St Pauls Missionary Journeys According to the book

St. Paul’s Missionary Journeys According to the book of Acts

Chronology • The crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ occurred in the spring of 32 AD. • Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) • Stoning of Stephen (Acts 7: 59) • In about 37 AD, Jesus Christ speaks to Saul (Paul) on the road to Damascus. Paul is led blind to Damascus (Acts 9: 8). After the visit by Ananias, Paul preached in Damascus. • The Jews plotted to kill St. Paul departed from Damascus at night, being let down from the city wall in a basket (Acts 9: 25 and 2 Corinthians 11: 32). Paul goes to Jerusalem where he started preaching after being introduced by Barnabas.

Chronology (cont. ) • Paul in Caesarea (after a plot against him was discovered) and Tarsus (Acts 9: 30) • Peter goes to house of Cornelius in Caesarea marking the reception of the word of God by the Gentiles (Acts 10) • Barnabus gets Paul and they stay in Antioch (Syria) for one year (Acts 11: 25). This must be between 41 AD (beginning of Claudius Caesar's reign) and 44 AD (Acts 11: 28). Believers are first called Christians at Antioch. • James, brother of John, killed by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12: 2). • Herod Agrippa I dies in 44 AD (Acts 12: 23).

Journeys of St. Paul

Map of Turkey with Biblical Sites and other Historical Locations

Dates of St. Paul’s journey’s First Journey 45 -47 AD Second Journey 51 -53 AD Third Journey 54 -58 AD Imprisonment in Judea 58 -60 AD Voyage to Rome 60 -61 AD Imprisonment in Rome 61 -63 AD Post-Imprisonment Journeys 63 -67 AD

St. Paul’s first journey

Details of St. Paul’s first Journey • The first journey begins when Paul, Barnabus, and Mark set out from Antioch (Acts 13: 4). This journey started after 44 AD and ended a "long time" (Acts 14: 28) before 50 AD • They left Antioch for harbor town of Seleucia and sailed to Cyprus, large island 100 miles off Syrian coast. There they went to Salamis (where Barnabas was originated) and Paphos where Paul met Bar-Jesus the sorcerer. (Acts 13: 4 -6). • Then they sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, which is now southern Turkey. From here, Mark returns to Jerusalem. • At Antioch in Pisidia (not to be confused with the one in Syria), Paul and Barnabas turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13: 46).

Antioch • Antioch was the chief church of the Gentile Christians where they are first time called Christians. • During the Roman centuries, It was the third largest populated city of the antiquity. Referred as golden and beautiful Antioch, it was designed in the Hippodamic style, and was one of the unique cities having the city lighting. After the martyrdom of Saint Stephen, many Jerusalem Christians fled to Antioch. The first two journeys of Paul started and ended in there.

Salamis Acts 13: 4 -5 • Paul and Barnabas visited the city of Salamis on the eastern coast of Cyprus during the First Missionary Journey. Salamis which rivalled Paphos on the western coast was a major commercial harbour for principle exports of the island such as copper and timber. There was a great Jewish community having more than one synagogue. "when they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of Jews"

Paphos Acts 13: 6 -12 • Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel to mainly to Jews while they crossed the island from east to west. Finally they arrived to Paphos was the capital city of Roman rule in Cyprus and the center of the worship for Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. The city had evil reputation for laxity of morals. • In Paphos Paul and Barnabas met Roman Proconsul, Sergius Paulos who wanted to hear the word of God. A sorcerer called Elymas wanted to turn him away from his faith. But Paul blinded him temporally. Witnessing to what happened to Elymas, Sergius Paulos believed. From this point on Saul used this Roman name Paul.

Paphos (cont. ) In the book of Acts, Paul is called by his Hebrew name, Saul, until his clash with the wizard Bar-Jesus on the island of Cyprus. As a Roman citizen, he was probably called by both names, which was common for Jews during this time. The change from the Hebrew, "Saul, " to the Greco -Roman, "Paul, " was appropriate for his mission to the Gentiles. Paul's upbringing as a Jewish Pharisee made him respected among the Jews and his Roman citizenship, likewise, esteemed him among the Gentiles.

Perga (Perge) • Located in the east of Antalya, Perge is certainly one of the major archaeological sights of Turkey. • Saint Paul visited Perge during his first missionary trip. Paul, Barnabas and John Mark came to Perge after their time in Cyprus. After arriving to Attalia harbour (the main port of the region), they came to Perge (the most important city of the Pamphilia region) either by boat or by Roman road of ancient times.

Antioch in Pisidia • The site of Pisidian Antioch was discovered in 1833 by the British Chaplain at Smyrna, Francis Arundel. • Located in the ancient Pisidia Region of antiquity, Antioch played an important role in the life of Paul and in the history of Christian Faith. After visiting the synagogues and arguing with the Jews of Antioch, Paul said his words which changed the course of the history: ' From now on, we turn to Gentiles. ' With these words, Paul saves Christianity from the narrow window of Jewish faith and opens the gates of Christian faith to the rest of the world.

