ACTS: Paul's Three Missionary Journeys

By Ralph Robert Gomez

This is a Precept Bible Study on the book of Acts, which means you will be looking at the Bible one verse at a time in order to understand God's Word so that you can apply it to your daily life.

The four Gospels described Jesus's life and ended with His death and resurrection. The book of Acts continues HIS-story after the resurrection and follows the transition from the Old Covenant into the New Covenant, where the Holy Spirit came to live in the heart of the believer.

This is a ten-week study and is the second of three studies on the book of Acts:

Acts: The Birth of the Church (12-week study)

Acts: Paul's Three Missionary Journeys (10-week study)

Acts: Paul's Arrest, Trial and Imprisonment (8-week study)

The first study covered the first twelve chapters of the book of Acts, which followed the birth of the church in Jerusalem and its growth into the surrounding areas outside of Judea. The Holy Spirit used ordinary people like Peter, Barnabas, Paul, Stephen and Philip to spread the good news and establish His church.

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NASB)

This second study begins with the church in Antioch sending Paul and Barnabas to Galatia to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. The Galatians were so hungry for the word of God, they begged Paul and Barnabas to stay. Do you remember when you first accepted Jesus as your Savior? How excited you were to read and hear the word of God? That's how these Galatian believers felt too!

After Paul and Barnabas returned from Galatia, the church in Antioch sent Paul on two more journeys that took him all the way to Europe and back as he evangelized most of the Mediterranean world. Paul faced opposition from kings and magicians and demons and more, and was beaten and thrown in jail on numerous occasions. He was harassed by Judaizers who spread lies and followed him from city to city, creating chaos. They even hired thugs in Thessalonica to give false witness against him. Then, there were the Greek philosophers who threw Paul out of the Athenian Areopagus just for mentioning the resurrection!

There were heroes too, such as Lydia, who started the first church in Europe; Apollo, who was a charismatic apologist; and Aquila and Priscilla, who were tentmakers and good friends with Paul. Let's not forget Timothy and Titus, whom Paul considered his spiritual sons, and Doctor Luke, who traveled with Paul on most of his journeys and wrote the book of Acts.

Paul performed many miracles, like bringing Tabitha and Eutychus back to life and healing a crippled man in Lystra. Then, there were the men who tried to buy the Holy Spirit's power, and the Seven Sons of Sceva who tried to cast out demons without the power of the Holy Spirit. These men learned quickly that the Holy Spirit was not for sale! The Holy Spirit is not for sale because its free to all who repent and call on the name of the Lord.

Hold on to your hat as we travel with Paul and his companions on his three iconic journeys, courageously planting churches and sharing the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean region.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9781638854098

Ralph Robert Gomez

Ralph Robert Gomez is a retired software engineer who loves Jesus and came to the Lord later in life. At the age of thirty-nine years old, while attending graduate school, Ralph had a “road to Damascus” experience and has been walking with the Lord since. Ralph is a native of Colorado and has been married to his high school sweetheart since 1975 and has two children and three grandchildren. Ralph has been writing Bible studies for the past twenty years and sharing them with his home group, “The James Gang” and a men’s group called “The Band of Brothers.” In addition, Ralph and his wife have hosted numerous marriage groups over the years and have a passion for helping marriages succeed. At the urging of his friends and family, Ralph assembled his home group studies into a series of Precept Bible Studies that challenge the reader to probe deep into God’s Word (interpret) and to apply it to their daily lives (application), while having fun at the same time! Ralph’s background as an engineer, writing software and technical documents, has uniquely qualified him to use his analytical skills to dissect God’s Word, verse by verse, making it easy and simple to understand. Here are other precept Bible studies available from Ralph Robert Gomez. Acts: The Birth of the Church (ch 1-12) Acts: Paul’s Three Missionary Journeys (ch 13-21) Acts: Paul’s Arrest, Trial and Imprisonment (ch 21-28) Galatians: Oh, You Foolish Galatians Ephesians: The Queen of the Epistles Philippians: Rejoice in the Lord All books are available at www.ralphrobertgomez.com or any book store

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Week 1, Acts 13:1–26

Week 2, Acts 13:27–52

Week 3, Acts 14:1–28

Week 4, Acts 15:1–41

Week 5, Acts 16:1–40

Week 6, Acts 17:1–34

Week 7, Acts 18:1–28

Week 8, Acts 19:1–41

Week 9, Acts 20:1–38

Week 10, Acts 21:1–17

Acts Timeline and Paul's Letters

Map of Paul's First Missionary Journey

Map of Paul's Second Missionary Journey

Map of Paul's Third Missionary Journey

About of Author

cover.jpg

ACTS

Paul's Three Missionary Journeys

Ralph Robert Gomez

ISBN 978-1-63885-408-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63885-409-8 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Ralph Robert Gomez

All rights reserved

First Edition

All scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) unless otherwise marked.

