Major Events in the Life of the Apostle Paul

a.d. 5–10?	Born in Tarsus as an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin and a Roman citizen (Acts 22:3, 28; Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5); raised in either Jerusalem (Acts 22:3?) or Tarsus
15–20?	Trained as a Pharisee by Gamaliel I (Acts 22:3; 26:5; Gal. 1:14; Phil. 3:5–6)
30/33†	Death, resurrection of Christ
31–34	Present at Stephen's stoning; persecuted Christians (Acts 7:58; 8:1; 22:4a; 26:9–11; 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:6)
33/34*	Converted, called, and commissioned on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:1–19; 22:6–11; 26:12–18; Gal. 1:15–16)
33/34–36/37	Stays in Damascus a short time (Acts 9:19b); leaves for “Arabia” (i.e., Nabataean Kingdom; 2 Cor. 11:32; Gal. 1:17); returns to Damascus (Gal. 1:17; Acts 9:20–22?); Jews and the governor under King Aretas try to arrest and kill him; Paul escapes through the city wall (Acts 9:23–24; 2 Cor. 11:32–33)
36/37*	Meets with Peter (and sees James) in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26–30; Gal. 1:18) Hellenists seek to kill him and he flees to Tarsus (Acts 9:28–30; Gal. 1:21)
37–45	Ministers in Syria/Cilicia (2 Cor. 11:22–27?)
42–44	Receives his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7–9)
44	Herod Agrippa I dies (Acts 12:20–23)
44–47*	Spends a year ministering with Barnabas in Antioch (Acts 11:25–26) Second Visit to Jerusalem; time of famine (Acts 11:27–30; Gal. 2:1–10)
46–47	First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4–14:26): 1.5 years?
48*	Paul and Barnabas spend “no little time” in Antioch (Acts 14:28; cf. Gal. 2:11–14); Paul writes letter to the Galatians
48–49*	Returns to Jerusalem for the apostolic council (Acts 15); Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch (Acts 15:30–33), but a dispute over John Mark causes them to part ways (Acts 15:36–41)
48/49–51*	Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36–18:22): 2.5 years?
49	Edict of Claudius (Acts 18:2) Paul and Silas travel to southern Galatia through Asia Minor, on to Macedonia (notably Philippi [1 Thess. 2:2]); Thessalonica [1 Thess. 2:2; Phil. 4:15–16]; and Berea [Acts 17:10–15]), and then Achaia (notably Athens [1 Thess. 3:1] and Corinth [2 Cor. 11:7–9])
49–51*	Spends 1.5 years in Corinth (Acts 18:11); appears before Gallio (Acts 18:12–17); writes 1 and 2 Thessalonians
51	Returns to Jerusalem? (Acts 18:22)
52–57*	Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23–21:17): 5 years?
52	Travels to Antioch, where he spends “some time”; then travels through Galatia and Phrygia (Acts 18:23)
52–55	Arrives in Ephesus (Acts 19:1; 1 Cor. 16:8); ministers there for three years (Acts 20:31) and writes 1 Corinthians in the spring, near the end of his ministry there; makes brief, “painful visit” to Corinth (2 Cor. 2:1), then returns to Ephesus and writes “tearful, severe letter” (now lost) to Corinth (2 Cor. 2:3–4; 7:8–16)
55–56*	Travels north to Macedonia, where he meets Titus (Acts 20:1; cf. 2 Cor. 2:12–13); writes 2 Corinthians
57*	Winters in Corinth (Acts 20:2–3; cf. 2 Cor. 9:4), writes letter to the Romans from Corinth; travels to Jerusalem and is arrested (Acts 21:27–36)
57–59	Imprisonment transferred to Caesarea, where he stays for two years (Acts 24:27)
60*	Voyage to Rome; shipwrecked for three months on the island of Malta (Acts 28:11); finally arrives in Rome
62*	Under house-arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30–31), writes Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon
62–67	Released from house-arrest in Rome, extends his mission (Spain?), writes 1 Timothy (from Macedonia?) and Titus (from Nicopolis); is rearrested, writes 2 Timothy from Rome shortly before his execution
64–67*	Martyred in Rome

* denotes approximate date; / signifies either/or; † see The Date of Jesus' Crucifixion