Were it not for Luke’s account in the book of Acts we would be greatly impoverished in our understanding about many of the facts concerning the beginning years of the church after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most of all, we would know little of the dramatic life and ministry of what turned out to be it’s greatest proclaimer and expounder—the apostle Paul.It has been said that, "The world is waiting to see what God can do through the life of one man that is completely sold out to Him." However, we are still feeling the effects of what God did accomplish through the life of a sold out dedicated man named Paul, who turned the world upside down. It quickly becomes obvious though, that even a brief study of Paul’s life opens up volumes of relevant information so that it is an arduously selective task to leave out any number of pertinent facts for the sake of brevity.
Paul, having been converted on the road to Damascus was taken into the city and after three days was visited by a disciple named Ananias. This disciple had a vision from God and was instructed to go to where Paul was staying and to give him the message that he has been selectively chosen by God to bear His name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. (Acts 9:10-19).
From there, the details about the order of events that immediately transpired in Paul’s life are somewhat sketchy and debatable. It is uncertain whether Paul left the city and spent nearly three years in Arabia conferring with the Lord first or not. (Gal. 1:15-18). Then, returning to Damascus, Paul immediately began preaching Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. (Acts 9:20). This upset the Jews greatly and after many days had passed they took counsel to kill him. But Paul, aware of this plot, escaped over the wall, lowered down in a basket by other disciples intent on saving his life. (Acts 9:23-25).
Leaving Damascus, he went to Jerusalem where a believer named Barnabas befriended him and spoke on Paul’s behalf to the Apostles. When Paul spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in Jerusalem and it provoked another intent to slay him, the brethren found out about it and brought him to the coastal town of Caesarea, sending him forth to his home town of Tarsus. (Acts 9:26-30).
Again, Luke’s account in Acts fails to mention much about the early events of Paul’s converted life, which leaves many of the details up to speculation. Some of the troubles Paul endured which he described in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians 11:24-26 may have happened during this time, not recorded for us by Luke. Either way, after a period of about four years had passed, Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Paul and from there they spent a year in Antioch before being sent to Jerusalem with financial support. Returning to Antioch at the completion of their mission, they brought with them Barnabas’ nephew John Mark. (Acts11: 25-30, 12:25).
It is at this time that there were in the church at Antioch, certain prophets and teachers who were also there and "as they ministered unto the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, ‘Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.’ And when they fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." (Acts 13:1-3). Thus begins what is referred to as Paul’s first missionary journey.
Acts 13:4,5 begins to describe their journey by telling us that John Mark accompanied them on this trip as they sailed to Barnabas’ island home of Cyprus. Leaving from the coastal town of Seleucia and arriving in Salamis they preached in the synagogues traveling across the island unto Paphos where they encountered a false prophet and sorcerer named Bar-jesus. As they began to minister the Gospel to the deputy of the country named Sergius Paulus at his own request, this Jewish sorcerer who was also called Elymas withstood them. Whereupon Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost spoke against him so that he became unable to see. The deputy being a witness to this believed and was astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
It is from this point on that Saul is referred to and best known by his Greek name Paul. It is also the place where his name is always mentioned first in the group indicating leadership. Upon leaving the island they sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, at which time we are told that John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. The Scripture gives no elaboration for this desertion, though it is easy to surmise that he was frightened for his life by the perilous prospects that lay ahead.
Onward they went to Antioch in Pisidia and on the Sabbath entered into the synagogue. And being given opportunity to speak, Paul told them from the Scriptures how that Jesus fulfills the prophesies of the Messiah and has justified those who believe. Upon hearing this, the Gentiles besought him to preach again the next Sabbath, which when he did, gained wide acceptance from the Gentiles and stirred up envy amoung the Jews so that they raised persecution against them and expelled them from their coasts. (Acts 13:14-50).
From there they came into Iconium and speaking in the synagogue a great number of Jews and Greeks believed, but unbelieving Jews stirred up doubts so that the multitude of the city was divided between the Jews and the apostles. Hearing of plans to do them harm, they fled unto Lystra and Derbe and the region round about later referred to as Galatia, and there they preached the Gospel. (Acts 14:1-7). It is probably while they’re there in Lystra, that Timothy and his grandmother and mother are converted. Also Paul heals a lame man and the people believe that Paul and Barnabas are the Greek gods Mercury and Jupiter. When they had scarcely persuaded the people otherwise, Jews showed up from Iconium and incited the people to stone Paul until they thought he was dead. Nevertheless, Paul was raised up and departed the next day on route back to Antioch via the way they came, confirming and exhorting the disciples along the way to continue in the faith. (Acts 14:8-26). Once back in Antioch they celebrated their success and rehearsed all that God had done with them, remaining for a long time, which is interpreted by some to mean two years. (Acts 14:27,28).
The second missionary journey began on a somewhat sour note when after some time had passed that Paul, wishing to re-visit the converts from their first journey asked Barnabas to go with him. But because Barnabas refused to go without a repentant and matured John Mark and Paul refusing to let him come, the friends departed their separate ways never seeing each other again. Thus Silas joins Paul and the two of them traveling together they went through Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches. (Acts 15:36-41).
