Video Notes: 

• Maps of the Journeys: https://overviewbible.com/pauls-missionary-journeys/
• Google Earth Map of the area today: https://earth.google.com/web/@35.9099836,27.73854826,-269.24414415a,2151402.98580319d,35y,0h,0t,0r
• Why has Paul been hindered? Because He is sent to places where Jesus has not yet been proclaimed and Jesus is being proclaimed in Rome.
• Paul went on at least 3 missionary journeys, maybe 4, where he would preach the Gospel and start church(s). In some cases, he was there for only a short time and in other cases, like in Corinth and Ephesus, he firmly establishes the churches (1-2 years) in strategic urban centers from which the new church members could take the Gospel to the surrounding areas.
• Journey 1
  • Paul and Barnabas – They would preach in the town synagogue. Then, if and when they were kicked out, they would witness to the Gentiles.
    • They left from Antioch (Syria) and headed to Cypress. John Mark joined them in Cypress, but left them in Perga. This caused a rift between John Mark and Paul.
  • Paul was stoned and left for dead on this trip as well as being arrested, beaten, and more.
  • In between the 1st and 2nd journey, there was conference Paul participated in Jerusalem about whether the Gentile could receive salvation and whether they needed to become Jewish and follow the Jewish traditions in order to do so. It was agreed that they could be saved and without become Jewish with the traditions.
• Journey 2
  • In Antioch (Syria), Paul asked Barnabas to join him, revisiting the churches of their first missionary journey. Barnabas wanted to John Mark to go with them, but Paul didn’t (remember the rift from before), so they split up. God turned this dispute into a good thing, Two missionary teams would be sent. Barnabas went to Cyprus with John Mark, and Paul took Silas to Asia Minor. Paul would later confess he was wrong about John Mark.
  • At Philippi, the missionary team was beaten and imprisoned. They sang and praised the Lord in jail. Suddenly, God caused an earthquake to open the doors of the cell and free them from their chains. They didn’t leave, though. The jailer and his family believed in Christ, and the government officials asked Paul and Silas to leave.
  • On this journey is also the famous sermon on Mars Hill from Act 17 about the alter of the “Unknown God”
  • Paul also meets Timothy in Lystra and he travelled with and was discipled by Paul.
• Journey 3
  • There was little if any break between the second and third journey and Paul travelled or met up with many of the same people from his second journey. He also revisits many of the same places.
  • This includes the time when Paul preached so long that a young man sitting in a window fell asleep and fell out of the upstairs window and died. Paul revived Him or raised him and then went back upstairs to preach.
• Journey 4?
  • At the end of Acts, Paul returns to Jerusalem where he was arrested. He eventually was delivered to Rome (is in a shipwreck on the way) and Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in a rented home for 2 years waiting to appear before Caesar proclaiming the kingdom of God.
  • We don’t have Biblical text telling of Paul’s 4th missionary journey, but we know from Acts and Romans that he was planning to visit Rome and then journey on to Spain.
  • Also, we have writings from early church fathers indicating Paul did go to Spain.
    • Clement of Rome said Paul “had gone to the extremity of the west,” which at the time probably meant Spain.
    • John of Chrysostom said, “For after he had been in Rome, he returned to Spain, but whether he came thence again into these parts, we know not.”
    • Cyril of Jerusalem wrote that Paul “carried the earnestness of his preaching as far as Spain.”
• We don’t know whether Paul went on a 4th missionary journey or not, but we know the Gospel continued to spread. Even if Paul didn’t make it Spain, the Gospel did. That Gospel continues to spread today. Sometimes, this is done through missionaries like Paul. Sometimes it’s done through pastors like Timothy. Sometimes it’s done through people just like you who know the Good News of Jesus Christ and share it with the family, neighbors, and friends.