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corpus-paul - Revised chronology for years 50-57

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Loren Rosson <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>
  • To: corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Revised chronology for years 50-57
  • Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2000 07:37:40 -0800 (PST)


Richard Fellows has raised legitimate concerns about
my chronology for the years 50-57 with respect to the
Corinthian correspondences, and I've changed a few
things accordingly. I've also changed some things that
didn't sit well with me to begin with. For instance, I
admit that having the Previous Letter written from
Antioch was pushing the envelope a bit; any letter
written to Corinth would have likely come from
Ephesus. I've also done away with the cumbersome
"fourth visit" to Corinth. My amended scheme (compare
with my post dated December 1) runs as follows:

Oct 50 - Mar 52: Paul's first visit to Corinth. While
evangelizing the city, he does not preach the
Apostolic Decree.

Jun 52: Paul returns to Jerusalem, at which point he
is disciplined by the apostles for not preaching the
decree. He returns to Antioch.

Nov 52: Paul embarks on the so-called "3rd missionary
journey".

July 53: Paul comes to Ephesus and learns from
Priscilla and Aquilla (who had learned from a
delegation in the spring) about the results of
libertarian practices in Corinth. Paul writes THE
PREVIOUS LETTER, in which he directs the Corinthians
to be obedient to the kind of moral regulations set
out in the Apostolic Decree (thus John Hurd, "The
Origin of I Corinthians"). He sends it by sea.

Dec 53: Timothy sets out for Macedonia.

April 54: Chloe's people arrive in Ephesus; soon
after, Stephanus, Fortunatus, and Achaicus arrive.
Paul writes I CORINTHIANS, which is a compromise
between his original liberal preaching in Corinth and
the subsequent "backlash" advice set out in the
Previous Letter. He promises to leave Ephesus at
Pentecost, and come to them via Macedonia. He sends
the letter back by sea with Steph/Fort/Ach.

May 54: Paul leaves Ephesus for Macedonia.

Jun 54: Paul's second visit to Philippi.

Aug 54: Paul meets Timothy in Achaia.

Mid Aug - Mid Sept: Paul's second visit to Corinth,
the "painful visit". His vacillating on Jewish issues
with the Corinthians has done nothing but increase
confusion, and, to exacerbate things, rival Jewish
teachers have begun to influence the church
successfully. Now there is not only the libertarian
element (who had followed Apollos when he was there),
but a conservative Jewish element, who now loosely
allied themselves against Paul. Paul flees Corinth for
his life, sailing back to Ephesus.

Oct 54: Paul writes THE TEARFUL LETTER (partly
preserved in II COR 10-13) from Ephesus and sends it
by Titus, who takes the land route. Paul announces
that he is coming to the Corinthians "for the third
time" (in the spring), when he will set everything to
rights. He tells Titus that if he does not meet him in
Corinth, he will meet him in Troas exactly one year
later. During this month, the proconsul of Asia is
murdered.

Nov 54: Paul imprisoned in Ephesus

Jan 55: Paul writes PHILIPPIANS from prison. Soon
after he becomes seriously ill.

Mar 55: A shaken Paul is released from prison. He
abandons his plan to travel to Corinth, not only to
recuperate, but also not wanting to pain the church
members again -- and still unsure of the outcome of
the Tearful Letter.

Apr 55: Timothy sets out for Macedonia (as Paul
promised in his letter to the Philippians).

Oct 55: Paul leaves Ephesus and comes to Troas. He
remains there for a month, waiting for Titus, during
which time he evangelizes the city.

Nov 55: Paul crosses over into Macedonia, where he
later meets Titus.

Mar 56: Paul writes II COR 1-9 from Phillipi, in
which he tries driving a wedge between the libertarian
and conservative factions in Corinth (thus
Murphy-O'Connor, "Paul: A Critical Life").

Jun 56 - Nov 56: Paul evangelizes Illyricum (Rom.
15:19)

Jan 57 - Mar 57: Paul's third visit to Corinth. He
writes ROMANS in March.


Can anyone find major problems with this timeline?


Richard and I disagree on the dating of Paul's painful
visit and the writing of II Cor 10-13. He (and Paul
Toseland) see the Previous Letter as the sequel to the
painful visit, whereas I see II Cor 10-13 as the
sequel to that visit. To refresh memories, here is a
snapshot of Richard's timeline:

51-52: Paul's first visit to Corinth.
54: Paul's second visit to Corinth (the painful
visit)
54/55: Paul writes THE PREVIOUS LETTER from Athens
Fall 55: Paul writes II COR 10-13 from Ephesus --
sent by land with Titus (=Timothy)
Passover 56: Paul writes I CORINTHIANS from Ephesus
Spring 56: II Cor 10-13 arrives by land, after the
arrival of I Corinthians
Fall 56: Paul writes II COR 1-9 from Macedonia
57: Paul's third visit to Corinth

The dating of the "painful visit" hinges crucially on
the following text:

"I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to
come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me
to Judea. Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this?
Do I make plans according to the flesh, ready to say
'Yes, yes' and 'No, no' at the same time? . . . But it
was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth.
. ." (II Cor. 1:16-23)

The sense I get from this is that Paul had intended
(in the fall of 54) to come to Corinth ("again, for
the third time", II Cor. 12:14, 13:1) in the spring of
55, at the start of the sailing season. But later,
after "cooling off" -- and after imprisonment and a
brutal illness (II Cor. 1:8-10?) -- he canceled his
plan, not wanting to cause any more pain to the church
until he learned the outcome of II Cor 10-13.

I simply don't like pushing the painful visit (and the
writing of II Cor 10-13) so far back as to antedate I
Corinthians. In II Cor 1-9, Paul writes about the
painful visit and about what he said in II Cor 10-13
as if they're fresh on his mind, and the most recent
interchanges. Likewise, in I Corinthians Paul refers
to the Previous Letter as the most recent exchange --
and not to the painful visit at all. Richard gets
around this last one by supposing the painful visit to
have involved a controversy in the general Achaian
region (as opposed to Corinth in particular). This is
possible, but to me an unnecessary speculation. I
believe that the smoothest sequence is:

Previous Letter (July 53)
I Cor (sequel to the Previous Letter) (April 54)

Tearful letter (preserved in II Cor 10-13) (October
54)
II Cor 1-9 (sequel to the Tearful Letter) (March 56)

By the way, Richard, how do you work Philippians into
your timeline -- especially apropos your Timothy-Titus
hypothesis?

Loren Rosson III
Nashua NH
rossoiii AT yahoo.com


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