Paul’s Missionary Journeys in Acts
Quick Summary
Paul's missionary journeys span Acts 13-28, taking the gospel from Antioch through Asia Minor, Greece, and eventually to Rome. These journeys establish churches across the Roman Empire, demonstrate the Spirit's guidance in mission, and show how the gospel crosses cultural boundaries. Paul's pattern of preaching in synagogues, forming multiethnic communities, and enduring opposition shapes the expansion of early Christianity and provides a model for mission that remains relevant today.
Introduction
The second half of the Book of Acts is dominated by Paul's missionary travels. From Acts 13 onward, Luke narrates how Paul, together with various companions, carries the gospel across the Roman Empire. These journeys are not aimless wandering but purposeful mission, directed by the Holy Spirit and focused on proclaiming Jesus as Lord in major urban centers.
Paul's journeys can be divided into three main missionary trips, followed by his final journey to Rome as a prisoner. Each journey builds on the previous one, extending the gospel's reach and establishing churches that become centers of faith and witness in the Gentile world. Understanding these journeys helps us see the strategic nature of early Christian mission and the challenges faced by those who first carried the gospel beyond Jerusalem.
First Missionary Journey: Cyprus and Southern Galatia (Acts 13-14)
Paul's first missionary journey begins in Antioch, where the Holy Spirit directs the church to set apart Paul and Barnabasfor the work to which God has called them (Acts 13:1-3). The church fasts, prays, and lays hands on them, sending them off with the Spirit's blessing.
Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark travel first to Cyprus, Barnabas's home island. In Salamis, they proclaim the word of God in Jewish synagogues. In Paphos, they encounter a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus who opposes their message. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, confronts him, and the man is struck blind. The Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus witnesses this and believes (Acts 13:4-12).
From Cyprus, they sail to the mainland and travel to Pisidian Antioch in southern Galatia. Paul preaches in the synagogue, rehearsing Israel's history and proclaiming Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promises. Many believe, but opposition arises from Jewish leaders. Paul and Barnabas declare they are turning to the Gentiles, citing Isaiah 49:6: "I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:47). The gospel spreads throughout the region, but opponents drive Paul and Barnabas out.
They continue to Iconium, where Jews and Greeks believe in large numbers, but division erupts, and they flee to avoid being stoned. In Lystra, Paul heals a man lame from birth. The crowd attempts to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods, but Paul redirects them to the living God. Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrive, turn the crowd against Paul, and stone him, leaving him for dead. He survives and continues to Derbe.
After making disciples in Derbe, Paul and Barnabas retrace their steps, strengthening the new believers, appointing elders in each church, and encouraging them to continue in the faith despite persecution. They return to Antioch and report all that God has done, including opening a door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27).
The first journey establishes a pattern: Paul begins in synagogues, proclaims Jesus as Messiah, faces opposition, turns to Gentiles, forms communities, and appoints leadership before moving on.
The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)
Before Paul's second journey, the church faces a critical theological conflict. Some believers from Judea teach that Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be saved. The Jerusalem Council convenes to address the issue. Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James speak, and the council concludes that Gentiles are saved by grace through faith, not by adherence to the Mosaic law. The decision is communicated to the churches, removing a major obstacle to Gentile mission.
This decision is foundational for Paul's subsequent journeys. The gospel is now clearly understood as for all people, Jew and Gentile alike, on the basis of faith in Jesus.
Second Missionary Journey: Asia Minor and Greece (Acts 15:36-18:22)
Paul proposes to Barnabas that they revisit the churches from their first journey. They disagree sharply over whether to take John Mark, who had deserted them earlier. Barnabas takes Mark and sails to Cyprus, while Paul chooses Silas and travels through Syria and Cilicia.
Paul revisits the churches in Galatia, and in Lystra he meets Timothy, whom he takes as a companion. They travel through Phrygia and Galatia, but the Spirit prevents them from preaching in Asia and Bithynia. Instead, Paul receives a vision of a man from Macedonia saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9). They conclude that God is calling them to Europe.
They sail to Philippi, a leading city in Macedonia. On the Sabbath, they meet Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, who believes and is baptized along with her household. Later, after Paul exorcises a demon from a slave girl, he and Silas are beaten and imprisoned. At midnight, they pray and sing hymns. An earthquake opens the prison doors, and the jailer and his household come to faith and are baptized.
