`“Come over to Macedonia and help us”

Acts 15:36 -16:15

Key verse Acts 16:9 “During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” 

This is about the first part of Apostle Paul’s second mission journey.  During this, he and his coworkers pioneered first European mission church, Philippi following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. During this mission journey, valuable coworkers, Timothy and Luke joined Paul’s mission team. Most of all, we can see Paul’s indomitable spirit for God’s mission.

Disagreement between Paul and Barnabas (15:36-41)

What was the purpose for Paul and Barnabas’ second mission journey (15:36)?  What issue caused them to disagree sharply (15:37-38, 13:13)? What was the result of their disagreement (39- 41)?  What do you know about Mark’s recovery from his early failure (1 Peter 5:13, Col. 4:10, Phm 1:24)

    

1) Acts 15:36 

    Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."   Paul and Barnabas wanted to go back the churches (and believers) where they visited and pioneered during their first mission journey and to see how they were doing.

2) Acts 15:37-38 

    Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, [38] but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work (Acts 13:13). They sharply disagreed with this issue and they could not resolve it.

Acts 13:13 

    From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 

3) Acts 15:39-41 

    They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, [40] but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. [41] He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. 

 They could not resolve this issue and decided to part company.  Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, which was his home province. Paul chose Silas and  went through Syria and Cilicia which was his home province.  From this point, Barnabas disappeared from the book of Acts, but I think he and Paul reconciled later.   Here we can see that the great servants of God such Paul and Barnabas can argue and disagree some times, but God uses them in his own ways. 

   

4) 1 Peter 5:13 

    She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 

Col. 4:10 

    My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 

    

Philemon 1:24 

    And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers. 

 Mark, though he had failed one time, recovered from his early failure completely and became a close assistant to Apostle Peter (his secretary and interpreter) and became an author of the gospel of Mark  based on  Apostle Peter’s testimony(1Pe 5:13).  Later Apostle Paul also recognized Mark highly and Mark was one of his faithful companions in his prison when many others deserted him (Col 4:10, Phm 1:24).

 

Timothy joins Paul and Silas (16:1-5)

Who joined Paul’s mission team at Lystra (16:1)?  What happened at Lystra on Paul’s first mission journey? (14:5-6)  What was his family background (1, 2Ti 1:5)?  What do you think about the spiritual environment in which Timothy grew up? Why did Paul want to take Timothy while he refused to take Mark in his mission journey? (16:1,2)

 

Timothy, who was a prepared disciple

Acts 16:1 

    He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 

2) The Gentiles and the Jews mistreated  and stoned Paul and his companions.  It was not an easy place to keep the faith.

Acts 14:5-6 

    There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. [6] But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 

    

3) 2 Tim. 1:5 

    I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 

    

His mother was Eunice, who was Jewess and his grandmother was Lois, both of whom were very faithful believers (2Ti 1:5), but his father was a Greek, likely unbeliever.

4) He was raised by her grandmother and mother’s good influence, but some conflicts between mother and father.

5) Timothy was a disciple and he had a good reputation among the believers.  He appears to be well prepared for the hardship, while in Paul’s opinion, Mark was not ready for the challenge.  It seems important to discern who is ready when we choose the servant of God or missionary to send for the mission.  

3. Why did Paul circumcise Timothy (3)?  How was this different from Titus?(Gal 2:3)  From this, what do we learn about Paul’s view about circumcision? (Gal 6:15)  What was the major point of their missionary visit in the various Asian towns? (4, 5, 15:29)?

1) Acts 16:3 

    Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 

 

Paul circumcised Timothy because the Jews who lived in that area knew his Greek background and this may have hindered his ministry when Timothy worked among Jews.   

2) Galatians 2:3 

   “Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.   It was different from Titus’ case, whom Paul did not circumcise.”

3) Galatians 6:15 

    Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. 

    

From this, Paul’s view regarding circumcision was it was not essential for salvation just like observing other Jewish tradition, i.e, Kosher food regulation and observing days. According to him circumcision or no circumcision did not matter for salvation. So if necessary for gospel work, circumcision was O.K, but if some insisted that circumcision was precondition for salvation, he knew it was wrong.

4) Acts 16:4-5 

    As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. [5] So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. 

They confirmed the new believers based on decisions reached by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem how to handle the Jewish traditions (Acts 15:29) and strengthened their faith.     

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia (16:6-10)

4. What do you think happened to them in the province of Asia? (6)  What was their original plan there? (7) What does “the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” mean ?(7) What happened to Paul at Troas during the night? (9)   Why was it not easy for them to change the course of their direction of the mission? 

1) Acts 16:6 

    Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 

Apparently, we don’t know what problems they encountered in the province of Asia (the western part of Asia minor), but their mission work did not do well there.  

2-3) Acts 16:7 

    When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 

   Intially, they wanted to go to Northern part, Asia Minor, Bithynia, but they could not go. (We don’t know exactly what happened to them, but they tried many times, but they could not enter there)  Some times, the Holy Spirit guides us in many ways (vision, prophet, or through events, etc.)

4) Acts 16:9 

    During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia

 5) Because they had prayed a lot and  prepared for Bithynia pioneering, it would not be easy for them to change the direction at once, but they obeyed the lead of the Holy Spirit.   

6) It is important for us to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit because he is our commander-in-chief and we are his soldiers (coworkers).

7)  We should have a keen heart to discern His direction with prayer and Bible study ( keeping in intimate relation with Him, or have fellowship with him)

At 16:10, why do you think the subject changed from “they” to “we” in the book of Acts?  From where, do you think the author Luke joined Paul’s missionary team?

1) Acts 16:10 

    After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 

    Probably, Luke, the author, may have joined Paul’s mission team at Troas because from here, he indicates he was part of team using “we” instead of “they”.

Lydia’s conversion in Philippi (16:11-15)

6.  What are the characteristics of Philippi (12)?  Where did they go to find the place of prayer on the Sabbath (13)? Who was the first convert at Philippi (13-14)? What was her background (14)? What do you learn about the Holy Spirit who prepared Lydia (14)?  What was her response to Paul’s message (15)?

1) Acts 16:12  From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 

It was a city located at eastern part of Macedonia and named after Philip II, who was the father of Alexander the Great and was the city directly controlled by Rome (Roman colony).  Many retired Roman army settled there and organization modeled after that of Rome.

 2) Acts 16:13 

    On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 

3) Acts 16:13-14 

    On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. [14] One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 

Lydia was the first convert from Philippi (Europe mission).

4) She was a business woman (dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira). Just like Cornelius, she was a gentile, but believer of true God.    

5) The Holy Spirit prepared for Lydia and help her to meet Paul.  

6) Acts 16:15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.

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