The Pentecost Apostolic Church Council in Jerusalem.

When exactly did it take place?

 

Paul’s intention to be, if possible, in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost is recorded in Acts 20:16 KJV.

 

The pertinent chapters to study in order to find the specifics necessary for answering the above question are Acts 19 through Acts 25. Once the correct years of reign pertaining to Claudius Lysias (cf. Acts 23:26; 24:7, 22,) Felix (cf. Acts 23:24, 26; 24:3, 22, 24 25, 27; 25:14,) Festus (cf. Acts 24:27; 25:1, 4, 9, 12-14, 22-25, 32,) and Agrippa (cf. Acts 25:13, 22-26; 26:1, 2, 7, 19, 27, 28, 32) are known the range of possible years for the Apostolic Church Meeting in Jerusalem is quite limited.

 

I find no reference to Claudius Lysias in the complete works of Josephus and have no references thus far as to Lysias’ exact years of reign.

 

Felix, however, is referenced by Josephus in his work Antiquities, XX:7:1. Felix’s years of reign as procurator of Judea lasted from shortly before Tishri 37 CE until he was replaced by Festus.

 

Festus did not begin his reign as procurator over Judea until Tishri 1, 40 CE, at the very earliest. Festus was appointed as procurator by Nero who succeeded Caesar Claudius in the early summer 40 CE.

 

Agrippa jr succeeded Herod’s kingship as governor starting in the year beginning with Tishri 1, 33 CE. Adding to his prior responsibilities Agrippa jr became responsible for “a certain part of Galilee, Tiberias, and Tarichae” in the year beginning Tishri 1, 40 CE.

 

Based upon the obvious fact that Acts chapters 21-23 all relate events closely surrounding the time of that same Pentecost which is being referenced also in Acts 20:16, and upon the above reference re Felix’s reign from some point in 37 CE until some point in 40 CE, we may determine that the extreme limits of possibility re the timing of the Pentecost Apostolic Church Council in Jerusalem are also those same years, i.e. 37 CE and 40 CE, respectively.

 

However, Acts 24:27 (KJV) tells us “But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.” This translation apparently introduces a two year span between the Pentecost we are focusing upon and the coming of Festus. However, let’s 1. compare KJV with the Textus Receptus text and then 2. consider its likely Hebrew counterpart and predecessor, before finally 3. considering the possible applications of these text passages in real life history in the light of what the calendar allows when applying also the NASA Phases of the Moon tables and the specifics identified by Paul in Acts 20:6-7:

 

Acts 24:27  But1161 after two years4137, 1333...              

Acts 24:27  διετιας1333 N-GSF  δε1161 CONJ  πληρωθεισης4137 V-APP-GSF ...

Acts 24:27  ...ולשׁנתים ימים

2Sa 13:23  And it came to pass1961 after two full years,8141, 3117

2Sa 13:23 ...ויהי לשׁנתים ימים

2Ch 21:19  And it came to pass,1961after the end6256, 3318, 7093 of two8147 years,3117

2Ch 21:19 ...לימים שׁנים ויהי

 

As I have shown elsewhere, biblical translations of these words are generally misunderstood and therefore mistranslated. What is consistently the case in these texts is that the time span translated as “two years,” “two full years,” etc., do instead reference a time span such that it has spilled over into the second of two years, i.e. “more than one year,” “in the second year,” etc..

 

The Greek text of Textus Receptus, re Acts 20:6-7, makes it clear that, in the year of the Pentecost that we are focusing upon in this study, the Seventh Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the weekly Shabbat coincided:

 

Every KJV translation in the New Testament using the words “the first day of the week” is a mistranslation of Greek words in the Textus Receptus which are specifying a very special day in the biblical calendar, namely the Seventh Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. So also in Acts 20:7.

 

In contradistinction to the extra Shabbat called “the Seventh Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread” the weekly Shabbat is sometimes referenced in the New Testament as “Day number Seven,” or “the Seventh Day.” So also at the end of Acts 20:6 where the Greek words of Textus Receptus may be grammatically translated as either “seven days,” as in KJV, or as “Day Seven,” i.e. “the Seventh Day.” Without knowing the details of the actual calendar, or else without recognizing the further time constraints provided within the context of the Greek text given in the Textus Receptus text of Acts 20:6-7, the translators would have no way of knowing which of the two grammatical translations to use. Evidently the KJV translators did not make the best choice when translating Acts 20:6.

