The First Missionary Journey

Imagine receiving an important mission and, before rushing off on your own, stopping to listen to God, praying as a group, and being blessed by your church. That is exactly how the greatest missionary adventure of the New Testament began. In Antioch of Syria, a group of leaders was worshiping and fasting when the Holy Spirit told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for Him (Acts 13:2). Right there, Paul's first missionary journey was born — a journey of about two years, crossing sea and mountains, synagogue by synagogue, city by city.

In this lesson we will follow three things: how Paul was called, what travel was actually like at that time, and what the complete route of that journey was. And, in the middle of the map and the cities with difficult names, one truth will become clear: true mission is neither a human idea nor a solo adventure — it is a work born from the guidance of the Holy Spirit and from commitment to the sending church.

I. The missionary call

To understand the beginning of the journey, we need to remember what God had already been doing. When Stephen was stoned, a fierce persecution began, and the church in Jerusalem was scattered (Acts 8:1, 4; 11:19-21). What looked like a tragedy became fuel for the Gospel: wherever the brothers and sisters fled, they went speaking about Jesus. In some cities they preached only to Jews; in others, they also reached the Greeks — a word that there means non-Jews, the Gentiles. God was using even persecution to take salvation further.

It was in this setting that Barnabas went to look for Saul and brought him to teach in the church of Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:25, 26). It was a generous church: when they heard about the famine in Judea, they sent relief through Paul and Barnabas (Acts 11:29, 30). A church that cared for those far away already had a heart ready to send missionaries far away.

Then came the decisive moment. While the prophets and teachers were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke and ordered that Barnabas and Saul be set apart for the work to which He Himself had called them (Acts 13:2). Notice two things. First: the call came from God, not from human planning. Second: that call was given inside the church, in the middle of worship. The leadership prayed, fasted, and laid hands on them, and so Paul set out with Barnabas and John Mark on the first journey (Acts 13:5), which lasted about two years. It is from this point on that Acts starts calling him Paul, the Roman form of the name, and no longer Saul (Acts 13:9) — matching the mission of reaching the Gentile world.

🕊 Our reading. Notice the method of the Holy Spirit: He did not shout from heaven to a believer who was all alone. He spoke while the church was worshiping and fasting together. Baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and the gifts of the Spirit were not given to isolate us, but to set us in motion within the fellowship of the church. A true call is confirmed in the midst of the people of God, with fasting, prayer, and the laying on of hands — never by a solitary impulse.

❤ For your life. Maybe you think you are too young to be useful to God. But God calls whomever He wants, whenever He wants. What He asks of you right now is the same thing the leaders in Antioch were doing when the Spirit spoke: serving and seeking God. Whoever is serving is already in the right place to hear the next step.

II. Travel in Paul's day

Today we catch a bus, a car, or a plane and cover the distance in hours. In Paul's time, traveling was slow, exhausting, and dangerous. Understanding this helps us measure the size of those men's courage.

A journey could be made by land or by sea. For safety reasons, merchants traveled in caravans — groups of people with camels and donkeys, because an empty road was a risky road. Many people simply traveled on foot. On average, a caravan covered about 30 km per day, walking around 3 km per hour; on horseback, one could reach close to 120 km a day. Some had a mule or donkey to carry the baggage; others had a chariot, like the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8.

And where did people sleep on a multi-day trip? The Romans built not only roads, but also inns, designed so that army and state officials could travel reliably — though ordinary people could use them too. Even so, the most common practice among Christians was to stay in the homes of other brothers and sisters. Hospitality was not a favor; it was a duty: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2).

Not everything was dry land. Much of Paul's route depended on the sea, and sailing had its rules. There were no passenger ships: anyone who wanted to cross the sea went on a merchant ship, alongside the cargo. The safe sailing season ran from April to October; in winter the weather became unpredictable, the cloudy sky hid the stars — and, without stars, sailors lost their "compass." Paul would face all of this: sea, mountains, heat, and the danger of robbers.

🏛 Fun fact. The famous Roman roads were so well built that many lasted for centuries — some still exist today. The Empire built them to move armies and collect taxes, but God used them for something else: to spread the Gospel. The very same network of roads and the same Greek language that united the Roman world became the "corridor" through which the message of Jesus ran from city to city. God prepares all of history before sending His missionaries.

❤ For your life. "The difficulties along the way did not discourage Paul." They knew the dangers and still trusted that God would guard the path. Serving Jesus at your age also has "difficulties along the way": mockery from classmates, laziness, embarrassment to share your testimony. Courage is not feeling zero fear; it is going even when afraid, trusting that God goes with you.

III. The route of the first missionary journey

Now let's open the map. Remembering this route helps you "walk alongside" Paul for the rest of the quarter.

