Acts’ account of Paul’s missionary journeys.

Acts’ Account of Paul’s Missionary Journeys

Introduction: Reading Acts as Theological History

The Book of Acts provides the canonical narrative frame for the expansion of the Jesus movement from Jerusalem “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Within that programmatic arc, the figure of Paul (Saul) emerges as the principal missionary strategist who carries the gospel across the eastern Mediterranean. For purposes of historical reconstruction, Acts is both indispensable and demanding. It is indispensable because it preserves the most sustained itinerary of Paul’s travels, companions, speeches, conflicts, and churches. It is demanding because Acts is an example of ancient historiography—a genre that aims to instruct, persuade, and edify as much as to chronicle events, often compressing timelines, stylizing speeches, and shaping episodes to highlight theological motifs (Witherington, 1998; Keener, 2012).

This article offers a comprehensive, student-facing walkthrough of Acts’ account of Paul’s missionary journeys: the first journey (Acts 13–14), the second journey (Acts 15:36–18:22), and the third journey (Acts 18:23–21:17), followed by Paul’s arrest and transfer to Rome (Acts 21:27–28:31). We will integrate literary observations, historical geography, and theological themes, while occasionally correlating Acts with data from Paul’s letters (e.g., Galatians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Corinthians, Romans). Our goal is not to adjudicate every critical question but to equip you to read Acts as theological history—recognizing Luke’s narrative design and the Spirit’s leading—while attending to historical plausibility in the Greco-Roman world (Hemer, 1990; Meeks, 1983; Keener, 2012).

1) Antioch as Launchpad: Mission from a Multiethnic Church (Acts 11–13)

Before the journeys begin, Acts introduces Antioch of Syria as a cosmopolitan center where Jews and Gentiles worship together and where “disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26). Prophets and teachers in this community include Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, and Saul (Acts 13:1). The diverse leadership list suggests Antioch as a microcosm of the gospel’s reach, foreshadowing Paul’s later insistence on Jew-Gentile unity.

In Acts 13:2–3, the Spirit directs the church to “set apart” Barnabas and Saul for the work to which God has called them. The language of fasting, prayer, and laying on of hands signals a missionary commissioning that both recognizes divine calling and maintains ecclesial accountability. Antioch will function as a home base for travel, reporting, and theological discernment (Acts 14:26–28; 15:30–35; 18:22).

Key motif: Mission is not entrepreneurial freelancing; it is Spirit-led and church-sent. Antioch’s rhythms of worship, discernment, and generosity become a template for later mission structures.

2) The First Missionary Journey: Cyprus and South Galatia (Acts 13–14)

2.1 Cyprus: Sergius Paulus and the Clash with Elymas (Acts 13:4–12)

Route: Antioch (Syria) → Seleucia (port) → Cyprus (Salamis to Paphos).
Team: Barnabas and Saul, with John Mark as assistant (Acts 13:5).

In Paphos, the proconsul Sergius Paulus summons the missionaries, but the magician Elymas (Bar-Jesus) opposes them. Saul—hereafter called Paul (Acts 13:9)—confronts the sorcerer; Elymas is struck blind, and the proconsul believes, “astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (Acts 13:12). The episode dramatizes a power encounter between the gospel and rival spiritualities and marks a leadership transition from Barnabas to Paul (note the shift from “Barnabas and Saul” to “Paul and his companions” in Acts 13:13). It also signals Luke’s interest in elite conversions as beachheads for the gospel’s social diffusion (Meeks, 1983; Keener, 2012).

2.2 Perga to Pisidian Antioch: A Programmatic Synagogue Sermon (Acts 13:13–52)

Route: Paphos → Perga (Pamphylia) → Pisidian Antioch (in Phrygia/Galatia).
Complication: John Mark returns to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13), a detail that will later catalyze a sharp dispute (Acts 15:36–41).

