AD 57

Second Epistle to the Corinthians

Paul writes 2 Corinthians in Macedonia and later Romans in Greece

A fundraising drive supplies the chronological hinge: the collection is still unfinished when Paul writes to Corinth, and ready to travel by the time he writes to Rome.

Two letters under one year label

The 57 on this entry compresses two separate compositions into one approximate year. It is not evidence that the letters were written on the same day or in the same place.

One scholarly introduction dates 2 Corinthians generally to autumn AD 57; other chronologies use approximately AD 55/56. Romans is usually assigned to a later stay in Greece.

Titus reaches Paul in Macedonia

Paul and Timothy addressed 2 Corinthians to the church at Corinth and to believers throughout Achaia. At least substantial portions of it were composed in Macedonia.

Titus arrived there with news of the Corinthians' repentance and renewed attachment, which prompted Paul's relief and joy.

Paul urged the Corinthians to complete their contribution for Jerusalem, and sent or recommended Titus and two unnamed associates to oversee it.

By the Romans stage, the money was ready

The place changes with the second letter: Paul was then in Greece, probably Corinth, reporting that the contributions from Macedonia and Achaia were ready for delivery to Jerusalem. He introduced himself to Roman Christians and sought support for travel toward Spain; Tertius performed the writing and Phoebe was commended to the recipients.

The sequence is clearer than the absolute years. Many scholars consider canonical 2 Corinthians a compilation of several Pauline letters or fragments, while others defend its unity — and if it is composite, its components were not all written at once.

Sources

Researched 23 Aug 2026 10 sources not yet audited Date disputed

How this was checked

Researched from the web into a fact sheet and rewritten from that sheet. This article has not yet had an independent model audit. How the pipeline works →

Date disputed. Sources disagree; the research places it at ~0057.

What the sources leave uncertain

The two letters cannot be assigned to a single known day; their sequence is clearer than their absolute years.
Reconstructions date 2 Corinthians from approximately AD 55/56 to autumn 57.
Many scholars consider canonical 2 Corinthians a compilation of several Pauline letters or letter fragments, while others defend its unity; if composite, its components were not all written at once.
Romans is usually assigned to the following stay in Greece, probably Corinth, but proposed absolute dates range from late 55/early 56 through 58.