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November 23rd

The bible reading today is in Acts 15 and 16.

Paul and Barnabas spent the better part of three years, 46-48, on their first missionary journey. The church of Galatia was started in the region of Lystra and Derbe. And during their time in Lystra, Paul was stoned by locals...almost killed.

And what did Paul do? He convalesced in Derbe for a while and then he and Barnabas finished their missionary journey and returned to Antioch Syria.

After a short trip to Jerusalem to share their experiences with the church elders there, Paul suggested to Barnabas they go back to the Mediterranean and strengthen the churches they planted on their journey.

Barnabas was good with the suggestion and suggested that they take John Mark with them again. Paul balked at the suggestion and the two missionaries went their separate ways.

Question...Who sinned? Paul or Barnabas?

All that we know from the scriptural record is that Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement. And a disagreement is not a sin unless we disagree with God.

By the way, Paul took Silas and Barnabas took John Mark. And they all took off to spread the gospel in their God-given directions and God-given ways.

Now to today’s text...“Paul came to Derbe and to Lystra again. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16:1‬

Timothy is a great story to my soul. He grew up in a Jewish home with a Jewish mother and a Jewish grandmother. But he couldn't call himself a Jew because his father was a Greek. To the Jewish community, Timothy was nothing clean.

Because of that, Timothy could not go to the synagogue school with the boys his age. Timothy could not worship Yahweh at the synagogue in his town or at the House of God in Jerusalem. He was unclean...thus he was shunned by the community of his birth mother and the community of his birth father. Timothy grew up in no man’s land...Until...the Apostle Paul and Barnabas came preaching Jesus in Lystra three or four years before then.

His grandmother and his mother were saved under the ministry of the missionaries. And then God used the two women to lead the teenager Timothy to saving faith in Christ.

How many times did the child growing up ask his grandmother for the real reason why the other kids couldn't play with him?

How many times did the young teenager ask his mom why the other boys were getting picked for rabbi school and he was passed over time after time?

How many times did the lonely teen have to endure the snobbery of his Gentile neighbors who called him “half breed”?

This young man needed what his mom and grandmother had. Praise God that they understood that and passed on the good news of Jesus to him.

And now we read where the apostle Paul invited him to join he and Silas on the second missionary journey.

Talk about a discipling adventure...Paul recognized the laborer and invited him into the harvest...what a kingdom thing!

And what did Timothy learn on his maiden voyage as a missionary? Something about...either a sovereign God changed his mind...or...Paul missed God’s directions in the beginning.

Well, that’s the rest of the story...

Have a great day