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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll see how God used Paul to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles and establish churches throughout the Mediterranean world.

Key Verse

Acts 20:24: But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Introduction

In our last lesson, we saw that Saul of Tarsus had been the church’s greatest enemy. He witnessed Stephen’s martyrdom and led fierce persecution against believers. But God had a remarkable plan for Saul’s life. When Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, everything changed. The persecutor became the preacher, and Saul’s name was changed to Paul.

Luke wants us to see an important comparison between Peter and Paul throughout the book of Acts. He shows us that God used both men equally to bring the Gospel to different audiences. Notice these striking parallels in their ministries:

Peter	Paul
Healed a lame man (3:1-11)	Healed a lame man (14:8-18)
Shadow brought healing (5:15-16)	Handkerchiefs brought healing (19:11-12)
Confronted Simon the sorcerer (8:9-24)	Confronted Bar-Jesus the sorcerer (13:6-11)
Raised Dorcas from the dead (9:36-41)	Raised Eutychus from the dead (20:9-12)
Miraculously freed from prison (12:3-19)	Miraculously freed from prison (16:25-34)

Through these comparisons, Luke demonstrates that neither Peter nor Paul was greater than the other. God used Peter primarily to reach the Jews, and He used Paul primarily to reach the Gentiles. Both were essential instruments in God’s plan to spread the Gospel to all nations.

In this lesson, we’ll focus on the second half of Acts where Paul becomes the main character. We’ll examine how God used this transformed persecutor to plant churches and strengthen believers across the known world.

Here are the main points we will explore together:

• Paul’s first missionary journey and early ministry
• The crucial conference in Jerusalem about salvation
• Paul’s second missionary journey and church planting
• Paul’s third missionary journey and pastoral care
• Paul’s journey to Rome and final testimony

Paul’s First Missionary Journey and Early Ministry

Paul’s entry into active ministry began when he and Barnabas were sent from Antioch to Jerusalem. The church in Antioch wanted to help support believers in Jerusalem during a severe famine. This mission of mercy gave Paul his first opportunity to serve alongside other church leaders.

Acts 11:29-30: The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

When Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, the church there received clear direction from the Holy Spirit about their next assignment. As the leaders fasted and prayed, God called them to send out Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

Acts 13:2-3: While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

The church at Antioch provides us with a beautiful example of how local churches should approach missions. They didn’t act hastily or presume upon God’s will. Instead, they sought God’s guidance through prayer and fasting, and they sent out their missionaries with blessing and support.

Paul and Barnabas took John Mark with them as their helper. Mark was Barnabas’s nephew and would later write the Gospel of Mark, though his participation in this first journey would not go smoothly. During this time, we also see Saul officially taking the name Paul, reflecting his new identity in Christ.

Acts 13:9: Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said…

This first missionary journey took Paul and his companions to Cyprus and then to several cities in what is now modern-day Turkey. They established a pattern that Paul would follow throughout his ministry: they went first to the synagogue in each city to preach to Jews, and when Jews rejected the message, they turned to the Gentiles.

Paul faced severe opposition during this journey. In Lystra, angry crowds stoned him and left him for dead outside the city. But God miraculously raised him up, and Paul continued his ministry with remarkable courage and determination.

Acts 14:19-20: Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.

(Notebook Moment: What does Paul’s response to being stoned reveal about his commitment to the Gospel? How might this example encourage us when we face opposition for our faith?)

When Paul and Barnabas completed their journey, they returned to Antioch with great joy to report everything God had accomplished through them. Their success in reaching Gentiles with the Gospel would soon create an important controversy that needed to be resolved.

Acts 14:27: On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

The Crucial Conference in Jerusalem About Salvation

Chapter 15 contains one of the most important events in the entire New Testament. The early church faced a fundamental question that would determine the future of Christianity: How are people saved? Are we saved by faith in Christ alone, or must Gentile converts also be circumcised and follow the law of Moses?

Acts 15:1: Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

This false teaching threatened to turn Christianity into merely another sect of Judaism. If these teachers were correct, then Gentiles would have to become Jews before they could become Christians. Paul and Barnabas knew this was wrong and immediately opposed this dangerous doctrine.

Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem to settle this crucial question. The apostles and elders gathered for what we now call the Jerusalem Council—the first church council in Christian history. Three key leaders spoke at this conference, and each one defended the truth that salvation is by grace through faith alone.

First, Peter reminded everyone how God had already shown His acceptance of Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He had given the Spirit to Jewish believers. Peter declared that Jews and Gentiles are saved in exactly the same way—through the grace of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 15:10-11: Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.

Next, Paul and Barnabas testified about the miraculous signs and wonders that God had performed among the Gentiles through their ministry. These miracles proved that God was blessing their work and accepting Gentile believers.

Finally, James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church, spoke with decisive wisdom. He showed from Scripture that God had always planned to call Gentiles to faith, and he proposed a solution that would preserve unity in the church while maintaining the truth of the Gospel.

Acts 15:19: It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

The Jerusalem Council’s decision was a turning point in church history. They affirmed that salvation is by faith in Christ alone, not by keeping the law of Moses. This decision opened the door for the Gospel to spread throughout the entire world without requiring Gentiles to become Jews first.

