets] in your (singular, i.e. Philemon's) house" ( Philemon was the owner and head of the family). The letters were delivered by Philemon's runaway slave Onesimus, who had run away to Rome, and there met Paul and became a Christian, and by Tychicus (though he is not mentioned in Philemon, so it is possible that Onesimus delivered Philemon personally and privately). The two letters mention a number of the same people. Paul is in prison (Col. 4:3,10,18, Phm. 9,13,23), but expects to be released soon (Phm. 22). This clearly places these letters as written from Rome in late 62 or early 63, around the same time as Philippians.

Paul did not apparently plant the churches in Colossae and Laodicea, nor had he apparently ever visited them (Col. 1:4,7-9, 2:1), though he would probably have passed through both cities around 54 on his Third Missionary Journey, since both were on the main road from Antioch in Pisidia to Ephesus. Those churches, and apparently a third one in nearby Hierapolis, were apparently planted by Paul's colleague Epaphras (Col. 1:7-8, 4:12-13, Phm. 23), who was apparently from Colossae (Col. 4:12). When they were planted is unknown, but it was probably after Paul passed through there, which would explain why he hadn't met the believers. It may have been shortly after that: the New Bible Dictionary suggests that it was during Paul's 3-year stay at Ephesus from 54 to 57. Thus Epaphras may have been sent by Paul and the Ephesian church back to his home area to evangelize and plant these churches. However, by the time these letters were written he was a prisoner in Rome along with Paul, as stated in Philemon 23, though we are not given any further information. He is not mentioned outside these two letters.

But Paul clearly knows Philemon and his family (Phm. 1-2,7,17,22), had evidently led him to the Lord (Phm. 19), and had worked together with him (Phm. 1,17), perhaps in Ephesus or in Rome.

The letter to the Colossians was also intended to be read by the church in Laodicea, and a letter he sent to Laodicea was to be read also in Colossae (Col. 4:15-16). This is either a lost letter, or quite possibly it was the letter to the Ephesians (see discussion above). One interesting thing that makes this more likely in my mind is that both Colossians and Ephesians were delivered by Tychicus. If this is true, then all four of the Prison Epistles would have been written in late 62 or early 63.

Luke is mentioned in Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24 as being with Paul at this time and sending greetings, confirming the evidence of Acts. (See the "we" sections of Acts in NT Chronology expanded.) John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, is also mentioned in Colossians 4:10 and Philemon 24 as being with Paul and sending greetings.

A certain Demas is mentioned in Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24 as sending greetings, and is called Paul's "fellow worker" in Philemon 24, in the same category as Luke, John Mark, and Aristarchus, and other important figures throughout Paul's letters. The only other time he is mentioned is in 2 Timothy 4:10 some 5 years later, where he proves to be a disappointment to Paul, being described as "in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica".

Aristarchus is also mentioned in Colossians 4:10 and Philemon 24 as sending greetings, and is called Paul's "fellow worker" in Philemon 24 and "fellow prisoner" in Colossians 4:10, suggesting that he was imprisoned after their arrival in Rome, though we have no particulars, and are told no more about him after this. We have seen him several times before as Paul's companion, starting with the end of Paul's ministry in Ephesus in 57. He marks a notable contrast to Demas, since he was evidently willing to go to prison for the sake of the gospel.

This is obviously the earliest possible time for the writing of the book of Acts, because of Acts 28:30. The simple fact that the book ends at this point suggests that the book was written soon after, explaining why Luke omits the remainder of Paul's life, even though he probably remained with him until the end, as is evidenced by the fact that he is with Paul at the writing of 2 Timothy (2 Tim. 4:11). Further evidence is found here: carm.org/when-was-acts-written.

Paul's travels after this point are difficult to follow, but see Paul's Life After his First Imprisonment. The letters he wrote from this point on are known as the Pastoral Epistles, since he sent them to pastors rather than churches.

Written to Timothy, his long-time disciple. Paul is not in prison, but is evidently in Macedonia (1:3), having recently left Timothy in Ephesus. This is evidently later than the events in Acts, so it falls in the years between his two imprisonments.

Written to Titus, his long-time disciple. Paul is not in prison, having recently left Titus in Crete (1:5) to organize things, and is making plans to spend the winter in Nicopolis (3:12), but it is not known where he is when he writes the letter. Again this is later than the events in Acts, so it falls in the years between his two imprisonments.

Several things seem to suggest that Titus's assignment in Crete was not permanent: first that Paul summons him to winter with him at Nicopolis (3:12), after Paul sends either an otherwise unknown Artemas or Tychicus who is well known in other contexts to replace him, and second that Paul later sends him to Dalmatia (2 Tim. 4:10). However, church tradition (which must be taken with a grain of salt) suggests instead that these travels were temporary, and that he returned to Crete and remained there until his death.

