paul's first missionary journey timeline

Apostle Paul's Birth to First Missionary Journey Timeline

Paul's birth occurs in the city of Tarsus to an Israelite family of the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). He is circumcised on the eighth day, in compliance with the law of God (Leviticus 12:3, Philippians 3:5).

c. 12 to 15 A.D. Religious Training in Jerusalem

Paul's family sends him to Jerusalem to be taught in a Pharisaic Rabbinical school. The school is headed up by the well-known Rabbi Gamaliel (see Acts 5:34) who personally teaches the future apostle (Acts 22:3).

32 Martyrdom of Stephen

Stephen is stoned to death for his testimony about Jesus (Acts 6 - 7). He is one of the first deacons appointed by the early church (Acts 6:1 - 6). A zealous Saul (Paul) consents to and witnesses Stephen's death (Acts 7:58 - 8:1).

33 A.D. Conversion of Saul

Paul requests and receives, from the High Priest, permission to go to to search for those who believe in Jesus. He is given the authority to arrest anyone who attends a Synagogue and professes belief in "the Way." Those arrested are to be taken back to Jerusalem for trial and punishment (Acts 9:1 - 2).

As Paul approaches the city, a burst of light suddenly appears and causes him to fall to the ground (Acts 9:3 - 4). He then hears the voice of Jesus asking why he is persecuting the church (Acts 9:4). Blinded, he is led to Damascus where his repentance leads to being healed, baptized, and becoming a Christian (Acts 9:4 - 18).

33 to 36 Taught by Jesus

After fleeing Damascus due to persecution (Acts 9:20 - 25), Paul spends three years in Arabia where he is personally taught by Jesus (Galatians 1:11 - 12, 15 - 18).

36 Visiting Jerusalem After Conversion

After three years in Arabia Paul journeys back to Damascus (Galatians 1:17). He then travels to Jerusalem and stays almost two weeks (Acts 9:26, Galatians 1:18 - 19).

Paul's preaching angers some Jews to the point where they plot to take his life (Acts 9:29). He is soon sent by church brethren to Caesarea and back home to Tarsus (Acts 9:30).

36 to 40 Staying Home in Tarsus

Apostle Paul stays in his hometown of Tarsus for four years and preaches the gospel both in his hometown and the surrounding area.

40 to 41 Growth in the Antioch Church

Men from Cyprus and Cyrene travel to Antioch in Syria and begin to speak to Gentiles concerning Jesus. God blesses their efforts and a great number of people become converted (Acts 11:20 - 21).

Barnabas travels to Tarsus to seek Paul's help with teaching the newly converted Syrian Antioch Gentiles. They journey from Tarsus back to Antioch and stay in the city for an entire year (Acts 11:25 - 26).

42 A Famine

God, in Antioch, reveals that a three-year famine will soon occur (Acts 11:27 - 28).

44 Famine Relief to Jerusalem

Paul and Barnabas escort food and relief supplies to Jerusalem, after which they return to Antioch (Acts 12:25).

44 to 46 Apostle Paul's First Missionary Journey

Paul and Barnabas are ordained by the church as apostles (Acts 13:1 - 3).

From Syrian Antioch Paul, Barnabas and John Mark begin the first missionary journey (Acts 13:4 - 52, 14:1 - 25). They travel to Salamis on the island of Cyprus. After preaching the gospel they walk to Paphos on the other side of the island.

In Paphos the evangelistic team meets with the island's governor and his friend Elymas who is a sorcerer. Paul, after Elymas tries to prevent the governor from receiving and accepting the gospel message, renders the sorcerer blind through a miracle (Acts 13:6 - 12).

Paul, Barnabas, and Mark sail to Perga. After docking, Mark leaves and returns to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). This act will lead, in the near future, to a heated discussion between the two evangelists and their ultimate separation (Acts 15:36 - 41). They leave Perga and go to Pisidian Antioch.

44 to 46 Rejected

Paul and Barnabas, in Antioch, attend a synagogue where the apostle powerfully preaches the gospel (Acts 13:16 - 41). Although many in the city initially believe what is taught, they are soon turned against the gospel by Jews who do not believe Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 13:42). The evangelists are thrown out of the area and travel to Iconium.

As his custom was, Paul preaches in a local synagogue. Once again, sadly, unbelieving Jews stir up many in the city to oppose the truth. After learning of a plot to have them stoned to death, the two preachers flee to Lystra (Acts 14:1 - 6).

Paul, in Lystra, heals a crippled man. Those who see the miracle are so amazed that they try to worship the evangelists like gods (Acts 14:6 - 13)! Soon, however, Jews from other areas come to the city in order to cause trouble for the two apostles. The crowds are stirred up against Paul and have him stoned.

After the stoning Paul's dead body is dragged out of Lystra. He miraculously regains consciousness and re-enters the city. The next day he and Barnabas travel to Derbe (Acts 14:19 - 20).

Paul and Barnabas preach the gospel in Derbe then retrace their steps back through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. They ultimately arrive back at Syrian Antioch (Acts 14:21 - 26).

See Part 2 of Timeline!

Paul’s Missionary Journeys: The Beginner’s Guide

by Ryan Nelson | Jul 6, 2020 | Bible topics

Paul’s missionary journeys helped spread the gospel throughout much of the ancient world. Over the course of his ministry, the Apostle Paul traveled more than 10,000 miles and established at least 14 churches.

The Book of Acts records three separate missionary journeys that took Paul through Greece, Turkey, Syria, and numerous regions you won’t find on modern-day maps. Some scholars argue that Paul also took a fourth missionary journey, since parts of the New Testament appear to reference travels that may have taken place after the events in Acts.

Paul’s travels played a crucial role in the formation and development of the early Christian church. Many of the communities he encountered on these missionary journeys were the same ones he wrote to in his pastoral epistles.

In this guide, we’re going to follow Paul’s footsteps as he travelled across the ancient world, looking at the places he went and the major events that took place along the way. At times it can be challenging to distinguish between ancient cities, provinces, and regions (and there are sometimes multiple names that refer to the same area), so as we go, we’ll make some of those distinctions more clear.

Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13–14)

Paul’s first missionary journey began in Antioch. You may notice that maps of the ancient world often have two cities labelled Antioch. They’re both named after Antiochus, father of Seleucid I. The Antioch in Acts 13 was the third largest city in ancient Rome and capital of the province of Syria. Today, it’s part of southern Turkey. The other Antioch was part of Pisidia, an ancient region which is also now part of Turkey. Your Bible likely refers to it as Pisidian Antioch or Antioch of Pisidia.

In Antioch (the big city in Syria), the Holy Spirit singled out Paul and Barnabas from the believers worshiping there, and sent them on their first missionary journey.

Paul’s first journey took him by boat to the Roman province of Cyprus. Today, Cyprus is a country known as the Republic of Cyprus. It’s a mediterranean island south of Syria. Paul and Barnabas arrived in the port city of Salamis, where John Mark (who was possibly Barnabas’ cousin), helped them share the gospel in Jewish synagogues.

From Salamis, the group moved across the island to Paphos, where they were met by a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus (also known as Elymas the sorcerer). This sorcerer worked for the governor—Sergius Paulus—who sent for Paul and his companions because he wanted to hear the word of God. Elymas opposed them and tried to turn Sergius from the faith, and so Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, called him a “child of the devil” and struck him blind. Sergius saw what happened, and believed.

Ironically, Elymas meant to steer Sergius away from Christ, but he became the very vehicle God used to draw Sergius toward him.

From Paphos, Paul and company set sail for the Roman province of Pamphylia, located in modern day Turkey. They arrived in the city of Perga, where John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem (which, interestingly, was in the opposite direction from where they just came). We don’t know why John Mark decided to leave, but this would later create a rift between Paul and Barnabas.

Together, Paul and Barnabas travelled to Pisidian Antioch, where local synagogue leaders invited them to speak. Initially, the Jewish people were receptive to the gospel, but a week later, the entire city gathered to hear Paul and Barnabas, and the Jewish leaders became jealous. They resisted the message of the gospel, and so Paul and Barnabas made an important pivot: they began preaching to the Gentiles.  

Many of the Gentiles believed the gospel, and Luke (the traditional author of Acts) tells us that: 

“The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.” —Acts 13:49–50

Driven out of Pamphylia, Paul and Barnabas travelled to Iconium, an eastern city in the region of Phrygia. Iconium still exists today as the Turkish city of Konya.

Once again, Paul and Barnabas spoke in the synagogue, where Jews and Greeks alike accepted the gospel. But the Jews who didn’t accept it stirred up trouble, even as Paul and Barnabas began performing signs and wonders (Acts 14:3). As support for Paul and Barnabas grew, so did the opposition they faced, and eventually, they became aware of a plot to abuse and stone them. So they left.

Fleeing the threat in Iconium, Paul and Barnabas left Phrygia altogether and travelled to Lystra, a city in the province of Lycaonia. Here, Paul healed a man who was lame.The locals who witnessed this miracle thought Paul and Barnabas were gods in human form, calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes. The priest from the temple of Zeus brought bulls and wreaths to offer sacrifices to them.

Paul and Barnabas attempted to redirect their praise to God, but struggled to keep the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and continued what they’d started. They riled up the crowds and convinced them to stone Paul. Believing he was dead, they dragged him outside the city. When the disciples gathered around him, Paul got up and went back inside the city.

Then Paul and Barnabas went to Derbe, another city in Lycaonia. There, they “won a large number of disciples” (Acts 14:21).

The return to Antioch

After a time in Derbes, Paul and Barnabas went back the way they came, working their way through Lystra, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch, and Perga. In each city, they encouraged the believers there and strengthened their faith, as they would continue doing on their future missionary journeys. They did, however, stop in a new Pamphylian city on the way: Attalia. Acts only mentions it in passing, but presumably, they established a community of believers there as well.

From there, they skipped a return voyage to the island of Cyprus and went straight back to Antioch (the big one), where they told the church what happened on their journey.

Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:23–20:38)

Paul’s second missionary journey established many of the churches he would later write to in his pastoral epistles. Interestingly, this may have happened in part because of a “sharp disagreement” he had with Barnabas. Paul’s original plan was to essentially have a rerun of their first trip, strengthening the communities they’d formed in each city and telling them what the Council of Jerusalem had ruled in regards to Gentile believers.

But Barnabas wanted to take John Mark—who had left them shortly into their previous journey. Paul was so opposed to the idea that they parted ways, initiating two separate missionary journeys. Barnabas took John Mark and went with the original plan, making their way back to the island of Cyprus. Paul took a man named Silas and travelled through the provinces of Syria and Cilicia.

The first cities that Acts mentions by name on Paul’s second journey are Derbe and Lystra. At this time, Paul and Silas picked up a new companion: Timothy. 

The locals spoke highly of Timothy, and Paul wanted to bring him along even though he was half Greek, which meant local Jews would have a harder time accepting their message. Out of concern for these local Jews, Paul circumcised Timothy—even though, ironically, one of the things they were coming to tell Christians was that Gentiles didn’t have to be circumcised. (See Acts 16:3–4.)

Acts doesn’t specify where in Phrygia Paul and his companions stopped, but since he’d established a church in Iconium on the first trip, that community would’ve been on his mind (even though last time he was there, people had plotted to stone him). Interestingly, Acts notes that Paul and his companions journeyed here after they were “kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia” (Acts 16:6).

Just north of Phrygia was the province of Galatia. Acts makes no mention of what happened here, but this is the province Paul wrote to in his letter to the Galatians . Interestingly, part of the purpose of Paul’s second trip was to share the news from the Council of Jerusalem regarding the Law of Moses and whether or not Gentiles (or Christians in general) should be expected to follow it. The council decided the Torah didn’t apply to Gentile believers (though they did hang on to a few rules). But by the time Paul wrote the Book of Galatians, Christians there were feeling pressure to obey the law (particularly in regards to circumcision) in order to be saved.

From Galatia, Paul’s group traveled west, until they reached the border of Mysia—a western region in the province of Asia, which is now part of Turkey. They intended to head north to the region of Bithynia, “but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (Acts 16:7). So they passed by Mysia and headed to the city of Troas. Here, Paul had a vision of a man in Macedonia, begging him to “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Paul took this vision as a sign that God was calling them to Macedonia, which was across the Aegean Sea.

From Troas, Paul and his companions sailed across the Aegean Sea, making a pitstop on the island of Samothrace before landing in Neapolis and then traveling to Philippi. In Philippi, they spoke with women outside the city gate. One of them was a wealthy cloth dealer named Lydia. After her household was baptised, she persuaded Paul’s group to stay with her for a while.

Later, Paul, Silas, and the others were confronted by a spirit-possessed slave woman who could predict the future. She followed them for many days, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved” (Acts 16:17). Paul became so annoyed that he cast out the spirit. Her owners were furious, because they had been profiting off of her fortune telling. So they turned the local magistrates against them, claiming Paul and Silas were stirring up trouble and trying to get Roman citizens to believe and do illegal things.

The authorities had Paul and Silas severely flogged and thrown in prison. Late at night, while they were worshiping, an earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, opened the doors, and freed the prisoners from their chains. When the jailer awoke and saw the doors open, he prepared to kill himself. But Paul stopped him and assured him everyone was still in the prison.

After listening to Paul and Silas share the gospel, the jailer believed in Jesus and had his whole household baptized.

The next morning, the magistrates ordered Paul and Silas released. Paul revealed that they were Roman citizens, who had just been beaten and imprisoned without trial, and the authorities became afraid. Paul and Silas returned to Lydia’s house, and then left the city of Troas.

After passing through the Macedonian cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia, they arrived in Thessalonica. Since Thessalonica had a synagogue, Paul turned to his usual method—preaching the gospel on the Sabbath. Over the course of three weeks, he achieved the usual result—many Jews and Greeks alike embraced the gospel . . . and those who didn’t were outraged by it. 

At night, the Thessalonian believers sent Paul and his companions away to the nearby city of Berea.

