St. Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

Reading Portion

Acts 15:36 — 18:22

Lesson Content

1. Antioch — Paul invited Barnabas to revisit the places they had been to on their first journey. Con tention arose when Barnabas decided to take with them, John whose surname was Mark and Paul disagreed. So Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Paul chose Silas and went to Syria and Cilicia. This was in A.D.49 (Acts 15:36-41).

2. Syria and Cilicia — Confirmed the churches there and then proceeded to Derbe and Lystra (Acts 15:41; 16:1).

3. Derbe and Lystra — Paul met Timotheus in Lystra and desired to take him with him. Timotheus’ mother was a Jewess and father, a Greek. Timotheus was circumcised because of the Jews. They went through the cities and delivered them the decrees to keep, which were ordained of the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. So the churches were established in the faith and increased in number daily (Acts 16:1-5).

4. Phrygia, Galatia — As they went through these regions, they were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia (Acts 16:6).

5. Mysia — Then they went to Mysia. The Spirit forbade them to go to Bithynia (Acts 16:7).

6. Troas — in a vision, a Macedonian called Paul t o Macedonia. They immediately set sail and arrived at Neapolis (Acts 16:8-11).

7. Philippi — A city in Macedonia, under Roman rule, built by Augustus. They went to the customary place of prayer by a river side outside the city. Here a woman called Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, was converted and baptized. They cast out the spirit of divination from a damsel possessed with it. Her masters seeing that the hope of their gains was gone, handed Paul and Silas over to the magistrates. They bo th were beaten and put into prison. The Lord miraculously delivered them. The keeper of the prison and his household were saved. They passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica (Acts 16:12-40; 17:1).

8. Thessalonica — Paul went to a synagogue of the Jews and reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. Many of them accepted the Word. The Jews who did not believe, drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers. Paul and Silas were sent away by the brethren to the city of Berea because of this trouble (Acts 17:1-10).

9. Berea — Berea was sixty miles from Thessalonica. The Jews and Greeks here accepted them with joy. Here the people were more noble than those of Thessalonica. The Jews from Thessalonica came and stirred up the people. Paul wa s sent away to go to the sea coast and conducted to Athens (Acts 17:10-15).

10. Athens — This was a city wholly given to idolatry. Paul disputed in the synagogue with the Jews and devout persons and in the market daily with the people he met. Philosophers encountered him. He preached from Mars' hill. When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, a few accepted the Word and believed. Among them were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris. Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth (Acts 17:16-34; 18:1).

11. Corinth — This was the capital of Achaia, a Roman State. Paul did tent making with Aquila and Priscilla. He reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath and exhorted the Jews and the Greeks. Some Jews opposed. He departed thence and stayed in the house of Justus which was next to the synagogue. Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house. Many Corinthians believed the gospel and were baptized. The Lord appeared to Paul in a vision at night, and told him that He had many people in that city and that he should speak and not be afraid. So Paul continued there for one year and six months and taught the Word of God. Some of the Jews accused Paul before Gallio, the deputy who refused to interfere in matters pertaining to their Law and drove them out. Paul then went to Cenchrea, a harbour near Corinth and sailed to Ephesus (Acts 18:1-19).

12. Ephesus — He left Aquila and Priscilla here. He reasoned with the Jews. After that he set sail from Ephesus and came to Caesarea (Acts 18:19-22). After arriving at Caesarea, he went to Jerusalem, saluted the church and then returned to Antioch from where he had commenced his journey. This was in A.D.54 (Acts 18:21,22).

Moral

The apostles depended entirely up on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whether the Spirit bade them to go to certain places or it forbade them. We should also be willing to obey the Holy Spirit in all matters in our daily life.