At this point we will begin to examine the ministry of the Apostle Paul in a general way, occasionally interrupting the narrative flow to address a specific situation. The Lord dedicates the remainder of the Book of Acts primarily to Paul’s ministry. Let us begin the study of his work with chapter 16.

Verses one through five: In Derbe and Lystra Paul finds a young disciple named Timotheus whom he takes under his ministerial wing. In order to bring him into the synagogues where he would be preaching, Paul has Timotheus circumcised. Only circumcised males could enter Jewish synagogues. Paul, as is revealed throughout the New Testament, was practical. He did whatever was necessary in order to fulfill his commission from the Lord. Following Timotheus’ circumcision, he and Paul traveled to a number of cities where they taught the disciples of the Lord the decrees put forth in 15:19-21. Recall that those doctrines included the command that Gentile converts attend Jewish synagogues on the Jewish Sabbath to hear the writings of Moses and the prophets read and taught by Jewish priests. Recall that the apostles taught new disciples (Jews and Gentiles alike) out of the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament) and the writings of the prophets. Recall also that the New Testament Church was founded upon the writings of both the prophets and apostles (Eph. 2:20). The New Testament would not be codified until after 11 of the apostles had been martyred–around 100 A.D.

Verses six and seven: We are not told specifically why God would not allow Paul and Timotheus to preach His gospel in Asia and Bithynia. On that subject, recall that God would not allow Paul to visit Rome during the height of his ministry (Rom. 1:13). I wondered about this for some time until God showed me that had Paul visited Rome, the Book of Romans would not have been written in that he would have taught in person what he would later write to them. Because of this we have in our possession one of the most important books of the Bible. Perhaps the reason Paul and Timotheus were not allowed to visit Asia and Bithynia is found in verses 9 and 10 of chapter 16. Here we find Paul receiving a vision of a man of Macedonia asking him to come to that country to teach them God’s Truth. Perhaps if they had gone into the forbidden areas they might have gotten involved in a prolonged ministry and would not have been free to go to Macedonia. Following the vision the two apostles traveled by land and water to a Macedonian city named Philippi, a major city of the Roman dominated area.

Verses thirteen through fifteen: Upon arriving in the city they learn that on the Sabbath a group of women met to pray to the God of the Israelites. Knowing that the women would be ignorant of gospel Truth, Paul found them and spoke to them about the Messiah. Of the group, one woman–Lydia who “worshipped God”–believed Paul’s message and took him and Timotheus to her home where they preached the gospel to her household, each of which was converted and baptized. Knowing that the apostles planned to remain in the area, Lydia persuaded them to make her home their headquarters. Several things about this situation need to be noted. Several women gathered each Sabbath to pray, only one of whom truly “worshipped God,” which made her open to His Word. The others were like modern churchites who show up regularly in order to display a “form of godliness while denying the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:5). Only Lydia truly sought God. Her decision to embrace Him meant that she would have to admit to her fellow Jews that she (and they) had been wrong all along, which would necessitate a total change in her spiritual life. She knew that her conversion would cause her to be rejected by the Jews. She and her household would become “peculiar.” God seeks such people to be His own. Note that none of the other women sought out the apostles to hear their Truth. Nor are we told that Lydia returned to the river to pray with them. L.J.