Where, When, and Why Were Each of Paul’s Letters Written?

Romans

Audience: The church in Rome.
When: Near the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, likely the winter of 57-58 AD.
Where: In or near Corinth.
Why: To minister to the believers in Rome.

Further Context:
Near the end of Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 18:23–21:17), he spent three months in or near Corinth (Acts 20:3). He was awaiting the end of winter weather so that he and companions such as Timothy (Rom. 16:21) could sail safely back to Caesarea and then trek from there to Jerusalem. (Winter travel on the Mediterranean in the small boats of that day was not advised; cf. Acts 27:12.) During that three-month sojourn Paul wrote Romans. The date was likely the winter of 57–58 AD.

One recent commentary asserts simply and plausibly, “Paul’s primary purpose in writing Romans was to minister to the believers in Rome for whom he had an apostolic responsibility.”¹

Yet more can be said. Longenecker argues convincingly for two major and three secondary purposes for Paul’s writing Romans.²

(1) He wished to “impart . . . some spiritual gift to strengthen” the Roman believers (Rom. 1:11). This gift may be viewed as the brilliant exposition of the gospel — which Paul calls “my gospel” (Rom. 2:16; 16:25) — that Romans contains. In that sense Romans is a theological or doctrinal letter.

(2) He wrote to mobilize support for his eventual outreach to Spain (Rom. 1:13; 15:24). In that sense Romans is a missionary letter.

(3) He wrote to correct misunderstandings of his ministry and message, whether due to defective grasp, mischief stirred up by opponents of Paul’s teaching, or both.

(4) He wrote to encourage mutual understanding and reconciliation between two viewpoints in the Roman church that were struggling to coexist.

(5) He wrote to clarify the responsibilities of Christians in an empire that was at best indifferent to a small subgroup like the Christians and at worst antagonistic. Jesus’ followers should be loyal subjects of the governmental structure in which they find themselves to the extent it is possible without compromised loyalty to God (Rom. 13:1–7).

Contribution by Robert W. Yarbrough
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Volume 10)

1 Corinthians

Audience: The church in Corinth.
When: Early 55 AD.
Where: Ephesus.
Why: Exhorting the Corinthians to live as saints and to correct sin.

Further Context:
Paul wrote this first letter “to the church of God that is in Corinth” from Ephesus (cf. 1 Cor. 16:8), probably near the end of his ministry there early in AD 55 (cf. 1 Cor. 16:5–9 with Acts 19:21–22). Paul responds to reports by Chloe’s people about the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:11) and to a letter that the church has written him (1 Cor. 7:1). The most basic purpose of his letter is to exhort the Corinthian church to live as who they truly are: “saints,” or God’s holy people (1 Cor. 1:2).

The sins Paul corrects were common in Corinth, which in the middle of the first century “was at once the New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas of the ancient world.”³

Corinth valued impressive public speakers, status, greed, immoral sex, personal rights, and idolatry. Members of the church in Corinth grew up in this pagan context, and since they had only recently become Christians, it is not surprising that they were still to some degree embracing Corinth’s worldly values.

Contribution by Andrew David Naselli
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Volume 10)

2 Corinthians

Audience: The church in Corinth.
When: Around 55 or 56 AD, about one year after writing 1 Corinthians.
Where: Macedonia.
Why: To prepare the church for his upcoming arrival.

Further Context:
Paul likely wrote 2 Corinthians from Macedonia (northern Greece) about one year after writing 1 Corinthians. This was during his third missionary journey (cf. Acts 20:1–3), probably AD 55 or 56 as he visited various churches in Macedonia. Paul was now on his way to Corinth, however, and had sent ahead a delegation of Titus and a few other respected believers to prepare for his arrival (2 Cor. 8:16–24).

Contribution by Dane Ortlund
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Volume 10)

Galatians

Audience: To the churches in southern Galatia.
When: Around 48 AD.
Where: Jerusalem.
Why: Refuting false teachers who taught a false gospel.

Further Context:
Paul wrote Galatians sometime after the visit to Jerusalem described in Galatians 2:1–10 and after the dispute between himself and Cephas in Antioch, described in Galatians 2:11–14. However, it is not clear where these events fall in Paul’s career as Luke describes it. Many interpreters believe that the Jerusalem visit of Galatians 2:1–10 corresponds with Paul’s second post-conversion Jerusalem visit, which Luke describes in Acts 11:27–30. If this is correct, then Paul probably wrote Galatians between this visit and the Jerusalem council of Acts 15:1–34.⁴ This would make it his earliest letter and put its composition at about AD 48.⁵

False teachers had arrived, or arisen, in the churches in southern Galatia, which were mainly Gentile, insisting that the Christians there had taken only the first of two necessary steps in becoming Abraham’s descendants and therefore members of God’s people (Gal. 1:7; 5:10). Faith in Christ was the first step, but the second step was equally important. They had to adopt the custom of circumcising males within their communities (Gal. 5:2–3; 6:12–13), keep the Jewish festivals (Gal. 4:10), and, probably, observe the food laws (cf. Gal. 2:11–14). In other words, they had to become Jewish.