In the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch, Paul delivers a programmatic sermon that summarizes Israel’s story from the patriarchs to David and proclaims Jesus as the promised Davidic Savior (Acts 13:16–41). Key moves include:

• Scriptural proof (Ps 2; Isa 55; Ps 16) that resurrection fulfills promise.

• The declaration of forgiveness of sins and justification through Jesus, “from everything you could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38–39), anticipating Pauline themes later expanded in Galatians and Romans.

• A warning from Habakkuk 1:5 against unbelief.

The aftermath showcases Paul’s habitual pattern: initial receptivity among Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, followed by jealousy and contradiction, culminating in a turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13:42–48). The Isaianic mission text—“I have made you a light for the Gentiles” (Isa 49:6)—is explicitly applied, reflecting Paul’s self-understanding as apostle to the nations (Wright, 2013).

2.3 Iconium, Lystra, Derbe: Signs, Suffering, and the Formation of Elders (Acts 14)

In Iconium, the team speaks “in such a way” that many believe; opposition forces a strategic withdrawal to Lystra and Derbe (Acts 14:1–7). At Lystra, a healing triggers a pagan misunderstanding: locals hail Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes (Acts 14:11–13). Paul’s “Lystran sermon” appeals not to Scripture (as in synagogues) but to general revelation—the Creator’s beneficence evidenced in rains, fruitful seasons, and gladness (Acts 14:15–17). This illustrates Paul’s contextual rhetoric: Torah-saturated argument in synagogues; creation theology in pagan settings (Dunn, 1998; Keener, 2012).

Hostile agitators arrive; Paul is stoned and left for dead but survives (Acts 14:19–20). On the return loop, the missionaries strengthen disciples, exhort them that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God,” and appoint elders (presbyteroi) in every church, with prayer and fasting, commending them to the Lord (Acts 14:21–23). The pattern—evangelize, establish, entrust—will reappear in later journeys.

Takeaway: The first journey demonstrates Paul’s synagogue-first method, flexible preaching, resilience under persecution, and deliberate local leadership formation—core elements of his church-planting vision (Longenecker, 2015).

3) The Jerusalem Council and the Gospel’s Social Boundary (Acts 15:1–35)

Between the first and second journeys, a defining controversy erupts: Must Gentile believers be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses? (Acts 15:1, 5). Apostolic and elder deliberation in Jerusalem yields a Spirit-guided judgment: no—Gentiles are welcomed by grace without adopting Jewish boundary markers; they are asked to refrain from idolatry, sexual immorality, and blood (Acts 15:19–21, 28–29). This decree, delivered by Judas Barsabbas and Silas, safeguards table fellowship and the one-body reality of the church.

For Paul’s mission, Acts 15 functions as ecclesial ratification of the gospel of grace he proclaims (cf. Gal 2:1–10). The decision clears space for a truly multiethnic church while honoring Jewish sensitivities in mixed communities (Dunn, 1998; Wright, 2013).

4) The Second Missionary Journey: From Syria to the Aegean (Acts 15:36–18:22)

4.1 Team Reconfiguration: Barnabas with Mark; Paul with Silas and Timothy (Acts 15:36–16:5)

A sharp disagreement over John Mark splits the original team: Barnabas sails to Cyprus with Mark; Paul selects Silas and revisits churches in Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:39–41). In Lystra, Paul enlists Timothy, “well spoken of by the brothers” (Acts 16:1–3). Timothy is circumcised—not to compromise the decree, but to remove a missional obstacle among Jews, since Timothy’s mother is Jewish and father Greek. Paul’s pastoral pragmatism avoids unnecessary offense while preserving the essence of Gentile freedom (Witherington, 1998).

4.2 Guidance by Prohibition: Asia, Bithynia, and the Macedonian Vision (Acts 16:6–10)

Attempting to speak the word in Asia and Bithynia, the team is prevented by the Holy Spirit and the “Spirit of Jesus,” then redirected to Troas. Paul receives the Macedonian vision: “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). Luke’s narrative shifts to the first-person plural (“we,” Acts 16:10), suggesting the author has joined the party. Theologically, Luke underscores divine sovereignty in mission geography: closed doors are as directive as open ones (Keener, 2012).

4.3 Philippi: Lydia, a Slave Girl, and the Philippian Jailer (Acts 16:11–40)

In Philippi, a Roman colony, Paul meets Lydia, a God-fearing merchant of purple cloth; “the Lord opened her heart,” and she and her household are baptized (Acts 16:14–15). After Paul exorcises a spirit of divination from a slave girl, her owners engineer a public beating and imprisonment. At midnight, hymns shake the prison as an earthquake opens the doors; rather than fleeing, Paul prevents the jailer’s suicide and proclaims salvation. The jailer and household are baptized that night (Acts 16:25–34). Upon learning of Paul’s Roman citizenship, the magistrates are alarmed, having unlawfully beaten him (Acts 16:37–39).

Philippi exemplifies:

• Household conversions and patronage (Lydia’s home becomes a base).

• The collision between the gospel and exploitative economics.

• Paul’s legal savvy and willingness to suffer public shame as a witness to the crucified Lord (Meeks, 1983; Keener, 2012).

4.4 Thessalonica and Berea: Scripture, Riots, and Noble Inquiry (Acts 17:1–15)

In Thessalonica, Paul reasons from Scripture that the Messiah had to suffer and rise (Acts 17:3). Some Jews, many God-fearing Greeks, and “leading women” believe; a riot ensues, accusing Paul of defying Caesar by saying there is “another king, Jesus” (Acts 17:7)—a telling snapshot of the gospel’s political edge in an imperial context (Wright, 2013). Fleeing to Berea, the team finds noble-minded Jews who examine the Scriptures daily; again, belief multiplies, but agitators from Thessalonica force Paul onward.

Acts’ Thessalonica episode dovetails with 1–2 Thessalonians, letters written shortly after Paul’s departure, addressing persecution, work ethic, and eschatological hope.

4.5 Athens: The Areopagus Address (Acts 17:16–34)

Provoked by idols in Athens, Paul debates in the synagogue and agora with philosophers—Epicureans and Stoics. Invited to the Areopagus, he proclaims the unknown God as the Creator who gives life, sets times and places, and summons all to repentance because he has appointed a day of judgment through a man he raised from the dead (Acts 17:22–31). Paul cites Greek poets (Aratus/Cleanthes), builds common ground, then confronts idolatry and announces resurrection—a stumbling block to Greeks as much as to Jews.

The Areopagus speech showcases Paul’s contextual theology: he can speak creation-to-Christ in pagan idiom without diluting the scandal of resurrection. Conversions follow, including Dionysius and Damaris.

4.6 Corinth: Weakness, Cross, and Long Obedience (Acts 18:1–18)

Arriving in Corinth, a commercial and morally complex city, Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish tentmakers expelled from Rome by Claudius (Acts 18:2). He works with his hands by day and reasons in the synagogue each Sabbath. When Silas and Timothy arrive from Macedonia, Paul devotes himself fully to the word; opposition leads him to focus on Gentile hearers (Acts 18:5–6). The conversion of Crispus, the synagogue ruler, emboldens many. A vision encourages Paul: “Do not be afraid… for I have many in this city who are my people” (Acts 18:9–10). He stays eighteen months—a long residency that matches the pastoral intensity evident in 1–2 Corinthians.

A united attack is brought before Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, who dismisses the complaint as an internal religious dispute (Acts 18:12–17). The Gallio inscription helps date Paul’s time in Corinth to c. 50–52 CE, a key chronological anchor for Pauline studies (Hemer, 1990; Keener, 2012).

Paul then sails for Syria, briefly stopping at Ephesus, and returns to Caesarea and Antioch (Acts 18:18–22).

Takeaway: The second journey demonstrates westward expansion into Europe, deep formation of strategic urban churches (Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth), and further refinement of Paul’s public witness amid philosophy, law, and commerce.