The Bereans listened eagerly to the gospel and carefully examined the Scriptures to see if they supported Paul’s claims. Many Jews and Greeks became believers, but some agitators from Thessalonica heard Paul was in Berea, and they stirred up the crowds. Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea, while Paul was escorted out of Macedonia to Athens.

In the first century, Athens was in the region of Achaia, just south of Macedonia. Today, it’s the capital of Greece, and the largest city in the country.

Paul was essentially waiting around for Silas, Timothy, and the others to rejoin him. But while he waited, he noticed that Athens was full of idols. He debated with philosophers in both the synagogue and marketplace. Some Athenians were open to his ideas, and they were eager to discuss them. One idol in particular caught his eye—it had an inscription that read: “to an unknown god.” He seized on this as an opportunity to tell them about the “unknown God” who died and rose so that all might have eternal life. 

Paul’s message in Athens incorporated observations about what he saw around him as well as quotes from famous Greek philosophers to point back to the gospel. After establishing a group of believers in Athens, Paul headed west to the city of Corinth.

In Corinth, Paul stayed and worked with a couple of Jewish tentmakers named Priscilla and Aquila. Every Sabbath, he preached to Jews and Greeks in the synagogue. Silas and Timothy rejoined Paul here, and Paul began focusing his energy on testifying about Jesus to the Jews. 

When the Jews opposed his message, Paul devoted himself to reaching Gentiles, and he left the synagogue. As more Greeks embraced the gospel, the Corinthian Jews brought Paul before the governor, who basically told them to take a hike and refused to help.

Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, and he left with Priscilla and Aquila.

The return journey

Before setting off for Syria, Paul stopped for a vow-fulfilling haircut in the port city of Cenchreae, which was just a hop, skip, and a jump from Corinth. With his companions, he sailed across the Aegean Sea to Ephesus, where he dropped of Priscilla and Aquila, and promised to come back if he could. After a short stay in Ephesus, Paul set sail for Caesarea, which was across the Mediterranean and far to the southeast. From there, he made the trek south to Jerusalem.

Paul’s second missionary journey ended in Jerusalem.

Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 18:23–20:38)

When you read Acts, there’s no transition from Paul’s second missionary journey to his third. His arrival in Jerusalem almost immediately began his next trip. But while his second journey ends in Jerusalem, the beginning of his third journey is actually in Antioch, which is about 300 miles north.

Phrygia and Galatia

From Antioch, Paul once again worked his way west, passing “from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples” (Acts 18:23). This included Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium.

Paul traveled west to Ephesus, the capital of the province of Asia, where he’d left Priscilla and Aquila on his previous journey. Since he’d last visited, a man named Apollos had been preaching part of the gospel, but he didn’t know about the Holy Spirit. So when Paul arrived, he taught the Ephesians about the difference between water baptism and the baptism of the Spirit.

For three months, Paul preached in the synagogues. When people started criticizing Christianity, he left and began holding discussions in a lecture hall.

This went on for two years, and all the while, God used Paul to perform miracles. Even things Paul had touched—handkerchiefs and aprons—healed the sick and drove out evil spirits.

Some Jews thought invoking Paul’s name would let them drive out demons. Seven sons of a chief priest named Sceva said to an evil spirit, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out” (Acts 19:13). The spirit replied that it knew Jesus and Paul, but not them, and then it pulverized all seven of them.

As word spread about what happened, people began to revere the name of Jesus. Local sorcerors came to repent, and they burnt scrolls that would have been worth more than 130 years’ worth of wages (Acts 19:19).

Around this time, a local silversmith named Demetrius realized that the future of his business (making idols) was jeopardized by the gospel. The demand for idols was going down all across the province of Asia, but especially in Ephesus, where he lived. So Demetrius gathered all the craftsmen and workers whose businesses were impacted, and stirred the entire city into an uproar. They seized two of Paul’s companions and brought them into a theater.

Paul wanted to address the crowd, but the disciples didn’t let him. Instead, a city clerk told everyone that unless they were going to bring formal charges against the men in a legal assembly, they were in danger of being charged with rioting.

Macedonia and Greece

After things settled down in Ephesus, Paul headed across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. He traveled throughout the region, encouraging believers, and eventually arrived in Greece, where he stayed for three months. He intended to sail back to Syria (where his journey started), but some people plotted against him, so he took another lap through Macedonia instead.

Along the way, disciples joined Paul from many of the communities he’d ministered to. He had companions from Berea, Thessalonica, Derbe, and the province of Asia. These followers went ahead of Paul to Troas, in Asia. Paul stayed briefly in Philippi, then joined them.

Paul stayed in Troas for seven days. The night before he left, he stayed up late talking in a room upstairs. A young man sat in a window, drifted off to sleep, and fell to his death. Paul threw his arms around the man and declared that he was alive, and he was. Then Paul went back upstairs and continued talking until daylight.

Paul walked from Troas to Assos, which was just to the south, and then sailed for the nearby city of Mitylene. Eager to reach Jerusalem before Pentecost, Paul sailed past Ephesus and stopped in Miletus. There, he met with the leaders of the Ephesian church and essentially told them that he had taught them everything they needed to know, that he would not see them again, and that they needed to be on guard against false teachers. This is when Paul also famously quoted Jesus, sharing words that aren’t recorded in any of the gospels: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

And then he set sail.

Paul and his companions stopped briefly in Kos, Rhodes, and Patara before heading across the Mediterranean Sea to Phoenicia (the coastal region south of ancient Syria, which is now part of Syria). They arrived in Tyre, where “through the Spirit” (Acts 21:4), the local disciples urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. He ignored them.

From Tyre, the voyage continued to the port city of Ptolemais, and then Caesarea, where the group stayed with Philip the evangelist (not to be confused with Philip the apostle ). Here, a prophet warned Paul that he would be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and handed over to the Gentiles.

Still, he pressed on to Jerusalem, and by the end of Acts, the Jewish leaders had handed him over to Roman rulers.

Paul’s fourth missionary journey

Acts explicitly records three distinct missionary journeys. But some scholars and even ancient Christian writers have claimed that there was also a fourth missionary journey which was only hinted at in the Bible.

The argument for a fourth journey is primarily based on clues from Paul’s letters. He occasionally refers to events and visits that may not be accounted for in Acts or the epistles. 

For example, Paul suggested he would travel to Spain (Romans 15:24), but he provides no record of this journey in his letters. However, early church fathers claimed Paul did, in fact, travel to Spain.

In his letter to the Corinthians, first-century church father Clement of Rome said Paul “had gone to the extremity of the west,” which at the time presumably meant Spain. Fourth-century church father John of Chrysostom said, “For after he had been in Rome, he returned to Spain, but whether he came thence again into these parts, we know not.” And Cyril of Jerusalem (also from the fourth century) wrote that Paul “carried the earnestness of his preaching as far as Spain.”

In 2 Timothy 4, Paul makes an ambiguous reference to “my first defense” and claims he was “delivered from the lion’s mouth” (2 Timothy 4:16-17). Some have interpreted this as a reference to his first defense before Emperor Nero, which he was heading for at the end of Acts.

Paul’s letters make other references to events not recorded in Acts, but since there is so much overlap in the locations mentioned, and Paul spent multiple years in some of these places on his three recorded journeys, it’s difficult to say whether or not this fourth journey ever actually happened.

Take a closer look at Paul’s footsteps

Paul’s missionary journeys are a key part of the New Testament. Paul’s epistles were originally written to the communities he formed on these journeys, and they show us exactly how Christianity spread to the Gentiles so rapidly.

Here at OverviewBible, we’ve charted each of Paul’s missionary journeys into beautiful, full-color posters you can display in your classroom or church office. Each comes in multiple sizes on fine art paper with a matte finish.

Get an overview of the entire Bible

The Bible is huge. Together, its 66 books are three times longer than Moby Dick . It’s so big that even if you’ve been reading it your whole life, you can still miss the point. Jeffrey Kranz, founder of OverviewBible, wrote The Beginner’s Guide to the Bible to help Christians and non-Christians alike get a better grasp of this important text.

This non-preachy, jargon-free guide will walk you through the Bible’s major themes and characters and help you see how each book fits into the larger story of Scripture.

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Paul’s Four Missionary Journeys: The Complete Guide

God did many amazing things through the life and ministry of the apostle Paul. The gospel was spread to many people across the known world thanks to Paul’s efforts, despite the severe opposition and persecution Paul faced.

What were Paul’s missionary journeys? Paul took four missionary journeys. Paul’s first three missionary journeys are recorded in the book of Acts. The fourth is alluded to in Paul’s letters. On the first missionary journey Paul went through Cyrus, Pamphylia, and Galatia. On his second missionary journey he went through Galatia, Macedonia, and Achaia. Paul’s third journey took him through Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, Achaia, and ended in Jerusalem. After his third missionary journey Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea for two years and later transported to Rome where he was then placed under house arrest for another two years. His fourth missionary journey is not clear, but it may have included Spain, Crete, Asia, Achaia, and Macedonia.

By looking at Paul’s missionary journeys we can look and reflect on the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s command to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Timeline of Paul’s Missionary Journeys

• A.D. 37: Converted on the road to Damascus
• A.D. 37-40: Spends three years in Arabia
• A.D. 40: Brief visit to Jerusalem to meet with the apostle Peter
• A.D. 40-44: Preaches and ministers in Tarsus and surrounding regions
• A.D. 44 or 45: Relocates to Antioch in Syria
• A.D. 45 or 46: Travels with Barnabas to visit Jerusalem, brings a famine relief offering
• A.D. 46 or 47: First missionary journey with Barnabas, likely lasts 1-2 years
• A.D. 50: Attends the Jerusalem Council
• A.D. 51: Leaves on second missionary journey, trip lasts 2.5 to 3 years, including 18 months in Corinth
• A.D. 54: Leaves on third missionary journey, trip lasts more than 4 years, including 3 years in Ephesus
• A.D. 58: Arrested in Jerusalem, put on trial before the Roman governor Felix
• A.D. 58-60: Held in Caesarea for two years
• A.D. 60: Put back on trial by Festus the new Roman governor; eventually transported to Rome
• A.D. 61: Arrives in Rome
• A.D. 61-63: Placed under house arrest for two years
• A.D. 63: Released from house arrest, likely launches his fourth missionary journey
• A.D. 66 or 67: Imprisoned in Rome again
• A.D. 67 or 68: Martyred under Nero’s persecution

*Dates are approximate.

Paul’s Background

Before he was known as the apostle Paul, he was first known as Saul of Tarsus. He was a brilliant, pious, zealous, and well-educated Pharisee, from a wealthy and well-connected family. Saul was obviously intimately acquainted with the Hebrew Scriptures, but was also thoroughly acquainted with Greco-Roman history, language, and culture.

Saul became famous in Palestine because of his persecution of Christians. But things changed, dramatically. By God’s providence, Saul became a Christian after a supernatural encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).

After Saul’s conversion, he traveled to a few different places, over several years, including three years in Arabia (Gal. 1:17–18), a brief visit to Jerusalem (Gal. 1:18), and then several years of preaching in the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Gal. 1:21).

Partnership with Barnabas

After some heavy persecution of the Christians in Jerusalem, some believers ended up living in the city of Antioch. They preached the gospel there and a “great number” believed in Jesus (Acts 11:21). When the apostles in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent a man named Barnabas to Antioch to serve in the church there (Acts 11:22).

Barnabas was a prophet (Acts 13:1) and an apostle (Acts 14:14). Through his ministry a “great number of people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24).

After being in Antioch a while, Barnabas traveled to Tarsus to find Saul. Barnabas recruited Saul to come teach and lead and serve in the church in Antioch in Syria (Acts 11:25-26). Saul relocated to Antioch sometime between 44 and 46 A.D. and served as one of the leaders of the church there.

Barnabas and Saul would become ministry traveling partners for the next few years, including at least one earlier trip to Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30) in order to bring a famine relief offering to the Christians in Jerusalem (likely sometime between 45 and 46 A.D.).

First Missionary Journey

Barnabas and Saul sensed the call of the Holy Spirit to go out on their first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). Sometime around 46 A.D. (or 47 A.D.), Barnabas and Saul were set apart by the Holy Spirit and sent out on their first missionary journey by the church at Antioch.

Before Barnabas and Saul officially left on their first missionary journey, they recruited a young man named John Mark to go with them. John Mark was the son of a woman named Mary (mentioned in Acts 12:12). She owned the house where the Christians had been meeting and praying when Peter was miraculously delivered from jail by the angel.

It is likely that, as a young boy, John Mark had witnessed Jesus’ ministry first-hand. Sadly, however, during the missionary journey, John Mark would eventually abandon Barnabas and Saul. This would later lead to a significant dispute between Barnabas and Saul a few years in the future.

Barnabas and Saul sailed from Seleucia to the island of Cyprus, apx. 100 miles off the coast of Syria. They began by preaching to Jewish people in the synagogues of Salamis. The crew did ministry in several parts of the island until they got to Paphos (Acts 13:4-6).

During their ministry they faced significant opposition. One of their earliest opponents was a magician who was a Jewish false prophet. Saul performed a supernatural act that blinded this false prophet. These events led to the conversion of the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:6-12).

Saul Becomes Paul

After the events in Cyprus, the author of the book of Acts, Luke, begins to refer to Saul as Paul. Some Christians have asserted that Saul changed his name. However, it’s more likely that Saul and Paul were two different names for the same person all along; he was known by both names for many years.

After launching a Gentile-focused ministry, Paul would have been interacting with many Gentiles, and they would have likely preferred to refer to him by the Gentile name. It appears Luke sought to make this a point of emphasis. Scholar Greg Lanier says :

“When Saul Paul launches his Gentile-focused ministry among primarily Greek-speakers (beginning with Acts 13:9), it’s natural for Luke, the author of Acts, to begin referring exclusively to him by his Greek name. Nor is it surprising that he’s later referred to as ‘Paul’ in Jerusalem, since there were Greek speakers there too. Indeed, Luke could be making a thematic point by shifting from Saul to Paul around chapter 13, given the broader theme of Acts (e.g., 1:8). After all, the church’s nucleus is shifting from predominantly Jewish-centered Jerusalem to the Greek-centered ‘ends of the earth,’ such as Rome.”

