The Many Footsteps of Paul

As recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul’s missionary journeys played a pivotal role in the spread of early Christianity. He made three missionary journeys and a journey to Rome, leaving footsteps all throughout the Roman Empire’s Mediterranean region. Over the course of his travels, he visited many historically significant cities and regions that can be traced on a map today.

In our upcoming blog series, we’ll take you through each of Paul’s major journeys, from his first steps into Asia Minor (modern-day Türkiye) to his final journey to Rome. Each blog will explore both the ancient events and current locations tied to Paul’s travels, to offer a better understanding of the places where Christianity first took root.

To kick off our series, here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from the coming blogs:

Paul’s First Journey

During Paul’s inaugural journey, as recounted in Acts 13 and 14, he traveled through the island of Cyprus and into Asia Minor. Starting in Antioch, Paul and his companions preached the Gospel in cities such as Salamis and Paphos in Cyprus and Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe in modern Türkiye. While Paul faced many challenges during this journey, it marked the beginning of his outreach to the Gentiles and laid the foundation for the expansion of Christianity. Our first blog will take you through these ancient cities and the modern locations that now stand in their place.

Footsteps of Paul: First Missionary Journey – Fellowship Travel

Paul’s Second Journey

Paul’s second missionary journey, as told is Acts 15-18, brought him into Europe. He began this journey by revisiting many of the cities from his first journey to encourage and strengthen the disciples. Then, when God appeared to him in a vision telling him to go to Macedonia, he immediately departed for what is now Greece. Here, he visited cities like Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth. (All these cities have wonderful archaeological sites that are still being excavated and can be visited today.) This journey was marked by key moments, such as his famous sermon on Mars Hill in Athens and his year and a half stay in Corinth.

Footsteps of Paul: Second Missionary Journey – Fellowship Travel

Paul’s Third Journey

Paul’s third journey (Acts 18-21) brought him once again through Asia Minor to revisit the churches he established during his first two journeys. It is this journey that brought him to Ephesus, where he would spend several years building the Christian community despite opposition. He then traveled again through Macedonia before returning to Jerusalem.

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey – Fellowship Travel

Paul’s Journey to Rome

Finally, Paul embarked on a perilous journey to Rome (described in Acts 27-28) after being arrested in Jerusalem, but he continued preaching the Gospel on this journey to all who would listen. After stopping in Crete, they continued sailing despite the rough waters and shipwrecked in Malta. Once underway again, they stopped in Sicily and continued to Rome, the capital of the empire. Our final blog in this series will look at Paul’s final days and the modern sites in Rome that commemorate his legacy.

Paul’s Journey to Rome – Fellowship Travel

Following Paul’s Footsteps Today

Paul’s journeys were not just physical travels, they were spiritual milestones that shaped the early Christian church. Each stop on his route contributed to the growth of a movement that changed the world.

Today, you can journey through these ancient lands to gain new insights into Paul’s mission and develop a greater appreciation for the enduring legacy of his efforts. After learning more about the modern sites, we hope you will be inspired to bring your faith community to walk in Paul’s footsteps, whether through Israel, Türkiye, Cyprus, Greece, or Italy. Learning about Paul’s work is a great way to build your faith and grow your church’s passion for missions!

Join our upcoming Footsteps of Paul FAM trip in 2026: Footsteps of Paul: Italy – Fellowship Travel