Acts 14-16
What I Noticed Today (Acts 14-16)
Acts 14
In verses 1-7, Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue in Iconium and began to preach the Gospel. A great number of Jews and Greeks (probably proselyte Jews) believed. But there were Jews who rejected the message and stirred up trouble trying to turn the Gentiles against the apostles. Regardless, they stayed there some time, performing signs and wonders. However, the city was divided between those who supported the Jews and those who supported the apostles. Eventually, the rulers planned to stone Paul and Barnabas, but they escaped and went to Lystra and Derbe and kept evangelizing.
In verses 8-20, in Lystra, a man lame from birth was listening to Paul, and Paul saw he had the faith to be healed, so he commanded the man to get up and walk, and he did.
Note: This is the third healing of a lame or paralyzed man recorded in Acts (3:1-10, and 9:33-35).
Note: Lystra was a Roman colony but apparently did not have a synagogue; otherwise, Paul would have likely preached there first.
The people’s response to the man's healing was to worship Paul and Barnabas, thinking they were the Greek gods; Zeus and Hermes. The priest of the temple of Zeus brought bulls and wreaths to the city to make sacrifices. Paul and Barnabas objected, saying they were ordinary men bringing a message of Good News from the God who made heaven and earth.
Then some Jews came from Iconium and Antioch, won over the crowds, and stoned Paul. Assuming he was dead, they took him out of the city. The disciples surrounded Paul; he got up and went back into town. The next morning Paul left with Barnabas for Derbe.
In verses 21-28, after evangelizing in Derbe and winning many converts, Paul and Barnabas began the journey home by revisiting the cities of Lystra and Iconium. They encouraged the believers to remain strong in the faith, and appointed elders in every church, prayed and fasted, and committed them to the work of the Lord.
Note: The first formal establishment of leadership in the Christian church was Paul’s appointment of elders.
Paul and Barnabas continued preaching in Pisidia, Pamphylia, and Perga and finally arrived back in Pisidian Antioch. They reported to the church there everything God had done and how He had opened the doors to the Gentiles to receive the Good News.
Note: This brings Paul’s first missionary journey to a close, which lasted about two years from the spring of A.D. 47 to the fall of A.D. 48 (some scholars believe an earlier dating of A.D. 44 – 46). It encompassed some 1,200 miles (700 miles on land and 500 by sea).
Acts 15
In verses 1-5, some believers from Judea came to teach the brothers in Antioch, insisting that to be saved, they must be circumcised as required by the Law of Moses. Paul and Barnabas engaged them in a debate and eventually went with them back to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and elders. Along the way, they reported to the brothers in Phoenicia and Samaria about the Gentile conversions.
Note: The scripture says in verse 1, the men from Judea came down to Antioch. Antioch lies north of Jerusalem, but it is lower in elevation, thus the reference to “going down” to Antioch.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, but when they described what God had done among the Gentiles, some believers who were members of the Pharisee party insisted they keep the Law of Moses and be circumcised.
Note: The Jerusalem council took place in A.D. 49.
In verses 6-21, the apostles and elders met to consider the issue of circumcising believers. After some debate, Peter spoke, saying the conversion of the Gentiles took the same form and pattern as for Jewish believers. God made no distinction between Jews and Gentiles.
Peter asked, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the Gentiles that not even our ancestors were able to bear (that of keeping the Mosaic Law). We (Jews) are saved by the same grace of the Lord that saves the Gentiles.
Paul and Barnabas described all the signs and wonders done through them among the Gentiles. James agreed with Peter’s report of how God brought salvation to the Gentiles and added this was in line with the prophets (quoting Amos 9:11-12, and Isaiah 45:21).
Therefore, said James, it did not make sense to burden the Gentiles with circumcision but to simply tell them to avoid sexual immorality, idols, and eating anything strangled or its blood.
Note: James was the half-brother of Jesus and the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He is the author of the book of James.
Note: There are differing opinions among scholars as to why James referred to Gentiles being instructed to keep elements of the Mosaic Law (vv. 20-21). Some believe it reduced barriers between Jews and Gentiles associating with each other. However, it is more likely these prohibitions were designed to encourage Gentiles to avoid Pagan practices that were common among them.
In verses 22-29, the apostles and elders selected Paul, Barnabas, Judas, called Barsabas, and Silas to deliver a letter to the Gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cicilia. The letter recapped their decision, saying the decision was the Holy Spirit’s.
In verses 30-35, the men set off to deliver the letter to the brothers in Antioch. They received the letter and rejoiced because of the encouragement. After some time, Judas and Barsabas returned to Jerusalem, but Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the Good News.
Note: Most of our modern translations omit verse 34, which is not included in the best of the Greek manuscripts. Verse 34 simply says, “but Silas decided to stay there.”