Pamphylia and Galatia

Barnabas, Paul, and John Mark then traveled across the Mediterranean Sea to Perga in Pamphylia. This is where John Mark deserts Paul and Barnabas and heads back to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13).

From Perga, Paul and Barnabas then continued northward into the province of Galatia, coming to the city of Antioch in Pisidia (not to be confused with their home base city of Antioch in Syria).

Archaeologists have discovered an inscription containing the name ‘Sergius Paulus’ in the city of Antioch in Pisidia (he was the Roman proconsul that became a Christian back on the island of Cyprus). This is strong evidence that Sergius Paulus had family roots in Antioch in Pisidia. Some scholars have argued that he was the person that probably encouraged Barnabas and Paul to travel up to Antioch in Pisidia.

Once they arrived in Antioch in Pisidia, Paul went to the synagogue and preached about the good news of Jesus. Paul effectively preached in the synagogue for multiple weeks. This resulted in many people coming to faith in Jesus (Acts 13:14-44).

Unfortunately, Barnabas and Paul faced significant opposition there too. Part of the problem they faced was the jealousy of certain Jews. There were many Gentiles showing up to hear the gospel preached. Some Jews became jealous and started to contradict what Paul had to say. Since the Gentiles were more willing to hear what Paul had to say, he turned and preached to the Gentiles.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. —Acts 13:48

The Gentiles’ response to the gospel was positive. The gospel continued to spread amongst Gentiles, but yet again the jealousy of the Jews became a significant issue. The Jews eventually drove Barnabas and Paul out of Antioch.

After leaving Antioch in Pisidia, they traveled eastward, further into the Galatian region, arriving at the city of Iconium. There they preached and did miracles in the name of Jesus.

Very similar to what had happened in Antioch, Paul went into the synagogue in Iconium to teach and the result was that many Jews and Greeks believed in Jesus, but the unbelieving Jews there stirred up trouble against Paul, dividing the city (Acts 14:1-4). Barnabas and Paul left the city when they heard about attempts to stone them (Acts 14:5).

Lystra and Derbe

They then came to Lystra. There Paul performed a miracle causing a crippled man to walk again. When this occurred the people of the area assumed Barnabas and Paul were gods. The priest of Zeus brought animals to offer as sacrifices to Barnabas and Paul. When Barnabas and Paul realized what was happening, they tore their clothes in lament and told the people of the one true God (Acts 14:8-18).

The Jewish unbelievers from Antioch and Iconium had come to Lystra too, stirring up trouble. They convinced the people of Lystra to stone Paul and left him for dead outside the city. But Paul wasn’t dead. He got up walked back into the city (Acts 14:19-20).

The book of Acts doesn’t give us details about the events of that day when Paul walked back into the city, but I imagine the city’s residents were shocked. It was quite rare for anyone to survive stoning.

Barnabas and Paul then continued onto Derbe the next day. They preached and “won a large number of disciples” (Acts 14:21). Archeologists have discovered several inscriptions that show the Christian faith was a major presence in the city of Derbe after Barnabas and Paul’s visit.

Facing Tribulations for the Sake of Discipleship

Barnabas and Paul began their trek back home, but they decided that they’d first travel back through Galatia. When you look at a map, you see that it would have been much faster (and likely easier) to travel from Derbe directly to Antioch in Syria.

Derbe is less than 260 miles away from Antioch in Syria and less than 140 miles away from Paul’s original hometown of Tarsus. Barnabas and Paul could have traveled eastward through the region of Cilicia. Paul was very familiar with Cilicia and likely had friends throughout the region that could give them safe refuge along the way.

But Barnabas and Paul intentionally traveled more than 280 miles in the opposite direction of Antioch in Syria. Even though they had suffered great persecution in Galatia, they wanted to go back through the Galatian cities, before heading home, because they wanted to strengthen the disciples in those cities.

They returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. —Acts 14:21-22

The journey through these cities for a second time gave them the opportunity to teach doctrine, establish elders in the churches, and pray with the believers.

After this, Barnabas and Paul then continued back down to Perga in Pamphylia. They preached in that region for a time. They eventually made their way over to the nearby port city of Attalia and sailed from there to Antioch in Syria (Acts 14:24-28).

Return to Antioch

Barnabas and Paul returned back home to Antioch in Syria stay there after the trip for “a long time” (Acts 14:28).

They had traveled more than 800 miles. Their first missionary journey had probably lasted between one and two years. When Barnabas and Paul arrived back in Antioch in Syria, they shared with everyone about the many people who had come to faith in Jesus and the churches that were established.

Jerusalem Council

After returning, Barnabas and Paul learned about a particular faction from Judea that had been confusing many Christians in the region by preaching a false gospel. This group had been preaching that, in order to become a Christian, the Gentiles must follow the Old Testament law, including circumcision (Acts 15:1).

Barnabas and Paul seem to have spent significant time disputing this false message and debated the Judean faction.

Eventually, this debate, about this false gospel, was appealed to the apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2). This led to the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:3-35), which likely took place sometime in 50 A.D. (some scholars date this event as early as 48 A.D. and some date it as late as 51 A.D.).

While traveling to Jerusalem for the council, Barnabas and Paul made stops along the way throughout Phoenicia and Samaria, encouraging believers wherever they went.

At the council, all the apostles concluded that the Gentiles do not need to follow the Jewish laws in order to become Christians. Barnabas and Paul (as well as several other men who had been at the council) headed back to Antioch to declare the good news. After the council they stayed in Antioch “some days” (Acts 15:36).

Paul and Barnabas Separate

Not long after the Jerusalem Council, Barnabas and Paul began planning their second missionary journey. They believed it was essential that they go to the Gentile world to proclaim the statements that came from the council.

Originally, Barnabas and Paul had intended to go out together again, however, they had a “sharp disagreement” (Acts 15:39). The source of this dispute was John Mark. Barnabas wanted John Mark to come along again, but Paul was against this idea since John Mark had deserted them on their previous missionary trip when they were in Pamphylia. Paul saw John Mark as a liability.

Due to this sharp disagreement, Barnabas and Paul would go on separate missionary journeys. Barnabas took John Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Paul took a young man named Silas and traveled by land (Acts 15:39-41).

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

Paul likely started his second missionary journey (Acts 15-18) sometime late in 50 A.D. or early in 51 A.D. (but some scholars date both the council of Jerusalem and the launch of this missionary journey as early as 48 A.D.).

Paul and Silas started by traveling northwestward by land through the region of Cilicia. The Roman road that they would have used went directly through Paul’s hometown of Tarsus. I imagine this would have given Paul the sweet opportunity to reconnect with many old friends.

Paul and Silas made stops in the churches all throughout the region, along their way, “strengthening” believers (Acts 15:41).

Return through Galatia

Paul and Silas continued their travels westward into Galatia. They spent significant time in several Galatian cities including Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium, connecting with the churches that Paul had planted with Barnabas on this first missionary journey.

Paul and Silas taught the believers throughout Galatia what had been decided at the council in Jerusalem and the “churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily” (Acts 16:5).

Paul Circumcises Timothy

Along the way, Paul and Silas meet a young man named Timothy from that region. He had a good reputation. Paul decided to let Timothy accompany them. However, Paul first circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3).

It seems that Paul knew that having an uncircumcised man like Timothy with him could somehow impede the advance of the gospel wherever they preached.

Paul intended to continue to preach that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. But Paul knew that Timothy’s presence could potentially cause their opponents to claim that the only real reason that Paul was making these claims is because he had an uncircumcised friend (Timothy).

Paul’s Ministry Restricted

Paul and his crew traveled throughout the “region of Phrygia and Galatia” (Acts 16:6) looking for opportunities to preach the gospel in Asia (modern-day southwest Turkey), but they were restricted from doing so multiple times. They then traveled to the region of Mysia (modern-day northwest Turkey), attempting to eventually make their way northward toward Bithynia, but multiple times they were restricted or diverted by the Spirit (Acts 16:7).

It seemed that God’s providence was leading them somewhere other than what Paul had originally intended. They passed through Mysia again and eventually ended up in the city of Troas near the cost of the Aegean Sea.

Luke Joins the Team

In Troas, Luke joins their missionary crew. The book of Acts does not explicitly state this, but it’s implied. Throughout most of the book of Acts, Luke speaks in the third person. However, starting in Acts 16:10, Luke begins to speak in first person, as if he had joined the team by that point.

Luke would become one of Paul’s ministry protégés. He was a Greek physician, but he also functioned as an investigative journalist. He eventually writes both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Some scholars have also suggested that Luke wrote the book of Hebrews.

Macedonian Call and Travel to Philippi

While at Troas, Paul received a vision. This vision was of a Macedonian man asking for Paul to come and help them (Acts 16:9-10). After receiving this vision they sailed across the Aegean Sea to the island of Samothrace, and then onto Neapolis (modern-day northeastern Greece).

The missionary crew then traveled to Philippi where they stayed for “some days” (Acts 16:12). While there, they preached the gospel. One specific woman they met was Lydia. She became a believer along with the rest of her household and invited Paul and his companions to stay (Acts 16:13-15).

Paul and Silas Jailed in Philippi

While in Philippi, Paul and Silas met a slave girl who was demon possessed. Her owners made money off of her because the demon gave her the ability to function as a fortune-teller. For several days she followed Paul and Silas around, declaring that Paul and Silas were preachers of the one true God (Acts 16:16-18).

Paul cast the demon out of her. The girl’s owners realized that they wouldn’t make any more money from her, because she could no longer function as a fortune-teller. They were angry so they took Paul and Silas to the magistrates. Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and thrown into jail. Paul had previously been beaten and persecuted, but this marked the first time he was officially imprisoned (Acts 16:18-24).

While in prison, Paul and Silas prayed and sung hymns to the Lord. As they sang and prayed many of the other prisoners listened. Late in the night an earthquake occurred, this earthquake not only opened all the doors but broke their chains.

The jailer believed that all the prisoners had escaped and was about to kill himself (the Romans would’ve blamed the guard and likely would’ve executed him). But Paul and Silas stopped him and told him that no one had escaped. Then the jailer responded asking how to be saved.

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” —Acts 16:31

God turned the persecution into an opportunity for gospel proclamation. Paul and Silas were not only able to witness to the jailer but all the prisoners listening to their hymns and prayers throughout the night. Paul went to the jailers home to preach and several people came to faith (Acts 16:25-34).

When the town magistrates learned that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, the magistrates apologized for having unlawfully imprisoned them. This was a public vindication (of sorts) for Paul and Silas. Before leaving, Paul and Silas spent more time with Lydia and the other new converts in the region, encouraging them in the faith (Acts 16:35-40).

Thessalonica

Next, Paul and his crew passed through Amphipolis and Apponia and came to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1). As was his habit, Paul first went to the synagogue to preach to the Jews. He preached there on three consecutive Sabbath days. Many people believed, including many Gentiles.

Yet again, as Paul had seen before, many Jews became angry and jealous, and they caused an uproar. One of the brothers that had welcomed Paul was a man named Jason. The Jews dragged Jason before the city’s leaders. Jason was eventually released.

Paul and Silas left the city. It does seem that the church in Thessalonica continued to face persecution and trouble from their countrymen, but they flourished anyway. We read these words in Paul’s letter to the church:

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews. —1 Thess. 2:14

Paul and his crew went to Berea. There, Paul yet again started in the Jewish synagogue, but this time he got a different response. Instead of jealousy and mobs, the Jews there examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul was saying was true. Many believed in Jesus.

Paul praised their willingness to study and pursue truth. Luke says the Jews of Berea were “more noble” than the Jews of Thessalonica (Acts 17:11).

Things seem to be going well. Many people became Christians. But the Jews from Thessalonica heard that Paul was teaching in Berea and they came to stir up the crowds and trouble. Paul was sent away by the brothers there, but Silas and Timothy stayed behind (Acts 17:13-14).

Traveling in Achaia

The apostle Paul was then escorted by some brothers more than 300 miles south, into the region of Achaia, reaching the city of Athens. When they arrived in Athens, the brothers headed back. Paul stayed in Athens, but told the brothers to tell Silas and Timothy that he wanted them to join him as soon as possible (Acts 17:15).

While Paul waited for Silas and Timothy, Paul’s “spirit was provoked within him” (Acts 17:16) because he saw an abundance of idols in the region.

Paul decided to make the best use of his time and talked with the Jews at the synagogue and preached to many Gentiles in the marketplace (Acts 17:17). Paul also talked with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers (Acts 17:18). They eventually brought Paul to the Areopagus, the court where men discussed philosophy, civics, and religion.

In the court of the Areopagus, Paul preached one of his most famous sermon (Acts 17:22-31). Paul’s sermons included quotes from famous Greek philosophers that they would have been familiar with. This gives us insights into Paul’s knowledge of their culture and insights into Paul’s missiology.

After hearing Paul’s sermon, there were some there who laughed at him, but there were also some who believed the gospel and joined Paul (Acts 17:32-34).

First Visit to Corinth

After leaving Athens, Paul traveled 53 miles southwest to Corinth. By this point in his second missionary journey, Paul had traveled more than 1,500 miles.

The apostle Paul probably arrived in Corinth apx. 8-12 months after the start of the second missionary journey, therefore, it’s likely that he got there sometime late in the year of 51 A.D. (or maybe sometime early in 52 A.D., depending on how we date his departure from Antioch in Syria). Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half (Acts 18:11), so Paul was likely in Corinth until the summer or fall of 53 A.D.

Silas and Timothy also rejoined Paul in Corinth.

