The Next Town

Pete Kersker - Jul 13, 2026

From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13 NIV).

Paul and Barnabas are on a journey, going where the Holy Spirit leads them. Saul (Paul), as we've already seen, was in his home town of Tarsus when Barnabas first got him and brought him to Antioch. Barnabas got to go home when they began the first leg of their journey from Antioch to the island of Cyprus. Now, after they get off the island, John Mark leaves the team and goes back to Jerusalem. He wanted to go back home.

On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down (Acts 13:14a NIV).

The trip from the island to Perga probably took a few days. The trek from Perga up the mountain pass to Antioch would have taken a couple weeks. Interestingly, this is a different Antioch from the one where believers where first called Christians. Three hundred years earlier Seleucus, one of Alexander the Great's generals, named at least 16 cities across the empire after his father: Antiochus. Barnabas and Saul spent a year building up the Christians at Antioch in Syria. Now, they were travelling to Antioch in Psidia.

On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down (Acts 13:14b NIV).

Have you ever traveled two towns with the same name, located in very different places?
How were they the same? How were they different?

Did those towns have churches of Christians?
Were there people who still needed to come to Jesus?