Alan Lewis
Elon, North Carolina
March 2026
We have been studying Paul’s missionary journeys. Today, we come to Paul’s second missionary journey in Acts 16. It is a very important chapter.
It describes one of the greatest events in history. What happened in Acts 16 changed the course of human history. Ray Stedman called this “D-Day at Philippi.”[1]
When you just read it, it does not seem that important, but the gospel goes to Europe in this chapter for the first time. It goes to a new continent. It goes to Macedonia and Greece which are in Europe and from Europe, it eventually came to America.
This chapter could be titled, “How to Start a Church.” That is what Paul does in this chapter. He starts the Church of Philippi but these principles apply to other things than starting churches. Very few of us will start a church. What are some steps to start a church?
1) Make Some Plans
We make plans all of the time. That is what Paul did in Acts 15. He made some plans. They were plans for ministry. The second missionary journey started with some plans.
Sometime later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing. (Acts 15:36 NIV)
2) Gather a Team
Having the right people around to support you is important. Paul does not go on this missionary journey by himself. He took a team of two of three on his first missionary journey, although Mark dropped out early on.
On the second missionary journey, he took Silas and went back to the churches he started. He went to Derbe and Lystra and at Lystra he added another person to the team.
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 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 (Acts 16:1-3 NIV)
This is interesting. In the last chapter, Paul and Barnabas got into a big argument about who to work with on the second missionary journey and the argument was so big that they could not work together.
What ended up happening is that they both went to separate places but they both took a young man with them on the mission field. Barnabas took his nephew Mark.
Paul took Timothy. Timothy was young. Paul was his mentor. He called him his son (II Timothy 1:2). There is a famous quote that says, ““Every Paul needs a Timothy and every Timothy needs a Paul.”
What do we know about Timothy? He was racially mixed. His mom was Jewish. His dad was Greek. He could relate to Jews and Gentiles. He understood both cultures.
His mom Eunice and grandmother Lois taught him the Scriptures from childhood (II Timothy 1:5), but he came to faith through the ministry of Paul on his first missionary journey at Lystra. That is the place where Paul was stoned and almost died.
On the second missionary journey, he circumcised him. He did a little surgery on him and took him with him. Why did he circumcise him? He just argued in the last chapter that you don’t need to be circumcised to be saved.
Why did he do it? Luke tells us. He circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek (Acts 16:3 NIV).
Paul did not do this as a salvation requirement but as a missionary strategy. This was strategic, not theological. He did this to remove a stumbling block to Jews.
The first place Paul always went when he came to a town was to the synagogue. He preached to the Jews first. Timothy was circumcised, not because of a religious requirement, but to be a witness to Jews.
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. (I Corinthians 9:19-20 NIV)
Think about this from Timothy’s perspective. He allowed himself to go through physical pain to be a witness for Christ.[2]
3) Follow God’s Leading
This is something that we do not always do. We have our plans, but we don’t check to see if God has different plans for us.
God’s plans are often different than out plans and sometimes He changes our plans. He changes our plans too all of the time. We plan some things that God says “No.” That is what happened to Paul.
He wanted to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them (Acts 16:7). He said, “Don’t go here.” Paul was kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in Asia (Acts 16:6). He wanted to go to one place. He tried to go to one area, but God said “No.” He wanted to go north but God sent him west.
He was probably disappointed at first. He wanted to preach the Word in Asia, but he had to change his plans. He had to be flexible. Has God ever shut a door on you?
Sometimes God’s plans are different from our plans and He changes our plans. We may not always understand why they are changed, but we have to trust Him. Are we sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our own lives?
Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 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. (Acts 16:6-10)
In this case, Paul was led not only by circumstances but by a vision. Can people still have visions today? Yes. Joel says in the last days that God was going to pour out His Spirit on all people.
Young men would see visions. Old men would dream dreams, because old men are always sleeping. We can still have visions. That does not mean that we will have one every day, but Paul had one here.
4) See Where God is Working
This chapter is all about open doors and closed doors. It is also about open hearts and closed hearts. One of the best ways to minister is to look where God is working.
Look to see who is open to the truth. Don’t waste too much time on people who are closed and hostile to the truth. That is what Paul did.
That is where he got his first convert. Paul saw a vision of a man from Macedonia asking for help and yet his first encounter in Philippi was not with a Macedonian man, but with a group of women.
The old joke is that the Macedonian man turned out to be a woman. The man of Macedonia turned out to be a woman of Philippi. He turned out to be a woman named Lydia. She was Paul’s first convert in Europe.
She was the first European Christian. Paul’s first convert on his first missionary trip was a Roman governor. His first convert on his second missionary trip was a businesswoman.
Three Changed Lives
She is the first of three people in Acts 16 whose lives are completely changed. One is a man. One is a woman. One is a young girl. They come from a variety of different backgrounds.
They had different social statuses. They had different occupations. One worked for the government. One was a businesswoman. One was a slave. Only one of them is named. That is Lydia.
The lesson of the Philippian Jailer is that Jesus can deliver from depression, despair, hopelessness and fear. He can meet you in the lowest point of your life.
The lesson of the demonized slave girl is that Jesus can deliver people who are in bondage. He can deliver and restore people who are abused, exploited and broken. He can deliver from the occult. He can deliver from demons.
The lesson of Lydia is that Jesus can save people who are wealthy and successful in life. Lydia was attracted to the gospel, not because of what she lacked on the outside, but on the inside. She was looking for something that money can’t buy. You can be wealthy on the outside and empty on the inside.
