This week's BIble study will move on to part 1 of Acts chapter 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

[Acts chapter 16, verses 1-15]

To view this on my website, click here :-)

This week, in our ongoing study of the chronology of the writings of the apostle Luke, we'll be moving on to Acts chapter 16. When we concluded Acts 15 last week, Paul and Barnabas had split into two teams after having a considerable disagreement about whether the apostle Mark should come with them. But this breakup over what amounted to a personnel issue was exactly what God had planned, since the two men who had been working together for several previous years were now split up into two teams. Barnabas took Mark, who was rejoining the apostles after a hiatus of undetermined length, and sailed for Cyprus. Paul took Silas and “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches”. So today, as we begin part one of Acts 16, Paul and Silas have departed Antioch and are in the process of moving from town to town – which is where we will begin at verse one.

“1) 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. 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.” (Acts 16, verses 1-10)

So Paul and Silas go back to where he and Barnabas had been before, to the churches they had planted together in Derbe and Lystra. The apostle Paul wanted to introduce Silas to these churches as his new coworker, as well as to further build these churches up in the strength and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was at Lystra, where Timothy lived, that he was introduced to Paul and Silas, and who ultimately had 2 books in the New Testament named after him. But then in verse 3, we encounter something a bit unexpected – as a condition to entering the ministry and being co-workers with Paul and Silas, Paul has him circumcised. The Bible's reason is clearly stated: “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.”

I'm sure you remember from last week's study that this very topic was debated at length at the Council at Jerusalem, and that the decision had been handed down that Jewish believers in Jesus should not compel, not was it necessary to require, new Gentile converts to Christianity to be circumcised. And yet, the first thing Paul did with Timothy was to have him circumcised! The apostle Paul was an orthodox Jew, and a former member of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, so Jewish customs meant a great deal to him. Granted, all those who knew Timothy knew his father was Gentile and his mother Jewish. Paul did not have Timothy circumcised to honor his mother, he did so in the name of 'peaceful coexistence' between Jews and Greeks there at Lystra, and as a Jewish man. As I wrote in last week's study, Paul was one of those people who were set in their ways, even if it meant going against the grain of the new faith in which he believed so strongly and taught so fervently. For that reason, I think he also circumcised Timothy as a condition of being his co-worker. Remember, this was the same man who said gay people can't be saved, who said that the apostle Mark should be banned from the ministry, and who said women should not be allowed to preach or teach, but should “remain silent”.

“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.” With this being done, the old requirement of male circumcision was done away with for good – except for certain churches that insist on continuing with this apostasy to this day. We went over that in part 2 of Acts 15. This decision strengthened the faith of the believers immeasurably, because the burden of of Old Law had been lifted for good. At last they were free to practice their faiths without feeling like they had Moses and the prophets constantly looking over their shoulders.

“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.” The geographic locations Luke was referring to here make up the area around the Black Sea, in what would be the southwestern Russian provinces today. After around the eight century, this area became predominantly Muslim, and it remains so to this day. And so they ended up going to Macedonia. And now let's move on to part 2 of this week's study, beginning at verse eleven.

“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. 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.”

Troas, Samothrace and Neapolis were 3 towns within a couple days walk from each other. All these towns were on or near the Mediterranean coast, in the northeast corner of that body of water, where modern-day Turkey shares a border with Macedonia. From there they went on to Philippi, the capital, where they founded the church whose name would inspire the Book of Philippians. “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.”

The reason they had to go outside the city gate to pray is because there was evidently no synagogue where they could go. Or at least, not there in Philippi. So they went down to the river to pray, and presumably to bathe, although the Bible leaves out little details like that. So they encountered a group of women there, who were presumably getting their daily washing done, and they convert Lydia to the faith. So moved by the experience is Lydia that she insists on giving Paul and Silas lodging for the duration of their stay. “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.” And so Paul and Silas stayed there at Lydia's house for the duration of their stay there. And next week, when we move on to part 2 of Acts 16, we'll see what happens next, as Paul and Silas find themselves in the same bad situation that Peter had found himself in Acts chapter 12 – in jail for the sake of the Gospel. See you next week!