In verses 36-41, after some time in Antioch, Paul proposed to Barnabas to revisit the towns they had already preached. Barnabas agreed but wanted to take John-Mark with them. Paul disagreed because John-Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and not finished the first missionary journey. There was a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, so Barnabas left with John-Mark and set sail for Cyprus while Paul took Silas and traveled through Syria and Cilicia.
Note: Barnabas and Mark are not mentioned in the book of Acts after this disagreement with Paul.
Note: Paul’s selection of Silas to accompany him on the second missionary journey into Roman colonies where Greek was spoken made sense for several reasons: 1) Silas was a Roman citizen, 2) he was a prophet, 3) he was well known to the people of Antioch, and 4) he was fluent in Greek.
Acts 16
In verses 1-5, Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, where he met a disciple named Timothy. Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer, and his father was Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him. Paul wanted Timothy to go with him, so he had him circumcised because of the Jews in those places and because his father was Greek. As they traveled, they gave the message of the elders and apostles from the Jerusalem Council, and the churches were strengthened.
In verses 6-11, they went through Phrygia and Galatia but were prevented by the Holy Spirit from going to Asia (the leading city of Asia was Ephesus). The Spirit also prevented them from going to Bithynia, bypassing Mysia, and going to Troas. A vision came to Paul of a man from Macedonia begging him to come and help during the night. They immediately set out for Macedonia, assuming God was calling them there to evangelize.
Note: In verse 10, Luke says “we” for the first time, indicating that he had joined the group of Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
In verses 11-40, Luke describes the group’s journey to and ministry in Philippi.
In verses 1-15, they sailed from Troas through Samothrace, to Neapolis, and finally to Philippi, which was a Roman colony.
Note: Philippi, being a Roman colony, had a number of Roman soldiers living there, and Roman law was in effect.
On the Sabbath, they would go outside the city gate by the river where there was a place for prayer, and they spoke to the women there.
Note: Apparently, there was no synagogue in Philippi.
A woman named Lydia from Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening, and the Lord opened her heart to Paul’s teaching. She and her household were baptized, and she invited Paul and his party to stay at her house.
Note: Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth. Purple cloth was important in the Roman empire. Luke described her as a worshipper of God, which means she was a Gentile who worshiped God but was not a proselyte.
In verses 16-24, one day, when they were on their way to prayer, a slave girl met Paul and his party and told them she had the power of prediction and made a large profit for her owners with her fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the men around, proclaiming they were slaves of the Most-High God. Irritated, Paul turned and rebuked the spirit in her, and it came out. When the girl’s owners saw that their ability to make money from her was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and brought them before the magistrates saying they were disturbing the city; they are Jews, and they were promoting practices that are not legal for Romans.
The magistrates had them stripped, beaten with rods, and thrown in jail. The jailer put them in the inner prison and secured their feet in stocks.
Note: Emperor Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome not long before, and antisemitism was common among Roman colonies. Although Rome allowed people to practice their own religion, it was against Roman law to proselytize Roman citizens. Paul and Silas were probably brought before the magistrate because they were Jewish, whereas Mark was half-Gentile on his father’s side, and Luke was a Gentile.
In verses 25-34, about midnight, Paul and Silas were singing and praying in the jail, and other prisoners were listening. There was a large earthquake, the doors to the jail opened, and the chains fell off the prisoners.
The jailer woke up, and thinking the prisoners had escaped, was about to kill himself when Paul reassured him they were all still there.
Note: The jailer was held personally responsible for the prisoners. If any escaped, he could be killed.
The jailer rushed in to Paul and Silas and asked what he must do to be saved. They explained the Good News to the jailer, and he and his entire household were baptized that night. He brought them to his house, fed them, and rejoiced because he believed in God.
In verses 35-40, the magistrates ordered Paul and Silas to be released at daybreak, but Paul protested, saying they had been beaten without a trial even though they were Roman citizens and thrown in jail. When the magistrates heard this, they were afraid because they had punished Roman citizens without a trial. They apologized and asked them to leave town. After leaving the jail, they stopped at Lydia’s house, encouraged her and the brothers, and then left.
Note: Being Born a Roman citizen, Paul had the right to a trial before any punishment, and no Roman citizen was supposed to be flogged.
Note: In verse 40, Luke reverts to “they,” indicating Paul, Silas, and Timothy left, and he stayed behind.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over John-Mark caused the dissolution of their ministry partnership. We cannot always be in perfect unity with our brothers as the Lord calls us to different fields of ministry.
- The disagreement over the circumcision of Gentile believers shows that there can and will be honest disagreements within the body. Still, we must be willing to listen to and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- Paul had it in his mind to go one direction for ministry, but the Holy Spirit said no. We need to remain open to the Holy Spirit's leading to ensure the ministry we engage in is what the Lord desires.
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