Pauls First Missionary Journey The Journey Begins: Antioch in Syria to Cyprus With the church firmly established at Antioch in Syria, the time was right for the gospel to be taken farther afield. Acts records that one day while members of the church were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to them: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them (Acts 13:2). After they had finished their prayers and fasting, the Antioch disciples formally blessed Saul and Barnabas and sent them on their way. About 45 AD, Saul and Barnabas, with John Mark, set out from Antioch (Acts 13:4) for Seleucia, the port of Antioch, about 16 miles to the southwest: Seleucia ad Pieria Seleucia was established as the seaport for Antioch in the 3rd century BC and it was normally referred to as Seleucia ad Pieria to distinguish it from nine others towns of the same name, all established during the Hellenistic period by Seleucis I Nicator, one of Alexander the Greats generals, founder of the Seleucid dynasty, who ruled Syria after Alexanders death. Pieria refers to a previous trading center built on the site whose name, in turn, was derived from a special kind of asphalt mined in the area. The major portion of the town was built on a long, sloping spur of a mountain, and its walls ran down to enclose the harbor (below, north end of ancient Seleucia harbor). The constant flow of silt down the Orontes River converted the ancient harbor into a level, marshy expanse. Today the ruins can be seen near the modern village of Samandäg, about 16 miles southwest of Antakya, Turkey. In its heyday the port town had a population of 30,000. Seleucia was destroyed in 1268 and never rebuilt. From Seleucia, the trio sailed to the island of Cyprus, undoubtedly at the urging of Barnabas, a Cyprus native who must have known many people there. Presumably they embarked with the opening of the sailing season near the beginning of March when the winds were most favorable for a direct voyage. Cyprus The third largest island in the Mediterranean, Cyprus (satellite view below) is 140 miles long and 60 miles wide. Much of the island is mountainous; the Troodos Mountains (5,900) dominate the west and central sections, while the Kyrenia Mountains extend along the northern coast. Historically, Cyprus was an important source of copper and timber, used in shipbuilding. Between 2000 and 1000 BC, Asia Minor, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Crete, the Aegean Islands and Greece all conducted trade with Cyprus. After 1000 BC , there were several city-states, each ruled by a king. In 707 BC the Cyprus kings submitted to Assyria and thereafter it was controlled by a succession of dominant empires: Egypt, Persian, Alexander the Great and the Ptolomies. During this later period, many Jews settled on the island, forming an important part of the population. Then, in 22 BC, the Romans made it a province under the jurisdiction of the Roman senate, governed by a proconsul at Paphos. As a result of the persecution associated with the stoning of Stephen in Jerusalem, Jewish Christians fled to Cyprus and preached the gospel to the Jewish community, thus setting the stage for the visit of Saul, Barnabas and John Mark. There were no passenger ships in the 1st century AD, only square-rigged cargo ships that regularly plied the Mediterranean sea between Africa, Asia and Europe. Most of the space on the ships was taken up by cargo and crew, but there were accommodations for passengers. The men came ashore at Salamis, a large port city on the eastern shore of Cyprus, some 120 miles southwest of Seleucia. An influential Jewish colony had been founded there centuries earlier, and the men preached to the Jews in their synagogues. There may have been a small Christian group as well, founded by disciples who had fled Jerusalem after of the stoning of Stephen and the persecution that followed it. Salamis Salamis (meaning salt, probably from Greek salos, the tossing or swell of the sea) was located on the east coast of Cyprus, just north of modern Famagusta. Whereas Paphos was the official capital of the island and the seat of the Roman governor, Salamis was the commercial center. According to the Homeric epics, Salamis was founded after the Trojan War by the archer Teucer, who came from the island of Salamis, off Attica (the region around Athens, Greece). This literary tradition probably reflects the Sea Peoples occupation of Cyprus about 1193 BC, and Teucer perhaps represents Tjekker found in Egyptian records. Later, the city grew because of its excellent harbor; it became the main trade outlet of Cyprus. Paul preaches the Gospel in Salamis At Salamis, Saul and Barnabas established the pattern for later missions by first bringing their message, when possible, to the Jewish community. In Acts, their entire visit is summarized in one verse: When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. (Acts 13:5) Note: The plural synagogues indicates the size of the citys Jewish community. From Salamis the three missionaries crossed the island from east to west, doubtless following the southern coast, to Paphos, a prosperous city on the southwestern coast of Cyprus. Continue to Paphos, Cyprus Pauls Travels Beginnings 1st Missionary Journey < 2nd Missionary Journey 3rd Missionary Journey Voyage to Rome 1st Mission Antioch to Cyprus < Paphos on Cyprus Perge Pisidian Antioch Iconium Lystra Derbe Return to Antioch Joseph Barnabas Barnabas (son of rest) was an early Christian convert, one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem. His given name was Joseph or Joses, meaning, son of encouragement or son of consolation. Like almost all Christians at the time Barnabas was Jewish, specifically a Levite. His personal appearance seems to have been dignified and commanding (Acts 14:11, 12). It has been suggested the he and Paul had been students in the school of Gamaliel. On becoming a Christian, he generously sold land that he owned and gave the money to the leaders of the Christian community in Jerusalem (Acts 4: 36–37) and was instrumental in persuading Paul to come to Antioch (Acts 11: 25–26). He and Paul defended Gentile converts against the demands of stricter church leaders, called Judaizers. Barnabas participated in the Council of Jerusalem (c. 50). It is believed he was martyred at Salamis, Cyprus, in 61 AD, and he is considered to be the founder of the Cypriot Church. Digging deeper What were your feelings the first time you left home to live on your own? What were Saul and Barnabas thinking and feeling as they left for Cyprus? Since Gentiles were already welcome in the early church, why did Saul and Barnabas first go into the synagogues to speak? What types of people do you feel most comfortable discussing your faith with? Why?
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 19:39:22 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015