Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
Acts 18:23-21:16
A.D. 52-57
Paul – 4th Century
Catacomb Mural
Ephesus Theater
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Discussion Questions for Acts 18 – 21:16
− Where did Paul spend most of his time during the
third missionary journey and how long did he stay
there?
− What were some of the significant events that took
place during Paul’s time in the city where he stayed
in the most?
Third Missionary Journey Map – A.D. 52-56
Third Missionary Journey Map – A.D. 52-56
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Route to Ephesus (Acts 18:23)
− Antioch
− Galatia
− Phrygia
• Apollos (18:24-28)
− Apollos, an eloquent speaker, came to Ephesus
− Mighty in scripture and teaching
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Instructed in the way of the Lord
Fervent in spirit.
Speaking and teaching accurately things concerning Jesus
Only acquainted with the baptism of John.
Speaking out boldly in the synagogue.
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul’s Third missionary journey (Acts 18:23-21:25)
− Priscilla and Aquila teach Apollos
• They explained the way of God more accurately
− Went across to Achaia, Corinth (see Acts 19:1)
• He helped greatly those who had believed through grace (see 1
Cor. 1:12; 3:4-6, 22; 4:6; 16:12)
• Powerfully refuted the Jews in public
• Demonstrating by the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul’s Three Year Mission Effort in Ephesus (19:1-19:41)
− Years in Ephesus – A.D. 52-55
• Wrote 1 Corinthians, A.D. 54 (1 Cor. 16:19) & 2 Corinthians, A.D. 55
− Disciples at Ephesus who knew the baptism of John (19:1-7)
• Twelve disciples had not received the Holy Spirit when they believed,
not knowing there was a Holy Spirit
• Only baptized into the baptism of John
• They were baptized in the name of Jesus
− Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon
them.
• Spoke in tongues and prophesied
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul’s Three Year Mission Effort in Ephesus (19:1-19:41)
− Preached in the synagogue first (19:8-9)
• Spoke boldly for three months
• Reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God
• Some did not obey and spoke evil of the Way, Christians were known as
"the Way“
− After opposition arose in the Synagogue, the disciples moved
to the school of Tyrannus (19:10)
• Two years at the school
• All in Asia heard the word of the Lord, Jews and Greeks
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul’s Three Year Mission Effort in Ephesus (19:1-19:41)
− Mission work and miracles in Ephesus Many miracles and evil
spirits cast out (19:11-20)
• Extraordinary miracle and even handkerchiefs and aprons used
− Seven sons of Sceva (19:13-17)
• Seven Jewish, chief priest, attempt to cast out an evil spirit in the name
of Jesus whom Paul preaches
• Evil spirit answer he knows Jesus and Paul but not them and the evil
spirit attacks them
• People hear about the incident and name of Jesus was magnified
− Many in Ephesians respond to the gospel (19:18-20)
• Those who believed were confessing and disclosing their practices
• Burned their books of magic worth 50,000 pieces of silver
• The word of the Lord was growing strong and many were believing
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul’s Three Year Mission Effort in Ephesus (19:1-19:41)
− Writes 1 Corinthians while in Ephesus – A.D. 56
− Paul prepares to leave Ephesus and go to Macedonia and on
(19:21-22)
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Wants to go to Macedonia and Achaia first
Then to Jerusalem
On to Rome
Sends Timothy and Erastus ahead to Macedonia while he stayed a little
longer in Ephesus
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul’s Three Year Mission Effort in Ephesus (19:1-19:41)
− Riot over the Goddess Artimis & Christian teaching (19:23-41)
• Demetrius, a silversmith, cause a riot (19:23-34)
• Made silver shrines Artemis for his business
• Got the trade guild together telling them that Christianity was
threatening their business
• Ephesus and all Asia, Paul turned away many people from worship of
idols, telling people they are not gods at all.
