New Testament Lesson 31 (Acts 16–21)
July 24–30
INTRODUCTION
Acts 16–21 covers Paul’s second and third missionary journeys. On his three missions, he spent a total of 8 years traveling, mostly on foot, through the nations of Asia, southern Europe (Macedonia), and Greece. During these missions, they baptized, confirmed, ordained, and healed. At times, they had to flee for their lives.
Paul demonstrated his capacity as a leader and an organizer, as they established branches of the Church in areas far removed from Jerusalem. Many souls heard and received the gospel message. Paul’s practice was to follow up these visits with letters of commendation or admonition, a method he used throughout the rest of his life. These are recorded in the scriptures as his many epistles to the Churches.
PAUL’S MISSIONARY METHODS
● Paul was able to adapt himself to whatever circumstances in which he found himself (1 Cor. 9:19–23).
● He put his Jewish background to excellent use in preaching first to the Jews, then to the gentiles (Acts 13:5, 15; 14:1; 17:1, 17).
● Paul and his companions were lead by the Spirit, and when the “spirit was stirred” they responded (Acts 17:16) by teaching those “whose heart the Lord [had] opened” (Acts 16:14). At Berea, the Gentiles were “more noble” than the Jews, “receiv[ing] the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily” to determine “whether these things [that Paul was teaching them] were so” (Acts 17:11).
● Even though the Church had received the revelation that all worthy Gentiles could be admitted into the Church, still missionaries were most successful when they began in areas with established Jewish communities.
● Paul would often preach first in Jewish synagogues, similar to what many early Mormon missionaries did when they spread the message abroad. They went first to their family, friends and religious associates, meeting in their churches to share the Restored Gospel.
● The Jews grew jealous over the popularity of Paul’s message and sought to stop their preaching (Acts 13:45–47). Paul and Barnabas, having first proclaimed the gospel to these rebellious Jews, said: “seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (v. 46). The Jews in many cities convinced influential and wealthy individuals of the city to expel the Christian missionaries.
PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY
● It lasted 3 years, from 49–52 AD. (Acts 15:40)
— 3,000 miles, mostly on foot (Acts 18:18).
— They revisited Tarsus, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, then proceeded to new places: Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth and Ephesus.
● Significant Elements of Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
— This journey established a practice which was to continue throughout Paul’s work as an apostle: to “visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.” (Acts 15:36).
— Paul did not always go in person to these places; sometimes he sent Timothy or Titus or Silas.
— Paul and his companions were imprisoned at Philippi, where the jailer and his family were converted (Acts 16:16–40).
— They traveled to Thessalonica and then Berea, with a short stay at Berea while Paul went to Athens (Acts 17:1–15).
— They also labored at Corinth (Acts 18:5; 2 Corinthians 1:19).
PAUL’S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
● This was the longest of Paul’s missionary journeys.
— It lasted four years and covered 3,500 miles.
— He traveled “through the upper coasts,” meaning along the high road through Galatia and Asia (Acts 18:23; Acts 19:1).
— Paul revisited Tarsus, Iconium, Ephesus, Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth.
— He then backtracked to Troas and sailed via Miletus and Tyre to Caesarea and Jerusalem.
— Ephesus was the mission center for this third proselyting journey.
● A magnificent temple had been erected at Ephesus, one of seven wonders of the ancient world (Acts 19:23–41).
— It was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis (the Roman Diana).
— It was four times bigger than the Parthenon in Athens.
— Pliny the Elder, who wrote in the first century after Christ, described it as 425 long, 225 feet wide, and 60 feet high (bigger than Cougar stadium) with 127 columns.1
— The theater at Ephesus had room for twenty-four thousand people (v.29).
● By spring of AD 57, Paul was back in Ephesus, from where he wrote to the Corinthians.
— Paul wrote 4 letters during this journey: 2 to the Corinthians, 1 to the Romans, 1 to the Galatians.
IMPORTANT EXPERIENCES AND TEACHINGS AT EPHESUS
The Need for Confirmation of Converts
● John the Baptist’s influence is still being felt many years after his death (Acts 19:2–7).
— John taught that a baptism of fire would follow his baptism of immersion, but some persons at Ephesus had never heard of this baptism of fire or of the Spirit.
— Thus we know that these were baptisms performed by unauthorized persons and had to be performed again.
— The reception of the gift of the Holy Ghost followed.
— The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “Baptism was the essential point on which [after receiving it] they could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It seems that some sectarian Jew had been baptizing like John but had forgotten to inform them that there was one to follow by the name of Jesus Christ, to baptize with fire and the Holy Ghost, which showed these converts that their first baptism was illegal. And when they heard this, they were gladly baptized, and after hands were laid on them they received the gifts, according to promise, and spake with tongues and prophesied.”2
● Paul continued “disputing and persuading” in local synagogues for two years (Acts 19:8–10). The word “all” means a great quantity or large portion, not literally all persons.
