PAUL’S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
This is our third study on the journeys of Paul, and we look at Paul’s third missionary journey 18:23 to Acts
Paul’s third journey lasted four years, from 54 A.D. to 58 A.D.
During this journey, Paul traveled approximately 2,515 plus miles; 1,190 by sea, and 1,325 by land.
Between his second and third journey, Paul spent some time working with the church in Syria Antioch Paul stays in Antioch from the autumn of 52 A.D. to the summer of 53 A.D. From there, Paul sets off on his third journey.
At this time, Paul did not have Barnabas or Silas with him, and this may have been the last time Paul ever saw Antioch in Syria.
Paul begins his third journey overland, revisiting churches where he had previously been
From Antioch in Syria, Paul traveled over the country of Galatia and strengthening the churches He revisited the churches in Galatia in order to follow-up on The Epistle. He wrote to them in late spring of He then visits brethren in the Phyrgia province to strengthen them in their walk as christians
From Galatia and Phyrgia, Paul traveled to Ephesus and stays in the city for a little more than three years
While at Ephesus, we see that Ephesus becomes an important work in Paul’s ministry. While here, in late winter of 56 A.D., Paul writes the Book of I Corinthians. He writes his second Epistle to the Corinthians in late summer 57 A.D. in Macedonia.
In the scripture speaks of a man named Apollo of Alexander, who came to Ephesus. Apollo was a Jew, an eloquent man, mighty in scriptures, and spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord.
Acqulla and Priscilla took him aside and instructed him in the ways of the Lord.
Paul later writes in Corinthians “I have planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the increase”.
In Ephesus, Paul discovers twelve believers who were baptized as a sign of repentance by John the Baptist, but who did not as yet have God’s spirit. He tells the Disciples about Jesus and baptizes them in His name. Upon baptism, they immediately receive God’s Holy Spirit This is the last mention of John the Baptist in the New Testament.
NOTE: The “seven churches of Asia” of Revelation, Chapters 2 and 3 are all located in the general area of Paul’s work during his stay in Ephesus.
This very well may have been the beginning of many of these congregations:
(a) Ephesus… . Revelation 2:1-7
(b) Smyria… . Revelation 2:8-11
(c) Pergamos… . Revelation 2:13-17
(d) Thyatira… . Revelation 2:18:19
(e) Sardis… . Revelation 3:1-6
(f) Philadelphia… . Revelation 3:7-13
(g) Laodicea… . Revelation 3:14-22
It was the Apostle John of Revelation, who later included Ephesus as one of the seven cities in the Prophecy of the Seven Churches of Asia. Chapters 2 and
One day seven sons of a Jewish priest named Sceva arrived in Ephesus. The sons are Jewish exorcists who travel from place to place and pretend to cast out demons. They witness Paul casting out demons and decide to try his method for themselves. As they soon learn, merely using the name of Jesus does not guarantee the ability to access His power In they brought their books of spells and burned them. Also, an Ephesian silversmith named Demetrius, who makes a significant profit creating small replicas of the pagan Goddess Diana and her temple, becomes concerned about a recent loss of business The preaching of Paul in the area has persuaded many people to stop purchasing and using idols and to abandon altogether the worship of false gods like Diana.
The city of Ephesus is famous for possessing the Temple of Diana, which in modern times was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Soon, a riot breaks out but is eventually quieted
Paul leaves the city and journeys to During his three months stay in the region, he visits Corinth and writes his letter to the Romans in the spring of 58 A.D.
On his last day in Troas as he preaches and teaches, a young man sitting in a window falls into deep sleep and dies when he falls from the window to the street below, the Evangelist immediately goes to the young man, embraces him, and he comes back to life
Although Luke and a few others sail from Troas to Paul chooses to walk to the city The distance from Troas to Assos was about 30 miles by sea and 20 miles by land. In Assos, the entire group takes a ship to Mitylene From Mitylene, they sail past the Islands of Chios and and dock for a night at then eventually arrive at Miletus Miletus is a seaport town and is located about 36 miles South of Ephesus.
From Miletus, Paul requests that the elders in the Ephesian church visit him. When they arrive, he warns them about the coming Apostasy (a total desertion or departure from one’s religion) in the church
Paul also tells them that they would not see him again
Paul soon boards a ship and sails to the islands of Cos and Rhodes and on to where they change ships. From Patara they sail to which is about 350 miles by sea. They spend seven days with the brethren
From Tyre, he sails to where he stays one day before going to This is Pauls third trip to Caesarea since becoming a christian. Paul visited in the home of Philip the Evangelist. This is the same Philip who had preached in Samaria, and also had a part in two of the ten cases of conversion recorded in the Book of Acts.
1. The
2. The Ethiopian
While at Philip’s house, a prophet from Judea named Agabus demonstrated that Paul would be bound if he went back to Jerusalem. “When he had come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, thus saith the Holy Ghost, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”
All those with Paul try to plead with him not to go to Jerusalem, but he decides to go anyway In Paul states, “For I am ready not to be only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus”.
Paul arrives in Jerusalem around the late spring of 58 A.D., possibly near the time of the Feast of Pentecost, and the brethren received him gladly A riot is later started by people who claim that Paul has defiled Judaism with his teachings about Christianity. Paul is bound and arrested by Roman soldiers. and all of Paul is eventually taken to Rome, as a prisoner.