by Rev. Canon Don Beatty                <--previous   
Session 6
The second Missionary Journey of Paul with Silas
(Acts 16: - 18:22)

After the council of Jerusalem in 50 AD, Paul and Barnabas decided to return to the churches that they had established in Asia-Minor. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark, and Paul refused because of Mark's behaviour on the first trip. They had a falling out, from which they never seemed to be reconciled. Barnabas took Mark and headed off to Cyprus and that is the last time we hear about him in the Acts. Barnabas may have ended his days on the Island of Cyprus, near his home town.

Silas who had been sent by the Jerusalem church to Antioch to help interpret the findings of the Council of Jerusalem was still in Antioch. Paul invites him to come on the second missionary journey which he readily accepts. So Paul and Silas head off overland through Syria and Cilicia strengthening all of the churches as they went. Note that both missionary trips were probably condoned by the Antioch Church.

In chapter 16 Paul and Silas come to Derbe and Lystra. As they are travelling by land, they visit the churches in reverse order from the first trip. In Lystra they meet up with Timothy who has a Christian Jewish mother and a non believing Gentile father. Timothy was probably a teenager at this time.

Paul decides to take Timothy with them but first he must circumcise him because of the Jews who lived in that area. This seems rather strange in light of Paul's constant battle with the Christian Jews about Circumcision. However, Paul is a pragmatist. As Timothy was half Jewish, he wasn’t exempt from the law. For Paul a Jew must still be circumcised. If Timothy were circumcised, it would allow him to work more expediently with the Jewish converts. This is exactly opposite to Titus in Galatians 2:3 where Paul refused to circumcise Titus because the Jews were demanding it as necessary for his salvation. Timothy was not circumcised for his own salvation but to remove any impediments to his working with the Jewish converts. Do you see the kind of divisive issue circumcision was?

Timothy appears in many of Paul's epistles. See 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. He would spend much of his time with Paul as a companion, student and a future leader of the Church. Paul develops a kind of father- son relationship with Timothy.

Paul and Silas, with Timothy visited all of the churches from the first journey and explained to them the findings of the Council of Jerusalem. This was important to these missionary churches, and made them feel much more a part of the universal church.

Luke tells us that the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew daily.

Notice also the Holy Spirit kept them out of Asia at this time. Instead, they went down through Troas and it is here that Luke joins them. Acts 16:10 is the beginning of the 'we' passage suggesting that Luke is now an eyewitness. He is writing in the first person. Notice also how the Holy Spirit was in charge of their every move. This was probably through words of prophecy and visions both of which are gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Paul has a vision of a man from Macedonia asking him to come over and help them. They travel by water across the Aegean Sea to Neapolis the seaport for Philippi. Then they moved inland to Philippi, one of the leading cities in Macedonia. It is not the capital. That was Thessalonica. Philippi was a Roman colony and as such, it was self-governing. This is the first recorded time that the gospel was preached in Europe. This was about 52 AD.

There was a very small Jewish community in Philippi so there was no synagogue. Instead, the Jews would meet in a quiet place out of town usually by the riverbank. Here Paul and his companions find the Jewish congregation but it was all women. No wonder there was no synagogue. This requires 120 men to from a new synagogue! Paul speaks to them about faith in Jesus and some were converted. There is no distinction made about women in the early church. They did not need their husband's permission to join the church as they did in most other religions in the empire.

One of these converts was Lydia, a dealer in Purple cloth. This is expensive material so Lydia was probably very well off. Luke suggests she was a God-fearer, and not a Jew. As the Lord opened her heart, she responded to Paul's words, she and her whole household were baptized. She invited the mission team to stay at her home. She must have been wealthy to have a house big enough to accommodate all of them.

Next in Philippi we meet the slave-girl who followed Paul around exclaiming that he was a servant of the most high God. This wasn’t complimentary and in fact it was somewhat detrimental to continuing his mission work. Her constant presence was rather difficult for Paul. This slave-girl was possessed by an evil spirit, which gave her the ability to tell fortunes. Finally, Paul turns to her and cast out the evil demon and she is healed. Also, she can no longer tell fortunes which were rather a concern to her owners for it affected their pocket book. So they had Paul and Silas dragged before the magistrate of Philippi and charged with proselytizing. This was illegal for Jews in the Roman Empire. They allowed the Jews to practice their faith, but they could not convert Gentiles who were supposed to believe in the god Caesar, the emperor. The Roman guards also beat them and then threw them into prison.

In prison about midnight as Paul and Silas were singing hymns and praying, there was a violent earthquake. All of the prison doors were flung open and the chains fell off the prisoners. When the jailor saw this, he was about to commit suicide but Paul calls out to him and tells him they are all present and accounted for.