Then they came to Derbe and Lystra and met Timothy, a convert from his first journey, who joined them and remained a faithful companion to Paul to the end of his life. Pressing on they continued to re-visit the churches from the first journey and desiring to go into Asia to preach, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit. Forbidden also to go into Bithynia they ended up in the coastal town of Troas. (Acts 16:1-8). It is at this time that Luke joins the travelers by the indication of the personal pronoun in his writing. It was while at Troas that Paul had a vision in the night from the Lord, of a man from Macedonia bidding them to come and help them.
Were I more familiar with geography than I am, I might relate to the impact of such a move as this on the spread of the Gospel. In Stalker’s book Life of Paul he reports that had Paul spread the Gospel east; the way he intended, instead of west the way he went; missionaries may very well be coming from India and Japan to Europe instead of the other way around. As it happened, that destiny was settled at Paul’s crossing the Aegean.
Arriving in Macedonia at its chief city of Philipi after certain days had passed they met with a woman named Lydia from Thyatira who believed and thus constrained them to her hospitality. But when it came to pass that Paul cast out an evil spirit from a damsel who brought her masters income from her soothsaying, that the masters had Paul and Silas arrested and beaten and thrown in jail. (Acts 16:12-24).
Having been miraculously set free from prison by an earthquake, and after being apologized too by the magistrate for their illegal treatment, they went on to Thessalonica following a visit in the house of Lydia with the brethren there. Once again while preaching Christ in the synagogue on three Sabbaths some believed, but a Jewish mob opposed them setting the city on an uproar. Arriving in Berea the Word they preached was received well until Jews came from Thessalonica and stirred up the people so that while Silas and Timothy remained behind, Paul traveled to Athens to wait for them there. (Acts 16:25-17:15).
It is while waiting in that famous Grecian city of Athens that Paul preached his well-known sermon on Mar’s Hill to the philosophers about their statue to "the unknown god" of whom he declared unto them the knowable God behind what they ignorantly worship. Not receiving much favorable response from them but for a few believers, he departed from Athens to Corinth.
While at Corinth he stayed with two believers named Aquila and Priscilla who were tentmakers like himself. Preaching in the synagogue every Sabbath that Jesus is the Christ and being rejected by the Jews again, Paul turned his attention toward the Gentiles. After a chief ruler of the synagogue named Crispus believed, many of the Corinthians believed. Now encouraged by this breakthrough and after a vision from the Lord for Paul not to fear because He has much people in this city, Paul stays there for the next eighteen months. Leaving Corinth he stayed a short time in Ephesus before going on to Caesarea and then back to Antioch. Thus ending his second missionary journey. (Acts 18:1-22).
Paul’s third journey begins with a return visit to the churches over all the country in Galatia and Phrygia. While Luke does not provide many details about Paul’s return visits to the churches in previously evangelized towns, he does elaborate more on places new to each journey by this great apostle. As such, we are given more details when Paul passing through the upper coasts came to Ephesus. There he found certain disciples and having laid his hands upon them (about twelve in number), the Holy Ghost came upon them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. (Acts 19:1-7). After this, Paul boldly preached in the synagogues for about three months concerning the kingdom of God. But since they were hardened in their hearts and believed not, but rather spoke evil of that way, he departed and disputed daily in the school of one Tyrannus. This continued on for "two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." (Acts 19: 8-10). Moreover, "God wrought special miracles by the hand of Paul," and "so mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." (Acts 19:11,20). At some point during this stay, it is believed that Paul made a short trip for a second time to Corinth and then back to Ephesus. While Paul stayed in Asia, he sent Timothy and Erastus on to Macedonia. (Acts 19:22). Then Timothy went to Corinth.
So much so did the Word of God prevail in the city of Ephesus, that it affected the idol making businesses. A certain silversmith which made shrines for the goddess Diana stood to loose a great wealth by his customers turning to the One True God and thus incited a riot which was finally settled by the town clerk. After the uproar ended, Paul left Ephesus to Troas and from there to Macedonia and so onto Greece (Corinth) where he stays three months. (Acts 20:1-3). From there, rather than sailing to Syria, he returns to Macedonia, sailing from Philippi he came to Troas in five days and stayed there seven days. (Acts 20:3-6). Departing from there he went on foot to Assos where he joined with Luke and others who sailed there ahead of him. From there they went on to Mitylene. Sailing from there the next day arrived off Chios, crossing over to Samos and on the following day arriving in Miletus. Because Paul was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost, he dared not risk a short journey to Ephesus. Instead he sent for the Elders and gave them a farewell charge. (Acts 20:13-31).
After an emotional departure they sailed straight to Cos, then Rhodes, then Patara. They found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia and passing south of Cyprus they sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre. Since the ship needed time to unload cargo, they found disciples there and stayed seven days. From Tyre they landed at Ptolemais for a day and then the next day, arriving at Caesarea they stayed with Philip the evangelist for a number of days. There they pleaded with Paul not to go on to Jerusalem after a prophecy from a person named Agabus told of Paul’s impending fate. Though the love displayed by their pleadings were breaking his heart Paul refused never being one to shy away from dangers he might encounter doing the will of the Lord. He counted his life as loss that he may attain the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. Arriving in Jerusalem and being received warmly by the brethren there, the next day they reported in to James, and all the elders about what God had done among the Gentiles through their ministry. Thus ended Paul’s third missionary journey.
AMEN.
