When Paul Wrote His Letters
Paul’s thirteen letters placed in the story of Acts and his life
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.”2 Timothy 4:7 — WEB
Letters to the Church
The Seven Acts
Paul’s letters belong to Act 6, the Age of the Church. They explain the mystery that was not made known in earlier generations: Jews and Gentiles joined in one body in Christ (Ephesians 3:5–6).
Four Groups
Paul’s Life and Letters, AD 30–70
The top shows Paul’s journeys and imprisonments, drawn to scale. Below, each group of letters connects to the time it was written.
Swipe sideways to see the whole chart, or tap it to enlarge →
The Thirteen Letters
In the order they were most likely written.
| Letter | Written from | Date (AD) | Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galatians | Antioch (probably) | c. 49 | False teachers had brought law into the churches Paul planted on his first journey (Acts 13–14). |
| 1 Thessalonians | Corinth | c. 50–51 | Written soon after Paul had to leave Thessalonica (Acts 17); encouragement and the coming of the Lord. |
| 2 Thessalonians | Corinth | c. 51 | Correcting the idea that the day of the Lord had already come. |
| 1 Corinthians | Ephesus | c. 55 | Written on the third journey to answer problems reported to Paul and questions the church sent him. |
| 2 Corinthians | Macedonia | c. 56 | Written after Titus met Paul with a good report from Corinth (2 Corinthians 7:5–13). |
| Romans | Corinth | c. 56–57 | Written from Corinth before Paul took the collection to Jerusalem (Romans 15:25–26). |
| Ephesians | Rome | c. 60–62 | A prison letter on the Church as God’s building, with Christ as its cornerstone. |
| Colossians | Rome | c. 60–62 | Carried with Ephesians and Philemon by Tychicus (Colossians 4:7–9). |
| Philemon | Rome | c. 60–62 | A personal appeal for the runaway slave Onesimus. |
| Philippians | Rome | c. 62 | Written near the end of the first imprisonment, expecting release (Philippians 1:25–26). |
| 1 Timothy | Macedonia | c. 62–64 | Instructions to Timothy for the church in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). |
| Titus | Macedonia (probably) | c. 62–64 | Instructions to Titus for the churches of Crete (Titus 1:5). |
| 2 Timothy | Rome | c. 67 | Paul’s last letter, written in chains as he faced death (2 Timothy 4:6–8). |
Paul and the Corinthians
Paul’s letters and visits to Corinth can be pieced together from Acts and the two letters. Red entries are a letter we no longer have or a visit Acts does not record.
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1
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2
A previous letter (lost)
Paul tells the church not to associate with immoral believers.
1 Corinthians 5:9 -
3
First Corinthians
Written from Ephesus on the third journey about problems reported to him and questions the church sent.
1 Corinthians 16:8 -
4
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5
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6
Second Corinthians
Titus meets Paul in Macedonia with a good report, and Paul writes in response.
2 Corinthians 7:5–13 -
7
Notes & Sources
- Dates follow a common conservative chronology and are approximate. The Gallio inscription at Delphi places Paul in Corinth around AD 51–52 (Acts 18:12).
- Galatians is dated here before the Jerusalem Council, taking “Galatia” as the Roman province where Paul founded churches on his first journey. Those who read it as the northern region date it around AD 55.
- Paul’s release after two years in Rome and a later second imprisonment are inferred from the Pastoral Letters and early church tradition. Acts ends before that time.
- Hebrews does not name its author, so it is not included here.
- For the routes themselves, see the map of Paul’s Missionary Journeys.
Adapted from Philippe R. Sterling’s Bible survey notes, used with permission.