While in Corinth, Paul met two Jews from Rome, Aquila and Priscilla. Like the apostle Paul, Aquila and Priscilla were also tentmakers. Paul stayed with them and worked while also going to the synagogues on the Sabbath to preach, seeking to convert both Jews and Greeks (Acts 18:1-4).

Paul faced some opposition from Jews in Corinth (Acts 18:5-9), but many people in the city believed anyway. Paul may have been considering leaving the city, but he stayed in Corinth after having received a vision from God that told him that “no one will attack or harm you” (Acts 18:10).

While in Corinth the apostle Paul wrote his letters to the Thessalonians, encouraging the new believers there to stand firm under the pressure and pain of persecution. He gives them instructions on how to live a godly lifestyle and gives doctrinal teaching about the future second coming of Christ.

Paul continued to preach the word of God faithfully for those 18 months. Many were saved and the church was established. But many Jews were upset.

The Jews of Corinth eventually tried to bring the apostle Paul before the Roman proconsul Gallio, who happened to be the older brother of the renowned dramatist and philosopher Seneca (the tutor of Emperor Nero). Gallio refused to even hear their case against Paul and sent them away (Acts 18:12-17).

Paul stayed in Corinth for “many days longer” (Acts 18:18) after being brought before Gallio. He then started his journey back home to Antioch in Syria, but planned to first make a stop in Ephesus. Priscilla and Aquila came with him.

Leaving from Cenchreae

Paul’s crew traveled to the nearby port city of Cenchreae, just eight miles from Corinth. We don’t know how long they stayed in Cenchreae, but they were there long enough for Paul to have his head shaved as part of a vow (Acts 18:18). It’s possible that this stop was very brief, but it’s also possible that they spent some time preaching and ministering there in the city.

There does seem to be some evidence that Paul spent some significant time in Cenchreae. But we cannot be certain. Also, we’re not sure if he spent time there during this second missionary journey or if that happened at a later time during his third missionary journey.

Brief Visit to Ephesus

When Paul arrived in Ephesus, he went into the synagogue to talk with the Jews about Jesus. His visit to Ephesus was brief. They requested that he stay in the city longer. He declined but said, “I will return to you if God wills” (Acts 18:21). Paul made plans to leave, but Priscilla and Aquila stayed in the city.

Paul traveled from Ephesus to Caesarea. Once he was there he visited with the believers in the region and preached the gospel in various towns and places. He briefly visited Jerusalem and then traveled back home to Antioch in Syria.

Paul’s second missionary journey lasted between two and a half years and three years, and likely ended back in Antioch sometime in the fall of 53 A.D. (or maybe early 54 A.D.).

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

After getting back from his second missionary journey, the apostle Paul stayed Antioch for “some time” (Acts 18:23). Maybe just a few weeks or few months. He then launched his third missionary journey (Acts 18-21).

Paul likely left for his third missionary journey in the spring of 54 A.D. This third missionary journey was probably more than four years long and ended with Paul in Jerusalem in 58 A.D.

Galatia and Phrygia

Paul began his third missionary trip by visiting many of the same locations that he had visited on his first and second missionary journeys. We don’t know his exact route, but it’s likely he began by traveling through the region of Cilicia and through the city of Tarsus, on the way toward Galatia.

He spent several months traveling to the churches throughout the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, “strengthening all the disciples” (18:23). Paul passed through the “inland” route through Asia and traveled west to Ephesus (Acts 19:1).

Three Years in Ephesus

Paul spent three labor-intensive years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31). Paul was likely in Ephesus from the fall of 54 A.D. to the fall of 57 A.D.

Paul’s time in Ephesus was hard. He later says that he experienced many “afflictions” and he wasn’t confident that he would live through this season (2 Cor. 1:6-10). But God did many great things through Paul while he was in Ephesus.

For the first few months of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, he spent time preaching in the synagogue. That was his focus. However there were many Jews stuck in unbelief, and they said evil things about Paul and the gospel message. So Paul decided to spend the last two and half years of his time in Ephesus preaching in the hall of Tyrannus, instead of the synagogue. He preached in the hall of Tyrannus daily and “all residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10).

During Paul’s ministry, he performed many miracles in the name of Jesus, leading many to believe.

“God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul… even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched [Paul’s] skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.” —Acts 19:11-12

God-Fearers Received the Holy Spirit

One of the most famous events from Paul’s time in Ephesus was when he corresponded with a group of disciples that had known about John’s baptism (referring to John the Baptist), but they did not know about Jesus (Acts 19:1-3). These types of believers were sometimes referred to as God-fearers.

These God-fearers had previously been taught by a great preacher named Apollos. He had taught them to revere the one true God, the God of Israel. But Apollos himself had not known about Jesus until after he had preached to this particular group of disciples. Apollos was later instructed by Paul’s friends, Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:24-28).

Paul taught this particular group about Jesus. They believed and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:4-7).

The Sons of Sceva

Another event that the book of Acts highlights, from Paul’s time in Ephesus, is about seven traveling Jewish exorcists, the sons of Sceva. These exorcists came across a demon-possessed man. They attempted to cast-out the demons (Acts 19:11-14). But one of the demons responded to them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15).

The demon-possessed man (under the control of the evil spirits) attacked the seven men and badly beat them (Acts 19:16). This caused many people in the region to respect Paul and his ministry. Many of the magicians in the area repented and burned their magic books (Acts 19:17-19) and “the word of the Lord continued to increase in the region” (Acts 19:20).

Demetrius, Riots, and Leaving Ephesus

Paul was planning to leave Ephesus. However, before he left Ephesus, a silversmith named Demetrius caused trouble. Demetrius made and sold idols. Paul preached against idolatry, so many people stopped buying Demetrius’ idols. This cost him money. Demetrius clearly was not happy.

There were other business owners that were also hurt financially because of Paul’s preaching. Many people had stopped buying their idols as they responded to the gospel. When these merchants got together, they started a massive riot in the city.

Paul wanted to go into the crowd to calm them down, but the disciples would not let him because they knew that Paul could get killed. Some of the Christians went into crowd and calmed the riot. Shortly after these riots, Paul set sail for Macedonia (Acts 19:21-20:1).

The “Painful” Visit

Paul had made plans to travel through Macedonia and then southward into Achaia (1 Cor. 16), which would likely include a visit to the church in Corinth.

At some point, Paul received some correspondence telling him that there were massive problems in the church of Corinth. How did Paul respond when he received this news? There are two main views from scholars.

View #1: Paul immediately changed plans and left from Ephesus to Corinth.

Some scholars argue that as soon as Paul received word that there were big problems in Corinth, Paul changed his plans and decided to visit the Corinthians immediately, skipping his original plans to travel through Macedonia.

Paul probably thought that once he was there in Corinth, that he’d be able to resolve the conflicts. But it seems that the exact opposite happened. Paul would later describe this visit as “painful” (2 Cor. 2:1). During this “painful” visit Paul was deeply hurt by someone in the church (2 Cor. 2:5).

The scholars that embrace View #1 say that Paul then left Corinth after this “painful visit” and headed back to Ephesus for a brief period of time.

It then appears that Paul was contemplating returning to Corinth, yet again, before heading over to Macedonia, but Paul ultimately decided against this additional visit, in order to “spare” the Corinthians (2 Cor. 1:23). Paul defends this decision in 2 Corinthians (vv. 1:12-2:2).

Paul then left from Ephesus to Macedonia (Acts 20:1). However, Paul would eventually make a third visit back to Corinth a few months later toward the end of this journey.

These scholars typically piece it all together like this:

• Paul (while in Ephesus) receives news of trouble in the church of Corinth and changes his plans
• Travels from Ephesus to Corinth for a second visit (known as the “painful” visit)
• Travels from Corinth back to Ephesus
• Contemplates another visit to Corinth, but decides against it
• Experiences the Demetrius-led riots in Ephesus
• Travels onto to Macedonia
• Goes from Macedonia down into Greece
• Eventually makes it back to Corinth (third overall visit)

Scholars that hold to View #1 assert that Paul ultimately made three total visits to Corinth; his first visit (the 18 months he spent there during his second missionary journey), the “painful” visit from Ephesus, and then a third visit toward the end of this third missionary journey.

View #2: Paul did not change his plans, but visited Corinth later.

Scholars that hold to View #2 say that Paul likely received some communication from Corinth (that there were indeed big problems in the church), but these scholars conclude that receiving this communication did not cause Paul to visit Corinth immediately.

The scholars that embrace View #2 argue that Paul did consider changing his plans, which would have consisted of a visit to Corinth before going through Macedonia, but these scholars argue that ultimately Paul decided against going to Corinth immediately, so he stuck to his plans to travel through Macedonia. They interpret Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians (vv. 1:12-2:2) as Paul giving a defense as to why he did not visit them.

These scholars say that eventually Paul did visit Corinth, a few months later, toward the end of his third missionary journey. Scholars that embrace View #2 often say that the word “painful” (2 Cor. 2:1) was not a description of an actual visit that ever happened, but that it was a description of the type of visit that would have ensued if Paul had indeed visited them. He knew that if he did visit, it would have been painful, so he sought to “spare” them (2 Cor. 1:23).

• Paul (while in Ephesus) receives news of trouble in the church of Corinth
• Contemplates an immediate visit to Corinth, but ultimately decides against it
• Goes from Ephesus to Macedonia
• Eventually travels to Corinth for his second visit

Scholars that hold to View #2 assert that Paul ultimately made two total visits to Corinth; his first visit (the 18 months he spent there during his second missionary journey) and then his visit to Corinth toward the end of this third missionary journey.

Leaving For Macedonia and the Sorrowful Letter

Paul leaves Ephesus and heads toward Macedonia. In the book of Acts, Luke gives us no details. He only says that Paul “departed for Macedonia” (Acts 20:1). However, by examining Paul’s letters, we get more insight into these travels.

It appears that, at some point during this journey, Paul had sent Titus to Corinth with a letter (this is sometimes referred to as the “sorrowful letter”). Paul later describes this “sorrowful” letter as having been written with “much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears” (2 Cor. 2:4).

Some scholars contend that this “sorrowful letter” is the epistle that appears in the New Testament, that we know today as 1 Corinthians. Other scholars argue that the “sorrowful letter” is a separate correspondence that has been lost to history.

Ministry in Troas and Macedonia

On the way to Macedonia, Paul stopped in Troas to preach there and to await Titus’ return from Corinth. While waiting in Troas, Paul had great ministry opportunity. He called it an “open door” (2 Cor. 2:12).

However, when Titus’ return from Corinth appeared to be delayed, Paul was concerned for Titus’ safety. Paul decided to leave Troas and traveled to Macedonia to find Titus (2 Cor. 2:13).

Paul traveled throughout Macedonia, visiting the churches and friends in the region, and encouraging the believers in those churches (Acts 20:2).

Finally, while in Macedonia, Paul was reunited with Titus. Titus reported that many people in the church of Corinth had repented after hearing Paul’s letter (2 Cor. 2:5-11; 7:5-16). Paul was filled with joy.

However, Titus also reported that Paul’s opponents still wielded some influence over a small rebellious faction within the church questioning Paul’s authority and credibility. Paul responded to this faction by writing another letter (most likely from Philippi). This letter is in our New Testament, known today as 2 Corinthians.

Three Months in Greece

After these travels through Macedonia, the apostle Paul eventually traveled southward and finally arrived in Greece (i.e., Achaia). He stayed in the region for three months (Acts 20:2-3), including a lengthy stay in Corinth. This stay likely took place in late 57 A.D. or early 58 A.D.

While in Corinth, Paul wrote his theological masterpiece, the letter to the Romans.

As previously discussed in this article, some scholars believe that this was Paul’s second visit while others argue that this was his third visit.

Cenchreae and Phoebe

It’s also possible that during these three months in Achaia, Paul spent time in the nearby city of Cenchreae. In the book of Romans, Paul mentions Phoebe, a deaconess in the church of Cenchreae (Rom. 16:1).

Phoebe was the person that delivered Paul’s letter to the Romans, and Paul asked them to welcome her, praising her for being a “patron of many” (Rom. 16:2). It’s highly unlikely that Paul would have asked her to make this important delivery for him unless he knew her well and trusted her, pointing to the likelihood that Paul had spent time in Cenchreae before writing that letter.

As previously mentioned in this article, it’s also possible that Paul had spent some time in Cenchrea during his second missionary journey as well as this third missionary journey.

One More Lap Through Macedonia

After his time in Achaia, Paul had originally intended to sail directly to Jerusalem. Those plans were changed, however, when it was discovered that some of Paul’s opponents had been plotted against him. Paul decided to take another lap through Macedonia instead (Acts 20:3).

Paul had many companions with him, from various churches, which gave him protection while he traveled through Macedonia (Acts 20:4-5).

Throughout the spring of 58 A.D., Paul traveled through the Macedonian region, visiting towns such as Berea and Thessalonica, and eventually ending up in Philippi (again) during the “days of unleavened bread” (Acts 20:6).

Eutychus Raises from the Dead at Troas

Paul and his companions then traveled to Troas (Acts 20:5). He ministered there again for a week. It was in Troas that a young man, Eutychus, was listening to one of Paul’s sermons and fell three stories out a window. When they found him he was dead on the ground, but Paul supernaturally restored life to this man (Acts 20:6-12).

After Troas, Paul’s companions went by ship to Assos, but Paul went by foot. Luke doesn’t tell us precisely why Paul did this. But what we do know is that distance from Troas to Assos was more than 30 miles through dangerous and mountainous terrain.

After meeting with his companions in Assos, they began their trek to Jerusalem. They made briefs stops in Chios and Samos, before arriving in Miletus (Acts 20:15).

Goodbye to the Ephesian Elders

It would make sense that Paul would have wanted to stop in Ephesus before heading to Jerusalem. considering the dear friends he had there, but he intentionally passed Ephesus because he wanted to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost, and he knew that traveling through Ephesus, and staying in Asia, would take much more time than he desired. In addition, he knew visiting Ephesus again could cause an uproar (Acts 20:13-16).

