Paul Witnesses in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1–9)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, July 27, 2025

Jesus loves Jews and Gentiles

In his autobiography, Col. Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame says that he was always a God-fearing man. In every venture he gave God a tenth of the profits. Yet he knew that if he died, God probably wouldn’t take him to heaven.

Worried, he traveled to Australia to a special church convention for the answer. He didn’t find it.

One day, Sanders was walking down a street in Louisville, Kentucky, when Rev. Waymon Rodgers of Louisville’s Evangel Tabernacle invited him to some evangelistic services. Several days later, Sanders went. At age 79, he claimed the promises of Rom. 10:9. “When I walked out of that church that night, I knew I was a different man. All my tithing and good deeds had never given me the sense of God’s presence that I knew then,” he says.

I found that to be a very interesting story. However, as I am sure most of you know, the Gospel would have never reached the United States without Paul the Apostle and his mission to the Gentiles.  You see all of Jesus’ disciples were Jewish. The early spread of the Gospel was to Jews. Acts 2 shares how the Gospel spread at Pentecost to mostly Jews. But as you read through the book of Acts, you can see how things change to spread the Gospel to Gentiles and Jews.  Then we see in Paul’s second missionary journey that he preaches to Jews and Gentiles. A little way through Paul’s second journey, we find him speaking to the Thessalonians and the Bereans.  

Two things of importance in this passage:

1. God loves all cultures: Paul speaks to the Jews and the Gentiles
2. Evangelism: Paul preaches the Gospel wherever he goes. Despite being beaten and persecuted for the Gospel, Paul still preaches the Gospel.

1. Context:
   1. Paul and Silas have been traveling from city to city preaching the gospel.
   2. At the end of Acts 16, Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned. Through miraculous events, they shared the Gospel with the jailer, and he and his family were saved.
   3. They now head to Thessalonica.
   4. Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia, and Thessalonica were all cities on the main east-west Roman highway called the “Egnatian Way.” These cities were separated from each other by about a day’s journey by foot.^[1]
2. Paul in Thessalonica:
   1. Look at Acts 17:1: Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
   2. Let me start by telling you a little about the culture of the Thessalonians.
   3. The Thessalonians had an array of cults. Zeus, Asclepius, Aphrodite, and Demeter were popular among the people. Archaeologists have discovered a sanctuary in the sacred cult area in the area of the city devoted to the Egyptian God Sarapis. This deity was worshipped as one who healed the sick, worked miracles, broke the powers of astral fate, and could speak to his followers in dreams. Many of the inscriptions at this site also point to the worship of the Egyptian goddess Isis.[2]
   4. There was a cult to Cabirus that was very pagan, being bloody and sexually perverse. In a similar way, the cult of Dionysus gave prominence to Phallic symbolism in addition to the drunken revelry that went along with the celebration of the god. These two cults certainly had a powerfully negative impact on the social ethics of the city. Converts from these cults had a long way to go in appropriating a distinctively Christian lifestyle.[3]
   5. I want to emphasize this because when we read the New Testament, we are reading through the text into a culture that we really don’t understand. It should be helpful to understand the culture. The text is God’s Word and has many applications for us; however, we can understand the text more holistically by understanding the culture in which it was written.
   6. The Thessalonians also revered the Roman rulers as divine. During the reign of Caesar Augustus, a temple was built for the ruler to honor Augustus and his successors.[4]
   7. From the letters of 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians, it does seem evident that the Thessalonians were passionate about the Gospel and spread the Gospel around the area. Also, Thessalonica was the most populous city in Macedonia.
   8. As an aside, Acts gives us a brief overview of Paul’s time in Thessalonica. After leaving, Paul wrote two letters to the Thessalonians called 1st and 2nd. We can learn more about Paul’s time and teaching in Thessalonica from these two letters.
3. Paul shared the gospel with them.
   1. Look at verses 2-4: ² And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” ⁴ And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
   2. The text in Acts 17:2 says that Paul “reasoned with them for three Sabbath days.” This could lead us to conclude that Paul was only in Thessalonica for a period of three weeks.
   3. Three Sabbath days may have only been how long he was welcome in the synagogues.
   4. We do know that he stayed long enough to receive a gift from the Philippians (Phi 4:16) and he spends time working (1Thess 2:9). He was probably there a couple of months.[5]
   5. Now we see Paul preach to the Jews and the Gentiles. What did he teach them?
   6. Notice how verses 2-3 share that he was explaining and proving that the Christ must suffer and rise from the dead. He was sharing that this Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.
   7. He probably told them Isaiah 52:13-53:12: this was the servant song. In this song, Isaiah, hundreds of years before Christ, wrote about how the Messiah had to die. Paul’s argument had three parts: a rhetorical form of syllogism. Usually, two parts or three with the third implied:
      1. The Christ must suffer and rise again,
      2. Jesus died on the cross and rose again,
      3. Therefore, this Jesus must be the Messiah.[6]
4. Paul considered them intelligent and spoke from a source they both understood: the Scriptures. This may be why there were converts, including Jews and prominent men and women.
5. Then we see that Jews and Gentiles receive Christ. Notice the text says, along with a number of God-fearing Greeks. These are Greek Jews. The text also says “leading women” received Christ. It is worth noting here that women of high status were present in Thessalonica.
6.  Opposition:
   1. Look at verses 5-9:
   2. ⁵ But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. ⁶ And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, ⁷ and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” ⁸ And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. ⁹ And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
   3. Then, Paul is chased out of Thessalonica. Look what happens, some Jews became jealous and stirred up a mob. Why? Caesar issued decrees (dogma) warning anyone about predicting a change in rulership. Caesar Augustus issued a decree in AD 11 explicitly forbidding the use of astrology to predict his or anyone else’s death. Tiberius reaffirms this by putting to death those who ignore it.
   4. Some cities pledged their allegiance to Caesar by offering oaths of loyalty. An example of one comes from the city of Paphlagonia in Asia Minor (dated to 3 BC):
   5. “I swear… that I will support Caesar Augustus, his children and descendants, throughout my life, in word, deed and thought… that in whatsoever concerns them I will spare neither body nor soul nor life nor children…. That whenever I see or hear of anything being said, planned or done against them I will report it.. and whomsoever they regard as enemies I will attack and pursue with arms and the sword by land and by sea…”[7]
   6. Paul teaches that Jesus is Lord, and the “Day of the Lord” suggests thoughts of a change in rulership. Given the above quote, we can see how they went against him.
   7. Paul taught that there was another Lord, and he, in an indirect way, taught that this Caesar wasn’t a Lord.
   8. Verse 6 reads that they attack the house of Jason. Who is Jason?
   9. Jason was the host for Paul and Silas.
   10. The people who wanted to persecute Paul and Silas could not find them, so they dragged Jason out of the house.
   11. Notice what is shared in verse 7: they, Paul and Silas, are acting against the decrees of Caesar.
   12. They are saying there is another king, Jesus.
   13. Jason and others posted bond and were let go.
   14. Jason may have been a convert from verses 2-3 of this chapter.
   15. One source reads: Jason may have been prosperous since he could offer hospitality to Paul and Silas and apparently host as well the house church they had begun. Once the missionaries had left Thessalonica, Jason probably was locally recognized as the leader of the church. It has generally been assumed that he and the brethren were arrested in Paul’s stead and that the security they supplied functioned as a promise to the authorities to keep Paul from returning. Yet it is quite probable that Jason was in trouble not merely by default, but in his own right. Evidence for this is that the bond he posted seems related not directly to Paul’s activities but rather to actions by the church members themselves (Jewett 1986: 117; cf. Gillman fc.). Whatever these actions were, they resulted in ongoing suffering for the Thessalonian Christians at the hands of their “countrymen” after Paul had left (1 Thess 2:14). A further argument that Jason’s bond did not relate to Paul is the latter’s remark in 1 Thess 2:18 that he had attempted to return to Thessalonica “again and again—but Satan hindered us.”^[8]

