In the first part of this new series, we discussed the apostle Paul’s first missionary journey which is described in Acts 13 and Acts 14. We saw that he was accompanied, at times, by John Mark and Barnabas. They traveled to Syria, Cyprus and Southern Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Their return to Antioch was described in Acts 14:26-28:

In this second part, we will begin to discuss Paul’s second missionary journey which would last for about three years. The preparation for this trip is reported in Acts 15:36-41.

“Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.’ Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

As we saw in the first part of this new series, John Mark had departed from them to go back to Jerusalem where his mother lived; the exact reason for his return is not revealed. As Paul and Barnabas could not agree on their course of action regarding Mark, they separated. From then on, we do not find anything further in the Bible about Barnabas.

After spending some time in Syria and Cilicia with the brethren, Paul and Silas went on to Derbe and Lystra (Acts 16:1). There they found a young man with the name of Timothy, “the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek” (Acts 16:1-3).

Paul’s conduct in circumcising Timothy may sound rather strange, as decrees had just been made in Jerusalem finding that circumcision was no longer necessary. In fact, Paul and Silas even delivered these decrees to the people (Acts 16:4: “And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.”) Some say that the decrees only determined that Gentiles did not have to be circumcised, but Jews still had to be, and so Timothy was circumcised because he was a half-Jew. This conclusion is false. There is neither Jew nor Greek nor Gentile (Galatians 3:28-29), and God would not demand of Jews to do something that Gentiles would not have to do.

On the other hand, the Bible does not prohibit physical circumcision, and Paul chose to circumcise Timothy because he wanted him to be used in God’s service, and the fact that he was not circumcised would have been a hindrance in reaching Jews. By circumcising Timothy, he became accepted as a Jew, and avoided unnecessary disputes. Paul did not want Timothy to become a stumbling block to the Jews. The circumcision of Timothy was an action performed to prevent unnecessary conflict.

On another occasion, Paul refused to circumcise the Gentile Titus as that would have given a wrong signal, since some Jews believed that physical circumcision was necessary for salvation—a concept strongly opposed by Paul (Galatians 2:3-5).

Paul and Silas stayed in the cities for a while, and “the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily” (Acts 16:5).

They then wanted to go to Asia and Bithynia, but at that time, they were prevented by God from going there.  We read in Acts 16:6-8:

“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.”

Jesus Christ, through His Spirit, may inspire us to make certain decisions. Here, it was clearly Christ who did not want Paul and Silas to go to those places at that time to preach the gospel there (At other times, Satan prevented Paul to go somewhere, and God permitted Satan to hinder him, compare 1 Thessalonians 2:18). We don’t know the reason why they were not permitted to go to Asia and Bithynia, nor do we know HOW exactly God’s Will had been made manifest to them. The point being, Christ leads His Church, and we must respond to that lead and follow wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4).

In Acts 16:9-12, a remarkable episode is described:

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.”

The report states that “we” went on to Philippi. Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, had joined Paul and included himself now in the narrative.

Philippi was a Roman colony. It was the first European city visited by Paul who arrived there about 50 AD.

Acts 16:13 continues that “on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.” Apparently, there was no synagogue in Philippi, but certain places for prayers had been chosen.

The Sabbath day mentioned above was apparently an annual Holy Day—the Feast of Pentecost, which always falls on a Sunday. In the Greek, it says, “on the day of the Sabbaths,” referencing the weekly Sabbath and the following Holy Day of Pentecost. Something similar is described in Acts 13:14 where Paul went into the synagogue “on the Sabbath day” or better, “on the day of the Sabbaths.” In all likelihood, that was Pentecost as well; it could also have been a Holy Day which fell on the weekly Sabbath. 

Acts 16:14-15 introduces us to a wealthy woman in Philippi with the name of Lydia who listened to Paul and his helpers and became converted and was baptized with her household–the first recorded conversion in Philippi. It is noteworthy how this conversion began. She “worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul” (Acts 16:14), leading to her baptism. God had to open her heart AFTER she listened to Paul and accepted his teaching.

Another chain of events follows, beginning in verse 16. A possessed girl followed Paul and his helpers, so that Paul, greatly annoyed, commanded the demon to leave the girl which occurred “that very hour”—not necessarily immediately. The possessed girl had brought her masters much profit by “fortune-telling” (verse 16), so when the demon left her and “her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas” and “brought them to the magistrates” (verses 19-20). The spineless and hypocritical magistrates, siding with the accusers, had Paul and his companions severely beaten and subsequently  imprisoned. They were put into the inner prison and their feet were fastened in the stocks.

