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VI. The Second Great Mission of Paul to the Gentiles: to Europe 15:36-18:22
A. The Journey Begins in Controversy: A Study on Honest Conflict, 15:36-41
1 The cause of honest conflict
2 The sad result of honest conflict: Division and loss
3 The good result of honest conflict: God overrules—two mission teams were sent forth
B. Galatia: Faithfulness to the Church, 16:1-5
1 Faithful in making disciples
2 Faithful in delivering the church’s declaration on salvation and behavior
3 Faithful in bearing fruit: The churches were strengthened
C. Asia, the Forbidden Area, and Europe, the Chosen Area: The Call to World Evangelism; Changing the Cradle of Society, 16:6-11
1 The leadership of the Holy Spirit step by step
2 The clear call by the Holy Spirit
3 The strong conviction of the Holy Spirit’s call
4 The immediate obedience to the Lord’s call
D. Philippi, a Chief City and Luke’s Home: Europe’s First Convert, 16:12-15
1 Paul and his company arrived in Philippi
2 Lydia was a professional woman
3 She sought and worshipped God: Was a Jewish proselyte
4 She listened and heard the Gospel
5 She had her heart opened by the Lord
6 She was immediately baptized
7 She led her whole house to the Lord
8 She opened her home—used her wealth for the Lord
E. The Power of Sin and Money versus the Power of Jesus’ Name, 16:16-24
1 The power of human sin
2 The power of Jesus’ name
3 The power of money and greed
4 Wrongly accused and Jailed
5 Jailer convicted by the events
6 Exonerated fully
F. Thessalonica: The Message that Turned the World Upside Down, 17:1-9
1 The messenger
2 The message
3 The results of the message: many believed
4 The world’s reaction to the message
5 The charge against the message
6 The world’s fear of the message: Feared the loss of material possessions and positions
G. Berea, the Receptive City: A Noble People, 17:10-15
1 A concerned, God-fearing people
2 A receptive people
3 A people who honestly sought the truth
4 A thinking and searching people: They verified the message preached
5 An honest and decisive people: They believe what proved to be true
6 A courageous, protective, helpful, and ministering people
7 A night escape by Paul and Silas
H. Athens, the Great Intellectual and Philosophical City: The Preacher’s Urgency and His Audience; Who It Is that Needs the Gospel, 17:16-21
1 The messenger, Paul, was in Athens, the great intellectual and cultural center
2 There were the religionists
3 There were the God-fearing people
4 There were the average persons or citizens
5 There were the Epicureans or pleasure seekers
6 There were the Stoics or the self-disciplined
7 There were the philosophical questioners of Christ
I. Athens: Preaching to a Heathen People, 17:22-34
1 Paul preached on Mars Hill
2 God was sought by man
3 God was not hid, not unknown
4 God is the Creator
5 God guides the history of all men and nations
6 God has a great purpose for creating man: To seek and know Him
7 God now demands repentance
8 God has appointed a day to judge the world
9 The results of the message
J. Corinth, the Bridge of Greece: 18:1-17
1 Paul left Athens and traveled to Corinth
2 He found and grew people
3 He worked when required
4 He worshipped and taught every Sabbath
5 He experienced terrible strain and rejection, but he marched on
6 He identified with people to whom he ministered
7 He witnessed to high and low
8 He faced terrible discouragement
9 He saw God’s hand at work
K. Jerusalem and Antioch, The Journey Back: 18:18-22
1 He struck out despite being comfortably settled
2 He put himself under a vow when needed
3 He made disciples of those who would go with him
4 He witnessed faithfully wherever he was
5 He showed honor to other leaders
6 He was attached to his home church
Paul’s Second Missionary Journey began with a dispute with Barnabas over the taking of Mark. This dissention has been one of many thoughts. Likely it more concerned Mark’s immaturity toward understanding Paul’s position on the Gentiles, yet Barnabas saw the raw and teachable talent that was truly in Mark. With sharp words they parted, somewhat at odds with each other. Though later Paul and Mark were reconciled. Paul chose as his new companion Silas, while Barnabas took Mark and they sailed for Cyprus; Paul and Barnabas went overland to Syria and Cilicia. Out of this conflict brought two missions instead of one.
Paul was apparently impressed with a young man named Timothy who had a godly mother, an ungodly father, a godly testimony and an attempt was made to satisfy tradition through compromise for the sake of the ministry, not justification.
Paul’s travels eventually took him to Troas. There he had the well-known vision of a Macedonian asking him to come. The plan to revisit churches was finished. The Spirit forbade the westward mission; the Spirit forbade the northern mission, and the Spirit’s restraint produced great stress. Paul kept going in complete agreement. Luke joined the party in Troas and then he accompanied them to Philippi, Paul’s first major stop in what is now called Europe.
