Saint Paul's First Mission Trip

The initial expedition that would come to be known as Saint Paul’s First Missionary Journey represents a monumental pivot in the narrative of the early Christian church. Taking place between estimated dates of c. 46 and 49 A.D., this journey marks the organized expansion of the Gospel message beyond the immediate vicinity of the Levant and out into the broader Mediterranean world. As recorded in Acts 13 and 14, the base of operations had shifted from Jerusalem to Antioch in Syria, a bustling, cosmopolitan metropolis where the disciples were first called "Christians."

This expedition was undertaken by a primary triad: Barnabas, who initially seems to have been the recognized leader; Saul of Tarsus, who during this very trip transitions to using his Roman name, Paul; and John Mark, a younger assistant. Their route was incredibly strategic, utilizing the highly developed maritime trade routes of the Mediterranean Sea and the legendary Roman road systems of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). They did not wander aimlessly; they targeted major provincial capitals and commercial hubs to ensure maximum exposure for their message. By establishing enclaves of believers in these influential cities, the groundwork was laid for the faith to naturally organically radiate outward into the surrounding rural territories. This initial foray into the provinces of Cyprus, Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia set the methodological blueprint for all of Paul’s subsequent travels.

While the First Missionary Journey was highly successful in establishing new congregations, the biblical text does not shy away from detailing the severe resistance, obstacles, and prohibitions the missionaries faced. In the Book of Acts, the spread of the early church is frequently characterized by a dynamic tension between divine propulsion and intense human or spiritual pushback.

One of the earliest prohibitive encounters occurs on the island of Cyprus, specifically at Paphos. Acts 13:8 introduces Elymas the sorcerer (also known as Bar-Jesus), who actively attempts to prevent the Roman proconsul from hearing the Gospel. The Greek text says Elymas "withstood" them, using the word anthistēmi, which means to set oneself against, to oppose, or to resist absolutely. This was not a passive disagreement; it was an active prohibition against Paul’s mission. The text presents this as a spiritual blockade, which Paul overcomes through a dramatic, temporary blinding of the sorcerer, allowing the proconsul to believe.

Another form of prohibition encountered on this journey was internal fracturing. According to Acts 13:13, when the group sailed from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia, John Mark abruptly left them and returned to Jerusalem. The text does not explicitly state why he departed, leading scholars to debate the exact nature of this internal roadblock.

• View A suggests that John Mark’s departure was primarily logistical and personal. Proponents of this view argue that the younger man may have been homesick, fearful of catching malaria in the coastal swamps of Pamphylia, or terrified of the notoriously dangerous, bandit-filled passes of the Taurus Mountains that lay ahead on the road to Pisidian Antioch.
• View B posits that the prohibition was theological. Scholars holding this perspective suggest that John Mark, who was closely tied to the more conservative Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem, grew deeply uncomfortable with Paul's emerging strategy of preaching directly to the Gentiles and welcoming them without requiring strict adherence to the Mosaic Law.

Perhaps the most persistent prohibitive force Paul encountered was the fierce opposition from local religious leaders. In Acts 13:45, when immense crowds gathered in Pisidian Antioch to hear Paul, the text notes that the Jewish leaders were filled with "envy" (the Greek word zēlos, from which we get zeal or jealousy) and began "contradicting and blaspheming." This verbal prohibition eventually escalated into a physical one, as Paul and Barnabas were forcibly expelled from the region. This pattern of physical prohibition reached its absolute zenith in the city of Lystra. After initially being hailed as gods, the tide turned dramatically, and Paul was dragged out of the city and stoned (Acts 14:19). The ultimate prohibitive measure—attempted execution—was utilized to stop the spread of his message.

Tracing the exact route of this journey, as detailed on the historical map, provides profound insight into the courage and strategy required for first-century travel. The mission officially began in Antioch of Syria, where Acts 13:1-3 notes that the men were "sent by the Holy Spirit." They traveled a short distance to the coastal port of Seleucia and set sail across the Great Sea (Mediterranean) for the island of Cyprus, the native home of Barnabas.

