Acts 16, Page 1

Acts 16

Acts 16:1-40

(1) Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

  1. Derbe: Derbe was one of the few places that Paul could actually take his ease in ministering. It was a very peaceful and uneventful kind of ministry there. Unlike other places that Paul had preached, it didn’t end in a riot, Paul being imprisoned, or even stoned. He was able to leave town in a very peaceful manner, which was unusual for Paul. Then he went to Lystra, where, if you will remember, he was stoned, thought to be dead, and, consequently, drug outside of the city.

Timotheus: This is Paul’s second time visiting Lystra, and the time lapse is probably about five years since he was there last. On their first missionary journey to Lystra, Paul had planted a church. As he told Barnabas in his desire to return five years later, “Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.” I am sure that Paul was very encouraged to find the same church that he had established continuing in that area.

Jesus had told His disciples,

John 15:16

(16) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

I think it is important to any ministry that there should be remaining fruit. I heard an old preacher say one time, “It’s not really how many people you can get excited and make a commitment to Jesus Christ; it’s more important how many are still going on with the Lord five years later.” You see, that’s what really counts—not how many times you’ve led someone in a sinner’s prayer, but having done so and you run into them years later, are they still serving the Lord? That’s what really matters.

Timothy: In Lystra, Paul found this certain disciple named Timotheus or Timothy, who had, undoubtedly, become a believer under Paul’s first missionary journey. Now, five years later, he has matured in the Lord and has become a faithful disciple. Timothy was kind of an oddball in that his mother was a Jewess, and his father was a Greek, which will be significant in the next few verses.

(2) Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

  1. Highly recommended: Timothy had a good report within the church—not just for being a disciple, but also for being a servant. Thus, he came highly recommended, which is why Paul wanted Timothy to join them on this second journey. On his first trip, Paul had had Mark. They were two young men in the Lord.

I have always tried to make it a point to keep an eye out for young men who have a calling upon their lives and who are anointed by the Lord and to invest time and experience that we might nurture them to become more effective in their service to Christ. It is important that we look to the next generation, investing in discipleship so that they may carry on the work, even after we are carried to our graves.

I would say to you young men in the Lord to submit yourselves to discipleship. Some want to call it “mentoring” today, but the Biblical word is “discipleship.” You can learn much from a man who has been in ministry for many years—both what to do and what not to do. It is unfortunate in the day and time in which we live that many young men simply go to Bible school or seminary and find themselves placed in a ministry in leadership positions, who have never really learned anything. Many of them wind up leading very unfruitful and frustrating ministries. My suggestion to those young men, is, once again, find yourself a discipler—someone who will invest their time to teach you all that the Lord has taught him. Paul gives this same admonishment to young Pastor Timothy when he said,

2Timothy 2:1-2

(1) Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

(2) And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Thus, Timothy became a companion of Paul, and it is no coincidence that in six of the epistles that Paul pens, he included Timothy in his opening statements in the greeting. Theirs had become a very close relationship—so close that Paul called him, “My own son in the faith” (I Timothy 1:2). So, not only was Timothy one of Paul’s converts, but he allowed himself to be discipled by the apostle.

(3) Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

(4) And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

  1. The decrees from Jerusalem: Just what were these decrees that they were delivering to the brethren to keep? We just read back in Chapter 15 that the Gentiles did not need to be circumcised and keep the law. So, Paul has the letters of liberty in one hand and, seemingly, a circumcision knife in the other. This is a bit of a paradox.
  1. Why Timothy?: Why would Paul do something that seems so contradictory? I think the answer can be found in I Corinthians 9:22.