The Gospel is God’s love for Jews, Greeks, and everyone. How important is the Gospel to us? Do we share the Gospel?

George Whitefield at the age of 16 became deeply convicted of sin. He tried everything possible to erase his guilt through religious activity. He wrote, “I fasted for 36 hours twice a week. I prayed formal prayers several times a day and almost starved myself to death during Lent, but only felt more miserable. Then by God’s grace I met Charles Wesley who put a book in my hand which showed me from the Scriptures that I must be “born again” or be eternally lost.”

Finally, by the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart, Whitefield came to understand Jesus’ words in John 3. He believed and was gloriously saved. After he became a preacher, he spoke at least a thousand times on the subject, “Ye must be born again.” He fervently desired that all who heard him might experience the transforming power of God’s grace.

—Our Daily Bread

Prayer

^[1] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2120.

[2] Arnold, Clinton E.  Acts.  Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. P. 162.

[3] Arnold, Clinton E.  Acts.  Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. P. 162.

[4] Arnold, Clinton E.  Acts.  Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. P. 162.

[5] Arnold, Clinton E.  Acts.  Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. P. 163

[6] Witherington III, Ben.  The Acts of the Apostles : A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary.  Grand Rapids, MI:  Eerdmans, 1997.  ISBN 0802845010. P. 505.

[7] Arnold, Clinton E.  Acts.  Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. P. 165.

1. forthcoming (publication)

^[8] Florence Morgan Gillman, “Jason (Person),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 649.

Paul Witnesses in Philippi (Acts 16:11–40)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, July 20, 2025

Tim Keller shares:

There is an ancient prayer Jewish men prayed in the morning. It’s a very controversial prayer. You can go on the websites and see all the different debates about it. I’m not here to defend it or criticize it either, but we do know Paul would have used it. It’s a very famous prayer Jewish men often prayed first thing in the morning.