But at midnight, “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here’” (Acts 16:26-28).

The keeper of the prison was responsible for his prisoners. If they escaped, he could be executed. Paul, knowing this, did not flee, sensing a deeper purpose in all of this. The keeper was overwhelmed, sensing a deeper purpose in all of this as well, and after Paul taught him and his family, they were baptized. Their repentance, belief in God the Father and Jesus Christ and their obedience had become obvious to Paul (note verses 29-34).

It is true that Paul answered the keeper’s question regarding salvation with the words, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31). But he spoke of “obedient” faith. Paul did not tell the Philippian jailor that all he had to do was just to believe in Jesus Christ. James tells us that even the demons believe in God (James 2:19). Rather, Paul was teaching that we need to OBEY God, once we come to believe in Him.

We read Paul’s words in Romans 1:5: “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship FOR OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH.” He also stated in Romans 16:26: “… [the mystery] has been made manifest… according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH.” We read in John 3:36 (correctly translated from the Greek, compare the Revised Standard Version): “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does NOT OBEY the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.”

With the exorcism of the demon-possessed girl, this described chain of events started, culminating in the baptism of more believers.

The next day, the magistrates wanted Paul and his companions to leave secretly, but Paul demanded an open recognition of their wrongdoing and that he and Silas had been innocent, being “uncondemned Romans,” which included Silas as well, as he was also a Roman citizen (verse 37). Under Roman law, scourging a Roman citizen was prohibited. Acts 22:18 confirmed Paul’s citizenship as a Roman; he was born as a Roman, since his parents had apparently acquired Roman citizenship before Paul was born. The magistrates were afraid when they heard that they had mistreated Roman citizens and asked them to leave the city.

Acts 16:40 concludes this episode:

“So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.”

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

In previous Q&As, we addressed, at times, the workings of the Apostle Paul. It is therefore interesting to investigate, in more detail, his three missionary journeys which are recorded in the Book of Acts.

Paul was born and raised in Tarsus, in Cilicia, as a Roman citizen. Tarsus was known as an educational center. Commentaries tell us that Paul learned seven languages there. He later moved to and resided in Antioch, where he and Barnabas pastored a church for a year (Acts 11:25-26). Tarsus was about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Antioch.

He began his first missionary journey from Antioch together with Barnabas (a Levite from Cyprus, Acts 4:36), after they had both been appointed as Apostles.  The ordination occurred about AD 47 and, and, according to William Barclay, “The Acts of the Apostles,” the journey lasted about three years. Others say it lasted one to two years. Paul travelled on his first missionary journey approximately 1,400 to 1,500 miles (2,250-2,400 kilometers), going from Antioch to Cyprus and continuing to Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He travelled by boat or on foot, walking on Roman roads.

We read in Acts 13:1-4:

“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.”

From that moment on, Saul became known as Paul. Prior to this episode, Barnabas was always mentioned before Saul. But shortly thereafter, Paul is listed first. Also, notice that Barnabas and Paul were ordained to the office of apostle [compare Acts 14:4,14], the highest office in the hierarchy of the Church, but this did not happen directly through an apostle, but it occurred through ordained prophets and teachers, under the guidance and inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit.

The fact that it says that the Holy Spirit “spoke” and “sent out” the apostles does not entitle us to conclude that the Holy Spirit is a person. It is not, but the power and mind of Jesus Christ who acted through the Holy Spirit (compare 2 Corinthians 3:17; for a thorough discussion, see our free booklet, “Is God a Trinity?”).

One of those prophets or teachers was Simon who was also called Niger. He probably came from Africa, as Niger is an African name. There is a certain tradition that he was the Simon who carried Jesus’ cross (Luke 23:26).

They were accompanied and assisted by John Mark, a relative of Barnabas (Acts 13:5; compare Acts 12:25).

They went to the island of Cyprus, a Roman province, and in Salamis and Paphos, two cities on the island of Cyprus, they preached the Word of God. Paphos, the capital of Cyprus, was infamous for its worship of Venus, the goddess of love. There, they had an encounter with a sorcerer whom Paul called “son of the devil” (verse 10; compare also 1 John 3:10). God struck the sorcerer blind because of his rebellion, and as a consequence, the proconsul of the city believed (verses 11-12).

