Paul – the Missionary

It is commonly reported that Paul went on three missionary journeys.  I write to refute that idea and then to suggest it might be possibly correct – but different than commonly thought.

Here are the three verses that seem to launch Paul’s three missionary journeys:

1. Acts 13:4, So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
2. Acts 16:10, Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
3. Acts 18:23, After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia

First, what is a missionary?

• FreeDictionary.com – One who is sent on a mission, especially one sent to do religious or charitable work in a territory or foreign country.
• bethanygu.edu – A missionary is someone who “goes” to live in a foreign country or “goes” through cross-cultural barriers such as language, culture, and beliefs.
• Britannica.com – a person who is sent to a foreign country to do religious work

I suggest that the first calling by the Spirit (Acts 13:4-6) was not to the work of a missionary but to that of an evangelist.  To the church are given special men which includes that of an evangelist: And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, Ephesians 4:11.

These were gifts from Jesus recognized by a church eldership.  Paul to pastor Timothy: Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership, I Timothy 4:14.  Thus the call and marking in Acts 13 is that of an evangelist.

And what is an evangelist?

• gotquestions.com – An evangelist is someone who proclaims good news; in other words, a preacher of the gospel or a missionary. A person with the gift of evangelism is often someone who travels from place to place to preach the gospel and call for repentance. 
• biblestudytools.com – This title is applied to Philip (Acts 21:8), who appears to have gone from city to city preaching the word.
• Cambridge/dictionary.org – a person who tries to persuade people to become Christians, often by travelling around and organizing religious meetings.

So, Paul and Barnabas were singled out by the Spirit and acknowledged by their church eldership and sent out as EVANGELISTS – not missionaries!  Why do I say so?  Because Paul and Barnabas went to the home area of Barnabas (Cyprus) and then to the home area of Paul (Tarsus of Turkey).  They traveled about proclaiming Jesus to people like themselves – same language, heritage, holidays and culture.  They were serving as evangelists according to the common definition of the term.

Later, when Paul came to Troas, he had a vision of a man calling him to come to a different culture – different traditions and language (Acts 16) in another country, even a different continent.  Now Paul fit the common definition of a missionary.

Therefore, Paul went on two missionary journeys. [It could be argued that the commonly said “third” journey was not as a missionary but more as a pastor/shepherd.]

That said, I suggest two missionary journeys, not three!  Yet it might be that Paul did go on three such journeys.  In Romans 15:24 and 28, Paul reported on his intent to take the gospel to Spain.  It is a common thought that he was released from prison and did go to Spain and was later rearrested and then executed.  If that be so, then Paul did go on three missionary journeys, just not the three commonly claimed.

It is important to be careful with word definitions and applications.  An evangelist and a missionary are not exactly the same.  Paul was both – at different times!