− Temple of the great goddess Artimis be regarded
as worthless (19:27)
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Trade in danger
She was one of the most worshipped deities
One of the seven wonders of the world
Afraid she would lose her status
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul’s Three Year Mission Effort in Ephesus (19:1-19:41)
− Demetrius & silversmith traders stir up some Ephesians (19:28-34)
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Drag Gaius and Aristarchus, two who traveled with Paul, into the theater
Paul wanted to go talk to the people but the disciples would not let him
Asiarchs who were friends also urged him not to go out to the people
Most of the people in the riot did not know the reason for all the turmoil
Would not let Alexander, a Jew, address them whom many thought was the
reason for the riot - just shouted Great is Artemis
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul’s Three Year Mission Effort in Ephesus (19:1-19:41)
− Townclerk calms the crowd and dismisses it (19:35-41)
• Reassures them of the greatness of the city being the place where
Artemis fell down from heaven
• They should be calm as the men the brought forward are neither
robbers of temples or blasphemers of our goddess
• If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a complaint they should bring
before the courts in the proper way
• They are in danger of being accused of having a riot
• Dismisses the assembly
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Two important event to remember in Acts 19:
− Many people become Christians in Ephesus
− Makers of idols cause a riot because of the fear of losing
business due to Christianity
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul travels Ephesus to Troas(20:1-5).
− Paul calls the disciples together & encourages them
− Goes through Macedonia (one assumes he was encouraging
the churches, i.e. Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea.)
• Wrote 2 Corinthians – A.D. 56
− Greece (Achaia) – probably Corinth (see 1 Cor. 16:5)
• Spent three months there
• Plot of the Jews sent him on his way
• Wrote the Letter to the Romans at this time – A.D. 57
− Went back through Macedonia
• Some of those traveling with him went ahead to Troas - Sopater of
Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of
Derbe, Timothy and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia
• Luke says waiting for “us” at Troas so Luke was traveling with Paul
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul and Luke at Troas (Acts 20:6-12)
− Stayed seven days
− They meet on the first day of the week in Troas to break
bread
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Spoke to them till midnight in an upper room
Eutychus sitting in a window falls asleep and fall out and is killed
Paul raises him from the dead.
Went on with till day break
Broke bread and ate
− They went away comforted that Eutychus was alive
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul, Luke & others travel towards Jerusalem (20:13-21:16)
− Travel to Miletus (20:13-16)
• Others sailed from Assos while Paul went by land and was picked up at
Mitylene
• Sailed next to Chios, Samos, and landed at Miletus
− Paul had decided to by-pass Ephesus but stops at Miletus
• Did not want to spend a lot of time in Asia
• He wanted to get to Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul, Luke & others travel towards Jerusalem (20:13-21:16)
− Paul’s visit with the Ephesian elders at Miletus (20:17-38)
− Paul reminds the elders of how he ministered to them (20:17-21)
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Serving the Lord with all humility and tears
Suffering trials which came from the Jews
Teaching them publically and from house to house
Teaching both Jews and Greeks
Taught repentance toward God
Taught faith in our Lord Jesus Christ
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul, Luke & others travel towards Jerusalem (20:13-21:16)
− Paul’s visit with the Ephesian elders at Miletus (20:17-38)
− Paul looking toward the future (20:22-25)
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On his way to Jerusalem
Holy Spirit testifies that bonds and afflictions await him
Does not consider his life all that important for himself
It is only important for finish the ministry which he received from God, to
preach the gospel of the grace of God
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul, Luke & others travel towards Jerusalem (20:13-21:16)
− Paul’s visit with the Ephesian elders at Miletus (20:17-38)
− Paul's farewell and word of encouragement to the elders of
Ephesus (20:26-36)
• He had declared to them the whole purpose of God
• Told to guard the flock, the church, of which the Holy Spirit had made
them overseers which Jesus purchased with his own blood
• Savage wolves will come to destroy the church, men will arise from among
you speaking perverse things to draw away disciples away from them so
they should be alert
• Commend them in God and His word of grace
• Word is able to build them up and give them the inheritance
• He did not do things for money but he worked hard
• In the same way they should remember the weak
• Remember the words of Jesus, "It is more blessed to give than to receive"
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul, Luke & others travel towards Jerusalem (20:13-21:16)
− Paul’s visit with the Ephesian elders at Miletus (20:17-38)
− Paul says farewell (20:36-38)
• Knelt down with them and prays with them
• They weep and say good-bye
• Grieved especially over the him saying he would see their faces no more
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Two important events to remember in Acts 20:
− Paul preaches in Troas and raise Eutychus from the dead.
− Paul meets with the Ephesian elders to encourage them.
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul and Luke travel to Jerusalem (21:1-16)
− The route Miletus, Cos, Rhodes, Patara (found a ship
going to Phonecia, and landed at Tyre in Syria (21:1-2)
− Short stay in Tyre (21:3-6)
• Found the disciples and stayed seven days
• Disciples were telling Paul through the Spirit not to go to
Jerusalem
• Departed, church escorted them out of the city and they knelt and
prayed on the beach and said goodbye
• Departed by ship
− Day stop in Ptolemais and greeted the brethren (21:7)
− Stop in Caesarea (21:8-16)
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Acts 18-21
• Paul and Luke travel to Jerusalem (21:1-16)
− Stop in Caesarea (21:8-16)
• Stayed for some days with Philip, the evangelist
• Philip was one of the seven chosen in Acts 6 to help the
Hellenistic Jews
• Philip had seven virgin daughters who were prophetess
• Agabus the prophet arrives from Judea and warns Paul through
the Holy Spirit that the Jews at Jerusalem will bind him and hand
him over to the Gentiles
• His traveling companions and the local Christians ask him not to
go to Jerusalem
• Paul note he not only ready to be bound but to die if necessary in
Jerusalem
• People say, "The Lord's will be done."
• Lodged with a disciple named Mnason as they traveled on
Travel to Ephesus
Ephesus: Theater
Paul “fought with beasts at Ephesus” (1 Cor. 15:32)
City of Ephesus
• City of Ephesus
− Historical development
• Greek colony originally
• Called an emporion – “way in” for trade inland
from the harbor there
• The first temple of Artimis destroyed 356 B.C.,
night Alexander the Great was born
• Alexander Great contributed a great deal to
building the new temple – 334 B.C.
• Romans would control this area – 133 B.C.
• By N.T. time the harbor had be silted up and no
usable
City of Ephesus
• City of Ephesus
− Political and economic background
• Foremost city in Asia Minor
• Approximately 250,000 in population
• Large trading center – three main roads
brought trade
• Free city
• Panionian games
CITY OF EPHESUS
Column lined road that led to the harbor (now 6 miles away)
City of Ephesus
• City of Ephesus
− Religiously
• Center of the emperor cult
• Temple of Artemis (Diana)
• Patron Goddess of the city
• One of the seven wonders of the world
• Larger than Pantheon (largest Greek building)
• About 360 feet long
• The silversmiths made figures of Artemis and felt
threatened by the new teaching about Christ.
Artemis (Roman – Diana)
Artemis was also called Cynthia, from her birth place,
Mount Cynthus in Delos. She was Apollo's twin sister,
daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was one of the three maiden
goddesses of Olympus: the pure maiden Vesta, gray-eyed
Athena who cares but for war and the arts of the craftsmen,
and Artemis, lover of woods and the wild chase over the
mountain.
She was the Lady of Wild Things, Huntsman-in-chief
to the gods, an odd office for a woman. As a huntress her
favorite animal was the stag, because its swiftness gave the best
opportunity for her method of capture, which was by her
silver bow and arrows and speed of foot.
Marble Street to Temple
Artemis (Roman – Diana)
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Temple of Artemis
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Two kilometers outside Ephesus
Largest marble temple ever built
Controlled financial affairs
Bank for wealthy
Invulnerability of attacks part of sacredness
Place of refuge and a school
Loaned money, collected taxes, owned land
Thirty ancient sites located but Ephesus central
Destroyed in A.D. 260 when Goths sacked
Ephesus
Temple of Artemis
“Ornament of the whole Province of Asia”
Statue of Artemis – Nature Goddess
Nature goddess
associated with
carnal fertility
rituals, orgiastic rites
and religious
prostitution
Artimis cult was
associated a meteoric
stone, the “image which
fell down from Jupiter.”
Ruins: Temple of Artemis
City of Ephesus
− New Testament background
• Paul visited on 2nd missionary journey
−Left Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus
−They taught Apollos
• Third missionary journey, Paul stayed
over two years
−Gospel spread throughout Asia Minor (Acts
19:10)
−Paul had a close relationship with Christian
leaders their (20:17-38)
• Timothy left in Ephesus by Paul (2 Tim.)
• Ephesus mentioned in Rev. 2
Ephesus: Harbor Street
Ephesus: Agora (Market)
Ephesus: Agora
Ephesus: Odeon
Ephesus: Terraced House
Ephesus: Temple of
Domitian
Ephesus: Brothel
Ephesus: Public Toilets
Ephesus: Celsus Library
Ephesus: Gymnasium
Ephesus: Temple of
Hadrian
Ephesus: Memius
Monument
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