Acts 16: Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
Then he came [returned] to Derbe and Lystra, cities of Lycaonia, a province of Asia Minor. And behold… Timothy … “It is evident that he was a native of one of these places, but whether of Derbe or Lystra it is impossible to determine." (Albert Barnes) Yet this young man would be closely connected with him for the remainder of his life. Perhaps "his disagreement about taking Mark had made him think about his own responsibility for enabling young men to mature. He may well have thought things over and recognised that perhaps Barnabas had been right after all in insisting on helping Mark. Timothy also would prove to need encouragement and nurturing. And in the event two young men instead of one would grow and be established as Christian teachers whose impact on the future of the church would be great.” (Peter Pett)
Timothy was from a mixed marriage and pressing his circumcision seemed contrary to this teachings of Paul,
”And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:3-6)
“The circumcision of Timothy, the offspring of a mixed marriage, was not demanded by the law. Paul in circumcising Timothy manifested his liberty; he acted graciously, not wishing to put a stumbling block in the way of the Jews (see 1 Corinthians 9:20)." (Arno Gaebelein)
Paul took and circumcised Timothy, "for this simple reason, that the Jews would neither have heard him preach, nor would have any connection with him, had he been otherwise. Besides, St. Paul himself could have had no access to the Jews in any place, had they known that he associated with a person who was uncircumcised: they would have considered both to be unclean. The circumcision of Timothy was a merely prudential regulation; one rendered imperiously necessary by the circumstances in which they were then placed; and, as it was done merely in reference to this, Timothy was lain under no necessity to observe the Mosaic ritual, nor could it prejudice his spiritual state, because he did not do it in order to seek justification by the law, for this he had before, through the faith of Christ. In Galatians 2:3-5, we read that Paul refuses to circumcise Titus, who was a Greek, and his parents Gentiles, notwithstanding the entreaties of some zealous Judaizing Christians, as their object was to bring him under the yoke of the law: here, the case was widely different, and the necessity of the measure indisputable." (Adam Clarke)
Paul testified: "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law." (2 Corinthians 9:19-21)
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.
And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, "relating to the duties of Gentile converts, as expressed in the letter contained in the Acts 15:19-29…” (Abbott) “that you as a Gentile don’t need to be circumcised to be saved. And so it is interesting that Paul had Timothy circumcised when they are then going right out and telling the Gentiles you don’t have to be circumcised in order to be saved.” (Chuck Smith) For baptized Christians, it seems good to the mother church and to the Holy Spirit "to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.” And having done your part, the Spirit will enable you to keep the moral code of the Ten Commandments.
Paul encouraged Christians to live as they were called. "Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters." (1 Corinthians 7:18–19)
Even in the Old Testament, circumcision had to do with the heart. God told Moses to tell the people that He chose them above all people. "Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. For Yahweh your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe." (Deut 10:16-17) The message is the same to all Christians. This Jesus Whom you follow is faithful and true. He judges and makes war... and ultimately "on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (Rev 19:11-16) Surely your God can help you to keep His Commandments.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
“The disputations at Antioch, relative to circumcision, had no doubt spread far and wide among other Churches, and unhinged many. The decrees of the apostles came in good time, and prevented farther mischief: the people, saved from uncertainty, became established in the faith; and the Church had a daily accession of converted souls.” (Clarke)
Acts 16: The European Call
6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit [NU-Text adds of Jesus] did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
They went through Phrygia; “this was the central and largest province in Asia Minor…” and the region of Galatia “a province east of Phrygia.” But they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in “Asia; this word here, and in other places in the New Testament, refers to proconsular Asia, of which Ephesus was the capital." And so after they came from “Mysia; north-west of Phrygia…” they assayed; attempted” to go to “Bithynia; a province east of Mysia, and north of Phrygia;” (Justin Edwards' Family Bible) but again the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas, “a city near the site of ancient Troy, on the north part of the Aegean sea, which separates Asia Minor from Europe.” And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia- “a country in the southeast of Europe” (Justin Edwards)- stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come… and help us.” “as to our souls, with the saving light of the gospel: God sends the ministers of the gospel to help such as would otherwise perish: with the gospel, salvation comes." (Poole)
"The most notable feature of Paul's second missionary expedition is that during it the good seed of the gospel was now for the first time planted in European soil. Of course there was in those days no line of demarcation between 'Asia' and 'Europe', and the missionaries sailing across the northern part of the Aegean Sea were conscious of traveling only from one province to another, not from one continent to another, since both shores of the Aegean belonged to the Roman Empire" (John R. W. Stott)
"The apostles had been told to 'go into all the world and preach the gospel,' and yet they could not take this command as a warrant for going wherever and whenever they desired: they still had to depend on God's leading, though pliable enough to be willing to go to any place in the world." (L. M. Grant) "The Holy Spirit did not allow the missionaries to go to Asia, or to Bithynia. God had chosen to send His servants to Macedonia. The gospel would later spread to Asia as evidenced by the seven churches in Asia. (Revelation 1:1-20; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22) There are times when certain areas are ripe for harvest for God. At that time Macedonia was ready to receive the word of life.” (Charles Box)
Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest. Was He unjust in denying the rest of Asia the Message here? "The whole may be illustrated by a familiar image. A farmer perceives his fields white for the harvest, and hires labourers to reap the corn. They go into one field, and prepare to cut it down, but he forbids them; they look to another, and attempt to enter it; but he suffers them not: he conducts them to a third which is most fully ripe, and says, ‘This is the field, work here.’ Would any say that he did not care for the corn in the other fields because he passed them by? Would not everyone be sure that he only took the third before them because it was most ready for the sickle, and that he would take the others in due time?" (J. Fawcett)
Moreover: "The churches of Asia had pastors who could feed the flock [and enlarge their tents]; but it required apostles to bring the south of Europe to the faith of Christ. This great field of labour Luke traverses with only two or three words. The extent of ground from Antioch to the Hellespont, is seven hundred miles." (Sutcliffe Commentary)
Now after he had seen the vision, immediately WE sought to go... "From the tenth verse we learn that Luke, the author of this record, joined the party. This is seen by the changed pronoun from 'they' to 'we.'..." (Gaebelein), disclosing "that Luke was in Philippi (possibly his hometown) when he first joined Paul (Acts 16:10-17)." (Tyndale Bible Dictionary) Luke had believed at some point and the Lord credited his desire to him for his righteousness. (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3)... and perhaps, this trip was his salvation- his chance to confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:10)
11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
Therefore sailing… Note that this Macedonian cry is answered at once by Paul and Silas and Timothy and Luke and party. We must be doers of the word. And they came to Philippi, a Roman colony, and stayed for “some days”, before there was any signs of revival. Sometimes we have to labour in the dry. They did not enter a synagogue, which would indicate that none existed in the area. They “had few Jews and no synagogue, but a group of God-fearers met for prayer at the river bank.” (Bridgeway Commentary) And thus: ”The work began in the heart of Lydia, which was opened of God. The words, 'which worshipped God,' indicate that she was a seeker, and had become a proselyte, and now in the Gospel which Paul preached she found the full thing which she sought. The work was quiet but very real, for she was baptized and her household, and she at once identified herself with the Lord’s servants by opening her house to them." (F. B. Hole)
Acts 16: Paul and Silas and That Old-Time “Jewish” (v. 20) Religion
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke... and party were going to prayer... "the place of prayer." And a slave girl with a Spirit of divination met and followed them for many days. She had "an evil spirit, under the influence of which she professed to divine, that is to reveal things beyond the reach of human knowledge." She practiced fortune-telling or "soothsaying; professing to foretell future events. Men are often more anxious to know their fortunes than their duty. They more earnestly seek, and more liberally pay for specious delusions and lying vanities, than for substantial realities and momentous truth." (Justin Edwards' Family Bible)
She was "possessed with a spirit." "These the seventy seniors usually call εγγαστριμυθους, because the devil spake out of their bellies. For which cause also the Hebrews call them Oboth, or bottles; because the bellies of those women that were thus made use of by the devil were swelled as big as bottles. (Beza in loc.)" (John Trapp Commentary)
She spoke the truth, but had not the Spirit of truth. This concerns me about some politicians. “Paul took no joy in such a testimony. High words become not a fool. To be praised by a praiseless person is no praise at all." (John Trapp Commentary) So Paul commanded the evil spirit to come forth in the name of Jesus… and he came out of her.
