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The Life and Ministry of Paul According to Acts

Acts provides critical biographical background on Paul’s life and ministry, thereby providing helpful context for understanding Paul’s epistles.

Most of the dates given below are approximate. The only date that we can confirm with external evidence is the Gallio incident in Corinth.

The Gallio incident (Acts 18:12–16):

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, [13] saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” [14] But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. [15] But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” [16] And he drove them from the tribunal. (ESV)

For a long time, we knew who Gallio was from non-Christian literary sources, but we did not know the date of his proconsulship. In 1905, archaeologists discovered fragments of a Greek inscription in the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi that mentions Gallio by name as proconsul of Achaia. The inscription contains additional chronological information that enables us to date Gallio’s proconsulship with considerable precision to AD 51–52.

https://grokipedia.com/page/delphi_inscription

Udo Schnelle explains how the Delphi inscription gives us a solid chronological anchor:

“The time when Lucius Gallio, the brother of Seneca, was in office as the proconsul of Achaia may be determined with a fair degree of accuracy from an inscription documenting a letter from the emperor Claudius to the city of Delphi. The text correlates the date of its composition with the twenty-sixth acclamation of Claudius as emperor. Although the twenty-sixth acclamation itself cannot be exactly dated, data from other inscriptions document that the twenty-seventh acclamation had already taken place by August 1, 52 CE. The letter is addressed to Gallio’s successor (Gallio is mentioned in the text in the nominative case; cf. line 6 from the top, Γαλλίων) and must therefore have been written in the summer of 52. Since proconsuls of senatorial provinces were usually in office one year, we may infer that Gallio was proconsul of Achaia from the early summer of 51 to the early summer of 52. Since Prisca and Aquila were expelled from Rome and came to Corinth “not long” before Paul (Acts 18:2, προσφάτως), the apostle himself came to Corinth in the year 50. If one combines this with the information in Acts 18:11, Paul stayed one and a half years in Corinth. Assuming that the Jews would have brought complaints against Paul soon after the new proconsul entered office, we can date the Gallio scene of Acts 18:12-16 to the summer of 51.” — Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology (Baker Academic, 2003), p. 49.

Paul’s arrival in Corinth in AD 50 becomes the anchor for Pauline chronology. Beginning with AD 50, scholars refer to various statements of relative chronology in Galatians and Acts, working backward and forward, to work out a complete chronology of Paul’s life:

  • Gal 1:18; 2:1: Paul’s first Jerusalem visit, 3 years after his conversion/call; then “after 14 years,” Paul goes up to Jerusalem again - two interpretations
    • Concurrent - 3 yrs + 11 yrs = 14 yrs from conversion/call
    • Consecutive - 3 yrs + 14 yrs = 17 yrs from conversion/call
  • Acts 18:11: Ministry in Corinth for 1.5 years, culminating in the Gallio incident, soon after which he departed Corinth (Acts 18:18).
  • Acts 19:1,8-10; 20:31: Ministry in Ephesus (Asia) for 2–3 years
  • Acts 20:3: In Greece for 3 months
  • Acts 24:27: In prison in Caesarea for 2 years
  • Acts 28:30: House arrest in Rome for 2 whole years

Again, with the exception of AD 50–51 as the dates of Paul’s 18-month stay in Corinth (Acts 18:1-18), all of the dates below are approximate. You will see slightly different year-dates in different textbooks and scholarly reconstructions of Pauline chronology.

The biggest uncertainty surrounds the years of his birth and death.

Birth and Education

Section titled “Birth and Education”

Hengel, Martin. The Pre-Christian Paul. London: SCM Press, 1991.

  1. AD 4-10?: Born a Roman citizen to Jewish parents in Tarsus (Acts 21:39; 22:3).
    1. This date depends on how one interprets “young man” (Acts 7:58), but most would say he was “in his 20s” when he consented to the stoning of Stephen in AD 31-32.
    2. Additionally, our determination of the year of Paul’s conversion is going to have an impact on our estimate of the year of his birth.
  2. AD 20–30: Studies Torah in Jerusalem with Gamaliel; becomes a Pharisee (Acts 22:3; 26:5; Gal 1:14; Phil 3:5).
  3. AD 30: The death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
  4. AD 31–32: The witnesses who stoned Stephen laid their garments at his feet (Acts 7:58; 22:20).
  5. AD 32-24: Saul persecutes followers of Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem and Judea (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-2,13-14,21; 22:4,19-20; 26:10-11; 1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13,23; Phil 3:6; 1 Tim 1:13).
  6. AD 32-34: Saul goes to Damascus with letters from the high priest authorizing him to arrest Christians there (Acts 9:1-3; 22:5).

