January - Paul's Second Missionary Journey

January 8 - Paul's Second Missionary Journey - Acts 16:1-17:34

Get out your maps, because we're back on the road. The year is 51 AD and Paul now has Silas traveling with him. They travel to Derbe and then to Lystra where they meet Timothy. Now, this meeting was great for Paul, but a little painful for Timothy. Read Acts 16:3. This young man was dedicated to the cause! While my whole body cringes a bit at this, I have to really honor Paul's thought process here. Everyone in the area knew that Timothy was Greek, the Jews would not have been able to see him as a teacher and leader without the circumcision having happened. Ouch.

Paul sees a man in Macedonia calling for help. If you read the context of Acts 16:10, you will see the use of the word 'we.' It is likely that Luke (the author of Acts) was traveling with them as well. They have traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, but couldn't get into Asia. I really wonder what it was like to try to enter that region but finding the Spirit of Jesus refusing them entry. (Acts 16:7) They went down to Troas, sailed to Samothrace and Neapolis. They then got to Philippi and stayed several days. They met Lydia, a Gentile, a wealthy woman who worshipped God.

Paul and Silas managed to get themselves thrown in prison because they released an evil spirit from a young girl (Acts 16:16-24). And because they were such honorable men, they also managed to bring the jailer and his family into the saving grace of Jesus.

However, Paul's honor seemed to open his mouth a little more than it should. When he was released from prison, he wasn't going to go quietly. He demanded that the magistrates apologize to them for treating them badly since they were Roman citizens. It goes to show that Rome held a lot of sway over the local authorities.

They left town, passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica. (Acts 17:1) Paul's custom was to go to the synagogue to teach. Jews were none too appreciative of his teaching about Jesus Christ and the fact that Gentiles and Jews were joining them, so they started a riot int he city (Acts 17:5). A poor man named Jason was arrested and tossed in prison because the news of Jesus was spreading in the city and there were so many that were offended by this.

I love Acts 17:10. "As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea." I would think so! Paul went to the synagogue again and began teaching. The Bereans were fine with this until Jews from Thessalonica showed up stirring up trouble. Paul was sent to the coast, while Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.

Paul waited for them to rejoin him in Athens (Acts 17:16). Paul spent time in the synagogue in Athens, but he also spent time in the marketplace. Acts 17:18 says that a group of Epicureans and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. They took him to the Areopagus. For most of us, these words mean absolutely nothing and we skip by them. But, this was pure Hellenistic (Greek) life. If we read Acts 17:21, we find Luke's snide remark about the Athenians who spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.

The Areopagus was a council of morality that introduced new religions to the area. The Epicureans were pleasure-seekers. Paul speaks of them again in 1 Corinthians 15:32 when he mocks their belief of "Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die." While they believe in a form of hedonism, Epicurus believed that the greatest good was to seek modest pleasures in order to attain a state of tranquility and freedom from fear as well as absence of bodily pain through knowledge of the workings of the world and the limits of our desires (Wikipedia).

The Stoics considered passionate emotions to be the result of errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not have such emotions. (Wikipedia).

Paul introduces these learned idiots to the Unknown God (Acts 17:23). His teaching that men should seek him (Acts 17:27) goes against the Epicurean's teaching and that in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28) goes directly against the teaching of the Stoics.

Paul's speech impressed many and while they may have sneered at him (Acts 17:32), they wanted to hear more.

After this Paul went to Corinth. And that, my friends, is a story for another day.