The
Life of Paul, Part IV: The Second Missionary Journey
In verse 19 of this week's
study, Paul says to the Corinthians, "I will come to you soon,
if the Lord is willing." This letter, being written from
Ephesus, pictures Paul as a traveler. And indeed he was.
In the August 31 issue of Bible Study, the first missionary
journey of Paul was discussed. This week we will continue
examining the life of Paul by looking into his second missionary
journey.
Paul's second missionary
activity, which began probably in 50 AD, is described in Acts,
chapters 16-19, and is confirmed by references throughout the Pauline
Letters. The second journey was begun shortly after the return
of Paul and Barnabas to Antioch from the council in Jerusalem which
dealt with the issue of the Gentile needing to follow Mosaic law.
This was the most significant of the three journeys.
The beginning of the trip
was marked by dissension between Paul and Barnabas over Mark; as
a result, Paul's new companion on the 2nd journey became Silas (Acts
15:40), or as Paul called him, Silvanus (2Cor 1:1, 1Thes 1:1; 2Thes
1:1). Paul took Silas through Syria and Cilicia (now southeastern
Turkey).
According to Acts,
Paul revisited the churches of his earlier mission in Asia Minor
at Derbe and Lystra, where they meet Timothy (Act 16:3), who went
with Paul and Silas throughout Phrygia and Galatia. But "the
Spirit of Jesus did not allow them" to go north into Asia or
Bithynia (16:7). In a second vision, Paul is invited to continue
west so they passed through Mysia to Troas, the island of Samothracia,
and then to Neapolis in Macedonia, now northern Greece (7:8-10).
It is here that Paul first preached the gospel on the continent
of Europe.
Arriving next at Philippi,
he then met a woman named Lydia; God opened her heart and she and
her household is baptized (16:14-15). Paul was then followed
by another woman, a furtune-teller out of whom he drove an evil
spirit. This created enemies for Paul for there were those
who profited from her fortune telling (16:16-18). They got
Paul arrested, beaten and imprisoned. But an earthquake opened
the cell doors, and the Philippian jailer was so touched by this
that he and his household were converted (16:14-34).
After Philippian officials
implored Paul to leave, he passed through Amphipolis and Appolonia.
They came to Thessalonica, where Paul taught for 3 weeks (17:1-9).
Here again, Paul's ministry led to mob resistance, so Paul moved
on to Berea. But his enemies in Thessalonica followed him
there. So Paul again moved on, ahead of Silas and Timothy,
southward into Achaia (now southern Greece), to Athens (17:14-15).
While in Athens, Paul "grew exasperated at the sight of a city
full of idols" (17:16). He met with Athenian philosophers
"at the Areopagus" relating the idol for the "Unknown
god" to the Christian God; but with little effect (17:18-33).
Traveling further south,
Paul arrived in Corinth. There "Paul began to occupy
himself totally with preaching the word. . . . He settled
there for a year and a half and taught the word of God among them"
(18:5,11). It was at this time that he founded the most famous
of his churches (18:1-17). Both of his letters to the thessalonians
were probably written from Corinth.
At Corinth, Paul met Aquila
and his wife Priscilla (or Prisca), who remained his friends and
associates throughout his life (Act 18:18; 1Cor 16:19; Rom 16:3).
However, even in Corinth,
Paul faced Jewish hostility and was brought to trial before Gallio
(Act 18:12-17), the newly appointed governor whose accession to
power can be dated around 50-51. This attempt to stop Paul
was neutralized by the indifference of Gallio.
According to Paul's strategy,
he began his mission in large urban centers, and then enlisted fellow
workers to help in spreading the gospel into the surrounding areas:
"To the church of God that is in Corinth, with all the holy
ones throughout Achaia" (2 Cor 1:1).
After Paul left Corinth,
there is no further mention of Silas traveling with Paul.
Paul went by boat with Aquila and Priscilla to Cenchrea where he
cut his hair because of a vow (18:18). They then went
across the across the Aegean Sea to Ephesus. Aquila
and Priscilla stayed there where they would later meet Apollos (18:19,26).
Paul sailed on to Caesarea
and then went up to Antioch in Syria, where the second journey ended
(18:23).
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