News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.  So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.  The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

• Acts 11:22-26

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”  So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

• Acts 13:1-3

This quiz is all my invention.  What were the towns in which Barnabas and Paul travelled in Paul’s first missionary journey?  Where did the journey begin?  Before Paul was a ‘missionary’, he helped Barnabas in Antioch.  A member of the Antioch church prophesied that a famine was coming.  As a result, Barnabas and Paul were commissioned to take offerings from Antioch and deliver them to the church in Judah, to be prepared for the famine.  The Acts narrative interrupts the story of Barnabas and Paul to tell the story of Peter’s miraculous escape from prison and to mention that king Herod died.  It seems that Herod dying might have been the signal that it was time for Paul to start his missionary work, but not so.  After returning to Antioch, they were fasting and praying and the Holy Spirit announced that Barnabas and Paul must be separated from the church, no longer the pastors, to begin their mission, the work to which they were called.

Some maps show that Paul (called Saul until Acts 13:9) started his first missionary journey in Jerusalem, but they were not “called” into the mission until after their return to Antioch.  The question, for each successive location is where did they go next?  In some cases, great detail is provided in Acts, while at other locations nothing is mentioned.  Was it a whistle stop?  Did they spend a month or two preaching?  Were some locations mentioned in detail because of what happened there?  In some ways, it might be blissful to be in one of those towns where nothing of note happened, because a lot of bad things happened in other locations.  But, even through the danger, seeing God’s mighty hand at work would be a thrill to experience.

In each case, the first letter of the location is mentioned.

The Questions:

	Where did they go next?
A	Antioch – The starting point – Syrian Antioch
S
C
S	Located at “C”
P	Located at “C”
P
A
I
L
D
LIA	This is backtracking. Three towns, but mentioned as a group in series.
P	More backtracking.
A
A	Antioch, where they had started

Bible References:

	Where did they go next?
A	Antioch – The starting point – The Antioch that is in modern Syria, not modern Turkey
S	Acts 13:4
C	Acts 13:4
S	Acts 13:5
P	Acts 13:6 – Blinding a sorcerer’s eyes – for a season
P	Acts 13:13
A	Acts 13:14 – Scripture records the sermon, the people’s angry reaction, and their flight
I	Acts 13:51 – Again not well received.
L	Acts 14:6 – Paul stoned and left for dead, even after performing miracles.
D	Acts 14:20
LIA	Acts 14:21 – this is backtracking
P	Acts 14:25 – more backtracking
A	Acts 14:25
A	Antioch, where they had started

   …

   …

   …

The Answers:

	Where did they go next?
A	Antioch – The starting point – Syrian Antioch
S	Seleucia – Acts 13:4
C	Cyprus – Acts 13:4
S	Salamis – Acts 13:5, a city on the east coast of Cyprus
P	Paphos – Acts 13:6, a city on the west coast of Cyprus
P	Perga in Pamphylia – Acts 13:13
A	Antioch in Pisidia – Acts 13:14.  This Antioch is in modern Turkey, not a return to their starting point.
I	Iconium – Acts 13:51
L	Lystra – Acts 14:6, where people from Antioch and Iconium caught up with Paul and Barnabas, stoning Paul, dragging his body out of the town, thinking him to be dead.
D	Derbe – Acts 14:20
LIA	Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch – Acts 14:21.  Note that these towns tried to kill him, but the believers in those towns needed elders to lead them.
P	Perga in Pamphylia – Acts 14:25
A	Attalia – Acts 14:25
A	Antioch, where they had started

Since you did so well, enjoy this 10 minute journey as a review, with the narrator adding a few key details.

Of course, if you did not do well on this quiz, maybe you should take this quiz from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

And I found this beautiful song, listed as 277 Antioch, from the Second Ireland Sacred Harp Convention in 2012, led by Ewan Paterson of Glasgow, Scotland.  The first “verse” is not in Gaelic. They are singing it in solfege (do – re – mi -fah – sol – la – ti). just the tone, not the accompanying hand signals.

“I know that my Redeemer lives,
Glory, Hallelujah!
What comfort this sweet sentence gives,
Glory, Hallelujah!

Chorus:
“Shout on, pray on, we’re gaining ground,
Glory Hallelujah!
The dead’s alive, and the lost is found,
Glory Hallelujah!

“He lives to bless me with His love;
Glory Hallelujah!
He lives to plead my cause above;
Glory Hallelujah!

(Chorus)

“He lives to crush the fiends of hell;
Glory Hallelujah!
He lives and doth within me dwell;
Glory Hallelujah!”

(Chorus)

• 277 Antioch, Samuel Medley (1775)

If you like these Saturday morning Bible quizzes, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Saturday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.