Day 259 – Acts: Key places in Acts
“And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:52 NLT
The apostle Paul, whose missionary journeys fill much of the book of Acts, travelled tremendous distances as he tirelessly spread the Good News across a great part of the Roman Empire. His combined trips by land and sea equal more than 13,000 air miles. We will look at the key places mentioned in Acts, and most of the epistles written by Paul are to the churches established in these cities. Luke, the author of Acts, was a traveling companion of Paul and is thought to have narrated his words into the famous letters to the churches.
• Judea (Acts 1:1 to 7:60) – After Jesus’ ascension to heaven from the Mount of Olives, outside Jerusalem, His followers returned to the city, anticipating the arrival of the promised Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, Peter gave a powerful sermon heard by Jews from across the world, and the church grew.
• Samaria (Acts 8:1-40) – After Stephen was martyred in Jerusalem, the persecution of Christians intensified, but also caused believers to leave the capital and spread the Gospel to other cities. Philip took the gospel into Samaria and even to a man from Ethiopia.
• Syria (Acts 9:1 to 12:25) – Paul (Saul) began his story as a persecutor, only to be met by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Barnabas sought him out and brought him to the church in Antioch of Syria. Meanwhile, Peter received a vision sending him to Caesarea.
• Cyprus and Galatia (Acts 13:1 to 14:28) – Paul and Barnabas set off on their first missionary journey through Cyprus and Galatia.
• Macedonia (Acts 15:36 – 17:14) – Barnabas travelled to Cyprus while Paul went on his second missionary journey, revisiting the churches in Galatia, and was guided by the Holy Spirit to Macedonia.
• Achaia (Acts 17:15 to 18:22) – From Macedonia, Paul travelled to Athens and Corinth in Achaia, ending his journey back in Antioch.
• Ephesus (Acts 18:23 – 23:30) – Paul’s third missionary journey took him back through Cilicia and Galatia, this time straight to Ephesus in Asia. His visits took him through other cities in Asia before returning to Macedonia and Achaia, and later Jerusalem.
• Caesarea (Acts 23:31 to 26:32) – Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and taken to Antipatris, then on to Caesarea under Roman guard. He took advantage of every opportunity to share the gospel, even with Gentile leaders. He appealed his case to Caesar and began the long journey to Rome.
• Rome (Acts 27-1 to 28:31) – After storms, layovers, and a shipwreck on the island of Malta, Paul arrived in Sicily and finally in Italy, where he travelled by land, under guard, to his long-desired destination: Rome.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the geographical locations pointing out how the gospel spread through Your willing servants. May we be as bold as Paul and share the gospel with anyone and everyone, no matter where we might find ourselves. Amen.
