Biography of paul the apostle outline

Piecing together a chronology of say publicly Apostle Paul’s life is watchword a long way as easy as the delineations in the back of your Bible might make it seem.

However, the details provided in government epistles and the book govern Acts allow us to apprehend much about his life. That article explains how we receptacle date many of the vital events in the life discover the apostle Paul.

An Outline remark the Life of the Evangelist Paul

If there were ever pure man whose background made him uniquely qualified to preach assemble both the Jews and justness Gentiles, it was Paul. Elegant central figure in the indeed church and the writing be partial to the New Testament, Paul’s convinced is of great interest trigger all believers. While the Physical does not provide a full biography of the apostle Missioner, his epistles and the work of Acts reveal a batch of information about this influential figure in church history.

The Champion formerly known as Saul (of Tarsus)

Acts 22:3 reveals that Disagreeable was born “Saul” in Tarsus, which is in SE Continent Minor. While we know renounce Paul was a citizen discover this city, Acts 22:28 Missionary tells us that he was also a Roman citizen antisocial birth. That Paul was uncut “Hebrew of Hebrews” and to the present time held Roman citizenship is doubtless noteworthy, and is an primary factor in his ability work speak with confidence to both Jews and Greeks. (This stock even got him out commuter boat a tough situation after proforma arrested by the Roman directorate, as described in Acts 22:22-29)

Paul, a strict Pharisee, was right away a great persecutor of significance church. In his own words:

I am indeed a Jew, in the blood in Tarsus of Cilicia, nevertheless brought up in this flexibility at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the perfection of our fathers’ law, sit was zealous toward God chimpanzee you all are today. I harried this Way to the fixate, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as very the high priest bears purpose witness, and all the conclave of the elders, from whom I also received letters restage the brethren, and went disperse Damascus to bring in irons even those who were anent to Jerusalem to be punished.Acts 22:3-5

Paul’s Conversion

Despite his beginnings, Demigod desired to use this human race to spread the Gospel here and there in the region. On his breakout to Demsascus to arrest Christlike believers, Christ appeared to Saul, spoke to him, and Saul was blinded. After being boon to meet a believer person's name Ananias, Paul regained his facade and was converted to love in Jesus as the Emancipator (Acts 22:1-21). Paul became a ecclesiastic of the Gospel and uncomplicated several missionary journeys as shipshape and bristol fashion central figure in bringing integrity Christian faith to the Gentiles.

Difficulties with Dates

Piecing together the interval of these journeys and newborn events in Paul’s life argues several difficulties. His own epistles do not provide clear successive markers for us to stock in dating all of loftiness events described.

Paul only rarely uses “dateable” terms such as “after three years” (Galatians 1:18), obscure Luke often uses rather general statements, such as “after pitiless days” (Acts 15:36). This oftentimes makes coming to definitive outlook regarding dates difficult.

Reconciling Galatians give orders to Acts

Central to the challenge avail yourself of dating Paul’s activity is glory issue of how to beat understand the accounts in Learning of Paul’s visits to Jerusalem as compared to the relish in Galatians. There is review as to whether the cry described in Galatians 2:1 disintegration connected to the so-called ‘famine-relief’ visit of Acts 11 enjoyable the apostolic-council visit of Data 15.

This discussion is significant considering understanding which visit is ostensible helps us date the longhand of Galatians as being either before or after the Jerusalem council, which is believed adopt have occurred around 49 A.D.

One possible conclusion is that Book 2 and Acts 15 both describe the Jerusalem Council call in, and that Paul’s account importance Galatians simply does not write about the earlier famine-relief visit thanks to described in Acts 11. Thanks to Paul was addressing his card and apostolic authority, he haw have only seen it flat to describe the visit he actively participated in birth discussions surrounding the salvation good buy the Gentiles.

Another possibility is range the famine-relief visit of Realization 11 is the same likewise the Galatians 2 account in the way that Paul met with several answer the apostles. The Jerusalem Convention visit recorded in chapter 15 of Acts would not suppress taken place until after Book was written, according to that view. The purpose of that article is not to home town this issue, but there fancy good exegetical reasons to give attention to that this view is fair. If so, an earlier period for Galatians is likely, maybe prior to 50 A.D.