Then, they left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. It was there that John Mark left them to return to Jerusalem (verse 13). This departure would later lead to a separation between Paul and Barnabas. Mark was “the cousin of Barnabas” (Colossians 4:10). The Bible did not say that this separation was ever cured. But we read that many years later, Paul told the Colossians from his prison in Rome to receive Mark (see again Colossians 4:10), and when writing just before his death, Paul stated that Mark was very useful in serving him (2 Timothy 4:11).

Mark had been a young man when he departed from Barnabas and Saul. His mother’s house in Jerusalem seemed to have been the place where many brethren assembled (Acts 12:12). Why Mark went back to Jerusalem, the Bible does not say specifically.

From Perga, they traveled to Antioch in Pisidia, where Paul preached in their synagogues. This Antioch is not the same city as the Antioch where Paul resided and from which he had begun his journey. Antioch in Pisidia was part of a Roman territory, as were the cities of Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. In a synagogue in the city of Antioch in Pisidia, Paul was asked by the rulers to speak to them, and he delivered a lengthy message about God’s Work and the role of Jesus Christ (Acts 13:16-41).

The word spread, and the Gentiles asked Paul to speak to them the next Sabbath (verses 42-43). Verse 44 says: “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.” Notice, Paul spoke to them on the next Sabbath. He did not speak to them on the next day, Sunday, but waited an entire week to preach to them again on the Sabbath. And the entire city knew that Paul kept the Sabbath and that he would preach to them on that day.

This proves that Paul kept the Sabbath long after Jesus’ death and resurrection, and that he did not believe that Jesus had nailed the Sabbath to the cross. It also shows that Paul taught the Gentiles, not just the Jews, on the Sabbath, thereby pointing out that the Sabbath still had to be kept.

The Jews became jealous. They opposed Paul and Barnabas and even though the Gentiles “were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (verse 48), the “Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region” (verse 50).

Note that they had been “appointed” to eternal life. They had been preordained to be called at that time (Romans 8:28-30). Jesus confirmed that no one can come to Him unless His Father draws them (John 6:44, 65).

They went to Iconium, which was 90 miles away. There they spoke and “a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed” (Acts 14:1). They stayed there “a long time”, but again, unbelieving Jews “stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren” (verse 2). Still, Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly, and Christ granted signs and wonders “to be done by their hands” (verse 3). Signs and wonders done by their hands would include miracles of healing through anointing sick persons with oil and the laying on of hands (compare Mark 6:13; 16:18; Acts 28:8).

As the city was divided and a violent attempt was made “by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them,” they “fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region” (Acts 14, verses 5-6), where they continued to preach the gospel (verse 7).

In Lystra, Paul healed a cripple who had never walked, but the idolatrous people were about to worship him and Barnabas as pagan gods (Hermes and Zeus) which Paul strongly opposed in a lengthy speech (verses 11-17). His message is timeless and very relevant for us today as well. He said, among other things:

“‘Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness’” (verses 15-17).

Still, “they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them” (verse 18).

But Jews from Antioch and Iconium came to Lystra to convince the multitude to stone Paul, and they “dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead” (verse 19). However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city” (verse 20). Consider Paul’s boldness. He went right back into the city and to the people who had stoned him, being totally unafraid of them, knowing that God was with him.

From Lystra, Paul and Barnabas departed the next day—not right away—to Derbe (verse 20), where they preached the gospel and many became disciples through their preaching. Paul would later say in the letter to the Romans:

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!’” (Romans 10:14-15).

Afterwards, they returned to “Lystra [where Paul had been stoned], Iconium, and Antioch (in Pisidia)” (verse 21). He encouraged and strengthened the brethren, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and it was on that occasion, that Paul’s famous words were uttered, in verse 22: “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” He later would tell Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:10-12:

“But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra–what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

They appointed elders with prayer and fasting in every church (Acts 14, verse 23), went again to the city of Perga (where John Mark had left them) and preached there “the word” (verse 25). After that, they returned to Antioch (from which Paul had begun his first missionary journey), and “when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples” (verses 27-28).

God must open doors to His Church to go through them and to fulfill its commission.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:9:

“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

He added in 2 Corinthians 2:12:

“… I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,”

He elaborated in Colossians 4:3-4:

“… praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”

In Revelation 3:8, 10-11, Christ gives His end-time church the following promise:

“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name… Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

And as we saw above, God must also open doors to individuals, like the “door of faith.”

This ended Paul’s first missionary journey.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link