Acts 16:6-15
The text before us is a history which captures the first stages of Paul’s second missionary journey. This account has been preserved as scripture such that believers of future times might reflect upon it and be moved in accordance to God’s will.
On his first missionary journey, Paul sailed to Cyprus and then to Perga where he took a land route which took him through Antioch of Pisidia, and Iconium, and Lystra to Derbe. From Derbe, he retraced his steps to Perga from where he returned to his point of origin in Antioch of Syria. Acts 13:4 states that Paul and Barnabus were sent forth from Antioch by the Holy Spirit.
Prior to his second missionary journey, Paul intended to revisit the cities where he and Barnabus had established churches (Acts 15:36). A disagreement with Barnabus was cause for Paul and Barnabus to depart upon separate paths. Paul, accompanied by Silas, visited churches in Syria and Cilicia. They then proceeded to Derbe, a city in Lycaonia where a large number had received the gospel during Paul’s first missionary journey. From Derbe he traveled to Lystra where Paul enlisted Timothy to join him and Silas. From Lystra, Paul followed the return path of his first missionary journey, visiting churches in Phrygia. He then ventured into Galatia and was “forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia” (v. 6).
This is the first mention of the Holy Spirit since Paul and Barnabus visited Jerusalem prior to the second missionary journey (Acts 15:28). No one was wearing a pedometer but Paul was likely more than five hundred miles into his second missionary journey when he heard the Spirit forbid him from delivering the word to Asia. The same Holy Spirit that inspired Matthew to record Jesus’ instruction to go into all the world and to preach the gospel to every creature said do not go into Asia.
Paul obeyed; he did not go southward into Asia. He turned to go northward into Bithynia. Again, the Holy Spirit said, “No” (v. 7). Again, Paul obeyed. He continued westward until he reached Troas. Troas was the western most city on the continent. Paul was 785 miles from Antioch of Syria and he had, literally, run out of land.
At Troas, Paul experienced a night vision in which a man of Macedonia stood and prayed saying, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (v. 9). This marks the third time in which the Holy Spirit spoke to Paul on this journey. In the earlier occasions, the manner in which the Spirit spoke is not revealed. In verse 10, Luke begins to employ the pronoun “we” in depicting the actions of Paul and those with him. It is possible that Luke shifted from “they” in verse 8 to “we” in verse 10 because he (Luke) joined Paul at that time.
When Paul learned that he was go into Macedonia, he/we did not wait. He/we was certain and immediately set sail. The closest seaport on the coast of Macedonia was Neapolis, about 140 miles distant. Paul did not tarry there. He proceeded to Philippi which was ten miles away. Philippi was the chief city of that part of Macedonia, a place where one might find a synagogue. Verse 12 states that we abided in the city certain days but does not report any encounter with a man from Macedonia or Paul’s addressing Jews in a synagogue. When a city lacked enough Jewish males to establish a synagogue, it was customary for Jews to gather at a river to pray on the sabbath day. This practice is linked to Psalm 137:1 in that the hearts of those gathered at a river mimicked the hearts of them who gathered by the rivers of Babylon during the exile. Paul went to the river where he might find Jews who desired God but were separated from Him. Paul found Lydia.
In verses 14 and 15 we meet Lydia. She was a seller of purple cloth. She was from Thyratira, a city of Asia. She worshipped God. She maintained a dwelling at Philippi. She received the word which Paul delivered and was baptized. And lastly, she opened her house to Paul and those with him.
Consider what and why. Lydia came to the river to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Paul came to the river because the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob instructed him to tell all who had the ears to hear that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Holy One who would bless all families of the earth; that Jesus was the one of whom the prophets said should be rejected and made an offering for sin (Isa. 53); that Jesus was raised from the dead according to the scriptures (Ps. 16:10); and that Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father (Ps. 110:1). The Spirit would not let Paul turn to the left (Asia) or turn to the right (Bithynia). The Spirit had directed him to the river where Lydia had come to worship.
God made the meeting happen. God saw the heart of Lydia, a heart that was ready to receive the truth. God knew Lydia before she knew Him. God sent Paul. His Spirit would not let Paul turn to the left or to the right.
When Lydia’s eyes were opened to that which the prophets spoke concerning Christ, she and her household were baptized. After her profession of baptism, she said, “If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house, and abide there.” Lydia was not issuing a conditional invitation. Her use of “If” suggests that she may have been asking if she had done all that the Lord requires. Verse 14 states that Lydia attended to all things which Paul said. While we do not know the exact words which Paul spoke to Lydia, we do know that which Paul wrote in his epistles. He wrote: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). God’s gift of faith was fully sufficient for Lydia. God’s gift moved Lydia to open her home and be used by Him for His purposes.
God would have all believers let His gift be manifest in them in like manner to that of Lydia. May our actions reveal the gift of faith that God has given us.
