Barnabas Departs and Timothy Recruited

Acts 15:36–16:5

Overview

This passage begins not only Paul’s second missionary journey, but also the next major section of the book of Acts. Each journey Paul takes is longer than the ones preceding it. It is thought that the first journey was 1,581 miles long, whereas this journey will be 3,050 miles long. The final journey, the longest journey, was 3,307 miles long. This journey is just as exciting as the previous. The first journey draws the reader in as it is the first time Luke takes the read out of the Middle East. We met new communities, visited new cities, learned about new leadership structures and waded our way through hellenistic religons. This second journey will tour us through new lands, new problems and we’ll even see a change of cast. That is where our passage brings us at the present.

People

Silas — Silas is an eminent member of the early Christian Church, described under that name in the Acts but as Silvanus in St. Paul’s epistles. He first appears as one of the leaders of the church at Jerusalem (Acts 15:22) holding the office of an inspired teacher. (Acts 15:32) His name, derived from the Latin silva , “wood,” betokens him a Hellenistic Jew, and he appears to have been a Roman citizen. (Acts 16:37) He was appointed as a delegate to accompany Paul and Barnabas on their return to Antioch with the decree of the Council of Jerusalem. (Acts 15:22,32) Having accomplished this mission, he returned to Jerusalem. (Acts 15:33) He must, however, have immediately revisited Antioch, for we find him selected by St. Paul as the companion of his second missionary journey. (Acts 15:40; Acts 17:10) At Berea he was left behind with Timothy while St. Paul proceeded to Athens, (Acts 17:14) and we hear nothing more of his movements until he rejoined the apostle at Corinth. (Acts 18:5) His presence at Corinth is several times noticed. (2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1) Whether he was the Silvanus who conveyed St. Peter’s first epistle to Asia Minor, (1 Peter 5:12) is doubtful the probabilities are in favor of the identity. A tradition of very slight authority represents Silas to have become bishop of Corinth. (Smith’s)

He was a good choice for Paul to bring along with him, for many reasons. 1. Silas could speak for the Jerusalem church and make clear that Paul was not at odds with the mother church regardless of what the Judaizers may have said when they visited Galatia; 2. He could interpret the decree, a matter of no small importance for the viability of the ongoing Pauline mission; 3. as 1 and 2 Thessalonians and 2 Corinthians were to show, Silas was a capable coworker, and probably also a coauthor of, or at least the secretary for, two of Paul’s earlier letters; 4. it appears from Acts 16 that he was a Roman citizen, which would be especially useful in colony cities like Troas, Philippi, or Corinth. (Witherington)

Timothy — The disciple thus named was the son of one of those mixed marriages which, though condemned by stricter Jewish opinion were yet not uncommon in the later periods of Jewish history. The fathers name is unknown; he was a Greek, i.e. a Gentile, by descent. ( Acts 16:1 Acts 16:3 ) The absence of any personal allusion to the father in the Acts or Epistles suggests the inference that he must have died or disappeared during his sons infancy. The care of the boy thus devolved upon his mother Eunice and her mother Lois. ( 2 Timothy 1:5 ) Under their training his education was emphatically Jewish. “From a child” he learned to “know the Holy Scriptures” daily. The language of the Acts leaves it uncertain whether Lystra or Derbe was the residence of the devout family. The arrival of Paul and Barnabas in Lycaonia, A.D. 44, ( Acts 14:6 ) brought the message of glad tidings to Timothy and his mother, and they received it with “unfeigned faith.” ( 2 Timothy 1:5 ) During the interval of seven years between the apostles first and second journeys the boy grew up to manhood. Those who had the deepest insight into character, and spoke with a prophetic utterance, pointed to him, ( 1 Timothy 1:18 ; 4:14 ) as others had pointed before to Paul and Barnabas, ( Acts 13:2 ) as specially fit for the missionary work in which the apostle was engaged. Personal feeling led St. Paul to the same conclusion, ( Acts 16:3 ) and he was solemnly set apart to do the work and possibly to bear the title of evangelist. ( 1 Timothy 4:14 ; 2 Timothy 1:6 ; 4:5 ) A great obstacle, however, presented itself. Timothy, though reckoned as one of the seed of Abraham, had been allowed to grow up to the age of manhood without the sign of circumcision. With a special view to the feelings of the Jews making no sacrifice of principle, the apostle, who had refused to permit the circumcision of Titus, “took and circumcised” Timothy. ( Acts 16:3 ) Henceforth Timothy was one of his most constant companions. (Smith’s)

