Missionary Activity In The Early Church Acts of the Apostles

1
Pauls Second Missionary Journey Syrian Antioch
to Lystra
Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Lets see
how the new churches are doing"
2

• And this would begin the second missionary
  journey of Paul and his companions.
• Barnabas agreed to go and wanted to take his
  nephew Mark but Paul said, "no",
• probably because Mark had deserted them on their
  previous missionary journey,
• and so they separated,

3

• St. Mark, Apostle and Evangelist
• John Mark, also called Mark, was born in Cyrene
  to Aristobulus, a disciple of Christ, and Mary.
• She is mentioned in Acts 1212 as the matron of
  the home where the early Christians gathered for
  prayer, where the Last Supper took place, and
  where the Christians met to pray for the Apostle
  Peter when he was in prison.

4

• According to Egyptian Christian tradition,
• Mark is the individual recounted in Acts 1225
• as accompanying the Apostles Paul and Barnabas on
  their journeys
• he also traveled with the Apostle Peter to Rome.
• Based on what he learned from the Apostle Peter,
• he wrote the Gospel according to St. Mark.

5

• To avoid persecution in Rome, and at the Lord's
  direction, both Peter and Mark went to Egypt.
• After traveling to Alexandria, they went to
  Babylon
• (not the one in present-day Iraq),
• where the Apostle Peter wrote his first epistle.
• St. Peter left his younger companion there and
  returned to Rome, where he was later martyred.

6

• St. Mark established two churches in the
  Pentapolis of Libya between 56 and 60 CE,
• (The Ancient city of Cyrene along with Berenice
  (Benghazi) formed Eastern Libya's Pentapolis)
• and in 61 CE, he returned to Alexandria.
• Upon entering the city, his first order of
  business was to have his sandal repaired, because
  it had become torn from his extensive walking
  while preaching and evangelizing.

7

• He brought it to a cobbler named Anianus.
• While Anianus was repairing the leather, his awl
  slipped and pierced his hand in response, he
  cried out in Greek
• "Eis Theos!"
• which means "One God!"
• When St. Mark heard this cry, he rejoiced and
  took advantage of the opportunity to talk to
  Anianus about the One God, Jesus the Messiah.

8

• He took clay and spittle and applied it to
  Anianus' hand, praying the Name of Jesus Christ.
• The wound was immediately healed and as a result,
  the heart of Anianus was opened.
• After St. Mark recounted the gospel to him,
  Anianus took him home where he and his family
  were baptized.

9

• As the followers of Christ spread and multiplied
  in Alexandria, the hostility of the pagan
  community began to arise.
• They abducted St. Mark and, on a pagan feast day
  in 68 A.D., dragged him through the streets until
  he gave his holy soul into the hands of God.

10

• Prior to his martyrdom, St. Mark ordained Anianus
  Bishop over Alexandria, and ordained three
  priests and seven deacons.
• It is thus how the growing movement of
  Christianity in Africa was linked with the
  Apostles of Christ, through the hands of the
  Apostle and Evangelist Mark.

11
Paul's Second Missionary Journey, with Silas
returning to Asia Minor and on into Europe c
AD49-52 Taken from Acts 1540-1823a
12
Paul chose Silas and set out on his journey
(from Syrian Antioch 1) He traveled through
Syria 2 and Cilicia 3 and strengthened the
churches.
13
SYRIA Syria is in southwest Asia in the heart of
the Middle East.
The Mediterranean coastal plain is backed by a
low range of hills, followed by a vast interior
desert plateau. Most people live near the coast
or near the Euphrates Riverwhich brings life to
the desert plateau. Damascus, capital of this
desert country, was built on an oasis and is said
to be the world's oldest continuously inhabited
settlement.
14
Rough Cilicia
CILICIA Despite the high number of ancient
settlement mounds which are found in the region
of Flat Cilicia, only very few excavations were
actually conducted there. Only recently a renewal
and intensification of excavations and surveys in
the region of Cilicia has emerged.
Flat Cilicia
15
CILICIA Contrary to its apparent geographical
isolation, Cilicia and especially the region of
Flat Cilicia was an important cultural contact
zone and a mediator between Northern Syria,
Cyprus and the Anatolian Highland.
16

• The Cilician Gates
• is really a pass in the Taurus mountains though
  which almost all traffic passing between the
  Cilician Plain (Tarsus) and the Anatolian
  highland (Iconium) passed. The idea of a "gate"
  seems to refer to that which one must pass
  through, and through which access can be
  controlled.
• In ancient times the Persians passed through this
  area on their march westward, but later the
  Greeks, led by Alexander Great, pursued them
  through these "gates" in the opposite direction
  as they retreated eastward. 
• The apostle Paul must have passed through this
  area at the beginning of his second and third
  journeys.
• The Cilician Gates, lie 27.5 mi. to the north of
  Tarsus (via the ancient road system).
• This pass has always been of strategic importance.

17
He also went to Derbe4 and Lystra5. As they
went on their way through the cities they passed
on to them for their observance the decisions
which had been reached by the apostles and elders
in (the Council at) Jerusalem.
18

• Derbe
• has been identified with the antiquity of site of
  Kerti Huyuku which is located 15 miles north
  northeast of Karaman.
• It is a distinctive mound set out in the middle
  of a plain.
• It has not been excavated, but an inscription
  found there mentions "the gods of Derbe" as well
  as the council and people of the town.
• In addition, a fourth century A.D. tombstone from
  the area mentions Michael, a bishop of Derbe.
• Derbe was situated in the Lycaonian region (Acts
  146) of the Roman province of Galatia.

19

• Derby was one of the few places where Paul did
  not have some kind of an incident.
• It didnt end in a riot or with Paul getting
  jailed or stoned or anything, he was able to
  leave town fairly peacefully, which was very
  unusual for his ministry.
• Lystra on the other hand was where on his first
  journey Paul was stoned and drug out of town
  thinking that he was dead
• (Acts 1419).

20

• LYSTRA
• (mentioned 6 times in the NT)
• It is bounded by massive mountains on the west
  and south, but the highland plains of Anatolia
  stretch out to the east and north.
• It was not on a natural thoroughfare,
• but the Romans made it into a colony in 6 B.C.
  probably as an eastern frontier outpost and as a
  place to help control tribes located in the
  mountains to the west of Lystra.
• Eventually, because of its status as a "colony,"
  a road was built connecting Iconium, Lystra,
  Laranda, Derbe, and Cilicia.
• Because of its isolated position it was a bit
  more "provincial" than Iconium or Pisidian
  Antioch to the north and northwest.

21

• At Lystra there was a disciple by the name of
  Timothy a gentile believer who was held in high
  regard by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium, and
  Paul wanted to take him on as his companion.
• Paul had him circumcised for the sake of Jews.
• It was around 5 years or so since Paul had first
  visited Lystra and Timothy had probably accepted
  Jesus during Pauls first visit.

22

• So there came a very close relationship between
  Paul and Timothy who Paul called my own son in
  the faith
• (1 Cor 417).
• Timothy was one of Pauls converts but then he
  was also tutored by the Apostle Paul
• (1 Cor 417).

23

• It is interesting that Paul had Timothy
  circumcised when they are in the process of going
  out and telling the gentiles it is not necessary
  to be circumcised in order to be saved.
• He no doubt wanted Timothy to live peaceably
  among the Jews and present the gospel to them
  without any contention.