Paul and Barnabas Separate – Read Acts 15:36-41
With the decision of the council of Jerusalem in hand, Paul and Barnabas plan to take the message to the churches they founded in Galatia and Asia Minor. Barnabas proposes that they also include John Mark, but Paul disagrees because John Mark had left them on the previous trip, just as they were about to enter dangerous territory. The disagreement could not be resolved and Barnabas decides to sail for Cyprus with John Mark. Paul and Silas proceed to Cilicia overland via Syria.
Much has been made of the split between Barnabas and Paul over this issue but it might have been a more agreeable separation than generally assumed from the language Luke uses in Acts. It would be natural for Barnabas to want to return to his homeland of Cyprus, and there were Christian believers there as well. Barnabas – a very important influence in the early church - is not mentioned again in Acts. Paul, on the other hand, might have felt that Silas would be the better companion in Asia Minor inasmuch as Silas was representing the church in Jerusalem and could testify first-hand about the decision of the council and how it related to the new churches Paul and Barnabas had founded.
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas – Read Acts 16:1-5
Paul and Silas reach Derbe and then Lystra – cities that Paul and Barnabas had visited on their first journey (see Acts 14:8-20). In Lystra there was Christian named Timothy, whose “mother was a Jewess and a believer and whose father was a Greek.” Paul decides to take Timothy on his journey and has Timothy circumcised.
There is much scholarly debate about the circumcision of Timothy. The stated reason that Paul had this done is in deference to local Jewish sensibilities: the people of this area had beaten, stoned and otherwise caused Paul much trouble on his last visit there, so why provoke another confrontation? Yet Paul was also preaching a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ – things like circumcision and following the Law of Moses no longer mattered. Paul was a stubborn and brave fellow, and he was returning to Asia Minor expressly to reinforce his message with the decision from the council of Jerusalem. So why did he have Timothy circumcised?
One possible explanation is that Jews consider circumcision to be a sign of Jewishness, but not a part of the Law of Moses. Circumcision was commanded by God to Abraham – some 400 years before Moses. Timothy’s mother was a Jewess, so Timothy was considered to be ethnically Jewish as well. Paul probably thought it proper that Timothy have the sign of his Jewishness, but, being a believer in Christ, would not be required to follow the Law of Moses. This example might help to make Paul’s point among the Jews of the area.
Luke is very brief regarding the activities of Paul, Silas and Timothy among the churches founded on Paul’s first journey – the ostensible reason for this second trip. There are no details about Paul’s reception in places like Pisidian Antioch or Iconium. Luke simply states “As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”
Paul’s Vision of the Man in Macedonia – Read Acts 16:6-10
Luke next places Paul, Silas and Timothy in Troas – we know it as Troy - a seaport on the coast of the Aegean. It was originally Paul’s intention to preach in other provinces of Asia Minor but Luke reports that “When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” While in Troas Paul has a vision of a man standing across the sea in Macedonia, and concluded that his ministry lay to the west in Greece.
Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi – Read Acts 16:11-15
Here Luke for the first time writes in the first person: “We put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis.” From this we see that Luke himself is now traveling with Paul and Silas. They arrived in Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia – what is now northern Greece. There were apparently no synagogues in the area, but some of the Jewish women would gather by a river bank on the Sabbath for prayer, and this is where Paul and his companions go.
A woman named Lydia was at this place and Luke describes her as “a worshipper of God” – not necessarily Jewish. Paul begins to preach to Lydia and those gathered, and “the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” Thus was converted the first European Christian. Lydia is dealer in purple cloth – a highly prized commodity – and she apparently has some wealth and influence.
Luke reports that everyone in Lydia’s household was baptized and Paul and his companions stayed in her house. This becomes the beginning of the church in Philippi and Paul later writes to them in our New Testament book of the Epistle to the Philippians. The church at Philippi prospers and was a mainstay of Paul’s ministry, frequently sending him aid (Philippians 4:14-16).
Paul and Silas Imprisoned – Read Acts 16:16-40
While in Philippi it did not take long for trouble to find Paul. A slave girl who made money for her masters by telling fortune started following Paul and Silas around. This troubled Paul and one day he said to the spirit” In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” This happens and the girl subsequently loses her ability to tell fortunes. The owners, now done out of an income, drag Paul and Silas to the marketplace and accuse them of subverting Roman customs. The magistrates of the city are convinced by this and both Silas and Paul are beaten and thrown into prison.
The two missionaries are chained in the innermost cell of the prison and carefully guarded. But at midnight, as Paul and the other prisoners are singing hymns, a violent earthquake shakes the jail to its foundations, opening the doors and throwing off the chains. The jailer awakes and panics at seeing the open jail. For a Roman guard to lose his prisoners is a capital offense, and he prepares to fall on his sword. But Paul calls out in the darkness that all the prisoners are still in place. The jailer asks what he must do to become a believer and Paul immediately baptized “he and all his family.”
The next day the magistrates send a messenger ordering Paul’s release. But Paul takes offense – he is a Roman citizen hand he has been beaten and jailed without a proper trial. Upon hearing that Paul is a Roman citizen the magistrates became alarmed and personally release Paul and Silas, no doubt with some apologies. After this episode, Paul and his companions depart Philippi for Thessalonica.
In Thessalonica– Read Acts 17:1-9
Luke returns to writing in the third person in Chapter 17, indicating he (and probably Timothy) stayed behind with the church in Philippi. But Paul and Silas travel on and arrive in Thessalonica - a city that has a synagogue. Following his usual pattern, Paul attends worship on three consecutive Sabbath days preaching Christ. Luke reports that “he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.” This had the usual effect: some of the Jews became believers and the others were extremely offended. Those opposed to Paul’s preaching rounded up some “bad characters from the marketplace” forming a mob that arrived at the house where Paul was staying. Not finding Paul there the mob dragged Jason, Paul’s host, to the town officials. This produced much turmoil and the town officials made Jason and the other believers post a bond in order to let them all go.