However, Paul did want to see his Ephesian friends and ministry partners, so when he arrived in Miletus, Paul called the elders from Ephesus to meet him there (Acts 20:17). In Miletus he encouraged the elders and commended them, letting them know that he would not be seeing them again since he knew that imprisonment and maybe death waited for him in Jerusalem. This was, no doubt, an emotional moment for Paul and his friends.

Paul had spent several years laboring with these men in ministry, and now he was saying goodbye for, what appeared to be, the last time. They wept and prayed together (Acts 20:17-38).

Sailing for Syria

From there, the apostle Paul and his companions then sailed towards Syria. They made brief stops in Cos, Rhodes, and Patara, before finally coming to Syria, landing at Tyre (Acts 21:1-3). Paul and his companions spent seven days with the disciples in Tyre. Through “the Spirit” they told Paul not to go onto Jerusalem, but Paul sensed that Jerusalem was the right place to go (Acts 21:4).

Then Paul and his companions went to Ptolemais (Acts 21:7), spending one day with the believers there, before heading onto Caesarea. There they were greeted by the believers there and they stayed with Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8). While they were there, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea and told Paul of the coming affliction he would face in Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-12).

Despite many people again urging Paul not to go to Jerusalem, Paul told them he knew what was instore and that he was ready to die.

Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ —Acts 21:13

Paul and his companions then traveled to Jerusalem and was greeted by his brothers in Christ who lived there. He told the church there all God had been doing among the Gentiles (Acts 21:14-16). Once there, Paul visited with James and all the elders (Acts 21:17-18). He told them about all that God had done throughout the Gentiles.

Arrested in Caesarea

While in Jerusalem, Paul went to the temple to worship and pray. While he was there, some Jews from Asia Minor stirred up trouble for Paul. They accused him of abandoning the one true God of Israel, of maligning the law of Moses, and of encouraging people to disobey the Jewish laws. Paul (obviously) denied this charge. This confrontation caused a riot in the temple. Paul was dragged out of the temple by a mob. The Romans then intervened and took Paul into custody (Acts 21:27-36).

Paul then addressed the crowd. He made it clear that he loved the law of God and that he had previously been a persecutor of Christians. But that he had become a preacher of the gospel after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. This caused another riot to erupt. The Romans then took Paul in their barracks. The Romans were going to flog him but Paul appeals to his own Roman citizenship (Acts 21:37-22:29).

On Trial Before Felix

Paul is taken to the Roman barracks in Caesarea. During this time the Roman governor over the region, Felix, brought Paul to trial. Ananias, the high priest, came from Jerusalem to bring charges against Paul. Felix gave Paul the opportunity to speak before the crowd. Paul shares his story and preaches truth. Felix was afraid of Paul’s message, so he doesn’t seemingly know what to do with Paul (Acts 23:23-35; 24:1-27).

Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea by the Romans for two years, but was given “some freedom” and his friends are allowed to visit him “to take care of his needs” (Acts 24:23).

On Trial Before Festus and Agrippa

When Festus became the governor of the region in 60 A.D. (or maybe earlier in 59 A.D.), he brought Paul back to trial. Some Jews came from Jerusalem again to bring charges against Paul, but they could not prove any of those charges (Acts 25:1-12).

King Herod Agrippa II visited with Festus. Festus asked him to hear Paul’s case. When Paul is called to defend himself, he gives one of his most famous defenses of the gospel and even encourages Agrippa to believe in Jesus (Acts 26:1-29). Agrippa famously responds, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (Acts 26:28). Paul says that he wants everyone to believe.

Festus calls Paul crazy (Acts 26:24), but both he and Agrippa agree that Paul had not done anything that might “deserve death or imprisonment” (Acts 26:31). Paul could have simply “been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar” (Acts 26:32). Paul had appealed to Caesar under his rights as a Roman citizen. This set into the motion the plans for Paul to be transported from Palestine to Rome to face trial in Caesar’s court.

Journey to Rome

After his appeal to Rome, the apostle Paul is transported from Caesarea to Rome by ship under Roman guard (Acts 27:1-28:10). Some Bible scholars allude to this journey as Paul’s fourth missionary journey, but I don’t believe that’s the best or most accurate description for this trip.

Paul’s trip to Rome was tumultuous, filled with difficulties, including a shipwreck that caused him to be deserted on the island of Malta for three months. He also consistently faced belligerent resistance from people that opposed the gospel.

Paul and his companions eventually made it to Rome, sometime around 61 A.D. (or maybe somewhat earlier). When Paul arrived in Rome, he was placed under house arrest for two years.

Paul lived in a rented house where he served his house arrest. There he is able to visit with friends and preach the gospel to those who visit. During this time he also writes several letters that are now in the New Testament, including Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon.

The book of Acts ends there, with Paul under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:11-31).

Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey

The fourth missionary journey is not outlined in the narratives of Scripture. And there are some scholars that question whether such a journey ever really happened (we’ll cover that a bit more later in this article).

We don’t have a clear picture of what happened next in Paul’s life, after he was released from house arrest. But by carefully examining Paul’s epistles, I’m confident we can piece-it-together.

The early church father and historian Eusebius (writing in the 4th century) recorded that the most prominent church tradition had been that Paul was released from Roman house arrest and then re-arrested several years. According to this tradition, Paul’s second arrest eventually led to his martyrdom under the direction of Emperor Nero (see H.E. 2.22.6 ).

Also, Paul’s later letters (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus), commonly referred to as the Pastoral Epistles, are clearly written after the events of the book of Acts. In those letters Paul makes comments about his travels and plans. Paul is likely released from house arrest sometime around 63 A.D.

During his house arrest in Rome, Paul was clearly making plans to travel eastward. He asks Philemon to prepare a guest room for him (Philemon 22) and tells the Philippians that he intends to visit them (Phil. 2:24). Paul doesn’t strike me as the type of guy that would make plans in vain. Paul anticipated his release from house arrest.

These plans to go east make perfect sense. Paul’s habit was to go back and encourage the churches that he had previously established. That’s what he’d done on previous journeys.

Then, in 2 Timothy, written much later in life, during Paul’s second imprisonment, Paul mentions and alludes to people and moments that are connected to his post-Roman arrest ministry travels through Asia. He’s sort of looking back on past events and correspondences. Paul mentions:

• Having a significant dispute with some believers in Asia, including Phygelus and Hermogenes (2 Tim. 1:15)
• Receiving help from Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 1:18)
• Having been with Carpus at Troas (2 Tim 4:13-14)
• Being confronted by Alexander the coppersmith (2 Tim. 4:14)
• Needing to leave Trophimus in Miletus because he was ill (2 Tim 4:20)

All of these events happened after Paul’s release from Roman house arrest.

Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:20 that “Erastus remained at Corinth.” This is a clear statement that Paul had been in Corinth; he knew Erastus was there because he had first-hand knowledge, having recently visited the city.

In Titus 3:12, Paul invites Titus to join Paul in Nicopolis. Paul tells Titus that he plans on spending the winter in Nicopolis, a city in Achaia. Clearly, when Paul writes the letter to Titus he is already in Achaia or somewhere very close, hoping for Titus to meet him there.

In Paul’s letter to Titus, he alludes to having been in Crete and having left Titus in charge to help those churches flourish.

A few scholars have argued that Paul did ministry in Crete when he was shipwrecked there. Paul had been briefly shipwrecked in Crete while traveling from Caesarea to Rome, before his Roman house arrest (Acts 27).

However, Paul and the men from the shipwreck were in Crete just a short while. As we examine the events of the shipwreck, as they are described in the book of Acts, we see that Paul would not likely have had the opportunity to establish churches in the region during such a short period. Also, they didn’t travel throughout the island at all.

What seems much more likely is that Paul eventually made it back to the island of Crete, spend time preaching, establishing churches throughout the region, and that upon his departure Paul left Titus there to “complete [their] work there and appoint elders in each town” (Titus 1:5).

At the beginning of 1 Timothy Paul says “when I was going to Macedonia” (1 Timothy 1:3). When we examine this letter, we get the sense that he’s referring to events in the not-too-distant past. Seems likely Paul is referring to the moment when he had traveling to Macedonia after being released from Roman house arrest. After his time spent in Macedonia, he may have headed back to the church in Ephesus, which he asserted was his plan (1 Timothy).

Doubts about the Fourth Journey

There are clearly some comments in Paul’s letters that do not easily square with the events of the book of Acts, which means that those comments in his letters point to some missionary work that happened after Paul’s Roman house arrest.

However, a few scholars have argued that there’s significant (enough) overlap in the locations, types of events, and even the people mentioned during Paul’s first three journeys, therefore it’s hard to say for sure—they claim it’s possible that much of those things that do not seem to square with the events of the book of Acts can still potentially be things that happened on one of his first three missionary journeys.

Also, some scholars have sought to remind us that the apostle Paul spent long periods of time in some locations (like 18 months in Corinth and 3 years in Ephesus), and they’ve asserted it’s possible that many unrecorded things may have happened during those long stays, implying that those longer stays in those locations could account for some of the comments in Paul’s epistles.

These scholars claim there’s so much that we do not know about those time periods, that it’s entirely possible all of the events alluded to by Paul, in his own letters, took place during his first three journeys.

I happen to be confident that Paul did indeed take a fourth missionary journey, after his release from his Roman house arrest. I think that’s the best interpretation of the data we have. However, I also realize that there are some good New Testament scholars that don’t find the evidence as compelling as I do.

Potential Travel to Spain

Did Paul ever make it to Spain? We know from Scripture that the apostle Paul had a desire to preach in Spain (Rom. 15:22-29). After being released from Roman house arrest, he could have easily sailed westward.

Clement of Rome (writing in 95 A.D.) says that Paul had traveled and preached in “the farthest limits of the West” (1 Clement 5:5-7). This sort of language could have described a location west of Italy, such as Gaul or Britannia, but most scholars seem to think this describes Spain. However, it is also possible that Clement was speaking more broadly (or generically), referring to Paul traveling far westward from his home region, going from Palestine through much of the heart of the Roman Empire and eventually all the way to Rome. This latter interpretation seems odd to me.

The Muratorian fragment (written in apx. 170 A.D.), seems to affirm Paul’s missionary journey to Spain too, but some scholars question this; just because someone in the mid-to-late second century believed it doesn’t necessarily equate to strong evidence. However, this shows that church tradition was handing this down through the generations.

Paul’s missionary trip to Spain is also mentioned by Cyril of Jerusalem (313-386) and John Chrysostom (347-407).

There may not seem to be many significant (quality) pieces of evidence that corroborate the idea that Paul made it all the way to Spain, and there are not any comments in Paul’s later letters that point to him ever making it to Spain either. However, these extrabiblical evidences seem compelling. It’s possible that a trip to Spain may have been the first leg of Paul’s fourth missionary journey.

Paul Beheaded by Nero

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul mentions his “first defense” and says he was “delivered from the lion’s mouth” (2 Tim. 4:16-17). Most biblical scholars believe this is a reference to the first time he was in Caesar’s court, defending himself, eventually leading to his Roman house arrest (Acts 28).

Paul was released from his first Roman arrest, but there wouldn’t be a second release. Paul eventually ended up back in Rome. The second time, it wasn’t house arrest. It was a real Roman jail. This was most likely part of Nero’s persecution of Christians in the mid 60s. This was one of the most brutal times of persecution in Christian history.

When much of the city of Rome burndown in 64 A.D., Emperor Nero blamed the Christians. The emperor later requested that the apostle Paul be arrested and chained. It appears that Paul was arrested somewhat abruptly and unexpectedly, evidenced by the fact that he was not able to secure his cloak and his Old Testament parchments; Paul later requested that these be brought to him (2 Tim. 4).

Paul likely penned 2 Timothy during this second Roman imprisonment. Paul was beheaded shortly after he wrote 2 Timothy. Some scholars have concluded that Paul was killed as early as 64 A.D., but it is more likely that he was executed sometime between 67 A.D. and 68 A.D.

The legacy of the apostle Paul is second to none in Christian history. He is the greatest missionary evangelist the world has ever seen. Paul was a man on mission, focused on spreading the gospel and planting churches.

Paul was a man so impacted by Jesus, so compelled by God’s love, so humbled that the Messiah would choose him to be an ambassador, that he was willing to endure much pain and hardship to see others come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Featured illustration of Paul in prison courtesy of britannica.com. Images of the jails in Philippi and Caesarea courtesy of missionbibleclass.org. Illustration of Eutychus’ death courtesy of gfbtkingdomkids.com.

Recommended Resources:

“Handbook on Acts and Paul’s Letters” (by Thomas R. Schreiner)

“Paul: A Biography” (by N.T. Wright)

“Acts: An Expositional Commentary” (by R.C. Sproul)

“Dictionary of Paul and His Letters” (more than 100 contributors, edited by Gerald Hawthorne, Ralph Martin, and Daniel Reid)

Kenneth E. Ortiz (Th.M.) is Lead Pastor of Horizon City Church . He has 15+ years of vocational ministry experience. Kenneth previously served as a professor at Bethlehem College  and adjunct faculty at Spurgeon College . Kenneth lives in Minneola, FL with his wife Malaina, they have two kids.

Bible Pearls

Did you know that....

The Holy Spirit is one of the most misinterpreted concepts of the Bible. Different denominations of Christianity have different definitions for it.

But, who or what is the Holy Spirit? And is it male or female in the Bible? Is it the third God of the Trinity? Today you can finally learn the truth about this apparently confusing issue.

If you would like to know who or what the Holy Spirit truly is in the Bible and solve this problem, check out our article on this topic in our Bible Articles section, you will find it very interesting.

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Paul’s First and Second Missionary Journeys

Paul and Barnabas set out from Antioch to Seleucia, where they set sail for the island of Cyprus.

Once Paul and Barnabas arrive on Cyprus, they begin to proclaim the Word of God in the Jewish synagogue.  John Mark was with them as a helper.

