Author: Jim

The letter to the Ephesians is traditionally understood to have been written by Paul while he was in prison (Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,… , Ephesians 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds:…). Why would any challenge the identity of Paul as the author? So, before establishing a date for the letter, Let’s first address the question of authorship.

Unlike most other Pauline letters, Ephesian does not contain personal greetings to any individuals in Ephesus. This is surprising, since the book of Acts describes a close and intimate relationship between Paul and the church there. Ephesians 1:15 could be read to indicate that the author had heard about the faith of the Ephesians without personally experiencing it – something that would not be true of Paul. However, this is not the only way to understand the verse. Interestingly, the phrase, “at Ephesus” in 1:1 is not in all manuscripts of the book, and there are no other references in the book that clearly tie the book to the actual church of Ephesus.

Despite some objections, the overall evidence seems to weigh in favor of Pauline authorship. First of all, in Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…, the author calls himself Paul. Although it was not uncommon in that day to falsely attribute a writing to a more famous person in a sort of reverse plagiarism, this doesn’t seem to be the case in Ephesians. The final closing has a promise to send Tychicus to Ephesus (Ephesians 6:21-22 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:  Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.) with all the latest personal news about Paul. If this passage was not written by Paul, it would be a very subtle attempt at deception indeed. The theology of Ephesians is typical of Paul, with the emphasis on salvation by grace through faith and not works. The pattern of the book is also typical of Paul, with theology first and practical instructions afterward.

Ignatius of Antioch (37-107 A.D.) wrote to the Ephesians near the end of his life (Ignatius to Ephesians chapter 6) and said “And ye are, as Paul wrote to you, one body and one spirit, because ye have also been called in one hope of the faith. Since also there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. Such, then, are ye, having been taught by such instructors, Paul the Christ-bearer, and Timothy the most faithful.” Ignatius here is quoting from Ephesians 4:4-6, and attributing it to Paul and Timothy. Since the life of Ignatius significantly overlapped that of Paul, his early witness to Pauline authorship is compelling.

This then is a letter written by Paul while he is in prison. Paul had an emotional parting from the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:17-38, and this imprisonment should be understood as being after that, either in Caesarea (57-59 AD.) or Rome (60-62 AD.). It is not possible to definitively decide which location is correct, but the best guess may be based on the connection between Ephesians and Colossians. Tychicus (Colossians 4:7, Ephesians 6:21-22) is bringing news of the imprisoned Paul in each. Since Colossians was apparently carried along with Philemon and a now unknown letter to Laodicea, it seems likely that all these letters were carried by Tychicus together, as a package. Ephesus was about 100 miles from Colossi, and a traveler from Rome to Colossi might pass through Ephesus. Thus, we should date the letter to the Ephesians in 61 or 62 AD.

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The letters to the Colossians and Philemon should be considered together. Both letters are written from “Paul and Timothy” (Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,, Philemon 1Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon…). The returning runaway slave Onesimus, now a believer, is the central figure in Philemon. Paul is sending him back (Philemon 12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him,…) in Philemon, and in Colossians he is also returning (Colossians 4:9-10 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him😉. This seems to indicate that Colossians and Philemon were written and delivered together to the church in Colossi, along with a letter we no longer have to the Laodiceans (Colossians 4:16 cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.). Other characters appear in the same geographic location in both books: Archippus (Philemon 2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:, Colossians 4:17 And say to Archippus,… ) is greeted, while Luke (Philemon 24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers., Colossians 4:14), Aristarchus (Philemon 24, Colossians 4:10), and Epaphras (Philemon 24, Colossians 4:12) are with Paul. Mark (Philemon 24) is also with Paul, but may come later to Colossi (Colossians 4:10).