 

Having thus laid the groundwork, by specifying additional characteristics and constraints upon the years 37 CE through 40 CE, we are ready to exactly identify which year at the time of Pentecost the Apostolic Church Council in Jerusalem took place:

 

First, we may notice that any attempt to place “two [full] years” between said Pentecost and the coming of Festus will bring us into the first two year period of Felix’s reign during which I find no way of having the weekly Shabbat coincide with the Seventh Day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Thus, once again, my prior finding of the words “two years,” when used in the KJV, is always referencing a time period spilling over into a second year.

 

Second, what “second year” is being here referenced? Or, else what exactly do the Greek words of Textus Receptus Acts 24:27 really say? Is this a reference to Paul, or perhaps to the reign of Felix? It clearly is not a reference to either Agrippa Jr, nor to Caesar Claudius.

 

 

Below are found the pertinent calendars from 36 CE through 42 CE necessary to determine which years, within a given range, that may be considered possible for satisfying the criteria required by Acts 20:6-7 within the Greek text of the Textus Receptus manuscripts, from which text it is necessary to conclude that the 7th Day of the Feast of Unleavened Breads of that year fell upon the 7th Day weekly Shabbat. [Blue digits in the calendars below represent the Biblical days of the lunar month. Black digits pertain to the Julian calendar. The days of interest for our purposes here are highlighted in bold red font. Every month including a potential Aviv 1 is included, i.e. per the criteria given at this link as applied to the NASA Phases of the Moon tables unto which I have added in blue font the numbers of possible the biblical lunar moon numbers. Likewise every potential Aviv 1 of interest within each of said months is included below as is also every Aviv 15 and Aviv 21 since these are the 1st and 7th Days of the Feast of Unleavened Breads.]

 

As may be seen below neither 37 CE, 38 CE, or 41 CE allow for a concurrent weekly Shabbat and 7th Day of the Feast of Unleavened Breads. Saturday April 7th 36 CE, Saturday April 4th 39 CE, Saturday April 23rd 40 CE, and Saturday March 31st 42 CE are all potentially possible candidates meeting said criteria, however.

 

March 18, 36 CE = the earliest possible Aviv 1.

     March 36 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

 

          1  2  3  4

 

 5  6  7  8  9 10 11

                   1 - Possible Aviv 1.

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

 ?

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

 

26 27 28 29 30 31

 

     April 36 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

                  15

                   1

 ?             21  ?

 2  3  4  5  6  7  8 Saturday April 7th is a possible candidate.

 

 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

 

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

 

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

 

30

 

 

     April 37 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

                1  2 Either by default or by 1st possibly visible crescent!

 1  2  3  4  5  6  7

 3  4  5  6  7  8  9

 8  9 10 11 12 13 14

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 No go!

24 25

29 30

 

 

    March 38 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

                    

                1  2

                    

 3  4  5  6  7  8  9

                    

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

                    

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

       1  1          Possible Aviv 1.

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

                    

31

 

    April 38 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

 

    1  2  3  4  5  6

      15 15

 7  8  9 10 11 12 13

   21 21            

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 No go!

 

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

 

28 29 30

 

 

 

    March 39 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

 

                   1

 

 2  3  4  5  6  7  8

                1  1 Possible Aviv 1.

 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

 

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

               15 15

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

 

30 31

 

 

    April 39 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

            21 21 23

       1  2  3  4  5 Saturday April 4th is very possible, even likely!

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

 6  7  8  9 10 11 12

30  1                

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

 

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

   15                  

27 28 29 30

21                                     No go!

 

 

2nd or 3rd April 40 = Aviv 1

 

    April 40 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

                1  1 Possible Aviv 1.

             1  2  3

 

 4  5  6  7  8  9 10

               15 15

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

            21 21  

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Saturday April 23rd possible, even likely!

25 26 27 28 29 30

 

 

 

22nd or 23rd March 41 = Aviv 1

 

 

    March 41 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

 

       1  2  3  4  5

 

 6  7  8  9 10 11 12

 

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

       1  1

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

 

27 28 29 30 31

 

 

 

    April 41 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

 

                1  2

      15 15

 3  4  5  6  7  8  9

   21 21         

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 No go!

 

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

 

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

 

 

    March 42 CE

Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su

 

          1  2  3  4

                   1 Aviv 1.

 5  6  7  8  9 10 11

 ?                   Not an interesting option even if possible…

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

                  15

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

 ?             21   

26 27 28 29 30 31    Saturday March 31st  possible.