Featured Where Did Paul Go on his Fifth Journey?

We all know journeys #1-#2-#3 from Acts 13-21, then #4 (sometimes falsely NOT called a missionary journey, but it certain was) from Acts 21-28.

I am completing 55 messages in Acts and have found a WEALTH of Scripture from which I can trace out an amazing (and actually LONGER) #5 journey after his release at the conclusion of Acts. It is Scripture deduction and the time-line and in some cases even the order of stops cannot be "firm".

Wonder if any here have studied this out or would like to discuss all that happened that takes careful piecing together investigation about this wonderful final ministry of Paul? I'm not scheduled to preach this final put-a-bow-on-it message until Sept 1, so open for ideas/insights.

 

95% scriptural referencing, 5% Early church historical accounts (like Eusebius)

NO traditions. NO catholic embellishments

Absolutely amazed I was never taught any of this. Now a number of verses (written AFTER release from first imprisonment in Rome) fall into place

 

This is my initial outline (not fleshed out here but salient Scriptures included)

FIFTH MISSIONARY JOURNEY OF PAUL
FROM RELEASE IN AD 63 UNTIL EXECUTION AD (late) 66 or 67

ROME
Acts 27:23-24 Last night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar.
Phil 1:19-26 “I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain alive and continue to be with you, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

SPAIN
Rom 15:22-29 “This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.
When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to those in Jerusalem what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of Rome. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

CRETE
Titus 1:5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you

EPHESUS
I Tim 1:3b remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine
II Tim 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds
II Tim 1:15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes

COLOSSAE
Phm 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you

MILETUS
I Tim 1:3a As I urged you [Timothy] when I was leaving for Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus
II Tim 4:20b I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus

TROAS
II Tim 4:13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments

MACEDONIA
I Tim 1:3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia,

ACHAIA
Titus 3:12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.
II Tim 4:20 Erastus remained behind at Corinth

NICOPOLIS
Acts 24:5 He was noted Christian “ringleader”; rearrested
II Tim 4:13, 21a When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Do your best to come before winter.

ROME
II Tim 1:16-18 May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me — may the Lord grant him mercy on that Day.
II Tim 4:11a Only Luke is with me.
II Tim 4:11b Find John Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry
II Tim 4:16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!
II Tim 4:10a For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.
Col 4:14; Phm 24
II Tim 4:21 Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers
II Tim 4:10b Crescens has gone to Galatia
II Tim 4:10c Titus to Dalmatia.
II Tim 4:12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
II Tim 4:6–7 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

 

Clear information from his earlier journeys in Acts
1st journey: Galatians (Iconium, Derbe, Lystra, Antioch)
2nd journey: I & II Thessalonians
3rd journey: I & II Corinthians, Romans
4th journey: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and a personal letter to Philemon in Colossae
5th journey: (including final imprisonment) I Timothy, Titus, II Timothy

Now from some references in the "Prison Epistles" (above) and then last three letters, I've pieced these ten probable stops (no "facts" showing Colossae or Macedonia as such stops, just his plan to visit)

Open for more thoughts or verses I might have missed

 

Pretty good assumption he was, as he later wrote "I urged Timothy [who was pastor there] when I left for Macedonia to remain in Ephesus". He left Timothy, indicating he was with Timothy and we do know where Timothy was
Later he wrote again to Timothy that all in Asia had turned against him. How did PAUL know that? He had been in Asia (think the Aegean side of modern Turkey, NOT the continent of that name today) and named names.

 

You were right on both counts - very intriguing to read AND disagree with his conclusion. Had me nodding in agreement until he went off the rails and had to have Paul martyred even before Burning of Rome and Neronic Persecution so he could manufacture a tribulation 7 years culminating in AD 70. Had to eliminate places and condense travel time to nearly nothing to fit it all in.

I will go back and read more - THANK YOU for the link. (y) (y)

 

Most think Clement's reference to the "west" was defined in the common use of his day as "Spain" (Iberia, western end of the Mediterranean) rather than Gaul or Britain of which that term was used infrequently.

C&H was one of the first books I bought in 1965 when I began my library. Got it for $1 from a retired pastor's library that was donated to our college library and the duplicate copies sold off to anxious young men training for pastoral ministry.

I just donated my copy to a group of inner-city pastors in Rockford, IL, along with 6 boxes of books

 

He stated that nearly 4 years BEFORE he was imprisoned. The provable evidence that on his 5th journey he actually MADE IT to Spain isn't there; the probable evidence is from others who wrote about this decades later.

We know for fact he DID make it to Crete, Asia (Ephesus), Greece, etc, from later inspired writing in the epistles.