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Paul’s First Missionary Journey

Paul’s First Missionary Journey. We don’t know what Paul looked like. But we know well the extent of his accomplishments. Paul's First Missionary Journey, with Barnabas to Cyprus and Asia Minor BCE46-48 and Its Sequel, the Council at Jerusalem BCE49 Taken from Acts 13:4-14:28.

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Paul’s First Missionary Journey

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  1. Paul’s First Missionary Journey We don’t know what Paul looked like. But we know well the extent of his accomplishments.

  2. Paul's First Missionary Journey, with Barnabas to Cyprus and Asia Minor BCE46-48 and Its Sequel, the Council at Jerusalem BCE49 Taken from Acts 13:4-14:28

  3. Barnabas and some other prophets and teachers received a Word from the Lord, "Now separate to Me, Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them". So the disciples in Antioch "fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away" They began their missionary journey and headed for the port in Seleucia to set sail from Syria.

  4. So these two (Barnabas and Paul) .... went down (from Syrian Antioch [1]) to Seleucia [2] and from there sailed off to Cyprus. On their arrival at Salamis [3] they began to proclaim God's message in the Jewish synagogues, having John (Mark) as their assistant.

  5. SalamisThe Missionary team landed at Salamis, which was the main port and commercial center of the entire island. At Salamis the Roman influence was very apparent, a beautiful forum, gymnasium, public baths, a large theater, and a temple dedicated to Zeus. In fact Salamis was known for having the largest agora (marketplace) of all the colonies within the Roman Empire.

  6. After ministering at Salamis, Paul journeyed from the east side of the island across to the west side preaching in the Jewish synagogues along the way. They reached Paphos [4], the city port on the western side of the island, and the seat of Roman government.

  7. Paphos was the worship center for the goddess Aphrodite (Venus), the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. According to a legend Aphrodite was born from the foam of the sea, and she floated in a shell on the waves, and landed on Cyprus near Paphos. Every year people came from all over the Mediterranean world to visit her temple.

  8. It was here at Paphos that the Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who, hearing of the arrival of Barnabas and Saul, sent for them, desiring to hear the word of God. Accompanying the governor was a Jew named Bar-Jesus, or Elymas, a false prophet and magician, who, fearful of the influence of the apostles, withstood them, "seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith."

  9. Paul looked at him and spoke these words: Acts 13:10-12 "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? “ And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord."

  10. From this point in history Paul appears as the prominent figure of every event. He was now clearly seen as the preacher to the Gentiles, and simultaneously his name of reference was changed. Nothing is said to explain the change of name, although there are many conjectures among writers.

  11. When they left the city of Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail for Asia [5] (modern Turkey).

  12. Asia is a massive 3000-5000 foot plateau with high mountain ranges all around it. The area is somewhat arid with a few natural resources, therefore the land was used mainly for grazing and grain. The mountains are a great source of resources, lots of timber, and wealthy deposits of gold, silver, and copper, lead, iron, zinc, and marble. There is fruitful rainfall along the coast producing grapes and olives which were common around the Mediterranean.

  13. The main trade route in Asia minor during the first century CE went from Ephesus to Antioch of Pisidia and then split north to the Euphrates and south to Tarsus and down into Syria.

  14. When Paul landed in Asia, he and his companions traveled inland for about eight miles to the city of Perga in Pamphylia [5], and it was here that John Mark left the group and went back to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13).

  15. They remained in Perga a short time and Paul and Barnabas continued north for about 100 miles, to "Antioch of Pisidia“ in the central plateau area of Asia Minor (Acts 13 :14). There they began evangelizing the southern region of the province of Galatia.

  16. Galatia - A large Roman province in Asia Minor, extending almost from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean through the mountains and plains of modern central Turkey. Settled by Gauls from central Asia in the 3rd century BC, Galatia included the Phrygian town of Pisidian Antioch; not to be confused with Syrian Antioch

  17. Antioch of Pisidia was actually "near" rather than "in" Pisidia. It became the chief administrative and military center for southern Galatia after Emperor Augustus had made it a Roman colony. This city was an important commercial center on the great trade route linking Ephesus on the coast with Syria and the cities of Mesopotamia. It was also a place of pagan worship and contained a great temple dedicated to Ascaenus, the chief deity of the city. Antioch of Pisidia was a highly strategic place from which to spread the gospel.

