Real people, real places, real consequences
Acts 15 begins with a council in Jerusalem. Gentiles were now coming to real saving faith as well as Jews. What should be required of these converts? After the council concluded, a letter was drafted to be taken to Antioch and the other churches. (The issue would seemingly be settled, but anyone who has read Paul's letter to the Galatian churches knows it to be otherwise.)
Four men traveled to Antioch: Paul, Barnabas, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas; I suspect Luke accompanied them although he doesn't use "we" until chapter 16, verse 10. They shared the letter, encouraged, and strengthened the believers.
When Paul decided to visit the other churches, he had a falling out with Barnabas. During their first missionary journey, a young man named John Mark had not completed the trip with them. Barnabas wanted to include him this time, but Paul was not in favor of that. Scripture is silent over why John Mark had left, but not over the rift this time. Paul took Silas and went in one direction, while Barnabas took John Mark and headed in another.
Chapter 16 has Paul and Silas meeting another young man, Timothy. Paul and Silas were now back in the area of Derbe and Lystra and Iconium. Lystra is where Paul was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). Now, on the second missionary trip, Paul and Silas decided to take Timothy, who had been commended by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Knowing they were traveling into Jewish areas, Paul had this son of a mixed marriage circumcised.
As the group traveled, they delivered to the churches the decision of the Jerusalem Council. What was the effect? Acts 16:5 tells us: "So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily" (ESV).
Everything seemed to be moving forward as they traveled through Phrygia and Galatia, but then in Acts 16:7-8 we learn that God forbids them from going first into Asia and then into Bithynia. Instead, from Mysia they go to Troas.
Here Paul received what we refer to as "the Macedonian call." Here Luke first used "we" and "us" in Acts 16:10: "Immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel there."
Don't you love the word "immediately"? It reminds me of Mark's gospel and no time to waste.
So they sailed from Troas to Samothrace, went the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi. Luke mentions this is both a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. These facts matter.
The first known convert here is a woman named Lydia, from Thyatira, a seller of purple goods. Luke made it clear that she was already a worshiper of God and "The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul" (Acts 16:14; ESV). Baptized with joy, she prevailed on Paul and his companions to stay with her.
The events that transpired in Acts 16:16-24 appear to have taken place over several days with those from 16:25-34 occurring over one night.
The singing of Paul and Silas was nothing like prisoners' usual behavior, so the rest of the prisoners listened as they sang hymns to God.
As much as "immediately" in verse 10, we have "suddenly" in verse 26 as we are introduced to an earthquake sufficient to shake the foundations of the prison. "And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened" (16:26; ESV). Put yourself in the place of the jailer, awakened by this earthquake. Would you not make the same assumption? Once he realized that all were accounted for, what was his reaction? Not to refasten the bonds and relock the jail, but "What must I do to be saved?"
"And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.' And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and all who were in his house. And he took them that same hour of night and washed their wounds, and he was baptized, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God" (Acts 16:31-34; ESV).
God had set the slave girl free (Acts 16:17-18), which led to these men being imprisoned (16:19-24), which led to the salvation of the jailer and his family (16:30-34). And the story of God's work in Philippi is not over.
Four men traveled to Antioch: Paul, Barnabas, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas; I suspect Luke accompanied them although he doesn't use "we" until chapter 16, verse 10. They shared the letter, encouraged, and strengthened the believers.
When Paul decided to visit the other churches, he had a falling out with Barnabas. During their first missionary journey, a young man named John Mark had not completed the trip with them. Barnabas wanted to include him this time, but Paul was not in favor of that. Scripture is silent over why John Mark had left, but not over the rift this time. Paul took Silas and went in one direction, while Barnabas took John Mark and headed in another.
Chapter 16 has Paul and Silas meeting another young man, Timothy. Paul and Silas were now back in the area of Derbe and Lystra and Iconium. Lystra is where Paul was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19). Now, on the second missionary trip, Paul and Silas decided to take Timothy, who had been commended by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Knowing they were traveling into Jewish areas, Paul had this son of a mixed marriage circumcised.
As the group traveled, they delivered to the churches the decision of the Jerusalem Council. What was the effect? Acts 16:5 tells us: "So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily" (ESV).
Everything seemed to be moving forward as they traveled through Phrygia and Galatia, but then in Acts 16:7-8 we learn that God forbids them from going first into Asia and then into Bithynia. Instead, from Mysia they go to Troas.
Here Paul received what we refer to as "the Macedonian call." Here Luke first used "we" and "us" in Acts 16:10: "Immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel there."
Don't you love the word "immediately"? It reminds me of Mark's gospel and no time to waste.
So they sailed from Troas to Samothrace, went the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi. Luke mentions this is both a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. These facts matter.
The first known convert here is a woman named Lydia, from Thyatira, a seller of purple goods. Luke made it clear that she was already a worshiper of God and "The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul" (Acts 16:14; ESV). Baptized with joy, she prevailed on Paul and his companions to stay with her.
The events that transpired in Acts 16:16-24 appear to have taken place over several days with those from 16:25-34 occurring over one night.
The singing of Paul and Silas was nothing like prisoners' usual behavior, so the rest of the prisoners listened as they sang hymns to God.
As much as "immediately" in verse 10, we have "suddenly" in verse 26 as we are introduced to an earthquake sufficient to shake the foundations of the prison. "And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened" (16:26; ESV). Put yourself in the place of the jailer, awakened by this earthquake. Would you not make the same assumption? Once he realized that all were accounted for, what was his reaction? Not to refasten the bonds and relock the jail, but "What must I do to be saved?"
"And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.' And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and all who were in his house. And he took them that same hour of night and washed their wounds, and he was baptized, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God" (Acts 16:31-34; ESV).
God had set the slave girl free (Acts 16:17-18), which led to these men being imprisoned (16:19-24), which led to the salvation of the jailer and his family (16:30-34). And the story of God's work in Philippi is not over.
posted by Ebeth | 6:37 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home