I thought so much after this cruise to Turkey, Greece and Italy and some other islands, about Paul and his
missionary journeys. New Testament recorded three missionary journeys of Paul
and God used those journeys to spread the message of the Gospel of Christ to
Asia Minor and Europe. Saul who became Paul after meeting Christ on his road to
Damascus was a very well educated leading Jew who was taught under Gamaliel and
he was well versed in the laws of the Old Testament. It was also recorded in
the New Testament how after the death and resurrection of Christ, Paul then
Saul was persecuting the churches, and even participated heartily in the
execution of the first Christian Martyr, Stephen which was recorded in Acts
7:55; 8.
Below is the trade route of Paul's
Second Missionary Journey, with Silas returning to Asia Minor and on into
Europe c AD49-52
Taken from Acts 18:23b-20:3a -
(After spending some time in Syrian Antioch [1], Paul starts on his Third
Missionary Journey, and .
How the Lord met Paul on the road to Damascus was a life changing event
and he repented, and turned his faith in Jesus Christ and he started to
persuade Jews and Christians using his experience. Many doubted and shunned him
but Barnabas was one who spoke up for Paul and he became a missionary partner. Below
is the chronicle of his missionary journeys and the different trade routes.
Paul’s first missionary
journey was recorded in the Book of Acts chapter 13 and 14. Paul together with
his missionary partner Barnabas heeded the call from God and left the church at
Antioch in Syria for their first missionary journey. Initially Paul and
Barnabas preached in the town synagogues as their mode of evangelism. When this
mode of evangelism failed, they began to share the ‘Gospel of Good News’ to the
Gentiles. Because of Paul’s strong faith in Christ Jesus, Saul who persecuted
many Christians once became Paul who was persecuted! Through trials, beatings
imprisonment, and stoning he continued to preach the Gospel of the ‘Risen
Christ’. Paul preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles brought great controversy
about who could be saved. Between his
first and the second missionary journey he attended a conference at Jerusalem
discussing about the ways to Salvation and the final consensus was that the
Gentiles can receive salvation without submitting to Jewish traditions.
Paul’s
second missionary journey was recorded in the Book of Acts between chapters
15-18. They stayed in Antioch building up the church, and this was the place
where the first church started. Paul was ready for his missionary journey and
there rose a dispute between Paul and Barnabas and hence Paul went with Silas
to Asia Minor and Barnabas went with John Mark to Cyprus. This is another good
example to prove how God can use even dispute to glorify Himself, if we
genuinely believe Christ and in His unfailing love. Even the dispute became a
vehicle to spread the Gospel to different parts of the world. Later God in His
providence directed Paul and Silas to Greece and in a way Gospel was brought to
Europe. Missionary journeys were not without trials and persecution, because at
Philippi Paul was imprisoned and in this suffering in imprisonment they sang in
jail. God Who controls and orchestrate the events around the world, caused a
huge earthquake which swung opened the prison doors and the chains fell off
from Paul and Silas and they were freed. This is the place where the jailer and his
family accepted Christ, and at this amazement and wonder the government
officials in fear begged Paul and Silas to leave their territory. Fear rose
among people wherever Paul and Silas traveled and preached the Gospel of
Christ.
Talking about their ’unknown God’ to the
inquisitive audience was in Athens where Paul proclaimed that the true God is
the only one who was not made by man. Idols are man-made, and God of the
heavens and earth cannot be made by men, and preaching to their inscription of
their ‘unknown God’ was the main theme of Paul at Athens. When Athenians heard
this new doctrine some of them sneered and some said would love to hear more
about this new doctrine at a later time. When I stood at Mars Hill, I could
attain more understanding why some of them sneered because Athenian culture was
a very highly educated culture but ignorant of the true God. Paul continued to
debate with them in that culture and those who believed in Jesus Christ
established churches. In this second missionary journey many Disciples of
Christ from different back grounds came forward and joined Paul’s missionary
work. The young Timothy, the business woman Lidya, and Aquila and Priscilla
gave tremendous support in this missionary work for Paul. God is a great
provider and He provides the right people at the right place to enhance the
kingdom work and this is evident in Paul’s second missionary journey.
