Primary Scriptures: Acts 13-14
Story Summary: The First Missionary Journey
Location: Roman Empire; Antioch, Cyprus, Galatia
Time: 30 AD. Death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Pentecost. 33 AD (?) Paul becomes a Christian 46 AD Barnabas and Paul’s “famine” visit to Jerusalem, start of First Missionary Journey
It was about fifteen years after the resurrection of Jesus before the Christians made a determined, organized effort to take the Gospel to the ethnic groups other than the Jews, an undertaking often called the First Missionary Journey. This was possibly the first major effort by any religion to find followers among different ethnic groups and cultures in the Roman Empire.
After Barnabas and Paul took a relief offering from the church in Antioch to the church in Jerusalem, they returned to Antioch. They brought John Mark, a relative of Barnabas, with them from Jerusalem.
The Holy Spirit led the church at Antioch to set apart Barnabas and Paul for a special work. The church did so, and placed hands on them after prayer and fasting. They probably didn’t know where the church was sending them, only that they were to be sent.
Soon, Barnabas, Paul and John Mark were on their way to Cyprus, the first stop on the First Missionary Journey. Barnabas was probably quite familiar with the island since he was from there.
They set a pattern they would follow for many years: share the Gospel with the Jews first, then the Gentiles. This pattern also allowed them to address the God-fearers, people who knew God from staying around the synagogues, but who were unwilling to convert to Judaism.
After traversing the island of Cyprus, the three men sailed north to modern-day Turkey, where John Mark chose to abandon the other two and go back to Jerusalem. This would prove to be an important event.
Paul and Barnabas continued into the mainland of Turkey where they shared the Gospel in many places and established many churches. Their success showed that God blessed their efforts to share the Gospel to non-Jewish people. With this good news, they returned to Antioch to find out what the Holy Spirit wanted them to do next.
Eyewitness Bible Series
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