Paul's Second Missionary Journey

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Intro

  • Purpose was to revisit churches Paul and Barnabas has established.
  • "in order to strengthen and encourage the groups of believers" - Marshall.
  • Wanted to establish new churches in places they didn't reach.
  • Faced many challenges to their mission and their lives, but overcame them and spread the gospel effectively
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First challenge

  • Disagreed with Barnabas - didn't know whether to take John Mark as he abandoned previous mission.
  • Disagreement reminds us that good people still face challenges.
  • Separation may have been good for spreading gospel.
  • Travelled to Derbe and Lystra.
  • Met with Timothy - circumcised him so he would be greater help.
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Philippi in Macedonia

  • Performed sermons - converted Lydia.
  • Demon-possessed slave girl - Paul exorcised her.
  • Angered her pagan owners - brought Paul and Silace before magistrates.
  • Challenge as they were wrongly accused of public disturbance - owners changed their charge.
  • Beaten with rods and imprisoned.
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Paul and Silas in Prison

  • Sang praises to God.
  • Earthquake erupted - doors opened and bonds loosened.
  • Jailor saw them - thought he faced the death penalty.
  • Drew sword to kill himself - was stopped by Paul's voice.
  • Challenging conversion for Paul.
  • "It took an earthquake and confrontation with death to make him take thought for his salvation" - Bruce.
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Thessalonica

  • Converted many god-fearers and prominent women.
  • Challenging as Paul had to support himself financially (1 Thess 2:9) - took up valuable preaching time.
  • Success caused Jewish jealousy - tried to stir up crowds.
  • They were expelled - challenge as Paul had to abandon small church.
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Athens

  • Paul confronted philosophers such as Epicureans and Stoics.
  • They saw him as a Babbler - challenge as they could not see sense or logic in Christianity.
  • Gave a speech - said God "gives all men life and breath and everything else" and commanded repentance.
  • They way he spoke made him seem intelligent and well-educated - made some pagans respect him.
  • Great challenge - many mocked the idea of resurrection.
  • He was dissmissed with "polite contempt" (Longenecker)
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Corinth

  • Stayed for 18 months - to establish self-sufficient church that could evangelise surrounding areas.
  • One of the most important places on Paul's journey (Marshall).
  • Met and stayed with Priscilla and Aquila.
  • Preached at synagogue every Sabbath - increasingly resisted by authorities.
  • Became such a great challenge he tore his clothes - sign of breaking fellowship.
  • Took gospel to Gentiles - gladly accepted.
  • Challenge - Jews forced him before Gallio, proconsul of Achaia.
  • Potential to be greatest challenge - Gallio could prevent him preaching in all of the Empire.
  • Jews charged him with preaching an new, illegal religion.
  • Gallio saw dispute as as religious one and they were "ejected from the court".
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Conclusion

  • Sailed from Cenchrea to Ephesus with Priscilla and Aquila.
  • Stopped briefly - managed to speak in synagogue and promised to return.
  • Syria.
  • Jerusalem.
  • Returns to Antioch - stays for some months.
  • Overall he faced many challenges - including threats to the spread of the gospel and his life.
  • He was successful and gained many converts.
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