Acts 15:36-16:10

After the Jerusalem council, Paul thought it would be a good idea to go back to the churches they had previously visited to see how they are doing. They also needed to communicate the instructions given by the Jerusalem council. This is going to begin Paul’s second missionary journey.

<show map of Paul’s second missionary journey>

1. Paul and Barnabas part company (Acts 15:36-40)

A. Paul wanted to revisit the churches they had established on their previous missionary journey. (Acts 15:36)

Acts 15:36 CSB

36 After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.”

B. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. (Acts 15:37)

Acts 15:37 CSB

37 Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark.

C. Paul and Barnabas disagreed on whether to take John Mark. (Acts 15:38-39)

Acts 15:38–39 CSB

38 But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus.

John Mark had left the missionary journey in Pamphylia. We don’t know why he had left. The word Luke uses, translated in verse 39 as “sharp disagreement”, is a strong word. Luke doesn’t state an opinion or lead us to believe who is right and who was wrong. One commentator said, “It is a classic example of the perpetual problem of whether to place the interests of the individual or of the work as a whole first.” At this point in time, they couldn’t work it out. Interpersonal conflict can be very difficult to unravel. We do see God’s sovereignty play out through human weakness as now instead of one team, two team will set out to do the work of the ministry.

D. Paul took Silas with him to Syria, while Barnabas took John Mark with him to Cyprus. (Acts 15:40-41)

Acts 15:40–41 CSB

40 But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord. 41 He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Silas was a leader in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:22). He is also called a prophet in Acts 15:32. He was a Roman citizen Acts 16:37. He also co-authored the letters to the Thessalonians. Paul and Silas are sent by the church in Antioch just as had been done before.

2. Paul selected Timothy to disciple. (Acts 16:1-5)

Essentially, the ministry Paul and Silas undertook was to strengthen the churches that had been previously established. They also delivered the instructions from the Jerusalem council.

A. Timothy is recommended to Paul. (Acts 16:1-2)

Acts 16:1–2 CSB

1 Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but his father was a Greek. 2 The brothers and sisters at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.

Timothy was of mixed background. His mother was a Jewish lady who had become of follower of Jesus Christ. His father was Greek. Timothy had a good reputation among the believers at Lystra and Iconium.

B. Paul circumcised Timothy. (Acts 16:3)

Acts 16:3 CSB

3 Paul wanted Timothy to go with him; so he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek.

The circumcision of Timothy has received much discussion in commentaries. Some have even gone as far to argue that the Paul of Acts is not the same Paul of the letters in the New Testament since Paul, in his letters, argued so passionately against the need for circumcision. What we need to remember is context. Paul, in Acts, is dealing with Jewish people who want to shut down his ministry by any mean necessary. The argument is nuanced, but I think it boils down to qualifications for discipleship versus qualifications for ministry. Anyone can become a disciple of Jesus Christ, but often, ministry is going to require deeper commitment, and in this case pain. Timothy was entering the ministry and there are additional requirements which apply to ministers which don’t always apply to every member of the believing community.

C. Paul, Silas, and Timothy worked to strengthen the believers. (Acts 16:4-5)

Acts 16:4–5 CSB

4 As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for the people to observe. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

Remember the things the new Gentile believers were to observe: abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from things that have been strangled, and from sexual immorality. Three of these items were dietary restrictions. One is a morality issue. The result of their work was the strengthening of the churches in their faith and the numerical growth of these churches.

3. The Macedonia Call (Acts 16:6-10)

A. Paul was hindered from doing the work he wanted to do. (Acts 16:6-7)

Acts 16:6–7 CSB

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

The text is not descriptive as to how the Spirit of Jesus stopped them from going. It is obvious that Paul had a plan, but the plan didn’t match God’s plan and so God wouldn’t allow him to do it. Paul had gone east, but he was prevented from going north or south. The only direction left was west.

B. In Troas, Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man asking for help. (Acts 16:8-9)

Acts 16:8–9 CSB

8 Passing by Mysia they went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!”

C. The group concluded that God had called them to go to Macedonia to preach the gospel. (Acts 16:10)

Acts 16:10 CSB

10 After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Notice the language change in verse 10. The is the first “we” passage in the book of Acts. Some have thought that is because it was in Troas Paul met Luke and they began traveling together. Luke was a doctor and it could be that Paul’s health was not good and he needed the skills of a doctor.

Five Questions

1. What do we do when we can’t seem to work out a disagreement with a brother or sister in Christ? How do we move forward without becoming bitter?

2. What leads to conflict among believers? Do all problems need to be solved?

3. How can we leave a situation open for future reconciliation?

4. How might God close some doors?

5. How can we be sure of God’s leading?