Acts 16:1-15 Timothy Joins Paul and Silas, Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia and Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

Acts 16:1-15 Timothy Joins Paul and Silas, Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia and Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

Today’s reading starts Paul’s second missionary journey. In Lystra Paul meets Timothy the son of a Jewish woman and Greek man. Something about Timothy made Paul want to take him along on the trip so he circumcised Timothy and they were on their way. Now Paul, Silas and Timothy go from town to town telling the churches of the council’s decisions. Luke tells us that the churches were strengthened in their faith and their numbers increased daily.

Luke then tells us that the Holy Spirit kept them from preaching in Asia so they traveled throughout Phrygia and Galatia. The Holy Spirit would not allow them to enter Bithynia so they went to Troas. While in Troas Paul has a vision of a man standing and begging Paul to come to Macedonia and help them. So they immediately left for Macedonia.

Did you notice the change that occurred here? Luke starts to use the terms “we” and “us”. He doesn’t say how he met Paul or why he joined him but it is clear that Luke joined Paul and his companions in Troas. The story changes from a third-person account to first-person eyewitness testimony.

We don’t really know what happened in Troas because Luke just tells us that they sailed from Troas to Samothrace and then Neapolis. There is no commentary on the occurrences at any of these stops, just the towns are named.

Next they went to Philippi. Luke tells that they stayed there several days. On the Sabbath they went outside the city to the river, where they expected to find a place of prayer. Luke doesn’t mention any praying, but does tell us that they began to speak to the women who had gathered there.

One woman is singled out; Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from Thyatira responds to Paul’s message. She, along with her entire household, is baptized and invites Paul and his companions to stay at her house.

I think it is significant that Paul, a former Pharisee, chose to speak to a group of women. A Jewish man who abided by the law would not speak to a woman, especially a Gentile woman. A good Pharisee was nothing if not an avid adherent to the law of Moses. It seems as if Paul was pushing the radical idea of the Gospel of Jesus being for everyone even more. Women were regarded as property by 1st century Jews, not as a person capable of making an independent decision to accept the good news of Jesus and be baptized.

This serves as a reminder for us that the Gospel of Jesus is for everyone. Even those who look and act differently than us. Are we sharing the good news of salvation with EVERYONE? Are we able to look past the differences and see the face in Christ in “the other”? I wonder what it would be like if we all embraced the idea that there is no “second-class” citizen and truly looked at everyone as an equal. I think that would by God’s kingdom come on earth!