Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/560

NEW TESTAMENT CHRONOLOGY. 4:86 NEW TESTAMENT CHRONOLOGY. all that can be said is that he was probably not appoiiiteil to the ollioe before the reeall of his famous brother Seneca from banishment (A.D. 40). Thus ..D. -i'JoO may be accepted provisionally as the most satisfactory date for these facts. (5) Ads XX. 6~. Paul, on his way to Jeru- salem, returning from his third missionary jour- ney, kept the Feast of liileavened Bread at Pliilippi, .Macedonia. Leaving I'hilippi. in five days he reached Troas. Here he stayed seven days, leaving on Monday. Keckcmiii'.; back, it becomes probable, but not certain, that the Pass- over of that year was on Thursday. In that case, the year was probably either A.i). 50 or 57, the probability being in favor of 56. (6) Acts xxU: 2~. After Paul had been de- tained as a prisoner for two years, Felix, the Roman (Jovernor of Palestine, was succeeded by Festus. Felix was appointed in a.d. 52 by Clau- dius, having already been in charge of Samaria for some time. In Acts xxiv. 10, two years before Felix's removal, Paul addresses him as having l)een for 'many years' judge of the nation. The Apostle may have included in the 'many years' the time that Felix spent in Samaria, and the statement should not lie pressed as neces- sitating as many as five or six years after a.d. 52 as the time when they were uttered. Josephus says that Felix, when rec'alled, had to answer serious charges before Nero, and would have been condemned, had not his wealthy brother Pallas interce<led for hini. Though Pallas was dismissed from ollice soon after Nero's accession (A.D. 54). he was for some years a wealthy and influential man. Eusebius's Chronicle places the appointment of Festus in the year September 50- September 57. The accuracy of this statement is not beyond doubt. Paul's words in .cts xxiv. 10, as well as the general representation of Felix's administration in Josephus. seem to require a date not earlier than A.D. 58 for the recall of Felix and tiie appointment of Festus. This date will harmcmize with the conclusion reached under No. 5 above. (7) The Death of Paul. All that can be said here is that the most ancient tradition of the Church represents that Paul closed his career by suffering martyrdom at Rome under Nero. As to the date, it is most probable that this took place in the cruel persecution by which Nero sought to divert from himself the suspicion of having burned Home. i.e. in a.d. (!4 or 05. (8) The I'rrioil Covered by Aets i.-xii. (in reference to the iloings of the .lewish-Christian Church of Palestine). The only fixed date we have is the death of Herod .Vyrippa I. (.cts xii. 19 sqq.) in A.D. 44. From this we see that the period covered by these chapters is about fifteen years, since the Crucifixion took place a.d. 29. Within the period we have the probable date, A.D. .34, as thai for the conversion of Paul. On the basis of the results thus reached we may construct the following table: A.D. 29. Pentecost, first preaching by the Apos- tles. .<rts ii. 29-34 (35). Christianity organized and be- comes prominent in .Terusalem. Acts ii.-vi. 34 (35). Stephen martyred. Persecution ex- tends Christianity outside Jerusalem. Paul converted at Damascus. Acts vii.-ix. 34-37 (35-3S). Paul in Arabia. His return to Damascus and escape thence. He visits Jerusalem and goes thence to Tarsus. Gal. i. 17-21; II. Cor. xi. 32; Acts ix. 30. 34 (35)-44. Rapid extension of Christianity through Palestine. Pba?nicia. and Syr- ia, as far as Antioch. Acts ix.-xi. 38-40?. Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. 44. Execution of James, the brother of John. Peter escapes from Herod Agrippa I., who soon after dies at Ca'sarea. .cts xii. 4G ?. Paul and Barnabas carry a contribu- tion to Jerusalem. Acts xi. 27-30. 47 (Spring) -48 (Fall). Fir.st missionary journey of Paul. Acts xiii.-xiv. 49 (Pentecost ?). The Apostolic Council in Jerusalem. Acts xv. (cf. Gal. ii. 1-10). 49. Barnabas and JIark go to Cyprus. Acts XV. 35-39. 49. (Fall) -52 (Summer). The Second Mis- sionary .Tourney. Acts xv. 40-xviii. 22. I. and II. Tbessalonians written from Corinth in 50 and 51. 52 (Early Fall) -50 (Spring). Third Mis- sionary .Tourney. Acts xviii. 23-xxi. 17. I. Corinthians written from Ephesus, 53-54. II. Corinthians writ- ten from Macedonia late in spring of 55. Galatians written from some- where on the journey to Corinth, in summer or fall of 55. Romans writ- ten from Cnriuth in 50. 56-58. Paul held in Palestine, most of Uie time in Casarea. Acts xxiii. 1. m (Fall) -59 (Spring). Paul's voyage to Rome. 59-61. Two years' imprisonment in Rome. Epistles to Phili|ipians, Colossians, Philemon, and Kphesians. 61-64. Missionary journey to Spain. Re- visits the East. I. Timothy and Titus written. 64. Again imprisoned in Rome. II. Tim- othy written. 64 (65). Executed by order of Xero. -Ac- cording to tradition, Peter also was martyred at Rome about the same time. 70. The capture of Jerusalem by the Ro- mans under Titus. The Palestinian Christians scattered. 65(?)-90( ■;)■ The Apostle John in Asia ilinor (Ephesus). The table given above differs from the most commonly received chronology ( Wie-elcr's) , mainly iii that it dates the cliief events of Paiil's life about two years earlier. Ramsay's dates are. in the main, about one year later than those given above, Harnack's two years earlier. BlDUOGRAPliV. Of the large body of literature bearing on New Testament Chronology-, par- ticular mention may be made of tin- following: Tdeler, Handbuch ' dcr »infhemnliscben und trt^linisrhri) Chrnnolofric (Berlin. 1825) ; Wiese- ler. Chrotiolnfti.irhe fSiinnpsr dcr rirr F.vnn- fielien (Hamburg. 1843: Eng. trans., 2d ed.. Lon- don. 1878) : id.. Vhrnnolofiic dcs nposloli.ichrn Zeitnllers (Gilttingen, 1848): id.. Beitriirie zur riehtifien ^Vurdifnln(| drr Evan(ie}irn (fJotha, 1869): Lewin. Fnati Saeri (London. 1805): Schiircr, Oeschichte des judischen Volkes im i