Colossians is written while Paul is in prison (Colossians 4:10, Colossians 4:18). The bearer of the letters was apparently Tychicus (Colossians 4:7), and the collection of letters he was carrying probably included Ephesians (Ephesians 6:21-22 …Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:…). Mark has obviously now been reconciled with Paul, unlike the situation at the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 15:26-31 …So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:). Demas (Philemon 24) is still with Paul, though later he will “forsake” him (2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me…). The question as to the date of the letter thus comes down to which prison – Caesarea or Rome? It is impossible to be dogmatic, but the fact that Paul has few Jewish companions (Colossians 4:11 …These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God…) seems more likely in Rome than in Caesarea, which is in the land of Israel. Also, the work and gospel of Mark is connected to Rome, and since Mark is with Paul when this letter is written, a Roman origin seems more likely. This would place the letters of Colossians and Philemon at the same time, around 61-62 A.D.

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The Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Colossi. A prison letter, it warns believers false teachings:  Asceticism, self-denial, or voluntary suffering – belief that punishing self, you please God.

How can I know I am a true believer?
Colossians 1:4- Do you love the word of God? Do you love being with fellow believers? You have the Promise of Heaven.

The “mystery” of Colossians 1:25-27 is explained. It is the secret program that the ascended Lord Jesus Christ committed first to the Apostle Paul, and the same program He then revealed to all of mankind by the Holy Spirit through Paul’s letters, Romans through Hebrews.
The letters to the Colossians and Philemon should be considered together. The letters to the Colossians and Philemon should be considered together. Both letters are written from “Paul and Timothy”. Compare verses:

Colossians 1:1 …and Timotheus our brother, Philemon 1 … and Timothy our brother,…
Colossians 4:9-10 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. … if he come unto you, receive him. Philemon 12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him,…
Colossians 4:17 And say to Archippus,…  Philemon 2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:,
Colossians 4:10 Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus…
Colossians 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
Philemon 24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

Colossians is written while Paul is in prison (Colossians 4:10, 4:18). The bearer of the letters was apparently Tychicus (Colossians 4:7), and the collection of letters he was carrying probably included Ephesians (Ephesians 6:21-22). Mark has obviously now been reconciled with Paul, unlike the situation at the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 15:26-31). Demas (Philemon 24) is still with Paul, though later he will “forsake” him (2 Timothy 4:10). The question as to the date of the letter thus comes down to which prison – Caeserea or Rome? It is impossible to be dogmatic, but the fact that Paul has few Jewish companions (Colossians 4:11) seems more likely in Rome than in Caesarea, which is in the land of Israel. Also, the work and gospel of Mark is connected to Rome, and since Mark is with Paul when this letter is written, a Roman origin seems more likely. This would place the letters of Colossians and Philemon at the same time, around 61-62 A.D.

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2 Timothy is written by Paul from Prison, in difficult circumstances
(2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.,
2 Timothy 1:16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:, 2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ., 2 Timothy 1:17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
2 Timothy was definitely written after the other prison letters of Colossians and Ephesians. Luke and Demas are with Paul in Colossians 4:14, but in 2 Timothy 4:10-11, Demas “has forsaken” Paul and only Luke remains with him. Paul says in the past tense, 2 Timothy 4:12 that “Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus”, while in
Colossians 4:7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you…, Ephesians 6:21-22
But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.) Tychicus is being sent.

Paul’s outlook for his own life has darkened considerably from his earlier prison letters, and he doesn’t expect to live much longer (2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.). This may have been due to an unfavorable first legal hearing (2 Timothy 4:16 …At my first answer no man stood with me,…) occurring in between the earlier prison letters and this one. These circumstances can only have come about after the upbeat end of the account in the book of Acts. Therefore, we should consider 2 Timothy to be chronologically the next to last letter of Paul that appears in the Bible, written around 63 A.D.

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The Apostle Paul’s last letter. The Temple still existed in Jerusalem and believing Jews were still attending. Even though they believed in the Lord Jesus as their messiah, they were still trying to live by the Law for salvation. Paul wrote this letter to them to remind them of their salvation through believing in the Lord Jesus as Messiah was enough.

Many believe the author of Hebrews is anonymous, and the recipients of the letter are also anonymous. However, it is certain from the theme of the entire letter, beginning in Hebrews 1:1 “…spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets…”, that both the author and the recipients are Jewish. Hebrews 13:24  “all the saints from Italy greet you.” Probably means that the author is not in Italy, but some Italians are with him, and he is sending a letter to Italy. It would be most natural to assume that this letter was written to a Jewish congregation of believers living in Italy, probably in Rome. Despite the fact that many believe the author is unknown, many believe he is known to the recipients of the letter as the Apostle Paul (Hebrews 13:22 …for I have written a letter unto you in few words.). The only biographical reference in the letter is to “our brother Timothy” (Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.).

More than any other letter in the New Testament, Hebrews reads as a letter written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD.
Hebrews 5:1-4 “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.”
This passage about what high priests do is set entirely in the present tense, something that would be overcome by events if the book was written after 70 AD. Hebrews 9:25 “the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.” Hebrews 10:11“Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.”Again, both passages are set in the present tense. Furthermore, Hebrews is making a case that the sacrifices before Christ were insufficient. If the writer knew of the destruction of the Temple, the altar, and the entire sacrificial system, he could have used these events to bolster his argument, saying “see, they have passed away in any case.” The reason he doesn’t do this is probably because when he wrote Hebrews, these things had not yet happened.

Hebrews warns more severely against apostasy than any other letter in the New Testament. Hebrews 6:4-6 “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” Similar sharp warnings occur in Hebrews 12:15-29 and especially Hebrews10:26-31. Apparently, the temptation to deny the faith was exceptional at the time the letter was written. If the recipients were in Rome, the plausible setting would be during the persecution of Roman Christians under Nero. This occurred after the burning of Rome on July 18-19 of 64 AD, an event Nero blamed on the Christians. This would place Hebrews after the end of the account in Acts, and after all of Paul’s letters. Since Hebrews 13:23 says Timothy was now out of prison, and none of the other letters in the New Testament have him in prison, this also implies that the letter was written after Paul’s epistles and Acts.

These facts combine to create a window of time for the dating of Hebrews, set after the burning of Rome in 64 AD but before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. There is also no allusion at all in Hebrews to the Jewish Roman war, which started in 66 AD. Since some time should be allowed for the crisis in Rome to develop and to prompt this letter, yet allow the war to go unmentioned, Hebrews should be dated around 66 AD.

More than any other Letter in the New Testament, Hebrews reads as a Letter written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD. Hebrews 5:1-4 “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.” This passage about what high priests do is set entirely in the present tense, something that would be overcome by events if the book was written after 70 AD. Hebrews 9:25 “the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.” Hebrews 10:11“Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.”

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These epistles (letters) were written by the Apostles and other Jewish Believers to fellow Jewish Believers. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were written to record the Life of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Acts, written by Luke Recorded events after the resurrection and on to Paul’s missionary journeys. Peter, Jude and 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd John were written after the ascension of the Messiah into heaven to encourage Jewish believers and especially during the Tribulation. And Revelation, written by the Apostle John was to inform what was to transpire during Tribulation, Millennium (1000 years of Christ’s reign as King of Kings on Earth) and after for all who will study it.

Dates and order of Epistles are best estimates.

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Matthew is the first book in the New Testament, and according to ancient church tradition, it was the first of the four gospels to be written.

Matthew, Mark and Luke together are called the synoptic gospels. This is due to the close relationship between the three, as all three tell many of the same stories, often in the same way and with the same words. One clear example of the connection between the gospels is the story of the man who was sick of the palsy (Mark 2:1-12, Matt 9:1-8 and Luke 5:17-26). The accounts are so similar that even a little parenthesis -“he said to the sick of the palsy“- occurs in all three accounts in exactly the same place.

An additional point to make about the relationship between Mark and Matthew is found by comparing Mark 13:14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains” with Matt 24:15-16 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.” Here both books interrupt a speech by Jesus in the same place, – “let the reader understand” What was written in the book of Daniel!

