Shayla: How long did Saul wait before entering the ministry?

Meforshim:

Dates of biblical events are usually determined by identifying extra-biblical personages about whom we have a more precise chronological record. Very few carpenters or plumbers made it into the history books, so what we’re basically looking for are kings and generals.

Some important dates we will need to try to establish a timeline of Paul’s travels and answer your question are:

· the death of King Aretas of Syria in 40 AD,

· the beginning of the reign of Claudius Caesar as Emperor of Rome in 41 AD,

· the death of Herod Agrippa I in 44 AD,

· and the succession of Felix's reign as Procurator in Judea by Porcius Festus in 60 AD.

Broadly, the following dates seem to come up as we examine Paul’s life.

· Paul was at Damascus 37-40 AD

· His first journey took place around 45-47 AD

· His second journey went from 51-53 AD

· He wrote the books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians around 52 AD

· His third journey was around 54-58 AD

· Galatians was written somewhere between 55-57 AD

· He wrote the books of 1 & 2 Corinthians around 57 AD

· Romans was written somewhere in 57-58 AD

· His imprisonment in Judea was in 58-60 AD

· He travelled to Rom in 60-61 AD

· Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians were written in 62 AD

· He was imprisoned there from 61-63 AD

· Philemon was probably written around 63 AD

· And his post-imprisonment travels were between 63-67 AD

· During that time he wrote Hebrews, Titus and 1 Timothy between 64-65 AD

· And he wrote 2 Timothy around 66-67 AD.

The Messiah was crucified and buried then resurrected and ascended in the spring of 32 AD. We can be fairly certain of that because of the listing of the Passover then the Feast of Pentecost described in Acts 2.

Paul had a miraculous encounter with the Messiah while on his way to Damascus to persecute believers and as a result was converted. (Acts 9:32; 22:4-19; 26:9-15; 1 Corinthians 9:11; 15:8; Galatians 1:13; 1 Timothy 1:12-13).

Shortly thereafter he was baptized (Acts 9:18; 22:16). He was called to be an apostle (Acts 22:14-15; 26:16-18; Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 9:1-2; 15:9; Galatians 1:1, 15-16; Ephesians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:1, 11; Titus 1:1, 3). He first preached in Damascus (Acts 9:20-22) and was persecuted for it (Acts 9:23-24). When he escaped by being let down in a basket over the city wall he went to Arabia (Galatians 1:17). Then he finally went to Jerusalem where he “received the right hand of fellowship” (i.e. was accepted as a fellow minister Acts 9:25-29 cp Galatians 1:18-19).

So it really depends on what you mean by “entering the ministry”. If you mean “when did he first preach” then the answer would have to be “when he first preached in Damascus” (Acts 9:20-22) around 37-40 AD.

• Galatians 1:15-18 HCSB But when God, who from my mother's womb set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased (16) to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. (17) I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus. (18) Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, and I stayed with him 15 days.

If Paul was converted around AD 34 then we would have to say he preached within three years of his conversion. If he was (as some believe) converted around AD 36, then he began preaching around a year later.

If by “entering the ministry” you mean the modern understanding of ordination, then the answer would be “when he was accepted as a fellow minister in Acts 9:25 and Galatians 1:18-19). That would imply an even longer waiting period, perhaps as late as 46-47 AD. This would mean he waited nearly thirteen to fourteen years to receive “ordination” at the hands of the other Apostles. This is not to say that he waited around since he clearly was preaching and teaching, even to the Nabatean Arabs (Galatians 1:17; 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 Aretas was an Arabian king, and the father-in-law of Herod Antipas who seized on Damascus, which had belonged to his ancestors.).

Like Moses who immediately understood his calling but was not yet prepared for it and had to be trained for years, when Paul first preached in Damascus (Acts 9:20-22) he was persecuted for it (Acts 9:23-24) and had to escape by being let down in a basket over the city wall. King Aretas took control of Damascus upon the death of Emperor Tiberius’ death, so it is not likely that this incident took place any later than 40 AD which is the year that King Aretas died. Subsequently Paul went to Arabia (Galatians 1:17) where he spent three years.

He finally went to Jerusalem where he “received the right hand of fellowship” (i.e. was accepted as a fellow minister Acts 9:26 cp Galatians 1:18-19). This 15 day visit was the first time that the gospel’s universal nature (and thus Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles) was confirmed in some limited fashion. Paul then went to Caesarea and Tarsus (Acts 9:30) and Peter first acted on God’s call to accept and include Gentiles by visiting Cornelius’ house (Acts 10). Then together with Barnabas Paul stayed one year in Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:26). This likely took place between 41 Ad which was the beginning of Claudius Caesar’s reign) and 44 AD (Acts 11:28). So it was not until 14 years later that the non-Judaistic gospel was confirmed by the Apostles in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-10 cp Acts 11:27-30).

In conclusion, I believe Paul was immediately called upon his conversion and though continuously ministering from that point on was not formally sanctified by the Church as the Apostle to the Gentiles until 14 years after Barnabas, Peter and James first considered it (Acts 9:26 cp Galatians 1:18-19).