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The story of the New Testament church begins with Pentecost, the event described in the secondchapter of Acts. The presence of God through the Holy Spirit moved into His new “body,” the peo-ple who belong to Christ and of whom He is the “head.” This new body of people is to encompass

every language, tribe, and nation. Read Acts chapter 2 in preparation for discussion in class.Because of increasing persecution of Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem, many of them moved to other

areas. The greatest concentration of believers was in Antioch of Syria, where they were first called“Christians.” Barnabas came to Antioch to help with the work and was soon overwhelmed. In his searchfor help he remembered Saul who had persecuted Christians in Jerusalem but on a trip to Damascus had met the resurrected and glorified Lord and was soundly converted. Saul (renamed Paul) was now living in his hometown of Tarsus. Barnabas found him and requested that he come to Antioch to help with the work.

Prior to his conversion Saul was a devout, highly educated Jew. He described himself as “circumcisedon the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to thelaw, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” He had beenproud of that heritage and based his salvation on his own righteousness. But when he met Christ, all ofthat changed. He later testified; “... whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesusmy Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and befound in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is throughfaith in Christ...” (Phil. 3:4-9).

The Antioch church, led by the Holy Spirit, commissioned Paul and Barnabas to go on a missionaryjourney to tell the good news of the resurrection and the open door to Gentiles of every nation. The fol-lowing pages summarize each of his three journeys. Using the adjacent maps, try to find the places Paulvisited and relate them to the events summarized in the outline. Notice especially the churches to which hewrote letters because these letters have become most of the “epistles” of our New Testament.

Throughout his ministry, Paul experienced harassment and persecution, most of which came fromJews who rejected his message. Some of these Jews professed to be Christians, but they insisted that newChristians must first become Jews (that is, accept Jewish ritual, law and practice) in order to becomeChristians. These teachers became known as “Judaizers.” The apostles met in council at Jerusalem afterPaul’s first missionary journey to discuss this matter and concluded decisively that the Judaizers were inerror, affirming that salvation in Christ is open to Gentiles as well as Jews on the basis of faith in the workof Christ, not in the works of the law. Read about the deliberations of this council in Acts 15:1-35.This issue occasioned Paul writing to the Christians in Galatia, who were disturbed by the Judaizer’steachings. This letter is “Galatians” in our New Testament.

Paul was martyred in the summer of A.D. 67 or 68. The Bible does not record his death, but universaltradition holds that he was beheaded. His final New Testament writing is 2 Timothy. You may want to readhis last words in 2 Timothy 4.

Paul’s Missionary Journeys

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First Journey—With Barnabas and John Mark• Cyprus

Governor Sergius Paulus interested in hearing the Gospel.

False prophet, Elymas, rebuked by Paul and stricken with temporary blindness.

• Perga and AntiochJohn Mark deserted the missionary team and returned to Jerusalem.

Hostility of the Jews increased.

• IconiumMany converts, both Jews and Greeks.

Numerous miracles.

A plan to instigate a riot and stone the missionaries is discovered, causing Paul and his compan-ions to escape from the city.

• Lystra and DerbeBecause of the miracles performed, the people attempted to worship the missionaries, thinkingthey were gods. The missionaries, however, refused worship and convinced the people that theywere only human.

Unbelieving Jews from Antioch and Iconium instigated a riot in which Paul was stoned, draggedout of the city, and left for dead. He revived and returned to Derbe the next day, where he andBarnabas saw many people converted as a result of their teaching.

• Return by sea to Antioch of Syria and report to the Antioch church.

• The Council at Jerusalem. (Acts 15:1-35)

Second Journey — With Silas• Overland through Tarsus and the Cilician Gates (a mountain pass).

• Revisited churches established during first journey in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. Timothyjoined the team at Lystra.

• In a vision Paul hears the “Macedonian call,” and changes his plans in order to travel to Macedonia.

• Troas. Here Luke, the “beloved physician,” joins the team. He becomes the historian of Paul’s jour-neys and the author of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.

• Philippi. Lydia, a businesswoman in Philippi is converted, and her house becomes a center of wor-ship. Paul and Silas are imprisoned and are rescued by an earthquake. Paul’s testimony results in thejailer’s conversion.

• Thessalonica. Many converts. A riot instigated by the Jews forces Paul and Silas to escape by night.

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• Berea. Again, many converts. Jews from Thessalonica came and stirred up opposition. Paul thensailed for Athens, while Silas and Timothy remained at Berea.

