Chronology of Acts and the Epistles
Event Reference Year (AD)
Descent of the Holy Spirit Acts 2:1-13 30
Setting Up of the Church Acts 2:40-47 30
First Persecutions (Illustration) Acts 4:1-22; 5:21-42; 7:1-60 35
Philip at Samaria Acts 8:4-13 35
Conversion of Saul (Illustration) Acts 9:1-9 36
First Gentile Converted Acts 10:1-48 40
Founding of Church at Antioch Acts 11:19-30 43
Writing of Matthew’s Gospel Matthew 43
James Killed by Herod Acts 12:1-25 45
Paul’s Call Acts 13:1-3 47
His First Missionary Journey Begun (Map) Acts 13:4-14:28 48
Council at Jerusalem Acts 15:6-35 50
Second Missionary Journey Begun (Map) Acts 15:39-18:22 51
Writing of I Thessalonians I Thessalonians 52
Writing of II Thessalonians II Thessalonians 53
Third Missionary Journey Begun (Map) Acts 18:23-21:17 54
Writing of I Corinthians I Corinthians 57
Writing of Galatians Galatians 57
Writing of II Corinthians II Corinthians 58
Writing of Romans Romans 58
Writing of Luke’s Gospel Luke 59
Paul’s Arrest at Jerusalem Acts 21:26-22:29 58
Paul at Caesarea Acts 23:23-26:32 59
Paul Starts for Rome Acts 27:1-2 60
Paul Reaches Rome Acts 28:11-16a 61
Paul’s Imprisonment at Rome Acts 28:16-31 62
Paul Writes Ephesians Ephesians 62
Paul Writes Philippians Philippians 62
Paul Writes Colossians Colossians 62
Paul Writes Philemon Philemon 62
James Writes his Epistle James 62
I Peter Written I Peter 63
Acts Written Acts 63
Paul is Acquitted - 63
Paul Visits Various Places - 63
Paul Writes Hebrews Hebrews 63
Paul Writes I Timothy I Timothy 63
Paul Writes Titus Titus 63
Writing of Mark’s Gospel Mark 64
II Peter Written II Peter 65
Event Reference Year (AD)
Paul’s Second Imprisonment at Rome - 65
II Timothy Written II Timothy 66
Martyrdom of Paul - 66
Destruction of Jerusalem - 71
Jude’s Epistle Written Jude 75
Writing of John’s Gospel John 85
Writing of John’s Three Epistles I John; II John; III John 90
John’s Visions at Patmos Revelation 1:9 96
Revelation Written Revelation 97
Death of John - 100
Timeline of the Apostle Paul
Note: The chronology and dating of the events in Paul’s life are still disputed among scholars.
Year The Life of Paul Books Written Historical Events
AD 4 Augustus adopts Tiberius and
recognizes him as the successor
c. 5 Born—an Israelite—in Tarsus of
Cilicia (Acts 22:3; Phil 3:5)
A Roman citizen by birthright (Acts
22:28)
7 Judea becomes a Roman Imperial
province
14 Census of Caesar and Tiberius
Lyvia poisons Augustus; Tiberius
comes into power
c.15- At the school of Gamaliel, Jerusalem
20 (Acts 22:3)
26 Pilate begins serving as
procurator of Judea
28 John the Baptist executed by
Herod Antipas
30 Crucifixion of Christ
31(?) A Pharisee (Phil 3:5)
c. 32 Present at Stephen’s stoning (Acts
7:58; 8:1)
c.33- Persecutor of the church (Acts 8:1-
34 3; Phil 3:6)
34 Conversion on the Road to Damascus
(Acts 9:1-9)
Goes to Damascus (Acts 9:10-19)
Travels to Arabia and remains there
35 (Gal 1:17)
36 Imprisonment of Herod Agrippa
37
Returns to Damascus then exits the
city for safety (Gal 1:17; Acts 9:20-
25; 2 Cor 11:32-33)
Goes up to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26- Caligula becomes emperor at the
29; Gal 1:18) death of Tiberius
Goes back to Tarsus for safety (Acts
38 9:30)
39 Herod Antipas deposed by
Caligula and exiled to Gaul
40
41 Caligula murdered
Cladius declared emperor
42 Famine in Rome
Year The Life of Paul Books Written Historical Events
43 Roman campaigns against Britain
44 Death of Herod Agrippa I
45
46
Barnabas travels to Tarsus in order
to seek Saul (Acts 11:25)
47 Goes to Antioch with Barnabas
teaching and many people (Acts
11:26)
Agabus prophesies a famine (Acts
11:27, 28)
Aid sent to Jerusalem through
Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:29, 30)
Barnabas and Saul return with John
Mark (Acts 12:25)
Barnabas and Saul “separated” and
sent out (Acts 13:2, 3)
They travel from Antioch to Seleucia,
48 then to Cyprus (Acts 13:4)
While on Cyprus they go to Salamis
and Paphos (Acts 13:5-12)
From Paphos they go to Perga of
Pamphylia where John Mark departs
for home (Acts 13:13)
Ministry in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts
13:14-50)
At Iconium (Acts 13:51 - 14:6)
Flees to Lystra and Derbe, preaching
the gospel (Acts 14:6-7)
In Lystra Paul and Barnabas are
mistaken for gods (Acts 14:8-18)
Stoned at Lystra, supposed to be
dead, but re-enters the city (Acts
14:19-20)
Departs with Barnabas to Derbe,
preaching the gospel (Acts 14:20-21)
They return to Lystra, Iconium, and
Antioch to strengthen disciples and
appoint elders (Acts 14:21-24)
From Pisidia they returned to
Antioch of Syria and reported their
journey to the church (Acts 14:24-
28)
49 Goes up to the Jerusalem Council Claudius expels Jews from Rome with Barnabas (Acts 15:1- and blames it on Chrestus (a
29; Galatians 2:1) possible reference to Christ)
Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch
of Syria, teaching and preaching
(Acts 15:30-35; Galatians 2:11-14)
Year The Life of Paul Books Written Historical Events
Contention over John Mark;
Barnabas and John Mark sail to
Cyprus (Acts 15:36-39)
Paul and Silas depart, going through Galatians (?)