The jailor decides that these men are special and he asks them about salvation. He and his household were baptized and they were filled with joy. Another Pentecostal experience! This is one of a few passages were whole households were baptized, suggesting the possible inclusion of children. This is one of the arguments in favour of infant baptism, but it only makes sense to baptize the children of believers. The other argument for infant baptism lies in circumcision. A male child of eight days was circumcised as a mark of his membership in the old covenant. Baptism is the sign of the new covenant, and both males and females are baptized. This is also a good argument in favour of female priests. If a female may be baptized and confirmed, then why not ordained?

Paul and Silas were released after a personal apology from the magistrate, thus establishing the legality of the Christian church in Philippi. Now the Christian Church is no longer considered a sect of Judaism. They go back to Lydia's home and strengthen the Christian converts there and then set off for Thessalonica, probably leaving Luke in Philippi. The 'we' passage end here and begin again in Acts 20:5 when Paul comes back to Philippi on the third missionary trip.

It is interesting to note the three converts in Philippi which Luke dwells on. Each represents a different level of society. Lydia is a member of the wealthy upper class, the slave-girl, the lowest class and the Roman soldier, the hard-working middle class. I think Luke again deliberately chose these three for just that reason. We see the Christian church reaching out to all levels of society. All are included and made welcome. There is no bond or free; rich or poor; Greek or Jew; male or female, all are one under God.

In chapter 17, we move on to Thessalonica which is the capital of Macedonia. Here there was a Jewish synagogue and Paul goes there first to preach the gospel, as was now his custom. He attends for three Sabbaths and many Jews, God-fearers and prominent women were converted. Again, notice the mention of women in the group of converts.

Jason's home becomes the centre of Christianity there. It is he who is arrested and had to post a peace bond on behalf of the Christian church. Paul stayed in Thessalonica for several weeks and taught them about the faith.

Next they move on to Berea and again preach in the local synagogue. Here he had great success even with the Jews as well as the God-fearers and the prominent women. However, the Jews from Thessalonica came and stirred up the people and Paul again has to flee. He leaves Silas and Timothy behind to build up the church in Berea and Paul moves on to Athens.

Athens had been the centre of Greek culture and learning for centuries. There was a great school of Philosophy there and most of the city seemed to take great delight in discussing and debating all of the latest religious and philosophical teachings. Thus, Paul would get an adequate hearing here.

As was his custom again he went first to the synagogue in Athens. There he had some success with the Jews and God-fearers. However, it was in the marketplace that he started to impress the philosophers of his day. There were two main schools of philosophical thought in Athens, the Stoics and the Epicureans. The Stoics believed in suppressing all pleasure and the Epicureans were exactly the opposite. They believed that the supreme good was found in happiness. Thus, pleasure of any kind was good and to be sought out. This is a rather simplified description, but you get the idea.

They are so impressed with Paul that they invite him to the Areopagus which was the meeting place for philosophers. It was here that they decided all religious and moral issues and it was somewhat of an honour for Paul to have been invited to address them. This speaks about his highly developed mind and his ability to communicate. Paul is a scholar and a communicator and teacher.

Paul begins by complimenting them on their religious nature, especially pointing out the altar to the 'unknown God'. AIt is this God I wish to proclaim to you,' said Paul. This is the God who created the heaven and the earth. He is the Lord of all and does not dwell in temples made by human hands. It is He who gives us life and breath. It is He who has made from one man all nations so that men may inhabit the whole earth. He appoints the times and the places where men may go. This God is also very close to us and wants us to reach out to Him. In Him we live and move and have our being. This is a direct quote from the Greek poet Epimenides who lived in 600 BC. Every man is connected and we are all his offspring’s. In each of these statements, he is accepting first Stoic and then Epicurean ideas.

Then he goes on. The divine does not dwell in idols of gold or silver or stone made by man's hands. This God demands we put away false images. Paul begins to antagonize the philosophers at this point.

He will judge the world with justice through the person he has sent. He proved this by raising this man from the dead. This was difficult for the Greek mind. They believed in the eternal life of the soul but not of the body. Now he lost them. Many sneered at this teaching, but some believed and joined the church. This included one called Dionysius who later became the bishop of Athens and Damaris and several others.

Christians believe in the resurrection of the body, as Jesus was raised up on Easter Day. Although we must remember that, his body appears to be more of a spiritual one, than a physical one. If the philosophers from Athens had not gotten so hung up on the Greek idea of a physical body, they probably could have accepted the Christian view of a spiritual one. But it is a body which is unique and identifiable.

