Acts 16

In the early days of Wycliffe Bible Translators in Mexico, Cameron Townsend, the founder, tried to get permission from the Mexican government to translate the Scriptures into the languages of the Indian tribes. But the government was adamantly opposed to it. The official to whom he had to appeal told him, “As long as I am in this office the Bible will never be translated into the Indian languages—it would only upset them.” Townsend did everything he could think of, went to every official he could find, and had all his Christian friends praying that God would open this door. But it seemed to remain totally closed.

Finally, Townsend decided to give up pressing the issue. He and his wife went to live in a little, obscure Indian village, learned the language, ministered to the people as best they could, and waited for God to move. It was not very long before Townsend noticed that the fountain in the center of the village plaza produced beautiful, clear spring water, but that it ran off down the hill and was wasted. He suggested that the Indians plant crops in an area to which the water could easily be diverted and thus make use of it. Soon they were growing twice as much food as before, and their economy blossomed as a result. The Indians were grateful. Townsend wrote this up in a little article and sent it to a Mexican paper he thought might be interested.

Unknown to him, that article found its way into the hands of the President of Mexico, Lazaro Cardenas. The President was amazed that a gringo would come to live in and help a poor Indian village where he couldn’t even get many of his own people to live. The President wanted to meet Townsend, so he, his limousine, and his attendants drove to that little Indian village and parked in the plaza.

Cameron Townsend is not one to miss an opportunity. He went up to the car and introduced himself and, to his amazement, heard the President say, “You’re the man I’ve come here to see! Tell me more about your work.” When he heard what it was, he said, “Of course you can translate the Scriptures into the Indian languages.” That began a friendship that continued throughout the lifetime of President Cardenas. His power and authority were used of God all those years to open doors to Wycliffe Translators throughout Mexico.

The British East India Company said at the beginning of the nineteenth century: “The sending of Christian missionaries into our Eastern possessions is the maddest, most expensive, most unwarranted project that was ever proposed by a lunatic enthusiast.”

The English Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal said at the close of the nineteenth century: “In my judgment Christian missionaries have done more lasting good to the people of India than all other agencies combined.

When Robert Louis Stevenson first saw the terrible devastations of leprosy he was almost turned into an infidel. But when he saw the miracle of Christian pity and compassion in the leper hospital at Malokai, his faith emerged triumphant, and he wrote in the guest book there:

“To see the infinite pity of this place,
The mangled limb, the devastated face,
The innocent sufferer smiling at the rod—
A fool was tempted to deny his God.
He sees, he shrinks. But if he gazes again,
Lo, beauty springing from the breast of pain!
He marks the cisterns on the mournful shores;
And even a fool is silent and adores.”

Carry on with the Mission

Acts 15:36And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city wherein we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they fare. 37And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark. 38But Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. 39And there arose a sharp contention, so that they parted asunder one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away unto Cyprus; 40but Paul choose Silas, and went forth, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. 41And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

The Second Missionary Journey

The account of the second missionary journey begins at Acts 15:36 with the report of a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas.

Actually, the reason why Paul and Barnabas did not receive a second calling of the Holy Spirit at this point is that they did not need one..

American Christians need a challenge of this kind. We think that if we agree to teach a Sunday school class for nine or ten months, we have done a great deal; we are then ready to have somebody else do it.

Paul’s example suggests that in a Christian’s life there really are no absolute vacations. Christ in all things and be ready “always … to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15,).

New Missionaries

The new alignment came about as a result of the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas Mark’s defection almost as a betrayal of Christ,

Barnabas must have said, “Paul, that is not right. Mark is young. Young men make mistakes.

The text says they got into “such a sharp disagreement” (15:39) about it that the only way out of it was for them to part company.. Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus,

Who was right in this dispute? Was Barnabas right to insist on taking John Mark, or was Paul right to say no?

First, John Mark got another chance and did prove himself faithful in the end. Even Paul acknowledged it. In 2 Timothy Paul wrote of John Mark, “He is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11). He wanted Timothy to bring Mark with him to Paul in Rome. The second good result was that now, instead of there being only one missionary team, there were two.

The last verse of chapter 15 says that the missionaries “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches” (v. 41). Syria was the province in which Antioch was located; these churches would have been to the immediate north of Antioch. Cilicia was the southeastern area of what we call Turkey, where Tarsus was and where Paul had come from.

Paul and Barnabas had not been in these areas on their first journey.

New Workers

In the first paragraph of chapter 16:3 we find a new worker coming on the scene. There is already one new worker, Silas, whom Paul took in place of Barnabas

Timothy, whom we know largely through Paul’s letters to him, must have been a bit uncertain of his abilities..