These troublemakers made a persuasive case by attacking Paul’s credibility and probably also by appealing to Scripture, perhaps especially the story of Abraham (e.g., Gen. 17:1–14). Paul, however, considered their version of the gospel “no gospel at all” (Gal. 1:7 NIV). It diminished and therefore ungratefully spurned the grace of God in the death of Christ (Gal. 5:4; cf. Gal. 2:21; 3:10–13; 4:4–5), ignored the powerful presence of God’s Spirit among the Galatians (Gal. 3:1–5), and through a misreading of Scripture turned the clock back to an era of salvation history that had passed away (Gal. 3:15–4:7).

Contribution by Frank Thielman
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Volume 10)

Ephesians

Audience: Primarily to Gentile Christians in Ephesus.
When: Around 60–62 AD.
Where: From prison in Rome.
Why: To strengthen his readers, promote unity, and exhort them towards holiness.

Further Context:
The most likely date for Paul’s writing of Ephesians is during his imprisonment in Rome (AD 60–62). Paul refers to his imprisonment in all of the Prison Epistles (Phil. 1:7, 13, 14, 16, 17; Col. 4:3, 10; Philemon 1, 9, 10, 13, 23). In Ephesians he identifies himself as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:1), “a prisoner for the Lord” (Eph. 4:1), and “an ambassador in chains” (Eph. 6:20). According to Acts 28:30, Paul spent two years in Rome under house arrest, with the freedom to receive visitors.

Identifying the precise occasion for the letter is difficult, for it is the most general and therefore the least situational of all of Paul’s letters. It is written primarily, though not exclusively, to Gentile Christians (Eph. 2:11–12; 3:1; 4:17). These readers know of Paul’s imprisonment (Eph. 3:13; 4:1) and will receive a visit from Tychicus, who will inform them further of Paul’s situation. There are, however, several goals that Paul seems to have in its writing: (1) to strengthen the faith of his readers by reminding them of their union with Christ, which results in untold blessings, (2) to promote Jew-Gentile unity, and (3) to exhort his readers to pursue holiness, which involves fighting against the powers of darkness.

Contribution by Benjamin L. Merkle
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Volume 11)

Philippians

Audience:
When: Around 60–62 AD.
Where: From prison in Rome.
Why: Addressing disunity and warning against false teachers.

Further Context:
The most probable date for Philippians is sometime between AD 60 and 62, during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome.⁶ Paul’s comments in Philippians suggest several pastoral problems and personal concerns. First, Paul had apparently heard a report of disunity among the Philippians, including a specific conflict between two women in the church, Euodia and Syntyche. Paul urges them to be united in harmony in the Lord (Phil. 4:2). Second, Paul sounds a serious warning against false teachers and all those who walk as “enemies of the cross” (Phil. 3:2–21).

Contribution by Jason C. Meyer
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Volume 11)

Colossians

Audience: The church in Colossae.
When: Approximately 62 AD.
Where: Rome.
Why: Encouraging the Colossians with the Gospel.

Further Context:
The most likely place of Paul’s writing of Colossians is Rome, at the time described in Acts 28. This would date the letter to approximately AD 62. The letter addresses a Christian community that Paul did not found, a community threatened by false teaching that would draw them away from trust in Jesus Christ as he was presented to them in the gospel. Paul encourages the Colossians to remain true to what they have learned, laying before them a fresh presentation of the gospel. This gospel declares the salvation God has accomplished for his people by means of Christ’s victory over sin and death and his lordship over all things.

Contribution by Alistair I. Wilson
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Volume 11)

1 Thessalonians

Audience: The new church in Thessalonica.
When: Around 50–52 AD.
Where: Corinth.
Why: Encouraging believers to stay true to the Gospel and answer questions from the congregation.

Further Context:
It is likely that 1 Thessalonians was written while Paul and his colleagues were still in Corinth, during Paul’s second missionary journey. The approximate date would then be around AD 50–52.

