The first part of Acts 18 describes the founding of the church in Corinth. Although one of the most problematic of the early churches given the nature and tone of Paul’s two epistles to the Corinthians, God had a special plan for this Greek city known for its linked sins of idolatry and immorality. I […]

The second half of Acts 17 is Luke’s account of Paul in the city of Athens. Some of the self-proclaimed intellectuals of Athens referred to Paul with the derogatory label: idle babbler – a term that can be translated as “one who makes his living picking up scraps.” But it was the Athenians who were […]

How is a believer to respond to the governing authorities?  That’s a question Paul had to deal with in a prison in Philippi after an earthquake miraculously unfastened their chains and opened the doors of the prison (Acts 16:25-34).  God used Paul and Silas to bring salvation to their jailer and his entire household.  Out […]

While in Philippi of Macedonia, Paul and Silas were unjustly beaten with rods, thrown into prison under guard, and their feet placed in stocks (Acts 16:23-24). Under those conditions, I suspect many of us would either be taken up with complaint, pity, or plotting our escape or release so that we could “seek and serve […]

In Acts 16 Paul finally made it to Europe, to Philippi of Macedonia. The first convert there was a woman named Lydia, who ended up being baptized along with her household. Some time later (v. 16): And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave-girl having a spirit […]

Acts 16:6-12 is a travel blog by Luke of Paul’s journey with his companions through Asia Minor and across the water into Southeast Europe – six regions and four cities are mentioned. But it is more than a geography lesson – it is also a lesson on the different means God used to direct Paul’s […]

We are introduced to another young man in the ministry at the beginning of Acts 16. The team of Paul and Silas came to the Asia Minor towns of Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was […]

After Paul and Barnabas’ first fruitful mission to the Gentiles, they returned to their home base in Antioch where there were numerous Gentile believers. But some men, presumably Jewish believers, came from Judea and said (Acts 15:1) – “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” In short, their […]

Whatever else you may say about the apostles Paul and Barnabas, you cannot deny that they were men of integrity. At least two of their statements in Acts 14 bear this out. After Paul was used by God to heal a lame man in the city of Lystra, the people praised Paul and Barnabas as […]