Introduction to Paul’s Third Missionary Journey Map
Paul’s third missionary journey covered a huge area of the ancient Mediterranean world.
For preteens, however, the journey can become confusing quickly. There are unfamiliar city names, different regions, sea journeys, return routes, and several important events happening along the way.
A Paul’s third missionary journey map can make the story much easier to understand. Instead of seeing Acts 18–21 as a long list of names, students can actually see the journey unfolding. So where did Paul go on his third missionary journey?
Let’s follow the route step by step.
Where Did Paul Go on His Third Missionary Journey?
Paul’s third missionary journey is recorded primarily in Acts 18:23–21:17. The journey began in Antioch and eventually ended with Paul arriving in Jerusalem.Along the way, Paul traveled through regions and cities including:
- Antioch
- Galatia
- Phrygia
- Ephesus
- Macedonia
- Philippi
- Thessalonica
- Berea
- Corinth
- Troas
- Assos
- Mitylene
- Miletus
- Tyre
- Ptolemais
- Caesarea
- Jerusalem
Not every location receives the same amount of attention in Acts. Some places are mentioned briefly, while others become major settings for Paul’s ministry. That makes the map particularly useful.
It helps students understand which places were part of the journey and where the major events happened.
1. Paul Begins in Antioch
Paul’s third missionary journey begins in Antioch. Acts 18:23 tells us that Paul traveled through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples. This is an important detail. Paul wasn’t simply starting another adventure. He was returning to places where believers were already connected with the growing Christian movement.
His ministry included strengthening and encouraging existing churches.
Map activity
Ask students: Can you find Antioch on the map?
Then have them trace Paul’s route westward.
This gives them an immediate visual starting point for the journey.
2. Paul Travels Through Galatia and Phrygia
After leaving Antioch, Paul traveled through Galatia and Phrygia. Acts 18:23 describes him strengthening the disciples as he went. This part of the journey can easily be skipped when teaching because there isn’t a dramatic story attached to every location. But it teaches something valuable: Not every important part of ministry is dramatic.
Sometimes ministry means returning to people, encouraging them, teaching them, and helping them keep going.
3. Ephesus Becomes a Major Center
Eventually Paul arrived in Ephesus. This became one of the most important locations on his third missionary journey. Paul taught there extensively, and Acts 19 records many events connected with his ministry. Students can mark Ephesus prominently on their map. This is where several major stories happen:
- Paul meets disciples who need further teaching.
- The Holy Spirit comes upon believers.
- Paul teaches publicly.
- Miracles take place.
- The seven sons of Sceva encounter serious trouble.
- People turn away from magic practices.
- Demetrius becomes angry.
- A major riot erupts.
Ephesus isn’t just another dot on the map. It becomes one of the major chapters of Paul’s journey.
4. The Riot in Ephesus
The map becomes even more interesting when students connect geography with events. In Acts 19, Demetrius and other craftsmen become concerned about Paul’s teaching. The message about Jesus was affecting the way people thought and lived. A large crowd eventually gathers, and Paul’s companions Gaius and Aristarchus are seized. The crowd rushes into the theater, shouting about Artemis. The city becomes filled with confusion.
Eventually, the city clerk calms the crowd and the gathering breaks up.
Ask your preteens:
If you were Paul, would you want to go into that crowd? Why?
This turns the map from a geography exercise into a story.
Students can see where the event happened and then investigate what happened there.
5. Paul Travels Through Macedonia
After the events in Ephesus, Paul traveled through Macedonia. Several important cities are associated with this part of his journey, including:
- Philippi
- Thessalonica
- Berea
These names may already be familiar to students from other parts of the New Testament. That’s another reason maps are useful. Preteens can begin connecting stories they’ve heard before. For example, they may know about:
- Paul’s ministry in Philippi
- the believers in Thessalonica
- the Bereans searching the Scriptures
Suddenly these aren’t isolated Bible stories.
They’re part of a larger journey.
6. Paul Goes to Greece
Paul continued into Greece, including Corinth. Corinth had already played an important role in Paul’s ministry, and the city is closely connected with several New Testament letters. A map helps students understand that Corinth was not simply the name of a Bible book. It was a real city where real people lived and where Paul spent time teaching and encouraging believers.
This is an excellent opportunity to teach: The Bible happened in real places.
7. Paul Returns Through Troas
Paul then traveled back toward the coast and reached Troas. This is where one of the most memorable stories from the journey takes place. The believers gathered together, and Paul continued speaking late into the night. A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. He fell asleep and fell from the third-story window. Paul went down to him, and the believers were reassured that Eutychus was alive. The group then returned upstairs, broke bread, and continued talking until morning.
Put Eutychus on the map
When teaching this story, ask students to find Troas. Then ask: What happened here?
Instead of simply remembering that “Eutychus fell from a window,” students begin associating the event with a geographical location.
That’s exactly what a Bible map can do.
8. Paul Travels Along the Coast
From Troas, Paul’s journey continues along the coast. Acts 20 mentions places such as:
- Assos
- Mitylene
- Chios
- Samos
- Miletus
Some of these locations receive only a brief mention. But together they show something important about Paul’s journey. He was moving quickly toward Jerusalem.
Paul knew that difficult circumstances were ahead, but he continued.
9. Paul Meets the Elders at Miletus
One of the most emotional stops on the map is Miletus. Paul did not return to Ephesus. Instead, he sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet him at Miletus. There, Paul gave an emotional farewell. He reminded them of how he had served among them and encouraged them to remain faithful.
The scene ends with prayer, tears, and a painful goodbye.
Why this matters
A map can show us that Miletus and Ephesus were different places. But Acts shows us the relationship between those places. Paul had spent significant time in Ephesus. Now he was saying goodbye to its leaders from Miletus. The map helps us understand the movement.
The story helps us understand the emotion.
10. Paul Travels to Tyre
Paul continued his journey by sea and eventually reached Tyre. There he stayed with believers for seven days. Again, the journey wasn’t simply about Paul moving from one location to another. Along the way, he repeatedly encountered other Christians. The growing Christian community was spread across many cities.
Paul’s journey connected those communities.
11. Ptolemais and Caesarea
Paul continued south to Ptolemais. He visited the believers there and stayed for a short time. Then he traveled to Caesarea. In Caesarea, Paul stayed with Philip the evangelist, who is introduced in Acts 21 as one of the Seven. While Paul was there, a prophet named Agabus warned him about what would happen when he reached Jerusalem. Once again, Paul knew that danger was ahead.
But he continued.
12. Paul Arrives in Jerusalem
The journey finally reaches Jerusalem. Paul and his companions arrived there, bringing the third missionary journey to its conclusion. If students have been tracing the journey on a map, this is the moment to step back and look at the whole route. Paul had traveled a huge distance. He had taught believers. He had faced opposition. He had experienced dramatic events. He had encouraged churches. He had said difficult goodbyes.
And now he had arrived in Jerusalem.
A Simple Paul’s Third Missionary Journey Map
For preteens, you don’t need to overwhelm them with every minor geographical detail. A simple map can focus on the locations that help them understand the story.
Start
📍 Antioch
↓
Inland Journey
📍 Galatia
📍 Phrygia
↓
Major Ministry
📍 Ephesus
↓
Macedonia
📍 Philippi
📍 Thessalonica
📍 Berea
↓
Greece
📍 Corinth
↓
Return Journey
📍 Troas
📍 Assos
📍 Mitylene
📍 Miletus
↓
Toward Jerusalem
📍 Tyre
📍 Ptolemais
📍 Caesarea
↓
Destination
📍 Jerusalem
The exact travel route included sea travel and additional stops, but this simplified structure gives students a useful framework for understanding Acts 18–21.
Why Use a Map When Teaching Paul?
A Bible map isn’t just decoration. It can help preteens answer questions such as:
Where was Paul? Where did he go next? How far did he travel? Where did important events happen?
Why did he keep moving?
It also helps students understand that the Bible describes real places in the real ancient world.
That can make Bible reading feel much more concrete.
Turn the Map Into a Bible Investigation
Instead of simply showing students a finished map, let them investigate it. Give them a Bible and ask them to find the locations themselves.
For example:
Challenge 1 — Find the Starting Point
Read Acts 18:23. Question: Where did Paul begin this stage of his journey?
Challenge 2 — Find the Major Ministry Center
Read Acts 19:1. Question: Where did Paul arrive?
Challenge 3 — Find the Riot
Read Acts 19:23–41. Question: Which city experienced the riot?
Challenge 4 — Find Eutychus
Read Acts 20:7–12. Question: Where did Eutychus fall from the window?
Challenge 5 — Find the Farewell
Read Acts 20:17–38. Question: Where did Paul meet the elders from Ephesus?
Challenge 6 — Find the Destination
Read Acts 21:15–17. Question: Where did Paul finally arrive?
Now students aren’t just looking at a map. They’re using Scripture to build the map themselves.
The Big Picture
When students finish tracing Paul’s third missionary journey, ask them to step back and consider the entire route. Paul traveled through many places, but the map reveals something bigger. He kept moving toward God’s mission. He didn’t stop when ministry became difficult. He didn’t turn around because people opposed him. He didn’t abandon the believers he had encouraged. And he continued toward Jerusalem even though he knew difficult things were ahead. The map shows where Paul went.
Acts shows us why the journey mattered.
Make Paul’s Third Missionary Journey an Adventure
If your preteens enjoy maps, clues, puzzles, and Bible investigation, you can take this idea one step further. Paul’s Journey #3 Bible Escape Room turns Acts 18–21 into a hands-on Bible adventure. Students investigate Paul’s journey through four connected challenges:
📍 WHERE — Where did Paul go?
⚡ WHAT — What happened during the journey?
👥 WHO — Who did Paul encounter?
🌍 WORLD — What was Paul’s world like?
Instead of simply being told the answers, students search Scripture, solve clues, work together, and discover the answers themselves. It’s designed for preteens ages 10–13 and works well for Sunday School, Kids’ Church, Christian classrooms, homeschool Bible studies, and preteen groups.
Final Thought
Paul’s third missionary journey can look complicated when you read Acts one chapter at a time. But put the locations on a map, and the story begins to make sense.
Antioch → Ephesus → Macedonia → Greece → Troas → Miletus → Tyre → Caesarea → Jerusalem
Now students can see the journey. And once they can see the journey, they can begin to understand the story behind it.
The map shows the places. Scripture reveals the mission.
You can also go to our Etsy store and purchase the Escape Room Puzzle on Paul’s Third Journey directly.