Syria and Cilicia strengthening the
churches (Acts 15:40-41)
50 Goes to Derbe and Lystra and picks The rise of the Zealots up Timothy, strengthening the churches (Acts 16:1-5)
They go to Troas and Paul sees a
vision of a Macedonian man (Acts
16:6-10)
51 They sail from Troas to Neapolis
(Acts 16:11)
To Philippi where Paul meets Lydia
(Acts 16:12-15)
Paul and Silas imprisoned after
casting out a demon from a slave girl
(Acts 16:16-25)
Prison doors opened miraculously
and the jailer saved (Acts 16:25-34)
Departs from Philippi (Acts 16:35-
40)
They passed through Amphipolis and
Apollonia (Acts 17:1)
At Thessalonica and preached Christ,
but had to flee (Acts 17:1-10)
At Berea where he leaves Silas and
Timothy (Acts 17:10-14)
At Corinth and rejoined with Silas Galatians (?)
and Timothy (Acts 18:1-17) 1 Thessalonians
52 2 Thessalonians
53 Paul returns to Antioch after
stopping at Ephesus, Caeserea, and
Jerusalem (Acts 18:18-22)
Travels through Galatia and Phrygia
strengthening the disciples (Acts
18:23)
Passes through the upper regions on
his way to Ephesus (Acts 19:1)
Ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-41)
54 Claudius poisoned by his wife
1 Corinthians Nero becomes Emperor
55
56 Goes to Macedonia (Acts 20:1) 2 Corinthians
Travels to Greece (Acts 20:2) Romans
Goes back to Macedonia (Acts 20:3)
At Troas (Acts 20:4-12)
Year The Life of Paul Books Written Historical Events
Assos. Mitylene. Chios. Samos.
Togyllium. (Acts 20:13-15)
Paul exhorts the Ephesian elders at
Miletus (Acts 20:15-38)
Cos. Rhodes. Patara. Phoenicia.
(Acts 21:1, 2)
At Tyre (Acts 21:3-6)
At Ptolemais (Acts 21:7)
At Caesarea (Acts 21:8-14)
57 At Jerusalem (Acts 21:15-25)
Paul gets arrested in the temple and
causes a mob (Acts 21:26-36)
Addresses the mob (Acts 21:37 -
22:21)
Paul’s citizenship saves him from
scourging (Acts 22:22-29)
Before the Sanhedrin (Acts 22:30 -
23:10)
Jesus tells Paul that he will bear
witness of him in Rome (Acts 23:11)
The plot against Paul’s life (Acts
23:12-22)
Sent safely to Felix the governor
(Acts 23:23-35)
Paul before Felix (Acts 24:1-27)
59 Paul before Festus (Acts 25:1-12)
Paul’s appeal honored - turning Assassination of Agrippina, the point towards Rome (Acts 25:12) mother of Nero
Paul before Agrippa (Acts 25:13 -
26:32)
Paul departs for Rome and sails to
Myra (Acts 27:1-5)
They sail to Fair Havens on Crete
(Acts 27:6-8)
In spite of Paul’s warning, they set
sail again (Acts 27:9-12)
In the midst of a terrible storm they
get shipwrecked on the island of
Malta (Acts 27:13 - 28:1)
At Malta (Acts 28:2-10)
Sails to Syracuse (Acts 28:11, 12)
Sails to Rhegium then Puteoli (Acts
28:13)
60 Arrives in Rome (Acts 28:14-16)
Meets with the Jews (Acts 28:17-28)
Philemon
61 Colossians
Year The Life of Paul Books Written Historical Events
Ephesians
62 Philippians
Preaches the gospel without
hindrance for two whole years in his
rented house (Acts 28:30-31).
Released from Roman imprisonment 1 Timothy (c.
63 Further missionary work 62-64)
Titus (c. 62-64)
64 The Great Fire in Rome; Major
persecution of Christianity begins
Josephus pleads the interests of
the Jews before Rome
2 Timothy (c. Nero constructs the Domus
64-66) Aurea
65
66 Second imprisonment and The beginning of the Jewish
martyrdom under Nero Revolt against Rome
67 Josephus surrenders to the
Romans
68 Nero commits suicide
69 Vespian prevails as the Emperor
amidst civil war
70 Destruction of the temple under
Titus