Some early Christians believe that Matthew was written in Hebrew, others believe it was written in Aramaic. Today, in the KJV we have the English translation from Greek manuscripts. Matthew and Mark were originally written close in time to the life of Christ. These gospels were nurtured, revised, and extended by the early church until they came into the form we have today. In the case of Matthew, the modern form of the gospel is in Greek, but the first version was written in Hebrew to Jews prior to the destruction of the Temple.

Most modern scholars deny that Matthew was written in Hebrew originally, but the question is actually very complex. It is nearly certain that the dialogue between characters in the gospels was originally almost entirely in Hebrew or Aramaic. Therefore, any verse that quotes someone speaking is necessarily a translation – the only question is whether the translation occurred from a spoken Hebrew/Aramaic into written Greek, or from a written Hebrew/Aramaic into written Greek. For example, Matthew 1:21 says “You shall call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” This verse, though very familiar, doesn’t actually make sense in Greek (or English). It is only when one reads the text in Hebrew, and realizes that the name “Jesus” (Yeshua) is derived from the word “save” (Yoshia) that the sentence makes sense. There are numerous cases like this, and they are not limited to just Matthew.

In Matthew 17:24-27, Peter is challenged as to whether or not Jesus pays the two-drachma tax. This was a tax collected to maintain the temple. The short account ends with Jesus and Peter both paying the tax. The most immediate application of the story seems to address Jewish Christian readers, to inform them that they ought to continue to pay this tax. Needless to say, this points to a date of writing before 70 A.D. Matthew also has a good deal to say about the Sadducees, a sect controlling the priesthood and dependent on Roman favor. The Sadducees essentially disappeared after 70 A.D. Matthew 12:6 quotes Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” This Old Testament passage may have been chosen instead of other similar passages, in order to negate the requirement for sacrifices for Jewish Christians.

So overall, the culture behind the book of Matthew seems to indicate an audience of Jewish Christians, who still have a connection to the Jewish faith and ought to continue paying the temple tax, but who are beginning to separate themselves from non-Christian Jews in other ways, such as the practice of animal sacrifice. The Jewish Christians abandoned Jerusalem sometime after 62 A.D., but either before the Roman Jewish war or shorty after its start in 66 A.D. This would have been a major step in the breach between Jewish Christians and non-Christian Jews. The gospel of Matthew was likely completed before such a permanent breach was in sight. A date around 60 A.D. would seem reasonable.

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This shortest of the four New Testament gospels might have been the first to have been written. It often tells of Jesus’ ministry in more detail than either Matthew or Luke (for example, the miracle stories at Mk 5:1–20 or Mk 9:14–29). Mark stresses Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God now breaking into human life as good news (Mk 1:14–15) and Jesus himself as the gospel of God (Mk 1:1; 8:35; 10:29). Jesus is the Son whom God has sent to rescue the Jewish nation by serving and by sacrificing his life (Mk 10:45).

The opening verse about good news in Mark (Mk 1:1) serves as a title for the entire book. This presentation of who Jesus really is (Mk 1:1–13) is rounded out with a brief reference to the temptation of Jesus and how Satan’s attack fails. Jesus as Son of God will be victorious. Mark summarizes what Jesus proclaims as gospel: ‘fulfillment, the nearness of the kingdom, and the need for repentance and for faith’. After the call of the first four disciples, all fishermen (Mk 1:16–20), we see Jesus engaged in teaching (Mk 1:21, 22, 27), preaching (Mk 1:38, 39), healing (Mk 1:29–31, 34, 40–45), and exorcising demons (Mk 1:22–27, 34–39). The content of Jesus’ teaching is chiefly in parables (Mk 4) about the kingdom. His cures, especially on the sabbath (Mk 3:1–5); his claim to forgive sins (Mk 2:3–12); all stir up opposition that will lead to Jesus’ death (Mk 3:6).Jesus is portrayed as immensely popular with the people in Galilee during his ministry (Mk 2:2; 3:7; 4:1). Yet opposition mounts. Scribes charge that Jesus is possessed by Beelzebub (Mk 3:22), And all too often his own disciples do not understand Jesus (Mk 4:13, 40; 6:52; 8:17–21). The disciples do not grasp the mystery being revealed (Mk 9:32; 10:32, 38). One of them will betray him, Judas (Mk 14:10–11, 43–45); one will deny him, Peter (Mk 14:27, 31, 54, 66–72); all eleven men will desert him (Mk 14:27, 50).

