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Acts 16.1-15
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January 15th 2017
This teaching should have been taught on Sunday January 22nd 2017 but I messed up and taught it BEFORE I taught Acts 15:22-end
Okay, so we are more than half way through the book of Acts and last week Paul and Barnabas parted ways after a hefty division over John Mark joining them – which Barnabas wanted and Paul did not.
We noted that Paul had the approbation of the believers when he was sent off but we read nothing about them sending Barnabas and John Mark off with such support.
We will also note that now in chapter 16 that Luke begins to cover only the travels of Paul and not Barnabas.
This may also give us some indication of who’s side Luke was on in their division.
So let’s read the first 15 verses of chapter 16 and cover this chunk as a lot of it has to do with travels and there isn’t too much applicable information here for the modern reader. (Verse 1)
Acts 16:1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
Alright back to verse 1 chapter 16 where Luke has decided (by the Holy Spirit) to follow the travels and work of Paul and Silas.
Now as a warning to some of you I am not going to make the actual destinations of Paul and Silas a big deal in our study together but am instead interested in teaching the principles of the faith found in and around these travels.
This disappoints some as they have an inclination toward geography and a keen interest in all things related to it. Unfortunately but I am not so inclined.
Okay . . .
1 Then came he (Paul) to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
So there in Derbe and Lystra Luke says, “Look, a certain disciple named Timotheus was there, the son of a certain woman, who was a Jewess, and also believed, however this Timotheus father was a Greek.”
And we are introduced to the New Testament character of Timothy,who would subsequently become a traveling companion of Pauls.
Timothy’s name means, Honoring God.
He was the product – spiritually- of two faithful women in his life – Eunice, his Mom and Lois, his grandmother – both are mentioned as having great personal piety in 2nd Timothy 1:5.
All we know about his Dad is that he was a Greek.
So here on Paul’s second visit to Lystra or Derbe Timothy is “discovered” but it is believed that it was on Paul’s first journey to these places that Timothy came to faith.
Paul was so impressed with Timothy that he (as we will see) made him his traveling companion and in preparation of this will take him and circumcise him.
Now Paul refers to Timothy as having youth, and as a result many people have assumed that he was like a late teen or a young adult when he met up with Paul but this much we also have to consider:
According to tradition Timothy died at Ephesus in 97 AD when he was 80 years old.
Paul directed two letters to Timothy: one from Macedonia about 65, and one while Paul was incarcerated in Rome, awaiting his own death.
Now if we subtract 65 from 97 we get 32 years.
Subtracting 32 years from the age of Timothy when he died, 80 – 32 we get 48 which is the age of Timothy when the letter 1Timothy was written.
Therefore Timothy must have been about 48 years old when Paul wrote 1 Timothy with that reference to “your youth”. NOT SO YOUNG after all.
We read in 1st Timothy 4:14 that he was distinguished as “an evangelist”and went with Paul in his journey through Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia and then also to Troas and Philippi and Berea.
Then he followed Paul to Athens, and was sent by Paul to go with Silas on a mission to Thessalonica. Later he will go on a mission to Macedonia and then he went with Paul to Asia for quite a while.
When the apostle was a prisoner at Rome, Timothy joined him and it appears that he was also imprisoned.
During Paul’s second imprisonment he wrote to Timothy, asking him to rejoin him as soon as possible, and to bring with him certain things which he had left at Troas, his cloak and parchments.
According to tradition, after the apostle’s death Timothy settled in Ephesus and there died a martyr.
Now, how was Timothy’s mother a Jew married to a Greek. According to Ezra 9:12 this was unlawful but it seems that this law was not regarded very strictly when a Jew lived in a place that was predominantly Gentile. So even though Timothy’s mother and Grandmother were devout his mother did marry an uncircumcised man.
Speaking of Timothy verse 2 reads:
2 Which (who) was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
Apparently, Timothy, like his mother, was highly as a young man of piety and promise and it appears he was religiously educated, trained carefully in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and was therefore the better qualified for his work as in 2nd Timothy 3:15 Paul says of him
2nd Timothy 3:5 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Verse 3
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
Now, as with almost EVERYTHING in scripture, there are exceptions, paradoxes, strange occurrences that tend to take an ax to the boxes we build.
