SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

 JAMES A. TURNER

INFORMATION CONCERNING PAUL’S EPISTLES

EPISTLES OF PAUL BEFORE HIS FIRST ROMAN IMPRISONMENT

 

1.                  I Thessalonians was written from Corinth while Paul was on the second journey as given in Acts (Acts 18:1-5; I Thess. 1:1, 3: 1-2, 3: 6).

 

2.                  II Thessalonians was also written from Corinth only a few months later

                  (II Thess. 1:1-4, 2:1-2) Both Epistles were written in about 52 A.D.

 

3.                 I Corinthians was written from Ephesus on Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

            Acts 18:22-23, 19:1; I Cor. 16:8-9; Acts 20:1).

 

4.                 II Corinthians was written only a few months later from Macedonia

                  (Acts 20:1; II Cor. 2:12-13, 7: 5-9, 9:1-5). The time usually given for I and II

                  Corinthians is about 56-57 A.D.

 

5.                 Galatians would probably fit the same time frame and probably written a short time after II Corinthians from Corinth.

 

6.                 Romans was definitely written from Corinth while Paul was on the Third Journey (Acts 20: 1-6, 20: 16, 20: 15-18; Rom. 15:25-32). The time would be just a few months after the writing of II Corinthians in probably late 57 A.D.

 

PAUL WROTE EPHESIANS, PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, AND PHILEMON

DURING HIS FIRST ROMAN IMPRISONMENT.

 

Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon were sent forth at the same time and sooner than Philippians (Eph.3:1, 4:1, 6:19-22; Col. 4:2-4, 4:7-9, 4:16-17; Phile. 1-2, 10; Col. 4:10, 4: 12, 4: 14; Phile. 23; Phil. 1:12-13, 1:23-26, 2:19-24). The date for all four of these Epistles is usually given as 61-63  A.D. 

 

HEBREWS, I TIMOTHY AND TITUS WERE WRITTEN BETWEEN PAUL’S

FIRST AND SECOND ROMAN IMPRISONMENT.

 

Several writers give around 63 A.D. as the time that Hebrews was written, and this seems very logical (Heb. 13:18-19, 13: 23). I Timothy and Titus do not fit in the time frame of Paul’s labor as recorded by Luke in the Book of Acts.

 

I Timothy and Titus give proof that Paul was released from his first imprisonment at Rome and was very busy doing evangelistic work and revisiting the churches that he and his fellow workers had established (Titus 1:5, 3:12-13; Acts 28:28-29; I Tim. 1:3-4, 3:1-7, 5:17-22, 6:20-21). The time of writing for I Timothy and Titus would be about 64-65 A.D.

 

II TIMOTHY WAS WRITTEN DURING PAUL’S SECOND ROMAN IMPRISONMENT.

 

II Timothy shows very plainly that he did not expect to be released from this imprisonment. In fact it looks like he had already received the death sentence and was waiting for the time of his execution

(II Tim.1:11-12, 2:8-13, 4:6-16, 4:20-21). According to tradition Paul suffered martyrdom during the latter part of Nero’s reign. Some give the date as June A.D. 68, the last year of Nero’s reign.