The framework of Mark’s Gospel is partly geographical: Galilee (Mk 1:14–9:49), through the area “across the Jordan” (Mk 10:1) and through Jericho (Mk 10:46–52), to Jerusalem (Mk 11:1–16:8). Only rarely does Jesus go into Gentile territory (Mk 5:1–20; 7:24–37).  

Mark shares with Paul, as well as with other parts of the New Testament, an emphasis on election (Mk 13:20, 22) and upon the gospel as Christ and his cross (cf. 1 Cor 1:23). Yet in Mark the person of Jesus is also depicted with an unaffected naturalness. He reacts to events with authentic human emotion: pity (Mk 1:44), anger (Mk 3:5), triumph (Mk 4:40), sympathy (Mk 5:36; 6:34), surprise (Mk 6:9), admiration (Mk 7:29; 10:21), sadness (Mk 14:33–34), and indignation (Mk 14:48–49).

Although the book is anonymous, it has traditionally been assigned to John Mark, in whose mother’s house (at Jerusalem) Jewish Christians assembled (Acts 12:12). This Mark (Marcus) was a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10) and accompanied Barnabas and Paul on a missionary journey (Acts 12:25; 13:2-53; 15:36–39). He appears in Pauline letters (2 Tm 4:11; Phlm 24) and with Peter (1 Pt 5:13).

Traditionally, the gospel is said to have been written before A.D. 70, between A.D. 50-60. 

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Acts is the second of two epistles written by Luke, so setting a date for Acts also serves to establish the latest possible date for the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke is closely related to the other synoptic gospels, Matthew and Mark, and will influence the view on their dates as well. Also, Acts describes in detail the three missionary journeys of Paul. These journeys form the backdrop for most of the epistles of Paul, and help to date them as well. Finally, if Acts is analyzed by itself, the date of writing for the book is quite obvious. It is only because Acts is connected with other books in the New Testament.

There is a further reason to establish a date for Luke prior to establishing a date for the other synoptic gospels, Matthew and Mark. It seems that Luke has what can be described as a “simple”in the sense that Luke researched his work, then wrote it one time in Greek, then sent it to his friend Theophilus, and that this writing is essentially what we have as the Gospel of Luke today. Most of the New Testament books have a similar “simple” origin, but the stories of Matthew and Mark are more complex. This has led to what scholars call the “synopic problem”, the effort to untangle the relationship between the Matthew, Mark and Luke.

The opening verses of Luke and Acts make it clear that these two eistles were written by the same individual. The Gospel of Luke was written before Acts, based on Acts 1:1-3, with Luke calling the gospel his “former account.” Acts takes the story of Paul up through Paul’s voyage to Rome, where he awaits trial before Caesar in about 62 A.D. Having built to this climax, the story of Acts then ends with a few verses about Paul witnessing without opposition in Rome, leaving the reader hanging as to what will happen to Paul at his trial.

Further support for the conclusion that Acts brings the story up to date is the fact that Acts gives no hint of any knowledge of the major events that would take place within the decade. These events include the execution of James, the brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem church, the burning of Rome by Nero and the subsequent persecution of the Jewish Christians, and most of all, the Roman-Judean war of 66-70 A.D. One is left with the distinct impression that Acts doesn’t mention the results of Paul’s trial or any of these other events simply because they had not happened at the time the epistle was written.