Traveling through the whole island, they arrive at Paphos where they are opposed by a Jewish sorcerer called Elymas.  The Lord causes Elymas to be blind, and Paul and Barnabas sail to Perga.

In Perga, John Mark leaves Paul and Barnabas and goes to Jerusalem.  Paul and Barnabas then head for Pisidian Antioch.

In Pisidian Antioch, Paul stands up and delivers a sermon in the synagogue, prompting the people to invite him and Barnabas back the following week.  However, the next week they are opposed by jealous Jewish leaders, who eventually convince the people to expel Paul and Barnabas.  They declare they will turn their mission efforts to the Gentiles (non-Jews).

Arriving at Iconium, Paul and Barnabas once again speak in the synagogue.  With the city divided on their teachings, Paul and Barnabas find out about a plot to stone them and leave the city for Lystra and Derbe.

In Lystra, Paul heals a man who was lame from birth.  When the crowds see what Paul does, they hail him and Barnabas as Greek gods and try to sacrifice to them.  However, after Jews in the city incite the people against Paul and Barnabas, they stone Paul and drag him outside of the city, assuming he is dead.  The next day, he and Barnabas depart for Derbe.

Paul and Barnabas preach the Word of God successfully in Derbe, and then head back to the cities they had already visited to strengthen the brothers and sisters in each city before they return to Syrian Antioch.  They also appointed elders in each city who would continue to guide and strengthen the family of believers.

Paul and Barnabas return to Lystra to encourage the believers there on their way to Iconium.

Paul and Barnabas return to Iconium to encourage the believers there on their way to Pysidian Antioch.

Paul and Barnabas return to Pysidian Antioch to encourage the believers there on their way to Perga.

Paul and Barnabas preach the Word in Perga, then set sail from Attalia back to Syrian Antioch.

Paul and Barnabas completed the First Missionary Journey in the late 40s AD.  It does not appear that they spent much time in the cities they visited, so the entire journey could have been done in about a year and a half.  Between the First and Second Missionary Journeys, Paul writes his letter to the Galatians (most likely the churches he visited on the First Journey) and also travels to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem Council around 49 AD (see Acts 15).  Some time later, Paul and Barnabas decide to conduct a Second Missionary Journey, but they disagree as to whether they should bring John Mark with them again because he left them early on the First Journey.  They split, with Barnabas taking John Mark and traveling to Cyprus, while Paul takes Silas and travels through Syria and Cilicia on their way to Derbe, thus beginning the Second Journey.

Paul travels from Derbe to Lystra, where he meets a young man named Timothy.  Everyone in the surrounding towns spoke well of him, so Paul has him circumcised and brings him along on the journey.  As he travels through Galatia, he delivers the decisions made at the Jerusalem Council and strengthens each church in the region on his way to Asia.

Paul and his companions were kept from preaching the gospel in the province of Asia by the Holy Spirit, so they head north toward Bithynia.

Luke tells us in Acts that “the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them” to enter Bithynia, so Paul and his companions head west to Troas.

While in Troas, Jesus’ plan for them on this journey is revealed to Paul in a vision.  In the vision, Paul sees a man from Macedonia begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  Due to the abrupt change from third person to first person pronouns, it is also believed that this is where Luke, the physician and author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts, joins Paul and his other companions.  In response to Paul’s vision, they all set out for Samothrace and Neapolis on their way to Philippi in Macedonia.

At Philippi, Paul and his companions meet a woman named Lydia who was a worshiper of God.  After baptizing her and the members of her household, they accept an invitation to stay at her house while they were in Philippi.

Later, Paul and those with him were followed by a girl who had a spirit that allowed her to predict the future.  For many days she would follow them and say, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”  Paul eventually got annoyed and commanded the spirit to come out of the girl in the name Jesus Christ.  The men who used the girl’s telling the future to make money were upset and had Paul and Silas thrown in prison.

While they were in prison, an earthquake shook the foundations of the prison and the prison doors and chains were all opened.  With the jailer about to kill himself in fear of punishment from his superiors, he asks Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved.  They tell him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”  The jailer invited them over to his house, and that night he and his whole household believed and were baptized.

The next day, Paul and Silas were released from prison and left the city with the rest of their companions.

Paul and his companions travel to Thessalonica, where Paul spends three Sabbaths in the synagogue proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.  A number of Jews and Greeks believed, but some Jews became jealous and started a riot in the city.  Looking for Paul at the house of a man named Jason, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials.  The officials made Jason and the others post bond, while Paul and his companions were sent away by the believers during the night.

When they arrive at Berea, according to their custom they enter the synagogue and begin preaching about Jesus.  The Berean Jews are much more open to their message than the Thessalonicans were, so they examine the Scriptures every day to verify what Paul was saying about Christ.

The Jews in Thessalonica find out that Paul is in Berea and send people to agitate the crowds in the city.  The believers in Berea then send Paul to the coast and eventually Athens, but Silas and Timothy stay behind.

While Paul waits for Silas and Timothy to join him in Athens, he reasons with the Jews in the synagogue as well as the Greeks in the marketplace that Jesus is the promised Messiah.  Some philosophers bring him to a meeting of the Areopagus, a council of city elders and leaders, and have him explain this “new teaching” of Jesus as the Messiah.  This is where Paul delivers his famous sermon using an Athenian altar inscription to an “UNKNOWN GOD.”  Paul explains to them that the one, true God does not live in temples and that he has raised Jesus from the dead to prove that he is the Savior of the world.  After some believe, Paul then travels to Corinth.

When Paul arrives in Corinth he meets a Jew named Aquila and his wife, Priscilla.  Since they are tentmakers as he is, he stays and works with them, preaching Jesus as the promised Messiah each Sabbath in the synagogue.  When Timothy and Silas arrive, Paul then dedicates his whole time to gospel ministry.  With the Jews denying his message, he concentrates reaching out to the Gentiles (non-Jews).  After Jesus appears in a vision to Paul and tells him to keep preaching in Corinth, he stays there for a year and a half.  During this time, Paul writes the letters we know as 1 and 2 Thessalonians to the church he began earlier on this journey in Thessalonica.  Also at this time, Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, dismisses the non-believing Jews’ attempts to stop Paul, a very important decision for the spread of the gospel in Achaia.  Paul eventually leaves Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla for Ephesus on his way back home to Syrian Antioch.

Paul stays briefly in Ephesus, preaching to the Jews in the synagogue and declining their request to stay.  He tells them he will return if it is the Lord’s will (and from what we see during the Third Missionary Journey, it certainly was).  Leaving Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus, he sets sail for Caesarea.

Landing in Caesarea, Paul visits the believers in Jerusalem before heading back up north to Syrian Antioch.

Paul arrives back in Antioch having spent roughly 2.5 to 3 years on his Second Missionary Journey, being blessed to have preached the gospel in Europe.  Perhaps up to one year later he begins his Third Missionary Journey.

• First Missionary Journey and Jerusalem Council – Acts 13-15
• Second Missionary Journey – Acts 16-18:22

Chronology of Jesus’ Life and Ministry

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Paul’s First Missionary Journey: Key Points, Maps, And Lessons

Categories Bible Study Topics

In this article, we will explore Paul’s first missionary journey looking at key points, locations, lessons we can learn, and a map of his journey.

Modern missionaries often get their inspiration from the incredible missionary journeys of the apostle Paul, and with good reason. In many ways, Paul was one of the first people who purposefully traveled long distances to unreached people to spread the gospel as Jesus commanded.

Though he rarely traveled alone, he was the apostle (“ sent one ”) and, in many ways, the leader of the group. There’s much we can learn from his journeys and apply to our spiritual lives, and you don’t have to be a full-time missionary to glean from it.

So, let’s see what happened on Paul’s first missionary journey and how we can grow spiritually from that.

Table of Contents

What Happened On Paul’s First Missionary Journey?

Paul’s first missionary journey started during a prayer meeting in Antioch, Syria. We see in Acts 13:1-2 that a group of at least five prophets and teachers were gathered in prayer when the Holy Spirit told them to set Paul and Barnabas apart for the work that God called them for. The group fasted and prayed before sending them off.

Before we get started, I do want to give a big thank you to Free Bible Image s for letting me use their images of Paul’s journey.

Cyprus – Salamis and Paphos

John Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas in the beginning. They set off for Cyprus, an island off the coast of Turkey, and when they got to the port of Salamis, they preached the gospel in the Jewish synagogues.

It’s important to note that, at this time, many still considered the gospel to be exclusively for the Jews, which is why they focused on preaching in the synagogues.

The Bible doesn’t tell us how the Jews in Salamis received the gospel. All we know is that the three then went on across the island of Cyprus and got to the city of Paphos. This is where they were confronted by a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, who was also a Jewish false prophet.

Bar-Jesus tried to keep the missionary team from seeing the Roman Proconsul, Sergius Paulus , who had requested to see them to hear the gospel.

However, Paul did not let the man stop them but instead identified the demons involved, after which Bar-Jesus was struck with temporary blindness.

Interestingly, this had the exact opposite result that Bar-Jesus had hoped – the proconsul believed and accepted the gospel partly because he saw what happened to the sorcerer at a mere word from Paul.

God can take something that is meant as a hindrance and turn it around for His glory.

The trio’s next stop was Perga, which was in Pamphylia, or Turkey as we know it today. Here a few interesting things happened that had significant repercussions.

The first notable thing the Bible tells us here is that John Mark left the group and returned to Jerusalem. This is not explained in detail, but within the context of other passages, it seems that he and Paul had a falling out.

Experts believe it’s either to do with Mark being unable to keep up with Paul’s aggressive ministry style or that Mark wanted to report to the church in Jerusalem (the “head office” at the time) that Paul was preaching the gospel to Gentiles.

Whatever the reason, there are a few crucial things that happened because of this:

• Paul and Barnabas split up during later missionary trips because Barnabas wanted to take Mark along, while Paul didn’t. This effectively doubled the missionary efforts and caused the gospel to spread much faster.
• Mark spent a lot of time with Simon Peter in Jerusalem, who disciplined him further, and in the end, Mark wrote one of the gospels, which possibly would not have happened if he had stuck it out with Paul.
• Mark became indispensable to Paul in his later life, supporting him in ministry. Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), – Colossians 4:10 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. – 2 Timothy 4:11

The second important thing is that Paul preached to the Jews, who were so impressed that they invited him to return to preach more, but they got jealous when they saw how many people showed up to hear Paul’s preaching and started insulting him.

This motivated Paul to focus on the Gentiles, instead, who received the gospel with gladness (13:48).

The Jews got even more upset and drove Paul and Barnabas from the region, after which they went to Iconium.

As was their habit, Paul and Barnabas preached at the synagogue in Iconium, but not to the Jews only. The Greeks were also present. God did many signs and wonders by the apostles’ hands, and many Jews and Greeks believed the gospel because of these signs.

However, some non-believing Jews divided the city against Paul and Barnabas and started plotting to have them stoned (Acts 14:5).

So, after preaching in Iconium for a long time, they were forced to flee the region and go to Lystra and the surrounding areas to preach there.

As Paul was preaching in Lystra, a disabled man sat and listened to him. Paul gave the command for the man to be healed, and he jumped up and walked.

This made the area’s people believe that Paul and Barnabas were the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes. They tried to worship them, which they resisted and told them not to do.

However, as promising as the outreach had been, some of the Jews from Iconium and Antioch had followed Paul and Barnabas to Lystra and turned the crowds against them.

They stoned Paul in an attempt to kill him and dragged him out of town, believing he was dead. However, Paul rose and accompanied the disciples back into the city.

Derbe And The Home Stretch

The next day, Paul and Barnabas went from Lystra to Derbe, where they preached the gospel and made many new disciples. Then they started their journey back to Antioch in Syria, the church that had sent them out.

On their way back, they passed through the cities they had preached in – Lystra, Iconium, and Perga – to encourage the disciples and appoint elders for the churches there.

Check Out Paul’s Other Missionary Journeys:

Maps of Paul’s First Missionary Journey

As a visual person, I find looking at images and maps very helpful, especially when looking at certain Biblical journeys and events. The overall map of Paul’s first journey is below.

This map below is a little more realistic. It doesn’t show Paul’s journey path, but it shows the cities and the terrain better.

Lessons For Christians On Paul’s 1st Journey

We can learn many things from Paul’s missionary journey, and God tends to reveal more each time you study it. But here are a few notable lessons for modern believers from Paul’s first missionary journey:

• We know that all believers are called to spread the gospel, but our efforts should always go hand in hand with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and be confirmed during fasting and prayer. Yes, God can turn our mistakes into victories, but with significant steps like a 1,400-mile missionary journey, it’s good to be sure before we start, just like Paul’s journey started with prayer.
• The enemy will try to stop us when we live a life dedicated to sharing the gospel and building God’s Kingdom. But God can turn that opposition into a miracle that will prove His power and glory to all if we stand firm and are willing to risk everything for our faith, just like He did when Bar-Jesus opposed the team.
• Like Paul and John Mark, we don’t always get along with our fellow believers, and sometimes our missions take us in opposite directions. However, we are still called to love and support one another as members of one body. Besides, we never know when God will bring us back together, and we could find strength in unlikely alliances.
• God will not hesitate to perform signs and wonders to show His power if it is to expand His kingdom. We can see in Mark 16:20 that the disciples went out and preached the gospel everywhere and that God confirmed the message by accompanying signs. As long as we seek the kingdom and aim to share the gospel, God will work with us to accomplish that goal.

Key People On Paul’s 1st Journey

Here is a quick look at key players during the 1st missionary journey.

Paul, also known as Saul of Tarsus, was an important figure in the Bible who played an instrumental role in spreading Christianity. Born in the city of Tarsus, Paul was a devout Jew and Pharisee who was initially hostile towards the teachings of Jesus. However, he underwent a transformation on the road to Damascus where he claimed to have had a divine encounter with Christ. From there, Paul dedicated his life to preaching the gospel and writing numerous letters, or epistles, which are now part of the New Testament.

Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus and a follower of Jesus Christ. In the Bible, he was first mentioned in the book of Acts, where he sold a field he owned and gave the proceeds to the apostles to support the early church. Barnabas was known for his generosity and kindness towards others, which earned him the nickname, “Son of Encouragement.”

John Mark was a companion of the Apostle Paul and is commonly believed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. In the book of Acts, John Mark is also mentioned as the cousin of Barnabas and as a helper in various mission trips. However, there is also a record of John Mark abandoning Paul and Barnabas in one of their missions, causing a rift between the two men, which later was reconciled.

Bar-Jesus, was a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet who opposed the teachings of Paul and Barnabas. He tried to prevent the Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus, from accepting Christianity, but Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, called him out for his deceit and struck him blind.

Sergius Paulus

Sergius Paulus was the Roman proconsul of Cyprus. He is significant to biblical history as he became a follower of Christ after witnessing the power of God through the evangelist Paul. Sergius Paulus was a man of authority and intellect, yet he was humbled by the miraculous events that occurred before him.

FAQ About Paul’s First Missionary Journey

Here are some common FAQ asked about Paul’s 1st trip.

You can read about the Apostle Paul’s first journey in Acts 13:1-14:28.

The first journey took place between 47-49 AD.

Barnabas and John Mark accompanied the apostle Paul.

Paul and his companions traveled through Cyprus and Turkey.

Paul traveled around 1,400 miles! Which is amazing since his only mode of transportation was by foot, boat, and maybe some kind of animal. But it’s important to note that no horses or other animals are mentioned in scripture.

Paul’s first missionary journey was incredibly eventful. They attempted to kill him and almost succeeded once. Not everyone received the gospel with gladness. And yet, they pushed on and accomplished some great things, converting many people to Christianity and establishing new churches as they went. We should take that as an encouragement to share the gospel with everyone we meet.

And as always, if you would like to leave me a comment. I would love to hear from my readers and what God is doing in your life.

Melissa is a passionate minister, speaker and an ongoing learner of the Bible. She has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over 18 years. And is the founder of Think About Such Things. She has the heart to equip the saints by helping them get into the Word of God and fall more in love with Jesus. She also enjoys family, cooking, and reading.

She has spoken in churches in California, Oregon, Texas, and Mexico and has been featured in Guidepost Magazine and All Recipes Magazine.  Read More…

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Timeline of Paul's ministry

Key dates in the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

Sources: Cornelius Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome and Agricola Conybeare, W. J. and Howson, J. S., The Life and Epistles of St. Paul

      From left to right: Paul's three missionary journeys and his final journey to Rome. Click each image to enlarge.

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Saint Paul (c. 3-67).

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"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." Saint Paul (c. 3-67)

(Taken from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV))

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Paul’s Missionary Journey Timeline

The Apostle Paul, also known as Saint Paul, played a pivotal role in the spread of Christianity during the early days of the faith.

His missionary journeys, as chronicled in the New Testament of the Bible, were instrumental in establishing Christian communities and sharing the teachings of Jesus Christ with diverse populations across the Roman Empire.

These journeys not only laid the foundation for the global expansion of Christianity but also provided valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of early Christian evangelism.

Paul’s missionary journeys are typically divided into three main journeys, each marked by significant events, challenges, and the establishment of new churches.

In this timeline, we will explore the key highlights of each of these journeys, shedding light on the locations visited, the people encountered, and the enduring impact of Paul’s ministry.

These journeys offer a profound narrative of faith, resilience, and the enduring power of the Gospel message. Let us embark on a journey through the life and travels of the Apostle Paul , a figure whose missionary zeal continues to inspire Christians worldwide.

Timeline of the Apostle Paul’s Missionary Journey

First missionary journey (circa 46-49 ad):.

Departure : Paul’s First Missionary Journey began in the city of Antioch in Syria, where he was based with Barnabas.

Cyprus : Their first stop was the island of Cyprus. In Cyprus, they preached in Salamis and Paphos, sharing the message of Jesus Christ with the Jewish and Gentile populations. This marked the beginning of their missionary work.

Also Read: New Testament Chronological Order

Pamphylia : After leaving Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas traveled to Pamphylia. Here, they visited the city of Perga, where they continued their mission to spread Christianity.

Pisidia : Moving on from Pamphylia, they arrived in Pisidia. In Pisidia, they came to the city of Antioch (not to be confused with Antioch in Syria). Paul delivered a sermon in the synagogue, explaining the significance of Jesus as the Messiah. While some people were receptive to their message, others opposed them, and they faced persecution.

Iconium : From Pisidia, they journeyed to the city of Iconium. Here, they preached the Gospel and faced both acceptance and opposition. Despite challenges, they continued to spread the teachings of Jesus.

Lystra : In Lystra, Paul and Barnabas encountered a man who had been lame from birth. Through the power of God, Paul healed the man, which led the local people to believe that Paul and Barnabas were gods. However, their fortunes changed quickly, and they were stoned by a hostile crowd. Paul was left for dead but survived.

Also Read: Timeline of the History of Christianity

Derbe : Despite the challenges in Lystra, they pressed on to the city of Derbe, where they continued to preach and make disciples.

Return : After reaching Derbe, Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps, revisiting the cities they had previously been to, strengthening the believers, and appointing elders to oversee the new Christian communities. Finally, they returned to Antioch in Syria, where they had started their journey, completing their First Missionary Journey.

Paul’s First Missionary Journey laid the foundation for his subsequent missionary endeavors, as he ventured out to spread the message of Christianity to different regions, both to the Jewish communities and to the Gentiles. It was marked by a mixture of successes and challenges, but it set the stage for the expansion of the Christian faith beyond its initial centers.

Second Missionary Journey (circa 49-52 AD):

Departure : Paul’s Second Missionary Journey began in Antioch in Syria, where he and his companion, Silas, departed to continue their missionary work. Initially, they planned to revisit the churches they had established during the First Missionary Journey.

Revisiting Derbe and Lystra : Their journey took them back to Derbe and Lystra, where they strengthened the faith of the believers they had previously converted.

Troas and the Macedonian Call : While in Troas, Paul received a vision during the night. In the vision, a man from Macedonia pleaded with him to come and help. Taking this as a divine call to preach in Europe, Paul and his companions sailed to Philippi in Macedonia.

Philippi : In Philippi, Paul and his companions began their ministry. They met Lydia, a seller of purple cloth, who became one of the first converts in Europe. Later, they were imprisoned after casting out a demon from a slave girl. An earthquake miraculously opened the prison doors, leading the jailer and his household to believe in Jesus.

Thessalonica : Leaving Philippi, they arrived in Thessalonica and preached in the synagogue. Although they had some success in converting Jews and Gentiles, they faced opposition from some Jewish leaders who stirred up a mob against them.

Berea : Fleeing the hostility in Thessalonica, they went to Berea. The Bereans were known for their openness to the Scriptures and received the message with eagerness. However, opposition from Jews in Thessalonica prompted Paul to leave Berea.

Athens : Paul traveled to Athens alone while Silas and Timothy stayed behind. In Athens, Paul engaged with philosophers on Mars Hill (Areopagus), where he delivered a famous speech about the “unknown god” to the Athenians, proclaiming the one true God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Corinth : Leaving Athens, Paul arrived in Corinth. He met Aquila and Priscilla, fellow tentmakers, and they became close friends and coworkers in ministry. Paul spent a significant amount of time in Corinth, preaching and establishing a church. He also wrote letters to the Thessalonians during his stay in Corinth.

Cenchreae : After his ministry in Corinth, Paul sailed to Cenchreae, a port city, and then departed for Syria, concluding his Second Missionary Journey.

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey was marked by significant expansions of the Christian faith into Europe, including the establishment of churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth. It also demonstrated Paul’s ability to adapt to different cultural contexts, from the Jewish synagogues to the philosophical setting of Athens. However, it was not without its challenges, including opposition and persecution from various quarters.

Third Missionary Journey (circa 53-58 AD):

Departure : Paul’s Third Missionary Journey began from the city of Antioch in Syria, his home base for missionary activities.

Revisiting Ephesus : Paul’s journey initially took him to Ephesus, where he had previously spent a significant amount of time during his Second Missionary Journey. In Ephesus, he found some disciples who had not yet received the Holy Spirit, and he baptized them in the name of Jesus.

Macedonia and Greece : After his time in Ephesus, Paul traveled through Macedonia and Greece. During this period, he continued his practice of strengthening existing churches and preaching the Gospel.

Collecting Funds for Jerusalem : One of the key aspects of this journey was Paul’s effort to collect financial support from the churches he had established for the struggling Christian community in Jerusalem. He urged the believers in Macedonia and Achaia to contribute to this collection.

Return to Troas : Paul returned to the city of Troas, where he had received the Macedonian call during his Second Missionary Journey. While in Troas, a young man named Eutychus fell from a window during one of Paul’s lengthy sermons. Paul miraculously raised him from the dead.

Farewell Address in Miletus : On his way back to Jerusalem, Paul stopped in Miletus, a coastal city in Asia Minor. He called for the elders from the Ephesian church to meet him there. In an emotional farewell address, he shared his experiences and his commitment to preaching the Gospel. He warned the elders about future challenges to the church.

Caesarea : As he continued his journey toward Jerusalem, Paul stopped in Caesarea, where he was briefly imprisoned.

Jerusalem and Arrest : Paul eventually arrived in Jerusalem, where he delivered the financial contributions he had collected for the Jerusalem church. However, his presence caused controversy, and he was arrested on charges of defiling the temple.

Imprisonment : Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem led to a series of legal proceedings and imprisonments. He spent about two years imprisoned in Caesarea as his case was heard before various Roman officials.

Voyage to Rome : Due to ongoing threats to his life and his appeal to Caesar, Paul was eventually sent to Rome as a Roman citizen. He traveled by ship, and during the journey, they encountered a shipwreck on the island of Malta.

Arrival in Rome : Despite the shipwreck, Paul and his fellow travelers safely reached Rome. While under house arrest in Rome, Paul continued to preach and teach. He received visitors and wrote several important letters, including the Epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, during this time.

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey was marked by his dedication to preaching, teaching, and church-building, as well as his commitment to supporting the church in Jerusalem. It also saw his eventual arrest and journey to Rome, where he continued to be a significant influence on the early Christian community, even while under house arrest. This period produced some of his most influential letters, which form a significant part of the New Testament.

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‘It’s Called Go-Go Dancing’—Alex Magala Addresses Accusation He Is a ‘Stripper’; James River Church Says They Didn’t Know

Near chicago, a lutheran church finds new life at the ymca, ‘flynn’ portrays the christian nationalist evangelist’s fight with the deep state, rebecca mclaughlin defends cru, weighs in on richard hays’ new book on sexuality, ‘overcomer’ singer and grammy award-winning christian artist mandisa dead at 47, tracing the footsteps of faith: the missionary journeys of paul.

The Apostle Paul, originally Saul of Tarsus, stands as a towering figure in Christian history, known for his profound contributions to the New Testament and his relentless missionary endeavors to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. His missionary journeys took him across the Mediterranean world. They are pivotal events that helped shape the early Christian church.

Paul’s Missionary Journeys Timeline

Conversion to christianity:.

The apostle’s personal journey begins with his dramatic conversion from a zealous persecutor of Christians to a devoted follower of Christ on the road to Damascus around AD 34-36. This transformative experience marked the start of his ministry.

First Missionary Journey (AD 46-48):

Accompanied by Barnabas and John Mark, he sets out from Antioch, traveling through Cyprus and Asia Minor. Key events include the conversion of the proconsul Sergius Paulus in Cyprus and the confrontation with Elymas the magician. This journey is well documented in the Acts of the Apostles and culminates in the establishment of several church communities.

Second Missionary Journey (AD 49-52):

Starting from Jerusalem and now accompanied by Silas and later joined by Timothy and Luke, Paul revisited the churches established in Asia Minor before receiving a vision to proceed to Macedonia. This journey saw the spread of the gospel into Europe, with significant stops in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth.

Third Missionary Journey (AD 53-57):

Paul revisits the churches in Asia Minor and spends considerable time in Ephesus, where he focuses on preaching and discipleship. His efforts in Ephesus lead to a significant number of conversions, impacting the local idol-making trade and inciting a riot. The journey concludes with Paul’s return to Jerusalem, where he is arrested.

Duration of Paul’s Ministry:

His ministry, from his conversion to his martyrdom in Rome, spans approximately three decades (AD 34-67). Within these years, Paul’s missionary activities, coupled with his extensive letter-writing, laid the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. He visited Ephesus several times throughout his ministry, most notably during his third missionary journey, where he stayed for over two years. His influence in Ephesus was profound, significantly contributing to the growth of the Christian community there.

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A Chronological Study of Paul's Ministry

Dennis McCallum

Why is Chronology Important?

Chronology is the study of the sequence and timing of events in a historical text, and the comparison of those events with other known events from different sources. The Bible is a historical document, and part of assessing the value of any historical narrative is the study of Chronology.

When events in the Bible line up with known dates confirmed outside the Bible, it demonstrates a high level of reliability in the biblical text. Also, some areas of doctrine are based on chronological assertions, as we shall see in the case of Gal. 2.

This outline explains in shortened form how scholars date the events in the ministry of Paul. A more complete study of this process is available in A Handbook of Biblical Chronology by Jack Finnegan.

