Yes, I have wondered the same as you and looked it up many years ago.John2 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:57 pm For me it's easy to dispense with any date earlier than c. 90 CE, since I am absolutely convinced that the author of Acts (whoever they were) used Josephus' Antiquities, which were published around then. If Epaphroditus wrote Acts, I suppose I could push the date back a little, since he could have had an advanced copy (or a draft or notes) or gotten information by talking with Josephus before 90 CE.
But even if we date Acts to c. 80 CE, I don't see much difference between that or 115 CE. I was alive in 1980 and I was still alive in 2015 (and now in 2022). So in my view, the same person could have written Acts in 80 CE or 115 CE (or 122 CE). Or even earlier than 80 CE.
Let's say that Woody Guthrie was Jesus and he died in the 1930's and recorded nothing. And let's say that Bob Dylan was Epaphroditus (or whoever else wrote Acts) and he only knew about Woody Guthrie and heard his songs in the 1960's from people who had known him (like Peter and James) or people who knew people who had known him (like Paul). And Bob Dylan is still alive today. So for me, the same person could have written Acts in the 60's CE or in 122 CE. But a post-90 CE date makes the most sense to me given the apparent use of Josephus.
There are some hurdles to go over with your conclusion, not impossible but some very high (pole vaulting) hurdles.
First some general thoughts. Sources can be provided if so needed.
The name Epaphroditus was a very common name during that Roman period of time.
Epaphroditus was sent from the church of Philippi several hundred miles away to give aid, money, letters, to Paul who was under house arrest in Rome. Paul already had a long working relationship with Epaphroditus. Paul had visited Philippi in 50 CE where he first meet him. This area was known somewhat as a retirement center for Praetorian Guards. If true, when Epaphroditus arrived in Rome about 60CE to visit Paul he would be a fairly old man. But even so, having honorable served in the Praetorian guard he would be honored by the emperor's household.
If he wrote Acts in the 95 CE. he would be older than Bob Dylan and likely (but not impossible) the oldest Praetorian guard that ever lived.
If he was Nero's personal secretary and a young one at that, it is extremely unlikely that Nero would grant him leave to travel to Philippi just to deliver a letter from Paul to the church.
If Epahroditus was the secretary of Josephus, he would have known how Paul died but it is not stated in Acts. Neither, the murder of James the Just, the fall of Jerusalem, etc. However, Acts ends without a hint how Paul died, as if he was still alive preaching to the Herod's household.
All that to say, those are some very high hurdles, not impossible to overcome, no, but very improbable.
The probability is, there were two different people from different a generation who just so happened to have same common name, Epahroditus.
Sincerely,
John T