The Apostle Paul, Servant of Christ Boiling Springs, NC Overview Study Guide 704 966-6845 Unit II, Chapter 7 [email protected] “Third Missionary Journey” © All rights reserved by Lorin L Cranford Quick Links to Study 7.1.0 The Trip (AD 52-57) 7.1.2.2.4 Riot in the city 7.1.4 Return to Jerusalem (ad 57) 7.1.1 Galatia-Phrygia (AD 52) 7.1.2.2.5 Snapshot glimpses 7.1.4.1 Trip to Troas 7.1.2 Asia (AD 52-55) 7.1.4.2 Farewells in Troas 7.1.2.1 Apollos 7.1.3 Macedonia & Achaia 7.1.4.3 Trip to Miletus 7.1.2.2 Ephesus 7.1.3.1 Summary 7.1.4.4 Farewells at Miletus 7.1.2.2.1 Disciples of John 7.1.3.2 Snapshots 7.1.4.5 Trip to Caesarea 7.1.2.2.2 Ministry locations Excursus: 7.1.4.6 Farewells in Caesarea 7.1.2.2.3 Sons of Sceva Paul’s Relation to Corinth CONCLUSION Introduction Both the first and second missionary journeys had very distinctive characteristics. Beyond a common missions strategy of ‘Jew first and then Gentile’ each trip was different. When the third trip is launched in the early 50s by Paul and Silas it will take on contours that set it apart from the others. Apart from the Asian ministry in Ephesus, every other part of the trip will be re-visiting previously established churches by Paul and his associ- ates. To some extent even Ephesus falls under this category, since Paul had paid a short visit to the city at the end of the second journey. But the establishing of the Christian congregation in the city was largely done by the couple, Priscilla and Aquila. By the time Paul reaches the city on the third journey a thriving congregation was already in place. What remained, however, was an extensive evangelizing of the surrounding region around the city, which took place during the lengthy two plus year stay of the apostle there. What we can learn about doing missions from this journey will center on how to help mission churches build connecting bridges to the larger Christian world that they belong to. One of the major objectives of this trip was the collecting of a massive relief offering by these dominantly Gentile churches in order to relieve the suffer- ing of their Jewish Christian brothers back in Judaea and Jerusalem. The collection represented not only spiritual growth in the stewardship of financial giving, but also the religious principle of oneness in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile. It was a concrete action to build bridges of trust and deeper cooperation between these two segments of the Christian movement in light of the near fracture that prompted the Jerusalem conference of Acts 15 in the mid 40s. The Judaizing segment, even though having their ideas rejected by the leadership in Jerusalem as well as by the church generally, continued to agitate for their view that one must first convert to Judaism before becom- ing a Christian. Paul in his writings would argue theologically against this mind-set in Galatians and in scattered places elsewhere such as Romans 4, but he was wise enough to recognize that tangible ministry expressions from Gentile Christians to their Jewish brothers would go farther in silencing this critical voice inside Christianity. There is much for us to learn from this experience of the apostle so long ago. 7.1.0 The third missionary journey (ca. AD 52-57), Acts 18:23-21:16 The sources of our understanding come mainly from Acts chapters 18 - 21. But a whole host of snapshot type glimpses into various aspects of this trip come out of Paul’s own recollections, mostly in First and Second Corinthians, which were written during this trip from Ephesus and Macedonia. Romans, written in Corinth on this trip, will supply some addition glances into projected plans for future ministry by Paul in the last two chapters of that letter. These sources become critically important because we learn from them about an additional trip of Paul directly from Ephesus to Corinth not mentioned by Luke. Also Paul will reference two additional letters written from Ephesus to the Corinthians that are not contained in the New Testament. Plus some ministry activities of Page 371 both Timothy and Titus are listed in Paul’s writings, but not mentioned by Luke. Only by looking carefully at all these sources can we understand the more detailed picture of ministry and witness on the third missionary journey. The route of the third missionary journey is fascinating. After returning to Antioch from Jerusa- lem at the end of the second missionary journey, Paul spent χρόνον τινὰ, some time, in Antioch be- fore