In Titus we have the last reference to Apollos (3:13), whose ministry had been so important in Corinth. He apparently was in Crete along with an otherwise unknown lawyer Zenas. He may just have been visiting, or he may have been helping Titus in the churches there and was now ready to move on. Either way Paul again heartily endorses him.

Written to Timothy, his long-time disciple. Paul is again in prison (1:8, 2:9), his Second Roman Imprisonment, and expects to die soon (4:6-8), which makes it clear that this was written during his final imprisonment in Rome, during the persecution under Nero, probably near the end of Nero's life. His only companion at this time is Luke (4:11).

Apparently Timothy is still in Ephesus, as various things in the letter suggest (1:15-18, 4:19). We know nothing about his later life except that Paul asks him to come to him in Rome (4:9) because he has no companions left except Luke. Paul asks him to bring John Mark with him (4:11), so apparently he is also in Ephesus at this time. 4:12 suggests that perhaps Paul sent Tychicus from Rome to replace him (as he may have done with Titus). However, again church tradition (for what it is worth) suggests that he remained in Ephesus until his death.

Priscilla and Aquila have evidently moved back to Ephesus from Rome, where we last saw them 10 years earlier, and Paul greets them.

The last glimpse we get of Timothy in the New Testament seems to be at the end of the book of Hebrews, whose author is unknown, where we are informed that "our brother Timothy has been released". Nowhere in Acts or Paul's letters are we told that Timothy was imprisoned, so it seems likely that Hebrews was written after 2 Timothy, and that Timothy was imprisoned and released after the writing of 2 Timothy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chronology and Locations of the Writing of Acts and Paul's Letters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Conversion of Saul (Paul) Saul is converted on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus after hearing the voice of Jesus. (He is always called Saul in Acts up until Acts 13:9; see below at First Missionary Journey.) According to Galatians 2:1 his conversion occurred 14 years before the Council in Jerusalem mentioned in Acts 15, which probably occurred in early 49 (see below).

# data[].attributes.headline
3 minute cheat sheet for Epistles of Paul

# data[].attributes.subject
3 minute cheat sheet for Epistles of Paul

# data[].attributes.body
This link contains a full list of Paul's Epistles with a one sentence summary of each. Use this to select the Epistle you want to study for your Common Task

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Philemon: Plea for a Runaway Slave (A.D. 61-62) Paul asks mercy for Onesimus, a runaway slave, who had become a Christian.

- Robert H. Gundry, adapted from resources in the new Learn the New Testament Pack.

How to Use This Book

The Learn the New Testament Pack will help you or your small group dive deeper into the New Testament. You will learn more about Jesus' redemptive mission in the world, better understand the beliefs and practices of the Christian church, and even grow in your personal relationship with God.

The pack equips you with several tools:

Read and discuss the book used by thousands of instructors and students: A Survey of the New Testament, 5th Edition, now including full-color photos, improved maps, tips on pronouncing difficult words, and more

See and hear chapter-by-chapter video lectures featuring the expert teaching of Robert H. Gundry (18 videos in all)

Refer to the laminated "cheat sheet" that summarizes the New Testament's most important points

With this pack, filled with the best of evangelical scholarship, you are guaranteed to deepen your understanding of the New Testament.

Buy the Pack to Learn More

Learn the New Testament Pack

Featuring a Survey of the New Testament and Its Supporting Resources
By Robert H. Gundry

$99.99 REG - $59.99 NOW (Save 40%!)

Buy Now

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 3-Minute Cheat Sheet for Understanding Paul's Letters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Philemon: Plea for a Runaway Slave (A.D. 61-62) Paul asks mercy for Onesimus, a runaway slave, who had become a Christian. - Robert H. Gundry, adapted from resources in the new Learn the New Testament Pack . The Learn the New Testament Pack will help you or your small group dive deeper into the New Testament.

# data[].attributes.body
Use this link to get a good overview and then click on the individual links for your chosen Epistle.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Pauline epistles: what local churches should know and do

A young man named Saul was bent on murdering all the Christians he could. He was a Jew, a Pharisee (well-versed in the Law of Moses), a man of knowledge, letters, and spirit.

Then Jesus directly intervened. The risen savior appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus-an encounter that completely transformed him. This man Saul became the beloved apostle, saint, evangelist, theologian, and pastor we call Paul.

Paul's an important character: out of the 27 books in the New Testament, Paul wrote 13.
Out of all the biblical human authors, Paul has written the most books of the Bible.

