Dating the New Testament
Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
The easiest part of Acts to date is Paul’s second missionary journey, so we’ll begin here.
“After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.” (Acts 18:1,2)
This describes how Paul arrived at Corinth shortly after Aquilla and Priscilla, who had been expelled from Rome by the decree of Claudius. This means that Paul arrived in Corinth in 49AD. Given the length of his journey from Antioch this must have been at the end of the travelling season.
“And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” (Acts 18:11)
Here we read that Paul stayed in Corinth for 18 months, which would bring us to the spring of 51AD. This coincides with another of our fixed points.
“But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,” (v12)
We know when Gallio became Deputy (Proconsul) of Achaia because he left an inscription at Delphi, and the start of his term was, indeed, in 51AD. Paul remains in Corinth for a little longer and then leaves (v18) going first to Ephesus and then leaving rapidly in spite of the obvious opening there. This fits in with the lateness of the season; Paul is anxious to reach Caesarea before the closed period makes this impossible. Putting this together, Paul sets off from Antioch in the spring of 49AD, or even more likely in the autumn of 48AD, walking through Asia Minor to Macedonia and from there to Athens and Corinth, arriving in Corinth late in the travelling season of 49AD. He then spends two winters and much of a third year in Corinth, leaving late in the season and arriving at Antioch for the winter of 51/52AD.