Conversion and Early Ministry

Section titled “Conversion and Early Ministry”
  1. AD 32-34: Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus
    • Most think he would have been around 30 years of age (in Acts 7:58 a few years earlier he was in his 20s)
    • Conversion and call (Rom 1:5; Gal 1:15-16) had a revolutionary impact on Paul’s thought
      • He went from zeal for the law to zeal for Christ (Rom 10:1-4)
      • He experienced the radical grace of God personally (1 Cor 15:9-10; 1 Tim 1:12-15)
  2. AD 32-34: Early preaching in Damascus (Acts 9:19-22); escape from Damascus lowered in a basket (Acts 9:23-25; 2 Cor 11:33)
  3. AD 34-36: Three years in Arabia and Damascus (Gal 1:17-18)
  4. AD 36: Spends 15 days in Jerusalem, meets with Peter (Acts 9:26-28; Gal 1:18-19)
  5. AD 36-44: Hellenistic Jews tried to kill him; went back to Tarsus (Acts 9:29-30; Gal 1:21) where he remained for several years, until Barnabas went looking for him (Acts 11:25).
  6. AD 44-46: Barnabas found Paul in Tarsus and brought him to Antioch (Acts 11:26).
  7. AD 46: The famine relief visit to Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30).

Maps of Paul’s journeys:

First Missionary Journey (Acts 13–14)

Section titled “First Missionary Journey (Acts 13–14)”

The Mission Frontier: Cyprus and Galatia

  1. AD 47-48: Paul and Barnabas
    1. Cyprus: Salamis, Paphos (Acts 13:4-12)
    2. Sailing from Cyprus to Perga (portal to Galatia) (Acts 13:13)
    3. John Mark leaves the missionary team at Perga and goes back to Jerusalem (Acts 13:14)
    4. Roman province of Galatia: Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe (Acts 13:14–14:18)
    5. Later these are referred to collectively as “the churches of Galatia” (Gal 1:2; 1 Cor 16:1)
    6. The Jews stone Paul and leave him for dead in Lystra (Acts 14:19-20).
    7. Retracing their steps: “When they had preached the gospel to that city [Derbe] and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:21-22) (ESV)
    8. Pastors ordained for each of the new church plants (χειροτονήσαντες δὲ αὐτοῖς κατ’ ἐκκλησίαν πρεσβυτέρους) (Acts 14:23), presbyters = overseers/pastors (cp. Eph 4:11; Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).
    9. Return to Antioch to report to the church “all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:24-28).

The Jerusalem Controversy and Council (Acts 15:1–35)

Section titled “The Jerusalem Controversy and Council (Acts 15:1–35)”
  1. AD 48-49: Acts 15:1–2: “But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ [2] And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.” (ESV)
  2. The identification of Gal 2:1–10 is disputed. Two main options in NT scholarship:
    1. Famine-relief visit (Acts 11:27–30; 12:25). On this view Paul’s private meeting with the pillars preceded the Jerusalem Council, probably by several years.
    2. Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). On this view Gal 2:1–10 describes either the Council itself from Paul’s perspective or a private consultation with the pillars connected with the public Council (a pre-meeting or side-meeting).
  3. The Antioch incident (Gal 2:11–14) clearly occurred after the meeting described in Gal 2:1–10, but its relationship to Acts 15 depends upon which view above is adopted.
    1. If Gal 2:1–10 = Acts 11:27–30, the Antioch incident occurred before Acts 15 and illustrates the controversy that precipitated the Council.
    2. If Gal 2:1–10 = Acts 15, the Antioch incident most naturally occurred after the Council, since Paul narrates it subsequently in what appears to be a chronological account.

Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36—18:22)

Section titled “Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36—18:22)”

The Mission Frontier: Macedonia and Greece

  1. AD 49: Phase 1: Returning to Galatia (Acts 15:36–16:6)
    1. Paul said to Barnabas: “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” (Acts 15:36) (ESV)
    2. Paul and Barnabas have a sharp disagreement over Mark (because Paul did not think it was wise to take a man who had abandoned them on their first mission journey), and they separate (Acts 15:37-39).
    3. Paul takes Silas, and “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches” (Acts 15:41).
    4. Timothy joins the team: “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. [2] He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. [3] Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.” (Acts 16:1-3) (ESV)
    5. “As they [Paul, Silas, and Timothy] went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches [of Galatia] were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.” (Acts 16:4-5) (ESV)
    6. The Spirit forbids them to speak the word in Asia (Acts 16:6-7)—although Paul will spend 2–3 fruitful years in Asia on his Third Missionary Journey.
  2. AD 49: Phase 2: Macedonia
    1. They come to Troas, where they receive the Macedonian call (Acts 16:8-10)
    2. They sail from Troas to Neapolis (Acts 16:11)
    3. Philippi (Acts 16:12-40)—Lydia, the Philippian jailer
    4. Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9)—a Jewish mob attacks Jason
    5. Berea (Acts 17:10-15)—“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (v 11) (ESV)
  3. AD 50-51: Phase 3: Greece (= Achaia)
    1. Athens, Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-34)
    2. In Corinth for 18 months (Acts 18:1-11)—Priscilla and Aquila, Crispus
  4. AD 51: The Gallio incident (Acts 18:12-17; see the Gallio inscription above)
  5. AD 51: Paul leaves Greece and returns to Antioch (Acts 18:18-22)

Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23—19:41)

Section titled “Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23—19:41)”

The Mission Frontier: Roman Asia (western Asia Minor, on the Aegean Sea)

  1. AD 52: Phase 1: Returning to Galatia
    1. Acts 18:23: “After spending some time [in Antioch], he departed and went from one place to the next [καθεξῆς] through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.” (ESV)
  2. AD 52-55: Phase 2: Roman Asia (Acts 19)
    1. Importance of Ephesus
      1. The dominant city of Roman Asia.
      2. It was responsible for the Temple of Artemis (called “the Artemision”)
      3. Located outside the walls, northeast of the city, and connected by a sacred processional road.
      4. One of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
      5. Enormous marble colonnades.
      6. Housed the famous statue of the goddess, believed to have “fallen from heaven” (Acts 19:35).
      7. Craftsmen made living selling statuettes and miniature shrines.
      8. Civic identity—the city of Ephesus is “the temple-keeper [νεωκόρος] of the great Artemis” (Acts 19:35).
      9. The temple attracted pilgrims from around the world.
      10. Thousands came for processions, sacrifices, and celebrations.
      11. Looking back, Paul recognizes how momentous this new frontier was: “From the first day that I set foot in Asia …” (Acts 20:18).
    2. Acts 19:8-10: “And he entered the synagogue [in Ephesus] and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. [9] But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. [10] This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” (ESV)
    3. Acts 19:11-12: God was performing miracles through Paul (healings, exorcisms).
    4. Acts 19:13-16: Some Jewish exorcists were trying to use the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches to cast out demons, but the evil spirit replied, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” The fake exorcists were overpowered and fled out of the house naked and wounded.
    5. Acts 19:17-18: “And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. [18] Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.” (ESV).
    6. Acts 19:19: Many who practiced magic repented and burned their costly books.
    7. Acts 19:20: “So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” (ESV)
    8. 1 Cor 16:5,8-9: “I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia … But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” This is probably near the end of the long Ephesian ministry.
    9. Acts 20:31 (looking back): “Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.” (ESV)
    10. The Artemis riot (Acts 19:23-41) brings Paul’s time in Ephesus to an end: “After the uproar ceased … Paul said farewell and departed for Macedonia” (Acts 20:1).

The Journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:1—21:14)

Section titled “The Journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:1—21:14)”
  1. AD 56: Returning to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 20:1-5)
    1. Luke tells us that as Paul’s Ephesian ministry is wrapping up, he “resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, ‘After I have been there, I must also see Rome.’” (Acts 19:21) (ESV)
    2. After the Artemis riot, Paul departed for Macedonia, went “through those regions” and “came to Greece” (Acts 20:1-2)—completing the collection for the Jerusalem saints.
    3. He spends 3 months in Greece (Acts 20:2-3)—writes Romans while staying with Gaius in Corinth (Rom 16:22-23).
    4. Then back up to Macedonia (Acts 20:3-6)
  2. AD 57: Back to Asia—Troas (Acts 20:6-12)
    1. Acts 20:6: “We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.” (ESV)
    2. Acts 20:7: In Troas, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.” (ESV)
    3. Eutychus falls from a window (Acts 20:8-12).
  3. AD 57: From Miletus to Jerusalem (Acts 20:13—21:14)
    1. From Troas, they sail southward along the Aegean coast to Miletus (Acts 20:13-15).
    2. Paul would naturally have wanted to visit Ephesus one last time, but he is in a hurry to get to Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16).
    3. Stopping in Miletus, Paul calls for the elders of Ephesus to say farewell (Acts 20:17-38).
    4. Ocean voyage from Miletus to Caesarea, where the prophet Agabus warns Paul of what awaits him in Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-14).

In Roman Custody (Acts 21:33—28:31)

Section titled “In Roman Custody (Acts 21:33—28:31)”
  1. AD 57: Paul arrives in Jerusalem (Acts 21:15-17)
    1. Meeting with James: “See how many thousands … zealous for law” (Acts 21:18-25)
    2. Paul takes men with him into the Temple; Jews from Asia start a riot (Acts 21:26-30)
    3. Paul is taken into custody by the Roman tribune Claudius Lysias (Acts 21:31-36)
  2. AD 58: Paul is sent to Felix the Governor (Acts 23:12-35)
  3. AD 58-59: Imprisoned in Caesarea for 2 years; Felix → Festus (Acts 24:27)
  4. AD 59: Appeals to Caesar (Acts 25:10-12); defense before King Agrippa (Acts 26)
  5. AD 60: Voyage to Rome via ship, in custody of Julius the centurion who treated Paul kindly (Acts 27:1,3); storm and shipwreck on the island of Malta (Acts 27:13—28:10)
  6. AD 61-62: Arrival in Rome (Acts 28:14-16); house arrest for 2 years (Acts 28:30-31); writes the prison epistles (Eph, Phil, Col, Phm); calls himself an “old man” (Phm 9)

Paul’s Final Years

Section titled “Paul’s Final Years”
  1. AD 62: Released. Although a release is hypothesized rather than explicitly stated, there are good arguments for it:
    1. Luke implies that something changed in Paul’s status (“He lived there two whole years”); if what changed in AD 62 was that he died, surely he would have said so!
    2. The Pastoral Epistles (PE) contain details that are difficult to fit into the Acts narrative. Therefore, it is likely that the PE were written after AD 62, and in the PE Paul implies that he has freedom of movement and is engaging in extensive ministry:
      1. 1 Tim 1:3—“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.” (ESV)
      2. Titus 1:5—“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.” (ESV)
      3. Titus 3:12—“When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.” (ESV)
      4. 2 Tim 4:19—“I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus.”
  2. AD 63+: Journey to Spain (planned: Rom 15:24,28; reported: 1 Clement 5:7); engages in the above ministerial labors; writes 1 Timothy and Titus.
  3. AD 63+: As of the writing of 2 Timothy, Paul is clearly in custody in Rome:
    1. 1:8: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner …” (ESV)
    2. 1:16–17: “May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me.” (ESV)
    3. 2:9: “… my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal.” (ESV)
    4. 4:16-17: “At my first defense no one came to stand by me … But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me … So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” (ESV)
  4. AD 64–68: Martyrdom of Paul
    1. According to Christian tradition, Paul was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Nero (AD 54–68).
    2. Eusebius, H.E. 2.25; 3:1: “It is, therefore, recorded that Paul was beheaded in Rome itself, and that Peter likewise was crucified under Nero. This account of Peter and Paul is substantiated by the fact that their names are preserved in the cemeteries of that place even to the present day … What do we need to say concerning Paul, who preached the Gospel of Christ from Jerusalem to Illyricum, and afterwards suffered martyrdom in Rome under Nero?”
    3. See Harry W. Tajra, The Martyrdom of St. Paul (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock: 1994) for all references to ancient traditions and legends.
    4. The Great Fire of Rome occurred in AD 64. Nero was widely suspected of having ordered the fire, and, according to Tacitus, he sought to deflect that suspicion by blaming the Christians.
    5. A savage persecution followed, in which Christians were crucified, torn apart by dogs, and burned alive as nighttime illumination (Tacitus, Annals 15.44).
    6. Nero died by suicide in AD 68—the latest possible year for Paul’s death.
    7. Window of 4 years: Can we be any more precise?
  5. Early date—AD 64
    • AD 63 or early 64: Paul is arrested and brought to Rome; proceedings begin.
    • He undergoes the “first defense” (2 Tim 4:16)—unlikely to have been a hearing before Nero in person.
    • While still in prison in Rome, and waiting the continuation of his case (or awaiting sentencing), he writes 2 Timothy.
    • July AD 64: the Great Fire of Rome occurs. Nero makes Christians the scapegoats and initiates a savage persecution.
    • Paul senses that the end is near: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:6–7) (ESV)
    • August AD 64: Paul is executed in the frenzy of Nero’s savageries.
  6. Later date—AD 66–68
    • The drawback of the first reconstruction is the compressed window of time from his release after his first imprisonment in AD 62 to his rearrest in AD 63 or early 64.
    • That does not seem like enough time to travel to Spain (Clement), not to mention the other travels and ministerial labors mentioned in the Pastoral Epistles (Macedonia, Crete, Ephesus, etc.).
    • That is why many scholars push Paul’s death as a martyr to later into Nero’s reign (ca. AD 66–68).