1Corinthians 9:22

(22) To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Timothy was a Jew: Here’s where some understanding of Jewishness comes in handy. Had Timothy’s father been a Jew and his mother a Greek, I have no doubt that Paul would probably not have asked him to be circumcised. Why is that? Within Orthodox Judaism, a person is only considered Jewish if that bloodline comes from the mother. Because everyone knew, as we are told, that Timothy’s father was a Greek, this made him Jewish in the eyes of the Jews. So as not to create a stumbling block for the weaker brethren, Paul told Timothy to go ahead and do it. The fact is that Paul wrote in his epistles that circumcision availeth nothing or uncircumcision (Galatians 5:6 and Galatians 6:15). Paul knew and taught that the keeping of the law was not necessary. He was even delivering letters to the same effect. In order, however, to have a more open conversation about Jesus with the Jews, he didn’t want Timothy’s uncircumcision to be the reason that they didn’t listen. Therefore, it had nothing to do with keeping the law.

  1. Go with the flow: In Romans 12:18, Paul said,

Romans 12:18

(18) If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

You see, that’s really the bottom line: having peace among the brethren. There are always going to be issues that come up—non-essential stuff. If it’s no big deal, I would say to just go with the flow. There’s no sense making a big issue out of something that doesn’t need one made over it.

  1. Stand your ground: When it comes to things of conscience or faith, I would encourage you to stand your ground. When certain believing Jews there in Jerusalem were demanding that the law and circumcision be implemented upon the Gentiles, Paul stood his ground. When Peter, himself, was there in the church of Antioch, he was eating with the Gentiles until certain brothers came down from Jerusalem. Then, he separated himself because he was afraid of the Jew’s condemnation. It really caused a division there in Antioch. Paul said, “. . . I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed” (Galatians 2:11) because he created this division, separating himself from the Gentiles as though there were a separation in Christ between Jew and Gentile.

Just to be clear: Just to be absolutely clear on the matter of conscience and faith, if it is a matter of principle and conviction, then you stand your ground. If it’s no big deal, then just go with it. Keep the peace. This was Paul’s philosophy.

  1. Disciples and disciplers: Just as a subpoint to the relationship between Paul and Timothy. No doubt, Timothy was a disciple of Jesus Christ first, having been won to the Lord by the Apostle Paul on his first missionary journey.

Now, five years later, Timothy, having matured in the Lord, was now in need of discipleship from a discipler. Make no mistake about it, my friends, if there’s going to be disciples, there must be disciplers. Paul was a discipler. Look at what he says about himself in . . .

1Corinthians 4:16

(16) Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

1Corinthians 11:1

(1)Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Just as a cote de grace to make my point, Paul says this is . . .

Philippians 4:9

(9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Wow! What an arrogant statement . . , or a matter of fact. You see, Paul was confident in his own relationship in Jesus Christ, even though at the end of his life, he would say, “Not as though I hadalready attained . . .” (Philippians 3:12) meaning that he was a man; he was not flawless. Yet, Paul knew he was perfect in Christ. So, it was nothing for him to encourage others to be followers of him in order for the God of peace to be with them. I issue you a challenge.

You see, we are all disciplers, whether we want to be or not.

2 Corinthians 3:2

(2) Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

You see, everything that we say or do as Christians is known and read of all men, as well. So, my challenge to you is this: Can you say with the Apostle Paul to those who have both heard and seen you in action, “Be followers of me”? Is your relationship with Jesus Christ so blessed and your life in Him so sweet that you would want others to experience what you have in Jesus by telling them to be imitators of you—not only of your words, but your entire lifestyle, both secret and public? The fact is, my friends, that we should be able to do so.

Excuse: So often I have heard Christians exclaim, “Don’t follow me; keep your eyes on Jesus. I’ll only let you down.” This is really just a disclaimer and a warning not to make the same mistakes that they have made. You see, I am sure the Apostle Paul was a normal and flawed vessel in Christ. When he urged those under him to be followers of him, he wasn’t encouraging them to make the same mistakes. He was encouraging them to cling to the Lord, whose grace, love, and mercy transcends our sins and mistakes, and, even in the midst of tribulation, leaves us with a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). So, be a discipler after the order of the Apostle Paul.

