The Returning Missionary - Acts 18

¹⁸ Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹ They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. ²¹ But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

I’m not sure what vow Paul would have taken that would have caused him to cut his hair or why he took a vow.  It is interesting that this is in the descriptions of Paul’s missionary journey.  It certainly adds to the humanness of Paul.

Paul’s new friends, Aquila and Priscilla stay in Ephesus.  I assume Silas and Timothy have stayed in Corinth.  No description as to their whereabouts are provided.  Paul finally makes it back to Jerusalem and Antioch.  Corinth has become the furthest westward location for Paul on this trip.  He stayed there at least 1 ½ years, probably closer to 2 years. 

²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Paul goes and visits all the churches in the area.  This is the beginning of his 3^rd missionary journey. Through his preaching and descriptions of his travels and the salvation to some Jews and many Gentiles the churches are encouraged (“strengthened”).  (I’m assuming this is what he talked about.)

I remember when there were people who would travel church-to-church.  That was their ministry.  They would sing to the church and/or preach.  They were evangelist but not in a modern built-up event kind of way.  I remember that they would come and work at the church for a week or two, doing anything the church needed done whether it was painting, yardwork, or cleaning toilets.  They would provide special songs and an encouraging message.  Then they would travel to the next church. 

I sense that Paul is traveling church-to-church and encouraging the believers with the news of his missionary journeys and how God has been with Him and is reaching the world.

As I work with foreign missionaries, they do this same type of thing to their home congregations and the churches that send them.  They take a time to come back from the field and describe what has been ongoing in that work.  Unfortunately, too many churches act only as bankers and want to know what their “investment” has prospered in terms of numbers.  Too few churches take the missionaries in and provide a sincere effort to care for the missionaries and their families first, then discuss how they can help the missionary in the work. 

God Delivers on His Promise - Acts 18

¹² While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. ¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

¹⁴ Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” ¹⁶ So he drove them off. ¹⁷ Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Here we go again.  The Jews who don't accept what Paul is preaching and teaching want to have him beaten and imprisoned or even killed.  I continue to see how prevalent this is to today's attacks on Christianity.  They attack all things Christian, but give allowance and religious "freedom" to other religions, some who refused to condemn the attacks on this country that killed thousands of Americans!  It is mind-boggling and cannot be explained outside of the context of Jesus.  Those who oppose the gospel will reject, condemn, and fight against that message of God's love, even if they don't really understand why.  The only real war in the world is a spiritual war between God and all who hate God.

Paul didn’t have to speak to his own defense.  God promised that no one would lay a hand on him (v10) and here God has Gallio of a mind that this is a Jewish problem and does not concern Roman laws.  Gallio makes a decision that separates church and state.  He expresses that their religion is separate from the Roman laws.  Gallio rebukes them and does not give them any credit for their arguments and Paul is unhurt and free.  God is not slack concerning His promises to His children.  

What promise from God are you holding onto today?  You can rest assured that God does not move and it is impossible for Him not to honor His promise.  

Paul Reject the Jews and Focuses on the Gentiles - Acts 18

18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

After what?  After Paul had been in Athens a while and had these discussions with the philosophers regarding Jesus.  By all descriptions, Corinth was a sin city.  It was the location of the temple dedicated to Aphrodite (Venus) where there were a thousand vestal virgins.  But these where really prostitutes and sex was the religion honoring Aphrodite.  There were two large theatres there for entertainment.  It was a popular place in the Roman Empire.

Lest we look down upon the Corinthians at their worship to Aphrodite, it would be an easy argument to prove that sex is a leading religion in not just America but the developed world.  One study that interviewed freshmen college students found that 100% of them had viewed pornography.  All of the people interviewed had seen pornography by age 18.  This is startling.  Consider a few more alarming statistics:

1. Porn sites receive more regular traffic than Netflix, Amazon, & Twitter combined each month. 
2. 35% of all internet downloads are porn-related.  That is over 1/3 of all activity on the internet! 
3. In 2018 alone, more than 5,517,000,000 hours of porn were consumed on the world’s largest porn site.  This means, at any hour of any day during 2018, 629,794 were watching porn (on average). 
4. The world’s largest free porn site also received over 33,500,000,000 site visits during 2018 alone.  This means, for every second of every day in 2018, 1,062 people visited a porn site (on average).  Over 1,000 people, every second!

In a recent conversation with a middle school guidance counselor, she was very candid about the alarming discussions she has with students almost daily.  The girls, in particular, learn about sex from watching porn.  The absence of parental discussions and taught morality with accountability is crippling the world.  A significant portion of the world worships sex and we as a sinful people are no better than the Corinthians.

There was a lot of Greek military history in this area.  This is where the Greco-Persian wars ended.  In the 2^nd invasion by King Xerxes, the Persian navy is defeated nearby.  Following that, the Persians retreat and and suffer a great defeat the following year.

 ² There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. ⁴ Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Paul is working to provide for himself while he teaches and preaches.  He is still separated from Silas and Timothy since the Jews in Thessalonica run him out of town to Berea and then away from there also (ch 17).  He has found some refugee Jews who were escaping from Rome.  Even so, Paul spends every Sabbath teaching (“reasoning”) with the Jews and Greeks about Jesus. 

⁵ When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

⁷ Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. ⁸ Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

Paul dedicated himself to preach exclusively to the Jews once Silas and Timothy arrive, yet the Jews reject the message.  Paul’s patience runs out with the Jews and he is frustrated to the point of making a vow to only speak to the Gentiles from that point forward in Corinth.  While we may think it is unreasonable for him to get angry with these people and remove himself from teaching them further, God did this as well and Isaiah records how the message will be given to the Gentiles because his people reject it.  Jesus reinforces this as He tells the parable of how the kingdom of heaven is like a wedding feast and the honored guests all have refuse to attend (Matthew 22), so they ask everyone, no matter who they are or what they have done, to come.  Paul has finally realized that extending this gospel message to the Gentiles as a priority is important.

⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

God assures Paul that no one will harm him.  When Paul is at his “wits end” with the Jews, the Lord steps in and reassures him with a promise of protection.  The Lord met him where he needed to be met when he needed assurance.  God has “many people” in this city and he needs Paul to preach and teach them about Jesus.  Paul will enter a new dimension of ministry that has less primary focus on reaching Jews than Gentiles.

Teaching in Athens - Acts 17

²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

Paul begins in a genius manner.  He commends them for their religious ways.  He has observed them closely, then he notices something that makes no sense and shows it to them.  They worship everything, even an unknown god.  They actually have an alter to a god they do not know.  So, he is going to tell them who God is.  I wonder if Paul is discussing the foolishness of being so religious that you worship everything, even a god you don't know.  Or was he intent to say that this god that you know is a god but don't know his name, is the actual only God and I'm going to tell you more about Him.

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

²⁹ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. ³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

Paul starts at the beginning and gives what I would call the 10,000 foot view.  It’s an overview of who God is and how man fits into this picture.  Missionaries in many foreign places begin their ministries this way.  They start at the beginning and teach from Genesis.  They show how from the beginning there has been a need for a Savoir.  It might be months before they ever declare Jesus to the people as our Savoir. 

³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”³³ At that, Paul left the Council. ³⁴ Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

Paul is interesting enough to cause a second meeting with some.  And some believe.  Anytime any of us teach or serve following the Spirit of God, people are going to have to make a choice.  Believe or not believe.  Some are repulsed and mock you and leave.  Others want to hear more, and some believe.  It was the same then as it is now.  We just have to be willing to teach, serve, and preach when we can to who we can.

A City Full of Idols - Acts 17

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

While this text is speaking of Athens, it could easily be said of America today.  We are a country full of idols: standard of living, social status, political party, your 'cause', being happy above all else, and the least of which is the mobile phone.

I am reminded of the story in Matthew 9:36, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  Jesus had compassion on the crowds because they were lost.  Similarly, Paul is distressed by what he sees, lost people. 

When was the last time you were distressed over seeing the people around you in society following idols?  

Are you too busy following your own to notice?  

We should be heartbroken that people so willingly give away their best life to follow worthless things.

 ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him.

Remember that Paul is in Athens.  This is the home of their modern day philosophy.

Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

For the sake of knowledge, these philosophers want to know what this new line of thinking is that Paul has brought.  I like this footnote regarding how they “did nothing”.  This reminds me of those who just want the latest fashion and who know every event that happens the second it happens.  They are so tied into society and social life that this is what they primarily do every day all day. 

Many employers have a difficult time with this new generation because they consistently spend time on their phones doing this social stuff instead of working.  The constant interruptions to thought make them bad employees, not to mention that they are getting paid for not working.  They are stealing from their employer, but sincerely do not recognize this when confronted.  Most will give up that job rather than change their habits.  It's incredible to see.  They give up what could be promising and fruitful careers because they will not give up "worshiping" on their social media.

Discerning the Truth - Berea Church - Acts 17

¹⁰ As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. ¹² As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

For the first time, a Jewish church digs into the actual Scriptures to see if what Paul says is true.  I find it amazing that this sentence isn’t repeated every time we are told that Paul preaches at a synagogue.  But this is the only one.  They wanted to know if it was true or not.  Because of their study, many of the Jews believe, not just a few as usually happened and a multitude of Gentiles believe. 

This is a great example for us today.  We should be knowledgeable of God’s Word so we can discern truth from non-truth.  Satan mis-quoted Scripture even to Jesus, if we do not know what God has said to us how are we prepared for the untruths that sound so nearly to the truth?  We must be continually learning and willing to study to examine what we are told by society and even our own church leaders.

¹³ But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. ¹⁴ The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. ¹⁵ Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Sounds a lot like Lystra on their first missionary journey.  The Jews in one town going to another town to stir them up and run them out of the area.  Here we see that they are really against Paul, seeing him as their primary threat, and not pursuing Silas and Timothy with the same zeal.  They obviously feared Paul and his ability to overcome them in study of Scriptures (knowledge) and preaching (enthusiasm).

I also wonder if God didn’t do this intentionally.  Maybe God wanted Paul in Athens by himself.

Thessalonica & Christian Persecution - Acts 17

17 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

Thessalonica was previously named Therma because there were some warm springs there.  It had been renamed for Alexander the Great’s sister.  It is located on a major Roman road named Via Egnatia.  Thessalonica is also a port city as several rivers flow by it to the sea. 

 ² As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,³ explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

Paul is there about a month.  He preaches the gospel and as all new testament sermons have been, he preaches the Resurrection of Jesus.  All of the messages proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God, He died for sins, and He was resurrected.  They discuss the resurrection in every message, this is more than we do today. 

Some of the Jews, a larger number of Greeks (Gentiles), and a lot of prominent women believe.  Paul is an effective preacher and teacher.

⁵ But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. ⁶ But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” ⁸ When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. ⁹ Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

The Jewish leaders get jealous.  This is a common theme at many different Jewish churches.  They get jealous when a fellow Jew who is knowledgeable and a good speaker and convincing overwhelms their people and their customs.  Then they seek people outside of the Jewish community to help them run them out of town using the pagan laws to do it.  They sought Jesus and brought Him before Pilate because He claimed He was a king and Caesar was king, so they argued to the Romans that the Romans should do something about that.  This is the same argument from Jews in Thessalonica.  They are using Roman laws to get what they want and they are willing to cause an uproar in the community over it knowing the Romans will want to settle them down and get back to peace.

Sounds very familiar to today’s societal efforts.  Those who disagree with the religious views of Christians work diligently to cause an uproar and use laws or have laws interpreted to make the Christians do what they want them to do and not what they are convicted to not do.  There is no respect for the religious conviction of a Christian to those who do not believe, only direct opposition.  Christians have become the least free people in America, the supposedly land of the free built by immigrants who were trying to escape their home lands for religious freedom.  Christians are actively being policed in speech, action, and business. 

Sir, What Must I Do To Be Saved? - Acts 16

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷ The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

Paul and Silas have been beaten and/or flogged.  Their backs have many stripes on them.  I doubt they got medical attention following that before they were put into prison.  Yet they are praying and singing hymns, they are worshipping God! 

I heard a testimony recently and the person spoke of many difficult life events following the impact of her dying husband and Hurricane Michael that had all happened in the last two years.  Yet in that testimony I was struck by how often she praised God and declared that He had never left them but was there with them through it all. 

Paul and Silas are worshipping in difficult circumstances.  But because of this, a man gets saved.  The prison guard knew he would bear the responsibility of all the prisoners having escaped.  Remember that Herod had everyone who was guarding Peter killed for his escape.  When you are putting the sword to your chest and about to die, you start to think about eternity.

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

I imagine that the jailer had heard some of the prayers and some of the singing.  Now, his life is spared because Paul and Silas have not escaped, but have remained.  He wants to have what they’ve got.  If only men and women would humble themselves and ask what this jailor asked!  This would be a different country, there would be different families, different priorities, different morals.

What a reward it must have been to Paul and Silas to see God’s salvation after they had been beaten and are jailed.  Their suffering is not in vain.  God creates beauty in disgusting places.  God brings life in the midst of pain and suffering, even in death. 

³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. ³⁴ The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

The jailer takes them to his house and washes their wounds.  They all believe in Jesus and are saved.  They learn the gospel message and are filled with joy.  Just a paragraph earlier, Paul and Silas are being beaten and thrown in jail, now a family is saved and filled with joy.  These are two completely different scenes.  The only difference is what happened in the middle.  Paul and Silas sitting in a prison praying and singing hymns.  They worshipped God and God changed the circumstances. 

We should be aware that worship to God is important.  It can change not just our own life, but the lives of people around us.  Here, a whole family is changed for all eternity because God honored their worship.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

Paul was essentially a lawyer.  He had been so well trained in the Jewish law and then how to function within the Roman law that he was very likely much more educated on how to maneuver inside these than any typical person.  The magistrates likely realized that what they had done was illegal.  Romans had a legal society and courts.  They had been charged and beaten outside of that system. 

Paul wants a public recognition of their innocence.  He likely does this to protect the new believers in Philippi who would not be recognizing the Roman gods and some of their customs any longer.

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. ³⁹ They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

Paul gets his affirmation.  The city leaders are “alarmed”.  I feel like Luke is using minimal language to express their concern here.  They can be sent to jail themselves for sending a Roman citizen through punishment with no legal cause.  They realize that they are in jeopardy if Paul and Silas choose to undertake a legal effort.  So they request for them to leave.  While they were politically motivated to have them beaten and jailed to keep peace in the town, now they are politically motivated to separate themselves from the event all together.

Demon Possession and Standard of Living - Acts 16

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

There are several aspects of this that are interesting.  1.) The girl is possessed and that possession gives her the ability to see or predict the future.  That is an interesting talent.  Does this mean that in the spirit world they can see the future?  I don’t know.  2.) The spirit or demon in her knows from Whom these men are sent.  Somehow, those in the spirit world can see your spirit and they know if God is present over your spirit.  It proclaims Who they serve and their purpose to everyone around them as they go about their days.  Why would this bother them?  I’m sure it was annoying.  3.) I am intrigued how God used Paul to remove a spirit from someone over Paul’s lack of patience with her.  Paul didn’t remove the spirit because of pity for her or because he was led to do it, unless his lack of patience was God’s way of leading him to do it, but he did it because he had all of her yelling about them that he could take. 

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar²¹ by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Notice how quickly people can turn against those who preach against sin and for God.  Notice that there is no amazement over the how the spirit has been removed, which is a miracle, but anger over how this will affect their income.  Truly they worshiped their economy!  A person in their right mind would fear or at least be in awe of the person who could do this.

Paul has now been stoned and beaten with rods.  Silas was also beaten with rods.  Apparently, the mafia-like owners of the servant girl didn’t like Paul messing up their cash flow.  This is the same response the Jewish leaders gave Paul and Barnabas on their first trip.  It’s a striking similarity that shows that Jewish leaders are living as worldly as the Roman Gentiles with their priority on their standard of living, rather than following the Spirit of God. 

Are we any different today?  Do possible changes to our standard of living get in the way of following the Spirit of God in radical ways?

The Message finds Europe - Acts 16

¹¹ From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

Philippi – Phillipians; Galatia – Galatians; Timothy; We’re seeing Paul visit the places and meet the people where he will write the letters make up part of the book we know as the New Testament.  These are Roman colonies.  That is, the majority of the people are Romans, not another heritage that is being ruled by Romans.  They speak Latin. 

¹³ On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

I find Luke’s writing interesting.  He has changed his tense in his text and is using personal pronouns.  This happens several times in this book.  There is “we” and “us” in the writings.  Maybe he copied these parts from written testimony from Paul, Timothy, or Silas.  Most scholars believe that Luke has joined them on this portion of the journey.

Thyatira is one of the seven churches referenced in Revelations.  The “man from Macedonia” referenced from Paul’s vision in verse 9 is actually a woman named Lydia.  She is obviously a leader and is leading a prayer group.  She is the first person saved in Europe.

This passage shows that they preached and taught the gospel wherever they went, even at a city gate.  And they were effective at it.  Purple cloth was important in these times and was often used to signify royalty.  Therefore, Lydia is likely affluent.

Jesus taught that if you search with all your heart you will find.  Lydia has gathered a group of women and is praying and seeking God.  God answers with the Gospel message.  She finds salvation and is baptized along with her household.  God has answered her call abundantly.  If we will seek God with all our heart we will find Him.  He will present Himself to us.  We must be sure to pray that our hearts are ready for Him.

Where to Do Ministry - Acts 16

⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹ During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Do any of us believe that Paul was outside of the will of God at this time on this missionary journey?  No.  But there he sits in a town not knowing which way to go until he has this vision.  A lot of us would have been offering advice to Paul saying he should be seeking the will of God.  Yet, he was so close to the Spirit of God that he was being led daily.  Just because God is pausing a ministry so it’ll be in His timing doesn’t mean it isn’t in the will of God or being led by the Spirit of God.

This is Paul wanting to go somewhere but the Spirit not allowing it, then calling him to where he should go.  We often have a call but don’t start because we aren’t sure what to do, Paul just went and let God steer him to where he should be going.  He was called to go so he went.  Then he got direction on where to go.  

This is the exact opposite from Jonah.  Jonah didn’t want to go but knew exactly where he was to go.  Paul knows he is to go but isn’t sure where to go.  It’s almost like he is willing to go preach the gospel wherever people will listen to him.  Where, wasn’t really a concern. 

Does the gospel get preached in Asia?  Yes, just not at this time.  God has a direction that He wants Paul to go in at that time.  They have been kept from entering Asia (south) and kept from entering Bithynia (north), they came from the east, so they pretty much have to go west.  Just to confirm it, God gives Paul a vision in a dream.  God’s plan was for the Romans to hear the gospel and Paul needed to go towards Roman colonies which are in Europe.  God is sending His message to Europe.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder how it was that the Spirit of Jesus kept them from entering that city.  Did He appear to them?  Did He block them?  Did He put armed men in their way?  Was it just a bunch of continuous circumstances that kept them out?  Seems like that is what usually happens to me.  No great signs, but just continuous road blocks.  Sometimes I find myself wondering these things, but obviously we aren’t to know since it isn’t written.

Jesus said to Go and Make Disciples.  Paul is going and making disciples.  Details like where aren't important.  He allows God to steer in in real-time.  He doesn't have to know everything before he does anything.  We should follow Paul's leadership here and just Go when we are called to a ministry.

What Would You Do to Reach Others for Christ? - Acts 16

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. ² The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. ³ Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

There are several things in this first paragraph that I find incredible.