“The Apostle to the Gentiles”

Section titled ““The Apostle to the Gentiles””
  1. Acts 9:15: But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” (ESV)
  2. Acts 13:46–47: And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. [47] For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (ESV)
  3. Acts 22:21: The Lord Jesus told Paul to get out of Jerusalem quickly: “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” (ESV)
  4. Acts 26:17–23 (defense before Agrippa): “… delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you [18] to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ [19] “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, [20] but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. [21] For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. [22] To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: [23] that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” (ESV)
  5. Acts 28:28: “Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” (ESV)
  6. Galatians 1:15–16: “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, [16] was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.” (ESV)
  7. Galatians 2:2: “I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.” (ESV)
  8. Galatians 2:7–9: “On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised [8] (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), [9] and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” (ESV)
  9. Romans 1:5: Jesus Christ our Lord, “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles …”
  10. Romans 11:13: “Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry.” (ESV)
  11. Romans 15:15–21: “But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God [16] to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. [17] In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. [18] For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, [19] by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV)
  12. Ephesians 3:1–8: “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—[2] assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, [3] how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. [4] When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, [5] which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. [6] This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. [7] Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. [8] To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”, (ESV)
  13. Colossians 1:25–27: The church, “of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, [26] the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. [27] To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (ESV)
  14. 1 Timothy 2:7: “For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (ESV)
  15. 2 Timothy 4:17: “But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” (ESV)

“The Plots of the Jews”

Section titled ““The Plots of the Jews””

Paul would always go to the Jewish synagogue first “as was his custom” (Acts 17:2) to reason with the Jews about Jesus from the Scriptures (Acts 9:20; 13:5; 14:1; 17:1-3,10,17; 18:4,19; 19:8). But for the most part, the Jewish response was not only unbelief but vicious attacks.

In Acts 20:19, Paul refers to “the trials that happened to me through the plots [ἐπιβουλαῖς] of the Jews.” Acts mentions numerous organized Jewish attempts to arrest, expel, assault, or kill Paul. In his letters, Paul adds more details that Luke does not narrate. Taking Acts and the Pauline epistles together, Acts 20:19 is no exaggeration. Paul’s Gentile mission repeatedly produced organized Jewish opposition ranging from agitation and legal action to flogging, stoning, and planned assassination.