This appears to be one of them – but upon reflection it’s really not.
So to quickly address this, we know that in chapter 15 there was a tremendous effort set forth to figure out whether Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved or not.
After everything was said and done the decision was made to leave them alone (in this regard) and then James suggested that letters be sent out to explain this decision and some other bits of advice he wanted them to receive.
So the decision was clear – circumcision . . . no more.
But here Paul takes Timotheus and does the very thing they all agreed was wholly unnecessary in the faith!
Here’s the deal, to take Timothy around with him uncircumcised would have given them an automatic handicap – so why not.
Clear the way, make things as easy as possible in the work we are called to do for the Lord.
This was an act of expediency not an act of law. We might look at it like we would our son coming to us with hair down to his shoulders who is trying to get a job as a bank teller.
Where we might love his hair we might also say that it might be a good idea to cut it – so as not to hinder the process.
Again, Paul’s attitude in sharing the Good News was stated in 1st Corinthians 9:20 where he said:
“And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews.”
This is such a healthy, liberating approach to living the faith. Who cares what we do outwardly to achieve the goal – take the contents of the heart to those to whom we can relate.
Our stated mission – going all the way back to the onset of the ministry – was NOT – NOT to reach or try and impress the stalwarts and the equipped and the successful LDS but to reach out to the reprobates, the weak, the lost and those who have never really fit.
This is why our approach outwardly is as it is.
But there’s one point relative to Timothy being circumcised I’ve never heard but Im sure is out there – within Judaism, the faith comes from and through the Mother – and so in reality Timothy was a Jew who should have been circumcised – and now was.
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
As they went through the cities mentioned they delivered to them (in the Greek?) the dokeo – which means “to think” and from this we get the Latin translation, “dogma” which has come to mean something a little more strident than just what we think, but through the Latin lens (Catholic) dogma has become more than what we think is right to a specific tenet or authoritative doctrine set forth by a body and mandatorily received by those who wish to remain in that group.
Now this shift is really important – from Dokeo in the Greek, which we can define as “that which we think or believe to be right,” or “that which seems to be true or good,” to the Latin Dogma which means “that which is true and must be accepted and received.” (Which is the current understanding of the word, right?)
In other words the faith through the Greek was subjectively understood:
“That which one thinks or believes is good or right” and “that which must be received as law.”
Herein lies the difference between those who will die and go to God bearing the responsibility for what they have believed and lived and those who have done what the church has demanded and hope to use it as the justification for the things THEY have believed and done.
In my estimation the former fully of God and present in the original language and meaning of the word Dokeo and the latter being of men.
The decrees or dokeo that was being delivered were the decisions of the Apostles through the mouth and mind of James regarding idolatry.
Admittedly, this was the apostolic law in the early church to help keep the peace but it was the law from what they believed was good or right.
We know that these decrees did NOT have the weight of demanded dogma as some would like to believe because later down the road Paul himself will emancipate all who took these decrees as Law under the direction of them being free, but to exercise love and care for others in the expressions of their liberty.
(verse 5)
5 And so were the churches (the ekklesia, the assemblies) established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
So the gatherings or assemblies, established in the faith, increased in number day in and day out. Now some geography quickly (Verse 6-8)
6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
Let me summarize and restate these verses for us:
They went throughout Phyrgia.
And they went throughout Galatia.
They were forbidden of the Spirit to preach the Word in Asia.
Then coming into Mysia the tried to go into Bithynia but again the spirit would not let them
So passing Mysia they came down to Troas.
Just two notes about these five insights. One, Galatia was named after the people who settled it – the Gaul’s – Gaul’s/Galatia.
And the Gaul’s were a formidable group of Celtic peoples who came from present day France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switzerland, Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands, Central Italy and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine.
Many Jews also settled there and it was the Gospel going to Galatia that helped take it into what we call the European nations today.
Secondly, they were prohibited by the Spirit to go into what we read as Asia (which in all probability means Asia minor which was also called Ionia).
Why? They had been there before but apparently God has other plans at this moment and they would return to this region later.
What plans did God have? The more extensive country of known as Macedonia.
Finally,
8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
Troas was a city of Phrygia or Mysia, on the Hellespont, between Troy north, and Assos south. Sometimes the name Troas, or Troad, is used to describe the whole country of the Trojans or the province where the ancient city of Troy had stood.
