Listen to this helpful overview of the same journey of the Apostle Paul we have outlined in ACTS of the Apostles.
Soon we’ll take a look at Paul’s next letter to the church at Corinth but READ this overview and listen to Alistair Begg’s description of where Paul has been so far in his introduction to I THESSALONIANS.
We have been following the missions of Paul and others in Acts of the Apostles for some time now and might easily miss a small personal instruction such as this found at the end of one of the Apostle’s many letters.
Just a brief record of one winter:
Paul will stay in Nicopolis for one winter.
He instructs Titus that he will send one of two others to him, either Artemas or Tychicus.
I emphasize in my pause in ACTS by this introduction to Paul’s letters in context that during these historical missional journeys all of the apostles nurtured both personal and community relationships with those won to the Lord Jesus Christ.
A.D. 52-57
Paul's THREE missions over ELEVEN years from ~ A.D. 49 to ~ A.D. 57 would have included 10 winters.
Please COMMENT if YOU can pinpoint the actual YEAR or place in ACTS when this occurred.
Further Personal Greetings, Blessings, Thanks & Instructions
Diligently help send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them.
And our people [that is, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ] must also learn to lead in good [occupations] works to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
All who are with me greet you.
[Paul does not say who these disciples of The Way traveling to Nicopolis for their winter stay might be, but through the Holy Spirit they remain connected to the church and those who receive his letter through Titus. The Apostle then asks them to extend their love to others in the faith.
Note Paul's humility in Christ and tenderness toward those to whom the Apostle writes:
Paul, a slave of God
and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
according to [for] the faith of God’s elect and the full knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which the God who cannot lie promised before times eternal [from all eternity]..
And in Paul's 'sent out' purpose as Christ's apostle to the Gentiles here he connects his servitude to the risen Jesus as they must receive his gospel from God, even referring to Christ as God.
.. but at the proper time manifested [made known] His word in preaching,
There were many cities by this name, — in Armenia, Pontus, Cilicia, Epirus, Thrace —
The one in Titus 3:12 seems to refer to the city was built by * Augustus in memory of the battle of Actium on a promontory of Epirius.
Before Augustus Caesar seized power he was known as Octavian. His victory on 2 September 31 B.C. at Actium (pictured above on map near Nicopolis) secured Rome’s strategic position as rulers of the Mediterranean.
Paul, as a Roman citizen, would have felt at home in such Roman cities.
The one in the subscription of Titus seems to refer to Thracian Nicopolis, founded by Trojan on the river Nestus, since he calls it the city of Macedonia.
When did Paul write?
Our focus in this overview of Paul’s letters is more toward the relationships the Apostle and disciples of The Way create with each other than the how, where and when he wrote.
Paul may have been in Thrace or Macedonia. Perhaps some of these letters were written in part on his journeys abord ships between destinations. And in these ten years having spent extended time in so many towns and cities Paul’s letters may well have been composed from his guest quarters in some of the homes of recipients (perhaps even Titus) to whom the Apostle wrote on a later occasion and circumstance.
What we do know is the approximate times and chronology of most of Paul’s letters.
This chronology and connection to events Luke records in ACTS of the APOSTLES will be the focus of our series looking at Paul’s letters.
And during Paul’s THIRD missionary journey (where we have once again paused briefly) THESE LETTERS:
Paul writes TWO letters to the Corinthians living in the Achaian city larger and more important that Athens.
The Apostle Paul, a Roman citizen, also writes to the Romans around the end of his third missionary journey (A.D. 57) and two years prior to his own journey to Rome.
Later Letters of the A.D. 60’s – 80’s
Our introduction to these Church Letters is NOT expositional but topical. And these are personally relational to those Christians to whom the Apostles wrote.
I will also point to Scripture from other Epistles yet to be written (as of this pause in ACTS of the APOSTLES ) when later events will connect the Church in many more ways to our struggles of a 21st century C.E. faith.
These include Titus written around A.D. 64-66 on which I have focused today
AND other important ‘personal letters’ instructing leaders and others of the church including:
an Epistle to Philemon and TWO letters to Timothy.
Several letters written in the early A.D. 60’s to churches Paul has already visited on his current and previous missions.
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
Luke will also complete his Gospel in the early A.D. 60’s as does the Apostle Matthew.
Nero has been Emperor of Rome during most of these times (A.D. 54-68) and things are about to get much worse for all of the Empire including Jerusalem, which revolts against ROME beginning in A.D. 66 and will eventually be destroyed in A.D. 70 as the Jewish Wars continue on into A.D. 73.
As the world of ROME begins to disintegrate while Paul and Peter and every other Apostle except John are executed, the Gospel and Letters of a New Testament go into all the world — a world to which the Lord Jesus Christ came and died for sinners like you and like me — that we might have eternal life in Him.
Twenty-first century followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and believers less immersed in Scripture tend to oversimplify the journeys and any connection of apostles of the first century church.