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation.

Used by permission.

All rights reserved. www.lockman.org

Scripture quotations taken from the New International Version® are marked (NIV®)

New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™

Used by permission of Zondervan.

All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered

in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE,

copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson.

Used by permission of NavPress,

represented by Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

A special thank-you to GotQuestions.org for the content,

as it was of great benefit to me in writing this book.

Disclaimer

The views and conclusions of this study guide are based on the author’s in-depth study of the book of Acts.

The author understands that others may come to different conclusions based on their own study.

All scripture quotations are taken from the NASB® unless otherwise marked. Emphasis has been added throughout the book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Acknowledgments

I want to thank the members of the James Gang Home Group and the Band of Brothers Men's Group for all their love and support. I especially want to thank my wife, Marlene, who encouraged me to follow my passion, as well as the many pastors and spiritual teachers who have mentored me over the years.

I want to thank my Lord and Savior for His grace and mercy. I was thirty-nine years old when He lifted the scales from my eyes, allowing me to see the truth. It just goes to show that no matter how young or old you are, God will never give up on you. I am living proof that God will leave the ninety-nine sheep and pursue the one lost sheep. Thank you, Jesus!

I do not consider myself a biblical scholar; however, I have tried to capture the insight and wisdom from the many friends and family who have participated in our home groups over the years. Their contribution has been invaluable in putting this study together. My hope is if you are a Christian, this Bible study will reignite your passion for God's Word; and if you are a seeker, my hope and prayer is that God will use this study to woo you into His family. It does not matter how far away you have drifted or what you have done, God loves you and is waiting for you to make a move.

If you are ready to repent and give your life to Jesus, I encourage you to do it now. As the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, "TODAY is the day of salvation." If you are ready to take this step, may I suggest a simple prayer from the Reverend Billy Graham?

"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen."

If you have said this prayer and believe it in your heart, may I be the first to welcome you into the family of God. Find yourself a Bible-teaching church and plug in. In time, I hope you'll come to love your new church family as much as I do mine.

Introduction

This study guide will take you on an exciting adventure through the Mediterranean with the Apostle Paul and his companions as the Holy Spirit empowered them to share the good news and grow God's church. You'll experience the obstacles Paul faced from a group of unbelieving Jews and Gentiles who followed him from city to city, teaching a false doctrine, while harassing and beating him along the way. Jesus established His church to evangelize the world by discipling and equipping believers so they can proclaim the good news to a fallen world and save people from the gates of hell.

This is a ten-week study and is the second of three studies on the book of Acts:

Acts: The Birth of the Church (12-week study)

Acts: Paul's Three Missionary Journeys (10-week study)

Acts: Paul's Arrest, Trial and Imprisonment (8-week study)

It is highly recommended that you complete the first study before beginning this study.

How to Use This Study

This study guide is set up for 8–12 people and each weekly study should take approximately 60–70 minutes to complete. There are two sections in the study. The odd-numbered pages are the study guide, and the even numbered pages contain the answers to the study guide questions. Therefore, you don't need to be an expert on the Bible to facilitate a group; you just need to have a desire and a willingness to draw closer to God and to other believers. Keep in mind, as the facilitator, your main responsibility is to start and stop the group on time and to keep the discussion on track, as well as to encourage everyone to participate.

The study is arranged so that everyone has the opportunity to participate by reading a section and then answering the questions from that section. The end of each section is marked by a solid black line that says:

At this point, the reader can choose to answer the questions or pass. After the reader has answered the questions or passed, the discussion is then opened up to the group. Once the group discussion for that section has completed, the facilitator or the reader should read the answers on the back of the next page.

Then the next person reads the ensuing section. This continues in round-robin style until the entire study has been read. The end of the study is designated with "Let's RE-Read Tonight's Verses."

In this section, each person reads to the ~~~~~ separator and then rotates readers until the entire chapter has been read. This is a very important step and should not be skipped. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit will bring a new level of understanding after the entire chapter has been studied verse by verse and then re-read in its entirety.

Group Guidelines

Silence all cell phones.

Stay focused, and set aside outside factors.

Give the group your full attention.

Encourage everyone to participate and to ask questions.

No one person should dominate the discussion; everyone's input matters.

