Paul’s 1st Journey

Acts 12-15

Starting point

• Starting point-(1)Antioch(Syria)-Missionary headquarters• Seleucia Antioch’s seaport• Paul (still called Saul), Barnabas, and

Mark sailed across to Cyprus, some 80 miles.

First stop

• Cyprus-Large island in the Mediterranean sea• (2)Salamis -proclaiming The Word of God in the

synagogues • (3)Paphos-Here, Sergius Paulus, the Roman

proconsul, was converted after Paul rebuked the evil Sorcerer Elymas(Bar-Jesus), leaving him blind for a time. It was at that point that Paul effectively became the leader. He was from then on called Paul.

Sailing to Turkey(Asia Minor)

• From Paphos they then sailed north up to the Asian mainland(Asian Minor, Turkey). They traveled a short distance up the river Cestrus to (4)Perga in Pamphylia (Acts 13:13), where Mark (John Mark) left them and returned to Jerusalem.

• Paul and Barnabas then continued inland for about 100 miles ,up to (5)Pisidian Antioch. Many were saved when Paul preached. Soon after certain Jews instigated the leaders to oppose Paul. After being expelled from the region, they went to (6)Iconium.

• In (6)Iconium, they again made many converts among Jews and Gentiles, but they were again persecuted. This time they would have been killed if they hadn't discovered the plot and fled quickly from the city.

• (7)Lystra- made converts .• Unfortunately, the people of the city,

proclaimed Paul and Barnabus to be "gods.“ Paul and Barnabas tried to explain that they were merely men, but it didn't go over very well. Some of the persecutors from Antioch and Iconium had followed them and incited the crowd. Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city, and left for dead. "But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for (8)Derbe." (Acts 14:20).

• (8)Derbe –they preached .• They then returned back along their same

route (Lystra, Iconium and Antioch), "appointing elders for them in each church" (Acts 14:23). They then continued southward and arrived at the town of (9)Perga-preached message and continued to the seaport town of (10)Attalia. From there, they sailed back home to Antioch, where they had began 2 years before.

Paul’s 2nd and 3rd Journey

Acts 15-21

2nd journey

• Paul went overland through Syria and Cilicia, to revisit churches at (1)Derbe and (2)Lystra . At (3)Lystra there was a disciple by the name of Timothy whose mother (Eunice) was a Jewish Christian, his father was a Greek. Paul had him circumcised because of the attitude of the Jews in these places and then continued with him. The churches grew stronger in the faith and their numbers increased daily.

• The Holy spirit forbid Paul from preaching in Phyrgia, Galatia, Mysia and Bithynia. In (4)Troas , Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man standing and appealing to "Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So Paul left for Macedonia.

• From Troas-island of Samothrace-Neapolis-they went on to (6)Philippi(A city in Macedonia). There they preached and then went out of the city gate for a place for prayer. There they evangelized a woman named Lydia and her family.

• In Phillipi Paul cast out a demon from a clairvoyant young slave girl.

• The owners could not make any money from her, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities and accused them of teaching customs which are illegal for a Roman.

• The magistrates had them stripped ,beaten with rods, and thrown into prison.

• At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God ,there was a great earthquake, all the doors flew open and everyone's chains were unfastened. The jailer was on the point of killing himself But Paul stopped him declaring – “we are all here!"

• The Jailor and his family would all accept Jesus as Lord.• Then the authorities upon finding out Paul was a Roman citizen

apologized and asked him to leave. Then Paul and Silas went to Lydia's house, and left Philippi.

• Amphipolis Apolonia-Paul did not stay long at either town and went onto Thessalonica

• In Thessalonica in a synagogue Paul argued from scriptures, that God is Christ . Some were convinced and were joined by many Greeks. But the Jews, started an uproar, accused them of declaring another King and took hold of some Christians. The authorities intervened and they were released. Then Paul left to Beroea.

• Next stop Beroea (or Berea)- Preached in a synagogue with great success. But when the Jews at Thessalonica found out, they came there to cause trouble. The brothers at Beroea then sent Paul off at once but Silas and Timothy remained there.

• Athens-Paul preached in the synagogue and in the market place.

• Epicureans-1. skeptics who rejected all religions, 2. world rose by chance, 3. pleasure is the ultimate end.

• Stoics-pantheists, everything is part of god• Epicureans and stoics took hold of him and brought

him to the Areopagus, so that he could explain his teachings.

• Paul, explained that the alter to the unknown God is his God the creator of everything, explained the resurrection of Christ and the day of Judgment.

• Some believed among them Dionysius the Areopagite and Damaris.

Areopagus

• In Corinth, Paul spends a year and a half preaching.

• Wrote First and Second Thessalonians• On the returns home Paul is

accompanied by Aquila and Priscilla up to Ephesus .

• By sea goes pass Rhodes and Cyprus, and onto Caesarea, then Jerusalem, then back to Antioch(Syria).