A Successful Businesswoman
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth.
She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 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. (Acts 16:13-15 NIV).
God led Paul right to someone who was ready to receive the gospel, and He does the same thing to us. The first person whose life was changed was Lydia. Let’s take a look at her. What do we know about her?
The Lady in Purple1. Lydia an outsider She was in Philippi but she was not from Philippi. She was from Thyatira. One of the seven letter to the churches in the Book of Revelation was written to a church in Thyatira. 2. Lydia was in sales She was the first Christian businesswoman in history. She sold beautiful clothes or luxury fabrics. She was in the beauty business. 3. Lydia was wealthy The purple dye that she sold was expensive. It was clothing for emperors, kings, generals, and high‑ranking magistrates. It was associated with royalty. 4. Lydia was religious She had money but she also worshipped God. She was a God-fearing Gentile, like Cornelius. She was a female version of Cornelius. She was not ethnically Jewish, but she was attracted to Judaism and worshipped God. Many people who are wealthy do not worship God today. They feel like they do not need God. They have everything they need. Jesus said, “it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:23 NIV). She met with other women to pray. The Church of Philippi began with a group of praying women. Lydia attended this riverside prayer meeting. They could not pray in a church or synagogue, so they prayed outside. The women seem more spiritual than the men here. It is the women at the prayer meeting, not the men. There are a lot of books about women praying (What Happens When Women Pray, Power of a Praying Wife) but not as many about men praying for some reason. She went to prayer meetings. She worshipped God but she was not saved. She may have never heard about Jesus. Paul came, found them and led a women’s bible study. He preached the gospel to them, and Lydia responded to the message. 5. Her heart was opened The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 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. (Acts 16:14-15 NIV) Why did she respond to the message of Paul? God opened her heart (Acts 16:14). Paul didn’t open her heart. She did not open her own heart. God had to do it. That implies that in some sense, her heart was closed until God opened it. What is the lesson? No matter how great the preacher is, you will respond in faith unless God opens your heart. Many churches emphasize human free will. Entire denominations emphasize free will. There are Free Will Baptists. They emphasize in their very name that we choose salvation. We decide to believe or not believe. There is an element of truth here. We do have to believe to be saved but we learn from this passage that no one ever believes unless God opens that person’s heart first. It will never happen on their own. Lydia became the first European convert to Christianity. She was the first European Christian. The first European church met in her home. It must have been a big home to house. It was large enough to hold church meetings. That was where the church of Philippi met. She did not just believe; she got baptized. Her whole family got baptized. She invited the missionaries to stay in her home. Her life was completely changed. Now, she wants to use her wealth for ministry. She wants to use it to reach people. |
A Demon-Possessed Slave Girl
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.
17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”
18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. (Acts 16:16-18 NIV)
5) Expect Opposition
When you start a church or do something for God, there will be opposition. It comes in many forms. Sometimes the opposition will be human. Sometimes it will be demonic. That is what happened to the Apostle Paul.
We come to the second person in the chapter whose life was transformed. This was another female but the two could not be more different
One was a woman and one was a young girl. One was wealthy and one had nothing.
One came from the upper class and the other came from the lowest class of society. She was a slave.
One was free and independent. The other had no freedom. She was in total bondage. She was in bondage to her slave master. She was more in bondage to a demon that controlled even what came out of her mouth.
A Demonized Slave Girl1. She was young Lydia was a woman. This was a young girl. She was not a little child. She was not adult but a young girl. 2. She was a slave She was in bondage to her slave master. He owned her as a piece of property. 3. She was possessed This girl was was not only enslaved, she was possessed. She had a demonic spirit in her. Luke gives us the name of the demon in her. She had a spirit of Python (Acts 16:16). She had a python spirit, a snake spirit. 4. She was gifted She could predict the future. She was a fortune teller. She was a psychic girl. She was not just gifted; she was supernaturally gifted. This ability came from demons. Many psychics today are fakes. They are frauds. They just scam people, but not all of them are fake. Some have a supernatural ability, but it comes from demons. We should beware of listening to psychics and mediums. Scripture forbids it. Some Christians don’t know these verses, because they do not read the OT. Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:31 NIV) I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people (Leviticus 20:6 NIV) When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) 5. She was exploited Her master used her gift to make money. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling (Acts 16:16 NIV). Her master did not care that she was tormented by a demon. He only cared about what it did for him financially. He was glad she was possessed because it made him rich. 6. She was delivered She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. (Acts 16:17-18 NIV) What was wrong with what she did? She was following Paul. Wherever he went, she went. She also said, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She followed Paul. She preached Christ. She told the truth. Demons have better theology that some people today. They know who Jesus is. Demons are not atheists. They are not liberals. They know the Bible is God’s Word. They believe in the supernatural. Why was Paul opposed to this girl saying that “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” What she said was true. It came from a supernatural source. Why was he against it? There were two reasons. There were two problems. One, the source of the message was demonic Paul didn’t want the gospel associated with demons or with the occult. He did not want the help of demons to spread the gospel. He did not want the endorsement of a medium for his ministry. Two, the way it was communicated was disruptive The problem was not what was said but how it was said. This slave girl followed Paul and went around for days yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs. They couldn’t even hear what Paul was saying. That was a big disruption. Next time, we will look at the conversion of the Philippian Jailer. |
[1] https://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/acts/d-day-at-philippi
[2] http://www.biblestudyemail.com/karmelich_acts/acts16.htm
