He then went to Jerusalem. This visit was not for the purpose of entering upon a general ministry, but to confer with Peter (Gal. 1:18). The visit lasted for fifteen days. He does not tell us what he wished of Peter. Perhaps, since Paul now considered himself set apart to preach the gospel to the gentiles, he wished to have an understanding with the leading apostles at Jerusalem in order that the work which he did might be joined with the Palestinian Christian movement. It has often been conjectured, and the surmise seems probable, that Paul also wished to learn from Peter the chief things Jesus had said and done during his public ministry.

Having accomplished his purpose at Jerusalem, Paul went back to Tarsus, his home city (Gal. 1:18-21; Acts 9:28-30 is perhaps less exact in some respects). We are not told of Paul's activities during the next several years. It seems quite clear, however, that he continued the preaching of Jesus as Messiah and the spread of the gospel in the province of Syria-Cilicia (Gal. 1:21). Paul was certainly not one who would choose inaction. As he had begun at once in Damascus to preach, so he quite surely continued to preach during these early years of his Christian career. There is evidence also that his work in Syria-Cilicia was largely successful, for later we read (Acts 15:41) of churches in this province (unquestionably of his own founding; cf. Rom. 15:18-20) which Paul visited and strengthened. They were the churches which he succeeded in establishing during the years before he was called to Antioch.

HIS RELATION TO THE ANTIOCH CHURCH

Eight or ten years after his conversion, and following this long period of active Christian ministry, Paul located himself at the city of Antioch, as one of the chief workers in that important church-second in importance only to the church at Jerusalem. The Book of Acts reports that this invitation came to him through Barnabas, who had known of Paul's conversion and was a personal friend of his (Acts 11:22-26; 9:27). Barnabas, being sent from Jerusalem to witness and promote the growth of Christianity in Antioch, thought of Paul as the best man to promote this remarkable growth. According to the Acts, therefore, Paul came to the Antioch church about the year 43 A. D., and for two or three years continued resident there as a minister of the gospel. He seems to have regarded Antioch as the center of his activities, even after he began his missionary journeys which required most of his time to be spent elsewhere.

It may be that if we knew all the facts concerning Paul's early relation to the Antioch church, it would appear that he had more to do with the beginnings of it than is generally supposed. Paul gives us to understand (Gal. 1:21) that Syria-Cilicia was the field of his activity after leaving Damascus. Antioch was the capital city of this Roman province. One of the chief methods of Paul's ministry was to work in the great cities, whence the Christianity he introduced would radiate rapidly and widely. It would not be strange if Paul had been instrumental, even largely instrumental, for setting in motion at Antioch the preaching of a gentile Christianity, because he considered this his especial mission and Antioch was the capital city of the district in which his evangelization during these several years was carried on. If he had been connected from the first with the planting and growth of the Antioch church, his permanent residence there for a few years, and later his repeated return to the city as a kind of headquarters during his missionary journeys, would be well explained.

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY

When the church at Antioch had grown large and strong, in part or chiefly through the activities of Paul there, a plan was made for the extension of Christianity westward by the sending of missionaries from Antioch to Cyprus (Acts 13:1-5). Barnabas, whose home was in Cyprus, and Paul, the two men of greatest prominence in the Antioch church, were obviously the ones to undertake this mission. The young Jewish Christian from Jerusalem, Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, accompanied them (Acts 13:5; Col. 4:10). They went through the island of Cyprus preaching in the Jewish synagogues and making converts to the gospel. Little is told of their work until they reached Paphos, at the end of their journey through Cyprus. Here the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a Roman official, was attracted by the gospel and asked Barnabas and Paul to instruct him concerning it (Acts 13:6-12). He became a Christian, though nothing further is known regarding him. The Acts regards it as a notable fact that a Roman official of such high standing and influence should have become interested in, even an adherent of, the gospel.

After Cyprus had been evangelized, the question arose whether the party should return to Antioch or should go forward into new territory. Probably no more extended tour than Cyprus had been contemplated by Barnabas and Mark when they set out at first. Paul may have secretly cherished the plan of going beyond Cyprus into south central Asia Minor. The time having come to proceed or to return, Paul urged that they proceed. The party went therefore across to the Asian coast (Acts 13:13), but Mark thought it not wise for him to spend the longer time or to engage in the more difficult undertaking of this new expedition, and so returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13; 15:38).

Barnabas however went forward with Paul. They made their way to the interior, visiting the cities on the great Roman road through the southern portion of the province of Galatia. First at Antioch, then at Iconium, then at Lystra, and finally at Derbe, the Christian missionaries preached the gospel, secured converts, and established churches. Their method was to go first into the synagogues and make converts of as many Jews as possible. Then, when the Jews would no longer hear them and became hostile to their message, they worked among the gentiles. The gentile converts were largely in the majority. Finally, when they were driven out of each city in turn by their Jewish enemies, who aroused the populace against them, they moved on through the district until they reached the eastern edge of the province.

Instead of returning to Antioch through the Cilician Gates and overland by the great Roman highway through Cilicia and Syria, Paul and Barnabas chose to return through the cities where they had worked, to encourage the new converts and to establish more firmly the churches they had started. This they did and after passing westward through the district, they went again to the southern seaport, preaching the gospel at Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, having completed their first missionary journey.

The church at Antioch welcomed with rejoicing the news of the splendid work that had been done, and of the new churches which had been founded. One thing above all others had become clear on this journey, namely, that the gospel needed to be given to the gentiles without Judaism. It became clear that the gospel was a spiritual and independent religion, complete without Jewish rites and ceremonies, and would be accepted by the gentiles only when free from Judaism. This great truth, which was the peculiar feature of gentile Christianity, became gradually clear to the first generation of Christians, chiefly through the actual experience of preaching the gospel among the gentiles.