The Apostle Paul

In Acts 9 we considered the conversion of Saul, who later was called Paul. There we noted that the Lord said of him: “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings and the children of Israel” (v15). We will now consider how this great work was accomplished.

The Missionary Journeys of Paul

Three missionary journeys of Paul are recorded in The Acts of the Apostles. As we read the record of them we come to appreciate the way in which the Gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire. With the development of communities of believers in different cities of the Empire we can understand why Paul needed to write letters to them. These were written to encourage their faith, to answer their questions and to correct problems that had arisen in their midst. Many of these letters have been preserved by God’s overshadowing providence, so that we have the benefit of Paul’s inspired teaching to guide us even today.

The Greek word for each community of believers is ekklesia, translated “church” in most Bibles. The word is a composition of klesis, from kaleo “to call” and the prefix ek, meaning “out of”. It describes an assembly of people called out for a specific purpose. The English word “church” does not accurately convey the meaning of the Greek, and therefore there is a preference to use “ecclesia”, the English form of the Greek word. This word more accurately shows that the believers are a community “called out” by God through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, to stand aside from the ways of the world and follow him (1 Peter 2:9; Acts 15:14; Ephesians 1:18; 4:4).

The first journey (Acts 13–14)

As we read through these chapters we can follow the journey of Paul and Barnabas as they took the Gospel first to Cyprus and then into Galatia, the ancient name for central Turkey today. Most Bibles with maps at the back will have these journeys marked on them. Later Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians to the believers in that area.

The second journey (Acts 16–18)

On this trip Paul and Silas revisited the ecclesias in Galatia and travelled on to Troas, across to Philippi, and then down to Athens and on to Corinth. The return journey to Jerusalem took them via Ephesus and then by ship back to Judaea.

Later Paul wrote letters to those whom he had met on this journey. They are the letters to the Philippians, Thessalonians, and Corinthians.

The third journey (Acts 18–21)

Paul again travelled through Galatia and then on to Ephesus, where he stayed for three years. From this centre the Gospel spread so that “all Asia heard the word of the Lord”. Then on to Greece again before returning to Jerusalem.

Paul later wrote letters to the Ephesians and Colossians (including the personal letter to Philemon).

Adapted from “The Exploring the Bible Course” by David Evans