16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
- As I was reading this part, I thought about how ones culture, traditions, custom, ethnic background, upbringings all such and more factors can contribute towards your acceptance in other societies that is totally different from your origination. In most culture, looking back in history, in most culture, a society preferred to accept people who have a common interest or resemblance in culture, customs or belief system, though they different from them in terms their origination. Other wise your would be out of the group and most likely not welcomed in the society and loose the freedom to practice your belief in general your rights. This seemed to be what happened to Timothy when he came to join the believers and work with Paul. The believers were in fact people who were saved and teaching the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles (non-believers) that you might think they wouldn’t do such kind of thing. But yeah they too didn’t not accept Timothy, since his father was a Greek man. That is why Paul knew the intention of the believers and decided to circumcise Timothy so that he would join him in his journey and do the mission of God.
Interestingly, you might wonder why would Paul would do such thing since he knew that wouldn’t help Timothy to be “saved” as to that of what the believers were insisted that the Gentiles had to do. It is a great question to ask. It seemed Paul didn’t want to bring any more conflict in regard to the coming to Timothy in the mission work, with the believers since they already were in dispute with him about the same law, in regard of the Gentiles. It was an easy transition to have Timothy to be circumcised and have him to come along, so the believers wouldn’t have this issue against him.
The influence of Culture in Our Time: Past and Present
Yeah we live in a different culture, at different time period and in different society compared to what were in Paul’s and Timothy’s time. But we still see some customs that are deeply rooted in different culture, not necessary all good ones, in our times and generation as well. We might have come from different cultures and ethnic back ground. You see such a stunning beauty and marvelous work of God, in diversity, among different nations and nationalities around the globe. However, you also see, in these days, how the spirit of evil one works hard to divided the children of God and have them not to work in love and harmony towards the same goal. That goal is not the “me” goal. It all goes back to only Christ, who is the only center of our life and foundation. I, you we all are one in him! United we Stand! There is this scripture in the bible that I love so much. And it says in Galatians 3:28-29
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
All United in Christ!
All Sons and Daughters of Christ!
All one in Christ!
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
· You see the guidance and protection of the Holy spirit as they traveled from city to city and provinces to province, in different contents around the world. And also their obedience to the sprit of the Lord, not to do what he asked them not to.
13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
- Lidya, “She was a worshiper of God”! Isn’t it lovely to be known to the world that you are a worshiper of God!!! I loved in passage. As I referred back to Lidya, I thought about what it is like to be known and called the “worshiper of God”. Reading this particular part of the chapter, I saw Liday as being symbolized as a woman is in her being is totally after God and he is a worshiper of Him. Her life was like an icon. In you time should you chose to be call the worshiper of God?!
6 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
- The fortune-telling lady who were predicting the future had (a spirit )that was enabling her to tell what was yet to come in the future, and earn a great deal of money for her owners. However, we see that the sprit that she had was not the spirit of God. Paul commanded the sprit that possessed her to live her body, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in fact she was set free from it.
- For my own amazement before she was set free, the spirit with in her made her follow Paul and Timothy, for many days, and was making her to testify, to others (people standing by: could be non-believers or believers), that the God these two men serve is the MOST HIGH GOD, and they are telling the way to be saved and take a part in God’s kingdom. Even the evil sprit can not withstand and be quite in the presence of the holy sprit!
Our God is an Awesome God!!!
19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
· Reading this part of the chapter had brought tears into my eyes. I kept asking myself who would choose to pray and sing hymns to God being in a place such that of where they were: after being striped down, bitten and tortured: really would I do it. Time: Midnight, place: prison, what they were doing: praying and singing hymns to God. Think of yourself in their place. How many times our heart chose to give thanks to the God and worship him when things went wrong totally in opposite direction in our life? Hmm….
· Today is a new day and thanks to him he has made all things NEW!!!
· As I was reading this part of the verse, I clearly saw a key point that is also a way out from what so ever things that surround our life. Worship the Lord all the time!!! If you’ve noticed, when Paul and Silas worshiped the Lord, not only the chains of Paul and Silas loose but also the other prisons who were observes/listeners of the worship that was sang by the two men, not participant. See we have been given a power to go beyond ourselves and even live to save others.
· ምስጋና!!! Through it all: Never to be forgotten!
33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
- In this passage, you see the complete transformation of the Jailer’s heart, who was once participant of Paul and Silas’s imprisonment, by the holy spirit. He was once probably bitten these man or probably might have said mean things and treated them badly. However, once he knew the true and accepted Jesus Christ to be his Lord and savior, the word of God tells us how he was filled with joy because of he had come to believe in God. He became friends with Paul and Silas and even asked not order them anymore, what he should do to be saved. Act 16:29.
35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.”
37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
- Even though both Paul and Sila’s were citizens of Roman, whom by law supposed to be treated just like the other Romans and had a trial for them to be placed in a prison, they were tortured and placed in jail, for the name of Christ. It is evident
- It is evident in our century we see this kind of injustice happens all over around the world, and many men and women were given their life for the sake of spreading the gospel of Christ. I pray may the Lord comfort their family and give them strength.
40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.
- Importance of encouragement and follow up of each other and our brothers and sisters in Christ are important.
- I see how Paul and Silas were determined to do that by choosing to go to Lydia’s house, the lady who was called as the worshiper of God in the above verse, and encourage bothers and sisters whom they had met previously, after what they had been though.
Mission Accomplished!
