Category: APOSTLES

FACT SHEET of Paul’s Travels

During Paul’s missionary journeys, the Apostle spent more than two decades traveling in the eastern Roman empire. The record of Paul’s travels, found in the Acts of the Apostles, is discovered to be astonishingly accurate when tested against the many political, social, and geographical details connected with the cities and provinces through which he passed.

Paul’s Trial Before Gallio

Archeologists have discovered a first century inscription at Delphi, in central Greece, that refers to Gallio as the Roman Proconsul of Greece. The year corresponds to 52 AD, which is also the approximate date of Paul’s trial before Gallio in Corinth.

Paul’s Shipwreck on Malta

Luke records that the ship drifted for fourteen days in the gale and then wrecked on the island of Malta, halfway across the Mediterranean. His account reads like a tall tale. However, the meteorological and nautical evidence demonstrates, and in a rather spectacular fashion, that these events must have occurred just as Luke records them.

Paul at Ephesus

In the ancient world, Ephesus was known both as a center of magic and as a university town. However, the city was most famous because it possessed of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the temple of the goddess Artemis, or Diana.

Erastus: City Treasurer of Corinth

During an archeological excavation of Corinth in 1929, a first century pavement was uncovered which contains the following inscription: “Erastus, Procurator and Aedile, laid this pavement at his own expense.”  Was this the Erastus who was the companion of Paul?

The Riot at Lystra

According to Acts, the crowd referred to Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes. Archeological evidence reveals that this Zeus-Hermes combination was the local cult of the city of Lystra.

Felix replaced as Procurator

This passage presents an historical difficulty. According to Josephus, Felix was brought to Rome for trial, but escaped punishment because of the influence of his brother Pallas. However, according to the Roman historian Tacitus, Pallas was removed from power by the Emperor Nero in 55 AD, the year before Paul’s Judean trial. Does this call the Acts’ account of Felix’ return to Rome into question?

Paul’s Companions at Corinth

If the eight individuals named by Paul in his letter to Rome had been listed by Luke as accompanying Paul to Jerusalem on his final journey to that city, we would strongly suspect that Luke had simply copied the names from Paul’s Roman letter. However, only two names appear on both lists. In the case of one individual, Sopater, this is his only appearance in the New Testament.

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1 Corinthians 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
1 Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
1 Corinthians 1:15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
1 Corinthians 1:16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Baptism was practice by Paul but not for Salvation. Only as a sign of salvation, and he abandoned this as he grew in Grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, Not of works, lest any man should boast.
These among many other scripture references make this very clear.
Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
1 Corinthians 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

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We embarked on a ship hailing from Adramyttium, bound for the Asian ports, and set sail. On the following day we put in at Sidon [3], where Julius treated Paul most considerately by allowing him to visit his friends and accept their hospitality. From Sidon we put to sea again and sailed to leeward of Cyprus [4], since the wind was against us. Then, when we had crossed the gulf that lies off the coasts of Cilicia [5] and Pamphylia [6], we arrived at Myra [7] in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us aboard her. For several days we beat slowly up to windward and only just succeeded in arriving off Cnidus [8]. Then, since the wind was still blowing against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete, and rounded Cape Salmone [9]. Coasting along with difficulty we came to a place called Fair Havens [10], near which is the city of Lasea.

(In spite of Paul’s warnings, the ship continued on its way) …… the majority were in favour of setting sail again in the hope of reaching Phoenix [11] and wintering there. Phoenix is a harbour in Crete, facing south-west and north-west. So, when a moderate breeze sprang up, thinking they had obtained just what they wanted, they weighed anchor, and coasted along, hugging the shores of Crete. But before long a terrific gale, which they called a north-easter, swept down upon us from the land. The ship was caught by it and since she could not be brought up into the wind we had to let her fall off and run before it. Then, running under the lee of a small island called Clauda [12], we managed with some difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. After hoisting it aboard they used cables to brace the ship. To add to the difficulties they were afraid all the time of drifting on to the Syrtis banks [13], so they shortened sail and lay to, drifting. (The writer of Acts then describes the terrible storm which finally casts them up alive on the shore of Malta) …. On the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were drifting in the Adriatic [14], about midnight the sailors sensed that we were nearing land.

After our escape we discovered that the island was called Melita [15]. (Paul’s stay on Malta is described) It was no less than three months later that we set sail in an Alexandrian ship which had wintered in the island. We put in at Syracuse [16] and stayed there three days, and from there we tacked round to Rhegium [17]. A day later the south wind sprang up and we sailed to Puteoli [18], reaching it in only two days. There we found some of the brothers and they begged us to stay a week with them, and so we finally came to Rome.

The brothers there had heard about us and came out from the city to meet us, as far as the Market of Appius [19] and the Three Taverns [20]. When we reached Rome [21] Paul was given permission to live alone with the soldier who was guarding him (where he stayed for at least two years after which he was either executed or released).

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Paul’s Third Missionary Journey Concluded; The Return to Jerusalem c AD 58

Taken from Acts 20:3b-12; 21:15 – Then (after staying in Greece [6]) when he (Paul) was on the point of setting sail for Syria the Jews made a further plot against him and he decided to make his way back (by land) through Macedonia [7]. His companions on the journey were Sopater a Beroean, two Thessalonians, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and two Asians. This party proceeded to Troas to await us there while we sailed from Philippi [8] after the days of unleavened bread. and joined them five days later at Troas [9], where we spent a week.

(At Troas, Paul’s lengthy teaching almost leads to the death of a young man Eutychus who goes to asleep and falls out of window!)

Meanwhile we had gone aboard the ship and sailed on ahead for Assos, intending to pick up Paul there since he himself had planned to go overland. When he met us on our arrival at Assos [10] we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene [11]. We sailed from there and arrived off the coast of Chios [12] the next day. On the day following we crossed to Samos [13], and the day after that we reached Miletus [14]. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus with the idea of spending as little time as possible in Asia. He hoped, if it should prove possible, to reach Jerusalem in time for the day of Pentecost.

(At Miletus he sent to Ephesus to summon the elders of the Church. On their arrival he addressed them. What saddened them most of all was his saying that they would never see his face gain.)

When we had finally said farewell to them we set sail, running a straight course to Cos [15], and the next day we went to Rhodes [16] and from there to Patara [17]. Here we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, and we went aboard her and set sail. After sighting Cyprus [18] and leaving it on our left we sailed to Syria and put in at Tyre [19], since that was where the ship was to discharge her cargo. We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them for a week (the disciples warn Paul not to go up to Jerusalem). We sailed away from Tyre and arrived at Ptolemais [20]. We greeted the brothers there and stayed with them for just one day. On the following day we left and proceeded to Caesarea [21] and there we went to stay at the house of Philip the evangelist (again he is warned of the dangers of returning to Jerualem). After this we made our preparations and went up to Jerusalem [22].

Taken from Acts 27:12 – 28:31 – (two years after Paul’s original arrest in Jerusalem [1] and his journey to Caesarea [2], Paul and some other prisoners were put in charge of a centurion named Julius.)

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