Luke’s favorable attitude toward Rome points to a date before the persecution of Jewish Christians under Nero:
·  Roman soldiers are favorably addressed by John the Baptist, something mentioned only by Luke (Luke 3:14)
·  The account of the Centurion in Luke 7 is very favorable to the man, who “loves our nation” (7:5)
·  The Centurion Cornelius in Acts 10 is a favorable character who becomes a Christian
·  The Centurion and Roman commander in Acts 21-23 help Paul repeatedly
·  The Centurion guarding Paul on the ship while he is traveling to Rome is yet another favorably portrayed Roman soldier.
·  Paul is repeatedly treated with deference due to his Roman citizenship (Acts 16:37-38, 22:25-28)

The opposition to the gospel described in Luke/Acts comes primarily from either the Jews or from citizens acting outside the law. The Roman authorities are the ones who deal fairly and put things right. There is no warning of Roman sponsored persecution, nor any direct instruction provided to the church as to how to deal with it. There is no hint in Luke that Jewish Christians will soon be thrown to the lions by the very Roman authorities who were so helpful to Paul and his companions. The most logical reason for the absence of any such hint is that Luke does not know about it, because it hasn’t happened yet. This points to a date of writing prior to the Roman persecution of the late AD 60’s.

James, the brother of Jesus, who is head of the church in Jerusalem, is mentioned three times in Acts (12:17, 15:13 and 21:18). In every occasion the leadership role of James is taken for granted (Peter and Paul are not considered the top leaders, as they would be later). Luke makes no effort to identify who James is, nor to differentiate him from the other figures named James; it is just assumed that the reader knows that this is the most important James around. James was executed in Jerusalem in 62 A.D. by the High Priest Ananus, who acted in the temporary absence of a sitting Roman governor. However, Luke does not seem to know this either. Perhaps this word had not reached Luke before he finished Acts, as both events apparently happened at about the same time in different places. Certainly, if James had been a figure in the distant past, Luke would have needed to differentiate which James he was talking about when he mentioned him.

Luke was a very minor figure in the New Testament church, being mentioned just twice (Col 4:14, 2 Tim 4:11). Therefore, there would not be any motivation for the author to make the epistle appear to have been written earlier than it was. So, when the epistle closes its account in A.D. 62 and appears to have been written in A.D. 62, there is every reason to assume that it really was written then.

It seems that Luke, who was Paul’s traveling companion, was left with little to do for two years while Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea from around 59-61 A.D. He apparently used this time to research the story of Jesus, interviewing some of the eyewitnesses, and eventually produced the Gospel of Luke around 62 A.D., closely followed by Acts. As Luke researched his gospel, some of the material now in Matthew and Mark could have been available to him.

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Acts is the second of two epistles written by Luke, so setting a date for Acts also serves to establish the latest possible date for the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke is closely related to the other synoptic gospels, Matthew and Mark, and will influence a view on their dates as well. Also, Acts describes in detail the three missionary journeys of Paul. These journeys form the backdrop for most of the epistles of Paul, and help us to date them as well. Finally, if Acts is analyzed by itself, the date of writing for the book is quite obvious.

There is a further reason to establish a date for Luke prior to establishing a date for the other synoptic gospels, Matthew and Mark. It seems that Luke has what can be described as a “simple” origin – simple in the sense that Luke researched his work, then wrote it one time in Greek, then sent it to his friend Theophilus, and that this writing is essentially what we have as the Gospel of Luke today. Most of the New Testament books have a similar “simple” origin, but the stories of Matthew and Mark are more complex. This has led to what scholars call the “synopic problem”, the effort to untangle the relationship between the Matthew, Mark and Luke.  .

The opening verses of Luke and Acts make it clear that these two epistles were written by the same individual, “Luke”, in keeping with unbroken tradition since the apostolic age. The Gospel of Luke was written before Acts, based on Acts 1:1-3, with Luke calling the epistle his “former account.” Acts takes the story of Paul up through Paul’s voyage to Rome, where he awaits trial before Caesar in about 62 A.D. Having built to this climax, the story of Acts then ends with a few verses about Paul witnessing without opposition in Rome, leaving the reader hanging as to what will happen to Paul at his trial.

