Who Are You, Lord?

It helps to figure out when the events of these first chapters of Acts took place. It's not as if chapter 2 took place the day after chapter 1, then each of the following chapters cover a matter of days or weeks. If we needed to know exactly when, God would have included that information in this book or elsewhere in the New Testament. We don't know with precision, but we have a good idea.

We know Jesus was born while Herod the Great was still alive, and we know he died in the winter of 5-4 B.C. Therefore, the crucifixion and resurrection was most likely in the spring (think, Passover) of A.D. 30. That puts the arrival of the Holy Spirit and the glorious events of chapter 2 in the late spring to early summer of A.D. 30. Some place all that in A.D. 29 instead of 30, so there's another wrinkle.

The best evidence points to A.D. 30 for Jesus' crucifixion. The stoning of Stephen was likely in A.D. 32 or 33. It's impossible to be precise. We know from 8:1 that the outbreak of intense persecution in and around Jerusalem, fomented by Saul immediately followed Stephen's murder. That led to many believers leaving the Jerusalem area.

Sometime after that is when Philip went to Samaria, and what happened there took some time. We also saw last week that after the visit from Peter and John, that Philip, Peter and John ministered in many villages in Samaria. It probably was synagogue by synagogue, so at least a week would have intervened between stops on their journey. Put it all together, and it appears that Saul's conversion took place in A.D. 33 or 34.

1. Loathsome Persecutor Saul (Introduction)
2. Letters From The High Priest (1-2)
3. Light From Heaven (3)
4. Lord Jesus Speaking (4-6)
5. Leading Blind Saul (7-9)