Paul was born in Tarsus, which is in southern Turkey. His early ministry was in Turkey. I imagine that crossing over into Macedonia (Greek territory--moving from Asia to Europe) was a big step out of his "comfort zone."
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1917--a lot of scholarship has taken place since then--see the table below from the JBC):
| Year
|
Event
|
Scriptural refs
|
| 35
|
Conversion
|
|
| 37
|
first visit to Jerusalem
|
|
| 37-43
|
sojourn at Tarsus
|
|
| 43-44
|
apostolate at Antioch
|
|
| 44 or 45
|
second visit to Jerusalem
|
|
| 45-49
|
first mission
|
|
| 49 or 50
|
third visit to Jerusalem
|
|
| 50-53
|
second mission
|
|
| 52
|
(1 and 2 Thessalonians)
|
|
| 53
|
fourth visit to Jerusalem
|
|
| 53-57
|
third mission
|
|
| 56
|
(1 and 2 Corinthians; Galatians)
|
|
| 57
|
(Romans)
|
|
| 57
|
fifth visit to Jerusalem, arrest
|
|
| 59
|
arrival of Festus, departure for Rome
|
|
| 60-62
|
captivity at Rome
|
|
| 61
|
(Philemon; Colossians; Ephesians; Philippians)
|
|
| 62-66
|
second period of activity
|
|
| 66
|
(1 Timothy; Titus), second arrest
|
|
| 67
|
(2 Timothy), martyrdom
|
|
- Wikipedia
- "An Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day" (Philippians 3:5).
- Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990)
| Date
|
Epistle
|
|
| 50-51
|
1 Thessalonians
|
Notes
|
| 54
|
Galatians
|
Notes
|
| 54-58
|
Philippians
|
|
| 54-57
|
1 Corinthians
|
|
| 54-55
|
2 Corinthians
|
|
| 57-58
|
Romans
|
|
| 56-63
|
Philemon
|
|
| 64-67
|
Peter and Paul martyred in Rome during Nero's reign
|
|
| 66-70
|
Jewish revolt against Romans -- 2nd destruction of Temple
|
|
| 70-80
|
Colossians
|
|
| after Col
|
Ephesians
|
|
| 51-100?
|
2 Thessalonians
|
|
| ~100
|
Titus
|
|
| ~100
|
1 Timothy (author of Titus)
|
|
| ~100
|
2 Timothy (author of Titus)
|
|
Conversion Stories
Acts 9, 22, 26
| Acts 9:1-22
|
Acts 22:3-16
|
Acts 26:2-18
|
| a light from heaven flashed about him
|
a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me
|
I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.
|
| he fell to the ground
|
I fell to the ground
|
We had all fallen to the ground.
|
| and heard a voice saying to him,
|
and heard a voice saying to me
|
I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language
|
| Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? ... I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.
|
Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? ... I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting. ... Rise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.
|
Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads. ... I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the Gentiles--to whom I will send you to open their eye, 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.
|
| The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice
|
Those who were with me ... did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me
|
|
| but seeing no one.
|
They saw the light.
|
|
| Saul was blinded.
|
Blinded by the light.
|
|
| He ate or drank nothing for three days.
|
|
|
Galatians
- Galatians 1:11-24.
- For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God violently and tried to destroy it; and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas [Kephas = Aramaic word for "rock" = Petros, Greek word for "rock" = Peter, in English transliteration], and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother.