Perga
Perga was a city in the region of Pamphylia where Paul and Barnabas arrived after crossing from Cyprus, and the place where John Mark left the missionary team to return to Jerusalem - a departure that later became the source of the sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas before their second missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas passed through Perga again on their return trip, this time preaching the word there before continuing on to Attalia to sail home to Antioch. The city's brief but repeated appearances in Acts frame both the beginning of a painful personal rift among the missionaries and the completion of their first successful journey.
Details
- Region
- Pamphylia
- Modern Location
- Near Antalya, Turkey
Key Passages
John Mark Departs at Perga
Acts 13:13
This quiet departure becomes the seed of the sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas recorded later in Acts 15.
13ow when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
Paul and Barnabas Preach in Perga
Acts 14:25
On their return journey, Paul and Barnabas preach in Perga before heading to the coast to sail home.
25nd when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia:
Did You Know?
Perga's ruins include one of the best-preserved Roman stadiums in Asia Minor, seating 12,000.
John Mark's departure at Perga seemed minor at the time - but the dispute it seeded later split Paul and Barnabas into two separate missionary teams.
Paul apparently passed through Perga without preaching on the way in, but preached there on the way back - the return visit corrected the omission.