Paul's First Mission

This week we learned about Paul and his missions. For the student choice assignment I decided to go with the first choice, Paul's First Mission.

Here are the questions that were asked:

1. Using the map "Paul's 1st Journey" found in the map section of the institute student manual, list the name of the place Paul started this mission and four other cities that he taught in.

2. Review Acts 13:1-5 and outline in writing three points that could help a missionary who is discouraged.

3. Read the Bible Dictionary for "Barnabas" and the institute manual commentary for Acts 9:27, "Who Was Barnabas?" Write a paragraph describing Barnabas. What blessings and advantages do you see for the Lord sending missionaries out two by two? 

4. Review Acts 14:8-18. Explain in writing what happened to Paul and Barnabas. How did Paul and Barnabas respond to this praise and attention?

5. Review Acts 14:19-22 and compare in writing the way the people treated Paul in these verses with how he and Barnabas were treated in Acts 14:8-13. How did Paul say we would enter the kingdom of God? How are both these experiences examples of the principle Paul taught in vers 22?

(1) I wasnt able to tell the path of their mission by the map so I went by what was said in the verses. In verse 1 we are told that they were in Antioch. In verse 4 it tells us that they departed to Seleucia and then went to Cyprus. After that verse 5 says that they went to Salamis and then in verse 6 they traveled to Paphos.

 (2) When a missionary is discouraged they can do three things:

Fast

Pray

Learn and teach by the Holy Ghost

(3) Barnabas was very faithful and he gave everything that he had. He wasnt part of the twelve, but he was still considered to be an apostle. He was full of the Holy Ghost and he was also the first missionary companion of Paul. I think that having missionaries in pairs is good for a few different reasons. I think that it is safer for there to be two missionaries, it is better for the missionaries to have a companion, and they can preach more powerfully.

(4) Barnabas and Paul were praised highly for a miracle that they had performed and the people in the city were in awe and said that the two of them were God's and that they were sent from Heaven. Paul and Barnabas took thanks, but let the people know that it was not them that had performed the miracle, but it was because of God that they had been able to.

(5) In verses 19-22 we are told that they visited and preached in Antioch and Iconium and there he was stoned and thrown out of the city after they believed he was dead. Then he went with Barnabas to Derbe where they preached the gospel to many. They also returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch telling the disciples to continue in faith and that they needed to go through much tribulation to enter the kingdom of God. This was much different from the time that they went to Lystra in verses 8-13 because there  they gave praises and thanks to them.

(Conclusion) I think that if we are to take anything away from this lesson it should be the faithfulness that Paul and his apostles had. He knew that he was going to go through the tribulation, but he continued in the work of the Lord anyway and instructed the others to do so as well.