Paul Returning to Strengthen the Church’s_13ACTS 16:1-11
THE SECOND GREAT MISSION OF PAUL TO THE GENTILES: TO EUROPE.Paul sets off on his second missionary journey, taking with him Silas and Timothy. This passage is a striking picture of Paul’s faithfulness to the Lord’s church.
THE CIRCUMCISION AT LYSTRA (16:1-5)
The recipient (16:3b): Paul circumcises Timothy, who now joins the team.The reason (1-3a): Paul does this so as not to offend the Jews, for Timothy’s mother is a Jewess, but his father is a Gentile.
The results (16:4-5): The expanded team preaches the gospel in surrounding areas with much success.
THE CALL AT TROAS (16:6-10)
The Spirit tells Paul not to go north or south (16:6-8).
The Spirit tells Paul to go west Acts 16:9-10: Paul has a vision of a man from Macedonia pleading with him to come and help the Macedonians.God can use unhappy, perplexing failures to bring fresh purpose and direction to our lives. He can restore the years the locusts have eaten—with abundance Joel 2:25-27! Even when we are at fault, God will use our failures to bring greater blessing!God will lead us according to his own perfect plan for our lives and ministries. We must be careful not to box God in by our prior experience. The most important thing by far is our attitude.
Why God directs us west when we want or expect to go north, we do not know. Why he did not give Paul a vision at the beginning instead of the end, we cannot fully explain. But this we know: God directs us through every situation, the apparently good and the apparently bad. We need to yield to his caring hand.