The Book of Acts

Paul's Second Missionary Journey (15:36-18:22)

Part One

Sermon Twenty-nine in the Series

Jim Bordwine, ThD

Introduction

Having examined the record of the Jerusalem Council, we are ready to proceed with the second missionary journey of the apostle Paul. Once again, while mentioning all of the events which Luke records in connection with the expedition, I will spend the most time on those episodes which were essential in the declaration and establishment of the gospel among the Gentiles. This is, after all, the announced intention of Paul. He is determined to take the gospel to the Gentile regions, although, as we will see, he does not cut off all contact with his Jewish brethren along the way.

During this second missionary journey, we come across some of the most familiar stories from the life of the apostle Paul. Early in this section of Acts, for example, we read of the well-known “Macedonian Call” which led Paul to abandon his initial plans to labor again in Asia and, instead, take the gospel to Europe. We will also cover the account of the conversion of the Philippian jailer-a story with which we become familiar early in our Christian walks due to the simple, yet indispensable question posed by this desperate man to Paul: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Due to the amount of Scripture given to the record of the second missionary journey, I will divide my treatment of this portion of Acts into several parts. Luke's documentation of this excursion begins at the end of chapter 15 and concludes just before the end of chapter 18. Today, therefore, we will consider the following points: first, the introductory information given to us which tells us why this journey was undertaken and who was involved in it; second, the famous Macedonian Call which, as I said, largely determined the impact of this tour; third, the conversion of Lydia who is the first recorded convert in Europe.

01. The Introductory Information (15:36-16:5)

Although we won't spend a lot of time on this section, I do want to include this preliminary information which tells us why this journey was commenced, who was involved and how Timothy came to be a companion of the apostle Paul. I'll begin with what is found at the end of chapter 15:

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. 40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

The first fact revealed to us about this second missionary journey is it's purpose. It is Paul who suggests that he and Barnabas “return and visit the brethren” in order to check on their welfare and, no doubt, encourage them in the faith once again (v. 36). Clearly, this idea from Paul reveals his abiding concern for the folks he met in all those cities. He had not forgotten about them. This man cared for those who, through him, had come to believe the gospel and now walked with Christ by faith. Paul knew life would be hard for them; he knew they would face much opposition and would need as much encouragement as they could receive. So, Paul's idea is that he and Barnabas go back to all those cities and see how those saints were doing now that some time had passed and a more routine life of faith had been established for them.

We are not told all the details or reasons, but Barnabas wanted to take Mark along on this second trip (v. 37). The problem, of course, is that Mark left Paul and Barnabas during the previous trip in order to return home. Although the prior report of this incident did not necessarily give us this indication, we now know that Paul obviously was displeased-so much so that he refuses to allow Mark to accompany him and Barnabas on this second tour (v. 38). Luke describes Paul as “insisting” that they should not take Mark with them. This word (aixoo) refers to that which one believes is right. But this term implies substance behind such an opinion. It implies that Paul's refusal to take Mark was based on facts which were significant in Paul's mind. Barnabas did not have the same reservations, but Paul was quite definite that, due to Mark's previous desertion of the team, he would not be allowed to join this second expedition.

Both Barnabas and Saul stood their ground and opinions remained unchanged. This led to a “sharp disagreement,” Luke notes, which resulted in the separation of Paul and Barnabas (v. 39). We don't want to underestimate the tension which must have existed between these two men. Let's remember the bonds that were there which could only have been broken by a tremendous force. Barnabas is the man who insisted that the apostles in Jerusalem listen to Paul and give him a chance to explain what had happened to him on the road to Damascus. Barnabas was at Paul's side during those trying events of the first missionary journey. Barnabas was a dear friend and a true brother in the faith. This division between the two had to have resulted from only the most intense type of disagreement. Barnabas wanted to give Mark another chance; Paul feared that Mark was unreliable and another incident of desertion would only harm the cause which Paul was seeking to promote.

