First Missionary Journey: Spreading the Gospel to All Nations

First Missionary Journey: Spreading the Gospel to All Nations

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We write to you with hearts full of joy and gratitude for the work the Holy Spirit is doing among us. As we reflect on our first missionary journey, we are reminded of the immense love and faithfulness of our God. It is our privilege to share with you the incredible experiences and lessons we learned as we took the Gospel to the Gentiles for the first time.

After the resurrection of our Lord, it took about fifteen years before the Church made a determined, organized effort to spread the Gospel beyond the Jewish community. This monumental task, known as the First Missionary Journey, marked a significant shift in the early Church’s mission. The Holy Spirit led the church in Antioch to set apart Barnabas and Paul for this special work, and after a period of prayer and fasting, the church laid hands on us and sent us out, not knowing exactly where we were to go, but trusting in God’s guidance.

Our journey began with a trip to Cyprus, an island familiar to Barnabas, as it was his homeland. Accompanying us was John Mark, Barnabas’s cousin, whom we brought with us from Jerusalem after delivering a relief offering to the church there. In Cyprus, we set a pattern that would guide our mission: we first shared the Gospel with the Jews in the synagogues, then reached out to the Gentiles. This approach allowed us to connect with the God-fearers, those Gentiles who were familiar with the Jewish faith but had not fully converted.

As we traversed the island, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, we encountered both opposition and acceptance. The most notable event in Cyprus was our encounter with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was eager to hear the Word of God. Despite the opposition from Elymas the sorcerer, the Holy Spirit enabled Paul to perform a miracle, leading to the proconsul’s conversion (Acts 13:6-12). This event was a clear sign that God was with us, affirming our mission to the Gentiles.

From Cyprus, we sailed north to the region of Pamphylia in modern-day Turkey. It was here that John Mark chose to leave us and return to Jerusalem. This decision was a source of great disappointment, especially for Paul, and it would later become a point of contention between us. Nevertheless, we pressed on, trusting that God would provide the strength and resources needed for the journey ahead.

In the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, we experienced both great success and severe persecution. In Pisidian Antioch, after preaching in the synagogue, many Jews and God-fearing Gentiles accepted the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. However, others stirred up opposition, and we were eventually expelled from the city (Acts 13:50). In Iconium, we faced similar challenges, preaching boldly in the synagogue and performing signs and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit, but again facing intense opposition (Acts 14:1-5).

Lystra was particularly memorable. After healing a man who had been lame from birth, the people of Lystra thought we were gods and tried to offer sacrifices to us. We tore our clothes and rushed to explain that we were merely men, bringing them the Good News of the living God. Despite our efforts, opposition soon arose, and Paul was stoned and left for dead. But God, in His mercy, revived him, and we continued our journey (Acts 14:8-20).

Throughout these trials and triumphs, we saw the hand of God at work, establishing new believers and forming new communities of faith. Our journey demonstrated that the Gospel is indeed the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, both Jew and Gentile (Romans 1:16).

Returning to Antioch, we gathered the church and reported all that God had done through us and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). The response was overwhelming joy and encouragement. Our mission had not only brought many to faith but also strengthened our resolve to continue spreading the Gospel.

Dear friends, we urge you to remain steadfast in your faith and to continue the work of spreading the Good News. As we have seen, the journey is fraught with challenges, but the rewards are eternal. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1-2).

With love and gratitude,

Barnabas and Paul