HISTORICAL BACKGROUND BEHIND GALATIANS

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND BEHIND GALATIANS

Virgil Warren, PhD

Acts                                                      Secular Sources                              Galatians

                                                            Pilate deposed?  A.D. 36

death of Stephen (Acts 7)

Paul leads a generalized persecution of

     the church (9:1-2; 26:9-12).

                                                            Pilate deposed?  A.D. 36

is converted at Damascus                                                        conversion of Paul (1:15-17)

     (9:3-25; 22:3-16; 26:13-20a)                

                                                            Pilate deposed?  A.D. 36

                                                                                          3 years in Arabia (1:18)

                                                                                          goes to Jerusalem by way of Damascus,

Paul travels to Jerusalem, feared by                                                 stays with Peter 15 days, sees no

     Christians there, meets apostles,                       = ? =                      other apostles (except James), is not

     and preaches to Hellenists (9:26-                                                known on sight by Judaean churches

     29a).                                                                                    (1:18-19, 22)

Paul returns to Tarsus to escape a                                             comes to regions of Syria and Cilicia

     plot against his life (9:29b-30;                                                   (1:21)

     22:17-21).

Barnabas brings him from Tarsus to

     Antioch, where he teaches for 1 year

     (11:25-26).

the famine visit to Jerusalem with

     Barnabas (11:27-12:25)

first missionary tour (13:1-14:28)                                             Paul preached the gospel to the Galatians

                                                                                               [τὸ πρότερον] "at first/the first  

                                                                                                      time/before" (4:13).     

                                                                                          goes by revelation to Jerusalem with Titus      

                                          14  (11?) years after his conversion and

                                          meets privately with the pillars of the              

                                                 Jerusalem church (2:1-10)

                                                                                          the dissimulation of Barnabas and Peter

                                                                                               (2:11-21)

                                                                                          writing of Galatians (at Antioch)?

goes with Barnabas to the conference on

     circumcision (15:1-35) and returns

     to Antioch with the Jerusalem letter

                                                                edict of Claudius A.D. 49

                                                                                          writing of Galatians (at Antioch)?

second missionary tour (15:36-18:22)

     through Syria, Cilicia, and Galatia,

     where he delivered copies of the            

     Jerusalem letter (16:4). Points               

     west include 1½ years                        Gallio's proconsulship      

     at Corinth.                                             A.D. 51-52             writing of Galatians (at Corinth)?

third missionary tour, including 2 years

and 3 months at Ephesus (18:23-                                              writing of Galatians (at Ephesus or     21:16)                            in Macedonia)?

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