Acts 16: An Open Door for Ministry

IN ACTS 16 WE SEE GOD’S PLAN FOR REACHING THE WORLD WITH THE GOSPEL SPREADING UNTO THE AREA DESCRIBED BY JESUS IN ACTS 1 AS THE UTTERMOST PART.

THE CHURCH ESTABLISHED IN PHILLIPI WAS CLOSE TO THE HEART OF PAUL AS HE REVEALS IN PHILLIPIANS 1:6-8.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”

THIS CHURCH CONTINUED ITS SUPPORT OF PAUL AS HE WRITES IN PHILLIPIANS 4:14-16.

“…, ye sent once and again to my necessity…”.

ACTS 16:1-5 EXPRESSES THE MANNER IN WHICH PAUL CONFIRMS THE CHURCHES OF HIS 2ND MISSIONARY JOURNEY. THE GREEK WORD FOR HIS WORK IS TRANSLATED “TO MAKE STRONGER”.

THE VISITS FROM PAUL AND BARNABAS GREATLY STRENGTHENED AND ENERGIZED THESE YOUNG CHURCHES.

AS THEY WENT THROUGH LYCONIA AND GALATIA, THEY CAME TO DERBE AND LYSTRA.

IN THE 1ST MISSIONARY JOURNEY PAUL AND BARNABAS PROCLAIMED THE GOSPEL THERE AS WELL AS HEALING A CRIPPLED MAN.

HERE WAS THE PLACE WHERE SOME PEOPLE TURNED AGAINST PAUL AND HE WAS STONED AND LEFT FOR DEAD, WITH THE LORD HEALING HIM QUICKLY TO CONTINUE THE MINISTRY.

PAUL NOW REVISITS DERBE AND LYSTRA, ALONG WITH SILAS, AND THERE HE MET A CERTAIN DISCIPLE NAMED TIMOTHY, WHO BECAME THE ONLY MAN PAUL EVER DESCRIBED AS HIS “OWN SON IN THE FAITH”. (1ST TIMOTHY 1:2)

THIS YOUNG BELIEVER WAS THE SON OF A JEWESS MOTHER AND A GREEK FATHER, A SPIRITUALLY DIVIDED HOME.

LUKE DESCRIBES TIMOTHY AS WELL RESPECTED IN THE SISTER CHURCHES AND WELL REPORTED BY THE CHURCHES IN LYSTRA AND ICONIUM.

TIMOTHY ACCOMPLISHED FOR PAUL AND SILAS WHAT JOHN MARK WAS SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE 1ST JOURNEY.

BEING HALF JEW HE HAD AN INROAD TO THE JEWS AND BEING HALF GENTILE ALLOWED THE SAME INROAD TO THE NON JEWS.

PAUL CIRCUMCISED TIMOTHY TO REMOVE ANY DISTRACTION FROM HIM BEING ABLE TO MINISTER TO THE JEWS. THIS ACT WAS NOT A COMMANDED ACT BUT AND ACT OF DEFERENCE TO ASSURE TIMOTHY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE SYNAGOGUES.

THIS TEAM TOOK THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT FROM THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL TO THE CHURCHES TO SETTLE ANY CONTINUING ISSUE CONCERNING GENTILE BELIEVERS.

THE IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF THIS LIBERATING LETTER WAS THAT THE CHURCHES “ESTABLISHED IN FAITH” AND “INCREASED IN NUMBER DAILY”.

FELLOWSHIP OF HARMONY WAS FELT AND NEW CHURCHES WERE PLANTED.

VERSE 6-10 PROVIDE THE CALL TO THE TEAM TO MACEDONIA.

THE TEAM INTENDED TO TRAVEL WEST INTO ASIA MINOR NEXT BUT VERSE 6 TEACHES THAT THEY WERE FORBIDDEN TO DO SO BY THE HOLY SIPRIT.

“THE SPIRIT SUFFERED THEM NOT”

GOD LATER USED OTHERS TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL IN THESE PROVINCES IN BITHYNIA, GALATIA, AND CAPPADOCIA AS STATED IN 1ST PETER 1:1.

GOD CLEARLY WANTED PAUL AND THE TEAM TO GO IN ANOTHER DIRECTION. AS GOD CLOSES SOME DOORS, HE OPENS OTHERS.

THE TEAM THEN CAME TO TROAS, THE ANCIENT CITY OF TROY.

PAUL WILL LATER REPORT IN 2ND COR 2:12 THAT THIS MOMENT WAS A NEW DOOR OPENED TO HIM BY THE LORD.

WHILE IN TROAS A VISION WAS SENT TO PAUL IN THE NIGHT OF A MAN OF MACEDONIA ASKING PAUL TO COME OVER TO MACEDONIA AND HELP THOSE PEOPLE. (VERSE 9)

THIS VISION CAME TO PAUL WHEN HE WAS AWAKE AND IT WAS NOT A DREAM. PAUL AND THE TEAM PREPARED TO OBEY THE VISION.