The Christian church thus founded in Thessalonica received a letter from Paul sometime later on this same journey when he was in Athens (Acts 17:16). This first Epistle to the Thessalonians is the oldest book in our New Testament.
In Berea – Read Acts 17:10-15
Paul and Silas leave Thessalonica under cover of night and arrive at Berea. Again, Paul goes to the synagogue to preach to the Jews. But this time Luke reports that the “Bereans were of a more noble character than the Thessalonians”, and received Paul’s message “with great eagerness..” This gained a number of converts, but trouble was soon in coming. As happened in Lystra, some of those who resented Paul in Thessalonica followed him to Berea and began to stir up opposition. Luke reports that Paul was sent out from Berea – to Athens – while Silas stayed behind.
In Athens – Read Acts 17:16-34
Athens is a large city and is, naturally, very diverse. Paul spends time in the local synagogue as was his custom, but Luke does not report any results – one way or the other – from this. Paul also spends time in the city and among the many pagan temples located in Athens. Paul also tries his luck preaching among the people in the marketplaces. This catches the attention of some Greek philosophers who succeed in inviting Paul to a meeting so he can explain his ideas in full. This puts Paul in something at something of a disadvantage – he can’t use Hebrew Scripture or Jewish history as the framework for his message about Jesus because the Greeks would not be familiar with this.
But Paul responds with a long speech – quoted in full by Luke - that starts by citing the inscription on an Athenian altar: “To an Unknown God.” Paul uses this as a starting point to explain to the Greeks the nature of the Hebrew and Christian God, and of Jesus Christ. The Greeks listened patiently but some became very skeptical of the idea that a man could be resurrected from the dead. But Luke reports that “A few men became followers of Paul and believed.”
It may also be that at some point Timothy joins Paul in Athens. By reading I Thessalonians, Chapter 3, Paul seems to infer that he had sent Timothy from Athens to Thessalonica to see how the congregation there was getting along. Paul also reports in I Thessalonians 3:6 that Timothy "has just now come to us" with an encouraging report on their progress.
In Corinth – Read Acts 18:1-17
Luke’s reports indicate that Paul met with only limited success in Athens, so he set off for Corinth – a seaport in the southern part of Greece. Timothy returns from Thessalonica and Silas from Berea to join him. Paul also meets Aquila and his wife Priscilla, Jews who were recently expelled from Rome by the Emperor Claudius as part of a crackdown on Jews in general. Aquila and Priscilla were tent-makers by trade – same as Paul – so it was natural that they should stay and work together in their common profession.
As usual, Paul began attending the local synagogue and preaching the news of Jesus Christ. But once again, the Jews opposed his teaching and became abusive. Paul finally loses patience and declares to them: “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Corinth was a worldly place, full of a diverse population. Paul had no trouble finding converts, including the ruler of the local synagogue. Luke reports that “Many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.”
The church thus founded in Corinth received at least two letters from Paul while he was away on further travels and these are the I and II Epistles to the Corinthians in our New Testament. The believers there, coming as they did from diverse backgrounds, had theological questions and problems early on and Paul’s letters to them were an attempt to settle some important issues with respect to proper Christian worship and the use of the sacraments.
Things went comparatively well for Paul in Corinth. Luke reports that he stayed there for a year and a half after receiving a vision from the Lord: “Do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” However the Jews eventually organized a united attack on Paul and he was brought before the local court accused of fomenting religious dissention. The judges had no time for religious questions and so all were ejected from the court – to the great embarrassment of the ruler of the synagogue upon whom the mob then turned.
Paul stayed on “a while longer” in Corinth before departing again for Antioch. He sailed with Priscilla and Aquila first to Ephesus, a seaport in Asia Minor. Priscilla would later be mentioned in Paul’s letter to the Romans, so Aquila and Priscilla must have eventually returned to Rome, perhaps to help found the Christian church there. Paul’s letter to the Romans is his great theological summation and shows he felt that the church there was important. The contacts he made in Corinth, and his later letters to the Philippians, Thessalonians, Corinthians and Romans are an important part of the New Testament.
Paul started to preach in the synagogue in Ephesus but Luke reports that he left for Caesarea promising to return. Paul arrived at the port of Caesarea and spent some time with the church there, and it may be that he also traveled "up to the church" in Jerusalem, before returning to Antioch. Thus ended Paul’s second missionary journey.
Links of Interest
Detailed commentary on Acts 16 is here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/mcgarvey/acts.ch16.html
Detailed commentary on Acts 17 is here:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/mcgarvey/acts.ch17.html
Detailed commentary on Acts 18 is here:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/mcgarvey/acts.ch18.html
Map of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey is here: http://unbound.biola.edu/acts/index.cfm?item=second
Study/Discussion Questions
1. Do you think the split between Paul and Barnabas was amicable? Why or why not?
2. How do you suppose the New Testament might be different today if John Mark had accompanied Paul on his 2nd journey?
3. Do you think the circumcision of Timothy (Acts 16:1-5) had any effect on the Jewish opinion of Paul in Galatia? Why or why not?
4. Why does Paul cross to Greece (Acts 16:6-10) instead of continuing his journey in Asia as he had planned? How has this influenced history?
5. Why does Paul pass through the towns (Acts 17:1) of Amphipolis and Apollonia?
6. Why do you think there is no Epistle to the Bereans (Acts 17:10-12) in our New Testament?
7. Why did Paul fail to establish a significant Christian congregation at Athens (Acts 17:16-34)?
8. Why did Paul stay so long (Acts 18:9-17) in Corinth? Why does he leave?
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