He is said in verse 1 to be already a disciple, which likely means we are meant to think that he was converted on one of the two visits Paul paid to the city on his first missionary journey. In fact, 1 Corinthians 4:7 seems to suggest that Paul did convert Timothy, since he calls both him and the Corinthians his (spiritual) children. (Ludemann & Witherington)

Background

Strife over Mark — The major conflict comes from the issue of bringing Mark along on the second missionary journey. Obviously, Barnabas prefers to bring him and Paul refuses. Luke sides with Paul on this one because he uses the Greek word aphistémi to describe Mark’s decision to leave on the first missionary trip, which is where we get the our word ‘apostate.’ This is an incredibly intense word.

Circumcision — It has often been thought unbelievable that the real Paul… would have Timothy circumcised. This position overlooks a variety of factors: 1. Timothy was at least part Jewish. Had he simply been a Gentile, then indeed it would have been historically unbelievable that Paul would have circumcised him, even for prudential reasons, especially after the Acts 15 council; 2. There is no evidence that Paul objected to Jewish Christians practicing their ancestral religion so long as it was understood that doing so was not necessary for salvation, either for them or for Gentiles. The problem with the Judaizers was aptly stated at 15:1 — they believed that unless one was circumcised and kept the Mosaic Law, one could not be saved.

In any case, Ludemann is right to conclude: “…Paul’s concept of freedom allowed him ‘to become a Jew to the Jews’ (1 Cor. 9:19). In other words, for utilitarian reasons, Paul could very well have circumcised a colleague who came from a mixed marriage, all the more since his mother was Jewish and theus Timothy was a Jew by rabbinic law. … Paul’s intrinsic attitute toward the act of circumcising a Jewish Christian is expressed in 1 Cor. 9:19, ‘Circumcision is nothing and the foreskin is nothing.’” (Ludemann & Witherington)

Places

Derbe — Derbe was a city in the district of Lycaonia in the Roman province of Galatia in south-central Asia Minor. It sat on a major route connecting Iconium to Laranda and was about 60 miles from Lystra. Inscriptions found in homes from excavations shows that Christianity had a major presence after Paul left the city.

Lystra — Lystra (modern Zoldera) was a Roman colony. It was the furthest east of the fortified cities of Galatia. Lystra was about 20 miles south of Iconium. Twenty miles was a normal day’s travel in the Roman Empire at this time. Lystra served as a market town of Lycaonia in south central modern-day Turkey. Luke did not mention synagogue evangelism here. Evidently, there were so few Jews that there was no synagogue in Lystra (or in Philippi). (Constable) Instead, there was a temple to Zeus near the gates of the city, and a statue of Hermes dedicated to Zeus was found here as well. Lystra would have sat on the hill in the image.

Key Ideas

Disagreement — paroksysmós, a provocation which literally jabs (cuts) someone so they “must” respond. (HELPS) This word is exceptionally interesting in this passage because Luke does not hide the issues of the early church. Many like to paint a utopic picture of the first century Christians, but they were not perfect. This word specifically shows us that Paul and Barnabas’ disagreement was not small. The word carries with it the imagery of ‘cutting.’ This is powerful language and the conflict was severing.

Withdraw — aphistémi, to lead away and seduce. It is where we get the word apsotate from. An apostate is someone who renounces the faith and/or lapses back to old ways.

Possible Discussion Points

• As best we can tell, Paul circumcised Timothy for missional purposes. Here we have an extreme example of of some becoming “a Jew to the Jews” that they might win the Jews. (1 Cor. 9:19) It begs us to ask ourselves, in what ways are we making adjustments to our lives so that we might win over those we are reaching out to? What freedoms are we setting aside that we might better reach the lost?
• Paul has a desire to go back to the cities he planted churches in, and he did go back to some of them. Are there people in your life that you have helped get started in their walk with Jesus that you need to go back and follow up? Are there people that you helped get started but may need some additional help at this time?
• The great missionary team split up due to a conflict of who to bring along with them on their second tour. Are there people in your life that you currently have unresolved conflict with? What example does that communicate for the kingdom? What might you need to do to bring peace to the situation?