What is said in the group, stays in the group. Confidentiality is a must.

Each group should start and end with prayer.

Have fun!

Week 1, Acts 13:1–26

Did you complete the first study called ACTS: The Birth of the Church? If not, I suggest you go back and complete the study so that this second study will be more beneficial to you. If that's not possible, then here is a quick summary of the first study. The first twelve chapters of the book of Acts are about God establishing His church by empowering His people with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The Birth of the Church

The church began in Jerusalem when Peter preached to three thousand men and the Holy Spirit came upon them. The early church members called themselves the Way after Jesus's sermon at the last supper when he said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but through me." The purpose of the church is to proclaim the good news of salvation to a fallen world and save people from the gates of hell.

The early church faced strong resistance from the religious and political leaders of the day, as they tried to intimidate the apostles through lies, betrayals, violence, and murder. The Jewish leaders felt threatened by this new movement and tried to squash it by imprisoning the apostles and threatening them. Their efforts to stop the Way backfired as persecution led the believers to flee Jerusalem and spread the good news to other cities throughout Judea.

As the church grew, so did the problems. The apostles could not keep up with the demands of preaching and serving the people, so they appointed seven men to help them minister to the people. One of these men was named Stephen. Stephen was a good man and above reproach. While he was serving and preaching to the people, he attracted the attention of a group of proselytes called the Synagogue of the Freedmen. The Freedman did not like Stephen preaching about Jesus, so they falsely accused him of blasphemy and brought him to trial in front of the Sanhedrin Council. During Stephen's trial, he used the Torah to show God's plan for salvation was through Jesus Christ. When Stephen said Jesus had the same authority as God, the Freedman dragged Stephen to the street and stoned him to death.

After Stephen's death, another minister stepped forward. His name was Philip. While Philip was in Samaria preaching the Gospel, he met a magician named Simon. Simon tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit, but Philip rebuked him and told him to repent.

When Philip left to go back home, the Holy Spirit prompted him to go south where he met an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading Isaiah. The eunuch did not understand the passage, so Philip explained it to him and then the eunuch believed and was baptized. The Ethiopian eunuch and Simon the magician had very different faith. The Ethiopian had genuine faith, while Simon's faith was based on selfish motives and was not real.

Then there was the faith of Paul the apostle. Before Paul's conversion, he was known as Saul of Tarsus, the most feared enemy of believers, who hunted down believers like animals and then tortured and killed them. And then everything changed when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Saul's heart changed and he became one of God's most faithful servants. This study ends with Paul and Barnabas spending a year in Antioch, discipling the Gentile believers and forming the first Gentile church.

Paul's Three Missionary Journeys

The study you are about to start picks up with Paul spreading the good news throughout the Mediterranean, discipling new believers and planting churches, while facing enormous obstacles. I hope you enjoy this study and it reenergizes your faith.

Let's Begin Tonight's Study

Let's meet some of the people that will be mentioned in this chapter:

John: He was also known as John Mark. His mother, Mary, was a wealthy and prominent Christian in the Jerusalem church. John Mark was the author of the Gospel of Mark.

Simeon who was called Niger: Not much is known about Simeon other than he was a prophet and a Black man who converted to Judaism.

Lucius of Cyrene: He is mentioned in three of the four Gospels as the man who carried Jesus's cross out of Israel leading to the crucifixion.

Manaen: As a child, he lived with Herod Antipas, who killed John the Baptist. He was also a teacher and prophet in the church at Antioch.

Bar-Jesus: His Greek name is Elymas, and he was a Jewish sorcerer who made a living practicing magic. He claimed to be a prophet of God and was the proconsul's private magician.

Sergius Paulus: He was the proconsul and Roman governor of the region.

Pontius Pilate: He was the Roman governor of Judea from AD 26 to AD 36, serving under the emperor Tiberius. He is most known for his involvement in condemning Jesus to death on a cross.

(Q) Any Other Comments On These People?

Commentary. Luke started this chapter by mentioning the prophets in Antioch were fasting and praying when the Holy Spirit gave them a prophetic message about Barnabas and Saul. This led to the church in Antioch sending Paul and Barnabas out on Paul's first missionary journey.

(Q) What Does It Mean "they fasted"?

(Q) What Does It Mean "they laid hands on them"?

(Q) Any Other Comments On These Verses?

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

(Q) What Does It Mean "they fasted"?

The purpose of fasting is to remove any distractions that might interfere with your devotional time.

Most people would say that fasting means giving up their favorite food or favorite drink for a specific time as a way to draw closer to God.

However, fasting is more than just sacrificing