“Oh Lord God, I thank thee that you did not make me …” What? “… a woman, a slave, or a Gentile,” which means, here is Paul who, as a Pharisee, would have gotten up for days and days and years and years every morning, saying, “Oh Lord, I’m so grateful I’m not like those women. I’m not like those slaves. I’m not like those Gentiles.” The first three conversions of his new church in Philippi are a woman, a slave, and a Gentile. Now they’re his family. What changed Paul? What power could bring people like that together?^[1]

This passage begins and ends with a prominent woman. The bulk of this passage is about the gospel going to women.

Additionally, we see people from different cultural backgrounds saved.

My Theme:

The Gospel is for everyone.

The conversions at Philippi. The gospel team wins two key people to Jesus and frees one person from a demon.^[2]

[My outline, and only the outline, is adapted from: The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999), H. L. Willmington.]

1. A businesswoman is saved. (Acts 16:11-15).
   1. Context, let’s start with the context.
   2. In the previous few verses, Timothy joined Paul’s team, and then Paul received a vision telling him to come to Macedonia.
   3. Macedonia was a vast region that encompassed numerous cities, including Philippi.
   4. Acts 16:11–15 (ESV)
   5. ¹¹ So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. ¹³ And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. ¹⁴ One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. ¹⁵ And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
   6. This passage begins with a travel log.
   7. Notice in verse 11, Luke writes, “We made a direct voyage…”
   8. Notice Paul is with Silas now.
   9. Luke is now with the Apostle Paul. The “we” section began in verse 10.
   10. The total distance from Troas to Neapolis was some 156 miles, and while this trip took only two days, the return trip mentioned in 20:5 took five.^[3]
   11. In verse 11 we see the travel log.
   12. It would be easy to gloss over these, but they demonstrate the authenticity of the Book of Acts.
   13. Verse 12 gives us some interesting details about Philippi.
   14. Philippi is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
   15. Luke writes that they remained there some days.
   16. In verses 13-14, they meet this businesswoman. They go down and they talk with women by the river. They are talking about the gospel.
   17. She is Lydia, a merchant of expensive purple cloth.
   18. By the way, Keller shares: [The gospel is for everyone] Lydia was from Thyatira. She was probably Middle Eastern. To our eyes, she would have looked Middle Eastern or Indian. The slave girl could have been anybody, because she was a slave. She could have been from anywhere. The jailer was a Roman. [we will get to him in a moment] He would have been European.^[4]
   19. Additionally, they are sharing the gospel with women.
   20. Notice Luke tells us that she was a worshipper of God.
   21. The Lord opened her heart and notice it says that she paid attention.
   22. Salvation always comes from the conviction of the Holy Spirit (Jonah 2:9; John 6:44, 16:8).
   23. The proof (16:15): Lydia is baptized as a testimony of her newfound faith.^[5]
   24. I like what Tim Keller shares: You know, the way C.S. Lewis puts it in his famous place in Reflections on the Psalms is when you hear a piece of music or you see a beautiful sight, you feel like you have to grab somebody else and praise it with them. You grab your friend, and you say, “Look at this. Isn’t this great?” Why are you praising it? Because it’s beautiful. The more you praise it, the more you enjoy it. Isn’t that right? The more you praise it, the more you enjoy it.
   25. You say, “Look at this. Isn’t this great? Look at the lines. Look at the colors. Look at this and that.” The more you praise it, the more you’re enjoying it, the more the other person is enjoying it. Right? Why are you praising it? Does it need it? It doesn’t. It’s beautiful. It’s an end in itself. Lydia had a God who was useful, but that day, she received a God who was beautiful. Before that, she was not bearing false witness, not committing adultery, honoring her father and mother, observing the Sabbath.^[6]
   26. Notice that her family is also baptized. Notice also her hospitality. She invited them to stay with her.
   27. This does not mean that they were saved because she was saved. I believe that in Middle Eastern culture, the family unit holds more significance. This may be a testament to Lydia’s spiritual leadership.
   28. Tim Keller shares:
   29. What we have in the book of Acts are more case studies of conversion than you really have anywhere else in the Bible.[7]
2. A slave girl is delivered from a demon (Acts 16:16-21).
   1. Acts 16:16–18 (ESV)
   2. ¹⁶ As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
   3. The demon in this girl (16:16-17): Notice that they are going to a place of prayer, and they are meeting this demonized slave girl.
   4. She brought her owners great gain by fortune-telling.
   5. Do demons know the future?
   6. No, they do not.
   7. However, the demons may be able to use deductive reasoning and figure things out better than we can.
   8. The message it proclaims through her (16:17): The demon pretends to agree with the message preached by Paul.
   9. The deliverance of this girl (16:18–23)
   10. The girl is set free (16:18): Paul commands the demon to leave her.
3. The apostles are set upon (16:19–23): Paul and Silas are arrested, beaten, and imprisoned.^[8]
   1. Acts 16:19-23: ¹⁹ But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. ²⁰ And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. ²¹ They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” ²² The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. ²³ And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. ²⁴ Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
