A Church Begins ll

   616. Many other missionaries preached the Gospel in the early years of the church. Their mission was to spread the Word to all parts of the known earth, as they had been commissioned to do by Jesus before He returned to Heaven. Thanks to their efforts, Christianity gained a foothold quickly in nearly every part of the known world.

   617. Barnabas was one of the earliest converts to Christianity and a close friend of Paul's. A Greek-speaking Jew from Cyprus, Barnabas's real name as Joseph, but because he was an excellent teacher, his friends called him Barnabas, which means "son of encouragement." He accompanied Paul on the first missionary journey through Asia Minor.

   618. Timothy was one of Paul's main helpers. Paul mentored the younger man through two letters (1 and 2 Timothy) and called him his "true son in the faith." Timothy also traveled on his own.

   619. Philip became a missionary and was the first to preach the Gospel to those living in Samaria. He is especially remembered for how he helped an Ethiopian read a passage from Isaiah. An angel directed him to go to the Ethiopian. Upon arriving they read the passage together. The foreigner asked to be Baptized and became the first Ethiopian Christian.

   620. Silas traveled as a missionary with Paul and Peter. He sang hymns joyously to Christ when he was imprisoned with Paul during the earthquake in Philippi. The jailer became a Christian because he was so moved by their display of faith. He was to Paul a "faithful brother."

   621. Phoebe is one of the few women missionary figures of the New Testament. History indicates that it was not uncommon for women to be in leadership roles in the early church, though it was certainly not typical in Jewish synagogues. Phoebe traveled to Rome, most likely to bring Paul's letter (what we know as the Book of Romans) to the Christians there.

   622. Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria. He was actually a missionary before he met Paul. John the Baptist had mentored him and helped Appollos become a powerful preacher. He found help for his questions about Jesus in Corinth when he spoke with Priscilla and Aquilla.