Start Using a Map and a Timeline When You Read Paul

I have a confession to make. I have been following Jesus for almost fourteen years now, am a seminary graduate, and read the Bible regularly, but until the last few months I had never fully realized how Paul’s letters were written in a different order than what we have in the New Testament. Now, I knew it somewhere in my head. To be fair, every preacher who started a series on one of Paul’s thirteen letters throughout my life had given some context about the letter. I also knew that Paul had three missionary journeys in the book of Acts. That being said, if you asked me to compile the rough timelines around his missionary journeys and to insert within those journeys and the timeline of his life when and where he wrote what letters, I would have been lost. 

To be clear, the goal isn’t to be able to pass some test on the chronology and geography of Paul’s life and letters. That being said, I now appreciate some of the theology and the depths of meaning in his letters even more now that I’m paying attention to some of the details about time and geography. 

One example will suffice. Let’s consider the chronological and geographical implications in the book of Romans. Romans was not Paul’s first letter. I encourage you to check out resource number one below to find out which one was! Romans was written in roughly AD 57. From the letter, we are able to ascertain that Paul wrote the letter while in Corinth. In Romans 15:22-29 we learn that Paul is about to leave Corinth to head to Jerusalem in order to bring the poverty offering he had written to other churches about (see 2 Corinthians 8-9). He asks the Romans to pray for his trip, and then he communicates his intention to come to see them in Rome after his time in Jerusalem. His intention is to be sent out by the Roman church on his way to Spain in order to share the gospel in places Christ has not yet been named (Romans 15:20). 

Now, after reading the following sentence, see for yourself by clicking on resource three below. Paul was writing to the Roman church while physically located in Corinth, on his way to Jerusalem, with the intention of then stopping in Rome on his way to Spain. Look at the mileage Paul will be traveling. Depending on how it would be divided up via land or sea, we are talking about an 1,800 mile trip to start, followed by 2,500 miles - and that’s just to get to Rome. That doesn’t include getting to Spain. So, Paul is writing to the Romans at least one to two years before he will be there physically. And he is “constantly” praying for them (see Romans 1:1-7). That makes us read Romans with a little more love and care as we imagine Paul prayerfully leaving Jerusalem months later on his way to meet his new friends in Rome hoping they will support him fully on his way to Spain. 

Hopefully now you are convinced that knowing geography and timing could further incite worship as you read the New Testament. If you are sold, I want to commend you to bookmark these three resources. 

First, a one-page chronology of the life of Paul by ESV. In this one page document you can see the timing of events in the book of Acts, Paul’s missionary journeys, and the timing of each letter he wrote. This will help you gain a sense of time and at least see the locations on paper as well. 

Second, a chronological reading plan of Paul and his letters. In this reading plan you will read the letters in the rough order scholars think they were written. This plan even has you read the letters in the context of Acts where he is most likely to have written them. As a sidenote, I looked up a lot of chronological plans on Paul’s life, and some of them split hairs on certain exact moments in Acts wherein they think Paul wrote a letter, but in general, this is the agreed upon timing and where it would have fallen in Paul’s ministry (P.S. This particular plan includes Hebrews; scholars are not entirely sure on who wrote Hebrews, but some think Paul is a strong candidate).

Third, a series of maps on the journeys of Paul. Using this link you will find each missionary journey as laid out in the book of Acts broken down into its own map. Additionally, you will see a map of his journey to Rome. 

Putting it all together, you will be able to read Paul in the context of Acts and look at the type of travel he was making. You can also look at the maps to know when he sends Timothy or another gospel partner somewhere and see just how much time and risk is going into that trip. One last note for parents, I highly recommend showing your kids maps when you do devotional reading from time to time. If you start talking about Paul’s conversion or his letters, get out a map and show them where it happened. It would even be helpful to show the ancient versions of the maps and where that is on a modern day map. One thing that will slowly begin to settle into us all, kids and adults alike, is that Paul was a real man who saw the risen Lord on a road (see Acts) and his life was forever changed. He traveled throughout the ancient world in a series of journeys and was used mightily by God to plant churches. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he wrote real people letters in order to help them follow Jesus faithfully in their context. With these three tools in hand, we will begin to believe and understand more fully the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God.