   2. It was all about money.
   3. Tony Evans writes:
   4. On a hot summer day, here in Dallas, Texas, what good does a flashlight do? At high noon when the sun is at its peak, it is shining bright. To turn on a flashlight when you have sunlight is to depend on the inferior rather than the superior.
   5. To go to a palm reader when you’ve got access to the heavenly Father is to go to the inferior rather than the superior. To call the psychic network, or to have a tarot card reading, is to turn on a flashlight when you’re under the sunlight. It is to pay money for something you can have for free.^650,[9]
   6. Paul and Silas are dragged before the rulers in the marketplace. They are accused, stripped, and beaten.
   7. Sproul shares: We do not know to what degree they were stripped. They may have been stripped completely naked; such was part of prisoners’ punishment in the ancient world in order to impose utter humiliation. This was also often done in combat. When one force defeated another and took prisoners, the victors would march the prisoners naked to humiliate them. Perhaps Paul and Silas were stripped only to the waist. The main desire here was to bare skin for a beating, which was administered with sticks or rods, like caning. Here, no limit was set for how many blows could be applied, such as there was in Jewish law, so we have no idea how many stripes were inflicted upon Paul and Silas. In any case, they were badly beaten.^[10]
   8. They are in stocks.
   9. Luke is making it clear that they are securely in prison.
4. A prison guard is saved.
   1. Acts 16:25–34 (ESV)
   2. ²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, ²⁶ and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. ²⁷ When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” ²⁹ And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. ³⁴ Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
   3. Do we notice this? It is about midnight, they have been beaten and yet they are singing hymns.
   4. They likely can hardly move, but they are singing hymns.
   5. What do we do when we are in pain or anxious?
   6. I believe there is an indirect application here. It is indirect, but can we learn from the example of Paul and Silas? Go to the Lord.
   7. Sing to the Lord (Col. 3:16-17).
   8. Notice that other prisoners are listening to them.
   9. God sends an earthquake that frees all the inmates. Notice that all of the prisoners are freed.
   10. Believing the prisoners have escaped, the guard prepares to kill himself.
   11. Being assured by Paul that no one has left the prison, the guard asks how to be saved!
   12. Responding to Paul’s answer, the jailer and his family are saved and baptized.
   13. Again, we see a whole family saved.
   14. Rydelnic shares:
   15. The influence of the jailer led to the family to want to be saved. In some cultures, people believe based on the tribal leader, a core leader, or a family leader. In the US, it is not usually that way. That is why in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul says the unbelieving spouse is sanctified by the believing spouse. God has no grandchildren: just because you are born in a bakery does not make you a bagel. So, you believe that “if your family believes, your household will be saved.” There is no such thing as household salvation. Sometimes a tribe will follow a tribal chief, but everyone has to make their own decision. [11]
   16. His celebration (16:34): With great joy the new convert washes the wounds of the disciples and feeds them.^[12]
5. The aftermath (Acts 16:35-40).
   1. Acts 16:35–40 (ESV)
   2. ³⁵ But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” ³⁶ And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” ³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” ³⁸ The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. ³⁹ So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. ⁴⁰ So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.
   3. The authorities’ fear (16:35–39): Upon learning that the men they have beaten and imprisoned are Roman citizens, the city officials apologize to Paul and Silas and beg them to leave the city.
   4. Notice that this is a time in which Paul and Silas appeal to their citizenship.
   5. The Julian law forbade binding or beating Roman citizens without trial. Falsely claiming citizenship was a capital offense.^[13]
   6. Cicero and Quintilian tell of a Roman citizen who cried out that he was a citizen during a scourging, thereby humiliating his oppressors, who had not properly recognized his high status. By waiting until after the beating (cf. 22:29) to inform the authorities that they were citizens, the missionaries had placed the magistrates themselves in an awkward legal position: now the magistrates, not the missionaries, are forced to negotiate. Reports of their deed could even disqualify them from office and (in theory, at least) deprive Philippi of its status as a Roman colony. This strategy would help secure the future safety of the fledgling Christian community.^[14]
   7. The apostles’ freedom (16:40): Paul and Silas return to the home of Lydia to meet with other believers before leaving town.^[15]

We have examined a passage in which we see the gospel spreading to various cultures. They share the gospel with women in Philippi. Lydia is saved. They deliver a servant girl from a demon. They share the gospel with a Philippian jailer.

We see examples of the gospel crossing cultural barriers.

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

This is what is happening, the gospel is spreading out.