Perhaps we can find sympathy for both points of view. Whatever the case, the men parted company. Barnabas departed with Mark for Cyprus and this is the last we read of him in Luke's account. Paul, on the other hand, teamed up with Silas and commenced his journey during which he planned to revisit all the churches (v. 40). Luke writes that the pair traveled first to Syria and Cilicia where they strengthened the brethren (v. 41).

The introductory information continues in chapter 16:

16:1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

In these verses, although he mentions some of the initial cities visited on this second journey, Luke does not say anything about the reception Paul received. Instead, he concentrates on Timothy, a young disciple who joins the apostle in the ministry. We are told, for example, that Timothy was the son of a believing Jewish woman (v. 1). His father, however, was a Greek. This bit of information is supplemented elsewhere when we learn that Timothy's grandmother also was a believer and that this boy had been trained in the Scriptures from his earliest years (cf. 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15). It's possible that Timothy's mother and grandmother became believers when Paul visited Lystra on his first journey. What we do know is that young Timothy was held in high regard by other believers (v. 2). He stood out to Paul as one with the gifts necessary to become a fellow-laborer.

The one fact reported about Timothy which causes some curiosity is mentioned in v. 3. Paul circumcised Timothy because the Jews in that region knew his father was a Greek. To me, this seems to be an obvious application of the principle James expounded at the Jerusalem Council-that of doing what could be done in order to remove offenses. I think anyone who reads Paul's epistles understands that he did not believe that circumcision was a necessary complement to faith. Clearly, Paul is taking a step to ensure that Timothy would be accepted among the Jews and the fact that he had a Gentile father would not become an issue which would distract from the primary goal of preaching the gospel. This something which could be done without compromising Timothy's faith or the integrity of the gospel and it is something which, in fact, would remove a significant hindrance to his ministry among the Jews. So, Paul requested and Timothy submitted to circumcision. I'll say more about this in the Application, but for now I'll note that this was a wise move on Paul's part and it also demonstrates the maturity of young Timothy.

The next two verses relate that Paul traveled from city to city delivering the decision of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. This indicates, as I've noted before, that the problem which troubled the believers in Antioch was wide-spread. Paul obviously believed that the wisdom of the Council needed to be communicated to all the churches. The churches, as a result, were being strengthened and were growing daily, Luke writes (vv. 4, 5).

02. The Macedonian Call (16:6-10)

The next major event recorded by Luke has to do with divine direction given to Paul and his companions relative to the focus of their labors on this second missionary tour:

6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Luke doesn't tell us how the Spirit communicated with Paul and the others, but he does record that the Spirit had forbidden the missionaries “to speak the word in Asia,” meaning further north beyond the boundaries of the first journey (cf. v. 6). Instead, the men traveled in a northwesterly direction passing through familiar territory and coming to the northwest corner of Asia Minor. It was their intention to turn northward and enter Bithynia, but they were again prevented by the Holy Spirit (v. 7). Therefore, turning southward, they entered the coastal city of Troas (v. 8). Troas was a Roman colony and it served as an entry-point to Asia Minor and a point of departure for those heading to Macedonia, located across the Aegean Sea.

After arriving in Troas, Paul had a vision in which a man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him to “Come over and help us.” (v. 9) The word translated “help” (boetheo) means “to come to the aid of.” It is a word which expresses a plea for quick and much-needed assistance of some type. Often, the term is used in the context of spiritual help being sought, as is the case here. This was, of course, a divine command to leave Troas and travel to the region of Macedonia. It is there that Paul establishes some of the most well-known churches in the New Testament. When we discover what happens as the gospel is preached in that place, we understand that God certainly had a specific plan for where the gospel would go and, therefore, how the Church would develop.

Luke summarizes Paul's reaction to the vision when he notes that the apostle concluded that the missionaries were being called to Macedonia to preach the gospel (v. 10). The term translated “called” (proskaleomai) is worth mentioning. It refers to a summons, normally issued by one with greater authority than the one receiving the directive. Paul understood that God was commanding him to go into Macedonia to continue his labors there. The apostle also would have understood, therefore, that God intended to establish congregations in that region, so he was eager to depart (note that Luke says “immediately we sought to go into Macedonia”).

