The years 47 to 52 A.D. Paul's first and second missionary journeys

In the years 47/48 Paul made his first of three big missionary journeys. He started it, together with his companion Barnabas, in Antioch. They first traveled to the nearby island of Cyprus. Here many people became Christians as a result of their preaching. After this they crossed the sea to what is now the south coast of Turkey. Here they made a long tour through what we now call south-eastern Turkey. During this tour they visited the following towns: Perga, a town which was also called Antioch and lies in the centre of present day Turkey, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. Paul preached to both the Jews and the non-Jews. In every town they visited there were many Jews who could be persuaded by Paul that the old Jewish law covenant had been set aside by the suffering and the death of Jesus. And he told them that there was now a new and far better covenant. This new covenant made it possible for people to acquire forgiveness of their sins and eternal life in God’s future Kingdom through their belief in Jesus.

But in every town that they visited there were not only people who received the good news with gladness. Wherever they came they were also confronted with violent resistance from the side of people who did want to have anything to do with their new faith and quite a number of times they had to leave towns because the situation got too dangerous for them.

During his entire life Paul was hard worker who did everything he could to spread the gospel. He made three very big missionary journeys, during which he traveled huge distances. In every place he visited he founded Christian Congregations. Whenever he saw an opportunity he tried to visit the congregations he had founded a second time. He also wrote many letters to congregations established by him. Many of these letters have become part of the Bible. Of the 20 or so letters to Christian congregations which are to be found in the Christian Greek Scriptures three quarters were written by Paul. In addition to all this Paul did manual labor for a couple of hours every day to provide for his livelihood. He refused to be financially supported by fellow Christians.

When Paul and Barnabas had reached the final destination of their first journey, Derbe, they took the same route they had taken on their way to Derbe for their journey back. This means that from Derbe they went to Lystra, from Lystra to Antioch in what is now the middle of Turkey, and from Antioch back to the coast. In every town they visited the congregation they had established on their first visit, encouraged the newly baptized people and appointed older men as supervisors.

Finally they took the boat back to Syrian Antioch, the place where they had started their missionary journey.

About the end of Paul’s first missionary journey, about the year 49, the young Christian Church had its first big conflict. This was caused by the fact that more and more non-Jews became Christians and some Jewish Christians thought that non-Jews who had become Christians had to be circumcised. The matter was discussed very thoroughly and in orderly fashion in an assembly of all the older men among the Christians who were highly respected in the congregation of Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas traveled all the way from Syrian Antioch to Jerusalem to be present at this important church-meeting. At the end of the meeting it was unanimously decided that non-Jews who became Christians did not have to be circumcised. In fact only three things were mentioned which were forbidden for Christians: idolatry, sexual immorality and consuming blood.

Shortly after this church-meeting, probably in the same year 49 A.D., Paul left for his second big missionary journey. A journey which would take three years. From Jerusalem he first traveled north to Syrian Antioch, then straight across modern-day Turkey to the area where Asia and Europe come together, crossed over to Europe, first visited Macedonia and then Greece, preached in Athens for a long time and in nearby Corinth, then crossed the sea again to what is now Turkey, visited many towns in what is now the west coast of Turkey and finally sailed around Cyprus to get back to Israel. During this second big journey Paul was not accompanied by Barnabas, but by a disciple who was called Silas. In a place called Lystra they were joined by a young man who accompanied them during the rest of the journey: Timothy.

When these three men arrived in Troas, a place where the sea which separates Asia from Europe is very narrow, God gave Paul a vision: he saw a European, a Macedonian, who urged him to cross the sea and visit the people of Macedonia. The three men crossed the sea and continued their preaching tour in Europe.

They first visited the capital of Macedonia, Philippi. Here, as in many other places, they were met with aggressive opposition and resistance. Many people considered them disturbers of the peace. They were arrested, beaten with sticks and put in prison. In their prison cell they succeeded in converting and baptizing one of their guards. In this case as well God caused their release in a miraculous way. Then they traveled on to Thessalonica. Here they were able to convert quite a number of people, both Jews and non-Jews, but the Jews who rejected their teaching caused so much unrest in the town that they were again forced to fly. Therefore they moved on to Berea. Here they were very successful. Many people in Berea received the good news with great gladness and were baptized. In Berea Paul left Silas and Timothy behind and he himself traveled on to Athens.

In those days Athens was a town where many people were interested in religious matters and in philosophy. At first Paul did not really make a good impression on the philosophers. But when they had persuaded Paul to give a long and thorough exposition on his religious ideas on the Areopagus, Paul appeared to be an excellent orator who could explain the Christian faith clearly and convincingly and was even believed by some. As a result of Paul’s preaching in Athens a number of Greeks really became Christians.

After Athens Paul worked for a long time, one and a half years, in Corinth, a town situated to the west of Athens. Here he was confronted with a lot of resistance and aggression from the side of the Jews, but he converted a lot of Greeks.

After the one and a half years mentioned Paul crossed the sea and went to Ephesus, on the west coast of what is now Turkey. From there he traveled back to Syrian Antioch, where he had started his journey.