Meagan and I were raised in Dayton. However, our first pastoral position was in Cincinnati. We quickly learned that Cincinnati has a strong German heritage. I have my Flying Pig marathon T-shirt here. Why is it called “Flying Pig”? That is because, with their German heritage, came a tradition of hog farming. They have some food called Goette, look it up. It is a German-American breakfast sausage. Eventually, our family made it to Youngstown. Here we have people with an Italian heritage. Not just that. We have met people from many different cultural backgrounds. I think it is because people migrated here for work at the steel mills. So, we can have people in one church from many different cultural backgrounds. How awesome is that?

The gospel is for everyone.

Be encouraged by that.

Tim Keller shares:

Christianity is the only religion, friends (listen carefully), that has never been dominated by one part of the world. Islam’s demographic and geographic center has always been the Middle East and Arabia. Hinduism’s demographic and geographic center has always been India. Confucianism … China. Buddhism … Asia. Christianity started as a Middle Eastern religion. That was its center. Jerusalem … the Jews.

Then it migrated, and its demographic and geographic center was the Mediterranean Hellenistic world. Then it migrated to Northern Europe as the center of it. Then North America. Now as we know, I hope, there are more African Christians, there are more Latin American and Asian Christians, Korean and Chinese Christians, for example, then there are in all of Western Europe and North America put together, even if you count the people who just say they’re Christians, even the ones who are just nominal Christians. Why?

Because Christianity is one religion there is no type. There is no culture it’s native to. There is no type of person. There is no personality. It’s not for the rich. It’s not for the poor. It’s not for men. It’s not for women. It’s not for wimps. It’s not for the ambitious. It’s not for the moral types. It’s not for the immoral types. Because it’s not based on any one human factor, it mustn’t be based on a human factor.^[16]

The gospel is about Jesus saving us by grace!

Worship King Jesus!

Prayer

^[1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[2] H. L. Willmington, The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999), Ac 16:11–34.

^[3] Ben Witherington III, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998).

^[4] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[5] Ibid., Ac 16:11–15.

^[6] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[7] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[8] Ibid., Ac 16:16–23.

^[9] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 215.

^[10] R. C. Sproul, Acts, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 295.

[11] Open Line on Moody Radio: 07.16.2022

^[12] Ibid., Ac 16:24–34.

^[13] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 16:37.

^[14] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 16:38.

^[15] Ibid., Ac 16:35–40.

^[16] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Spread the Word and follow the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:1-10).

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, July 13, 2025

One of my favorite movies is called, The Patriot. In that movie, Mel Gibson plays Benjamin Martin, a leader during the Revolutionary War. He leads the militia. There is a scene in which he is recruiting for the militia. He walks into a pub, and a companion says, “I think we are in the wrong place.” Martin says, “God save King George.” When they hear that many people throw knives at him. Benjamin Martin knew where to go to recruit.  Likewise, in today’s passage, the Apostle Paul recruits Timothy.

One of today’s challenges is to target your audience effectively. The challenge is to eliminate barriers. Just like Mel Gibson recognized that if he wanted to recruit militia to fight against the British, he should go to the pub, so we must recognize where and how we are to minister.

My theme today: Spread the Word and follow the Holy Spirit.