IN THIS MOMENT WE SEE AN INTERESTING CHANGE IN THE SCRIPTURE.

UNTIL THIS TIME, THE WRITER LUKE HAD REFERRED TO THE MISSIONARY TEAM USING THE 3RD PERSON PLURAL TERM OF “THEY” SEVERAL TIMES IN VERSES 6,7, & 8.

BUT NOW HE SWITCHES TO THE 1ST PERSON PLURAL IN HIS WRITING USING THE WORD “WE” & “THE LORD HAD CALLED US”.

LUKE HAD NOW JOINED THE MISSIONARY TEAM AND WENT WITH PAUL TO PHILLIPI UNTIL THEY DEPARTED THAT CITY IN VERSE 40.

LATER ON THE 3RD MISSIONARY JOURNEY PAUL WRITES THAT LUKE HAD REJOINED HIM AND PAUL SAID IN 2ND TIMOTHY 4:11 THAT

“ONLY LUKE IS WITH ME”.

ANOTHER SPIRITUAL EPISODE OCCURS IN VERSES 11-18 WITH THE CONVERSION OF A SPECIAL PRAYERFUL WOMAN SEEKER.

IN PHILLIPI, A CHIEF CITY BEING A ROMAN COLONY, HAVING ALL THE STATUS OF ROMAN CITIZENS, PAUL MEETS SEEKERS OF THE LORD.

THERE WAS NO SYNAGOGUE IN PHILLIPI SO THEY WENT OUT OF THE CITY TO A PLACE NEAR THE RIVER WHERE PRAYER WAS MADE, AND IT SEEMS ONLY WOMEN WERE PRESENT.

PAUL AND THE TEAM SAT DOWN AND SPOKE TO THE WOMEN, SHARING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.

CLEARLY THIS WAS NOT A COINCIDENCE ANY MORE THAN THE ETHIOPIAN MAN TRYING TO READ THE SCROLL OF ISAIAH WHEN PHILLIP WAS SENT TO HIM.

ONE IN THE PRAYER GROUP WAS A CERTAIN WOMAN NAMED LYDIA, A WOMAN OF MEANS WHO TRADED IN PURPLE CLOTH IN THE CITY OF THYATIRA.

SHE HAD SOME UNDERSTANDING OF GOD, BEING IN PRAYER, BUT DID NOT SEEM OF HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MESSIAH AND WE ARE TOLD THAT GOD OPENED HER HEART SO THAT SHE WOULD ATTEND TO THE WORDS OF PAUL.

OUR LESSON HERE ON LYDIA IS ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE LESSON WE LEARNED IN ACTS 9 ON THE RADICAL SALVATION OF PAUL HIMSELF.

THE FREE WILL THAT PAUL EXERCISED TO CREATE HAVOC IN THE CHURCH AND TO HARM AND KILL CHRISTIANS WAS ENDED AND FROM THAT MOMENT ONWARD UNTIL HIS MORTAL DEATH HIS WILL

REFLECTED GOD’S WILL FOR HIM, NOT HIS OWN TO DESTROY.

JESUS WAS VERY CLEAR THAT NONE MAY COME TO HIM EXCEPT BY THE FATHER’S DRAWING.

HERE WAS THE DRAWING OF THE LORD OF THIS PRAYERFUL WOMAN.

SHE BELIEVED AND WAS CONVICTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WAS CALLED TO SALVATION BY THE GRACE OF GOD ON THAT RIVERSIDE.

SO THE FIRST SAVED HELP REQUESTED BY THE MAN OF MACEDONIA IN THE VISION WAS A WOMAN.

LYDIA OPENED HER HOME TO THE MISSIONARY TEAM AND BESOUGHT THEM TO RESIDE IN HER HOME WHICH MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE LARGE TO WELCOME 4 NEW GUESTS.

VERSE 16-21 PROVIDE PAUL’S CONFRONTATION WITH A DEMON WHO HAD POSSESSED A YOUNG WOMAN, PERHAPS A SLAVE, WHO EXERCISED DEMONIC POWER TO DIVINE THE FUTURE AND MADE MONEY FOR HER MASTERS BY SOOTHSAYING.

THE DEMON WHO POSSESSED THIS WOMAN WAS VERY AWARE OF THE MISSIONARY TEAM AND LOUDLY ANNOUNCED IN VERSE 17:

“These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation…”.

AFTER MANY DAYS OF THIS WOMAN FOLLOWING PAUL WITH HER UNWANTED ATTENTION PAUL HAD ENOUGH OF HER AND HER DEMON AND HE STOPPED IT PERMANENTLY IN VERSE 18:

“… being grieved, turned and said to the spirit I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”

THE DEMON CAME OUT OF THE WOMAN IN THE SAME HOUR.

