Bible Stories for Adults

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey - Part 1

Acts 16

Next Week - Paul’s Second Missionary Journey - Part 2 (Acts 17-18)
Bible Words to Remember:
Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. Acts 16:31

Who is the chief missionary and where is his home base in the first half of the book of Acts?
Acts 8:14, 25 = Peter, witness to the Jews - Jerusalem, capital of Judaism
What city becomes the new center for missionary efforts in the second half of the book of Acts?
Acts 11:19-21 = Antioch in Syria, third largest city in Roman empire
Who were the first leaders of this church of Gentiles?
Acts 11:25-26 = Barnabas and Saul, led church for a year
How did their roles change after this first year?
Acts 13:2-3 = They were sent out as missionaries
What was the work to which I have called them and how did it differ from Peter's?
Galatians 2:8-9 = They were missionaries to the Gentiles, Peter was to the Jews

Where was the first stop on this first missionary journey?
Acts 13:4 (4:36-37) = The island of Cyprus, Barnabas' home
What significant conversion took place on Cyprus? = Saul changed to Paul as outreach begins
Acts 13:5-6, 9, 11-12 = The proconsul (highest Roman official on island) believed
What subtle, but important, change occurred by the time Barnabas and Paul reached Perga?
Acts 13:13 = Luke began to refer to Paul as the leader (Mark also left in Perga)

Where did they go next and what did they do there?
Acts 13:14-15, 42 = Pisidian Antioch in Galatia, taught in synagogue, asked to return
What happened when they came back the next sabbath as requested?
Acts 13:44-46, 48 = The Jews rejected them so they turned their attention to Gentiles
Did they ignore the Jews from this point on? = Kicked out of Antioch, they went to Iconium
Acts 13:50-51; 14:1 = No, they always began at the synagogue in a new city
What did they do when they were physically threatened in Iconium?
Acts 14:4-7 = They went and preached in Lystra & Derbe, also in Galatia

How did things change in Lystra after they were treated as gods when Paul healed a lame man?
Acts 14:19-20 = Jews who pursued them turned the crowd on them
After making disciples in Derbe, did they keep going east to avoid their enemies?
Acts 14:21-22 = No, they revisited the cities (despite risk) and encouraged disciples
What did Saul and Barnabas do after completing their journey? = (2 yrs, 1500 miles)
Acts 14:26-28 = Reported success with Gentiles, stayed in Antioch a long time (2 yrs)

What happened during this two-year stay in Antioch? = P&B went to Jer. to set things straight
Acts 15:1-2 = Judean Christians came to Antioch saying Gentiles must be circumcised
How did Paul and Barnabas react to the Judaizers pushing for all Christians to be circumcised?
Galatians 2:5 = They didn't give in for a moment & stood up for the truth of the gospel

After much discussion (v7) and support by Peter and James, what did the church council do?
Acts 15:22-23 = They sent a letter, also sent Judas & Silas to confirm message
What did the letter say? = Judaizers acted on their own, church supports Barnabas & Paul
Acts 15:24-29 = Not required to be circumcised, but should abstain from immorality
What did these four postal workers do after delivering the letter? = J&S returned to Jerusalem
Acts 15:30-35 = Paul & Barnabas stayed in Antioch teaching & preaching

What made Paul and Barnabas decide to hit the road again?
Acts 15:36 = Paul wanted to check up on the churches they had planted
What problem arose with this suggestion? = John Mark had left them in Perga on first journey
Acts 15:37-38 = Barnabas wanted to take his cousin Mark, but Paul disagreed
With the recent experience of handling conflict, were they able to come to an agreement?
Acts 15:39a = No, they had an argument and never worked together again

How did God make good out of this human evil? = Both went to their home towns first
Acts 15:39b-41 = The split resulted in two missionary teams going two directions
Was Mark ever able to get back in Paul's good graces?
2 Timothy 4:11 = Yes, he later became helpful to Paul, Paul asked for him from prison

After rejecting Mark as an apprentice, who did Paul find to train for leading the next generation?
Acts 16:1-2 = A respected Jew/Greek boy from Lystra named Timothy
What did Paul find necessary before taking Timothy with him?
Acts 16:3 = Circumcising him
Didn't this contradict with his arguments against circumcising in Jerusalem? Why did he do it?
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 = So Jews wouldn't be offended and reject the gospel
Did Timothy's uncircumcision indicate he had not been raised as a Jew?
2 Timothy 3:15 = No, his mother had raised him as a Jew despite his Greek father