Upon arriving at Salamis on the eastern shore of Cyprus, their established strategy is immediately evident: they began "preaching in the synagogues" (c. 49 A.D., though dates vary slightly across chronologies). The synagogue provided a natural starting point, as they could reason with those who already possessed a foundational knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures. They traversed the entire island westward until they reached Paphos, the seat of the Roman government. Here, they encountered Sergius Paulus. The use of the precise Greek administrative title anthypatos (proconsul) in the biblical text is a detail that classical historians highly praise, as it accurately reflects the specific political structure of a senatorial province like Cyprus during the mid-first century A.D.

Following the conversion of the proconsul, the group sailed northwest to the coast of Asia Minor, landing at Perga in the region of Pamphylia. It is here that John Mark departs. Without him, Paul and Barnabas press inland, making a difficult trek northward into the region of Galatia to reach Antioch of Pisidia (distinct from the Antioch in Syria).

At Pisidian Antioch, Paul delivers a masterfully crafted sermon in the synagogue, connecting the history of the Exodus and the Davidic monarchy to the arrival of Jesus. When the ensuing Sabbath brought nearly the whole city out to hear him, severe opposition arose. This resulted in a monumental historical shift: Paul announces they are turning to the Gentiles (the Greek ethnē, meaning the nations or non-Jewish peoples).

• View A argues that Paul always intended to focus on the Gentiles, and the synagogue was merely a customary courtesy and practical launching pad. They view the rejection by the local leaders as the expected catalyst that fully launched the Gentile mission.
• View B suggests that Paul's pivot to the Gentiles in Pisidian Antioch was a real-time, pragmatic reaction to unexpected hostility. In this view, the specific, localized rejection forced Paul to dramatically alter his operational strategy on the ground.

Driven out of Pisidia, the apostles traveled eastward to Iconium. Here, a similar pattern unfolded: successful preaching followed by intense division. Acts 14:4 states, "the multitude of the city was divided," eventually leading to a plot to stone them. Learning of this, they fled southeast to the region of Lycaonia, specifically to the cities of Lystra and Derbe.

In Lystra (c. 46 A.D.), the healing of a lame man caused an uproar. The culturally steeped, pagan populace immediately assumed the gods had come down to them, calling Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes" (since Paul was the chief speaker). Despite Paul's desperate attempts to point them to the living Creator, the crowd was easily swayed by agitators arriving from Antioch and Iconium. The very crowd that wanted to sacrifice to Paul ended up stoning him and leaving him for dead outside the city walls.

The events of Paul’s survival at Lystra (Acts 14:20) are the subject of much discussion among commentators.

• View A reads the text as a description of a genuine, miraculous resurrection. Proponents of this view point out that stoning was a brutal, highly effective method of execution, and surviving it, only to immediately stand up and walk back into the city, necessitates divine, supernatural intervention.
• View B maintains that Paul was not completely dead, but rather unconscious and severely traumatized. Scholars holding this view suggest the miracle was not a resurrection from death, but rather a remarkable, providential recovery of strength that allowed him to travel the next day.

Undeterred, Paul and Barnabas traveled further east to Derbe, where they successfully preached and "made many disciples" in relative peace.

At this point, they were geographically very close to the Cilician Gates, a mountain pass that would have offered a quick, safe route back to Paul's hometown of Tarsus and onward to their starting point in Syrian Antioch. Instead, they made a fascinating historical decision. They turned around and deliberately retraced their steps, walking straight back into the danger zones of Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. Acts 14:21-23 explains that they did this to strengthen the disciples and to officially organize the new churches by appointing elders (the Greek presbyterous, from which we get the word presbyter). This reveals that Paul's goal was not merely to make converts, but to establish self-sustaining, organized communities of faith.

Finally, they descended back to the coast, preached briefly in Perga, and went down to the port of Attalia. From there, they caught a ship sailing back across the Mediterranean to Syrian Antioch, successfully completing the first major, systematic campaign to spread the biblical message to the Roman world.