The apostle Paul set out on a total of three missionary trips to spread the word of God.

Antioch was the starting point for all three of his trips as this was a large Christian center in the first century. Barnabas and John accompanied Paul on his first trip as he traveled to Cyprus and Perga. John and Paul had a disagreement in Perga and John returned to Jerusalem, leaving Paul and Barnabas to travel on to Pisidia Antioch, conium, !ystra, and "erbe. The pair then retraced their path bac# through those cities to strengthen the churches there. They sailed bac# to Antioch from Attalia in $% A.". Paul&s first missionary trip had both high points and low points when he was preaching to the Jews in the synagogues. 'n Cyprus (Paphos), a Jewish sorcerer who was a false prophet challenged Paul and his preaching. *hen the sorcerer would not believe, he was made blind. *hen the proconsul who employed the sorcerer saw what happened, he believed Paul&s teaching (Acts +,-%.+/). Paul faced many confrontations with nonbelievers during his travels. n Pisidian Antioch, Paul was preaching in the synagogues and then started to preach to the Gentiles. Paul was thrown out of the city after Jewish leaders became 0ealous of the large crowds that Paul attracted. Paul then traveled to conium where he was again successful in attracting large crowds. 1e performed many signs and miracles, but the city was divided between believers and non.believers. 2ventually, a group of Jews devised a plan to stone Paul. Paul learned about this plot and left town before they could carry out the plot. 1owever, Paul had not seen the last of this group. Paul traveled to !ystra to preach to the people there. A priest of 3eus witnessed Paul healing a cripple and was very impressed. The priest wanted to perform a sacrifice to honor him but Paul chastised him for the action. Paul continued to gain supporters in

this city. 2ventually, the group of 0ealous Jews from conium learned that Paul was in !ystra and they went there to cause trouble. n !ystra, they succeeded in stoning Paul. 1e was then dragged out of the city. Paul then went on to "erbe where he preached and gained followers and disciples and then he retraced his path through !ystra, conium, and Antioch (Pisidia). Paul and Barnabas then went through Attalia and bac# to their origin city of Antioch. 4ilas accompanied Paul on his second missionary 0ourney that started in $5 A.". 6rom Antioch they went to Tarsus, "erbe, !ystra, conium, Antioch (Pisidia), Troas, Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Caesarea, and then returned to Antioch. Paul returned to many cities he visited in his first missionary 0ourney so that he could deliver messages from Jerusalem and the church leaders there and so that he could strengthen the churches he had established in those locations. *hile Paul and 4ilas were in !ystra, they met the son of a Gree# man and Jewish woman who wanted to 0oin them. Timothy was circumcised before he 0oined them because they were preaching to large numbers of Jews and the Jews were more apt to listen to someone they felt fit in with them (Acts +%-+.7). *hile Paul was in Troas, he had a vision and he believed it was a message from God. n this vision, a man in 8acedonia was pleading for Paul to help him. After this vision, Paul, 4ilas, and Timothy left for 8acedonia (Acts +%-9.5). "uring these travels, Paul converted many people, including women. n Philippi, Paul met and converted a woman named !ydia. 1er whole household became believers and they were all bapti:ed (Acts +%-+/.+7). t was also here that Paul cast an evil spirit out of a woman who could tell the future. The woman was a slave and

her owners had profited from the woman&s ability, even though it was caused by an evil spirit. *hen Paul cast out the spirit, the slave girl&s owners loss a source of income and they were infuriated. The owners went to the authorities, Paul and 4ilas were arrested, beaten, and thrown into prison (Acts +%-+5./$). *hile they were in prison, an earth;ua#e occurred that opened the prison doors and bro#e their chains, allowing them to escape (Acts +%-/7.$<). *hen Paul was in Thessalonica, he preached at a Jewish synagogue for three wee#s and told the people abut Jesus being the 8essiah that had been prophesi:ed in the 'ld Testament. 4imilar to other confrontations, a group of Jews became 0ealous of the crowds that Paul drew and they started a riot. Paul and his group ;uic#ly left and headed for Berea where he had more success gaining followers (Acts +=-++.+/). The group of angry Jews from Thessalonica, however, followed Paul to Berea, so he left the city to sail to Athens (Acts +=-+,.+$). *hile in Athens, Paul was upset by the people who were worshipping false gods. 1e had the opportunity to go to the Areopagus so he could meet with scholars. *hile there, he e>plained that God was the ultimate creator who would also be the 0udge during the end days. *hen Paul arrived in Corinth, he ended up staying for a year and half, living and wor#ing with two tentma#ers. 1is message was not always well received in Corinth, but God instructed him to stay and promised to protect him (Acts +9-$.+<). Paul was arrested in Corinth, but there was a landmar# decision by Gallio whereby Gallio declared that all of the charges against Paul were a matter of Jewish law and ?oman courts did not need to ma#e a 0udgment (Acts +9-+$.+=).

Paul&s third missionary 0ourney started again in Antioch. 6rom there he went to Galatia and Phrygia in order to strengthen the churches that had been established there. Paul lived in 2phesus for about two years. 1e started out preaching in Jewish synagogues, but then started to hold daily lectures in a public hall. 6rom 2phesus, Paul went to 8acedonia, Achaia, and Greece. Paul learned of a plot to #ill him when he returned to Jerusalem, so while he was in 8iletus, he as#ed the church leaders of 2phesus to 0oin him there. 1e gave the church leaders final instructions and used that opportunity to tell them good.bye. 8any of his followers warned Paul not to enter Jerusalem, but he felt it was his duty. 4o, Paul ended his third missionary trip and his life by entering the city.