Why does Les give the chronology of Acts?
The chronology is provided to demonstrate that the events recorded in Acts unfolded over an extended period, not within a single year or a short span. By tracing dates from Pentecost through Saul's conversion and later Jerusalem visits, it shows that time was continually moving forward throughout the book.
Les explains that he gives the chronology of Acts for one specific reason: to show that all during the book, time is moving on. It isn't all happening in just a year or so; time has been going by. He traces dates from Christ's crucifixion and Pentecost in 29 A.D., a seven-year interval to Stephen's stoning in 36 A.D., Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus around 40 A.D., and his return to Jerusalem in Galatians 2 fourteen years after 37, reaching 51 A.D. This timeline underscores the prolonged period of Paul's Gentile ministry and the persistent opposition from Judaizers who insisted that keeping the Law and circumcision were necessary for salvation.