The Early Christians: Christians, Jews or Both?

Why does Acts matter for dating Paul’s letters?

Acts matters for dating Paul’s letters because it provides a chronological framework. The Book of Acts is filled with references to specific governors (Gallio, Felix, Festus), kings (Herod Agrippa I, Herod Agrippa II) and cities (Corinth, Ephesus, etc.). First-century Jewish historian Josephus and Roman historians like Tacitus and Suetonius also mention many of these rulers and the political events of the first century. References such as these help historians place the events within Acts within a broader contextual framework. The benefit of comparing Acts to Roman and Jewish history is historical verification. When Roman and Jewish histories agree with a Christian source like Acts, the chronology becomes more secure.

While Acts may not provide exact dates, it gives a relative chronology. Acts tells us things like Paul left one city. Then he traveled somewhere else. Then Timothy rejoined him. Then he stayed 18 months. Then he sailed. The order allows historians to then match details from the letters to these events. The letters contain incidental clues that allow us to compare independent evidence within Acts and the letters. For example, Acts says Timothy rejoins Paul in Corinth. 1 Thessalonians say Timothy has just arrived. These two independent sources fit together. That’s much stronger historically than either source standing alone. Neither Acts nor Paul’s letters usually provide precise dates by themselves. Instead, historians compare the two sources using the narrative in Acts together with the incidental details preserved in Paul’s letters. Whenever the two coincide, they can often narrow the time and place in which a letter was written.