Why Foreign Missions? 19. The Pauline Missions According to Acts

Luke presents the mission of the Church beyond Israel largely through journeys of Paul and his companions. Acts anticipates the Gentile mission from the beginning and stemming from Jesus’ teaching that his disciples will be witnesses from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth (Acts 1.8; thus fulfilling Is. 59.6). This concurs with Jesus’ instructions at the end of Matthew (28.18-20) and Luke (24.46-49). This Gentile mission starts with the diaspora Jews visiting on Pentecost, who take the Gospel back to their home regions (Acts 2.5-11).  John hints at the same development, when Gentiles seek Jesus just before His passion and Jesus says that He will draw all people to Himself when He is ‘lifted up’ (meaning both crucified and glorified) from the earth (12.20-36; reflecting Isaiah 52.10, 13).  In Acts, the mission continues as the Gospel is taken to Samaritans (Acts 8.5, 25), to an Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8.27ff), and to a Roman Centurion's family (Acts 10.1ff).  This study, however, presents the data from Acts for the Pauline missions and offers some external data that helps us to ascertain the dates for these missions.

 

 FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (WITH BARNABAS)

      Antioch to Seleucia to Cyprus (13.4-6) (from Salamis to Paphos)

     Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia to Pisidian Antioch (13.13f; Mark quits the mission (15.37f)

     Pisidian Antioch to Iconium (13.51).  Considerable time (14.3)

     Iconium-Lycaonian cities of Lystra to Derbe (14.6, 20)

     Derbe to Lystra to Iconium to Antioch (14.21)

     Pisidia to Pamphylia (Perga) to Attalia (14.25)

     Attalia to Antioch (14.26) Stayed at Antioch a long time

 

  JERUSALEM VISIT REGARDING GENTILE QUESTION

      Antioch-Phoenicia-Samaria-Jerusalem (15.3)

     Jerusalem-Antioch (15.30, 35)

  SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (WITH SILAS)

     From Antioch through Syria to Cilicia (15.41)

     To Derbe, Lystra, Iconium (16.1f)

     Throughout Phrygia and Galatia (not Asia Mysia or Bithynia) to Troas (to

          Macedonia) (16.6-10)

     Troas to Samothrace to Neapolis to Philippi (16.11f) several days

     Philippi through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica (17.1)

     3 Sabbaths (17.2)

     Thessalonica-Beroea (17.10)

     Beroea-Coast-Athens (17.14f)

     Athens to Corinth (18.1) Aquila and Priscilla recently expelled from Rome (18.2)

                  Paul stays one year and six months (18.11)

                Gallio proconsul of Achaia (18.12)

     Corinth-Syria (18.18)

     Corinth to Cenchrea (18.18) to Ephesus (18.19) to Caesarea (18.22) to Antioch (18.22); some    

    time in Antioch

THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY 

     Antioch throughout Galatia and Phrygia (18.23)

     Road through interior to Ephesus

          While Apollos is at Corinth (19.1), Paul 3 months in Ephesian synagogues (19.8)

          2 years discipling in lecture halls of Tyrannus (19.10)

     Ephesus through Macedonia and Achaia to Jerusalem (19.21)

               Plans to go to Rome after trip (19.21)

          Ephesus-Macedonia (20.1)

          Through Macedonia to Greece (20.2f), 3 month stay

          Greece-Macedonia (20.3)

          Philippi-Troas (20.6)        After Unleavened Bread, 5 day journey, stay of 7 days.

          Troas-Assos (on foot) to Mitylene (by ship) (20.13f)

          Mitylene (one day)-Chios

               (one day)-Samos (one day)-Miletus (20.15)

               Paul in hurry to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost (20.16)

          Miletus to Cos (one day) to Rhodes to Patara (21.1)

          Patara-Phoenicia (on a new ship) (21.2)

               Route:  Patara-south of Cyprus-Syria

          Tyre (21.3)                        7 days

          Tyre-Ptolemais (21.7)       1 day

          Ptolemais-Caesarea (21.8) a number of days

          Caesarea-Jerusalem (21.15)

ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT IN JERUSALEM AND CAESAREA

Day 1  Reception (21.17)

Day 2  Meeting with James (21.18)

Days 3-10  7 Day Purification nearly completed (arrest) (21.26f)  Commander

Claudius Lysias

     Day 1 (after arrest)  Sanhedrin (22.30)

     Day 2  Revelation of testimony in Rome (23.11)

     Day 3  Jerusalem to Caesarea (23.12, 23)

     Day 4  Paul’s hearing set in Caesarea (24.31-33)

     Day 9  Ananias states case against Paul (24.1)

                 "12 days ago I went to Jerusalem" (24.11)

                  Governor  Felix--governor "for many years" (24.10)

     Several days later Paul’s 2nd hearing with wife Drusilla (24.24)

     2 years later change of governor to Festus (24.27)

     Day 3 of Festus’ rule: Festus goes to Jerusalem (25.1)