5) The Third Missionary Journey: Ephesus as a Regional Hub (Acts 18:23–21:17)

5.1 Strengthening the Churches and the Apollos Bridge (Acts 18:23–28)

Paul departs Antioch, strengthening Galatian and Phrygian churches (Acts 18:23). Meanwhile, Apollos, an eloquent Alexandrian, teaches accurately about Jesus in Ephesus but knows only John’s baptism; Priscilla and Aquila instruct him more fully. Apollos moves to Corinth, powerfully refuting Jews and demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 18:27–28). Luke’s vignette models team ministry, theological mentoring, and cross-church cooperation.

5.2 Ephesus: Two Years of Teaching, Miracles, and Social Upheaval (Acts 19)

Paul returns to Ephesus, where he encounters disciples who have not received the Holy Spirit; after instruction, they are baptized into Jesus’ name, and the Spirit comes upon them (Acts 19:1–7). Paul then reasons in the synagogue, transitions to the lecture hall of Tyrannus, and conducts a two-year ministry so that “all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10). Extraordinary miracles occur; exorcists attempting to appropriate Jesus’ name are humiliated (the sons of Sceva), leading many to confess and burn magic books, worth a fortune (Acts 19:18–19). The gospel’s economic ramifications ignite a civic disturbance led by Demetrius, a silversmith whose idol-trade is threatened. The theater riot is quelled by the town clerk’s appeal to legal order (Acts 19:23–41).

Ephesus functions as a regional hub: the “word of the Lord” radiates through networks of house churches and itinerant coworkers. The episode foregrounds the public, social, and economic consequences of the gospel in a city devoted to Artemis (Meeks, 1983; Keener, 2012).

5.3 Macedonia, Greece, Troas, and Miletus: Encouragement and Tears (Acts 20)

Paul travels through Macedonia, gives much paraklēsis (encouragement), and spends three months in Greece (likely Corinth), where many scholars place the writing of Romans. A plot sends him back through Macedonia; a diverse team of coworkers accompanies him (Acts 20:4). In Troas, during a long teaching session, Eutychus falls from a window, is taken up dead, but restored; the community breaks bread and is comforted (Acts 20:7–12).

Most poignantly, Paul summons Ephesian elders to Miletus and delivers a farewell discourse (Acts 20:17–38). He reviews his humble, tearful, trial-laden ministry, declares his innocence from the blood of all because he did not shrink from declaring “the whole counsel of God,” warns of wolves and false teachers, commends them to God and the message of grace, highlights his self-support (“these hands ministered to my necessities”), and quotes Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The scene closes with weeping, prayer, and a final embrace.

Luke’s portrait of Paul’s pastoral character—courageous, transparent, hardworking, generous—gives concrete shape to the cruciform leadership celebrated in the letters (Dunn, 1998; Wright, 2013).

5.4 To Jerusalem: Prophecy, Purity, and Arrest (Acts 21:1–17, 27–36)

Despite prophetic warnings (e.g., Agabus binding his hands with Paul’s belt), Paul is resolved to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10–14). Seeking to conciliate Jewish believers disturbed by rumors that he teaches Jews to forsake Moses, Paul sponsors men under a vow in the Temple (Acts 21:17–26). Nevertheless, opponents accuse him of bringing Gentiles into the inner courts; a riot erupts, and Paul is arrested by Roman soldiers (Acts 21:27–36).

This moment transitions the narrative from missionary journeys to custody and witness under imperial authority. Yet the pattern persists: Paul continues to testify—before the crowd (Acts 22), Sanhedrin (Acts 23), Felix and Festus (Acts 24–25), Agrippa (Acts 26), and eventually in Rome (Acts 28).