NOTICE PAUL DID NOT ADDRESS THE WOMAN, BUT ONLY THE DEMON POSSESSING HER.

GOD’S POWER THROUGH PAUL WAS STRONGLY EVIDENT.

THE MASTERS OF THE WOMAN WERE INFURIATED AS THEIR INCOME WAS GONE AND THEY DRAGGED PAUL AND THE TEAM INTO THE MARKET PLACE AND ACCUSED THEM BEFORE THE CITY ELDERS OF TROUBLING THE CITY.

IN VERSES 22-24 THE TEAM WAS CAPTURED AND BEATEN WITH RODS.

VERSES 25-34 IS THE STORY OF THEIR DELIVERANCE.

THEY WERE THEN PLACED IN PRISON AND HELD IN STOCKS ON THEIR FEET TO ASSURE THEIR CAPTIVITY WAS SECURE.

AT MIDNIGHT, PAUL AND SILAS PRAYED AND SANG SONGS OF PRAISE.

A GREAT EARTHQUAKE CAME IN THE NIGHT AND WAS SO STRONG THAT THE PRISON WAS SHAKEN AND THE DOORS OPENED AS WELL AS THE STOCKS ON THEIR FEET.

THE JAILER WHO WAS CHARGED WITH THE PRISON SECURITY CHOSE TO KILL HIMSELF RATHER THAN FACE AUTHORITIES  THINKING ALL THE PRISONERS WERE ESCAPED.

PAUL CALLED OUT TO HIM TO DO HIMSELF NO HARM AS ALL THE PRISONERS WERE STILL THERE.

PAUL’S ASSURANCE WAS EFFECTIVE, AND THE JAILER CALLED FOR A LIGHT AND ASKED WHAT MUST HE DO TO BE SAVED.

PAUL’S ANSWER WAS CLASSIC GOSPEL:

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

AS WITH LYDIA, THE SALVATION WAS COMING TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND ALL IN THEIR HOUSE WHO ALSO BELIEVED.

THE JAILER TOOK PAUL AND SILAS HOME WITH HIM, WASHED THEIR STRIPES, FED THEM, AND THEN REJOICED BECAUSE OF SALVATION ARRIVING AND BAPTISM WAS MADE.

IN VERSES 35-40 WE SEE THAT THE NEXT DAY THE TOWN MAGISTRATES SEEM TO REALIZE AN INJUSTICE WAS DONE AND THEY RELEASED THE MISSIONARY TEAM TELLING THEM TO GO IN PEACE.

PAUL WAS UNWILLING TO ALLOW THIS INJUSTICE TO PASS AND HE INSISTED THAT THE TEAM WAS WRONGFULLY TREATED WITHOUT PROPER ACCUSATION WHICH ROMAN LAW REQUIRED.

SO THE AUTHORITIES CAME AND PERSONALLY ESCORTED THE TEAM FROM THE CITY AFTER THEY VISITED THE HOME OF LYDIA TO SAY GOODBYE.

IT MAY BE THAT LUKE STAYED IN PHILLIPI TO WORK WITH THE NEWLY FORMED CHURCH BECAUSE IN CHAPTER 17 HE ONCE MORE BEGAN USING THE PRONOUN “THEY” INSTEAD OF “WE”, SHOWING HE WAS NOT PERSONALLY IN THEIR COMPANY FOR A TIME.

WHEN THE TEAM LEFT, THE FIRST NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH ON THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE WAS A FUNCTIONING PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.

THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL IN THIS CITY BEGAN WITH A SMALL GROUP OF WOMEN ON THE RIVERBANK PRAYER CENTER USED BY JEWISH WOMEN SINCE THERE WAS NO SYNAGOGUE.

ONE WOMAN WAS CALLED, CONVICTED, AND SAVED AND BAPTIZED WITH HER FAMILY AND SHE MADE A TEMPORARY HOME FOR THE MISSIONARY TEAM.

THE DEMON FROM HELL AROSE AND WAS FOUND WITHIN A SLAVE GIRL TO USE DEMON POWER AMONG THE PEOPLE AND RECOGNIZED THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE MISSIONARIES AND WAS REMOVED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN PAUL.

PAUL AND SILAS WERE CAPTURED AND BEATEN AND PLACED IN PRISON AND WERE NOT DEFEATED. THEY SANG SONGS OF PRAISE AND WHEN FREED BY THE EARTHQUAKE, WITNESSED TO THE JAILER WHO WAS SAVED ALONG WITH HIS HOUSEHOLD.

COURAGE IN ADVERSITY WAS THE CHARACTER OF THE TEAM AND GOD’S WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED REGARDLESS OF THE PERSECUTION.

FREEDOM AND FLEXIBILITY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT WERE CLEAR THOUGHOUT THIS CHAPTER.

NEXT WEEK WE STUDY THE MISSIONARY TEAM IN THESSALONICA

WHEN THE TEAM IS ACCUSED OF TURNING THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN.