Chronology of the NT (part 3) - Paul's Letters
Introduction. The book of Acts is not only a history of the church, but also a detailed biography of Paul. Introduced as a persecutor of the church and after Jesus appeared to appoint him as an apostle (Acts 8-9), the final sixteen chapters of Acts are about his life and work. The Holy Spirit inspired Acts and his letters so we can fit them together. As a disciple, apostle, preacher and teacher, we can watch him grow from the chief of sinners to a very dedicated and mature Christian.
At the end of Paul’s life, the Holy Spirit revealed a very important purpose. After warning Timothy that “perilous times come” to all and that “evil men and imposters grow worse and worse,” Paul’s life becomes a standard to discern the imposter from the genuine. All this is because Timothy had “carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra – what persecutions I endured.” The process is a little more complex for us. We need an additional step. While Timothy was an eye witness, we must take the Holy Spirit’s testimony from Acts and all his letters and then “carefully follow them.” In this way we too will “continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.” (2Tim. 3:1-14).
Thus two important benefits result from studying the book of Acts and Paul’s thirteen letters to congregations and to specific fellow preachers. First, we get a much better understanding of how the NT fits together. Second, as we learn Paul’s doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love and perseverance, we too can continue in them. They are part of the fruits by which we can know the genuine from the imposter (Mt 7:13-20). There is no doubt which letters are Paul’s since in every one of them Paul called himself the author in the first verse. As the table below summarizes, the order they were placed in our NT is different from the order they were written.
Order in our NT Order Written | Chronological Order revealed in Acts
(1) Romans 6th | (1) Acts 16-19 Galatians 49-58 A.D.
(2) 1 Corinthians 4th | (2) Acts 17-18 1 Thessalonians 51-52
(3) 2 Corinthians 5th | (3) Acts 17-18 2 Thessalonians 51-52
(4) Galatians 1st | (4) Acts 19 1 Corinthians 56-57
(5) Ephesians 7th | (5) Acts 19 2 Corinthians 58
(6) Philippians 8th | (6) Acts 19 Romans 58
(7) Colossians 9th | (7) Acts 28 Ephesians 61-63
(8) Philemon 10th | (8) Acts 28 Philippians 61-63
(9) 1 Thessalonians 2nd | (9) Acts 28 Colossians 61-63
(10) 2 Thessalonians 3rd | (10) Acts 28 Philemon 61-63
(11) 1 Timothy 11th | (11) After Acts 1Timothy 64
(12) 2 Timothy 12th | (12) After Acts Titus 64
(13) Titus 13th | (13) After Acts 2Timothy 67
Next, let’s briefly look at Paul’s letters in chronological order and in their historical context.
Galatians is the only letter where there is some doubt about when it was written. But we know Paul preached there before he came to Philippi: “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia” (16:6), and that it was written soon after he left them: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6). The best “educated guess” would be he wrote it either from Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, or Corinth. Thus it was written either just before or just after the letters to the Thessalonians. Since the first two chapters deal with Paul’s early life and conversion (8-9) along with some details of his relationship to Peter and the meeting held in Jerusalem (Acts 15), it perfectly fits into this portion of Acts.
1 & 2 Thessalonians were written just after Paul arrived at Corinth. The conflicts and persecutions Paul had endured in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea are clearly set forth in Acts 16-17. When we add the contents of these letters to the events described by Luke, we grasp the powerful emotions of anxiety and concern on the one side and the love and devotion on the other. These letters help identify that true preachers of the gospel have no other motive than zeal for God and love for the brethren. Money, power, fame and all other incentives were clearly repudiated.
1 & 2 Corinthians were separated by at least a year. The first was written from Ephesus just before the riot described in Acts 19. Paul spoke of the productive work in Ephesus and commanded them to begin the collection for the needy saints in Jerusalem (ch. 16). The letter revealed the great concern of a gospel preacher over the moral and doctrinal attitudes of those in the church. Paul rebuked them for their pride (1-4), ignoring the fornicator (5), and lawsuits (6). He answered their questions about marriage (7), foods offered to idols (8-10), and the role of women (11 & 14). He also rebuked them for their divisions and lack of love during the Lord’s Supper (11) their abuses of spiritual gifts and worship (12-14), and their false teachings concerning the resurrection.
The second letter is filled with the relief and comfort he felt when Titus had reported their excellent responses to the rebukes in the first letter. The letter breathes the care and concern Paul felt. He was so relieved that they had disciplined the fornicator and that it had led to his repentance (1-7). He also touched on the Old Law being done away (3), and gave many different exhortations and instructions. He exhorted them to fulfill their commitments regarding the collection for the needy saints (8-9), and warned them strongly against the false teachers who were flexing their influence, seeking to lead them away (10-12) and final warnings.
Romans was written just as Paul was preparing to leave with the collected money for the saints in Jerusalem (ch. 15). The letter revealed the desire of the Holy Spirit for brethren to be grounded in the doctrine of salvation by faith (1-3), Abraham’s as the father of all disciples (4), and how their relationship with Christ removed the damage of Adam’s terrible choices (5). He explained the connection between baptism and Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (6), and strongly warned about the continued threat from our fleshly desires (7-8). He revealed the importance of Israel’s history as it related to their coming destruction as it related to the church (9-11) and then started exhorting them to live as living sacrifices (12). This included their obligations to obey the Rome government (13) as well as how the weak and strong should regard each other with respect to food and drink (14-15). He concluded the letter with his concerns about the journey to Jerusalem he was about to make.
The Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon) were all written while Paul was in prison in Rome (Acts 28). Three of them were to established churches. There are few rebukes and each of the letters contain deep doctrinal truths regarding Christ (Colossians) and the church (Ephesians). In Philippians Paul expressed his highest regard and respect. They were his joy and crown. Philemon is a short but fascinating letter dealing with God’s providence. Paul was seeking to restore a runaway slave to one of the members of a church that Paul had known in the past.
Paul’s final letters were written after the book of Acts had been completed. After his release, Paul mentioned leaving Titus at Crete and Timothy at Ephesus, while he went into Macedonia. If this was a direct route, then Titus was left first followed by Timothy and then Paul went on to Macedonia. But without Acts we don’t have enough information to be sure. Like Corinth, there were serious problems within these churches. Per Paul’s letter to Titus, the churches on Crete needed to be set in order, elders appointed, and the mouths of ungodly men who were teaching false doctrine stopped. Ephesus was dealing with false teachers who needed to be rebuked and warned. According to Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he was left to charge them to teach no other doctrine. Paul wanted all to know how men ought to conduct themselves in the house of God which is the church of the living God. The letter is filled with practical applications for living a godly life and the truth about what God wants us to believe.
There is no doubt that the 2 Timothy was Paul’s final letter. He was back in Rome and the sentence of death had been passed. This letter is filled with final exhortations both to Timothy and to all future Christians. The time of Paul’s departure had come and his final words of hope and confidence have given that same hope and confidence to multitudes since.
Conclusion. Paul told the Philippians the same thing he did Timothy. “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” (Phil. 3:17) and “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 4:9). Everything in Paul’s letters and life were written and inspired by the Holy Spirit. They were specifically chosen for this end. All that Luke recorded and all that Paul described was written as things to be learned and received as well as heard and seen. If we do all of this, we have the solemn promise that the God of peace will be with us.
At the end of Paul’s life, the Holy Spirit revealed a very important purpose. After warning Timothy that “perilous times come” to all and that “evil men and imposters grow worse and worse,” Paul’s life becomes a standard to discern the imposter from the genuine. All this is because Timothy had “carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra – what persecutions I endured.” The process is a little more complex for us. We need an additional step. While Timothy was an eye witness, we must take the Holy Spirit’s testimony from Acts and all his letters and then “carefully follow them.” In this way we too will “continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.” (2Tim. 3:1-14).
Thus two important benefits result from studying the book of Acts and Paul’s thirteen letters to congregations and to specific fellow preachers. First, we get a much better understanding of how the NT fits together. Second, as we learn Paul’s doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love and perseverance, we too can continue in them. They are part of the fruits by which we can know the genuine from the imposter (Mt 7:13-20). There is no doubt which letters are Paul’s since in every one of them Paul called himself the author in the first verse. As the table below summarizes, the order they were placed in our NT is different from the order they were written.
Order in our NT Order Written | Chronological Order revealed in Acts
(1) Romans 6th | (1) Acts 16-19 Galatians 49-58 A.D.
(2) 1 Corinthians 4th | (2) Acts 17-18 1 Thessalonians 51-52
(3) 2 Corinthians 5th | (3) Acts 17-18 2 Thessalonians 51-52
(4) Galatians 1st | (4) Acts 19 1 Corinthians 56-57
(5) Ephesians 7th | (5) Acts 19 2 Corinthians 58
(6) Philippians 8th | (6) Acts 19 Romans 58
(7) Colossians 9th | (7) Acts 28 Ephesians 61-63
(8) Philemon 10th | (8) Acts 28 Philippians 61-63
(9) 1 Thessalonians 2nd | (9) Acts 28 Colossians 61-63
(10) 2 Thessalonians 3rd | (10) Acts 28 Philemon 61-63
(11) 1 Timothy 11th | (11) After Acts 1Timothy 64
(12) 2 Timothy 12th | (12) After Acts Titus 64
(13) Titus 13th | (13) After Acts 2Timothy 67
Next, let’s briefly look at Paul’s letters in chronological order and in their historical context.
Galatians is the only letter where there is some doubt about when it was written. But we know Paul preached there before he came to Philippi: “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia” (16:6), and that it was written soon after he left them: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6). The best “educated guess” would be he wrote it either from Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, or Corinth. Thus it was written either just before or just after the letters to the Thessalonians. Since the first two chapters deal with Paul’s early life and conversion (8-9) along with some details of his relationship to Peter and the meeting held in Jerusalem (Acts 15), it perfectly fits into this portion of Acts.
1 & 2 Thessalonians were written just after Paul arrived at Corinth. The conflicts and persecutions Paul had endured in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea are clearly set forth in Acts 16-17. When we add the contents of these letters to the events described by Luke, we grasp the powerful emotions of anxiety and concern on the one side and the love and devotion on the other. These letters help identify that true preachers of the gospel have no other motive than zeal for God and love for the brethren. Money, power, fame and all other incentives were clearly repudiated.
1 & 2 Corinthians were separated by at least a year. The first was written from Ephesus just before the riot described in Acts 19. Paul spoke of the productive work in Ephesus and commanded them to begin the collection for the needy saints in Jerusalem (ch. 16). The letter revealed the great concern of a gospel preacher over the moral and doctrinal attitudes of those in the church. Paul rebuked them for their pride (1-4), ignoring the fornicator (5), and lawsuits (6). He answered their questions about marriage (7), foods offered to idols (8-10), and the role of women (11 & 14). He also rebuked them for their divisions and lack of love during the Lord’s Supper (11) their abuses of spiritual gifts and worship (12-14), and their false teachings concerning the resurrection.
The second letter is filled with the relief and comfort he felt when Titus had reported their excellent responses to the rebukes in the first letter. The letter breathes the care and concern Paul felt. He was so relieved that they had disciplined the fornicator and that it had led to his repentance (1-7). He also touched on the Old Law being done away (3), and gave many different exhortations and instructions. He exhorted them to fulfill their commitments regarding the collection for the needy saints (8-9), and warned them strongly against the false teachers who were flexing their influence, seeking to lead them away (10-12) and final warnings.
Romans was written just as Paul was preparing to leave with the collected money for the saints in Jerusalem (ch. 15). The letter revealed the desire of the Holy Spirit for brethren to be grounded in the doctrine of salvation by faith (1-3), Abraham’s as the father of all disciples (4), and how their relationship with Christ removed the damage of Adam’s terrible choices (5). He explained the connection between baptism and Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (6), and strongly warned about the continued threat from our fleshly desires (7-8). He revealed the importance of Israel’s history as it related to their coming destruction as it related to the church (9-11) and then started exhorting them to live as living sacrifices (12). This included their obligations to obey the Rome government (13) as well as how the weak and strong should regard each other with respect to food and drink (14-15). He concluded the letter with his concerns about the journey to Jerusalem he was about to make.
The Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon) were all written while Paul was in prison in Rome (Acts 28). Three of them were to established churches. There are few rebukes and each of the letters contain deep doctrinal truths regarding Christ (Colossians) and the church (Ephesians). In Philippians Paul expressed his highest regard and respect. They were his joy and crown. Philemon is a short but fascinating letter dealing with God’s providence. Paul was seeking to restore a runaway slave to one of the members of a church that Paul had known in the past.
Paul’s final letters were written after the book of Acts had been completed. After his release, Paul mentioned leaving Titus at Crete and Timothy at Ephesus, while he went into Macedonia. If this was a direct route, then Titus was left first followed by Timothy and then Paul went on to Macedonia. But without Acts we don’t have enough information to be sure. Like Corinth, there were serious problems within these churches. Per Paul’s letter to Titus, the churches on Crete needed to be set in order, elders appointed, and the mouths of ungodly men who were teaching false doctrine stopped. Ephesus was dealing with false teachers who needed to be rebuked and warned. According to Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he was left to charge them to teach no other doctrine. Paul wanted all to know how men ought to conduct themselves in the house of God which is the church of the living God. The letter is filled with practical applications for living a godly life and the truth about what God wants us to believe.
There is no doubt that the 2 Timothy was Paul’s final letter. He was back in Rome and the sentence of death had been passed. This letter is filled with final exhortations both to Timothy and to all future Christians. The time of Paul’s departure had come and his final words of hope and confidence have given that same hope and confidence to multitudes since.
Conclusion. Paul told the Philippians the same thing he did Timothy. “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” (Phil. 3:17) and “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 4:9). Everything in Paul’s letters and life were written and inspired by the Holy Spirit. They were specifically chosen for this end. All that Luke recorded and all that Paul described was written as things to be learned and received as well as heard and seen. If we do all of this, we have the solemn promise that the God of peace will be with us.