Appendix: The Pauline Letter Frame

The Basic Sequence of Paul’s Letters

// ca. 40 ce //
. . . 1 Thess — 2 Thess . . .
// 43-49: years of shadow //
// 50 //
. . . Laod (“Eph”) / Col / Phlm . . . [PLC] —
// 51 //
. . . 1 Cor — 2 Cor — Gal / [PLP]Phil 3:2–4:3 — Phil —
// 52 //
( — Phil?) — Rom . . .

The Detailed Sequence of Events Surrounding Paul’s Letters

Prior to 34 ce: Previous life as a Pharisee

Persecution of the early church in Jerusalem

Early/mid-34: Apostolic commission near Damascus

Early 34–mid-36: Activity in the region of Damascus

Activity in “Arabia”

Return to Damascus

Late 36: Escape from Damascus, from a governor appointed by King Aretas IV

Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem, 2.x years after commission

Activity in Syria and Cilicia presumably begins

37-38: Probable activity in Syria and Cilicia, including in Antioch

(Late 39/early 40): Announcement of Gaian plan to desecrate the Jerusalem temple

Ca. 40-42: Mission to Macedonia:

Founding visit to Philippi

Founding visit to Thessalonica

Mission to Achaia:

Founding visit to Athens

Timothy’s visit from Athens to Thessalonica and back

1 Thessalonians

Arrival of further news from Thessalonica

2 Thessalonians

Founding visit to Corinth

Ca. 43-49: Years of shadow: extensive travel

Mission to Illyricum

Mission to Galatia (the most plausible location currently)

Possible missions to Moesia, Thrace, Bithynia, Pontus, and Cappadocia

Sufferings from travel (shipwrecks) and disciplinary measures (whippings and beatings with rods)

Paul’s second visit to Corinth (during or adjacent to this period)

Late 49/early 50: Antioch incident (Gal 2:11-14)

Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem, 13.x years after first visit; collection inaugurated

Mid-50: Return to the Aegean by way of Antioch and Galatia

Mission to Asia:

Imprisonment en route, possibly in Apamea

Founding of congregation at Colossae by proxy

Laodiceans (“Ephesians”) / Colossians / Philemon

Release from prison; visits to Lycus valley communities

Founding visit to Ephesus

Late 50: [Previous Letter to Corinth]

Apollos’s first visit to Corinth

Winter 50-51: [Corinthian reply]

Informal oral reports from Corinth

Spring 51: 1 Corinthians, later defined as Letter of Tears (2 Cor 2:4), probably dispatched with Timothy

Apollos’s second visit to Corinth

Super-­apostles’ visit to Corinth (if they are different from the foregoing)

Titus’s first visit to Corinth, with instructions to rendezvous with Paul in Macedonia or northern Asia

Asian crisis, probably in Ephesus (2 Cor 1:8-10)

Paul’s departure from Ephesus for Troas and then Macedonia

Ca. summer 51: Rendezvous with Titus in Macedonia

2 Corinthians

Titus’s second visit to Corinth, bearing 2 Corinthians

Paul’s third visit to Corinth

Fall 51-­winter 51-52: Enemies’ arrival in Corinth (see Phil 3:18)

[Previous Letter to Philippi] (Phil 3:2–4:3)

Galatians

Paul’s imprisonment and capital trial

Epaphroditus’s visit from Philippi and ensuing illness

Philippians, dispatched with Epaphroditus

Timothy’s visit to Philippi

Paul’s release from prison

Spring 52: Romans

Paul’s departure with the collection for his third visit to Jerusalem, via Macedonia, and presumably also Asia — ultimately bound for Rome

The authentic epistolary sources lose sight of Paul at this point. (A pseudonymous epistolary source — 2 Timothy — suggests that he was executed in due course at Rome.)