In chapter 18, Paul moves on to Corinth. There he meets up with a Jewish couple from Pontus, in the northeast region of Asia Minor, who were called Priscilla and Aquila. They were tent makers like Paul. They had been expelled them from Rome along with all Jews in about 48 AD. by the emperor Claudius and may have been converted to Christianity in Rome by Jews who left Jerusalem during the dispersion. Paul works with them in Corinth and each Sabbath they would go to the synagogue. Silas and Timothy join him in Corinth where he continued to work with the Jews. When they became abusive of him and his teaching, he shakes off the dust against them and said, AI am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.'

Crispus the synagogue ruler and his family were baptized by Paul (see also 1 Corinthians 1:14) and became followers of Christ as did many others in Corinth. Paul received a vision from God that He had many other believers in the city so Paul stayed there for over a year and a half. This was by far his longest time during the second missionary journey in any one place. He may have travelled to other parts of Achaia at this time as is suggested in 2 Corinthians 1:1.

The Jews eventually arrested and dragged him before the proconsul of Achaia. As it did not concern Roman law, Gallio had it thrown out and Paul was released. From inscriptions found in archeological digs, it was established that Gallio was the proconsul of Achaia from 51 to 52 AD. This helps us date the second missionary journey and Paul's letters to Thessalonians written at this time. The second leader of the synagogue mentioned here is Sosthenes who was beaten up by the Greeks and Gallio turns a blind eye to their behaviour. Sosthenes also became a follower of Christ and is mentioned as being with Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:1.

When Paul left Corinth he took Priscilla and Aquila with him as far as Ephesus. Again, he went to the synagogue and preached to the Jews but did not stay in Ephesus. He promised to return if it were the Lord's will and he left Priscilla and Aquila there to work with the Christians and prepare for the beginning of a church in that city. The other members of his team appeared to have stayed in Corinth. This was natural as Corinth was very successful and they probably needed these people to stay and help them develop in their faith and organize the church.

Paul headed from Ephesus by sea to Caesarea on the Palestinian coast, reporting to Jerusalem about his adventures, and then made his way home to Antioch. One always 'went up' to Jerusalem, no matter from which direction you came. Thus this passage probably means that Paul reported to Jerusalem before he 'went down' to Antioch. Here ends the second missionary journey.

SOME THEOLOGICAL INSIGHTS

Paul is the ultimate teacher. He keeps going back to visit the young churches that he set up. He leaves a leader in charge and then keeps in touch with them through letters. He instructs the leaders in teaching the faith and expects them to do so. He uses many methods to encourage, chastise, nurture and show his concern for their well-being and their growth in faith and in numbers. He is the ideal teacher!

In Acts we see the church moving further and further into the Gentile camp. Although Paul tries to convert the Jews, his success was with the Gentiles. They are the ones growing in numbers daily.

For Luke a church that is not growing is not being obedient to the will of God. He would not understand a church, which deliberately chose not to grow. There was really no other option. You either grew or died. This does not mean only in numbers. The church must be constantly reaching out to the community with the message of Faith. Every Christian is called to witness to the faith that is within him or her.

The role of women is unique in the early church. Unfortunately, this role changed drastically in the second and third centuries, but it started on the right track. Notice Lydia and Priscilla both have prominent roles in the early church. They allowed women to develop their ministry the same as men. Many were teachers, prophets and other kinds of leaders.

When they baptized whole households such as Lydia, the Philippian Jailor and the household of Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, it is assumed that a household would include infants and young children. These passages paved the way for the later inclusion of infants in baptism.

The role of fortune-telling and other divinations is forbidden in the early church. It is today too! These rituals are caused by the presence of evil. Beware of getting involved in fortune telling, Ouija Boards, Tarot Cards, astrology and other forms of supernatural. They are lies and can be dangerous. Sometimes they seem so innocent but be warned of the dangers. You are playing with the devil.

Paul's answer to the Jailor in Philippi is a classic one-liner. The Jailor asked, 'What must I do to be saved?' Paul answered, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, - you and your whole household.' Acts 16:30-31. This is a one-line creed.

Notice in Athens which is Paul's greatest test from the Gentiles, how he develops his appeal. He compliments them on their understanding. He uses their own poets to put his ideas across and their own teachings for the same reason. He brings them along with his logic and common sense. Then he delivers the final thrust and lets them decide for themselves. The final point is that Jesus was sent by God to judge the world and God proves this to us by raising him from the dead. The resurrection is essential to the faith, but unfortunately, it was folly to the Greek. See 1 Corinthians 1:22-23. This was so against the order of natural religion that the Greek mind had a very difficult time with it.

SOME THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

What are some of the idols that we must wrestle with today? This could include but is not limited to, intellectual pride, pride of good deeds, pride of money, power to manipulate others.

What demons do we fight today? Such as superstition, astrology, and fortune telling?