Dr. Pothana's Teaching

1. Detailed Study on The Book Of Acts
COACH Institute of Intercultural Studies
Hyderabad

2. Paul’s Second
Missionary Journey
Acts 15-18

3. Second Missionary Journey
• Antioch
• Derbe
and
Lystra
• Troas
• Philippi
• Thessalonica
• Beroea
• Athens
• Corinth

4. CYPRUS

5. Antioch
Split with Barnabas
“The disagreement became so sharp
that they parted company; Barnabas
took Mark with him and sailed away
to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and
set out... He went through Syria and
Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”
(Acts 15:39-41)

6. Taurus Mountains

7. Cilician
Gates
Strategic
passage through
Taurus range

8. Derbe
and
Lystra
Paul and
Barnabas
Joined by
Timothy
CYPRUS

9. Derbe and Lystra
“Paul wanted Timothy to
accompany him; and he took him
and circumcised him because of the
Jews who were in those places, for
they all knew that his father was a
Greek.”
(Acts 16:3)

10. Through Asia Minor to Troas
CYPRUS

11. Through Asia Minor to
Troas
“They went through the region of
Phrygia and Galatia, having been
forbidden by the Holy Spirit to
speak the word in Asia…They
attempted to go into Bithynia, but
the Spirit of Jesus did not allow
them; so… they went down to
Troas.” (Acts 16:6-8)

12. Excavations at Ancient Troy
Gateway between East and West

13. Troas
The “Macedonian Call”
“During the night Paul had a vision:
there stood a man of Macedonia
pleading with him and saying, ‘Come
over to Macedonia and help us.’”
(Acts 16:9)

14. Macedonia
“We immediately tried to cross over to
Macedonia... We set sail from Troas and
... the following day we came to
Neapolis.” (Acts 16:10-11)
First of the “We-passages” in Acts
(Acts16:10-17; 20:5-21:18; 27:1-28:16)
Does this indicate:
•Participation of author?
•Use of a first-person source?
•Vivid style often used in sea voyage accounts?

15. Philippi
Paul’s First
Church in
Europe
CYPRUS

16. Harbor of Neapolis

17. Philippi
“… a
leading city
of the
district of
Macedonia
and a
Roman
colony.”
(Acts 16:12)

18. Philippi
Forum and Christian Basilica

19. Philippi
•Conversion of Lydia.
•Exorcism of slave-girl.
•Conversion of jailer.

20. Philippi
Paul’s Prison?
“About midnight Paul and
Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God... Suddenly
there was an earthquake… and
immediately all the doors were
opened and everyone's chains
were unfastened.”
(Acts 16:25-26)

21. Egnatian Way
Major Route between Rome and Eastern Provinces

22. Thessalonica
Recipient of
Paul’s Earliest
Letter
CYPRUS

23. Thessalonica
Arch of Galerius
Capital of
Macedonia
(305-
Galerius
made it
capital of
Eastern
Empire)

24. Thessalonica
• Preached 3 weeks in synagogue.
• Forced out by Jewish opposition.
• Soon sent earliest preserved
letter.

25. Beroea
• Well received in
synagogue.
• Forced out by
opposition.
• Abandons
Egnatian Way.
CYPRUS

26. Athens
Center of
Classical
Greek
Culture
CYPRUS

27. Athens
The Acropolis

28. Athens
Aerial View of Acropolis

29. Athens
Parthenon
“Paul… was
deeply
distressed to
see that the
city was full
of idols.”
(Acts 17:16)

30. Athens
Acropolis from the Agora
“So he argued
in the syn-
agogue with
the Jews and
the devout
persons…”
(Acts 17:17)

31. Athens
Roman Agora
“…also in the
marketplace
every day with
those who
happened to be
there.”
(Acts 17:17)

32. Athens
Colonnade in Stoa of Attalos
“Also some
Epicurean and
Stoic
philosophers
debated with
him…”
(Acts 17:18)

33. Athens
Colonnade in Stoa of Attalos
“Some said,
‘What does this
babbler want to
say?’ Others said,
‘He seems to be a
proclaimer of
foreign
divinities.’”
(Acts 17:18)

34. Athens
Areopagus
“So they
took him
and brought
him to the
Areopagus.”
(Acts 17:19)

35. Athens
Areopagus Sermon
“I found… an
altar with the
inscription,
‘To an
unknown
god.’”
(Acts 17:23)

36. Corinth
• Strategically
located
• Transportation
center
• Commercial/
industrial city
• 18-month stay
dominates
Second Journey
CYPRUS

37. Corinth
Strategic Transportation and Commercial Center
Diolkos
Ships and
cargo were
hauled across
the isthmus
over this
stone-paved
sledway.

38. Corinth
Modern Canal
• Begun by Nero in 67
with Jewish POW labor.
• Completed by French in
1881-93.

39. Corinth: Road from Port,
Forum, and Acrocorinth
“I came to
Corinth in
weakness
and in fear
and in much
trembling.”
(1 Cor. 2:3)

40. Corinth
Temple of Apollo
Cosmopolitan
Syncretistic
Notoriously
immoral

41. Corinth
Votive Offerings to Asklepios
Many
cultures
and
religions
mingled.

42. Corinth
• Worked as tentmaker with Aquila and
Priscilla.
• Preached in synagogue until forced out.
• Stayed 18 months.
• Wrote 1 Thessalonians.
• Appeared before proconsul Gallio (51-
52).

43. Corinth
Erastus Inscription
“Erastus” funded
this pavement in
exchange for office
of Commissioner
of Public Works.
Paul, writing from
Corinth says, “Erastus,
the city treasurer,
greets you” (Rom.
16:23; cf. Acts 19:22; 2
Tim. 4:20).
Is this the same
Erastus?

44. Corinth
Gallio’s Bema
“But when
Gallio was
proconsul of
Achaia, the
Jews made a
united attack
on Paul and
brought him
before the
tribunal
(bema).”
(Acts 18:12)

45. Return to
Antioch
• Left Aquila and Priscilla
in Ephesus.
• Promised to return.
• Greeted Jerusalem
Church.
• After some time in
Antioch, started out
again.
CYPRUS