Note | Date | Event | Reference(s) |
ah. | AD 62 – 64 | Freedom | |
ai. | AD 64 | Prison and Death |
ah. We know from Eusebius that Paul was released from house arrest in Rome and spent some further time travelling and ministering. Paul may well have anticipated this freedom since he asks Philemon to “prepare a guest room” for him (Philemon 22). It may be that Paul headed for Asia Minor on being released, travelling by sea to Ephesus and then on to Colosse. After leaving Timothy in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3), Paul seems to have gone to Macedonia, and perhaps visited Philippi (Philippians 1:25; 2:24).
It is believed by some that at this point in time Paul succeeded in making a visit to Spain, something he had long intended to do (Romans 15:28). Clement of Rome states that Paul journeyed to the extreme limit of the west, which may well be a reference to Spain, and the Muratorian Canon of AD 170 also mentions such a journey. If Paul made it to Spain, then it would be logical for him to have visited Crete on the way back, leaving Titus there to appoint elders (Titus 1:5). Paul was apparently on his way to Nicopolis for the winter, when he wrote Titus (Titus 3:12).
Drawing on various allusions in his final letters, Paul may well have made a visit to Corinth (2 Timothy 4:20) before his arrest, which quite probably occurred in Troas, since he appears to have left there unexpectedly and in a hurry, leaving his cloak, books and parchments there (2 Timothy 4:13).
ai. Paul was arrested and taken to Rome (2 Timothy 1:8,16-17). This was a much more severe imprisonment (2 Timothy 2:9) and he did not expect to be released again (2 Timothy 4:6-8). From prison in Rome, Paul wrote 2 Timothy, possibly in the autumn of AD 64, since he requests Timothy to join him before winter (2 Timothy 4:21) and was almost certainly executed in late AD 64, suffering martyrdom at the hands of Nero who put many Christians to death following the Great Fire in July of that year.