1. Let’s talk about Timothy.
   1. Read with me:
   2. Acts 16:1–5 (ESV)
   3. Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. ² He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. ³ Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
   4. We know that Paul was on his second missionary journey, and he is traveling backwards through the cities.
   5. He sees a “disciple” there named Timothy.
   6. Notice the modifiers. Timothy was a “disciple.”
   7. This means he was a follower of Jesus. He was an apprentice.
   8. He was the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.
   9. Paul chooses Timothy. We see this in verse 3. Something stood out to Paul that made him want to take Timothy along.
   10. Timothy is likely around eighteen years old. It is possible and probable that Paul met Timothy during his first missionary journey, and he would have been saved at that time.
   11. Do you know what I think stood out to Paul about Timothy? Do you know what ought to stand out to us? Will this stand out to our community as well?
   12. Verse 2 says that the believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
   13. That corresponds with 1 Timothy 3:7, which is a requirement for a church elder. A requirement for a church elder is that they have a good reputation in the community.
   14. I was reading an article that talked about signs of churches that are struggling, and one sign is that struggling churches do not have enough transformation(s). At some point, Timothy had a transformation. But one sign of an unhealthy church is that they do not have enough testimonies of people passing from death to life. When we see these testimonies, people want something like that.
   15. I was speaking with another pastor, a pastor who had planted a church, and I asked him how the church had grown. He said that at one point, they led a man to Christ, and that man would deal drugs to many people in the area, and when everyone in the community saw the transformation in him, they, one by one, became Christians as well. It was not his amazing faith; it was just the amazing transformation.
   16. By the way, 2 Timothy 3:14 says that from childhood, Timothy had been familiar with the sacred writings. Timothy was raised according to Jewish ways. But not Christian ways.
   17. Timothy had a transformation, and MORE THAN THAT— now, verse 2 says that the believers in Lystra and Iconium speak well of him. Praise God!
   18. Now what about Paul and Timothy: Paul considered him a “son” (cf. 1 Cor 4:17; 1 Tim 1:2). Not only did he address two letters to him, but he also listed him as cosender in six others (2 Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:1; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; Phlm 1). He considered him his “fellow worker” (Rom 16:21; cf. 1 Cor 16:10) and, indeed, as much more—“as a son with his father” in the work of the gospel (Phil 2:22).
   19. Now, let’s get back to audience analysis. Remember what I shared from the movie The Patriot. If you are going to go fight the British, where are you going to recruit your militia? Likewise, is it important to analyze your audience in evangelism?
   20. In verse 3, it says Paul circumcised Timothy, but why? We just got done talking about a chapter and this big church council stated that it was not necessary. This was necessary for the non-Christians, not for the Christians. Also, Timothy’s mother and his grandmother were Jewish. This made him, in certain customary ways, Jewish. So, to the Jews, he was Jewish. So, for Paul, he wanted to remove barriers; he wanted to be able to take Timothy into the synagogue and have him preach there alongside non-Christian Jews. This was necessary.
   21. After this, Paul went from city to city spreading the news about the Jerusalem Council. Paul was obedient to the council. Then, in verse 5, we see one of Luke’s common summary statements: So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
2. Now, we see Paul obey the Holy Spirit’s lead.
   1. In verses 6-8, the Spirit tells Paul and his companions not to go north or south.
   2. Acts 16:6–8 (ESV)
   3. ⁶ And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
   4. They pass through the Phrygia and Galatia area. Remember that Paul later wrote a letter to the Galatians.
   5. Interesting that we can do studies and we can know that Paul likely took a common Roman Road called the Via Sebaste, which was a Roman military road.
   6. But the next part is most interesting. They were forbidden or kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in Asia. Now, this is not the same as modern Asia. This would be more like modern Turkey.
   7. What do you do when you are kept or forbidden from doing something? The Apostle Paul was a driven personality. He got things done. Nothing stood in his way, but right here, we see that God is His master and He obeys.
   8. In today’s day, we have action movies where the main characters are celebrated for disobeying commands. I think of Jack Bauer in the hit show. In just about every season, he is on the run, yet he is saving the country. Our culture celebrates rebellion. Not in this case.
   9. The Apostle Paul is submissive to the Holy Spirit.
   10. In verse 7, they were trying to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them.
   11. Paul obeys the Holy Spirit’s lead.
   12. The celebrated Browns Coach, Paul Brown, was a football genius. He was also in charge, no one crossed him. One day, he was sending the player out with the play, and the quarterback, Otto Graham, shook his head “No.” There was a look of terror on the player’s face. That young player did not want to go back and tell Paul Brown “No.” In reality, Otto Graham was just playing a trick; Otto Graham was not a rebel.
   13. Neither was the Apostle Paul, he recognized that Jesus was the Lord. Do we? Do we understand that He is in charge? We have strayed from a society in which we recognize what it means to serve a sovereign King. We think that our voice always matters. Certainly, God’s Word says that He wants and even desires to hear from us, but He is the Lord. He has no room for rebels in His Kingdom. He is the Lord.
   14. Some have asked me, “Why should I serve Jesus?” Why should you follow Jesus’s “Yes” and Jesus’s “No”? You are bought with a price. Jesus has redeemed you and set you free. He died in your place and saved you. Jesus loves you and loves us all (John 3:16; Romans 3:21-31). Jesus has called you to take part in what He is doing. To some extent, He gives you a choice, but He is the Lord. Listen, your sovereign Lord has called you on a mission. How do you know? You are here. If you are a Christian, you are called to be a follower of Christ, and you are called to be a part of His army, a part of His mission. He is your Lord. He is Your King. Notice that the Apostle Paul did not waver; he did not rebel.
   15. Paul’s obedience in traveling through these cities in verse 6 meant something like a 400-mile difference in journey? All by foot!
3. In verses 9-10, Paul is told by the Spirit to go west. Paul continues to obey.
   1. Acts 16:9–10 (ESV)
   2. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
   3. A vision appears to Paul in the night.
   4. Paul is told to come to Macedonia.
   5. Why? They are to go down there to help them.
   6. In verse 10, they immediately decide to go down and preach the Gospel to them.
   7. Notice that Paul received two “no’s” and then a “yes.” Notice that Paul was obedient.
4. Are we seeking the Holy Spirit? Are we in a place to hear from God?

1. 1. God speaks through His Word, the Bible. Are we in the Bible? The Holy Spirit will speak to us through the Bible.
   2. God speaks through the church, especially smaller groups and prayer partners. Are we connected?
   3. God speaks through our reason. Are we learning?
   4. All the other avenues must be confirmed by God’s Word.

