Acts 16 - Timothy Joins the Team, Two Influential People Come to Faith And Their Whole Households Are Baptized!

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Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

Paul and Silas added Timothy to their missionary team to replace John Mark. Timothy became Paul's protege. He was a like a son to Paul. Timothy's mom was a Jewish believer, but his father was Greek, so Paul asked him to be circumcised. He agreed, which was a pretty big sacrifice for to make. They also delivered the decision to the Gentiles in the other churches that the church in Jerusalem had voted to not make them get circumcised. 

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

While traveling around Asia, Paul receives a vision from a man from Macedonia. The vision is so strong that Paul is prevented from going into one of the provinces. It is says the Spirit of Jesus would not let him go in. The phrase, "the Spirit of Jesus" reminds us that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Father sent the Son to the earth, and the Son sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to be with us forever. 

The Macedonian man told Paul to come over to them right away. Macedonia was across the sea and would represent a whole new mission for Paul, Silas, and Timothy. 

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

Philippi was a city in Macedonia. It was a Roman colony and the leading city. 

Philippi was “the place where the armies of Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius in the decisive battle of the second Roman civil war in 42 B.C.” (Hughes) Because of this, many Roman soldiers retired in the area, and Philippi was proud of its Roman connection. - Guzik 

Normally Paul would go to the synagogue and preach, but since there was no synagogue in Philippi Paul went to a place by the river he had heard about. He found a group of women who were praying together. There he met Lydia, who was a purple cloth dealer. Purple dye was very expensive in this area, so we could safely assume she was a woman of affluence. She was a worshipper of God but had not yet made the connection to the Good News about Jesus. 

"Anyone who was a seller of purple dealt in a valued, luxurious product. The dyes used for making purple were expensive and highly regarded. This woman was the first convert in Europe, and one might say that the Macedonian man turned out to be a woman." - Guzik

The Lord "opened heart" and she responded to the message. She came to believe in Jesus, and she and her whole household were baptized. Note the Lord always needs to open a person's heart before they believe. Although we must act in faith, the work of salvation always involves God coming to us first. The fact that her whole household was baptized is an argument for infant baptism. Or at least for younger children, as they were both probably present in her household. 

Philippi became an important city for Paul and the spread of the gospel in Europe. 

Paul and Silas in Prison

We see that as Paul and Silas continued to spread the gospel, the evil one started up the resistance. A female slave, with an evil spirit, was a fortune teller. She made a great deal of money, which leads one to believe she was good at what she did. It reminds us that evil is real and it has some power, though it is limited in range and scope. 

Paul does not back away from this threat but instead says, "In the name of Jesus I command you to come out of her!" Note he is specifically speaking to the spirit, which was inhabiting her body. 

Jesus delivered people from demons in His own name, and Paul delivered demons in the authority of Jesus' name. Jesus is the "name above all names", and "at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord". There is no higher authority than Jesus. When you realize that the Spirit of Jesus lives inside you, you should never fear anything in the demonic realm. You and I have every bit as much power as the apostle Paul to fight our enemy.

Though you don't need to go looking for it, if you run into a demonic influence confront it in the power of Jesus' name. These truths are not taught enough in the Church. Many Christians know little, or haven't been given training deliverance ministry. But if we are going to move forth God's kingdom in a significant way the evil one will not be happy.

As Paul says in Ephesians 6, "Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritualities and powers of this present darkness."

Though the devil has power, "Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4

When the owners who were making big money off of their slave realized what Paul did, they caused a big stir and uproar against them. Paul and Silas were beaten, stripped, and thrown into a heavily guarded prison cell. 

But rather than sitting there and sulking, Paul and Silas started singing hymns. The other prisoners were listening to them. A great earthquake struck and all the prison doors opened. The chains that held all the prisoners were broken. The jailer was so distraught, he was about to impale himself with a sword, until Paul stepped in. 

The jailer came trembling before Paul and Silas and asked, "Sirs what must I do to be saved!" The jailer knew that the power intervening on their behalf was supernatural. He knew it was not from this world. Paul led the jailer and his household to Christ, and they were all baptized. This is the second time now in Acts 16 that a person came to faith, and his whole household was baptized.

So often we think of salvation very individualistically in our day. No doubt each person does need to receive Jesus' saving work of the cross personally, but God's intention is that all of our households would come to faith be baptized at one time.

The officials saw the power of Paul and Silas and tried to get them to peacefully leave town. But Paul objected claiming he was a Roman citizen. He had been imprisoned without getting a fair trial. This alarmed the magistrates, and they tried to appease Paul and Silas and escort them on their way nicely. But Paul took the opportunity to revisit Lydia's household and strengthen and encourage them with the Good News!