In Acts 18, Paul arrives in Corinth, where he meets Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish tentmakers recently exiled from Rome. He stays with them and preaches in the synagogue, but after opposition from the Jews, he turns to the Gentiles. God encourages Paul in a vision to continue his work, assuring him of protection. He remains in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching the word of God. Later, the Jews bring him before Gallio, the Roman proconsul, but Gallio dismisses the case, seeing it as a religious dispute. Paul then sails to Ephesus with Priscilla and Aquila before heading to Jerusalem and Antioch. Meanwhile, Apollos, a learned man in Ephesus, is instructed more accurately in the way of God by Priscilla and Aquila before continuing his ministry in Achaia.

The book of Acts centers on Paul’s missionary work, giving the impression he was the only apostle spreading the gospel abroad. However, this is a limited view. Luke’s purpose in Acts was not to record all apostolic missions but to defend Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. Other apostles were active across the ancient world, preaching the message of the kingdom.

Disciples carried the gospel to Syria, Rome, Alexandria, and beyond. Thomas sent Thaddeus and Mar Mari to Edessa and Mesopotamia. According to early church tradition, the apostles cast lots to divide the nations among themselves, each taking a region to proclaim the good news. Thomas is said to have drawn India (אִינְדְיָא), and though initially reluctant, he eventually journeyed there via a merchant named Habban (חַבָּן).

While Paul’s journeys are documented in Acts, the labors of other apostles survive only through tradition, apocrypha, and scattered historical references. Still, their work fulfilled Isaiah’s vision: “The Torah will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3). Apostolic missions were vast, coordinated, and rooted in Jerusalem, the heart of early faith and leadership.