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey and Church Planting

Paul’s second missionary journey began with a disagreement that shows us something important about God’s sovereignty. Paul and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement about whether to take John Mark with them again. Mark had abandoned them during the first journey, and Paul felt he was not ready for the rigors of missionary work.

Acts 15:37-39: Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.

This disagreement resulted in two missionary teams instead of one. Paul took Silas and headed north, while Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. What seemed like a setback actually doubled their missionary efforts! And years later, Paul would acknowledge that Mark had indeed proven himself to be a faithful minister.

2 Timothy 4:11: Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.

During this second journey, Paul established churches in several important cities that would become centers of Christian influence. In Philippi, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison for casting a demon out of a slave girl. But instead of complaining, they spent the night singing hymns and praising God.

Acts 16:25: About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

God sent an earthquake that opened all the prison doors, and the terrified jailer asked Paul and Silas how he could be saved. This led to one of the most beautiful conversion stories in Acts, as the jailer and his entire household believed in Jesus that very night.

Acts 16:31: They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

In Thessalonica, Paul’s preaching caused such a stir that his enemies accused him of turning the world upside down with his message. When Paul had to flee to Berea, he found believers there who received the word with great eagerness and searched the Scriptures daily to verify what Paul was teaching.

Acts 17:11: Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

The believers in Berea give us an excellent example of how we should approach God’s Word. We should be eager to learn, but we should also be careful to test everything against Scripture. This combination of enthusiasm and discernment protects us from false teaching while helping us grow in truth.

Paul’s ministry in Corinth lasted eighteen months and resulted in a strong church being established in that important commercial center. God encouraged Paul through a vision, promising to protect him and assuring him that many people in Corinth would come to faith.

Acts 18:9-10: One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey and Pastoral Care

Paul’s third missionary journey focused primarily on strengthening the churches he had already established and training new leaders. The highlight of this journey was his extended ministry in Ephesus, where he taught for more than two years in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

Acts 19:10: This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

(Notebook Moment: Paul spent over two years teaching in one place, demonstrating the importance of thorough biblical education. How might this challenge our modern tendency to seek quick spiritual growth rather than patient, sustained learning?)

God performed extraordinary miracles through Paul in Ephesus, and many people who had been involved in magic arts publicly burned their expensive books of spells. The spread of the Gospel had such an impact that it threatened the business of those who made silver shrines for the goddess Artemis.

Acts 19:19: A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

At the end of his third journey, Paul met with the elders from Ephesus and delivered a farewell speech that reveals his heart as a pastor. He reminded them of his example of faithfulness and warned them about false teachers who would try to lead the church astray.

Acts 20:28: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Paul’s Journey to Rome and Final Testimony

Paul’s final journey described in Acts was his trip to Rome as a prisoner. After being arrested in Jerusalem, Paul used his Roman citizenship to appeal to Caesar, which gave him the right to be tried in Rome. This journey fulfilled a long-held dream of Paul’s to visit the capital of the empire and preach the Gospel there.

During his trials and travels, Paul had numerous opportunities to share his testimony before governors, kings, and other important officials. Before Governor Felix, Paul spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment. Before King Agrippa, Paul recounted his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus and his commission to preach to the Gentiles.

Acts 26:16: Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.

Throughout these appearances, Paul demonstrated something every believer should learn: he was always ready to give witness to his faith. Whether speaking to hostile crowds, curious officials, or fellow prisoners, Paul never missed an opportunity to share what Christ had done in his life. (Notebook Moment: How might Paul’s example challenge us to be more prepared and willing to share our own testimony? What specific situations in your life could become opportunities to witness if you were more intentional about looking for them?)

The book of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome, but still freely teaching about Jesus Christ to all who came to visit him. Luke emphasizes that Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God “with all boldness and without hindrance,” showing that even imprisonment could not silence the Gospel.

Acts 28:30-31: For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!

Conclusion

The book of Acts ends with Paul in prison, but Scripture doesn’t tell us the rest of his story. From church history, we know that Paul was eventually martyred in Rome under Emperor Nero. But Paul was ready for whatever God had planned for him, because he knew he had fulfilled the ministry that Jesus had given him.

2 Timothy 4:6-7: For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Paul’s life teaches us several important lessons about faithful service to Christ. First, God can transform anyone—even the church’s greatest enemy can become its greatest missionary. Second, effective ministry requires both courage and wisdom—Paul was bold in his preaching but also strategic in his approach. Third, the Gospel is for everyone—Paul demonstrated that neither race nor social status creates barriers to salvation in Christ.

Most importantly, Paul shows us that our lives should be lived with eternal perspective. He counted everything as loss compared to knowing Christ. He endured suffering, persecution, and hardship because he understood that his present troubles were producing an eternal weight of glory. His example challenges us to live with the same single-minded devotion to the Gospel that transformed his life and changed the world.

Paul’s testimony reminds us that every believer has a story to tell about what God has done in their life. Just as Paul was always ready to share his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road, we should be prepared to tell others about our own experience of God’s grace and salvation. The same God who used Paul to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth wants to use us to share that same life-changing message with the people He has placed in our lives.

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