We might think that Paul, being such a strong character, might have looked down on Timothy, thinking,

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. Philippians 2:19–24

1. Timothy was unique. Some of our versions say that Timothy was “like-minded,” meaning that Timothy thought like Paul.

2. Timothy was concerned for other people.

3. Timothy looked out for the interests of Jesus Christ.

4. Timothy worked well with other people.

Acts 16:3 tells us that Paul wanted to take Timothy along on this second journey, “so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area.”

A New Direction, Troas

Leaving Antioch Paul had pursued a generally westward eventually into the Roman province of Asia, but God stopped him.
He ended up in Troas on the coast of the Aegean Sea. There Paul waited to see what God was going to do with him.
This is a good example of negative guidance, it is like “closed doors.”

We need to understand that “closed doors,” are nevertheless true guidance. Negative guidance merely keeps us from where we are not called in order that in God’s time we might come to where God is calling us and will provide blessing.

It is to keep us from getting into a work to which we are not called in order that we might be saved for a work to which we are.

God’s New Direction

16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

They all immediately got ready and crossed over the sea to Macedonia. It was the official opening of Europe to Christianity. Luke, has now joined the party.

A New Church Is Founded

They ended up in Philippi. Philippi was a leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. Named after Philip II of Macedon (the father of Alexander the Great), Philippi was the eastern terminus for the great Roman highway known as the Egnatian Way.

There was no synagogue at Philippi, so Paul could not follow the pattern he usually followed. But down by the river Paul found a group of women under the leadership of a businesswoman named Lydia.

The first convert the missionary party had in Macedonia was a Jewish woman

The Deliverance of the Slave Girl

16:17 And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying
“These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved” (16:17)

When the slave girl is introduced to us in this passage, it is as one who had a “spirit” associated with the god Apollo.

She would go into a trance, behave in an erratic fashion, and the demon would speak through her.

The name the girl used, “the Most High God,” is important because of two texts from the Old Testament.

The first is Genesis 14:18, which contains the first mention of this name in the Bible. Abraham had just defeated the kings he was met by Melchizedek, who is identified as “priest of God Most High.”

Isaiah 14, which describes the thoughts that went on in Satan’s mind when he rebelled against God and brought sin into the universe, Satan is quoted as saying, “I will make myself like the Most High” (v. 14

“She kept this up for many days” At last Paul became troubled and turning around said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” (v. 18).

Paul and His Group are Attacked

V19 The girl’s owners were upset by Paul’s actions because they had now lost their means of making money.
You may explain to a child all the medical reasons why he must have a shot in the arm, but when the nurse gets ready to plunge that needle into his arm, he runs to Mommy. Comfort comes not in always knowing the reason why, but in knowing the comforter.

Today too people are willing to tolerate Christian testimony and worship as long as Christianity doesn’t hurt their business.

These men were playing on the prejudice of the crowd, and they succeeded, humanly speaking.

The rulers stripped Paul and Silas, beat them, and threw them into prison. This is one of three times Paul was beaten with rods (2 Cor. 11:25).

Adoniram Judson, the renowned missionary to Burma, endured untold hardships trying to reach the lost for Christ. For 7 heartbreaking years he suffered hunger and privation. During this time he was thrown into Ava Prison, and for 17 months was subjected to almost incredible mistreatment. As a result, for the rest of his life he carried the ugly marks made by the chains and iron shackles which had cruelly bound him.

Undaunted, upon his release he asked for permission to enter another province where he might resume preaching the Gospel. The godless ruler indignantly denied his request, saying, “My people are not fools enough to listen to anything a missionary might SAY, but I fear they might be impressed by your SCARS and turn to your religion!”

Singing in Prison

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. God showed up.

“Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in the house.

“What must I do to be saved?” the same word when she declared by the power of the demon, “These men … are telling you the way of salvation”

This was the third of three striking conversions that Luke records as having taken place at Philippi, those with Lydia, the businesswoman; the unnamed slave girl; and the Philippian jailer.

John Stott commented,
“The head of a Jewish household would use the same prayer every morning, giving thanks that God had not made him a Gentile, a woman or a slave. But here were representatives of these three despised categories redeemed and united in Christ. For truly, as Paul had recently written to the Galatians: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Vindication and Encouragement

The next morning the magistrates gave orders for the two missionaries to be released. But Paul insisted they the public know what had happened and they all must know it was wrong. It was a way he was protecting the future church in that area. But later, Paul did not insist on his right and he just did what the leaders asked.

Sin done in public must be dealt with in public, sin in private needs to be dealt with in private.

When the magistrates requested that the missionaries leave the city, Paul did not insist on his rights but obeyed their wishes.

The story ends by saying that after they had been brought out of prison Paul and Silas went back to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers “and encouraged them” (v. 40).

God has a plan, sometimes we don’t see it, and God has to correct our path, He will, that is, if we are paying attention. He can use even our disagreements to get his will accomplished. The main thing is still, that the gospel be shared everywhere.

We must carry on,
no vacation from the Great Commission.