• Athens. Paul (alone) began by holding discussions daily in the market place. He was invited by someof the Greek philosophers to come to the Areopagus to discuss the subject of the resurrection. It washere that Paul presented his famous “Areopagus speech” (Acts 17:22-31).

• Corinth. Paul met Aquila and Priscilla and lived in their home while earning a living by tent making.He remained in Corinth about eighteen months and was greatly encouraged by the arrival of Silasand Timothy. He admitted that when he first came to Corinth he was in “weakness and fear, and withmuch trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3), probably intensified by being alone. He was rejected by the Jews, sohe moved his teaching ministry out of the synagogue and into the home of a convert named Justus.The Jews attacked him and brought him into court, where the proconsul Gallio threw out the case.

An eloquent scholar named Apollos came to Corinth while Paul was there. Under the tutoring ofAquila and Priscilla, Apollos became a powerful defender of the faith throughout the region.

While in Corinth, Paul sent two letters to the church in Thessalonica, which are preserved as Firstand Second Thessalonians in the New Testament.

• Ephesus. Paul returned home via Ephesus, with the intent of reaching Jerusalem in time forPentecost (probably March 22, A.D. 53). Aquila and Priscilla accompanyied him to Ephesus, thenremained there while Paul went to Caesarea, Jerusalem, and finally to Antioch.

Third Journey • Traveling through the provinces of Galatia and Phrygia, Paul revisited the churches in Derbe, Lystra,

Iconium, and Antioch.

• Ephesus. Paul taught in the synagogue for three months, but when opposition from the Jews becametoo strong, he moved to a lecture hall owned by Tyrannus. He taught there daily for two years withsuch awesome results that “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the wordof the Lord” (Acts 19:10). There were so many converts that the craftsmen making idols were losingmoney, prompting them to start a riot. The city clerk addressed the crowd in Paul’s defense andrestored order.

While in Ephesus, Paul wrote a letter to Christians in Corinth, known to us as 1 Corinthians.

• Troas. Paul preached in Troas with great success, but was much disturbed because Titus, who hadbeen sent to Corinth, had not returned to meet him (2 Cor. 2:12-13).

• Philippi. Anxious to find Titus, Paul sailed to Neapolis and immediately proceeded overland toPhilippi, where both Titus and Timothy joined him (2 Cor. 1:1; 7:6). Titus then carried a letter toChristians in Corinth, which we know as 2 Corinthians.

Hearing that some Jews were corrupting the churches in Galatia by teaching that Gentile Christiansmust be circumcised and keep the Jewish law in order to be saved, Paul wrote the letter of Galatiansto them.

• Corinth. After traveling through several Macedonian cities and visiting their churches, Paul spentthree months in Corinth. While there, he wrote the letter of Romans to Christians in Rome.

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• Returning by the same route to Troas, Paul sailed to Ephesus where he met with the elders of thechurch in a deeply emotional farewell, recognizing they would probably never see him again (Acts20:17-38).

• Paul proceeded to Jerusalem, against the advice of friends and associates who feared for his life. Aprophet, Agabus, predicted that Paul would be taken prisoner in Jerusalem and turned over to theGentiles. Paul declared that he was ready, not only to be bound, but to die for the name of Christ(Acts 21:10-14). Arriving in Jerusalem, he was falsely accused and dragged out of the temple to bekilled.

Journey to Rome• Roman military personnel intervened when the Jews attempted to kill Paul. They took him into

protective custody. Paul requested and received opportunity to speak to the crowd. When the commander ordered that he be flogged and questioned, Paul declared his Roman citizenship andright of protection under Roman law, causing the commander to release him.

• Paul’s nephew warned him of a conspiracy by the Jews to kill him. When this news was shared withthe commander, he ordered Paul to be transferred to Caesarea that night under guard of 200 Romansoldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen.

• Through a series of judicial delays, Paul was held in prison in Caesarea for two years before he exer-cised his right as a Roman citizen to have the emporor hear his case.

• The voyage to Rome involved immense hardship, including a shipwreck at Malta (Acts 27).

• Paul was imprisoned in Rome for two years, released, and then imprisoned a second time undermuch worse conditions. During the first imprisonment he wrote Philemon, Colossians, Ephesiansand Philippians. During his release he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus.

• During the second imprisonment and while awaiting execution, Paul wrote the deeply moving letterto Timothy, recorded in the New Testament as 2 Timothy. In this letter he told of his being generallyabandoned. “Only Luke is with me...no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me...” (2Tim. 4:11, 16). He declared, “I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time hascome for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, willaward to me on that day— and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-8). Shortly after writing these words, he was beheaded.