Our helpful, but partial view tends to look something like this:
A.D. 30 – Peter and the Twelve APOSTLES witness Jesus’ resurrection mostly in Jerusalem
In fact, the Twelve all traveled (Peter, certainly back and forth to his wife and family Capernaum) and even as far as Rome where more than 30 years later Peter would be executed by Nero.
ACTS on Mission
A.D. 47-57 – Paul becomes Christ’s connection to the Gentiles and journeys throughout Europe on three time, taking some others with him.
Most 21st c. believers realize that Saul had personally met the risen Christ near Damascus while persecuting followers of the Way of Jesus Christ just 10 years earlier.
AND we don’t typically count a crucial connection of the Apostle’s final journey to Rome as a “fourth missionary journey” (~A.D. 60) where he too would be executed in about A.D. 66 or 67 just prior to Rome destroying Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
a Connection of Apostles
JESUS CHRIST is the One connection of Paul’s three missionary journeys we dare not overlook.
Notice that ALL of the apostles sent out on the three missionary journeys of Paul were also sent by the Holy Spirit AND the Church to the Jews, Greeks and Roman citizens.
Luke’s account of the history of the Church carefully and frequently notes their connection to each other and especially to the Holy Spirit — who IS One with the Father and our risen Lord JESUS the Son of man, as well as their resurrected friend and Savior.
From the very beginning of ‘Paul’s’ first mission to Cypress with Barnabas and John Mark we continually see more and more connections of individual apostles to new followers in these church plants.
See a partial list of these connections to beloved believers of new churches and a more detailed 20 year timeline of Acts in this earlier post.
18 And Paul, having stayed-on considerable days longer, having said-good-bye to the brothers, was sailing-off to Syria— and Priscilla and Aquila with him— having sheared his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow. And they came to Ephesus. And those ones he left-behind there. And he himself, having entered into the synagogue, reasoned with the Jews.
Acts of the Apostles 18:18-19 Disciples’ Literal New Testament
The Disciples’ Literal New Testament adds two more descriptive headings to our current journey with Paul from the Apostle's second missionary journey to begin his third mission.
In Ephesus, Paul Prepares Them For a Future Visit And Then Returns Home To Antioch
(Here we see the connections of place with Antioch the church which sent out the Apostles and Ephesus which is about to become a most influential church in Asia Minor both culturally and geographically closer to Rome.)
Paul Embarks On a Third Journey. Priscilla And Aquila Update Apollos
(In these connections of apostles I include: Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos, introduced to us in Luke’s account as we continue on Paul’s THIRD mission into all the world with other apostles).
And having done some time there, he went forth, going successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Acts of the Apostles 18:23 Disciples’ Literal New Testament
As Paul returns to churches planted in the central inland areas during two previous missionary journeys Luke’s account of other apostles to the gentiles now moves to the coastal city of Ephesus where Apollos – a new believer now proclaims the Gospel alongside Priscilla and Aquila.
Before Luke momentarily moves his account of the acts of apostles from Paul to Apollos, let’s look at one more personal connection of Paul and others to those the apostles of Jesus Christ meet throughout the world of the Roman Empire.
a Connection of Letters
Epistle of Paul to the Romans
Connections to Letters from James
James is leader of the Jerusalem Church in the traditional place where the Lord God has led and shepherded His elect.
Luke has already shown readers of ACTS some important meetings between Peter, Paul and others which included at least one (and probably more) letters from James, the half-brother of Jesus and Pastor of the Jerusalem church, with encouragement for other followers of the Way of Christ Jesus.
A.D. 49 – the COUNCIL of JERUSALEM (which includes Peter & Paul) sends letters to Churches clarifying application of Mosaic LAW to Greeks and Romans as well as these Messianic Jews.
A.D. 52 – By now as PAUL and other APOSTLES depart on this next missionary journey, these ‘fathers‘ of the Church have sent additional epistles (letters) to encourage the Church beyond their personal and present reach.
Contemporary Application of the Letters (Epistles) Most New Testament writers take on specific issues confronting faithful followers of Jesus Christ. These same issues continue to confront believers until the Lord’s coming again in these last days.
Talk of JESUS .com – Church Letters- Is he writing to me?
A.D. 49 – from Paul, an apostle.. and all the brothers who are with me
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel
Epistle from Paul, an apostle.. To the churches of Galatia 1:6 NKJV
Here we join Paul in A.D. 52 as the apostle NOW immediately heads to Galatia in person to confirm the Gospel of Christ JESUS to the faithful of these NEW churches.
A.D. 50 – Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
‘.. you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. – 1 Thessalonians 1:7b
A.D. 51 – also from Paul, Silas and Timothy to the Thessalonians:
Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.
The Judgment at Christ’s Coming This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—
The close connection of all of these men sent out (apostles) continues to nurture these churches even as they head out on a third missionary journey with Paul.
AND later (A.D. 55) as they travel toward Ephesus these apostles will again touch the beloved brothers of the church in Corinth from where they have just departed.
ACTS of the apostles TO BE CONTINUED on Paul’s THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY…