To conclude my point: I mention all of this because, to the average reader, it would seem that Timothy just passively obeyed the commandment of a superior, but nothing could be further from the truth. Timothy had submitted himself to the process of discipleship by a proven disciple, even though Paul’s request for him to be circumcised was not only inconvenient for Timothy but invasive in its nature and would cause substantial physical discomfort. Timothy agreed to the request because he knew Paul’s intent was to keep the peace. Therefore, it wasn’t blind obedience but a submission to the process of discipleship.

(5) And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

  1. Power of the early church: It is plain to see that the early church was a church that was overflowing with the power of the Holy Spirit. As we will see, it was a church that was under the direct governing of the Holy Spirit because He was actively guiding the early church. This was the reason for its success. It’s really too bad that the church today has decided to substitute the work of the Holy Spirit for its own work. I want to take you back for a moment to the book of Galatians, Chapter 3, verses 1 and 3.

Galatians 3:1

(1) O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Galatians 3:3

(3) Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

My lands, if the Apostle Paulwere here today, he could write this very epistle to the entire church of Jesus Christ. “O foolish church, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth? The church of Jesus Christ, having begun in the Spirit, do you think you can perfect it in the flesh?”

Yet, that’s exactly what we see. Program after program after program. All man made and all designed to hype the flesh. They are on television, they are on radio, and they are in our town. Look at the contrast of the early church. No programs, no pressures of any type, no modern conveniences or assets; yet, their churches grew by the sheer result of the teaching of the Word of God and the fellowship of the Body. Not only did they grow, their numbers increased daily.

(6) Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

(7) After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

(8) And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

  1. Men make their plans:

Proverbs 16:9

(9) A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

The Apostle Paul was attempting to move north into Asia, but the Lord forbid them. The Holy Ghost put a stop to it. We could get into a long discourse about how the Holy Spirit forbade them. Some have suggested that Paul received a word of prophesy; others have suggested that the Lord used Paul’s illness. Whatever the means, my biggest question would be: “Why did the Holy Spirit forbid them? Don’t the scriptures tell us that it’s not God’s will that any should perish but that all would come to repentance?”(2 Peter 3:9). The answer to this is: Yes! People have to be ready. Obviously, the Holy Spirit did not feel that the people of Asia were ready at that particular time. As they attempted to go to Bithynia, the Spirit would not allow them. You and I both need to be open to the directing of the Holy Spirit because it is fruit that the Lord desires, and we need to be sowing in fertile ground. Where the Holy Spirit directs us to plant, there will always be fruit, and that fruit will always remain (John 15:16).

(9) And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

(10) And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

  1. “We”: Paul had this night vision where he sees a man from Macedonia crying for help, and . . . “immediatelyweendeavoured to go into Macedonia. . . .” We know that the writer of the book of Acts is Luke. For the first time in this letter, he uses the plural pronoun “we.” So, there is little doubt that it was here at Troas that Luke meets Paul. Many Bible teachers believe the reason that Luke met Paul is because he was a physician and Paul had been so ill that he was in need of one. That hypothesis is certainly plausible. There are others that believe that Luke was actually the man in Paul’s vision crying, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” Whatever the case of their meeting, it is from this point on that Luke becomes a companion with Paul. We know this because hestated that “weendeavoured to go into Macedonia. . . .”
  1. God’s direction: Luke first used the word “we.” Now, he says that God was directing “us” to go preach the Gospel. It is interesting to me that God used a vision to direct Paul in the course of his ministry. God is not limited to visions. The fact is that God can direct people into many different aspects of ministry by any means that He chooses. God is not limited by His means. Having said that, I can honestly tell you that I, personally, have never had a vision, or a visit from an angel, or a voice from heaven directing me to go into ministry. The fact is that I have felt the call of God on my life for almost as long as I can remember. As I got older, my need to embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior became stronger and stronger. God kept sending different people at different times to encourage me to do just that until the right moment had arrived when I was ripe for the picking. After I embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God simply led me to places and people that would ultimately lead me into the ministry.

I have had other ministers tell me that they had had visions or visitations and, in some cases, audible voices. I do think it is interesting that of those who told me such things, I don’t know of any who are still in the ministry. Having been in the ministry for many years, I’ve come to realize that this is pretty common.