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Acts of the Apostles
Lesson 9
The Third Missionary Journey

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Reading assignment for this lesson: Acts 18:23 - 21:14

Paul's route on this missionary journey was similar to his second journey. It was Paul's last missionary trip before he was arrested and taken to Rome for trial. He traveled around the Mediterranean regions which are now in Turkey and Greece. Paul spent nearly three years in Ephesus, and it became one of the most important cities in Christian history. Paul probably wrote 1 Corinthians while he was there, and tradition says the apostle John lived there near the end of the first century.

Paul's ministry at Ephesus had such great success that it threatened to undermine faith in the pagan goddess Artemis, whose magnificent temple was the pride of the city. This led to a riot by supporters of Artemis.

1. Look at the map of Paul's third missionary journey in the Introduction.
a) Where did Paul begin and end his journey?
b) What cities did he visit?
c) Where are those cities located in the modern world?

2. What facts do you know about Priscilla (also called "Prisca") and Aquila? (See Acts 18:1-3, 18:18, Romans 16:3-5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, 2 Timothy 4:19)

3. a) What facts do you know about Apollos? (See Acts 18:24-28, Acts 19:1, 1 Corinthians 1:11-13, 3:1-9, 3:21-23, 16:12, Titus 3:13.)
b) Why did Priscilla and Aquila give him instruction? (See Acts 18:25-26.)
c) What would Paul say about all the different denominations of Christian churches that exist today?

4. a) How did the Holy Spirit guide and direct the early Church? (See Acts 1:8, 4:31, 7:54-56, 9:17, 9:31, 13:2, 15:6-9, 16:6, 20:22-23, 20:28.)
b) How does the Holy Spirit guide the Church today?

5. Why did the disciples in Ephesus not receive the Holy Spirit? (See Acts 19:1-7, 1:1-5, Mark 1:4-8.)

6. Why did Demetrius and other artisans in Ephesus oppose Paul? (See Acts 19:21-41.)

7. How was Paul's miracle in Troas similar to the miracles of Elijah and Elisha? (See Acts 20:7-12, 1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:32-37.)

8. Why did Paul revisit cities where he had already established Christian churches? (See Acts 14:21-22, 15:36-41, 20:1-2.)

9. a) Overall, how did Jews respond to Paul's preaching?
b) How did Gentiles respond? (See Acts 13:42-50, 17:10-13, 19:23-29.)

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