First Missionary Journey of Paul
Acts:13-14
AD 46-48
Paul, Barnabas and John Mark
started their missionary Journey from Syrian Antioch in the year of 47 AD.
They went to harbor town of Seleucia and sailed first to Salamis in Cyprus
from where Barnabas was originated. They arrived to Salamis ( Acts 13:4-5),
one of the great commercial harbors of Cyprus. They proclaimed the word of
God the synagogues of Jews. They passed the island from the east to
west and arrived the city of Paphos, the center of Roman rule and the cult of
Aphrodite. The city of Paphos had an evil reputation for the laxity of moral
of its inhabitants. Paul and companions met the Roman Proconsul, Sergius
Paulos and the sorcerer called Elimas who was blinded by Paul. Proconsul
became one of the believers and from this point on Saul started using this
Roman name, Paul, Paul and friends then sailed for Pamphilia, south west
Anatolia. They possibly arrived to Attalia, the main port of the region and
moved to Perge, the most important city of Pamphilia region. Paul didn't stay
long time in Perge. Young John Mark left the party. He was either scared of
dangerous trip to north through the Taurus mountains or irritated by the
leadership of Paul in the group or he was homesick. Paul and Barnabas
journeyed towards Pisidian Antioch, located 100 miles in the north of Perge.
In Pisidian Antioch Paul utters his historical words:
"Now, we turn to
Gentiles"
After Pisidian Antioch, Paul and
Barnabas moved to Lystra where people thought that Paul and Barnabas were
Gods. When they learned about the truth, they tried to persecute Paul and
Barnabas. Paul was stoned and beaten to such an extent that people thought he
had died. Next city they would arrive was Derbe where the apostles made a lot
of disciples and one of them was Gaius who accompanied Paul during his last
missionary journey. Paul after staying for a while in Derbe. He starts his
return journey by retracing their initial road. hey returned to Attalia from
where they set sail to Antioch to report the results of his missionary
journey. The first journey which lasted 18 months ended in the fall of 47 AD.