It was here that the events of the Illiad were recorded by Homer (not Simpson).
Okay, after all that travel I’m exhausted. (Verse 9 is going to show how God moved Paul away from Asia minor – temporarily – and to Macedonia)
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”
Now, we know that visions were going to be apart of this time because on the Day of Pentecost Peter stood up and said, speaking of what was happening to them THEN:
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
So Paul was experiencing (yet again) more of what Peter had described.
Now apparently, by the way the man in this vision was dressed and the language that he used, it was known by Paul that he was a Macedonian.
In New Testament times Macedonia was a Roman province just north of Greece. And here, being summoned in a vision by a Macedonian, Paul would begin at least three journeys there.
This vision and call to Macedonia is referred to a number of times in the New Testament, including Acts 18:5; 19:21; Romans 15:26; 2nd Corinthians 1:16; 11:9; and Philippians 4:15
We are about to begin to read of Paul’s first journey through this country. From here he will return to Corinth and then to Syria.
In Acts 20 we will read again of him passing through this country and after many years he probably visited it for a third time according to Philippians 2:24.
We will see that the first convert to the faith in Macedonian Europe will be a woman named Lydia, who resided in Philippi, which is the chief city of the eastern division of Macedonia.
So in his vision there stood a man.
Again, this vision could have been while Paul was awake or through a dream – we don’t know but I really like the way the YLT translation puts this verse as it says:
“And a vision through the night appeared to Paul–a certain man of Macedonia was standing, calling upon him, and saying, `Having passed through to Macedonia, help us;’ “
This makes it sound like the vision was by dream through the night. The request from the man – “help us.”
The fact that Paul is called to preach and teach Christ I can’t help but believe this was a request for them to come to Macedonia and share the Good News.
What a wonderful request – “help us understand,” as it conveys desire, an openness, a willingness, and a need. It is no wonder we read in verse 10:
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Did you catch it? This is the first instance where Luke refers to himself as being in company with Paul and from this we can with great probability assume that this is when Luke joined Paul and Silas in their travels – if I’m not mistaken Luke remains with them for the rest of the book of Acts.
At this point we seem to get a rehearsal of their travels and so verse 11 and 12 say
11 Therefore loosing from Troas (that would be setting sail from Troas), we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
This city called Philippi was named after Philip who was the Father of Alexander the Great and was formerly called Dathos before Philip repaired and adorned it – so they named it after him.
A number of famous battles waged there including a decisive battle between Brutas and Anthony – and it is the place where Brutus killed himself. Paul wrote an epistle to the believers of this city and we know it as Philippians.
Apparently they were there for some time or as the King James says, “for some days.”
13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
Because Luke calls this the Sabbath, and Luke was a Greek, I tend to think that there were a number of Jews there in Philippi – in any case Luke and Paul and Silas (among possibly others) went out of the city by “a river side,” the name of it remains unknown.
What is known is that there on the river banks . . . prayers were known to be offered. And so they sat down and spoke to the women who came to this place.
Now the Greek word used here is “pros-yoo-khay,” and it can mean prayer or a place of prayer and the Jews would typically build them where synagogues were not in place.
Traditionally they would be simple enclosures made of stones.
14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Lydia came from Thyatira, one of the seven churches in Revelation. As a seller of purple she was probably someone who sold either the color purple, which was made of shellfish and was very costly or she sold fabric dyed purple (which was also costly) and was worn traditionally by those with means – Kings, nobels, and Princes.
Naturally, to deal in it often meant that the individual was also well off.
This woman would have been a proselyte at the gate (not a Jew) and as such she had a heart for God – so much so she was said by Luke to “worship God.”
And with this heart she “heard” the preachers – Luke says, “us” and adds that “the Lord had opened her heart.” (Verse 15)
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
Being that they were by a river, and that immediate baptism was customary among believers in that day (as it could and should be in ours) she appears to have been baptized, along with members of her household. And then she made a request saying:
“If ye have judged me to be faithful.” (If you deem me a Christian, or a believer)
“come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.”
(or she compelled them to stay).
We have a little time so lets push into the final story of chapter 16.
Acts 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
36 And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.
38 And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
39 And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
And we’ll cover these passage next week.
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