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Paul’s 2^nd Missionary Journey (Part 1)

Last week we witnessed a great victory for Peter and Paul and the future of the Christian church at the Council of Jerusalem. It was officially decided that Gentile-Christians could be baptized and accepted into the church based only on faith in Jesus . . . that although they should make a clear and observable break with their pagan past, it was not necessary to be circumcised or follow the oral law of the Pharisees. This was a great aid to Gentile evangelism when Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch.

After a while, Paul suggests to Barnabas they visit the churches started on their first missionary journey . . . to check on their progress (Acts 15:36), and to strengthen and encourage them. Barnabas thinks it’s a good idea, and wants to take his cousin John Mark along. Paul won’t agree to that, because Mark deserted them on the first missionary journey. As a compromise, they split the task. Barnabas and Mark will go to Cyprus, and Paul to the four churches in Galatia, accompanied by Silas, the Jewish Christian who came with the letter from the Council of Jerusalem.

Paul and Silas are blessed by the church of Antioch, then go to Celicia to strengthen the churches there . . . perhaps including Tarsus, the provincial capital and Paul’s home town. Above Tarsus is the Cilician Gates pass through the massive Taurus Mountains . . . a route of conquering armies for centuries and the most direct route to the four churches of Galatia. Paul and Silas, the conquering army of God, take this same route . . . but in the opposite direction from the conquering armies of Greece and Rome.

What message do they bring the churches? News of the decision of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 16:4) about what is required of Gentile-Christians. What effect does it have? It strengthens the churches and brings in new believers (Acts 16:5).

Paul and Silas reach Derbe first . . . then Lystra, where Paul was stoned on his earlier visit. In Lystra a Jewish Christian named Eunice, married to a Greek, has a teenage son Timothy. Timothy follows Paul and Silas to Iconium; and Paul would like to take him on the rest of the journey . . . so he has Timothy circumcised. But why? Doesn’t circumcision go against the decision of the Council of Jerusalem?

Acts says Timothy was circumcised because of pressure from the Jews in the area (Acts 16:3). On what basis? Perhaps because the Talmud says a person’s "Jewishness" depends on the mother: with a Jewish mother, the children are Jewish; with a Gentile mother, the children are Gentile. The father doesn’t matter. Hence, to the Jews of Galatia, Timothy is an uncircumcised Jew. The Council of Jerusalem did not address this, but other Jews would look down on him . . . probably including Jewish-Christians.

The circumcision of Timothy shows that Paul wants to fight his battles over important issues . . . not minor matters. Paul wants the Jews to debate him on the main message that Jesus is the Messiah; he doesn’t want Jews distracted from this message because Timothy is uncircumcised! As for Jewish-Christians, in 1 Cor 8:9 Paul urges believers not to unnecessarily put "stumbling blocks" in the way of weaker brothers. We all should follow this advice: taking stands on major issues, and yielding on minor ones.

Paul goes to Pisidian Antioch . . . then trusts the Holy Spirit to tell him where to go next. But all the advice is negative: don’t go to the Asian cities (which later were home to the seven churches of Revelation) . . . don’t go toward modern Istanbul. Paul, Silas, and Timothy pray for guidance as they aimlessly walk 250 miles northwest. What faith that must require! They reach the coast, still without instructions, so they stop in Troas . . . and pray. Finally their faith is rewarded; Paul has a vision and concludes God has called them to preach the gospel in Macedonia in modern Greece, home of Alexander the Great, who brought Greek culture to the world. Paul hustles his team onto a ship bound for Neapolis . . . then to Philippi, 10 miles down a major Roman highway. This begins a mission that was so important to the growth of the church . . . but it started with patient trust of the Holy Spirit. We should all have such patience and trust!

There’s a subtle change in the story here. In Acts 16:8, Luke writes that "they" went to Troas; in Acts 16:10, he writes "we" got ready to go to Macedonia. This shows Luke joined Paul in Troas; this clue also reveals, later in Acts, if Luke is "in" or "out."

Philippi was the site of Marc Anthony’s victory over Brutus and Cassius after Julius Caesar was assassinated; it’s settled by Roman army veterans, as well as indiginous Greeks. As in Lystra, there is no synagogue . . . hence few Jews and no formal place Paul can share the "good news" of Jesus the Messiah. What does he do?