6) The Journey to Rome: Storm, Shipwreck, and Unhindered Witness (Acts 27–28)

Having appealed to Caesar, Paul travels under guard. Luke’s seamanship details (e.g., soundings, undergirding the ship, Euroclydon/northeaster) and port names (Fair Havens, Phoenix) project nautical verisimilitude (Hemer, 1990; Keener, 2012). A violent storm leads to shipwreck on Malta; Paul’s serpentine bite without harm and his healings among islanders evoke Exodus-like deliverance and mission mercy (Acts 28:1–10). Arriving in Rome, Paul summons Jewish leaders, explains the gospel, and proclaims the kingdom “with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31). The open-ended finale invites readers to see the church’s mission as ongoing.

7) Themes and Methods in Acts’ Portrait of Paul’s Mission

7.1 Synagogue First, Then the Nations

Paul’s missional rhythm is clear: begin in the synagogue (scriptural argument), then turn to Gentiles when opposition hardens (Acts 13:46; 18:6; 28:28). This practice honors Israel’s priority (Rom 1:16) and leverages synagogues as diaspora hubs with Gentile “God-fearers” already familiar with Scripture (Meeks, 1983).

7.2 Urban, Networked Strategy

Paul targets cities—provincial and commercial centers (Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus)—planting house churches that become regional nodes. Ephesus exemplifies a hub-and-spoke approach: daily instruction for two years radiates the word throughout Asia (Acts 19:10). Coworkers and letters maintain network connectivity (Longenecker, 2015).

7.3 Contextual Rhetoric

Paul adapts to audiences: Scripture-saturated preaching for Jews (Acts 13), creation-to-Christ for pagans (Acts 14; 17), apologia before officials that highlight legal innocence and resurrection hope (Acts 24–26). Luke’s crafted speeches follow ancient conventions where historians supply appropriate discourse capturing the gist (Witherington, 1998; Keener, 2012).

7.4 Suffering as Normative

From stoning in Lystra to beatings in Philippi, riots in Ephesus, and custody under Rome, suffering is not incidental but constitutive of apostolic mission. Luke’s Paul mirrors the letters’ theology: weakness is the stage for divine power (2 Cor 4:7–12). The missionaries disciple new believers with this expectation: “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom” (Acts 14:22).

7.5 The Spirit’s Governance

The Spirit calls (Acts 13:2), forbids and redirects (Acts 16:6–7), empowers witness (Acts 1:8), and confers joy amid persecution (Acts 13:52). Acts’ journeys are not human brilliance alone but Spirit-scripted paths.

7.6 Law, Table, and Unity

Acts 15 guards the church’s unity: Gentiles welcomed without circumcision; Jews respected in mixed spaces by concessions that enable table fellowship. Paul’s praxis (e.g., circumcising Timothy; declining to compel Titus, Gal 2:3) exemplifies pastoral wisdom—firm on the gospel’s core, flexible on missional prudence (Dunn, 1998).

8) Correlating Acts and the Letters: Convergences and Cautions

Convergences include:

• The Gallio datum aligning with 1–2 Corinthians chronology (Hemer, 1990).

• The Macedonian/Corinthian sequence matching the composition of 1–2 Thessalonians from Corinth.

• The collection for Jerusalem appearing in Acts 24:17 and across the letters (1 Cor 16; 2 Cor 8–9; Rom 15).

• Paul’s sufferings and weakness serving as apostolic credentials (Acts 14; 20; 2 Cor 11–12).

Cautions:

• Acts is selective; it compresses and stylizes speeches to fit narrative aims (Witherington, 1998).

• Travel notices can be summary statements covering longer spans (Keener, 2012).

• The order and duration of some events remain debated; careful students triangulate with the letters and external data.

Reading Acts alongside the letters fosters a thick description: Luke gives plot and place; the letters open pastoral hearts and local tensions. Together they yield the most reliable portrait of the missionary Paul available to historians (Longenecker, 2015; Dunn, 1998).

9) Practical Case Studies for Interpretation

Case Study A: The Philippi Narrative and Public Theology

Philippi blends household economy, legal status, spiritual conflict, and public shame. Analyze how Lydia’s patronage, the slave girl’s exploitation, and the jailer’s conversion assemble a micro-theology of liberation, community, and civic engagement. Compare with Philippians’ emphasis on citizenship in heaven (Phil 3:20).

