Missionary Journeys Collection
The Gospel Is Proclaimed on Cyprus
“And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.” — Acts 13:5, NKJV
Welcome to the Exhibit
Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark have crossed the Mediterranean from Seleucia Pieria and arrived on the eastern coast of Cyprus. Their first recorded ministry stop on the island is Salamis.
Acts 13:5 tells us exactly what they did: they entered the Jewish synagogues and proclaimed the Word of God. The missionary calling announced at Antioch is now becoming public proclamation.
Journey Orientation
The Praise Aflame™ Biblical Museum & Resource Centre
Missionary Journeys Permanent Collection
Acts 13:5
Biblical Significance: Salamis is the first location on Cyprus where Acts specifically records Paul and Barnabas proclaiming the Word of God during the First Missionary Journey.
Featured Artwork
The Biblical Record
“And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.”
Acts 13:5, NKJV
Biblical & Historical Background
Acts says that Paul and Barnabas preached in the synagogues of Salamis. These gatherings provided an audience already familiar with the Scriptures, Israel’s history, and the hope of the Messiah.
This pattern would appear repeatedly in Paul’s later missionary ministry: entering a city, engaging people who knew the Scriptures, and proclaiming Jesus from that foundation.
Acts 4:36 identifies Barnabas as a Levite from Cyprus. The first overseas region of this missionary journey therefore had a personal connection for one of the mission’s leaders.
John Mark also travelled with Paul and Barnabas as their assistant, giving us a picture of missionary work being carried out by a team rather than by one person alone.
Historical Background
Salamis stood on the eastern coast of Cyprus and was one of the island’s most important ancient urban centres. Its coastal position connected Cyprus with maritime traffic moving through the eastern Mediterranean.
For the missionary team arriving from the Syrian coast, Salamis offered a natural eastern entry point before they travelled across the island toward Paphos.
Luke gives only a short description of the ministry at Salamis. There is no recorded miracle, confrontation, or conversion story attached to this stop in Acts 13.
Yet the simplicity is important: before the dramatic events at Paphos, Paul and Barnabas faithfully began by doing the work they had been sent to do — proclaiming the Word of God.
The archaeological landscape of ancient Salamis preserves the remains of a substantial Greco-Roman city. Monumental public architecture helps communicate the scale and importance of the city in antiquity.
Museum Note: Many monumental remains visible at Salamis today date from periods later than Paul’s visit. They help us understand the continuing importance of the city, but we should not assume Paul personally saw every surviving structure.
The ruins of ancient Salamis lie on the eastern side of Cyprus, near modern Famagusta and close to the Mediterranean shoreline.
Did You Know?
Acts 13:5 refers to the synagogues of the Jews, indicating more than one Jewish gathering place in Salamis.
Acts 4:36 identifies Barnabas as a Levite from Cyprus, giving the missionary team a personal connection to the island.
The missionary team included John Mark as an assistant, reminding us that this work involved more than Paul and Barnabas.
After ministering in Salamis, the team travelled across Cyprus toward Paphos, where Acts records the next major event.
Curator’s Reflection
Salamis does not give us a long story. It gives us something just as important: a picture of faithful obedience.
Paul and Barnabas arrived, found places where people gathered around the Scriptures, and proclaimed the Word of God. They did not need a spectacular event to make the stop meaningful.
Faithfulness in ordinary moments prepares the way for what comes next.
Some chapters of our own journey may seem quiet, but obedience is never insignificant when God is directing the mission.
— Praise Aflame™ Biblical Museum & Resource Centre
Life Application
We often notice the dramatic moments in Scripture, but Salamis points us toward something quieter: simply doing what God has given us to do where He has placed us.
Before You Continue...
Every exhibit is designed to encourage you to return to Scripture with greater understanding, deeper confidence, and renewed wonder.
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Continue Your Journey
You have now completed Exhibit MJ-003 — Salamis. Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark now travel across Cyprus toward Paphos.
There the journey enters a dramatic new chapter: a Roman proconsul wants to hear the Word of God, Elymas the sorcerer attempts to oppose the mission, and Saul is identified in Acts by the name Paul.
Carry the Word With You
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105, NKJV