On Paul’s Ministry
Paul’s ministry is difficult to document precisely from Acts and his letters. Some parts of it fit nicely, but the descriptions of events in Acts and his letters can sometimes seem at odds. Nevertheless, here is one way to understand the evidence for the latter part of Paul’s ministry.
Romans was likely written around 55-56 CE, after Jews were allowed back in the city of Rome, sometime during the reign of Nero. Paul is on his way to Jerusalem with a gift for the believers there from Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia.
Paul wants to visit the church in Rome (Rom. 15.22-23; Acts 19.21)—it’s a new place to spread the Gospel, and happens to be on the way to another new place to spread the Gospel—Spain. Right now, however, he’s sitting in a city (usually thought to be Corinth, perhaps the “Greece” he stays in for 3 months in Acts 20.2-3), and he has a job to do—taking funds to the church in Jerusalem.
Off Paul goes to Jerusalem, and on the way he’s warned several times of the danger that will befall him there. Partly due to that danger, Paul meets with the Ephesian elders one last time (Acts 20.17-38). Sure enough, he’s arrested and taken to Caesarea for his safety, where he languishes in jail for 2 years (Acts 21-24). The governor, Felix, is replaced by Festus (in 60 CE), but Paul is still in jail. Apparently Paul isn’t confident in his ability to get a fair trial in Caesarea, so he appeals to the emperor (or perhaps he just wants a ride to Rome).
Paul is taken to Rome to plead his case before Nero. After a rough journey there, he lives in Rome for two years (so about 60-62 CE). Acts ends here, with no hint of anything amiss in Paul’s journey. He’s made it to Rome, like he has intended, so his next step would be to journey to Spain.
It is possible Paul made such a trip, but not very likely. Paul seems to leave Rome in 62 CE, but has yet to write 1 and 2 Timothy, or be imprisoned in a way that justifies the tenor of 2 Timothy (see especially 3.6-8, 16-18). Tradition has Paul being martyred under the reign of Nero, between 64 and 68 CE (the burning of Rome and the end of the reign of Nero), which doesn’t leave much time for a mission trip to Spain. It’s more likely that Paul stayed around the churches he helped plant, writing to his close companions in places like Ephesus and Crete.
It’s interesting to me how human this makes Acts and the epistles seem. We have recorded in Acts and Romans (among other letters) teachings inspired by the Holy Spirit, as well as personal hopes, expectations, and greetings, all of which are also inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s ministry didn’t always look like he expected (whose life does?), but God led him and sustained him through it all. We never know what to expect, but we do know God is leading us through it.
—John Coffey