Place Passage What happened
Damascus Acts 9:23–25 “The Jews plotted to kill him.” They watched the city gates day and night; Paul escaped in a basket through the wall. This is the earliest explicit Jewish plot to kill Paul.
Jerusalem Acts 9:29–30 Paul disputed with the Hellenistic Jews, who “were seeking to kill him.” The brothers therefore sent him away to Tarsus.
Pisidian Antioch Acts 13:45, 50 Jewish opponents contradicted Paul and Barnabas and then “incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city,” producing persecution and expulsion.
Iconium Acts 14:2, 5–6 Unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles; then Jews, Gentiles, and rulers made an attempt to mistreat and stone Paul and Barnabas. They learned of it and fled.
Lystra Acts 14:19 Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, won over the crowds, and stoned Paul, dragging him outside the city as dead.
Thessalonica Acts 17:5–9 Jealous Jews recruited a mob, attacked Jason’s house, and sought Paul and Silas. Unable to find them, they hauled Jason and others before the authorities.
Berea Acts 17:13–14 Jews from Thessalonica followed Paul to Berea and “agitated and stirred up the crowds,” forcing Paul to leave again.
Corinth Acts 18:12–17 During Gallio’s proconsulship the Jews “made a united attack on Paul” and brought him before the tribunal, attempting to obtain a legal judgment against his mission.
Greece / Corinth, end of third journey Acts 20:3 As Paul was about to sail directly for Syria, “a plot was made against him by the Jews.” He changed his itinerary and returned through Macedonia. This is especially close verbally to Acts 20:19.
Jerusalem Acts 21:27–31; 26:21 Jews from Asia recognized Paul in the temple, stirred up the crowd, seized him, and were “seeking to kill him.” Roman troops prevented his death.
Jerusalem Acts 22:22–23 The crowd demands, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”
Jerusalem Acts 23:12–22 More than forty Jews formed a formal conspiracy, binding themselves by oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. They arranged with the Sanhedrin to have him brought down so they could ambush him. Paul’s nephew exposed the plot.
Caesarea/Jerusalem Acts 25:2–3 Two years later the chief priests and Jewish leaders asked Festus to transfer Paul to Jerusalem because “they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.”

References to Jewish Opposition in Paul’s letters

Section titled “References to Jewish Opposition in Paul’s letters”
  1. The Jewish opposition in Macedonia (cp. Acts 17) is in view in 1 Thess 2:14–16: “For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, [15] who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind [16] by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!” (ESV)
  2. In the Corinthian correspondence (written near the end of his 2–3 year time in Ephesus), Paul makes more general references to opposition and persecution in Asia (from both Jewish and Gentile adversaries):
    1. 1 Cor 15:32: “If I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus ….” (most commentators take this metaphorically).
    2. 1 Cor 16:8-9: “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” (ESV)
    3. 2 Cor 1:8–10: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. [9] Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. [10] He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.” (ESV)
    4. 2 Cor 11:24-26: “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned” [= Acts 14:19]. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; [26] on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles,” etc.
  3. And yet, mere weeks before his journey to Jerusalem that will lead to the Jewish riot and his arrest, Paul can write:
    1. Rom 9:1–3: “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—[2] that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. [3] For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” (ESV)
    2. Rom 10:1: “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” (ESV)
    3. But as much as he desires their salvation, he remains cautious: Rom 15:30–31: “Strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea.”

The Collection for the Jerusalem Church

Section titled “The Collection for the Jerusalem Church”

And he also cared deeply for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem to which the Gentiles should continue to look as their mother church. In the Macedonia/Greece portion of the Second Missionary Journey, Paul has been soliciting contributions from the Gentile churches of

  • Galatia (1 Cor 16:1)
  • Macedonia (2 Cor 8:1–5; Rom 15:26), and
  • Achaia (Corinth) (1 Cor 16:1–4; 2 Cor 8–9; Rom 15:26). The aim was to provide assistance to the poor saints in Jerusalem. Luke seems to be aware of this and drops a few hints:
  • Acts 19:21: “Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, ‘After I have been there, I must also see Rome.’” (ESV)
  • Acts 20:1–3: Paul left Ephesus to go to Macedonia and “he went through those districts” until he came to Greece.
    • This is probably the point in the narrative where Paul is gathering and wrapping up the collection.
    • Rom 15:25-27: “At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.” (ESV)
  • Acts 20:4: The 7 men named here could be part of the delegation of trusted brothers that accompanied Paul in bringing the money (1 Cor 16:3-4; 2 Cor 8:18-23). Note that Luke mentions their geographical origins.
    • Sopater of Berea [Macedonia]
    • Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica [Macedonia]
    • Gaius of Derbe [Galatia]
    • Timothy [Galatia - Acts 16:1]
    • Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia
  • Acts 20:16: Paul’s urgency about reaching Jerusalem before Pentecost could be due to his desire to complete the final delivery of the money.
  • Acts 21:17: Luke narrates Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem, but does not mention the delivery.
  • Acts 24:17: In Paul’s speech before Felix: “Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.” (ESV)