Paul’s Second Journey

Text: Acts 15:36- 16:12

 

I.         Paul desired to return to the cities where he and Barnabas had established churches.

            A.        Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark with him again, but Paul opposed it.

                        1.         Paul remembered how John Mark had left them before.

            B.        The disagreement became heated, so the two went separate ways.

                        1.         Barnabas took John Mark to Cyprus to visit the churches there (Barnabas was born in Cyprus – Acts 4:36).

                        2.         Paul took Silas and traveled by land through Syria and Cilicia (Paul was born in Tarsus of Cilicia).

II.        From Cilicia, Paul went to the other churches they had established

            A.        They went to Derbe, and then to Lystra

                        1.         In Lystra, Paul met a young man named Timothy who was well-spoken of by the brethren in both Lystra and Iconium.

                        2.         Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him

                                    a.         But they would be working among the Jews.

                                    b.         While Timothy was technically a Jew, he had never been circumcised, so Paul had him circumcised.

            B.        While going through the cities, Paul and Silas delivered the message from the church in Jerusalem concerning circumcision.

                        1.         The church was strengthened and increased in size.

            C.        They continued to Phrygia and Galatia, but they were not allowed to enter Asia.

            D.        Instead they went to Mysis, but again they were not permitted to enter Bithynia, so they went down to Troas

III.       Paul receives a vision that the Macedonians needed help

            A.        The group immediately left by boat for the region.

            B.        Notice the pronoun change. Luke, the author of Acts, had joined the group in Troas.

            C.        They sailed from Troas to Samothrace (an island off the coast of Greece) and from there to Neapolis and then to Philippi, which was a major city of Macedonia.