Paul's Missionary Journeys
Maps of the Missionary
Journey's of Paul the Apostle in the First Century A.D.
The Boundaries of the Roman
Empire were:
North: The British Channel, the Rhine, the Danube, and
the Black Sea
South: The deserts of Africa, the cataracts of the
Nile, & the Arabian deserts
East: The Euphrates
West: The Atlantic
Romans 1:7 - To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called [to be] saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul in the Smith's Bible Dictionary
Paul
(small, little). Nearly all the original materials for the
life St. Paul are contained in the Acts of the Apostles and in the
Pauline epistles. Paul was born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia. (It is
not improbable that he was born between A.D. 0 and A.D. 5.) Up to
the time of his going forth as an avowed preacher of Christ to the
Gentiles, the apostle was known by the name of Saul. This was the
Jewish name which he received from his Jewish parents. But though a
Hebrew of the Hebrews, he was born in a Gentile city. Of his parents
we know nothing, except that his father was of the tribe of
Benjamin, Phm 3:5 and a Pharisee, Ac 23:6 that Paul had acquired by
some means the Roman franchise ("I was free born,") Ac 22:23 and
that he was settled in Tarsus. At Tarsus he must have learned to use
the Greek language with freedom and mastery in both speaking and
writing. At Tarsus also he learned that trade of "tent-maker," Ac
18:3 at which he afterward occasionally wrought with his own hands.
There was a goat's-hair cloth called cilicium manufactured in
Cilicia, and largely used for tents, Saul's trade was probably that
of making tents of this hair cloth. When St. Paul makes his defence
before his countrymen at Jerusalem, Ac 22:1 ... he tells them that,
though born in Tarsus he had been "brought up" in Jerusalem. He must
therefore, have been yet a boy when was removed, in all probability
for the sake of his education, to the holy city of his fathers. He
learned, he says, at the feet of Gamaliel." He who was to resist so
stoutly the usurpations of the law had for his teacher one of the
most eminent of all the doctors of the law. Saul was yet "a young
man," Ac 7:58 when the Church experienced that sudden expansion
which was connected with the ordaining of the seven appointed to
serve tables, and with the special power and inspiration of Stephen.
Among those who disputed with Stephen were some "of them of
Cilicia." We naturally think of Saul as having been one of these,
when we find him afterward keeping the clothes of those suborned
witnesses who, according to the law, De 17:7 were the first to cast
stones at Stephen. "Saul," says the sacred writer significantly "was
consenting unto his death."
Full Article
Paul
in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
5. The First Great Mission Campaign:
Acts 13 and 14, 47 and 48 AD:
Paul had already preached to the Gentiles in Cilicia and Syria for
some 10 years. The work was not new to him. He had had his specific
call from Jerusalem long ago and had answered it. But now an
entirely new situation arises. His work had been individual in
Cilicia. Now the Spirit specifically directs the separation of
Barnabas and Saul to this work (Acts 13:2). They were to go
together, and they had the sympathy and prayers of a great church.
The endorsement was probably not "ordination" in the technical
sense, but a farewell service of blessing and good will as the
missionaries went forth on the world-campaign (Acts 13:3). No such
unanimous endorsement could have been obtained in Jerusalem to this
great enterprise. It was momentous in its possibilities for
Christianity. Hitherto work among the Gentiles had been sporadic and
incidental. Now a determined effort was to be made to evangelize a
large section of the Roman empire. There is no suggestion that the
church at Antioch provided funds for this or for the two later
Campaigns, as the church at Philippi came to do. How that was
managed this time we do not know. Some individuals may have helped.
Paul had his trade to fall back on, and often had resort to it
later. The presence of John Mark "as their attendant" (Acts 13:5)
was probably due to Barnabas, his cousin (Col 4:10). The visit to
Cyprus, the home of Barnabas, was natural. There were already some
Christians there (Acts 11:20), and it was near. They preach first in
the synagogues of the Jews at Salamis (Acts 13:5). We are left to
conjecture as to results there and through the whole island till
Paphos is reached. There they meet a man of great prominence and
intelligence, Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul, who had been
under the spell of a sorcerer with a Jewish name--Elymas Bar-jesus
(compare Peter's encounter with Simon Magus in Samaria). In order to
win and hold Sergius Paulus, who had become interested in
Christianity, Paul has to punish Bar-jesus with blindness (Acts
13:10 ff) in the exercise of that apostolic power which he afterward
claimed with such vigor (1 Cor 5:4 f; 2 Cor 13:10). He won Sergius
Paulus, and this gave him cheer for his work. From now on it is
Paul, not Saul, in the record of Luke, perhaps because of this
incident, though both names probably belonged to him from the first.
Now also Paul steps to the fore ahead of Barnabas, and it is "Paul's
company" (Acts 13:13) that sets sail from Paphos for Pamphylia.
