Strengthening the Churches & Taking the Gospel to Macedonia
In Acts Chapter 16 Paul has parted ways with Barnabas over a personal dispute. Silas, Timothy, and Luke (notice the text is now in the first person since Acts was written by Luke) join him on his next missionary journey to Macedonia.
Paul met Timothy in Lystra as we can see in verses 1-5:
He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Timothy was circumcised not because it was required, but in order not to offend any Jews, hindering the spread of the Gospel. We also see God working in the early churches as they grew and more and more people were saved through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul was considering going to Asia and Mysia, but for reasons not given, the Holy Spirit would not allow them. Instead, Paul received a a vision.
Verses 9-10:
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
In these verses we see again God directly instructing believers to share the gospel of Christ.
Once in Macedonia, they begin their normal practice of preaching to people who had gathered for their weekly worship.
Verses 14-15:
One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
We see here that Lydia was a true “worshiper of God” and God sent Paul to preach the Gospel to her so that she could respond and be saved, along with her entire household. Just believing in and worshiping God would not allow her to enter into heaven. Only believing in the work of Jesus Christ could make the way for her.