Among other things, this short section reminds us that the resurrected Christ is still directing the affairs of His Church. Luke specifically refers to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of Jesus” in v. 7. The Spirit was sent as a Teacher, Director and Companion to the Church; and He was sent by the risen Savior. The Macedonian call illustrates just how directly involved the Lord is in the establishment of local congregations. Paul is now leaving the continent of Asia and making his way to the continent of Europe.

03. The Conversion of Lydia (16:11-15)

Once Paul and his companions reach Macedonia, they begin preaching the gospel in the city of Philippi. The missionaries are, indeed, busy in this city, as Luke's record shows. For now, we will consider the first of several incidents which Luke documents in this chapter:

11 So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. 14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

The missionaries eventually arrived in Philippi where, according to Luke, they decided to remain for a few days (vv. 11, 12). In 358 BC, this settlement was captured, enlarged and fortified by Philip II, king of Macedonia. In 42 BC, Octavius Augustus conferred on Philippi jus Italicum, which meant that the citizens of Philippi would be granted the privileges of the citizens of the Empire. When Paul arrives, approximately AD 52, Philippi is home to a number of Roman colonists and a few Jews-so few Jews, in fact, that they had no synagogue, which is a fact confirmed by Luke.

On the next Sabbath, Paul and his companions made their way to a place outside the city where the Jews gathered for prayer and religious services (v. 13). There, by the river, they met a number of women who had gathered, among them one in particular named Lydia (v. 14). Lydia is described as “from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God…” This description tells us a couple of things. The “purple fabrics” refer to fine linen which was dyed using the secretion of shellfish that lived in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. It is estimated that it took approximately eight thousand of these shellfish to produce one gram of purple dye. This fabric, therefore, was extremely expensive. Such garments were worn by wealthy citizens as a status symbol. Lydia, therefore, was a woman of considerable financial substance and probably owned a large home in Philippi. The description given by Luke also tells us that Lydia was a Gentile proselyte. The phrase “a worshiper of God” (or, sometimes, “God-fearer”) was routinely used to designated a Gentile who accepted and practiced, to a degree, the Jewish religion.

On this occasion, Lydia heard Paul speaking as he explained the gospel and, no doubt, drew the connection between Judaism and the Savior. In a simple manner, Luke reports that “the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” There on that river bank, Lydia, the God-fearing Gentile, came to believe the gospel of grace as the apostle related to those women information about the Messiah who had come, was crucified and raised from the dead. What follows this response by Lydia is of tremendous importance in this day when Christian people are so misinformed regarding the nature of life in the covenant.

Luke writes that Lydia and her household were baptized (v. 15). Luke, of course, mentions Lydia only as having had her heart opened to respond to Paul. He gives no impression that Paul went to each of the members of Lydia's household-one by one-in order to see what they would say in response to the gospel. While this verse does not, by itself, prove the case for covenant baptism as understood by Reformed Presbyterians, it certainly adds to the burden of those who would deny the doctrine. My position is that Lydia believed the gospel and, as head of her household, submitted those under her authority to the mark of her faith.

In an act of appreciation and devotion to the missionaries, Lydia urged them to stay in her home. Luke writes that “she prevailed upon us,” The word rendered “prevailed” (parabiazomai) refers to pleading or, almost, begging. Understandably, Lydia wanted to offer hospitality to Paul and the others. So, at this point we leave Paul and his companions in the company of a new convert and her household. The gospel has had a significant beginning in Philippi. The core of a strong church is forming-the process now commenced comes to fruition later as is evident in Paul's correspondence to the saints in this city.

