Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/559

* NEW TESTAMENT CHRONOLOGY. 485 NEW TESTAMENT CHRONOLOGY. the priutoriuiii. that they might not be defiled, but luiglit eat the Passover," and xix. 14, "Xow it was the Preparation (iropacrKeuiJ) of the Pass- over." are the most iuiportant. It is to be noted, however, that the (iospel of John uses the term t4 irdo-xai the Passover, in an inclusive sense to indicate the whole Passover season, just as the Syiio])tic Gospels use the term rd lifv/ia, the [Feast ofj Unleavened Bread, in the same broad sense. It is also to Ije noted that in xix. 31 and 42 the word Trapaa-Ktvri, literally 'l>reparation day,' is used in its connnon sig- nilicance of Friday. It is therefore possible that in verse 14 we should interpret so as to read "it was the Fridaj' of the Passover season." So understood, there is no conflict between John and the S^Tioptists. If there is actual disagree- ment, the evidence ma}' be represented as fol- lows : 13 NI8AN Jewish customs fixed according to da.ve of Xisau S.TUciptic Gospels, as to — (1) Da.vs ot the week (2) Events Gospel of .Tolin, as to— (1) Da.vs uf the week (2) Events Wednesday Thursday Lord's Supper (not identical with Passover) 14 Passover meal at evening Thursday Passover meal. Lord's Supper Friday — the wapatTKevri Crucifixion tianity, (1) in the city of .Jerusalem, chaps, i.-vii.; (2) among* the Jewish population of Palestine and Syria, with the transition to work among the Ontiles, chaps, viii.-.xii. ; and (3) among the Gentiles through the missionary labors of Paul, chaps, xiii.xxviii. Since the data in referfflice to Paul's career are more ninnerous an«l exact than those connected with the earlier events, we shall make the chronology of Paul'.s labors the basi.s of our investigations. We have to consider the evidence furnished bj' the follow- ing data : ( 1 ) Acts ix. 23 sqq. Paul's escape from the Jews at Damascus 'many days' after his eon- version. In II. Cor. xi. 32 Paul refers to this event, noting that it took place while .retas was ethnarcli of Damascus. In Oal. i. 18 Paul says that he did not leave Damascus for Jeru- salem until three years after his conversion. 15 18 17 Hol.T Rest Da.v. Wave Sheaf First day of the Feast of Un- leavened Bread Friday — i.e. the TrapaiTKsvifl Crucifixion Saturday — i.e. Sabbath, a 'great Sabbath"; xix. 31 2(. 27. 27. 27. r-2n. 29. Saturday Sunday Resurrection Sunday Kesurrectlon If the year of the Crucifixion was A.u. 2'J, the Passover was either in April (17th or 18th) or March (18th). The latter is the more probable date. We therefore arrive at the following results: B.C. 9-7. The annunciations concerning the births of the Baptist and Jesus. 7. Birth of Jesus. .A.D. 2(>. John the Baptist opens his ministry. (2C) Jesus is baptized by John. (Early in the year) Jesus begins His ministry. The first Passover, in Jerusalem (John ii. 13 sqq.). Passover to Passover, two years of public activity, a year and some months being spent in Galilee. March 18. Friday, the Crucifixion. On Sunday. March 20th. the Resurrection, and 40 days later the .scension. These results differ from those most commonly accepted, mainly in that they make the ministrv' cover Init two years and a little over instead of three years or more. The main specific difference is in regard to the feast of John v. 1. which is usually taken as a Passover. The most com- monly accepted year for the Crucifixion is a.d. 30 instead of ..n. 29. as given above. II. Chronology of tiik Apostolic Age. The Apostolic Age began immediately after the Lord's Ascension. Its close may be considered as marked by the passing away of the Apostles and their companions. Our main authority for this period is the Book of Acts. Incidentally, the Epistles furnish some valuable hints. In Acts we are presented with a sketch of the progress of Chris- In all probability Aretas was not ethnarch of Damascus until after the death of Tiberius, March 10, a.d. 37. It is certain that he did not hold this position in a.d. 34. Therefore Paul's conversion was not before a.d. 31, probably not before a.d. 34. (2) Acts xi. 27-30 and xii. 25. Agabus, a prophet, predicted a famine. In consequence, the Christians of Antioch sent aid to Jerusalem by Barnabas and Paul, active workers in the An- tioch church. This visit was probably not long before the famine was at its height. Notices in Josephus (Ant., x.. 2, 3 and 5, 2) show that there was such a famine about a.d. 47. Tlie prophecy may well have been uttered two or three years earlier, and the visit may be placed in a.d. 40-47. (3) .ids xiii. 7. Sergius Paulus is mentioned as proconsul of Cyprus. The name of this ofiicial has been discovered on an inscription of Cyprus, but his date has not been determined. All that is certain is that he was not proconsul of the island in the years a.d. 51 and ,52. (4) Acts xviii. 2 and 12. Paul, soon after his arrival in Corinth on his second missionary journey, meets Aquila and Priscilla, Jews lately banished from Rome in ccmsequence of a decree of the Emperor Claudius. Paul stays in Corinth upward of two years, during which time Gallio was proconsul of Achaia. We have here two data : Claudius's decree and Gallio's proconsul- ship. The edict of expulsion is mentioned by Suetonius and probably referred to by Tacitus and Dio Cassius, but in such a way that its date cannot be exactly fixed. Orosius (fifth century, a.d.) places it in a.d. 49. As to Gallio,