Close:

When Mercedes and Abigail were younger, they would get scared and come to our room at night. Do you think we told them to go back to bed alone? It was rare if we ever did that. When Mercedes was three years old, I woke up and Mercedes said, “It is scary in my room, there is thunder and lightning, and she proceeded to climb into our bed.” There was no questioning. But you know what, she was three years old.

God wants a relationship with us in which we can hear His “no” and His “yes.” Further, God wants a relationship with us in which we can honestly cry out to Him saying, “I am scared, there is thunder and lightning.” We can do that if we are a child of God.

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

How to Live as Christians In a World that Is Not Our Home (1 Peter 2:11-17)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, July 6, 2025

Two days ago, we celebrated another American Independence Day. As you know, I love history. I am enraptured when I study history. I have read extensively about American history. I have studied it at the college level, and I have also read numerous books on American history. In the past, I have preached about God’s sovereignty in American history. I believe in God’s sovereignty in all the nations. I can substantiate that from the Bible. I believe God worked through our founding fathers, though I believe our founding fathers were not perfect. I believe that our constitution is an amazing work. I also believe we should never have been able to defeat the British during the Revolutionary War. Let’s think about Washington:

Washington should not have survived. He had incidence when he was 23 years old that should have killed him and then Medved writes: Washington’s successful defiance of danger became a notable feature of his leadership during his eight years of service in the Revolutionary War. The general in chief frequently and fearlessly exposed himself to enemy fire, rallying his troops on many occasions by his own incomparable example. At the Battle of Princeton in January 1777, he rode at the head of his troops on a huge white horse as they marched directly on a well-formed British line. When the Americans came within range, both sides fired, and smoke from their rifles temporarily obscured Washington, who rode forward halfway between them. His aide, Richard Fitzgerald, covered his face with his hat in order to avoid watching the inevitable death of his beloved commander. But as the air cleared and he lowered his hat, he saw men on both sides who were dead and dying while Washington, unscathed, rose in his stirrups and urged his men forward against the shattered British line. “It’s a fine fox chase, my boys!” he shouted. A year and half later, in June 1778, the Marquis de Lafayette, the aristocratic Frenchman who became an esteemed general in the Continental Army, recalled the great man at the Battle of Monmouth, where “General Washington seemed to arrest fortune with one glance….His presence stopped the retreat….His graceful bearing on horseback, his calm and deportment which still retained a trace of displeasure…were all calculated to inspire the highest degree of enthusiasm….I thought then as now that I had never beheld so superb a man.”

On September 8, 1779, Washington was spared because a marksman would not shoot someone in the back.[1]

I am sure you have heard the stories that Washington shook bullets out of his jacket. He had horses shot out from under him. Three years ago, I listened to an extensive 1000+ page biography of Washington, and I think he was God’s man for the time. That is God’s purposeful sovereignty.

Chernow writes: In the end, he [Washington] had managed to foil the best professional generals that a chastened Great Britain could throw at him. As Benjamin Franklin told an English friend after the war, “An American planter was chosen by us to command our troops and continued during the whole war. This man sent home to you, one after another, five of your best generals, baffled, their heads bare of laurels, disgraced even in the opinion of their employers.”[2]

Our founders were not all Christians, though some were, and all held to Judeo-Christian values. Even Jefferson, a deist, believed the Bible should be taught in schools.

That being said, we are not God’s chosen people, and America is not a Christian nation. We were clearly founded on Judeo-Christian values, but we are not a Christian nation. I have preached on that subject before.

So, how shall we live?

My theme:

Peter exhorts us to do good, and by doing so, we silence accusers.

