Missionary journeys of Paul
The extended journeys of Paul of Tarsus described in the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles are called missionary journeys of Paul . These trips took place in the years 47 n. Chr. To 56 n. Chr. Instead and led mainly by areas that today in the Turkey and Greece are.
According to Acts 9,15 EU Paul was of Jesus Christ chosen its name to the nations of the Gentiles be published. Paul's statements in his later letters (for example Gal 1.15.16 EU or 1 Tim 2.7 EU ) show that he identified himself with this task and put it into practice with the missionary journeys.
The information given by the Apostle Paul in his letters and in the journeys or travel routes described by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles cannot be matched.
Paul's missionary work was constantly accompanied by co-workers, without the support of other people his actions would not have been able to produce lasting success. Paul was involved in various social networks throughout his life . About fifty people named in the Pauline letters and the Luke Acts of the Apostles can be called direct collaborators. The following women and men should be mentioned: Barnabas , Junia , Phoibe , Lydia , Silas and Timothy . Priscilla and Aquila can be named among the employees working independently of Paul .
The period from 30 AD to 130 AD, the Roman Imperial Era , was an era of relative external and internal peace and stable economic conditions ( Pax Romana ) within the Roman Empire . Paulus and his staff benefited from the well-developed infrastructure in the Imperium Romanum, its road network of approx. 300,000 kilometers, including approx. 80,000 kilometers of well-developed Roman roads , the few but widespread lingua franca such as Latin and Greek ( Koine ).
Another important factor for the spread of the Christian faith was the existence of the Jewish diaspora communities . But also the religious diversity and tolerance in the Roman Empire in this epoch had a positive effect on the spread of Christian content.
Hock (1980) reconstructed from the dates of the Pauline travel notes from the Acts of the Apostles that Paul must have covered almost 16,000 kilometers on roads, paths, etc. during his missionary work, on which he ran away from Roman government officials, traders, pilgrims, sick people, messengers Slaves, refugees, prisoners, athletes, craftsmen, students and the like. a. m. encountered.
First mission trip
Paul's first missionary journey is described in the Bible in Acts 13-14 EU . It took place around the year 47 and lasted about a year. The starting and ending point was Antioch on the Orontes , today's Antakya in Turkey . According to Acts 13, 1 LUT, Paul and Barnabas worked there as prophets and teachers together with Lucius , Manaën and Simeon, called Niger . The congregation sent them on the 1st mission trip on behalf of the Holy Spirit .
The journey led by ship and on foot across Cyprus and through the Asia Minor regions of Pamphylia , Pisidia and Galatia . In the Letter to the Galatians Paul reminds the Galatians that he preached to them in a state of physical weakness ( Gal 4.13 EU ).
| place | Events | Bible report |
|---|---|---|
| Antioch on the Orontes | Paul and Barnabas are chosen by the Holy Spirit to bring the word of God to distant places. Accompanied by Barnabas' cousin Markus , also Markus Johannes, the two set off to the nearby port of Seleukia (Pisidia) and sail from there about 200 km to Salamis (Cyprus) , where they immediately begin to preach. | Acts 13 : 1-5 EU |
| Paphos | The magician Elymas tries to prevent the Roman proconsul from listening to the three men's messages. Paul lets the magician go blind through God, whereupon the proconsul accepts the faith. | Acts 13 : 6-12 EU |
| Perge | The men sail around 250 km north to Perge in Pamphylia . Markus separates from the tour group there for undisclosed reasons. Later, when planning the second mission trip, this incident led to a great dispute between Paul and Barnabas as to whether one should take Mark on the journey again. | Acts 13:13 EU |
| Antioch in Pisidia | Paulus and Barnabas take the route over passes to Antioch in Pisidia, which is 1,100 m high.
When they arrived in Antochia, the two spoke to those present in a synagogue on the Sabbath at the request of the synagogue chief. Paul describes the story of the Israelites from the exodus from Egypt to the death of Jesus Christ and how this made the forgiveness of sins possible. The audience is enthusiastic and would like further explanations on the following Sabbath. Many profess Christianity . The unconverted Jews get jealous when a week later “almost the whole city” gathers to listen to the two men. They incite the city's elite against them and drive them out of the city. |
Acts 13 : 14-52 EU |
| Iconion | The journey continues to Iconium, where Paul and Barnabas preach again in the synagogue. The message is received positively by some, while others want to stone the two preachers . In order to escape the danger, the two travel on to the cities in the vicinity. | Acts 14.1-6 EU |
| Lystra | Paul heals by a miracle a paralyzed man, what the townspeople Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes look and can hardly deter the two sacrifices to offer.