Following a successful but brief ministry in Thessalonica, Paul and his colleagues were forced to flee the city (Acts 17:1–10; cf. comment on 1 Thess. 1:1). After these missionaries left, they were naturally concerned about how the young church was faring in their absence, especially given Jewish and pagan opposition to the church (Acts 17:5–9; cf. comments on 1 Thess. 1:6; 2:14). Timothy eventually traveled to Thessalonica to encourage the church in the faith (1 Thess. 3:1–6; cf. comment on 1Thess. 3:1–3a). Once Timothy rejoined Paul and Silvanus, this letter was penned with joy for the church’s continued progress in the gospel (1 Thess. 3:6–10). Much of the letter encourages these believers to stay true to the good news. Timothy may also have brought back some particular questions from the congregation, to which this epistle responds (e.g., 1 Thess. 4:13; 5:1).

Contribution by David W. Chapman
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Volume 11)

2 Thessalonians

Audience: The church at Thessalonica.
When: Early to mid-50s AD.
Where: On Paul’s second missionary journey.
Why: Addressing concerns that required encouragement, correction, and reprimand.

Further Context:
This epistle was penned after 1 Thessalonians, apparently while Paul was still engaged in his second missionary journey (while Silas and Timothy were still with him), though a date early in the third journey cannot be ruled out. Nevertheless, a date in the early to mid-50s AD seems most likely.

Three developments in Thessalonica apparently caused sufficient concern to Paul and his colleagues for them to pen this second letter. First, the need for continued endurance amid persecution receives repeated attention (2 Thess. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13–15, 17; 2 Thess. 3:3–5, 13). Second, a false belief had arisen claiming that the sequence of events leading to Christ’s return had already begun (2 Thess. 2:1–12). Third, the problem with idleness in the community, already identified in the previous letter (1 Thess. 4:11–12; 5:14), required a firmer reprimand (2 Thess. 3:6–12).

Contribution by David W. Chapman
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Volume 11)

The Pastoral Epistles: 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus

Audience: Pastors Timothy and Titus.
When: Mid-60s AD.
Where: From prison in Rome.
Why: Exhortation to refute false teachers and an appeal for faithful preaching.

Further Context:
The letters of 1 Timothy and Titus are occasioned by the fact that false teachers have found a foothold within the Ephesian and Cretan congregations. Paul writes to Timothy and Titus to exhort these pastors to oppose those false teachers with the apostolic gospel. This is why Paul is urgent in calling Timothy and Titus to identify qualified elders who will likewise oppose false teaching and join the work of shepherding the flock.

In 2 Timothy, the fact that Rome is likely to execute Paul in the near term gives his words added impetus. Paul’s words in 2 Timothy, therefore, have an urgent appeal for Timothy to stay faithful to preaching the Word after the apostle has died.

This commentary agrees with the view that Paul experiences a second Roman imprisonment not included in the book of Acts. After Paul is released from the imprisonment recorded at the end of Acts, he engages in further ministry, including trips to Ephesus and Crete (mentioned respectively in 1 Tim. 1:3 and Titus 1:5). Eventually, Paul is rearrested and placed in prison, from which he writes 2 Timothy while anticipating execution. The evidence suggests that Paul arrived in Rome the first time around AD 59–60. If we allow a few years for the first Roman imprisonment, then he would have been released around AD 62. That means that 1 Timothy and Titus would have been written sometime around the middle 60s.⁷ If we follow Eusebius’s dating of Paul’s martyrdom to AD 67, then Paul likely would have written 2 Timothy in AD 66 or 67. However, most modern scholars date his execution to AD 64 or 65, and so an earlier date is possible as well.⁸

Contribution by Denny Burk
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Volume 11)

Philemon

Audience: Philemon.
When: 55 or 56 AD
Where: From prison at an unidentified location.
Why: To appeal to Philemon on Onesimus’s behalf.

Further Context:
The particular historical circumstances that gave rise to this letter can only be inferred from the text itself and are the subject of much debate. The broad outline of the situation can be determined with confidence, however. Onesimus was a slave owned by Philemon. For some reason, he left Philemon’s household and met Paul, who was in prison in an unidentified location. At some point while Onesimus and Paul were together, Onesimus became a Christian. Paul understands this event to have transformed Onesimus’s relationship with Paul, and his relationship with Philemon as well. Paul now sends Onesimus back to Philemon with the accompanying letter, which makes an appeal on Onesimus’s behalf. The date of this letter is probably around AD 55 or 56.⁹

Contribution by Alistair I. Wilson
Adapted from the ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Volume 11)

This article is adapted from ESV Expository Commentary: Romans–Galatians (Volume 10) and ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Volume 11) edited by Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar.

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