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Dates In The Book of Acts
Dates in the Book of Acts
Reading Acts often has people trying to figure out the timeline. When did this happen? There are a few indicators that are pretty solid and then you have to guestimate the rest. I would suggest doing this once and then writing the dates in the margin of your bible for future reference
There are a few known dates (by looking at what we know from world history).
Acts Date Event
1 30 Pentecost
9 37 Aretas IV, King of Damascus
11 44-48 Famine under Claudius
12 44 Death of Herod Agrippa I
18 52 Gallio, proconsul in Corinth
23 52-58/59 Felix proconsulship
24 57/60 Festus becomes Governor of Judea
64 Rome burned
Hence a good guess at events: Chapter - Dates - Events
Chapters Date Event
1-8 30-34 Early Events
9 34 Conversion of Paul
(3 years before his escape from Aretas)
9 37 Escape in Damascus
10-11 37-40 Cornelius and Gentiles
11 40-42 Paul to Antioch
11 44 Famine under Claudius 11.28
12 44 Death of Herod Agrippa II
13 45-48 First Journey
15 51 Meeting in Jerusalem
15-18 51-54 Second Journey
[52 Gallio was proconsul in Corinth]
19-21 54-58 Third Journey
21 58 Paul's Arrest
[Felix governor - Festus replaced 59/60]
24 58 Paul before Felix
[kept for Festus -- ]
25-26 60 Before Festus / Agrippa
27 60 Trip to Rome
28 61-63 First Imprisonment in Rome
Take all dating with a grain of salt, but they are close. Hugh DeLong