19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”
But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone; “the hope of making any more money in that wicked way. Under the influence of Satan… and to exercise supernatural power; but when Christ delivers them from the snares of Satan, such pretensions will cease.” (Justin Edwards) “The hope of their gains was gone - It was this that troubled and enraged them. Instead of regarding the act as proof of divine power, they were intent only on their profits. Their indignation furnishes a remarkable illustration of the fixedness with which people will regard wealth; of the fact that the love of it will blind them to all the truths of religion, and all the proofs of the power and presence of God; and of the fact that any interposition of divine power that destroys their hopes of gain, fills them with wrath, and hatred, and complaining.” (Albert Barnes' Notes)
And So Paul and Silas only are dragged off to marketplace to the authorities. “In the meanwhile, God sparing Timothy, calls Paul and Silas as the stronger to battle.” (Geneva Study Biblle)
>>>And they brought them unto the "magistrates," (v.20) — “The word στρατηγοι, made use of in the 20th verse, denotes with the Greeks Roman praetors; and if it was applied to the Duumviri, who were the governors of colonies, it was by way of compliment. At the first appearance of the Christian religion, some of the Gentiles considered the Christians as no other than a particular set of Jews, because at that time those who professed it, were descended from the same stock, born in the same country, and received the same scriptures: and this was certainly enough to denominate them Jews, (as we find them called here,) among those who were strangers to both religio.” (Thomas Coke Commentary)
So, though we find a remnant existed in European soil, in the prayer group of the last story, there was no organized Judeo-Christian religion.
And here is the story of the second conversion on that soil.
22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
Acts 16: Paul Refuses to Depart Secretly
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
“In one ancient Greek copy there is this addition, ‘And when it was day, the magistrates met together in the market place; and calling to mind the earthquake that had been that night, they feared, and sent the sergeants, saying, Let these men go.’ See Acts 16:27.” (John Trapp Commentary)
"'Go in peace'—the noblest words of farewell which could be addressed to the servants of God: I. By their friends, to whom they had brought salvation and peace (the jailer); II. By their enemies, who could not touch God’s anointed (the magistrates); III. By the Lord, who gives them the testimony: 'They have done what they could.' Mark 14:8." (Lange) "It may have been fear of the earthquake, or 'second-thoughts' about their cruel treatment of 'holy men' which influenced them to order the release."
(The Bible Study New Testament)
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”
"They had, as Roman citizens, been illegally beaten, and made a public disgrace. If they departed like that the disgrace would still attach to the local church. This must now be put right for the sake of Lydia and the other believers. It should be noted that the charge against them included the fact that they had behaved badly towards Romans. Paul therefore wants it publicly known that they too were Romans, which makes the charge look foolish.” (Peter Pett's Commentary)
No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out… “Shame and confusion is in due time the reward of wicked and unjust magistrates.” (Geneva Study Bible) “This would be a public acknowledgment by the magistrates that they had done wrong. It is sometimes right and wise to claim the protection of civil law; to appeal from the judgment of inferior magistrates to higher tribunals, and let all know that the rights and privileges of citizens are not to be trampled on with impunity. Government is unfaithful to itself, to its subjects, and to God, if it fails to be a terror to evil-doers, and a praise and protection to those that do well.”
(Justin Edwards’ Family Bible)
38 And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. 39 Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city.
“The wicked are not moved with the fear of God, but with the fear of men: and by that means also God provides for his, when it is needed.” (Geneva Study Bible) "In our days also we Christians should be perfectly willing to suffer wrong and shame, but under circumstances, especially if the course of the Gospel is endangered, it is altogether in accordance with God's will that we insist upon our rights as citizens. We may find it imperative to insist upon recognition as honest and desirable members of the community." (The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann)
"What a beautiful mixture of dignity and meekness is this! Nothing secular, which may be turned to the account of the Gospel, is morbidly disregarded; in any other view, nothing of this nature is set store by: - an example this for all ages." (Jamieson-Fausett-Brown)
40 So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
"This assembly of believers in the house of Lydia was the first church that had been founded in Europe." (Baumgarten) “We may avoid dangers in such a way that we never neglect our duty.” (Geneva Study Bible)
So "the agreement to leave was amicable. They were not escorted from the city. Thus they returned to Lydia’s house, gathered the believers together to say farewell, exhorted and encouraged them, and then left Philippi with honour intact..." (Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible)
And when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed... "but not all; for two of the company remained behind (see on Acts 17:14): Timotheus, of whom the Philippians 'learned the proof' that he honestly cared for their state, and was truly like-minded with Paul, 'serving with him in the Gospel as a son with his father' (Philemon 2:19-23); and Luke, 'whose praise is in the Gospel,' though he never praises himself or relates his own labors, and though we only trace his movements in connection with Paul, by the change of a pronoun, or the unconscious variation of his style. In the seventeenth chapter the narrative is again in the third person, and the pronoun is not changed to the second till we come to Acts 20:5. The modesty with which Luke leaves out all mention of his own labors need hardly be pointed out. We shall trace him again when he rejoins Paul in the same neighborhood." (Jamieson-Fausett-Brown)
“Yet so, as that St Paul soon after visited them with that golden Epistle to the Philippians.” (John Trapp Commentary)