FIRST JOURNEY OF ST. PAUL

After their return (Actr 12.25) the Church of ANTIOCH (Antakya , Turkey) sent Saul and Barnabas out on the - FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY -. They set sail for CYPRUS, accompanied by John Mark. During this journey, Barnabas, hitherto the leader, ceded his position to Paul who at this point changed his name from Saul. At PAPHOS (Cyprus), a false prophet named Bar-Jesus tried to turn the people from Paul and his two friends, but Paul turned him temporarily blind, and the people, marvelling at the miracle, believed Paul. After leaving CYPRUS, the apostles went to Asia Minor, where PERGE in PAMPHELIA (Southern Turkey), to Paul's disappointment John Mark left them. At ANTIOCH OF PISIDIA (Yalvac, Turkey), Paul preached a short summery of the old testament up to the ascension of Jesus, whereupon the Jews, seeing his popularity, stirred up persecution and expelled Paul and Barnabas from the city. At ICONIUM (Konya, Turkey) both the Jews and the Gentiles rose up and stoned them and they had to make their escape.

At LYSTRA (Hatunsaray, near Konya, Turkey), Paul cured a man crippled from birth in his feet and made him walk. The people thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods (Jupiter and Mercurius) and were ready to make sacrifice to them, but Paul persuaded the people not to and preached the new faith. Then Jews came from Antioch of Psidia and persuaded the people to stone Paul and leave him outside the city w-Edls to die. But he recovered and left the next day for DERBE (Kertitepe-Karaman, Turkey) where they preached before returning in their steps to Lystra, Iconium, Antioch in Pisidia, Perge, and ATTALIA (Antalya, Turkey), from where Paul sailed to ANTIOCH, thus completing the first journey.

In describing to the Christian community at Antioch their success in converting the Gentiles the question was brought up as to whether or not the Gentiles could be saved without being circumcised. Paul and Barnabas therefore went to JERUSALEM to discuss the problem with Peter, James and the other apostles (Acts 15). Paul was victorious. The law was not to be imposed on Gentile Christians, and the mission to the Gentiles was recognized by the church at Jerusalem (Gal.2.6-9) (Acts 15). After the completion of the council, he returned to ANTIOCH, from where he set out on his SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY, this time accompanied by Silas.

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