Starting from Antioch of Syria, the team went down to the port of Seleucia and from there took a boat to the island of Cyprus (Acts 13:4), passing through the cities of Salamis and Paphos. From Cyprus, they sailed to Perga in Pamphylia (Acts 13:13) and went up to Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:14). The next stop was Iconium (Acts 14:1), and from there they went to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia (Acts 14:6). Having reached the farthest point, they retraced their steps through the same places until they returned to the starting point, Antioch of Syria. If you look at a modern map, you will see that most of these places are now in Turkey.

Paul's strategy followed a pattern: in each city, he began by preaching in the synagogue, the place where the Jews gathered on the Sabbath to hear the Scriptures, pray, and sing. When he proclaimed Jesus, the message impacted the listeners, and miracles and signs took place — the mark of the Holy Spirit's work. But the effect went beyond the walls of the synagogue: soon the non-Jews became interested as well. It was the Holy Spirit working in hearts, leading sinners to repentance. Thus the number of Christians grew and new churches began to spring up.

And look at how Paul ended the journey. As they revisited the cities, he and Barnabas appointed local leaders and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the care of the Lord, so that they would shepherd those churches with love and wisdom (Acts 14:23). At the end of it all, they returned to Antioch to report to the church what God had done in each place (Acts 14:27). The missionary who was sent gave an account to the ones who sent him. This bond with the church in Antioch — which stayed with Paul until the end of his ministry — reveals two words that go hand in hand with every missionary calling: obedience and commitment.

🏛 Fun fact. Many of the cities along the route changed names over the centuries. Antioch of Syria is now Antakya; Iconium is Konya; Seleucia is now Cevlik. Walking through these ruins today means stepping on places where churches were born from scratch almost two thousand years ago. What looked like "just another Greek city" became a milestone in the history of salvation because an obedient missionary passed through there.

Christ in the Lesson

It is easy to read this lesson and turn Paul into the hero. But look again at the Golden Text: the One who calls, who sets apart, and who sends is the Holy Spirit — God Himself. Paul is the one sent; Jesus is the One who sends. The same voice that stopped Saul on the road to Damascus and transformed him is the voice that now launches him into the world. The first missionary journey is not the story of a brave man; it is the story of Christ extending the arms of the cross to the Gentiles, using willing people.

And notice the content of Paul's preaching in every synagogue: it was not self-help, nor rules, nor politics. It was Jesus — His death and resurrection. That entire journey had a single destination: to make the name of Christ reach those who had never heard. Before God calls you to serve, He called you to be saved by this very same Jesus. Mission only makes sense because, first, the greater Missionary came down from heaven to seek us.

Application

In the church. Antioch was a church that served, worshiped, fasted, and sent. Start there: show up, participate, truly pray. It is in the midst of a church that seeks God that He usually reveals callings. You do not need to wait until you "grow up" to start serving.

In your geography. Not everyone will cross the sea like Paul, but every Christian has a "route." Your school, your group of friends, your street — that is your first mission field. Mission begins where your feet already step every day.

In your commitment. Paul gave an account to the church that sent him. This teaches you not to be a "lone" Christian who only does whatever he or she wants. Walk with your church, respect the leaders God has placed there, and let someone walk alongside your spiritual life. Obedience and commitment do not limit you — they sustain you.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You because Your work does not depend on our strength, but on Your Spirit, who calls, sets apart, and sends. Just as You spoke in the midst of the church in Antioch, speak also in the midst of our church and in my heart. Deliver me from wanting to serve on my own; teach me the obedience and commitment that Paul had. Give me courage to cross the "difficulties along the way" of my age and to proclaim Jesus right where I am. And may it be Your name — and not mine — that reaches further at the end of it all. In Jesus' name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria — Scripture governs; everything else, on its knees.

Teacher's Guide

Activity suggested by the quarterly (the lesson magazine) — the map. This lesson calls for a map. Bring a map of Paul's journeys (physical or digital) and lead the class through the route, city by city, pointing to each name as you read the verses from Acts 13 and 14. If you can, show current photos of the regions (many are in Turkey today) and the chart "city in Paul's day / city today": Antioch of Syria (Antakya), Seleucia (Cevlik), Iconium (Konya), among others. Encourage the students to memorize the sequence — it will help throughout the entire quarter. Complement this with the quarterly's "Starting Point": talk about missionaries or missionary projects that your church supports, and bring a real testimony so that mission stops being something ancient and becomes something alive today.

Five questions for the class:

1. At what moment and in what place did the Holy Spirit call Barnabas and Saul? What was the church doing?
2. Why can we say that mission, in the Bible, is teamwork and not the work of lone heroes?
3. Name, in order, at least four places along the route of the first missionary journey.
4. What do the dangerous journeys of that time teach about the courage to serve God?
5. Paul returned to Antioch to give an account. How can you live out that same commitment to your church today?