Paul was chosen for a few specific tasks (Eph 3:8-9):

Preach Christ to the Gentiles

Convey God's plan for managing the church

We see Paul doing the first in the book of Acts. We see him doing the second in his letters (there's certainly overlap, though).

Most of Paul's letters fall into two groups: letters to churches and letters to pastors.

Pauline epistles to churches

Nine of Paul's letters were addressed to local churches in certain areas of the Roman empire. On the whole, these epistles tend to deal with three general issues:

1. Doctrine: what Christians should know

2. Application: what Christians should do with doctrine

3. Logistics: specific instructions, greetings, etc.

Paul's writings on application are usually rather general. You'll see Paul telling children to obey parents, masters to be kind to their slaves, and the like; you won't see Paul giving children a list of things to do, or giving masters a bill of slaves' rights in the church.
In short, Paul focuses on the "why" (doctrine) and the "what" (application), not the "how."
Paul's a very organized writer, and these epistles can usually be split into sections based on these issues. The book of Romans is a good example:

1. In the first 11 chapters, Paul explains what the gospel is.

2. In chapters 12-15, he explains what it means to be a "living sacrifice" (Ro 12:1-2).

3. At the end of chapter 15, he discusses his plans to visit, and the final chapter of Romans includes many greetings to Christians in the area.

As you read these epistles, keep an eye out for these themes.

Here's the list of Paul's epistles to churches:

Romans. Paul explains how the gospel works and how to respond. Paul wrote this letter before he had visited the Roman church.

1 Corinthians. In 55 A.D., Paul admonished the local church that he had founded in Corinth.

2 Corinthians. Come 56 A.D., the Corinthian church had escalated and then resolved their conflict with Paul. Second Corinthians is Paul's a letter of forgiveness and reconciliation.

. Someone had misled the churches of Galatia-resubjecting them to the Law of Moses and devaluing God's grace. Paul writes the Galatians an aggressive letter to set them straight on their freedom in Christ.

Ephesians. Paul outlines doctrines of grace, peace, and salvation, and then instructs the church to walk in a manner worthy of Jesus Christ.

Philippians. Even though he's suffering in prison, Paul finds joy in Christ. He writes to the church at Philippi urging them to take on a Christlike attitude.

Colossians. This letter explains to the church at Colossae who they are in Christ.

1 Thessalonians. The church of Thessalonica is setting a great example for other churches, even though they're being persecuted for their faith. Paul encourages them to "excel still more."

2 Thessalonians. The affliction just won't let up on the Thessalonian church, so Paul coaches them on standing firm until Jesus' return.

Pastoral epistles from Paul

Three of Paul's letters are addressed to individual pastors. Two are written to Timothy, and the last is written to Titus. Because these letters are for specific individuals, they include more specific instructions than the other letters.

Paul considers Timothy and Titus to be his sons in the faith (1 Ti 1:2; Tt 1:4). He trusts them to manage their local churches well (1 Ti 3:15; Tt 1:5) and maintain his sound teaching (1 Ti 4:6; Tt 2:1).

Here's a high-level idea of what each pastoral epistle is about:

1 Timothy. This is Paul's guide to godliness and sound teaching for the young pastor Timothy at Ephesus.

2 Timothy. Paul's death is drawing near, and he charges Timothy to carry on his gospel work.

Titus. Paul had left Titus at Crete to set up order in the churches there. Now he writes Titus instructions for leading a counter-cultural church.

Today, these letters still teach us how the church should be managed-they're especially helpful for church planters.

Then there's Philemon

Philemon is a hybrid of the two categories. It's a message to Philemon, a leader in the Colossian church, but it's addressed to the church his house as well (Phlm 2). In a way, it's an open letter to an individual.

Philemon's runaway slave had converted to Christianity, and Paul was sending him back to Philemon. Paul encourages Philemon to welcome the runaway as a brother, not a slave-the rest of the church is witness to Paul's exhortation.

So the letter to Philemon has specific instructions for an individual church leader (like the pastoral epistles) but is addressed to a local congregation (like a church letter). You can learn more about Philemon's role here.

The Pauline Epistles' roles in the Bible

Unlike the Gospels and Acts, the Pauline epistles hardly contain any narrative. These are primarily correspondence: Paul sends greetings, instructions, encouragement, and background information.

Because of this, the epistles contain the majority of Christians' theology. This is where the story of Jesus described in the Gospels is explained in greater detail. It's also where we learn how Christians should live in response to Christ's life, death, and resurrection.

More pages related to the Pauline epistles

Recommended resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pauline epistles: what local churches should know and do A young man named Saul was bent on murdering all the Christians he could. He was a Jew, a Pharisee (well-versed in the Law of Moses), a man of knowledge, letters, and spirit. Then Jesus directly intervened.