From Philippi, Paul travels to Thessalonica, where he reasons in the synagogue for three weeks. Some believe, including prominent Greek women, but opposition arises, and Paul and Silas flee to Berea. The Bereans are more receptive, examining the Scriptures daily to verify Paul's teaching. Many believe, but opponents from Thessalonica arrive and stir up trouble, forcing Paul to leave for Athens.
In Athens, Paul engages philosophers in the Areopagus, proclaiming the unknown God and calling them to repent in light of Jesus' resurrection. Some mock, but others believe, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris.
Paul continues to Corinth, where he stays for eighteen months, working as a tentmaker alongside Aquila and Priscilla. He preaches in the synagogue until opposition drives him to focus on Gentiles. The Lord encourages Paul in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people" (Acts 18:9-10). The church in Corinth grows significantly.
After Corinth, Paul briefly visits Ephesus, then returns to Antioch via Jerusalem, completing the second journey.
Third Missionary Journey: Ephesus and Beyond (Acts 18:23-21:16)
Paul begins his third journey by traveling through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples. He arrives in Ephesus, where he encounters disciples who have only been baptized with John's baptism. Paul baptizes them in Jesus' name, and the Holy Spirit comes upon them (Acts 19:1-7).
Paul spends three months reasoning in the synagogue and then moves to the hall of Tyrannus, where he teaches daily for two years. The word of the Lord spreads throughout Asia, and God performs extraordinary miracles through Paul, including healings and exorcisms (Acts 19:11-12).
Paul's preaching disrupts the business of silversmiths who make shrines of Artemis. A riot erupts, and the city is in chaos for hours before a town clerk restores order. Paul leaves Ephesus and travels through Macedonia and Greece, encouraging the churches. In Troas, Paul speaks late into the night, and a young man named Eutychus falls from a window and dies. Paul raises him back to life (Acts 20:9-12).
Paul deliberately bypasses Ephesus on his return journey but summons the Ephesian elders to meet him at Miletus. His farewell address is deeply pastoral, warning them of false teachers and commending them to God's grace. He tells them, "I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable" (Acts 20:20) and urges them to shepherd the church faithfully.
Paul continues his journey toward Jerusalem despite repeated warnings from the Spirit that imprisonment awaits him. He is resolute, saying, "I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 21:13).
Journey to Rome as a Prisoner (Acts 21:17-28:31)
Paul's arrival in Jerusalem leads quickly to his arrest. He is seized in the temple, nearly killed by a mob, and taken into Roman custody. He defends himself before Jewish and Roman authorities multiple times, eventually appealing to Caesaras a Roman citizen.
The voyage to Rome is harrowing. The ship encounters a violent storm and is wrecked off the coast of Malta. All aboard survive. On Malta, Paul is bitten by a viper but unharmed, and he heals many on the island.
Finally, Paul arrives in Rome, where he is allowed to live under house arrest. He continues proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus "with all boldness and without hindrance" (Acts 28:31). The book ends with Paul still preaching, still in chains, and the mission still ongoing.
The Strategy Behind Paul's Journeys
Paul's journeys are not random. He focuses on major urban centers with significant Jewish populations and strategic connections to surrounding regions. Cities like Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonica, and Rome were hubs from which the gospel could spread organically.
Paul's pattern is consistent: begin in the synagogue, proclaim Jesus as Messiah, form a community of believers, appoint leaders, and move on. He establishes self-sustaining churches rather than creating dependency on his presence. His letters show that he remains deeply concerned for these churches, but he trusts the Spirit to continue the work he began.
The Role of Companions
Paul rarely travels alone. Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Luke, Priscilla and Aquila, and many others accompany him at various points. These companions share in the mission, learn from Paul, and become leaders in their own right. The missionary journeys are collaborative efforts, not solo ventures.
Why Paul's Journeys Matter Today
Paul's journeys demonstrate that mission requires both Spirit-led spontaneity and strategic planning. Paul responds to visions and the Spirit's direction, but he also thinks carefully about where to go and how to establish lasting communities.
The journeys also show that mission involves suffering. Paul is beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and imprisoned, yet he continues because the gospel is worth proclaiming regardless of the cost.
Finally, Paul's journeys remind the church that mission is not optional. The church exists to proclaim Jesus, and that proclamation requires going to places where Jesus is not yet known.
See Also
Works Consulted
Hemer, Colin J. The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History. Edited by Conrad H. Gempf. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1989.
Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012–2015.
Ramsay, W.M. St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1895.
Rapske, Brian. The Book of Acts and Paul in Roman Custody. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994.
Schnabel, Eckhard J. Early Christian Mission. 2 vols. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004.
Witherington, Ben, III. The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