Back in chapter 14, we read where Jesus healed a man through Paul who had been lame since birth in the city of Lystra.  It was there that the townspeople wanted to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods.  It was there that Paul had been stoned.  It is to this city that Paul goes!  That is amazing to me.  How bold Paul was to disciple those early believers and strengthen the early churches!

Timothy is half Jew and half Gentile.  I would imagine that makes him an outcast to the Jews.  Yet, God will use Timothy and Paul thinks enough of him to take him along. 

It is very hard for me to imagine this circumcision as adults.  Timothy was at least older than 12 or 14.  Paul wasn’t a doctor.  How does this happen?  I might let a guy sew up a cut on my finger, but he’s not going down there.  Certainly not with a knife.  I just find this astounding.  

Also, why did Paul consider that it was necessary?  My only reasoning is that Paul thought that when they went from town to town and spoke to Jews first, they would not listen to Timothy if he had not at least gone through Jewish rituals.  He would be asked if he had been circumcised and if he had not, he most certainly wouldn’t be allowed to preach or teach in a Jewish synagogue.  Paul basically writes this sentiment in 1 Corinthians 9:19-20, “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law.”  Circumcision has no merit regarding salvation.  Paul didn’t want it to be a reason that Jews might not listen to Timothy.  

I am not sure I know of anyone who would go to such a length with the sole purpose of reaching people for Christ.  This is certainly convicting of the church today.  Most believers I know today will not give up their one personal sin, much less do something to themselves for the singular reason of reaching others.  This is why the church is so weak today.

The churches in this area of Galatia grow.  Their faith is established or strengthened.  Paul, Silas, and Timothy are witnessing people be saved and added to the churches.  This must have been exciting to them.  It would certainly be exciting today as this is not what is happening in the American church regularly.

Disagreement in the Family - Acts 15

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Paul is either getting the call to go back to encourage those believers or he is just concerned for them.  Unfortunately, he and Barnabas disagree over John Mark.  Some have said they find this reassuring.  That two Biblical greats could show that they are human like we are and disagree.  Paul was being hard headed and Barnabas was being himself, the encourager. 

Barnabas goes to his home in Cyprus on his missionary journey and we don’t hear about him again.  Tradition tells us that a church was formed there and it reached out into north Africa.  The continuation of Acts follows Paul.

The end result is that the church has two mission projects now.  God uses both men and the church encourages them and send them both.  How many church families have split over disagreements?  Why?  Here we have an example of the church supporting both men and staying together.  It is okay for people to agree in Christ, but disagree about something very minor to the main thing, salvation only through belief in Jesus.  This church provides a great example of this for us today.

God never throws anything away.  He uses our brokenness, our conflict, our pain, our mistakes, our misjudgment, and our foolishness to show us wisdom and to help one another through witness of His greatness and testimony at how God can overcome all of it in our lives.  God never gives up on us and He never stops pursuing us.  God certainly didn’t remove Paul or Barnabas because of this disagreement, but used them both where they were.  God met them there and kept working on them and with them. 

God does the same for each of us.  He will never give up on us, no matter out faults, and He will meet us where we are right now. 

The Letter to the Gentile Believers - Acts 15

²² Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

²⁴ We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵ So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶ men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸ It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Notice the love to their fellow brothers and sisters in this letter.  They directly call them out as “brethren”.  They are related through the blood of Jesus Christ.  They have heard that some are disturbed and troubled by what has been said, so they have all greed to send you these dear friends who have risked all and been tested to give you this letter.  Judas and Silas are going as from the Jerusalem church to validate what Paul and Barnabas are saying, since those two would have certainly returned with this decision and it might not have been believed.  And finally!  They specifically mention of how the Holy Spirit urged them to come upon this decision of not following the law. 

³⁰ So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. ^[34] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

The people of the church of Antioch were “glad for its encouraging message”.  I think many there were afraid that they would be at odds with the church in Jerusalem and there would be some division.  Paul worked extremely hard at settling divisions in the church as his letters to the missionary churches he started show.   

Silas likes being there and stays there.  Paul and Barnabas are the pastors there in Antioch so they go back to doing their work.