Paul apparently reasons there must be an informal place Jews meet on the Sabbath . . . and if he can find it, he can follow his "proven formula" of going first to Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, then branching out to others. So Paul asks around for "several days," and determines that Jews gather on the Sabbath at the river outside the city. So that’s where he and his companions go.

What does he find? Women! We might be surprised at that, because only Jewish boys were tutored in the Torah, not Jewish girls. Yet Jewish women were conversant with the history of their people, including how the one God, YHWH, chose and saved the Jews in the past and promised a future Messiah. And since women are often more spiritual than men, I don’t find it surprising Jewish women meet at the river to pray to God on their day of rest—and that God-fearing Gentile women join them—even if Jewish men stay home.

Paul speaks to the women about Jesus. That doesn’t seem strange in the 21^st century, but for a Jewish rabbi like Paul to initiate dialogue with women . . . that’s unusual (John 4:27)! And so discuss complex religious topics with women . . . that’s very strange! In a later letter to the Galatians, Paul writes: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). The Holy Spirit must have been telling this to Paul already. Today it’s politically correct to beat up on Paul for being anti-women, but in reality he was a revolutionary feminist for his day!

A god-fearing Gentile businesswoman named Lydia is one of those at the river. She is from Thyatira, which produced a unique color-fast purple dye; and she apparently imports purple cloth from her home town. God opens Lydia’s heart to Paul’s message; and she and her entire household are baptized. Lydia must be well-to-do, because she invites Paul and his companions to reside at her home during their stay in Philippi.

Paul has found a better technique for preaching in cities with few Jews. In Lystra he preached directly to pagans with disastrous results. In Philippi he uses a quiet approach with people already identified as potentially receptive—and with much better results.

Paul and his team continue to meet people at the river. While going there one day they encounter a slave girl possessed by an evil spirit which allows her to foretell the future; she brings a lot of money to her owners as a fortune-teller. The Bible tells us evil spirits know the power Jesus has over them, and their behavior can be unpredictable when they realize this power is at hand. That’s the case here, because the spirit caused the girl to follow Paul around for many days shouting—shouting: "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved" (Acts 16:17-18).

My mental picture of this slave girl is a gypsy fortune-teller . . . which seems plausible, because Philippi is close enough to the gypsy areas of southeastern Europe. So in my mind’s eye, I see three serious-looking Jews—and an equally serious-looking Gentile reporter—pursued by a gaudily-dressed gypsy, shouting "Listen to these prophets of the One True God." Not a good way for Paul to win friends and influence people . . . and with such a ruckus, both Paul and his hearers will have a hard time concentrating on their conversation. Finally in frustration Paul calls out: "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her." Immediately the spirit departs (Acts 16:17-18).

Remember the story of Jesus’ ministry in the Gentile area on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee . . . the man with many demons who lived among the tombs . . . how the demons begged Jesus to send them into a nearby herd of pigs, which plunged down the steep bank into the Sea and were drowned? The demon-possessed man was saved . . . but the owners of the pigs lost their investment; and the people asked Jesus to leave.

One sure way to generate opposition is for our religion to hit someone in the pocketbook . . . even inadvertently. Paul didn’t go out of his way to cast out the evil spirit; he was trying to avoid controversy, and it just happened. But the owners of the slave girl saw the value of their investment disappear in an instant: their slave can’t tell the future any more. They grab Paul and Silas and haul them before the magistrates. Charged with? . . . the same catch-all used in Galatia: these outsiders "are throwing our city into an uproar." Moreover in this city of few Jews, they play the race card: "These men are Jews . . . advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice" (Acts 16:20-21).

Truth doesn’t matter. All that matters is that tax-paying citizens of Philippi are mad because Christians hit them in the pocketbook! Paul and Silas are stripped to the waist, severely flogged, and thrown into prison (Acts 16:22-23).

Peter was twice released from prison in Jerusalem by an angel, and we’re about to see another "jailhouse miracle." This time it’s an earthquake, which causes the prison doors to fly open, and loosens the chains of all the prisoners. But rather than escaping, Paul uses this miracle as an opportunity to witness for Jesus.

The jailer is responsible for his prisoners. He might be forced to take the punishment for their crimes if they escape. This jailer would rather commit suicide than allow that to happen . . . but just as he is about to fall on his sword, Paul shouts, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" (Acts 16:28). What a sense of relief must come over him!

In a flash, the jailer puts it all together: the prophesy of the slave girl that these men are telling the way to be saved . . . the power of the name of Jesus over her evil spirit . . . Paul’s and Silas’ prayers and hymns to God just before an earthquake opened the cells and loosened the chains . . . and now the prisoners—unafraid—still in jail, even though they are free. The jailer knows Paul and Silas are representatives of the One True God. He delivers that memorable one-liner: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30).

Fortunately, because of the Council of Jerusalem, Paul can give him a simple answer: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household" (Acts 16:31). So they share the good news of Jesus; the jailer and his household believe; and right then and there they are baptized (Acts 16:32-33).

This is the second "household" baptism in Philippi: Lydia and now the jailer. Some have a problem with that . . . but the concept of individual salvation is relatively recent. For most of history, the head of a family—or the king—dictated the religion of family and household. Lydia’s and the jailer’s households did as they were told: they believed in Jesus and became Christian. Similarly, even today many cradle-Christians follow the faith of their "household" without question; and often that faith is very strong.

At daybreak, the order came to the jail: "Release those men" (Acts 16:35). Why the change? I assume Lydia—who is probably an influential citizen—spoke to the authorities as a character witness for the prisoners, and challenged the charges against them.

"Wait a minute," says Paul. "We as Roman citizens were given a public flogging and thrown into jail without a trial . . . and now the magistrates expect us to leave quietly? No! We want them come and release us with a public apology!" (cf Acts 16:37). For the benefit of the church, Paul may want to restore his good name before he leaves Philippi.

When this is reported to the magistrates, they freak! Roman officials had a lot of discretion with non-Romans, but they were subject to severe punishment if they failed to provide due process to Roman citizens. The magistrates were told these guys were Jews, and it never occurred to ask if they were Roman citizens . . . but now this oversight could cost them dearly. They probably can’t get to the jail fast enough. "Please forgive us," we can almost hear them saying. "Can we do anything to help you?"

But Paul and his missions team have upset the crowd, so it’s suggested they discretely leave Philippi to avoid future injury to themselves. So after returning to Lydia’s house to encourage the church, they depart.

Paul’s visit to Philippi was very successful. He was persecuted . . . but a strong church has been established, and he has learned how best to preach in cities with few Jews.

My closing thought is to elaborate on Paul’s persecution because his miracle had a negative effect on people engaged in immoral commerce: in this case the owners of the fortune-telling slave girl. It reminds me that—closer to home—the issue of casino gambling in Kentucky will be coming up. This is something Christians should oppose, but powerful gambling interests—including the owners of Turfway Park—will have a huge financial stake in this, and the last governor of South Carolina was defeated for re-election when outside money poured in from gambling interests. This is serious business to such people, and I hope those on God’s side will have the courage to stand up to the persecution which can be expected . . . just as the owners of the pigs persecuted Jesus and the owners of the slave girl persecuted Paul and Silas.

We American Christians are not familiar with persecution; but maybe were going to learn! The ACLU is powerful and well-funded . . . and this Christmas they undertook a massive campaign of legal intimidation against Christian religious expression. Most of us are aware of this—in one way or another—but it may be only the tip of an iceberg. While we met last week, Mel Gibson appeared on the O’Reilly Factor, and told how he and his family are being harassed now that he is doing a pro-Jesus film. There may open season on Christians soon, and I just hope we’ll have the faith and courage of Paul.

Next week, our plate will be full again! Paul and his team go to Thessalonica, the capital of Macedonia . . . then on to Berea . . . and finally to Athens, the intellectual center of Greek culture. Here Paul gives his famous Mars Hill speech, which cleverly—but unsuccessfully—takes Jesus to the Greek philosophers in language they understand. Check the web site for what might be the Altar to an Unknown God, from the Agora of Athens.