Soon, however, Jews from the previously visited Iconium arrive, who persuade the residents of Lystra that the two men should be killed. Paul is stoned and supposedly dragged out of the city dead. The Christians who hear about it take care of Paul, who travels with Barnabas the next day. |
Acts 14 : 7-20 EU |
| Rough | Paul and Barnabas preach in Derbe, east of Lystra, where again many accept the faith. | Acts 14 : 20-21 EU |
| On the return journey Paul and Barnabas visit Lystra and Iconium again, where they were previously threatened with death, as well as Antioch in Pisidia. They appoint elders in the respective local churches. Then they sail back to Antioch, the starting point of the journey. | Acts 14 : 22-28 EU |
Second mission trip
Paul's second missionary journey is described in the Bible in Acts 15–18 EU . The trip took place between the years 49 and 52. The starting and ending point was Jerusalem . The journey led through the cities in Asia Minor , which had already been visited on the first mission trip, as well as through large parts of today's Greece . The route and duration were not planned in advance, but were determined by events en route. An inscription found in Delphi about the proconsul Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus from the Roman province of Achaea , dated to the summer of 52 AD, indicates that Paul must have arrived in Corinth in 50 AD. Paul had contact with Gallio ( Acts 18,12-17 EU ).
| place | Events | Bible report |
|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem | Paul and Barnabas are selected by the body of elders in Jerusalem, together with Silas and Judas Barsabbas, to deliver the letter with their decision on the need for circumcision to the community of Antioch in Pisidia. | Acts 15: 22-35 EU |
| Antioch on the Orontes | Paul and Barnabas encourage the Christians for a few days until Paul makes the suggestion to return to the cities visited on the first mission trip to see the well-being of the Christians there.
Barnabas agrees, but insists on taking his cousin Markus with him. Paul is against it because Mark left the two of them early on on the first missionary trip. There is "a violent argument" , so that the two men separate. Barnabas sails to Cyprus with Markus. Paul travels his planned route through Cilicia via Derbe to Lystra together with Silas. |
Acts 15: 36-40 EU |
| Lystra | Paul meets the young half-Greek Timothy , who enjoys a good reputation in the region, and chooses him as a further travel companion. Although no longer a requirement, Paul had Timothy circumcised in order to be able to unconditionally preach Christianity to the Jews in the further course of the journey. | Acts 16 : 1-5 EU |
| The group travels through Phrygia , Galatia and Mysia and tries several times to reach certain destinations, for example Bithynia on the Black Sea , which is denied them by the Holy Spirit. | Acts 16: 6-8 EU | |
| Troas | During the night Paul has a vision in which he is asked to travel to Macedonia . Paul is convinced that this is a commission from God and the group immediately sets off in the sailing boat.
From this point on, Luke , the writer of the Acts of the Apostles, also belongs to the traveling party for some time, which can be seen from the change in the writing style from the third to the first person plural . |
Acts 16,9,10 EU |
| Philippi | Arriving in Macedonia, Paul meets Lydia , a purple trader . She accepts the Christian faith, as the first known person on European soil, and lets the tour group live with her. As is evident from Acts 16.40 EU , from then on she also hosts Christian meetings in her house.
Paul casts a demon out of a girl , which makes her capable of divination . Since the girl's masters are missing a profitable source of income, they drag Paul and Silas to the magistrates of the city. They beat the two of them with rods and then put them in a stick and throw them into prison. Paul and Silas are singing praises to God when an earthquake shakes the prison at midnight, so that all doors and shackles open. The prison guard wakes up and wants to kill himself, thinking the prisoners have escaped. When Paul and Silas let him know that they are still there, he invites them to his home, takes care of their wounds and he accepts Christianity. In the morning the magistrates demand the surrender of Paul and Silas. These invoke their rights as Romans and accuse the magistrates of unlawful punishment the day before. The city councilors personally escort the two men out of the city and into freedom. |
Acts 16: 11-40 EU |
| Thessalonica | The men travel via Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, where they preach several times in the synagogue, whereupon a large number of the audience accept the faith, including prominent women of the city.