The third missionary journey was recorded in the Book of Acts from chapters 18-20, and here we find that the Gospel was fervently preached in Asia Minor. Many signs and wonders followed Paul’s ministry and God revealed Himself to be faithful in Paul’s ministry. In Acts 20, in this missionary journey we noted that Paul was preaching a very long sermon at Troas while a young man slept and fell out of the window and died and God used this situation to glorify Himself when he was revived by Paul miraculously. In Ephesus, people who were involved in Occult came and surrendered their lives and their books were burned. When the idol makers lost their business the rose of revolt, caused tremendous persecution to Paul. The persecution caused unity among believers and the true Christians began to spread the Gospel. Towards the end of his third missionary journey Paul knew that he will be imprisoned and killed soon, and his final words to the Ephesians showed his deep devotion to Christ.
The third missionary journey was recorded in the Book of Acts from chapters 18-20, and here we find that the Gospel was fervently preached in Asia Minor. Many signs and wonders followed Paul’s ministry and God revealed Himself to be faithful in Paul’s ministry. In Acts 20, in this missionary journey we noted that Paul was preaching a very long sermon at Troas while a young man slept and fell out of the window and died and God used this situation to glorify Himself when he was revived by Paul miraculously. In Ephesus, people who were involved in Occult came and surrendered their lives and their books were burned. When the idol makers lost their business the rose of revolt, caused tremendous persecution to Paul. The persecution caused unity among believers and the true Christians began to spread the Gospel. Towards the end of his third missionary journey Paul knew that he will be imprisoned and killed soon, and his final words to the Ephesians showed his deep devotion to Christ.
Let us read Acts 20:18-24
together.
·
And
when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that
I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many
tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you,
but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, Testifying
both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem,
not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying
that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither
count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy,
and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the
gospel of the grace of God; Acts 20:18-24.
Many of us can reasonably
suggest there would have been another that is the fourth missionary journey,
but Biblical data is not sufficient enough to prove this. What we have is the
concrete three missionary journeys and we find the same theme running
throughout his missionary journeys; that is proclamation of God’s sufficient
grace for the remission of the sins of the world and freely available for all
whomever who believes in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. Gospel was preached for the Gentiles and
churches were established. His letters to the churches, at that time encouraged
believers and churches. The Pauline Gospels in the New Testament still support and
is a great source of encouragement for the church and stands as a true doctrine
of Christ. For Paul life in Christ is worth the cost, because of what he did
and is supported by what he has written in the Book of Romans.
·
For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them
he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then
say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how
shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is
God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all
the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord; Rom 8:29-39.
.
For further reading
For further reading
www.gotquestions.org/missionary-journeys-Paul.html
Where did the
Apostle Paul go on his missionary journeys? ...
His final words to the church at Ephesus display his devotion to Christ: “You yourselves
... except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that
bonds and ...
https://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CN092MAPS1.htm
The Letters are not in their normal New Testament Order, but
in the date order generally agreed by most scholars. Paul's Letters
are integrated into the story of ...
eoc.dolf.org.hk/livingev/stpaul.htm
The second missionary journey of St Paul and
his missionary team, starts again ... The first part of Paul's second missionary
journey was spent in revisiting the ...
www.matthewmcgee.org/paultime.html
A timeline of the events of the ministry of the Apostle Paul.
The years of his journeys and the years of the writing of his
epistles.
www.loyolapress.com › Liturgical
Year
Paul traveled
over 10,000 miles proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. His journeyson
land and sea took him primarily through present day Israel, Syria,
Turkey ...
www.simplybible.com/f757.htm
Summary of the journeys and periods of the apostle Paul.
Traditionally, Paul is said to have made three missionary
journeys, plus a fourth journey to Rome.
Taken from Acts 18:23b-20:3a -
(After spending some time in Syrian Antioch [1], Paul starts on his Third
Missionary Journey, and .
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