St. Paul’s first journey (cont. ) • Then it was on to Iconium, where they abode a "long time" (Acts 14: 3), Lystra, where Paul was stoned, but lives (Acts 14: 19) and next day went to Derbe. Then they retraced their steps back through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (in Pisidia) (Acts 14: 21). • Paul and Barnabas went throughout Pisidia, Pamphylia, then to Perga, Attalia, and sailed back to Antioch in Syria (Acts 14: 24 -26). The first journey ends in Antioch, Syria, where Paul and Barnabus stay there a long time (Acts 14: 28). • The dates for the events from 50 -60 AD are found by counting backwards from the succession of Felix's reign as Procurator in Judea by Porcius Festus in 60 AD. Should one want to check these dates for accuracy, one should start at 60 AD and work backwards.

Iconium • Arriving to Iconium Paul and Barnabas went to Synagogue and had many Greek and Jewish Convents. After a certain time, the people of Iconium were divided into two opposing parties. • When Apostles heard that people of Iconium were ready to stone them and drive them away, they left the city.

Lystra • After Iconium, Paul and Barnabas came to Lystra and they met a cripple who was healed by Paul. After this miracle, the people of Lystra thought Paul and Barnabas were Jupiter and Mercury. They tried to sacrifice animals for them. The saint objected and said that they were only human beings. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium having persuaded the crowd, they stoned St. Paul to such an extent that they even thought that Paul was dead. His body was carried to the outside of city walls.

Derbe • “However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe” • Derbe was the only city where the apostles were not persecuted. They stayed there longer than other cities. The apostles made a lot of disciples and one of them was Gaius who accompanied Paul during his last missionary journey

Inbetween first and second journeys • In about 50 AD, Paul and Barnabus go to the council in Jerusalem 14 years after Paul's conversion (Galatians 2: 1 -9 and Acts 15: 2). The council discussed the issue of circumcision of the Gentiles. • Judas and Silas return to Antioch (Syria) with Barnabus and Paul where they continued some days (Acts 15: 35 -36), possibly in the winter of 5051 AD.

St. Paul’s second journey Acts 15 -18: 22 • St. Paul said to Barnabas “Let us go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord”. • Paul and Barnabas travel to Antioch. At Antioch John Mark (who left them at Perga on their first missionary journey) wishes to rejoin Paul/Barnabas. A disagreement ensues between Paul and Barnabas about whether to allow Mark to come with them. The argument is so heated that Paul finally decides to take Silas with him to Tarsus, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch in Pisidia. Barnabas takes John Mark and travels to the island of Cypress (Cyprus). • At Lystra Paul meets Timothy, who accompanies him on the rest of his journey.

Map of Mysia and Lydia

Asia in the Roman times Map of Asia Minor and the adjacent Mediterranean lands in Roman times. Asia was a term which in the books of the Maccabees actually means Asia Minor, which Antioch III (the Great) had to give up to the Roman province of Asia Proconsularis (formed after 133 B. C. ), which embraced the regions of Mysia, Lydia, Caria, and Phrygia (see Rom 16: 5; II Tim 1: 15; Acts 1: 4).

St Paul’s nd 2 journey (cont. 2) • When they had gone through Phrygia in the Asian province of the Roman Empire, they were prevented by the Holy Sprit from preaching the word there. • After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. • So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas, a city in the south of Dardaneles, a popular crossing point from Asia to Europa. When Paul arrived there, he had his famous vision. In his dream, he had a man from Macedonia beseeching to come over to Macedonia to help them.

St. Paul nd 2 journey (cont. 3) • Paul and companions first went to island of Samothrace, then arrived to Neapolis and Philippi (the foremost city of that part of Macedonia) where Paul met Lydia, a rich women from the city of Thyatira. She and her household were baptized. • In Philippi, Paul was disturbed by a slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. She was healed by Paul and she and her family were baptized by Paul who was arrested and put into a prison upon complains of the owners of the girl. The imprisonment ended up with the Philippian jailer being saved.

St. Paul’s nd 2 journey (cont. 4) • Paul's party continued their journey and they passed Amphipolis, Apollonia, Thessalonica. In Thessalonica they were met with fierce resistance by the Jews who carried an assault on the house of Jason who harbored them. • Brethren sent Paul and Silas to Berea. However, the Jews from Thessalonica followed them • Therefore, the brethren sent Paul to Athens by sea while Silas and Timothy remained there only to join him very shortly after. St. Paul had a bitter argument with the philosophers of the city.

St. Paul nd 2 journey (cont. 5) • Going further south Paul arrived the city of Corinth, one of the important cities of southern Greece. The Lord appeared to him saying “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city”. • After staying nearly 1 year, he traveled to Ephesus, the capital city of Asia. He was accompanied by Aquila and Priscilla, close friends of Paul from Corinth. Paul first went to Synagogues of Ephesus and spoke with the elders of the synagogues and argued with them Christian doctrines. He didn't stay long time in Ephesus to keep the feast (Passover) in Jerusalem. After promising he would return to Ephesus, he left for the Holy lands. After his journey from Ephesus, Paul landed in Caesarea on the coastline of Palestine. Then he went up to Jerusalem and finally back to Antioch.

Principles we have learnt so far Expect difficulties Persevere “NO MATTER WHAT” Make sacrifices (ultimate sacrifice) Follow-up Be guided by the Holy Spirit All things work out for good.