The Hellenist Messianic Jews were scattered abroad going into regions of Samaria and Judea (Acts 8:1) and then to more distant lands such as Phoenicia, Cyprus, Cyrene and Antioch (Acts 11:19-20). Paul pursued them to wherever it became known they were (Acts 26:11). In order for Paul to pursue the Hellenistic Messianic Jews to foreign cities, two things are implied. First, letters had to have been sent out from Jerusalem to those synagogues outside Judea to beware of this Messianic sect that had so little regard for the Temple, meaning the name of God (cf. Acts 28:21). Secondly, it would have to be known by those in Jerusalem that wanted Messianic Jews had traveled to such cities. Otherwise it would be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Therefore, news had to have been brought back to Jerusalem such cities alerting the high priest that these Messianic Jews had come there and were spreading the Gospel in their synagogues (Acts 26:11), before someone such as Saul would journey there.[1]
Some time must be presumed to have elapsed to allow for such communication. Acts 9:1 shows Paul seeking letters of extradition from the high priest. If Stephen was stoned in 34 Ad about the time of the fall Holy Days, then a reasonable period for word to be brought back from Damascus to the Jerusalem authorities concerning the Messianic believers there would be the next celebration of a major Jewish Holy Day season. This would be in the spring during the Passover of 35 AD. At the time of this particular Passover Caiaphas, the high priest, was removed from his office by Vitellius, the new Roman governor of Syria, and Jonathan, the son of Annas, was placed in that position. Later, Paul would refer to Jonathan who reigned as high priest a second time during the time of Felix’s tenure (see Acts 22:5). The reason for Paul’s mentioning the high priest at that time was that he could verify that he had been sent by him to incarcerate believers at Damascus and bring them to Jerusalem for punishment.
Therefore, Acts 9:1 denotes the passage of time of about six months from the time of Stephen’s stoning. If this is logically sound, then we can also point to 35 AD as the year of Paul conversion backward from the Jerusalem Council which most scholars believe occurred in 49 AD. This was the visit Paul himself referred to in Galatians 2:1 his second visit after his meeting Jesus. Fourteen years after 35 AD would bring us to the time of the Jerusalem Council.
Additionally, we can reasonably point to the 35 AD date by calculating a pattern Paul seems to use in his ministry. He seems to spend about 3 years working in a given area founding churches in a given locale in Jesus name. We know he spent three years in Damascus with excursions into Arabia (Galatians 1:15-18). If Paul returned to Jerusalem in 38 AD, but had to leave for Cilicia not long afterward, we can reasonably assume he spent another three years evangelizing Tarsus and surrounding communities, because Barnabas sought him out for the work at Antioch about the time Claudius Caesar became Emperor in 41 AD (Acts 11:25-28). Luke tells us that he an Barnabas taught the new gentile believers for a full year (Acts 11:26), but this doesn’t mean they wouldn’t spend another two years preaching Christ in the surrounding communities of Phoenicia, Samaria and Galilee (Acts 26:20), thus, reasonably keeping within his three year plan. Then in the spring of 44 AD Paul and Barnabas went on the evangelistic labor for another three years in Galatia before returning to Antioch about the spring of 47 AD where Luke says they spent a good while (Acts 14:26-28).
If they spent another three years here before leaving to check on the churches in Galatia (Acts 15:35-36), this would bring them to the spring of 50 AD. This is a full year after the Jerusalem Council of 49 AD. If this is logically sound according to the pattern Paul seems to use throughout his ministry, then this also points to 35 AD as the year of Paul’s vision of Jesus and becoming a believer. Therefore, it is my opinion that Paul persecuted the Church for about six months—from the autumn of 34 AD to the spring of 35 AD.
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[1] This post is a revision both in the time I presume Paul persecuted believers and in the manner in which I calculated that time. I came to realize my previous post had too many errors in it to permit it to remain published, so I revised it as best as I understand the truth.
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24 responses to “How Long Did Paul Persecute Believers?”
I still would like to know with a specific answer How Long?
Greetings Arnedria, and thank you for reading my blog, and especially for your question.
Given my chronology is correct that the persecution began with Stephen during the fall or 34 CE, Paul persecuted believers for about six months. If Jonathan was the high priest from whom Paul sought letters of extradition (cp. Acts 9:1-2) then it was probably around the Passover of 35 CE that Paul met the Lord just outside Damascus. Folks would have come from there during one of the annual festivals to worship at Jerusalem, telling the authorities of the Messianic believers there. Josephus claims Jonathan replaced Caiaphas during the Passover season that calculates to about 35 CE.
I don’t see the need to prolong Paul’s persecution beyond 6 months.
Greetings Eddie. I hope this finds all well with you!
In a post in the Acts study, you spoke of the scattering of the Hellenist Jews after the stoning of Stephen. Jesus speaks of the abomination in Matt 24, and describes what will happen when they see it. You also referred to this scripture in Rev 12…
Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
Rev 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Rev 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
Rev 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Could this speak of the length of time that Saul persecuted the church before his meeting with Jesus on the Damascus road?
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Also, wouldn’t the abomination that stands in the holy place be Saul?
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
They were shortened by the conversion of Saul by Jesus, yes? Else he would have continued until he destroyed them all.
Greetings, Bill — it has been awhile since we spoke. Welcome back, and, yes, I am well, a little older, slower, but well. :-)
I am uncertain which study you refer to when you mention above that I pointed to Matthew 24 when I wrote of Revelation 12. One of those studies is Delivered Up to Be Persecuted and Killed. I have a number of studies on this subject, but I don’t use the same Scriptures in all of them.
In the above study I showed that I believe the length of time Paul persecuted believers was about 6 months. Most of the time he would have been involved in persecuting believers in Judea and Galilee. They would have been the winter months following the annual fall Holy Days (cir. October of 34 AD) to the Passover in the next spring (cir. March/April of 35 AD). It would have taken some time (as I mentioned above) for word to get to the synagogues in foreign provinces and then back to Jerusalem concerning the whereabouts of Messianic believers. This is my best guess, and the timeline fits with the whereabouts of Paul elsewhere years later.