Jews who are jealous of success organize a rabble riot and take Jason prisoner, with whom Paul and Silas previously stayed. They drag him, along with other Christians, to the city council, where they are charged with sedition and unfaithfulness to the emperor. Paul and Silas leave the city at night. The city councilors do not elaborate on the charges. |
Acts 17 : 1-9 EU |
| Berea | In Berea, the Jews turn out to be “ friendlier than those in Thessalonica ” and show great interest in Christian scriptures. Again many accept the faith.
When the Jews in Thessalonica hear about it, they come to Beroea to stir up the crowd against the Christians here too. Paul leaves for the sea while Silas and Timothy remain in the city. |
Acts 17 : 10-15 EU |
| Athens | Paul travels by ship to Athens, where he wants to wait for the rest of the tour group. He is appalled by the extent of the idolatry there .
According to his custom, he talks to the people in the synagogue and in the market square. He also meets Epicureans and Stoics , who smile at him skeptically. They lead him to the Areopagus , the city's highest council, where he is supposed to explain himself. Paul gives a speech in which he met the Athenians with great sensitivity. He praises them for being “ particularly pious people ”. He then draws the council's attention to the fact that the city also had temples built with the words An Unknown God , which means that the Athenians recognize that there may be a God they do not yet know. He came to Athens to talk about this god. Paul mentions that God created the earth and people and wants people to seek his closeness. He concludes that making idols is nonsensical and that the time has come to repent and repent. Paul announces God's judgment day and the subsequent resurrection of the dead. Some listeners scoff at the speech, others show interest. A few Athenians adopt Christianity. |
Acts 17 : 16-34 EU |
| Corinth | Paul continues south to Corinth, where he meets Priscilla and Aquila . He lives with the couple and works with them as a tent maker. On the Sabbaths he preaches in the synagogue.
Silas and Timothy arrive from Macedonia. As from 2 Cor. 11.9 EU , they bring donations that enable Paul to concentrate fully on preaching again. Since he met with violent rejection in the synagogue, he moved the center of his activities to the house of Titius Justus, which was adjacent to the synagogue . Nevertheless, the local synagogue chief Krispus and many other Corinthians became Christians. In a vision, Paul is called upon by God to stay in the city and continue to preach without fear. Paul then stayed in Corinth for another six months. During this time he was charged with illegal proselytizing and brought to justice. The competent magistrate Gallio acquitted Paul. |
Acts 18: 1–17 EU |
| Ephesus | Paul travels with Priscilla and Aquila by ship through the Aegean Sea to Ephesus. There the couple and Paul separate. He in turn visits the synagogue to talk to the Jews there. Although they ask him to stay, Paul leaves after a short time. | Acts 18: 18-21 EU |
| Paul docks in Caesarea and makes a detour to Jerusalem to visit the local church. Then he returns to his home in Antioch. | Acts 18.22 EU |
Third mission trip
Paul's third missionary journey is described in the Bible in Acts 18–21 EU . The trip took place in about the years 52 to 56 and passed through much of the same areas as the second mission trip. The starting point was Antioch on the Orontes , the end point Jerusalem . There Paul was accused of violating Jewish-religious laws by Jews who were loyal to the Torah before the procurator Porcius Festus .
| place | Events | Bible report |
|---|---|---|
| Antioch on the Orontes | Paul first returned to Ephesus. He chooses the 1,600 km long overland route through Galatia and Phrygia to visit the still young Christian communities. |
Acts 18,23 EU Acts 19,1 EU |
| Ephesus | Arriving in Ephesus, Paul meets twelve men who still consider themselves to be successors to John the Baptist . Paul teaches them about Jesus Christ, whereupon the Holy Spirit comes upon men.
Paul preaches in the local synagogue for three months. Since he met resistance, he moved his lectures to the classroom of a school, where he preached for another two years, during which time his message spread throughout the province. Paul also heals the sick and casts out demons. The seven sons of the Jewish high priest Skeva try to do the same. However, the demon replies that he only knows Jesus and Paul and causes the man he possesses to attack and wound the seven. As a result, many Jews and Greeks profess Christianity and burn their books on magic . Demetrius, a merchant of devotional items from the Temple of Artemis , notes that residents who converted to Christianity no longer buy his products. He incites the residents who Gaius and Aristarchus, two companions of Paul, drag into the theater. There is a lot of confusion and shouting. Many people present do not even know what the cause of the uproar is. Paul also wants to go to the theater himself, but is prevented from doing so by the Christians and officials who are well-disposed towards him. The people chanted “Great is Artemis of Ephesus!” For two hours , then the town clerk dissolves the meeting, arguing that the event could arouse the wrath of Rome. |
Acts 19 : 1-41 EU |
| Macedonia | Paul travels on to Macedonia. He stayed there for about a year, during which time he was visited by Titus , who told him that the Christians in Corinth had reacted positively to his first letter. In response, Paul writes 2 Corinthians . In it he also emphasizes the relief work for the needy Christians in Jerusalem and praises the Macedonians' willingness to donate.
