READ | ACTS CHAPTER 16
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
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.
Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia
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.
Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi
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[a] 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.
Paul and Silas in Prison
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.
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 uproar 21 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.
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!”
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?”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia
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.
Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi
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[a] 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.
Paul and Silas in Prison
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.
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 uproar 21 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.
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!”
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?”
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.
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.”
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.
DEVOTIONAL
Have you ever had someone tell you “No” when you really wanted to hear “Yes”? You don’t get what you wanted. You don’t get the loan. Whatever the circumstances, this can be a difficult thing to hear and accept. Now, keep that feeling in mind as we take a closer look at chapter 16, which marks the beginning of Paul’s 2nd missionary journey.
This journey begins about five years after the 1st journey ended, so Paul is anxious to see how the churches he’s planted are getting along. He also wishes to plant many new churches, which is why Paul’s second missionary journey with Silas would last close to three years, far longer than the first, and venturing much further away from his home base of Antioch. We first hear about Timothy in this chapter when Paul returns to Lystra, where he had planted a church years earlier, despite intense opposition. Keep in mind that Timothy would have heard about or even possibly witnessed the event when Paul had been stoned, dragged out of the city, but then returned. It makes sense that Timothy, who would later become a key figure in the early church, would have a very high view of Paul and even agreed to be circumcised by Paul before traveling on with them. In verse 6 we read that the Holy Spirit prevented the trio from entering and preaching in certain regions. It is interesting that the Holy Spirit forbade Paul to do something we normally think of as good; preaching God’s Word to those who need it. The key here is that the troupe of Paul, Silas, and Timothy were not being led by Paul, though Timothy would have seen Paul as their leader. They were being led by God through His Spirit. This would be an invaluable lesson and something that could be easily forgotten after a year on the road. We are people who want to plan, create itineraries, and draw out every step of a trip. But God wanted each of them to trust Him, to depend on Him, and to be fully willing to be guided by Him. The Spirit of God directed this work, and Paul wasn’t the right person in the right place at the right time to begin bringing the gospel to the Roman Province of Asia Minor, which is now modern-day Turkey. There was nothing wrong or sinful with Paul’s desire to preach the word in Asia, but it wasn’t God’s timing, and God had something much greater in mind. We don’t know exactly how the Holy Spirit said no; it may have been through a word of prophecy, or by an inward speaking of the Holy Spirit, or by circumstances. One way or another, Paul and his company got the message. Ephesus would come later, not now.
This would not be the last time the Holy Spirit closed doors as a way of opening new doors. The famous missionary David Livingstone wanted to go to China, but God sent him to Africa. William Carey wanted to go to Polynesia, but God sent him to India. Adoniram Judson went to India, but God guided him to Burma. God guides us along the way, to just the right place. He knows far better than we do in our own earthly wisdom or instinct where we will be most effective. To his credit, Paul and his missionary team were also sensitive and responsive to the Holy Spirit. They were willing to lay down their will and plans for the direction that the Holy Spirit brought to them. This humility is something we too should hope to emulate in our own lives. In Verse 9, we read how Paul has a vision of a man from Macedonia begging Paul to come and preach the gospel to them. The man in the vision needed help and the greatest help we can bring anyone is the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. It is good for us to bring other help along with the gospel, but without the gospel, any help or charity given is always temporary. This new mission moved Paul and his missionary team from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe. This would be the first missionary endeavor to Europe in all of history. The wisdom and greatness of God’s plan was beginning to unfold. In Paul’s mind, he wanted to reach a few cities in his region, but God wanted to give Paul an entire continent to win for Jesus Christ. The shift from they (they came down to Troas, in verse 8) to we in verse 10 most likely means that Luke joined the band of missionaries in Troas. Perhaps Luke even came as Paul’s personal doctor besides being a journalist. Now we see yet another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. We see another reason why the Spirit did not permit them to go into Bithynia. God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas and pick up a doctor named Luke. Because God said “no” to Paul these two times, we have a gospel and the book of Acts written by Luke. At the time, Paul probably had no idea of the greatness and bigger picture of God’s purpose. God wanted to give Paul a continent for Jesus, to give him a personal doctor, and to provide him with an effective and faithful team to encourage each other on these difficult journeys. God knows what He is doing when he says, “No.”
This journey begins about five years after the 1st journey ended, so Paul is anxious to see how the churches he’s planted are getting along. He also wishes to plant many new churches, which is why Paul’s second missionary journey with Silas would last close to three years, far longer than the first, and venturing much further away from his home base of Antioch. We first hear about Timothy in this chapter when Paul returns to Lystra, where he had planted a church years earlier, despite intense opposition. Keep in mind that Timothy would have heard about or even possibly witnessed the event when Paul had been stoned, dragged out of the city, but then returned. It makes sense that Timothy, who would later become a key figure in the early church, would have a very high view of Paul and even agreed to be circumcised by Paul before traveling on with them. In verse 6 we read that the Holy Spirit prevented the trio from entering and preaching in certain regions. It is interesting that the Holy Spirit forbade Paul to do something we normally think of as good; preaching God’s Word to those who need it. The key here is that the troupe of Paul, Silas, and Timothy were not being led by Paul, though Timothy would have seen Paul as their leader. They were being led by God through His Spirit. This would be an invaluable lesson and something that could be easily forgotten after a year on the road. We are people who want to plan, create itineraries, and draw out every step of a trip. But God wanted each of them to trust Him, to depend on Him, and to be fully willing to be guided by Him. The Spirit of God directed this work, and Paul wasn’t the right person in the right place at the right time to begin bringing the gospel to the Roman Province of Asia Minor, which is now modern-day Turkey. There was nothing wrong or sinful with Paul’s desire to preach the word in Asia, but it wasn’t God’s timing, and God had something much greater in mind. We don’t know exactly how the Holy Spirit said no; it may have been through a word of prophecy, or by an inward speaking of the Holy Spirit, or by circumstances. One way or another, Paul and his company got the message. Ephesus would come later, not now.
This would not be the last time the Holy Spirit closed doors as a way of opening new doors. The famous missionary David Livingstone wanted to go to China, but God sent him to Africa. William Carey wanted to go to Polynesia, but God sent him to India. Adoniram Judson went to India, but God guided him to Burma. God guides us along the way, to just the right place. He knows far better than we do in our own earthly wisdom or instinct where we will be most effective. To his credit, Paul and his missionary team were also sensitive and responsive to the Holy Spirit. They were willing to lay down their will and plans for the direction that the Holy Spirit brought to them. This humility is something we too should hope to emulate in our own lives. In Verse 9, we read how Paul has a vision of a man from Macedonia begging Paul to come and preach the gospel to them. The man in the vision needed help and the greatest help we can bring anyone is the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. It is good for us to bring other help along with the gospel, but without the gospel, any help or charity given is always temporary. This new mission moved Paul and his missionary team from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe. This would be the first missionary endeavor to Europe in all of history. The wisdom and greatness of God’s plan was beginning to unfold. In Paul’s mind, he wanted to reach a few cities in his region, but God wanted to give Paul an entire continent to win for Jesus Christ. The shift from they (they came down to Troas, in verse 8) to we in verse 10 most likely means that Luke joined the band of missionaries in Troas. Perhaps Luke even came as Paul’s personal doctor besides being a journalist. Now we see yet another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. We see another reason why the Spirit did not permit them to go into Bithynia. God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas and pick up a doctor named Luke. Because God said “no” to Paul these two times, we have a gospel and the book of Acts written by Luke. At the time, Paul probably had no idea of the greatness and bigger picture of God’s purpose. God wanted to give Paul a continent for Jesus, to give him a personal doctor, and to provide him with an effective and faithful team to encourage each other on these difficult journeys. God knows what He is doing when he says, “No.”
