The Missionary Example of the Apostle Paul: Journeys and Principles

A missionary is a person called and equipped by God to be the first to bring the Good News into a new culture or region where the Gospel has never been heard. Their role is to proclaim Christ and lay the spiritual foundation on which other ministers—prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—can build up a community of believers.

They are the pioneers who open the way for further ministry.

One of the most vivid examples of missionary ministry is the apostle Paul. His life, teaching, and work made him a key figure in shaping the Christian Church after the ascension of Jesus Christ.

Even though the conditions Paul ministered in were very different from those today, the principles behind his work remain relevant and inspiring for missionaries in every generation.

The Journeys of the Apostle Paul

After Jesus Christ was crucified in Jerusalem, Christianity began to spread rapidly beyond the borders of Palestine. One key factor in this was that many believers in Palestine spoke Greek—the main language of communication throughout the Roman Empire. This made their preaching understandable to people of different nationalities and contributed to many conversions.

The apostle Paul played a major role in the spread of the Gospel. For about 20 years (roughly from A.D. 48 to 62), he was actively engaged in missionary work.

He began his ministry in Syrian Antioch, one of the leading centers of Christianity at the time—alongside Rome and Alexandria. The local church there was primarily made up of “Hellenists”—Jews who followed less strict traditions than orthodox Jews. According to tradition, the term “Christians” was first used in Antioch.

From there, Paul traveled to Galatia, about 300 miles northwest. His route took him through the island of Cyprus and then into the northern and central parts of Asia Minor. In cities throughout Galatia—such as Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe—he established or strengthened Christian communities (see Acts 13–14).

Paul’s preaching had a powerful impact—many Gentiles came to faith. In Iconium, about 100 miles east of Pisidian Antioch, there were also many conversions. But in Lystra, 20 miles from Iconium, Paul met strong opposition—he was stoned and thrown out of the city (Acts 16).

During his second missionary journey, Paul crossed from Asia Minor into Europe, arriving in the city of Philippi. Traveling another 40 miles down a Roman road, he reached Thessalonica, founded in 315 B.C. and named after Alexander the Great’s sister, Thessalonike. There, Paul started one of the first Christian communities in Europe.

Paul also spent time in Athens, preaching both in the marketplace among Gentiles and in the synagogue among Jews. One especially memorable moment was his speech at the Areopagus, the meeting place of the Athenian court. As he climbed Mars Hill, Paul noticed an altar with the inscription: “To the unknown god.” This became the starting point of his address to the Athenians (see Acts 17:23–24).

Later, Paul went to Corinth, where he spent a year and a half teaching the Word of God to the local population.

Another significant stop was Ephesus—a large city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) with a population of over 225,000 at the time. Ephesus was a major trade center on the route from Rome to the East. Paul spent three years there preaching—first in the synagogue, then more widely—and the city became a stronghold of early Christianity.

Paul completed his third missionary journey by returning to Jerusalem. There, he was arrested, and after two years in prison, was sent to Rome. According to church tradition, the apostle Paul was executed by order of Emperor Nero sometime between A.D. 64 and 67.

Missionary Principles of the Apostle Paul

1. Paul focused on strategic cultural centers.

Paul and Barnabas first went to Cyprus for their initial missionary effort.

We know why they chose Cyprus—it was Barnabas’s homeland, and his family lived there. After preaching the Gospel, the governor of Cyprus came to faith in Christ.

From there, the ministers traveled to the city of Derbe. It was a small town, and yet Paul didn’t pass it by—even though he skipped over some major port cities. Why? The governor of Cyprus was originally from Derbe.

This pattern appears repeatedly: when one church is planted, another often springs up where the relatives of those first believers live.

2. Paul never served as a long-term pastor in any church.

He preached and taught, and then appointed pastors from among those who traveled with him—like Timothy and Titus.

Among the Greeks, Paul didn’t appoint Jewish ministers as pastors. He knew that Greeks would best receive the Gospel from fellow Greeks.

3. Paul never stayed in one place for too long.

In Thessalonica, he stayed just three weeks. In that short time, he founded a church and appointed a pastor.

Why? Biblically speaking, a missionary is not simply a pastor living in another country. A missionary is a church planter—someone who goes where the Gospel still needs to be preached.

4. Paul had a home church.

He spent much of his time in Antioch, serving, meeting with the brothers, and remaining faithful to Jewish traditions. He also visited the newly planted churches to encourage and support them.

5. Paul never considered any place where he planted a church to be “the ends of the earth.”

He kept going—continuing his missionary work, pressing further into unreached territory.

6. You are not a missionary just because of where you live or how long you’ve lived there.

Being a missionary is about what you do and where you do it.

If you’re following Paul’s example, then first and foremost, you are a church planter—and a raiser of other church planters.

Sources:

• “Paul’s Third Missionary Journey”
  
• “Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Defining Missionary Work and Its Key Tasks,” by R. Boryshkevych, Bukovynian Theological Journal, 2023, No.1
  
• “The Missionary Work of the Apostle Paul in Light of Archaeology,” by Mykhailo Kuchynko
  
• Final Frontiers Foundation
  

CITA Ministries Press Center.