Paul wants to take the ship back to his place of origin in Syria, presumably to bring the aid money to their destination, but he learns that an attack has been planned on him. He therefore decides to return through Macedonia instead of directly across the Mediterranean. |
Acts 20 : 1-4 EU |
| Troas | In Troas, Paul meets with his companions who have already traveled ahead. Paul gives an extended lecture in the local church that lasts until after midnight - too long for Eutychus , who falls asleep sitting at the window and falls three stories to his death. Paul rushes down the stairs and brings the young man back to life. | Acts 20 : 5-12 EU |
| Miletus | Paul is traveling by ship in a hurry along the east coast of the Aegean Sea in order to be back in Jerusalem as early as possible for Pentecost .
Instead of stopping in Ephesus, he meets the elders there in nearby Miletus. In his farewell speech, he admonishes her to stay awake and look carefully at the meeting, since "wild wolves will soon invade you and not spare the herd" . He urges them to imitate his example, but also indicates that calamity may await him in Jerusalem. In an emotional farewell, Paul is accompanied back to the ship. |
Acts 20 : 13-37 EU |
| Tire | Still in a hurry, Paul sails in two different ships through the Greek island and across the Mediterranean to Tire. While the ship is unloading its cargo there, Paul and his companions visit the local Christians. Guided by the Holy Spirit, these warn Paul of impending dangers for him in Jerusalem. | Acts 21 : 1-6 EU |
| Caesarea | Via Ptolemais (today Acre ) Paul arrives at Caesarea, where he is visited by the prophet Agabus . He takes Paul's belt, ties his feet and hands with it and announces that Paul will be taken prisoner in Jerusalem. Luke and the other companions of Paul then ask him to refrain from traveling on to Jerusalem. Paul resolutely refuses and declares: "I am ready to be chained in Jerusalem for the name of Jesus the Lord and even to die." | Acts 21: 7-14 EU |
| Jerusalem | Paul travels back to Jerusalem and is joyfully received by the Christians there. When he undergoes a ceremonial cleansing in the temple with some of the Jewish Christians there , there is a violent uprising against him, as a result of which Paul is ultimately imprisoned by the Romans. | Acts 21.15-33 EU |
Fourth trip
After his indictment in Jerusalem , Paul appealed to the imperial court in Rome. He was then transferred there and left under house arrest to await trial. He probably died in AD 64 under Emperor Nero during the general persecution of Christians after the fire in Rome ( 1 Clem 5.5-7).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Christoph Heil: A probable Paulus chronology. (No longer available online.) Institute for New Testament Biblical Studies, Catholic Theological Faculty, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, archived from the original on February 15, 2010 ; accessed on August 14, 2017 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d The historical figure of Paul and The historical figure of Paul and their significance for the history of early Christianity. Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Faculty of Catholic Theology, 2013, accessed on August 14, 2017 .
- ↑ Oda Wischmeyer (Ed.): Paulus. Life-Environment-Plant-Letters. UTB 2767, A. Fracke, Tübingen 2012, ISBN 978-3-8252-3601-4 , p. 120 f.
- ↑ Udo Schnelle : The first 100 years of Christianity: 30–130 AD. UTB 2015, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8252-4606-8 , p. 154 f.
- ^ Ronald F. Hock, The Social Context of Pauls's Ministry: Tentmaking and Apostleship. Philadelphia 1980, p. 27
- ↑ quoted from Wayne A. Meeks: Urchristentum und Stadtkultur. The social world of the Pauline congregations. Chr. Kaiser, Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh 1993, ISBN 3-579-01824-8 , pp. 38-39
- ↑ SIG³ 801D; PHI .
- ↑ a b Anton Grabner-Haider : Cultural History of the Bible. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2007, 978-3-525-57309-9, p. 369
