Paul's First Missionary Journey
The church at Antioch — a mixed community whose leaders include a man from Cyrene and one brought up with Herod the Tetrarch — sets apart Barnabas and Saul and sends them off. They sail to Cyprus, cross to the mainland, and work through the interior of what is now southern Turkey.
John Mark leaves them at Perga and goes home, a desertion that later splits the partnership. At Pisidian Antioch Paul preaches in the synagogue, meets opposition, and announces he is turning to the Gentiles. At Lystra a healing convinces the crowd that the gods have come down, and they try to offer sacrifice to Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes — and the same crowd, worked on by opponents, stones Paul and drags him out of the city for dead.
The pattern of the rest of his life is set on this trip: synagogue first, uproar, and on to the next town.
Where in scripture
[1] Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. [2] As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” [3] Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. [4] So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. [5] When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They had also John as their attendant. [6] When they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar Jesus, …
Acts 13:1–52 — opening verses
[1] In Iconium, they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed. [2] But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers. [3] Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. [4] But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. [5] When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them, [6] they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region. [7] There they preached the Good News. …
Acts 14:1–28 — opening verses
[1] Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead), [2] and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia: [3] Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father— [5] to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. [6] I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”; [7] and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ. …
Galatians 1:1–24 — opening verses
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
