PAUL THE APOSTLE ( Part 20) | THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY BEGINS

Pastor Christopher Choo

Lesson 3119

PAUL THE APOSTLE ( Part 20)

THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY BEGINS

Paul's Second Missionary journey took place between 50AD and 52 AD. He traveled throughout many parts of Asia and Europe to share the gospel. This pioneering journey is described in chapters 15 to 18 of the Book of Acts. It is important because Paul and Silas sowed the first seeds of the gospel in Europe - leading to the ultimate conversion of the West including the Americas!

Instead of sailing this time, Paul and Silas started the Second Missionary journey overland, crossing one mountain range to Tarsus ( Paul's birthplace ), then another to Derbe and Lystra as they moved west. 

In the area of Derbe and Lystra, Paul met up with Timothy  whom he may have mentored on his first trip as one of his converts. 

Timothy's grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice were devout Jews who have become ardent believers too. They may well have influenced and encouraged Timothy to join Paul and Silas as a ministry partner. But Paul did something curious. Despite the fact that Timothy’s father was Greek and the church in Jerusalem had just decreed that Gentile believers did not have to be circumcised, Paul circumcised Timothy so as not to offend their fellow Jews.

Orthodox Judaism still holds that Jewishness comes from the mother’s line, and Timothy’s mother was Jewish. 

But as far as the Jews in Asia Minor were concerned, Timothy was a Jew in name only for he was not yet circumcised. Paul made sure Timothy was in a position to receive respect as a Jewish believer (Acts 16:9). This is a classic example of deference—the yielding of one’s rights in order not to offend those to whom one minister.

Abba Father, it is good that the same principle of forbearance was observed in Paul's relationship with Timothy. He becomes a younger traveling companion in their midst. Together they traveled throughout Galatia visiting all the churches Paul and Silas had planted together. They delivered the decision of the church at Jerusalem and the guidelines for Gentile believers to obey. All the churches there were greatly encouraged and continued to grow in numbers. Thus the gospel would eventually go westwards and conquer Rome itself.