Did Timothy become a Christian during this visit by Paul to Lystra?
2 Timothy 1:5 = His grandmother Lois and mother Eunice brought him to faith
Did Timothy meet Paul's expectations better than his earlier apprentice, Mark?
Philippians 2:22 = Yes, he proved himself and Paul felt for him as a son
Did Paul officially ordain Timothy into service?
2 Timothy 1:6 = Yes, by laying on of hands (1 Timothy 4:14 - Ordained by elders)

What was one of the purposes for visiting the churches founded on the first journey?
Acts 16:4-5 = Report on the decision of the Jerusalem council
Did Paul then take the natural route west into Asia to Colossae and Ephesus?
Acts 16:6 = No, after visiting Galatian churches, was prevented from entering Asia
Was this mysterious guidance pushing them eastward into Bythinia?
Acts 16:7-8 = No, had to skirt the border & ended up in Troas (10 mi. S. of Troy ruins)
Was this a sign to travel southward on the coast of Asia?
Acts 16:9 = No, a very clear sign was given to keep going into Greece
Who joined Paul , Silas and Timothy in Troas?
Acts 16:10 = Luke ("we") - Paul maybe found this doctor to help his thorn in the flesh
Troas - Full name was Alexandrian Troas, named after Alexander the Great
Philippi - Named by & after Alexander's father, Philip of Macedon, who fortified it
Thessalonica - Named after Alexander's sister Salonika
Barclay - It may be well that there came to Paul the vision of Alexander, the man who conquered the world, and that this new vision gave Paul a new impulse towards making one world for Christ.

Where did they go to follow their call in Macedonia? = Samothrace - mountainous island landmark
Acts 16:11-12 = 2 day sail across Aegean to Philippi - Neapolis was port for Philippi
Note: Luke apparently stays in Philippi until Paul returns on third journey (16:40; 20:5-6)
With the text Luke gives Philippi, he may have lived there & met Paul on trip from Troas
As a Roman colony, Philippi had few Jews & no synagogue. Where did Paul go on the sabbath?
Acts 16:13 = Riverside 1½ mi. W of city - Jews met in open air by water when no syn
Who became the first new Christian in Europe? = Purple dye gathered by drop from shellfish
Acts 16:14-15 = Lydia, a wealthy woman; Thyatira - in Asian region of ancient Lydia

What happened one day as they went to the riverside? = MHG - God to Jews, Zeus to Greeks
Acts 16:16-17 = Young demon-possessed (Greek pythoness) slave girl shouted intros
What did Paul do when this began to interfere with his proclamation of the gospel?
Acts 16:18 = He exorcised the demon out of her
Was everyone happy for the freedom Paul gave this girl through the power of Jesus' name?
Acts 16:19-21 = Girl's owners, upset by loss of business, brought charges on them
How did the magistrates and people respond to these accusations?
Acts 16:22-24 = Had disturbing Jews beaten & thrown in prison, legs spread painfully

How did Paul and Silas respond to their mistreatment and pain?
Acts 16:25 = Singing hymns of praise late into the night - dark, stuffy inner dungeon
How could they praise God even when they were tortured and wrongfully abused?
2 Timothy 1:11-12; 2:8-10 = Paul found it an honor to suffer for his work in the gospel
How did God intervene? = An earthquake that opened doors & chains would cause a cave-in
Acts 16:26 = God freed them by opening doors and releasing chains

Faced with receiving the punishment of escaped prisoners, what did the guard do?
Acts 16:27 = He started to kill himself - a noble response for Romans
How was the jailer's fate changed?
Acts 16:28-29 = The prisoners had not escaped and stopped him from suicide
How was the jailer's fate changed even more importantly? = Saved his life eternally
Acts 16:30-34 = He and his family became Christians

How long were Paul and Silas to spend in jail for disturbing the peace?
Acts 16:35-36 = A public flogging and one night in jail was their punishment
How did Paul use his punishment to build respect for him and the new church in Philippi?
Acts 16:37 = Said he was Roman citizen; illegal to punish citizens without Roman trial
How did the local magistrates respond to this news that could get them into alot of trouble?
Acts 16:38-39 = They apologized and asked P&S to leave quietly
Did Paul and Silas take the upper hand or did they leave as requested?
Acts 16:40 = They left after first meeting with and encouraging the church