There is no evidence here of resentment on the part of Barnabas at
the leadership of Paul. The whole campaign may have been planned
from the start by the Holy Spirit as the course now taken may have
been due to Paul's leadership. John Mark deserts at Perga and
returns to Jerusalem (his home), not to Antioch (Acts 13:13). Paul
and Barnabas push on to the tablelands of Pisidia. Ramsay (St. Paul
the Traveler, 93) thinks that Paul had malaria down at Perga and
hence desired to get up into higher land. That is possible. The
places mentioned in the rest of the tour are Antioch in Pisidia
(Acts 13:14), and Iconium (Acts 13:51), Lystra (Acts 14:8), and
Derbe (Acts 14:20), cities of Lycaonia. These terms are ethnographic
descriptions of the southern divisions of the Roman province of
Galatia, the northern portion being Galatia proper or North Galatia.
So then Paul and Barnabas are now at work in South Galatia, though
Luke does not mention that name, using here only the popular
designations. The work is wonderfully successful. In these cities,
on one of the great Roman roads east and west, Paul is reaching the
centers of provincial life as will be his custom. At Antioch Paul is
invited to repeat his sermon on the next Sabbath (Acts 13:42), and
Luke records at length the report of this discourse which has the
characteristic notes of Paul's gospel as we see it in his epistles.
Paul may have kept notes of the discourse. There were devout
Gentiles at these services. These were the first to be won, and thus
a wider circle of Gentiles could be reached. Paul and Barnabas were
too successful at Antioch in Pisidia. The jealous Jews opposed, and
Paul and Barnabas dramatically turned to the Gentiles (Acts 13:45
ff). But the Jews reached the city magistrate through the
influential women, and Paul and Barnabas were ordered to leave (Acts
13:50 f). Similar success brings like results in Iconium. At Lystra,
before the hostile Jews come, Paul and Barnabas have great success
and, because of the healing of the impotent man, are taken as
Mercury and Jupiter respectively, and worship is offered them.
Paul's address in refusal is a fine plea on the grounds of natural
theology (Acts 14:15-18). The attempt on Paul's life after the Jews
came seemed successful. In the band of disciples that "stood round
about him," there may have been Timothy, Paul's son in the gospel.
From Derbe they retrace their steps to Perga, in order to strengthen
the churches with officers, and then sail for Seleucia and Antioch.
They make their report to the church at Antioch. It is a wonderful
story. The door of faith is now wide open for the Gentiles who have
entered in great numbers (Acts 14:27). No report was sent to
Jerusalem. What will the Pharisaic party do now?
Full Article
including Paul's Second and Third Campaigns
The Bible Mentions "Paul" in many places:
1 Thessalonians 1:1 -
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of
the Thessalonians [which is] in God the Father and [in] the Lord
Jesus Christ: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father,
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy
1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ
Jesus,
Ephesians
1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful
in Christ Jesus:
1 Timothy
1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, [which is]
our hope;
Philippians 1:1 - Paul and Timotheus, the
servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which
are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Acts 20:9
- And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus,
being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long
preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third
loft, and was taken up dead.
Acts 23:6
- But when Paul perceived that the one part were
Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men
[and] brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope
and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
Acts 23:11
- And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of
good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in
Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
2 Timothy
4:22 - The Lord Jesus Christ [be] with thy spirit. Grace
[be] with you. Amen. <[The second [epistle] unto Timotheus, ordained
the first bishop of the church of the Ephesians, was written from
Rome, when Paul was brought before Nero the second
time.]>
Acts 18:14
- And when Paul was now about to open [his] mouth,
Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked
lewdness, O [ye] Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:
Acts 19:13
- Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to
call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus,
saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
Acts 23:3
- Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee,
[thou] whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and
commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
Acts 23:18
- So he took him, and brought [him] to the chief captain, and said,
Paul the prisoner called me unto [him], and prayed me
to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto
thee.
Acts 24:27
- But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and
Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul
bound.
Acts 21:39
- But Paul said, I am a man [which am] a Jew of
Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I
beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.
Acts 21:37
- And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said
unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou
speak Greek?
Acts 16:9
- And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There
stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into
Macedonia, and help us.
Acts 21:32
- Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto
them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they
left beating of Paul.
Acts 27:24
- Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before
Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
1
Corinthians 3:22 - Whether Paul, or Apollos,
or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or
things to come; all are yours;
Acts 15:22
- Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to
send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul
and Barnabas; [namely], Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief
men among the brethren:
Acts 16:14
- And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city
of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard [us]: whose heart the Lord
opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of
Paul.
Acts 25:23
- And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great
pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief
captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment
Paul was brought forth.
Acts 28:17
- And it came to pass, that after three days Paul
called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come
together, he said unto them, Men [and] brethren, though I have
committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet
was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the
Romans.
Colossians 1:23 - If ye continue in the faith grounded and
settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which
ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is
under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Acts 23:10
- And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain,
fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of
them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force
from among them, and to bring [him] into the castle.
Acts 13:50
- But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the
chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul
and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
Acts 21:40
- And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the
stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there
was made a great silence, he spake unto [them] in the Hebrew tongue,
saying,
Acts 22:30
- On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore
he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from [his] bands, and
commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and
brought Paul down, and set him before them.
Acts 24:10
- Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto
him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of
many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer
for myself: