Acts 13–14 · Guided Journey
The church at Antioch sent Barnabas and Saul into a connected Mediterranean world of ports, Roman provinces, Jewish synagogues, local rulers, and dangerous roads. Follow the route to see how place shaped the mission.
Route overview
Simplified outward route. Paul and Barnabas revisited the new communities on their return before sailing from Attalia to Antioch.
Six checkpoints
Read the primary passage first. Then open the context note and mark the checkpoint complete.
Antioch in Syria—not Jerusalem—became the launch point. This diverse church prayed, fasted, and commissioned Barnabas and Saul for the work.
Antioch was a major eastern city of the Roman Empire and connected inland Syria to Mediterranean travel. The mission begins from a multicultural congregation positioned near major routes.
From Seleucia they sailed to Salamis, then traveled across Cyprus toward Paphos. Barnabas was a native of Cyprus, making the island a meaningful first destination.
Salamis stood on the eastern coast near Syria; Paphos was the Roman administrative center on the western side. Luke compresses an island-wide journey into a few sentences.
At Paphos, the missionaries encountered Sergius Paulus and Elymas. The passage also begins consistently calling Saul by his Roman name, Paul.
The gospel is presented before a Roman provincial official, opposition is confronted, and Luke’s narrative increasingly centers Paul.
After landing at Perga, Paul’s group traveled inland and upward to Pisidian Antioch. Paul’s synagogue sermon retells Israel’s story and announces Jesus as the promised Savior.
The journey from the coast into the Anatolian interior required a difficult climb through rugged country. Pisidian Antioch was distinct from the Syrian Antioch that sent them.
After a healing, the crowd identified Barnabas with Zeus and Paul with Hermes. The missionaries had to redirect worship toward the living Creator.
The people interpreted the miracle through their own religious world. Paul appealed to creation and God’s provision as shared evidence.
Paul and Barnabas returned through Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch, appointing elders and encouraging the believers before sailing home.
The mission was not merely about reaching new cities. They revisited vulnerable communities, provided local leadership, and reported to the church that sent them.