     Day 11-13  Festus goes to Caesarea (25.6)  "8-10 days later"

     A few days later Agrippa and Bernice visit for several days (25.13f)

     (Next day after explaining Paul’s case) Paul speaks (25.23ff)

               IMPRISONMENT JOURNEY TO ROME

     Adramyttium-Sidon (one day by ship) (27.3)

     Sidon, under lee of Cyprus, past Cilicia and Pamphilia, to Myra in Lycia (27.4f)

     Myra (new ship) to off Cnidus (several days) to under lee of Crete off Salmone (27.7f) (a

            number of days as the wind was against them)

          Fair Havens near Lasea (27.8) "a long time" (27.9)

          Day of Atonement already past (27.9)

     Along Crete toward Phoenicia (Crete) for winter (27.12)

          Storm; blown to lee of island Cauda (27.16)

          Driven along by wind (hoping to avoid sandbanks off coast of Syrtis) (27.17)

          Next day:  Cargo overboard (27.18)

          Next day:  Ship’s equipment overboard (27.19)

          Many days (27.20)

          14th night:  driven in Adriatic Sea (27.27)

          15th night:  shipwreck at Malta (27.39; 28.1)

                    Chief Official at Malta: Publius (28.7)

                    3 months on Malta (28.11)

     Malta-Syracuse (3 days) (28.12f) to Rhegium (28.13)

     Next day:  Rhegium-Puteoli (2 days) (28.13) 1 week (28.14)

     Puteoli-Rome via Forum of Appius and Three Taverns (28.15)

          ROME

          Day One:  Arrival

          3 days later:  meeting with Jewish leaders (28.17)

          2 yrs. in rented home preaching (28.30)

This is where Acts ends, leaving Paul in Rome under house arrest.  Luke knew the length of time--two whole years--that Paul spent in Rome but does not tell us what happened (Acts 28.30).  For various reasons (not to be offered in this summary), Paul was likely freed, had further ministry, but was later reincarcerated and beheaded in Rome during the emperor Nero's oppressive rule.

     Externally Ascertainable Dates for a Pauline Chronology

I.  Edict of Claudius (Acts 18.2)

     A.  References:

         1.  Suetonius, Life of Claudius 25

         2.  Dio Cassius 60.6.6

         37  Orosius (5th c. Church Historian, History 7.6.5)

     B.  Conclusions:

         The evidence of Acts and the dating of Orosius would place this edict Jan. 25,

                49-Jan. 24, 50.

II.  Gallio Proconsulship (Acts 18.12)

     Archaeology: Gallio Inscription

     Gallio was evidently in Corinth between July 1st,  51 and July 1st,  52.  Paul was in Corinth at

this time and stayed there a total of 1 and 1/2 years.

III.  Egyptian Rebel and 4,000 Zealots (Acts 21.38)

     A.  Josephus, Ant. 20.158ff

     This happened before Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem, under Felix, after Claudius’ death. 

     B.  Paul’s arrest must have happened after 55.

IV.  Paul’s Hearing Before Felix and Festus (Acts 24.10,  27; 25.1)

     A.  References:

         1.  Tacitus, Ann. 12.54

         2.  Josephus, Bell. 2.232ff; Ant. 20.182.

     B.  Felix took office 52/53.  Festus replaced him probably in the summer of 59 or 60.

V.  Encounter with Ananias (Acts 23.1-5; 24.1)

     A.  Josephus, Ant. 20.125-133, 179.

     B.  Ananias was appointed high priest in A.D. 47.  His appointment was questioned

                in 52, but he probably continued in office until 59.

VI.  Dates for other rulers:

     A.  The Herodians

         Herod the Great      37 BC - 4 BC

         Herod Antipas        4 BC - AD 39      (Mk. 6.14ff; 8.15; Lk. 3.1; 13.31; 23.6ff)

         Philip (Mk. 8.27)    4 BC - AD 34

         Herod Agrippa I      AD 37-44       (Acts 12)

         Agrippa II           53-100 (?)         Acts 25.13ff)

     B.  Emperors (dates of rule, always ending by their deaths)

         Augustus         27 BC - AD 14

         Tiberius         14-37

         Gaius Caligula   37-41

         Claudius         41-54

         Nero            54-68

VII.  King Aretas (2 Cor. 11.32)

     A.  Josephus, Ant. 16.294

     B.  Ruled Nabataean Kingdom 9 BC - AD 38-40.  When was he likely to have ruled Damascus?  

Tiberius’ policy discouraged client kingdoms in favor of provinces (e.g., Syria), whereas Caligula favored client kingdoms.  Thus it is likely that Aretas ruled Damascus only during Caligula’s rule.

     C.  So, Paul’s conversion must have happened between 37-40.

References:

     Jewett, Robert.  A Chronology of Paul's Life.  Philadelphia:  Fortress Press, 1979.

     Lüdemann, Gerd.  Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles, I:  Studies in Chronology.  Trans. F. Stanley

Jones.  Philadelphia:  Fortress Press, 1984.