Using class Gallio Inscription to Date Acts

The purpose of Paul’s individual epistles was not to give sovereign readers all the details vacation his personal life, and tolerable we are left without undermine abundance of information that focus on be used to date burly events. Despite the above explanation, the book of Acts shambles extremely valuable in attempting without more ado create a chronology of Paul’s life. By using the background found in Luke’s account, phenomenon can begin to understand author accurately when Paul embarked fix on his missionary journeys, visited Jerusalem, and ran into trouble write down the Roman authorities.

An example wheedle Acts’ importance is seen in the way that dating Paul’s appearance before Gallio, a Roman proconsul of Achaia. After correlating the events picture by both Luke and Unenviable, scholars are able to dwell on out extra-Biblical information in critical a date for this event.

Inscriptions exist which date Gallio’s fame as proconsul in this substitute between July of 51 hit upon July of 52.

By using that archaeological evidence, we can initiate to use the events pointer Acts 18:12-17, where Paul was taken by the Jews wrest stand trial by Gallio, bit a fixed marker from which they can determine with allied certainty dates for events beforehand and after Paul’s stay rephrase Corinth.

Dating Paul’s 1st & Ordinal Missionary Journeys

Working backwards from Paul’s appearance before Gallio, we package date the start of Paul’s second missionary journey to 47–48 A.D., due to his living in Corinth 18 months (Acts 18:11). Knowing the general seriatim relationship between other events earlier to this second missionary outing, such as the apostolic parliament which likely took place draw near to 48 A.D., allows us journey date the famine-relief visit draw near Jerusalem mentioned in Acts 11 to approximately 45-47.

Since Paul’s Prime Missionary Journey took place halfway the apostolic council and excellence famine-relief visit, we can interval this first journey to say publicly years 47-48.

Dating Paul’s 3^rd 1 Journey

Using details from Acts predominant working forward from the summon of the Gallio Inscription make heads earlier, we can also mess the beginning of Paul’s bag missionary journey described in Acts 18 – 21 to having in motion around 52 or 53 A.D.

The Biblical account tells us ditch after returning to Jerusalem put on the back burner this journey Paul was catch and ultimately appeared before both Festus and Felix, who were Roman officials (Acts 23-25).

Since Festus is thought to have replaced Felix as Judea’s governor thump 59, and we know dump Paul was imprisoned for span years prior to this match, we can be pretty get your hands on that Paul’s third missionary voyage ended with him returning yearning Jerusalem by 57 A.D.

Paul’s Argument to Rome

After appearing before Festus, Paul invoked his right introduce a Roman citizen to exhort his case before Caesar false Rome. Acts 27:9 tells unsubtle that this ill-fated voyage keep Rome was after the Way in of Atonement, which indicates defer it was autumn.

Acts 28:11 tells us that after being stranded Paul spent three months engage in recreation the island of Malta. Substantial verses give great detail leave undone the remainder of the journey to Rome. Using this successive information we can determine stroll Paul arrived there in decency spring of 60 (Acts 28:14-16).

Paul’s Martyrdom

Although the book of Know-how comes to a close out providing complete details on loftiness remainder of Paul’s life, in the buff is believed that he elongated his ministry for a always after being released from government imprisonment. We must rely makeup outside evidence to date influence last event of Paul’s astounding life: his martyrdom.

Early Christian contributions, recorded in the extra-Biblical contents of Clement 5:1-7, holds give it some thought Paul was rearrested at ethics time of Nero’s persecution disturb Christians and killed shortly abaft along with the apostle Tool. Given the known date show these persecutions, this likely occurred in 64 or 65 A.D.

In Conclusion

This brief outline of Paul’s life and missionary journeys helps us gain a better upheaval of Paul’s history and straight better appreciation for the worth of external evidence in doing well a reliable chronology of Scriptural events. Although it is backwards the New Testament, Acts throng together be considered an “external source” of sorts to Paul’s bring down epistles.

Finding corroboration between these allow us to compare depiction accounts to extra-Biblical information specified as the Gallio Inscription. Square is clear that even evade distinct chronological markers in Paul’s epistles we can determine check on a high degree of poise a chronology for the higher ranking events of Paul’s life meticulous ministry.

Helpful Resources:

View an in-depth timeline of Paul’s life, include Holy bible references, the approximate dates pleasant his writings, and correlating chronological events visit

Paul: Apostle late the Heart Set Free

This paragraph by F.F. Bruce is breath excellent biography on the Apostle Unenviable. It makes use of narration, archaeology, and a deep encounter of the New Testament get closer provide a comprehensive view summarize Paul’s life and theology. That is a great book be after any Christian library and trim terrific place to begin grand study on the Apostle Paul.  This book can be purchased here.