The first step in studying chronology is to assemble a sequence of events along with all chronological notes. In other words, a narrator will say, “for over two years” or “in time for the Passover.” These notes, when assembled, form a time chain, often with some missing spots. Here are the important events for Paul's ministry:

A. The period from Paul’s conversion until the 1st trip to Jerusalem.

• (Acts 9-12). Paul was converted on the road to Damascus
• He entered Damascus and stayed there for an unknown amount of time (Acts 9:19)
• Paul went to Arabia for an unspecified period, and returned to Damascus afterward (Gal.1:17).
• The whole period from his conversion until his departure from Damascus is given as “3 years” (Gal.1:18)
• He went to Jerusalem after this, and stayed for 15 days (Acts 9:26-29; Gal.1:18)

B. The period from the 1st visit until the 2nd visit to Jerusalem.

• After the 15 days at Jerusalem, Paul was sent away to avoid capture, and sailed from Caesarea to the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Acts 9:30; Gal.1:21)
• After a period ranging from 8 to 14 years, Paul traveled to Antioch with Barnabas and stayed for 1 year in Antioch (Acts 11:25; Gal.1:21-2:1 see below).
• Paul then traveled to Jerusalem from Antioch, staying for a short time. This was in connection with the collection taken up in Antioch because of Agabus’ vision (Acts 11:27-30; Gal.2:1). He then returned to Antioch.

C. The period from the 2nd until the 3rd visit to Jerusalem.

• After the relief visit (2nd visit) to Jerusalem, Paul returned to Antioch.
• Paul, Mark, and Barnabas traveled from Antioch to Seleucia, the nearest port, then to Cyprus.
• Then they went to Pamphylia which lies to the north of Cyprus in modern day Turkey.
• From there, they went to Galatia, as far as the city of Derbe, but without Mark, who went home.
• Then they went back through the same cities in the opposite direction.
• Finally, they sailed from Perga back to Antioch of Syria.
• This entire journey lasted from six to nine months, concluding before the storms of winter would have stopped ship travel in the Mediterranean.

D. The period from the first missionary trip through the second journey (including the Jerusalem council).

• After the conflict recounted in Galations 2, Paul traveled from Antioch to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem council, then back to Antioch.
• Paul and Barnabas parted ways. Paul went with Silas and Barnabas went with John Mark.
• Paul and Silas journeyed from Antioch to Syria and Cilicia, this time using the overland route through Turkey.
• They visited Derbe and Lystra, then passed through Phrygia and Galatia. They arrived at Troas, where Paul had a vision calling them to Macedonia. Luke joined Paul and Silas at Troas.
• Upon arrival, they went to Phillipi, then to Samothrace, Neopolis, Amphipolis, Thessalonica, and Berea.
• Then Paul went to Athens, and finally to Corinth where he stayed for 1 1/2 years.
• After the Macedonian and Greek ministry, he traveled briefly to Ephesus, Caesarea, and back to Antioch in Syria.

Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey (Acts 18-21)

• Paul again traveled overland from Antioch to Phrygia and Galatia.
• He then traveled to Ephesus where he preached and taught for over three years.
• After the Ephesian ministry, Paul sailed to Macedonia, and went by foot to Greece including a second stop at Corinth (2 Cor. 13:1). During this three month stay, he wrote the book of Romans.
• Paul then went back to Macedonia stopping at Philippi, before setting sail for Troas.
• From Troas, he sailed for Jerusalem stopping on the way at Assos, Mytelene, Chios, Samos, Miletus, Ephesus, Cos, Rhodes, Patara, Tyre, Ptolemais, and Caesarea.

E. Paul's arrest in Jerusalem, and imprisonment at Caesarea (Acts 21:17-26:32)

• Paul was arrested in Jerusalem shortly after arriving from his 3rd Missionary Journey.
• Only days later, he was then taken to Caesarea where he was imprisoned for 2 years.
• This is where he and Luke wrote the book of Luke, and later, the book of Acts.

F. Paul's trip to Rome (Acts 27-28)

• Paul’s prison ship left from Caesarea and sailed to Sidon, Myra, and Fair Havens on Crete, where he stayed until after the Day of Atonement.
• He then sailed west until a fierce storm left him shipwrecked on Malta. He wintered there for 3 months.
• When Spring came, he sailed to Syracuse, Rhegium, and Puteoli, finally arriving in Rome, where he remained in prisoned in a private house for 2 more years.

G. Paul's movements after the Roman imprisonment.

Paul was apparently freed after the Roman imprisonment. there is Biblical and early church historical evidence and that Paul was released and traveled more, including a trip to Spain, according to Clement of Rome in 1 Clement (see also Romans 15:24). At some point he returned to Rome where he was martyred in the summer of 64 AD.

Assigning Dates to the Events in the List Above

After assembling the chronological sequence, the next step is to discover, if possible, a firm time “peg” somewhere in the sequence. If any event in the sequence can be dated independently and reliably, the other events can also be dated by counting backward and forward from the peg. In the case of Paul, we have a very good peg dating his Corinthian ministry during the second missionary visit.

Gallio (Acts 18:12)

The mention of Gallio as proconsul of Achaia offers the possibility of establishing a fixed point in the chronology of Paul's life. From that point, we can reckon forward and backward to establish the best times for all of the events mentioned.

• Achaia was the area of ancient Greece south of Macedonia. The province was made answerable to the Senate by Claudius in A.D. 44.
• The term of office for a Proconsul was 1 year (2 years in rare cases).
• The beginning of the term of office was May or June. This is indicated by the fact that in A.D. 42, Claudius ordered all proconsuls to leave Rome for their provinces by April 1. In A.D. 43, he amended his law so that proconsuls only had to leave by the middle of April. Thus, allowing for travel time, the term of office would have started in early summer and lasted from summer to summer.
• Some biographical information on Gallio is available. His full name was L. Junius Gallio Annaeanus. He was a brother of Seneca, the Roman Philosopher. Gallio is recorded in history by both Tacitus and Dio Cassius.
• The Delphi Inscription is a copy of a letter from the emperor Claudius to the city of Delphi (located across the bay from Corinth). In it, he refers to Gallio as proconsul, and the letter is dated.
• The date given is the 26th "imperial acclamation"; of Claudius. An imperial acclamation was an honorary appellation by which the Roman soldiers saluted their general after a military victory. Later, the Senate took over the giving of the imperial acclamation, and the nature of the appellation changed to one signifying supreme power. Emperors during this period were receiving these honors on a regular basis, often more than once in a year. The 26th and 27th imperial acclamation of Claudius both occurred in AD 52.
• This date is confirmed by considering another honor known as the “tribunician power.” Roman magistrates known as tribunes were respected, and the senate periodically conferred a similar title upon the emperor. The honor came to be granted annually, in addition to the initial granting upon the ascension of the new emperor to the throne. This honor is also mentioned in the Delphi inscription. Although the exact number of times this honor had been conveyed is lost from the tablet, a corresponding Carian inscription links Claudius’ 12th tribunician power (going from Jan. 25, AD 52 to Jan. 25, AD 53) with his 26th imperial acclamation. Therefore, the 26th imperial acclamation must fall within this period.
• On the Aqua Claudia at Rome, (an aqueduct dedicated on Aug. 1, AD 52), is an inscription which states that Claudius had received the tribunician power the l2th time, and had received the imperial acclamation the 27th time. Thus, Claudius must have received his 26th imperial acclamation prior to the building of the Aqueduct (i.e. within the time period from AD Jan. 25 to August 1, A.D. 52). Therefore, the Delphi inscription can be dated as having been written during the first half (Jan-July) of AD 52.
• Acts 18:11-12 states that Paul stayed a year and six months in Corinth. He was then brought before Gallio by the Jews, “while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia.” It is likely that Gallio was newly arrived in Achaia at the time of this trial. He would thus provide a ripe opportunity for the Jews to try to get rid of Paul. It is probable, therefore, that Paul was brought before Gallio in the summer of AD 51.

Counting Backward

After establishing the sequence of events, and the chronological notes involved, and driving a firm time “peg” into the ground, we can use the sequence to count backwards or forward. Other corroborating material should fit in naturally.

• Ancient historian Orossius supports this date. Acts 18:2 says that when he arrived at Corinth, Paul “found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.” Orossius says that this was the expulsion referred to by Seutonius in Claudius 25: “since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of a certain Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome.” (It has been suggested that “Chrestus” was in fact, Christus, which, if true, would make this one of the earliest mentions of Jesus in secular history.) Orossius also says that this expulsion occurred in the 9th year of Claudius’ reign. If we consider the first year of his reign to be the reckoning point, (since he started on Jan. 25) then the ninth year would have been A.D.49. That fits with Acts saying that Aquila had “lately come” when he met Paul in the winter 49/50.
• Beginning the 2nd missionary journey—Allowing a period of from eight to ten months for the events that occurred from the beginning of the second journey until Paul’s arrival at Corinth seems reasonable. The actual time units given are short (usually stays of days or weeks in each city), and there are several unknown units of time as well. Subtracting this figure then from the date of his arrival in Corinth (winter 49/50) would bring us to the spring of AD 49. as the start of his 2nd Missionary Journey.
• The Jerusalem Council—This means the Jerusalem Council occurred in the winter of AD 48/49, (possibly Jan.- Feb. of AD 49). Paul would have spent only a short time in Jerusalem, and then returned to Antioch with the news of the Council's decisions.
• The First Missionary Journey—This journey would need to have been finished and Paul returned to Antioch by the fall of AD 48 in order to leave time for the Jerusalem council and related events. The length of his first journey would have been anywhere from 4 to 10 months. This would put his departure for the lst Missionary Journey no sooner than early spring AD 48.
• the Famine (see Acts 11:27-30) recorded by Luke took place in approximately AD 46 according to Tacitus. Josephus and Suetonius say it was between AD 44 and 48.
• At about this time the Herod Agrippa I died. His death is recorded in both Josephus Antiquities XIX, 343–50, and Acts 12. Herod died c. AD 44, which fits this scenario.
• This means Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem could have occurred as late as late AD 47, (since the effects of the famine would not have been felt until late in the drought). Acts 11:26 indicates that Paul was in Antioch one year prior to this trip to Jerusalem. That would place his arrival at Antioch in AD 46.
• Why would Paul fail to mention a visit to Jerusalem when he was defending himself against charges that he was just a mimicker of the other Apostles? In light of Galatians 1:20 “I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. This would be a serious omission!
• Gal.2:2 gives the reason for the visit in vs.1. Paul says “It was because of a revelation that I went up.” This is a very appropriate description of the visit in connection with Agabus’ prophecy, but a very poor description of the reason for the council visit. There was no vision or revelation mentioned in connection with the council visit.
• Gal 2:2 also says that Paul submitted to the apostles the gospel that he was preaching, but that he did so “in private.” Yet, at the Jerusalem council, Paul had to argue his theology publicly—before both the leaders and everyone else (see Acts 15:4).
• Gal. 2:10 says that the only thing the Apostles had to say was that Paul should “remember the poor.” At the Jerusalem council, they said four things, and none of them had to do with the poor! As a matter of fact, the content of the rulings given at the Jerusalem council related directly to the subject matter that Paul is discussing—the content of the gospel. For Paul to paraphrase the findings of the council in this way would be quite misleading.
• The final and most telling argument has to do with why Paul never does mention the findings of the council if, in fact, it had already occurred. It wasn’t that Paul rejected the findings of the council, in view of Acts 16:4, where he showed Galatian churches the council’s letter. We are forced to assume therefore that the council had not yet occurred when he wrote Galatians.
• Assuming then, that the second visit mentioned in Gal.2:1 is, in fact, the visit in connection with Agabus' vision, we are left with an even more difficult problem fitting 17 (or even 14!) years in between Paul's conversion and the Acts 11 visit to Jerusalem. This visit cannot be dated any later than 47 A.D. as already pointed out above.
• However we might be dealing with a figure that is actually less than 14 years. It was common practice to count any part of a year as a whole year. Compare Acts 19:8-10 with Acts 20:31 to see how Paul reckoned an actual period of 2 years and 3 months into 3 years. Therefore the actual figure that we are dealing with could very easily be closer to 13 years.
• Counting back approximately 13 years we would arrive at late AD 33 or 34. as the time of Paul’s conversion. We can also see that Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem happened no earlier than the fall of AD 36.

Counting Forward

• We placed Paul’s confrontation before Gallio in the summer of AD 51. After a short period of time Paul returned to Antioch, in the fall of AD 51.
• The Third Missionary Journey—After allowing the winter to pass, Paul started his 3rd Missionary Journey in the spring of AD 52. Paul’s journey brought him to Ephesus where he stayed for 2 years and 3 months. This brings us to the summer of AD 54. Paul then passed through Macedonia in the fall and arrived in Greece where he spent 3 months in Corinth (Acts 20:3). This would have been winter AD 54/55. During this period he wrote the book of Romans. Returning through Macedonia during the spring (Acts 20:3), he sailed from Phillipi shortly after April 7 (Acts 20:6). After multiple stops along the way, he arrived in Jerusalem in May/June AD 55.
• From Jerusalem to Fair Havens—Paul was arrested in Jerusalem in the summer of AD 55 and taken to Caesarea where he was confined for 2 years (Acts 24:27). This brings us to summer of A.D. 57. At that point, Paul left by ship for Rome (Acts 27:1-2). Luke says it was very slow going (Acts 27:7). They arrived eventually at Fair Havens on Crete, where they stayed until after the “fast” (i.e. the day of atonement, 7 Tishri) was past. This would have been after Sept. 29, of that year—AD 57.
• From Fair Havens to Rome—they then set sail and were shipwrecked at Malta 14 days later, which by now was in late October. (Acts 27:27; 18:1). They stayed for 3 months (AD 57/58, Acts 28:11). In Feb. of AD 58, they set sail for Rome and arrived at Rome in the spring of AD 58. Paul remained in custody for 2 more years (Acts 28:30) which brings us up to AD 60 for the end of the book of Acts.
• After the Roman Imprisonment—Paul was apparently freed shortly after this time as he predicted in Philippians 1:25. References to this time in l Clement 5 and the Muratorian Fragment make it probable that he visited Spain. This is also the most likely time for the writing of I Timothy and Titus (as well as Hebrews if, indeed he wrote that book). He then returned to Rome, where he was martyred in the summer of AS 64, in connection with the persecution instituted by Nero (II Tim. 4:6).