03 - Paul's Early Ministry -The Itineraries Of Paul
Paul’s Early Ministry Here’s where we left off, where Paul had not gone up to meet with the apostles at Jerusalem like it says here: Galatians 1:17: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. We read in Acts chapter 9 that when he was in Damascus, he really started growing in the Word. He started ministering the Word. He entangled or mixed up the Jews because he was teaching them that this is very Christ. Then the Jews got to the point where they got the Roman government involved; set up a garrison around the city that they could catch Paul. Then Paul had to be let down over the wall in a basket. This was the time when Aretas was king and there was a governor in Damascus under Aretas’ reign. Galatians 1:18: Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. This is about the time when Aretas was appointed king in 37 A.D. because 14 years later is when Paul was in Jerusalem at the Jerusalem council which was in 51 A.D. So this makes Paul’s conversion about 34, 35 A.D. – somewhere in there. Galatians 1:19: But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. The only apostles Paul saw, therefore, on his first revisit to Jerusalem, were Peter and James. The others, it says he did not see. Remember this. Galatians 1:20-21: Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; Syria is above Palestine; to the north of Palestine. Cilicia is sort of northwest of Syria. It’s around on the north side of the Mediterranean Sea in what we, today call Turkey. Then it was Asia Minor. So Paul was up there in the northeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea, in that general area along the coast there. Galatians 1:22: And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: Does that mean there was nobody in Jerusalem that knew him; that had seen him face t
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Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians [Hellenists; Geek speaking Jews]: but they went about to slay him. Did Paul spend much time with the believers? No, he was only there 15 days. He really didn’t get to meet much with the believers and they were afraid of him. He saw Peter and James and then he was out witnessing to the Greek speaking Jews and it says they went about to slay him. Acts 9:30: Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. Do you know where Tarsus is? Cilicia. Where did it say that he went after his first visit to Jerusalem in Galatians? Syria and Cilicia. Tarsus is in Cilicia and Tarsus is the town that Paul was born in. Acts 9:31: Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. Bef