Let’s look at 1 Peter 2:11-17

1. Context:
   1. Peter is writing this short epistle to primarily Gentile believers in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, western Asia Minor and Bithynia.^[3]
   2. He is writing this between AD 60 and 64.
   3. Peter gives God’s encouragement to those suffering persecution for their allegiance to Jesus to live exemplary lives within their culture.^[4]
   4. The NIV SB calls 1 Peter 2:11-4:19: Winsome Witness in Society (2:11–4:19)^[5]
   5. We will pick up in this section.
2. The Christian life as a witness (1 Peter 2:11-12)
   1. Before I really get into this section, it is important to note that they were going through real persecution. We are not.
   2. The connection between us and this passage is that we are also aliens and exiles, just as they were. This world is not our home.
   3. 1 Peter 2:11–12 (ESV)
   4. ¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
   5. Peter calls them sojourners and exiles.
   6. Peter exhorts them to abstain from the passions of the flesh.
   7. Peter urges them.
   8. Bodily desires are not wrong in and of themselves.
   9. Sproul shares:
   10. The behavior of fallen people should never become the standard of right and wrong. A big problem in the church today is that even after people are converted to Christ, they still take their marching orders from what is acceptable and expected in the culture. We must remember that we do not belong to the culture. As Paul wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). The way to get a new mind is not by paying attention to Gallup polls but by paying attention to the mind of Christ, so that we begin to think like Jesus. No matter what everyone else does or approves, if Jesus does not approve, then we cannot. We need to remember who we are—citizens of heaven—and our lives are supposed to demonstrate that as we take our cue not from this world but from heaven itself.
   11. Peter is referring to immoral desires.
   12. Fleshly lusts are personified as if they were an army of rebels or guerrillas who incessantly search out and try to destroy the Christian’s joy, peace and usefulness (cf. 4:2, 3).^[6]
   13. When we are giving in to these fleshly desires, they war against our souls.
   14. They threaten to shipwreck our faith (1 Tim. 1:19).
   15. Verse 12:
   16. Now, he addresses their conduct.
   17. I like how the ESV SB reads: Peter refers to unbelievers as Gentiles, which is in keeping with his understanding of believers being a new Israel.^[7]
   18. The rest of the verse is about their witness. They speak against them as evildoers… but there is no credibility.
   19. This came to be true.
   20. Christians were a witness because of how we were such good citizens.
   21. Tom Holland writes:
   22. [Quoting Emperor Julian] ‘How apparent to everyone it is, and how shameful, that our own people lack support from us, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galileans support not only their own poor, but ours as well.’ Julian could not but be painfully aware of this. The roots of Christian charity ran deep. The apostles, obedient to Jewish tradition as well as to the teachings of their master, had laid it as a solemn charge upon new churches always ‘to remember the poor’. Generation after generation, Christians had held true to this injunction. Every week, in churches across the Roman world, collections for orphans and widows, for the imprisoned, and the shipwrecked, and the sick had been raised. Over time, as congregations swelled, and ever more of the wealthy were brought to baptism, the funds available for poor relief had grown as well. Entire systems of social security had begun to emerge.[8]
   23. We are witnesses based on our concerns and care for others.
   24. Peter writes that they see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
   25. That could be the day that they are saved, or their testimony at judgment day.
3. Doing good is a witness (1 Peter 2:13-17)
   1. 1 Peter 2:13–17 (ESV)
   2. ¹³ Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. ¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
   3. Peter writes “be subject” or “submit.”
   4. They are to submit “for the Lord’s sake.”
   5. The point is that they are first submitting to the Lord.
   6. They are first honoring the Lord.
   7. Then, we must ask, does this also apply to us?
   8. This passage was first addressed to the people to whom Peter was writing.
   9. They were dealing with a really corrupt emperor.
   10. Peter would later be crucified upside down after watching his wife be crucified.
   11. Caesar Nero was persecuting Christians in Rome. He set fire to Rome to burn the slums.
   12. The wind shifted, and it burned other parts of Rome. Nero wanted someone to blame, so he blamed Christians.
   13. Peter is writing to them.
   14. However, these instructions also apply to us.
   15. They are not specific to them. They are inspired by God and written to us as well.
   16. Peter writes to “be subject to every human institution.”
   17. He then gets specific.
   18. Be subject to the emperor. The emperor is supreme. In other words, he is the highest of human institutions. Notice, these are “human” institutions.
   19. Be subject to the governors.
   20. The governors are sent by “him.” That is, the governors are sent by the emperor to affirm those doing good and punish those who do not do good.
   21. Verse 15 begins with “this is the will of God.”
   22. This is really important.
   23. By doing good, you put to silence these people.
   24. The ignorant and foolish people are those making accusations in verse 12.
   25. When we do good, they do not have as much to criticize. Or their accusations fall flat.
   26. Verse 16: We are free, live as free people.
   27. This could mean that we are free in Christ, and that would be true.
   28. We serve Christ.
   29. When we submit to human authorities, we do that only to serve Christ ultimately.
   30. We are free, but not to cover up evil, but as servants of Christ.
   31. Verse 17 is composed of rapid-fire commands-
   32. Honor everyone. We are to honor everyone as created in the image of God.
   33. Love the brotherhood. This applies to sisters as well.
   34. Fear God. This is most important.

James 4:4 teaches that there is a dichotomy between Christ and culture.

How are we to live?

We must be the best citizens. By doing so, we change the world.

Do we realize that is what happened in the early church? Christians were such great citizens that the gospel spread. Christians took care of people. When others ran away from the plagues, Christians ran into Rome to care for the sick.

In this passage Peter is saying that as we are good citizens, we are witnesses. This is how Christians live.

By the way, when there is a conflict between two authorities, always obey the highest authority, that is obey God (Acts 4:19).

Prayer.

[1] Medved, Michael. The American Miracle (pp. 82- 83). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

[2] Chernow, Ron. Washington (p. 460). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

^[3] Kenneth L. Barker, ed., NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020), 2187.

^[4] Kenneth L. Barker, ed., NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020), 2187.

^[5] Kenneth L. Barker, ed., NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020), 2190.

^[6] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 1 Pe 2:11.

^[7] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2408.

[8] Holland, Tom. Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World (p. 139). (Function). Kindle Edition.