Case Study B: Areopagus and Cultural Apologetics

Study Paul’s Areopagus speech as a model for first-principles apologetics: common ground (creation), critique (idolatry), and climax (resurrection/judgment). Observe both continuity with Jewish monotheism and contextualization for Greek philosophy.

Case Study C: Ephesus and the Economics of Idolatry

Assess the Demetrius riot as evidence that gospel proclamation disrupts unjust markets. Consider parallels in modern economies where Christian ethics challenge exploitative trades. What pastoral strategies emerge from Acts 19 for discipleship in public life?

10) Summary: Journeys as a Map of the Gospel’s Logic

Acts’ account of Paul’s journeys is more than an atlas of ancient travel; it is a map of the gospel’s logic. Beginning from a multiethnic base in Antioch, the mission moves synagogue-first, then Gentile-wide; it forms house churches with local elders; it preaches Christ crucified and risen in rhetorically flexible ways; it expects opposition and frames suffering as normal; it remains accountable to Jerusalem while defending Gentile freedom; and it trusts the Spirit to open and close doors, guiding the church through storm and courtroom to an unhindered witness at the empire’s heart. To read Acts well is to see how theology travels—embodied in itineraries, friendships, letters, tears, and tables—until “all the residents of Asia” and “even Caesar’s household” hear the word (Acts 19:10; Phil 4:22).

Suggested Assignments (Week 2, Bullet 1)

1. Annotated Itinerary (Map + Commentary, 1,500–2,000 words):
   Create a detailed map of Paul’s three journeys and the voyage to Rome. For each city, annotate: (a) the passage in Acts, (b) the mode of engagement (synagogue, agora, lecture hall, courtroom), (c) key outcomes (conversions, riots, miracles, leadership formation), and (d) any letter correlations (e.g., 1 Thess, 1–2 Cor, Rom). Include 8–10 scholarly annotations referencing Acts scholarship.

2. Speech Analysis (1,200–1,600 words):
   Compare two speeches: Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:16–41) and the Areopagus (Acts 17:22–31). Identify audience, structure, Scripture/theology content, and rhetorical strategy. Evaluate how Luke’s stylization advances his theological aims (use Witherington, Keener).

3. Case Study Essay (1,500 words):
   “The Economics of the Gospel in Ephesus” (Acts 19:23–41). Analyze how gospel proclamation precipitates social-economic tension. Draw contemporary parallels (e.g., predatory lending, exploitative labor). Propose pastoral responses rooted in Acts.

4. Chronology Brief (800–1,000 words + chart):
   Using the Gallio inscription and data from Acts and the letters, construct a chronological chart for the second journey and early third journey. Discuss methodological challenges of correlating sources (Hemer; Longenecker).

5. Pastoral Rule of Life (750–1,000 words):
   Based on Acts 20:17–38, draft a “rule of life” for ministry leaders (habits of prayer, teaching, generosity, self-support, vigilance). Include practical commitments for a modern church planter.

6. Group Debate:
   Resolved: “Paul’s synagogue-first strategy remains the best missional approach in culturally plural cities today.” Teams must engage Acts, Meeks (urban social world), and Wright (political-theological dimensions).

References

Dunn, J. D. G. (1998). The theology of Paul the Apostle. Eerdmans.
Hemer, C. J. (1990). The Book of Acts in the setting of Hellenistic history. Mohr Siebeck.
Keener, C. S. (2012). Acts: An exegetical commentary (Vol. 1). Baker Academic.
Longenecker, R. N. (2015). The Apostle Paul: A biography. Eerdmans.
Meeks, W. A. (1983). The first urban Christians: The social world of the Apostle Paul. Yale University Press.
Witherington, B. III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles: A socio-rhetorical commentary. Eerdmans.
Wright, N. T. (2013). Paul and the faithfulness of God. Fortress Press.