Timeline for Samuel and Romans

This week we continue in the same books that we began last week, the Old Testament book of I Samuel and the New Testament book of Romans. Is anyone besides me being blessed by reading Romans?! Wow!!!! Yes, I read it every year, but still, "Wow!!!!" What an encouragement to be more like Jesus!

Since I've mentioned Romans let's begin our synopsis there. This Pauline epistle was written near the end of Paul's third missionary journey, perhaps while Paul was in Greece (Acts 20:2-3). It's spot on the timeline would be about AD 57. Paul gave this letter to a woman named Phebe (Romans 16:1, 2) to deliver. As Lockyer's book, All the Women of the Bible, suggests Phebe (or Phoebe, as is the modernized spelling) was a woman Paul held in high esteem as evidenced by his glowing description of her and the fact that he trusted her with this important missive.

At the time of this writing, Paul had not been to Rome. The theme of the letter (doctrinal teaching) would suggest that he did not know many, if any, of the recipients personally and therefore was undertaking the task of educating them through writing.



Our other scheduled book, I Samuel, is one of two named for the beloved (and last) judge of Israel who reluctantly assisted the nation into transitioning into a monarchy. I Samuel is a historical book that was in part authored by the man for whom it was named. Of course, he did not write the book in its entirety because his own death is recorded in chapter 25. The complete book itself may have been compiled by Levitical scribes many years later but it seems probable that Samuel's notes and writings would be used.

Therefore, the date of the writing and the time of the events told in this history are not synonymous. This book was probably compiled after Israel and Judah were divided following the Rehoboam-Jeroboam confrontation. The events themselves  begin with Samuel's birth which occurred during the time of the judges. The timeline of Jones in his volume The Chronology of the Old Testament places Samuel's birth at approximately 1150 BC.  He also places the reign of Saul at 1095-1055 BC. The death of Israel's first king and the heir apparent are the final events of the book.