Mims Chapel Church 

LESSON 7 • Second Week

Paul's Third
Missionary Journey

Background Reading                            Devotional Reading
Mark 1:4; Acts 18:24-28;                         Acts 20:17-27 19:1-20; 1 Corinthians 3:4-5

Central Verse
"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto my­self, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God"                        Acts 20:24, KJV


"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."                      Acts 20:24, NLT


Key Terms
Endeavors—Activities directed toward a goal: to make an effort.

Defused—To make less harmful, potent, or tense.
Circumcision—The cutting off of the foreskin of males that is practiced as a religious rite by Jews and Muslims and by others as a social custom or for potential health benefits (such as improved hygiene).

Introduction

Paul had spent a great deal of time on his second missionary journey. He returned to Antioch tired, worn, and weary, but he was encouraged at the work that God had allowed him and the missionary team to accomplish. An­tioch was a major center for the early saints and served as a launching place for many of Paul's endeavors. Paul left Antioch and traveled to the regions of Galatia and Phrygia to visit and strengthen the congregations that he and his team had founded during his earlier missionary journeys. To make sure of their doctrinal soundness and unity.

Paul understood the importance of continued discipleship, encouragement, and correction where needed. The letters that he wrote to the churches, which later became part of the New Testament Bible, were written because he took the time to visit and see the needs of the people. After checking on the established churches, he was able to start at least two new churches.

Discussion

After Paul left Antioch, he revisited established churches in the regions of Galatia and Phrygia in Asia Minor, visiting churches in Derbe, Lystra, Ico-nium, and Pisidian Antioch. These were churches that he established on his first missionary journey, but he didn't stay long in those areas. He soon moved on to Ephesus, where he spent a considerable amount of time. Paul spoke boldly in the synagogue, where strong opposition came. He relocat­ed to the lecture hall of Tyrannus and continued to teach daily. He ended up staying in Ephesus for about two years, during which time many people from the province of Asia heard the Word.

Both Jews and Greeks were able to hear and receive the Word. God used Paul to work many miracles of deliverance and healing. Wherever God is moving and working, the believer can be assured that Satan will come to stir up some opposition. As the gospel flourished, local artisans saw their business threatened.

A silversmith named Demetrius stirred up the people by telling them that Paul's teaching against their crafted gods was contrary to the teachings of God and had caused the people to refuse to buy their idols. Paul's teaching of Jesus as Lord caused the people to denounce the goddess Diana, which brought considerable financial gain to the sellers of these idols. This led to a riot, which the city officials later managed to defuse. So, Paul left Macedo­nia in northern Greece, where he had sent Timotheus and Erastus. He went to the cities of Philippi and Thessalonica to encourage the Saints in those cities. He also visited southern Greece, where he revisited Corinth and ad­dressed many problems within the Corinthian church. It is said that while he was there, he wrote First and Second Corinthians to correct the unseemly behavior of some of the members there.

He finally left Macedonia and went to Troas. In an upper room gathering, Paul spoke until late into the night. He preached for a long time because he had plans to leave the next day. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window seat, fell from a third-story window and was believed to
be dead. Paul went down and ministered to him, presenting him back alive and whole. Paul then went back, served communion, and talked until morn­ing. Then his team departed by ship for Assos while he took a coastal route and walked to Assos, where his team picked him up.

Then they all traveled to Mitylene, Tropylium, and Miletus along the south­west coast of Asia Minor. He bypassed Ephesus, as he did not want to linger there, preferring to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost. So, He had the Elders from Ephesus to meet him in Miletus. They met with him, and he prayed with them, encouraged them, warned them against false teachers, and shared with them the hardships he would face in Jerusalem. After tear­ful good-byes, the Ephesian Elders said their good-byes, and he got back on the ship and departed.

Paul and his team sailed to Patara, then to Tyre in Syria, where they stayed a week. They sailed to Ptolemais, where they stayed briefly before going to Caesarea, where they stayed with Philip the Evangelist. They remained with Philip for many days.

Conclusion

While Paul was in Caesarea, one of the prophets from Judea, named Aga-bus, came. He warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem. He told Paul that the Holy Ghost had let him know that things would not be good for him if he continued to Jerusalem. He told Paul that the Jews there would catch him, bind him, and give him over to the Gentiles. Paul let them know that he was not afraid, because he was ready to give his life for the sake of Jesus Christ and for the name. The Saints finally stopped trying to persuade Paul from going to Jerusalem.

They finally got with him and drove him in their carriages to Jerusalem. They were greeted warmly at first and were given lodging in the home of Manson, an old disciple. The Jews greeted him and asked many questions, until a significant disagreement came because some of the Jews were not in agreement with Paul's acceptance of the Gentiles. They felt that he was disregarding Moses' teachings on circumcision and other aspects of the law. These Jews had accepted Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but they still felt the need for the law and other Jewish customs in the context of their loyalty to God.

After several days of Paul's teaching, a group of Jews stirred up the crowd, and they grabbed Paul, and he was arrested and turned over to the author­ities. This ended his third missionary journey.

Questions

Why was it so important for Paul to get to Jerusalem?
What was the purpose of this third missionary journey?
What was the motivating power that drove Paul?
What ultimately led to the conclusion of the third missionary journey?

Essential Thought- "If a person's conviction is worth living for, then it is worth dying for."

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