  18. Then they entered a synagogue in Pisidia on the Sabbath day and sat down. Paul stood up and proceeded to preach to them the history of redemption from Abraham to Jesus. Many believed and urged him to speak on the next Sabbath. During the week so much interest was stirred up that on the Sabbath "nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God."

  19. Filled with envy because of the desire of the Gentiles to hear, the Jews "began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming," so Paul said, "We turn to the gentiles...", and the apostles boldly proclaimed salvation to the gentiles. Jewish opposition increased, and the apostles left Antioch (Acts 13:42-51). As a result of their witness, "the word of the Lord spread throughout all the whole region" (Acts 13:49)

  20. A week later Paul and Barnabas are expelled from the district ... and went on to Iconium [7]. And the disciples continued to be full of joy and the Holy Spirit. Much the same thing happened at Iconium.

  21. Iconium (the city of icons) was located in the central plateau region at the foot of the Taurus Mountains, a five to six thousand foot mountain range. Iconium had a good water supply and was well situated for defense. Iconium was like a garden in that arid region, and had been called "the Damascus of Asia."

  22. Paul and Barnabas traveled 80 miles southeast to Iconium of Lycaonia. When they had entered the synagogue, the unbelieving Jews had already poisoned the people's minds. Persecution was raised by the unbelieving Jews, but the apostles stayed a long time and preached and were, encouraged by the miracles that God worked through them. Although a great multitude believed the gospel at Iconium, because of their Jewish instigators the city was divided in opinion about the message preached by the evangelists. Church of ST. Paul in Iconium

  23. But when a hostile movement arose from both Gentiles and Jews in collaboration with the authorities to insult and stone them, they got to know about it, fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra [8] and Derbe [9], and the surrounding countryside - and from there they continued to proclaim the Gospel. (Acts 13:51-14:6).

  24. Lystra is located about 18 miles southwest of Iconium and it was not positively identified until the discovery of an inscription in that area in 1885. The town now a place of fallen ruins lay in a small valley watered by a small river flowing to the east. Lystra had once been a military outpost of Rome but declined in population and importance after the area was subdued. It was off the main roads, and its inhabitants spoke their native Lycaonian language rather than the Greek used by most citizens of the Roman Empire in Paul's day (Acts 14:11).

  25. To Paul and Barnabas, Lystra seemed to be a good place to wait out the storm of opposition stirred up in Iconium. In Lystra they starting preaching again and when Paul healed a crippled man the people thought they were gods and said "The gods have become like men and have come down to us", and they called Barnabas - Zeus, and Paul - Hermes. Paul and Barnabas corrected them and preached the gospel.

  26. But Jews from Iconium and Antioch of Pisidia came to Lystra and turned its citizens against the missionaries. Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city, thinking he was dead. When the disciples came to him he rose up and he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

  27. The day following Paul's stoning at Lystra, the missionaries journeyed to another secluded city, Derbe (Gudelisin), located about 70 miles southeast of Lystra. Paul preached in Derbe and "made many disciples" (Acts 14:21), one of them was (Gaius) who later accompanied Paul on his journey through Greece (Acts 20:4). Only recently has it been identified with certainty, and we have little information about the site.

  28. Rather than taking the most direct route to Antioch of Syria, Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, , "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith." They were also appointing elders in every church (Acts 14:21-23).

  29. They also returned to Perga and preached the gospel there before proceeding to coastal Attalia, which lay southwest of Perga and was an important harbor and commercial center in Paul's day.

  30. Antalya (pop. 600,000) is the modern name for ancient Attalia.  The city was founded by Attalus II (159–138 BCE), the king of Pergamum, and was used by him as a Mediterranean port for his landlocked city.  The road from Pergamum to Attalia ran through Laodicea.Attalia served as the capital of the Pamphylia, one of the few plains located along the southern Mediterranean coastline of Turkey.

  31. From there, Paul and Barnabas sailed for Antioch of Syria, arriving in the autumn of 49 BCE, where they reported to the church all that had happened, especially the opening of the "door of faith to the Gentiles." (14:21-27).

  32. They had been gone for nearly two years and had traveled approximately 1,250 miles.

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