First Journey
They travel around 16 miles to Seleucia mentioned only here in
the NT.
They set sail to Cyprus
a beautiful island 140 miles wide and 50 miles N + S Home of Barnabas Acts
4:36.
At Salamis they
preach in the Synagogues with Mark assisting them. There was a big enough
Jewish population that they had more than one Synagogue. It took a minium of 10 deadicated Hebrew
men to constitute a Synagogue.
At Paphos the proconsul Sergius Paulis an intelligent man
wanted to hear the word of God, but a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus also called Elymas did not want them to speak these words to the
proconsul. He did not want anyone to interfere with his customer or take
attention away from his tricks. Paul strikes him blind for a while. This was
punitive miracle. One can only wonder if after he received his sight back if he
continued in his tricks or was converted. It’s a wonder why those that claim to
have the miraculous ability today and can never prove that someone has been
healed instantly or someone has not received their sight after being blind nor
can they do what Paul did cause someone to go blind for a time. I am reminded of the Simon the sorcerer in
Acts 8 where he astonished the Samarians with his
tricks but when Phillip came there and preached the word and confirmed it with
miracles and sign from God, even Simon was converted by these true miracles
done by Phillip. This was a turning point for Paul he had been called Saul up
to this point and from here on he is called Paul his Roman name. Before this
time Barnabas was mention first and was in the leadership role of the group.
From here on out except in a few places Paul is mentioned first as moves into
the leadership role of this trio.
At Perga Mark leaves the trio and
heads back to Jerusalem. Paul and
Barnabas continue on their journey to Antioch of Pisidia.
They enter the synagogue and are asked to give an exhortation after the
customary reading of the law was done. This was not uncommon to allow strangers that were
Hebrews to speak. Paul speaks his
first and longest recorded speech. The speech was mainly about how God keeps
his promises. Paul used the OT to show that the Jesus was the son of God and
how he had fulfilled the prophecies about him. They wanted him to come back the
next Sabbath so that they could hear him speak again. Well this time
practically the whole city shows up to hear him speak and this makes the Jews
Jealous and they resist their words and Paul proclaims that he tried to give
them the words of life but they would not accept it so now they would turn to
the Gentiles. The Jews stir up the other Jews and run them out of town.
At Iconium (known for its wheat
fields and orchards) they enter the Synagogue and they preach a powerful
message and great multitudes of Greeks and Jews believe. The unbelieving Jews
however work hard to turn the Gentiles against them and the city was split in
half. They stay there for awhile confirming their word with sign and wonders
until the Jews plotted to stone them. Paul and Barnabas find this out and flee
to Lystra and Derbe. There
was nothing wrong with fleeing in fact Jesus said to do this very thing in Mat
10:23
At Lystra Paul was speaking the
word of God when he notices
this crippled man sitting there who had been crippled from his
birth. Paul tells him to
stand up and leaps up and
walks. The people there go nuts and start calling Paul and Barnabas Zeus and
Hermes and start trying to worship them. Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes
in symbolic act to reflect there feeling of the situation. They tell them that they are just mere men
and not to be worshiped. He pleads with them to turn away from their Gods and
idols and turn to the living God. Some dedicated Jews came from Antioch
and Iconium and stirred up the crowd and had Paul
stoned and drug him outside the city. They assumed he was dead but when the
disciples gathered around him he rose up and went back in the city. Sometime
during this time it is believed that Paul encounters Timothy for the first time
and converts him. Some passages that support this idea is 1Tim 1:2 and 2Tim 3:10-11. The next day Paul and Barnabas go to
Derbe. They preach there and make more disciples and then return back the same
way the came from to strengthen the churches and exhort them to continue in the
faith. If one could be once saved always saved why would it be important for
them to strengthen or
to encourage them continue in the faith.
It obvious that one can be lost that was once saved. They also appointed
elders (Plural) in every church. How could they appoint elders so quickly?
- Some
of these men were
likely Jews who were trained in the OT and were already
spiritually mature.
- Paul
would more than likely of laid hands on these elders giving the spiritual
gifts that would qualify them to be elders.
They return back to Perga and
teach there and then headed to Attalia and set sail for Antioch.
When they arrive they call a meeting at the church there. They report there
journey to them and their main emphasis was that God had opened the door of faith to the
Gentiles. Even though the
Lord can open the door it’s the up to man to walk through it in obedient faith.
Its during this time that Paul is believed to have written Galatians in 49AD
while others believe it was written from Ephesus
or Corinth between 52-56 AD. It
is also believed that this is the time where Peter was in Antioch
and that he would eat with the Gentiles until the Jews would come around then
he would have nothing to do with them but Paul withstands him for doing
this. Gal 2:11
Some Jews come from Judea and try to
teach that the Gentiles had to circumcised to be
saved. So they go to Jerusalem to
the church there where the elders and apostles are to work this matter
out. Paul and Barnabas talk about there success among the gentiles and some
Jews said that the gentiles must be circumcised. Peter speaks out and recaps
the story of how God accepted the Gentiles just how they were and that the Jews
shouldn’t try to burden the Gentiles down with the Jewish way. Paul and
Barnabas speak some more of the great miracles that God has worked
through them among the Gentiles. James reminds them of OT
prophecy that the Gentiles would also be
a part of Gods kingdom. They agree and they write a letter to be sent to the
gentiles in Antioch basically stating that they
don’t have to be circumcised.
This was not just a man made decision but was guided by the HS 15:
28. They return back to Antioch with
2 other prophets and
they church there rejoices from the news.