Application

I will close this sermon by offering three brief applications based on the verses we've covered thus far. First, I want to consider Paul's circumcision of Timothy. I am really glad that this incident happened and that Luke recorded it for us. It demonstrates several important principles. For example, it demonstrates that Paul knew the difference between what was essential and what was not essential. Circumcising Timothy was a means of making him more acceptable among the Jews so that the fact that he had a Gentile father would not hinder the preaching of the gospel. It's that simple. That's why Paul did it. Circumcising Timothy had nothing to do with enhancing his faith or his standing before God. It was a matter of expedience. Paul knew that this action, in this particular setting, would, in no way, compromise the gospel. We know, of course, that Paul could be a ferocious opponent of circumcision when it was being urged as a means of gaining spiritual ground before God. That was not the case here, so Paul did not hesitate.

This action also tells us something about Timothy. He was a mature man of faith. He, too, understood that circumcision had nothing to do with his standing before God. He, too, realized that this was merely a move which would give him greater access to the Jews as he and Paul traveled. Timothy could submit to Paul's request without a twinge of conscience because this request, as I emphasized, had nothing to do with advancing Timothy's spiritual status.

The lesson here is that we should be as diligent as Paul in preserving the gospel when it is attacked, but just as eager as Paul to remove all hindrances to the gospel's advancement when removing such obstacles does not strike at the gospel itself. If you need to stop doing something because it is causing someone to turn away from your testimony, and if that something is not a matter of God's commandment, then do it-even if it's inconvenient, do it. If there's some change you can make so that your testimony will be less obscured and if that change does not involve a matter of obedience to God, then do it. The point is that we should be willing to change the way we look, the way we talk, the places we go, the language we use, etc., if such a change will serve the gospel and does not involve disobeying God or in any way compromising our faith.

Our problem, usually, is that we are so set in our ways and preferences that we think just about any change is a compromise of our faith! That's not so. Wisdom leads us to distinguish between what is essential and what is dispensable.

A second application comes from Paul's vision in which he saw the man from Macedonian calling for help. This, too, is a simple application. The gospel is “help.” That's what the man was asking for-help. Remember that the word translated “help” in that verse refers to aid that is necessary for deliverance. It's not the kind of help you ask for when you have a heavy box to move or the kind of help you ask for when you need someone to run an errand for you because your schedule is full. This is the kind of help which determines your fate-if you don't get it, you will perish. That's the kind of assistance the man in the vision was asking for.

The gospel is not “help” in the sense that it gets us “over the hump.” It is not “help” which gets us to heaven more quickly than would be the case if we continued on our own. The gospel is help in that it alone provides what we must have but cannot supply. The gospel is salvation; the gospel is deliverance from hell. The gospel is not a message we can take or leave. It and it alone is the answer to the sinner's alienation from his Creator. It and it alone rescues from eternal death. The gospel is the “help” needed by every person who comes into this world. It is not “assistance,” it is redemption. When we think of the gospel in these stark terms, we are more willing to declare it and, if necessary, defend it.

A third application is found in that phrase regarding Lydia. Luke wrote that the Lord “opened her heart to respond” to Paul. Every once in a while in Acts, we have such statements which remind us of what exactly is going on. These missionary journeys, for example, were not Paul's work-they were Christ's work through Paul. It was not Paul's cleverness of speech or conduct which resulted in many professing acceptance of the gospel, it was Christ's work through him. Paul was a servant of the resurrected Christ. He took not a single step and witnessed not a single conversion apart from Christ's will.

We refer to the book of Acts as “the acts of the apostles.” It is, in fact, the acts of Jesus Christ, through His apostles. When Luke stated that the Lord opened Lydia's heart, he said a lot. In that one phrase is encompassed the doctrines of our depravity, God's sovereignty in the salvation of sinners. We believe only because the Lord opens our hearts to respond to what we hear. Otherwise, we remain dead in our trespasses and sins; otherwise, we continue in our rebellion against God and His laws. If you are saved at this moment, it is only because the Lord opened your heart to believe the gospel.

Conclusion

We have a reminder of this truth every week in the sacrament. Every week, we receive the elements of the Lord's Supper by which we are reminded that He gave Himself for us and that apart from that act, we would have remained lost and condemned. We are reminded that our hearts have been opened to believe in Christ and His complete and finished work on our behalf.