Paul and Silas Find Help

Who does Paul and Silas meet along the way? (v. 1)

What type of reputation did this young man have? (v. 2)

Why Paul circumcise Timothy after what the council had said? (v. 3)

Paul was willing to die for his beliefs that Gentiles did not have to be circumcised in order to be saved.

Timothy was neither Jew nor Gentile. His mother was a Jew, but his father was a Gentile (Greek).

This showed that Paul, even though he was dogmatic on the issue, was not so dogmatic to recognize that some things just don’t fit it in a box. Timothy was a unique case.

Being neither Jew nor Gentile would hinder him as an evangelist, church planter, etc. The Jews would discard him as being Gentile because he was an uncircumcised son of a Greek father. The Gentiles would discard him because he was the son of a Jewish woman and was raised in the faith.

Paul decided that it would be best for Timothy to be wholly a Jew, for his sake and the people’s. It would be less confusing and more understandable. The Gentiles would accept a missionary who was wholly Jewish much more readily than the Jews would accept a missionary who was half Gentile. If Timothy would have been wholly Gentile, as Titus was, Paul would certainly not have taken this step.

What was the result of their faithfulness? (v. 4-5)

How did the Holy Spirit intervene along the way? (v. 6-7)

Why do you think He did that? (v. 9-10)

Why does Paul go to the river? (v. 13)

The Jewish rule was that it required ten men before a synagogue could be formed, and no amount of women could make up for the lack if the required number of men was missing.

Apparently, this was a well known meeting place for the women of town to go and worship on the sabbath. Paul, Silas, and Timothy went down to meet with them and see if they could find someone from Philippi.

Who do the men meet while by the riverside? (v. 14-15)