Timeline of the Apostle Paul
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 ( onClick="return mV('Act',22,3);">Act 22:3; Phl 3:5)    
A Roman citizen by birthright (Act 22:28)    
7     Judea becomes a Roman Imperial province
14     Census of Caesar and Tiberius
   
Lyvia poisons Augustus; Tiberius comes into power
c.15-20 At the school of Gamaliel, Jerusalem (Act 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 (Phl 3:5)    
c. 32 Present at Stephen's stoning (Act 7:58; Act 8:1)    
c.33-34 Persecutor of the church (Act 8:1-3; Phl 3:6)    
34 Conversion on the Road to Damascus (Act 9:1-9)    
Goes to Damascus (Act 9:10-19)    
Travels to Arabia and remains there (Gal 1:17)    
35    
36    Imprisonment of Herod Agrippa
37    
Returns to Damascus then exits the city for safety (Gal 1:17; Act 9:20-25; 2Cr 11:32-33)   
 
Goes up to Jerusalem (Act 9:26-29; Gal 1:18)    Caligula becomes emperor at the death of Tiberius
Goes back to Tarsus for safety (Act 9:30)    
38    
39    Herod Antipas deposed by Caligula and exiled to Gaul
40    
41    Caligula murdered
  
Cladius declared emperor
42    Famine in Rome
43    Roman campaigns against Britain
44    Death of Herod Agrippa I
45    
46    
Barnabas travels to Tarsus in order to seek Saul (Act 11:25)    
47 Goes to Antioch with Barnabas teaching and many people (Act 11:26)    
Agabus prophesies a famine (Act 11:27-28)    
Aid sent to Jerusalem through Barnabas and Saul (Act 11:29-30)    
Barnabas and Saul return with John Mark (Act 12:25)    
Barnabas and Saul "separated" and sent out (Act 13:2-3)    
They travel from Antioch to Seleucia, then to Cyprus (Act 13:4)
  
48   
While on Cyprus they go to Salamis and Paphos (Act 13:5-12)   
From Paphos they go to Perga of Pamphylia where John Mark departs for home (Act 13:13)   
Ministry in Antioch of Pisidia (Act 13:14-50)   
At Iconium (Act 13:51-52; Act 14:1-6)   
Flees to Lystra and Derbe, preaching the gospel (Act 14:6-7)   
In Lystra Paul and Barnabas are mistaken for gods (Act 14:8-18)   
Stoned at Lystra, supposed to be dead, but re-enters the city (Act 14:19-20)   
Departs with Barnabas to Derbe, preaching the gospel (Act 14:20-21)   
They return to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch to strengthen disciples and appoint elders (Act 14:21-24)   
From Pisidia they returned to Antioch of Syria and reported their journey to the church (Act 14:24-28)   
49 Goes up to the Jerusalem Council with Barnabas (Act 15:1-29; Gal 2:1)    Claudius expels Jews from Rome and blames it on Chrestus (a possible reference to Christ)
Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch of Syria, teaching and preaching (Act 15:30-35; Gal 2:11-14)    
Contention over John Mark; Barnabas and John Mark sail to Cyprus (Act 15:36-39)    
Paul and Silas depart, going through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches (Act 15:40-41)
Galatians (?) 
50 Goes to Derbe and Lystra and picks up Timothy, strengthening the churches (Act 16:1-5)   The rise of the Zealots
They go to Troas and Paul sees a vision of a Macedonian man (Act 16:6-10)   
51 They sail from Troas to Neapolis (Act 16:11)   
To Philippi where Paul meets Lydia (Act 16:12-15)   
Paul and Silas imprisoned after casting out a demon from a slave girl (Act 16:16-25)   
Prison doors opened miraculously and the jailer saved (Act 16:25-34)   
Departs from Philippi (Act 16:35-40)   
They passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia (Act 17:1)   
At Thessalonica and preached Christ, but had to flee (Act 17:1-10)   
At Berea where he leaves Silas and Timothy (Act 17:10-14)   
At Corinth and rejoined with Silas and Timothy (Act 18:1-17) Galatians (?) 
1 Thessalonians 
52 2 Thessalonians 
53 Paul returns to Antioch after stopping at Ephesus, Caeserea, and Jerusalem (Act 18:18-22)   
Travels through Galatia and Phrygia strengthening the disciples (Act 18:23)
  
Passes through the upper regions on his way to Ephesus (Act 19:1)   
Ministry in Ephesus (Act 19:1-41)   
54  Claudius poisoned by his wife
1 Corinthians
Nero becomes Emperor
55   
56 Goes to Macedonia (Act 20:1) 2 Corinthians 
Travels to Greece (Act 20:2) Romans 
Goes back to Macedonia (Act 20:3)   
At Troas (Act 20:4-12)   
Assos. Mitylene. Chios. Samos. Togyllium. (Act 20:13-15)   
Paul exhorts the Ephesian elders at Miletus (Act 20:15-38)   
Cos. Rhodes. Patara. Phoenicia. (Act 21:1-2)   
At Tyre (Act 21:3-6)   
At Ptolemais (Act 21:7)   
At Caesarea (Act 21:8-14)   
57 At Jerusalem (Act 21:15-25)   
Paul gets arrested in the temple and causes a mob (Act 21:26-36)    
Addresses the mob (Act 21:37-40; Act 22:1-21)    
Paul's citizenship saves him from scourging (Act 22:22-29)    
Before the Sanhedrin (Act 22:30; Act 23:10)    
Jesus tells Paul that he will bear witness of him in Rome (Act 23:11)    
The plot against Paul's life (Act 23:12-22)    
Sent safely to Felix the governor (Act 23:23-35)    
Paul before Felix (Act 24)    
59 Paul before Festus (Act 25:1-12)    
Paul's appeal honored - turning point towards Rome (Act 25:12)
  Assassination of Agrippina, the mother of Nero
Paul before Agrippa (Act 25:13-27; Act 26:1-32)   
Paul departs for Rome and sails to Myra (Act 27:1-5)   
They sail to Fair Havens on Crete (Act 27:6-8)   
In spite of Paul's warning, they set sail again (Act 27:9-12)   
In the midst of a terrible storm they get shipwrecked on the island of Malta (Act 27:13-44; Act 28:1)   
At Malta (Act 28:2-10)   
Sails to Syracuse (Act 28:11-12)   
Sails to Rhegium then Puteoli (Act 28:13)   
60 Arrives in Rome (Act 28:14-16)
  
Meets with the Jews (Act 28:17-28)   
Preaches the gospel without hindrance for two whole years in his rented house (Act 28:30-31). Philemon 
61 Colossians 
Ephesians  
62 Philippians 
Released from Roman imprisonment   1 Timothy (c. 62-64)
Titus (c. 62-64)
 
63 Further missionary work  
64  The Great Fire in Rome; Major persecution of Christianity begins
 Josephus pleads the interests of the Jews before Rome
  2 Timothy (c. 64-66) Nero constructs the Domus Aurea
65   
66 Second imprisonment and martyrdom under Nero
The beginning of the Jewish 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
*  Chronology and dating are still disputed among scholars.
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Bibliographic Information:
Author: Blue Letter Bible
Work: Timeline of the Apostle Paul
Date Added: 1 Apr 2002