BIBLE STUDY LESSON 05

SERIES V --- JOURNEYS FOR YESHUA

WHEN BROTHERS SEPARATE

THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY: THE CALL TO MACEDONIA

From Acts 15:35-16:15

For some time, Paul and Barnabas stayed at Antioch, helping others who preached and taught the Word of YHVH there. One day Paul talked with Barnabas about returning to the places they had visited on their first missionary journey. [Why don’t we go back to each place where we preached the Word of YHVH to see how the brothers are doing?] Barnabas thought this was good and suggested that they take John Mark with them again. But Paul refused, for John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia the last time, leaving Paul and Barnabas to face the hardest part of the trip without his help. Paul and Barnabas had such a sharp disagreement over John Mark that they parted ways. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for the island of Cyprus. Paul chose Silas as his traveling companion, and after the brothers at Antioch had blessed them, went through Syria and Cilicia, encouraging the believers in place after place. After visiting Derbe, Paul and Silas went on to Lystra, where they met a young follower named Timothy. His home was there in Lystra, where he lived with his mother, a Jewish believer, and his father, a Greek. The believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke so highly of Timothy that Paul invited him to go along on their missionary journey. Timothy’s Greek father had evidently not permitted him to be circumcised, but Paul persuaded Timothy to have it done to please the Jewish people with whom they ministered. As the missionaries travelled from city to city, they shared with the believers the decisions of the council in Jerusalem. The churches were strengthened in the faith, with new believers added daily. They had planned next to go into Asia, but Ruach HaKodesh would not let them, so they travelled through Phrygia and Galatia. When they reached Mysia, they made plans to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Yeshua would not permit that either. They went on to Troas. That night, in a vision, Paul saw a man from Macedonia pleading with him. [Come here to Macedonia and help us,] the man urged. Paul and his friends decided that this was YHVH’s call for them to go into Macedonia, so they made plans to leave at once. From Troas they sailed straight for Samothrace, then on to the seaport of Neapolis, their first stop in Macedonia. From Neapolis they went overland a few miles to the northwest to Philippi, a Roman colony and leading city of Macedonia, where they stayed for several days. When the Shabbat came, Paul and his companions went outside the city gate to a certain place along the nearby river. They had heard that a small group of people met there for prayer. When they found the prayer group, Paul and his companions sat down to talk with them, teaching them the Word of YHVH. One of the women in the group was Lydia, who sold purple cloth, a luxury at that time. Lydia, who worshiped Adonai, listened intently as Paul spoke, and Adonai opened her heart to accept the Gospel. She and other members of her household requested baptism, then invited Paul and his companions to be guests at her home. [If you believe I am faithful to Adonai, stay at my house,] she said. With some encouragement, she persuaded them to stay.

COMMENTARY

THE FAMILY OF TIMOTHY

Timothy came from a remarkable home. Three generations of his family became believers through the preaching of the apostle Paul. They were members of the early church in Lystra, which Paul founded on his first missionary journey. When the apostle returned to Lystra, he was amazed at the spiritual example set by the members of this family. Paul speaks with respect of Timothy, his mother and his grandmother. All three generations were faithful followers of Moshiach at a time when it was dangerous to be a believer. Paul had been stoned and left for dead on his first visit to Lystra. But in spite of the danger, Timothy’s family did not hesitate to send the young man with Paul on his missionary journeys.

TIMOTHY

Timothy was a young man when Paul returned to Lystra on his second missionary journey. The apostle was impressed by the strength of his faith and chose Timothy to be his co-worker and companion. Before he joined Paul in his travels, Timothy was circumcised and ordained by the church in Lystra. That ceremony marked the beginning of a lifetime of service to the Gospel. Timothy accompanied Paul on his second and third missionary journeys, preaching the Gospel in Macedonia, Greece and Palestine. The young man was such a faithful companion that Paul came to love Timothy as if he were his own son. While Timothy served in Ephesus as Paul’s representative, the apostle wrote two letters to him offering practical as well as spiritual advice. Today, these letters addressed to Timothy can be read in the New Testament. Paul died in prison soon after writing the second letter. But even after the apostle’s death, Timothy continued the work which Paul began, preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles.

TIMOTHY’S FATHER

Timothy’s father is not named in the New Testament, but Paul says that he was a pagan Greek. it is not known if he was still living when the other members of his family became believers. Although his wife was Jewish, their son, Timothy, was not circumcised when he was a baby. Perhaps his father objected to the ceremony because he wanted his son to be raised as a Gentile.

LOIS

Lois was the mother of Eunice and the grandmother of Timothy. Although she had a Greek name, Lois was a devout Jewish woman. She was probably a widow, living with her daughter and grandson in Lystra. With the other members of her family, Lois became a believer when Paul brought the Gospel to their city on his first missionary journey. The apostle honours Lois and Eunice as women of YHVH who displayed great believer’s faith.

EUNICE

By Hebrew Law, the child of a Jewish woman was considered a Jew even if his father was a Gentile. Although Timothy was not circumcised, Eunice raised her son in the Jewish faith. She taught him to honour Adonai, showing him the promises of YHVH in the Hebrew Scriptures. Her belief set an example for Timothy and laid the foundation for his own unswerving dedication to the Gospel.