Have you ever wondered how far Apostle Paul traveled on his missionary journeys?
Paul used the amazing Roman Road network (and sometimes by sea) to travel across Israel, Syria, Turkey, Greece, and Italy. A lot of the details are included in the book of Acts in strong details. Most biblical scholars agree that Paul would have traveled over 10,000 miles – BY FOOT!
That would be equal to walking between New York and Los Angeles nearly 4x!
When you read the book of Acts you begin to realize that Pauls missionary journeys were not an easy walk. Paul gives us a small insight into his journeys in 2 Corinthians 11:25-27
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
The more one looks into the life of Paul and his complete dedication to the Gospel of Jesus Christ the more the words of Isaiah 52:7 apply.
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Where did you find that detailed map? Do you have any others like it?
Loved this accurate information
Thank you for providing this information about Paul and his missionary journeys.
I am in tears as I realized the approximately 10, 000 miles St. Paul traversed by ancient land routes to start churches all over Asia.
I need to jump up from my life of ease and do my part in 2024 at 80 years old to spread the Gospel!
Paul traveled a lot on foot. Agreed. Yet I am not sure your “on foot” statement is accurate. Would you explain this more as I have heard the total miles were closer to 8100 (biblehub.com) and he travelled some of this on sea. Thanks
hank you for your comment! You’re correct that while Paul traveled significant distances on foot, much of his journey also involved sea travel. His missionary journeys, which are estimated to cover around 8,100 miles in total, took him across the Roman Empire—on foot through cities and towns, and by sea to various coastal regions.
It’s important to note, though, that these calculations primarily focus on his three missionary journeys, and while they are as precise as possible, they may underestimate the amount of walking Paul actually did. The estimates often rely on straight-line distances between cities, which can give a somewhat simplified view of his land travel. Additionally, some scholars suggest that water travel may be overestimated in these calculations, as Paul’s journeys involved more walking between smaller cities and towns, not just traveling directly from one major port to another.
Your point brings valuable perspective, and it helps to highlight the sheer physical effort Paul put into spreading the gospel. Thanks again for your insight!