Further support for the conclusion that Acts brings the story up to date is the fact that Acts gives no hint of any knowledge of the major events that would take place within the decade. These events include the execution of James, the brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem church, the burning of Rome by Nero and the subsequent persecution of the Christians, and most of all, the Roman-Judean war of 66-70 A.D. One is left with the distinct impression that Acts doesn’t mention the results of Paul’s trial or any of these other events simply because they had not happened at the time the book was written.

Luke’s favorable attitude toward Rome points to a date before the persecution of Christians under Nero:
·  Roman soldiers are favorably addressed by John the Baptist, something mentioned only by Luke (Luke 3:14)
·  The account of the Centurion in Luke 7 is very favorable to the man, who “loves our nation” (Acts 7:5)
·  The Centurion Cornelius in Acts 10 is a favorable character who becomes a Christian
·  The Centurion and Roman commander in Acts 21-23 help Paul repeatedly
·  The Centurion guarding Paul on the ship while he is traveling to Rome is yet another favorably portrayed Roman soldier.
·  Paul is repeatedly treated with deference due to his Roman citizenship
(Acts 16:37-38, 22:25-28)

The opposition to the gospel described in Luke/Acts comes primarily from either the Jews or from citizens acting outside the law. The Roman authorities are the ones who deal fairly and put things right. There is no warning of Roman sponsored persecution, nor any direct instruction provided to the church as to how to deal with it. There is no hint in Luke that Jewish Christians will soon be thrown to the lions by the very Roman authorities who were so helpful to Paul and his companions. The most logical reason for the absence of any such hint is that Luke does not know about it, because it hasn’t happened yet. This points to a date of writing prior to the Roman persecution of the late 60’s.

James, the brother of Jesus, who is head of the church in Jerusalem, is mentioned three times in Acts (12:17, 15:13 and 21:18). In every occasion the leadership role of James is taken for granted (Peter and Paul are not considered the top leaders, as they would be later). Luke makes no effort to identify who James is, nor to differentiate him from the other figures named James; it is just assumed that the reader knows that this is the most important James around. James was executed in Jerusalem in 62 A.D. by the High Priest Ananus, who acted in the temporary absence of a sitting Roman governor. However, Luke does not seem to know this either. Perhaps this word had not reached Luke before he finished Acts, as both events apparently happened at about the same time in different places. Certainly, if James had been a figure in the distant past, Luke would have needed to differentiate which James he was talking about when he mentioned him.

At this point it’s important that Acts was written when it was. Its significance is mostly because of what it does to the dating of all the rest of the New Testament, but the exact date would probably not have mattered much to the early church. This is important, because people advocating late dates for books of the Bible often suggest that there exists an element of deception on the part of the author. This deception could take the form of an author falsely claiming to be someone else. It is certainly true that deception of this sort took place with some other earlier Christian literature. However, there is simply no motivation for this to have taken place with Acts. The author of the book is technically anonymous. Strong tradition and good reasons identify the author as Luke, the companion of Paul, but Luke was a very minor figure in the New Testament church, being mentioned just twice in passing(Col 4:14, 2 Tim 4:11). The epistle was written by Luke, with close connection to Paul and the events described in the book. Therefore, there would not be any motivation for the author to make the epistle appear to have been written earlier than it was. So when the epistle closes its account in A.D. 62 and appears to have been written in A.D. 62, there is every reason to assume that it really was written then.

It seems that Luke, who was Paul’s traveling companion, was left with little to do for two years while Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea from around 59-61 A.D. He apparently used this time to research the story of Jesus, interviewing some of the eyewitnesses, and eventually produced the Gospel of Luke around 61-62 A.D., closely followed by Acts. As Luke researched for his gospel, some of the material now in Matthew and Mark would have been available to him.

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