They waited until the Sabbath, attended a prayer meeting by a river, and saw that only women were present but they preached the Word with boldness.
Lydia responded in faith to Paul’s message. Their baptism established the Church in Philippi. She was a woman of considerable means and used her wealth for the Lord and his disciples Later, the Church was increased through the addition of the Philippian jailer and his family.
Some men were exploiting a demon-possessed slave girl for her ability to predict the future. Though her statements were true, the Gospel of Christ would be damaged by an association with a demon-possessed slave girl. So “after many days” Paul exorcised the demon, speaking directly to the spirit. This caused an outcry and opposition resulting in false charges being filed. The charges against Paul and Silas were serious. Christians could not be charged with rebellion against Roman religious and social customs. The conversion of women in Philippi added to the uncertainty of the proceedings.
Supernatural deliverance came with the earth quaking, the prison shaking, doors flying open and chains falling off. The Jailer would have killed himself versus suffering the shame of execution for his dereliction of duty. Paul immediately wanted to save the jailer and assured him that all the prisoners were still there. The jailer had an idea of why Paul and Silas were in prison, and called out for salvation. Paul and Silas were released but found it necessary to make sure that he and Silas were fully vindicated of any accusation of wrongdoing. His mission demanded that the Gospel be recognized as legitimate.
Leaving Philippi, they traveled west to the capital of Macedonia, Thessalonica.
Paul and others often went into the synagogues, just as Jesus had done. There they served as teachers, for education and tutoring was the central emphasis in synagogue services.
The crowds in Thessalonica were angered by his preaching. They charged Jason for harboring men who had caused trouble all over the world and defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another King, One called Jesus. This accusation is noteworthy for it shows Jews were behind the whole mob scene. Believers there quickly accompanied him to the coast where he boarded ship for Athens.
In Berea, the openness to God’s truth resulted in many conversions. Berean Jews were nobler of character than the Thessalonians. Paul’s message was welcomed with great eagerness and they examined the Scriptures every day to see if Paul was speaking truth. Therefore many of them believed and they were convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah promised by the Old Testament prophets.
The Jews of Thessalonica came and stirred up the people. This had been done before, from Iconium to Lystra. The brethren sent away Paul but Silas and Timothy remained at Berea to help establish the young church, while Paul went on south to Athens.
Paul’s spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. In this city Paul waged spiritual warfare; in the synagogue he no doubt used his normal approach; in the marketplace he “reasoned” with those who happened to be there. The primary antagonists of Paul were the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. The Epicureans, following a man named Epicurus, taught pleasure and happiness. The Stoics followed Zeno, and traditionally taught Pantheism and cosmic purpose through tragedy and triumph.
Paul was intensely concerned about the welfare of the Thessalonians, and decided to send Timothy back to Thessalonica.
The council, which met on the traditional Mars Hill, wanted to know about Paul’s new teaching, which was strange to them. Their openness gave Paul an opportunity to preach his message. Paul began wisely by acknowledging they were very religious. To an unknown God is what Paul referred to and did not emphasize the altar but their ignorance of the true God.
God made everything, He is supreme over all; the Lord of heaven and earth. Everything is subject to Him, and He gives meaning to their existence. The difficulty in finding God is not that He is far from man, but that man, because of sin, is far from God.
No one is exempted from the command to repent. Everyone is now called upon to change his or her mind about God, sin, and self. God does not overlook the sins of those who reject Him. Masses did not accept Christ, but the power of the Gospel did work among Athens’s intellectual elite.
Paul had been anxiously waiting for Timothy’s return and for news of the situation in Thessalonica. He left Athens and traveled to Corinth. Some time later Timothy and Silas joined Paul in Corinth.
Luke identified the proconsul in Corinth as Gallio. Paul’s Second Missionary Journey can be dated with relative precision as covering the years 50-52. Paul was obedient to his responsibility to evangelize, even if he was criticized and his Gospel message rejected. He clearly spelled out the results of rejection.Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his family believed. His conversion undoubtedly was a motivation for many Corinthians to be converted.
Paul then left Corinth, heading for his sending church, Antioch and because of a vow he had taken got his hair cut off. He came to Ephesus and reasoned with the Jews there and then continued on his journey home. Paul’s desire to go to Jerusalem was to keep a feast, probably Passover.
Paul went up to Jerusalem, greeted the church, and then went home to Antioch, his sending church. This was Paul’s last visit to Antioch.
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