launching out on the third trip. He will visit the churches in Galatia established on the first mission- ary journey for a third time within the space of less than five or so years. Now after the previous try to go directly westward to Ephesus, he is able to do this and arrives at Ephesus, the government center of the Roman province of Asia. He will remain in Ephesus for over two years of ministry to the Christian community there. Although Luke does not record it, we know from Paul’s two letters to the church at Corinth that a trip from Ephesus directly to Corinth took place during this lengthy ministry at Ephesus. Additionally a total of four letters were written by Paul to the Corinthian church, the first two, and probably the third as well, from Ephesus. We have in our NT only the second and fourth of those letters.1 He will move from Ephesus northward to Troas and then over to the provinces of Macedonia -- Philippi, Thessalonica, Beroea -- and then southward to Achaia where he will spend at least three months in Corinth sort- ing out problems in this congregation. The return trip back to Judea and Jerusalem will include retracing his route back through Achaia into Macedonia and across to Troas again. The group of traveling missionaries will split up at Troas with Paul traveling south by ship to Assos where the group re-united and continued on eventually to Miletus where Paul spoke to the leaders of the Ephesian church. The group then made its way by ship east, landing first at Tyre, then at Ptolemais, then at Caesarea where they stayed with Philip and his family for several days before making the trip up to Jerusalem. The dating of this trip on a contemporary calendar is difficult to do with precise accuracy. In general it falls mostly within the first half of the decade of the 50s. The beginning point ranges sometime from 51 to 52 AD and the arrival in Jerusalem around Pentecost of 57 AD. Luke’s chronological references for the trip are very broad. He mentions a two year plus period at Ephesus (Acts 19:8, 3 months; 19:10, 2 years; some time longer, 19:22) on the beginning leg of the trip, and a three month stay in Corinth (Acts 20:3) as the turning around point for the trip. Beyond these two time references the remainder are five days (Philippi to Troas, Acts 20:6); in Troas 7 days (Acts 20:6); 1 day to get to Chios & 1 day to get to Samos & 1 day to get to Miletus (Acts 20:15-16); 1 day to get from Cos to Rhodes (Acts 21:2); 7 days in Tyre (Acts 21:4); 1 day in Ptolemais (Acts 21:7); 1 day to get to Cae- sarea (21:8); several days in Caesarea (21:10). Luke had indicated in 20:16 that Paul wanted to be in Jerusalem at the Jewish festival of Pentecost, which comes 50 days after Passover in mid March to mid April. He does not state directly that Paul achieved this desire, but the assumption is that he did. Traveling to Jerusalem in the late spring time would have been somewhat easier, since many thousand Jewish pilgrims would have been making the same trip to Jerusalem for the festivals of Passover and Pentecost. The extent of the time for the entire mis- sionary trip has to be estimated in part based on calculated travel times by land and by ship between the various places with allowance for at least a short period of time in those places where no statement of length of stay is indicated by Luke. Mostly from Paul’s writings in 1 Corinthians 16 and 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 we understand a major objec- tive for the third missionary journey: the gathering up of a massive financial offering from the Gentile churches to be given to the Christian leadership in Jerusalem for distribution among the Jewish Christian communities of the city and surrounding region. This objective dictated that much of the trip be routed to already existing churches, and that the planting of new churches on this trip -- although it did happen some (Acts 19:10, 20) -- was a sec- ondary objective for this missionary journey. What is interesting is that on the return segment of the journey from Troas to Miletus, Christian communities were already in existence all down the western coast of Asia, perhaps 1For a more detailed reconstruction of Paul’s relationship to the church at Corinth, see my “Paul’s Relation to the Corinthian Believers: A Reconstruction,” cranfordville.com. Page 372 coming out of the lengthy earlier stay of Paul in Ephesus, but more likely representing the outreach of others to the smaller towns and villages of Asia.