Guided by the Holy Spirit and Visions
● Paul was directed in his work by the Holy Ghost, receiving visions and instructions constantly.
— At Troas, he received a vision of a man instructing him to “come over into Macedonia, and help us” (Acts 16:7–9).
— At Ephesus, he felt constrained by the Spirit to return to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22).
Miracles
● He also demonstrated the power of God on numerous occasions:
— At Philippi, he cast an evil spirit out of a damsel (Acts 16:16–18).
— Also at Philippi, having been whipped and imprisoned, Paul and Silas were released by a great earthquake (Acts 16:19–26). As a result, the jailor was converted, along with his family (Acts 16:27–34).
— Miracles were performed at a distance through touching Paul’s clothing (Acts 19:11–12).
— Evil spirits refused to acknowledge the authority of false exorcists (Acts 19:13–20). As a result, $10,000 worth of occult books were burned (v. 19).
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “It is very evident that [evil spirits] possess a power that none but those who have the priesthood can control, as in the case of the sons of Sceva.”3
— At Troas, while Paul was preaching, a young man fell down from the third loft and was killed (Acts 20:6–9). Paul “went down and fell upon him” and embraced him, raising him from the dead (Acts 20:10–12).
Teachings
● Most of Paul’s teachings are contained in his epistles to the Saints. But others also are found in the book of Acts:
— The Unknown God. At Athens, where most of the people believed in gods that were not animate or tangible, Paul used their monument “to the unknown God” to teach them concerning the real God and Jesus Christ (Acts 17:19–27).
— We are the offspring of God. He also taught them that they were the offspring of God (Acts 17:26–34, 29; see also Romans 8:16; 1 John 5:2).
PAUL’S RETURN TRIP TO JERUSALEM
A Brief Return to Troas and Miletus
● Paul and his companions returned to Troas, on the way to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4–6).
— At least seven companions returned through Macedonia to Troas (v. 4).
— Paul and Luke remained behind briefly (note the “us” and “we”) then joined them (vv. 5–6).
● Paul addressed members at Troas for many hours—until midnight (Acts 20:7–12).
— Note that the new Sabbath for Christians is the first day of the week—Sunday (v. 7).
● The missionaries returned through Asos and Mityline to Miletus (Acts 20:13–17).
— In the interest of time, the leaders of the Church at Ephesus were called to meet with Paul in Miletus.
— He gave a tearful farewell address—the only one in the book of Acts.
PAUL’S FAREWELL ADDRESS TO EPHESIAN LEADERS
● Paul rehearsed his many sacrifices to bring them the gospel (Acts 20:18–27).
— In 17th Century (King James) English, “temptations” meant “trials, ordeals, or afflictions” (v. 19).
— Paul predicted the bondage waiting for him at Jerusalem (vv. 22–23).
● Paul predicted the apostasy that would come to Ephesus after his departure (Acts 20:28–31).
— “Grevious wolves” will enter the Church from the outside (v. 29). By a figure of speech called hypocatastasis, wolves represent people who would attack the Saints with perverse (that is, distorted, corrupted) doctrine.
— Members will also apostatize, seeking followers by changing doctrine (v. 30).
● Paul charged the leaders to protect the Church and feed the flock (Acts 20:32–35).
— While doing so, Paul quoted a powerful teaching of Jesus that is not found in the Gospels (v. 35).
● After a sad, tearful, prayerful farewell, Paul departed for Jerusalem (Acts 20:36–38).
DOCTRINAL INSIGHTS
● The Proclamation on the Family provides eternal truths about our relationship to God. You might want to share the following portions of this document with your class members and ponder with them what these teachings reveal to us.
WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
ALL HUMAN BEINGS, male and female, are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.4
● The importance of knowing that we are children of God. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
“Be careful how you characterize yourself. Don’t characterize or define yourself by some temporary quality. The only single quality that should characterize us is that we are a son or daughter of God. That fact transcends all other characteristics, including race, occupation, physical characteristics, honors, or even religious affiliation.
“We have our agency, and we can choose any characteristic to define us. But we need to know that when we choose to define ourselves or to present ourselves by some characteristic that is temporary or trivial in eternal terms, we de-emphasize what is most important about us, and we overemphasize what is relatively unimportant. This can lead us down the wrong path and hinder our eternal progress.”5
Notes:
1. Natural History, 36.21.95.
2. Jackson, Joseph Smith’s Commentary on the Bible, 151.
3. Joseph Smith’s Commentary on the Bible, 152.
4. This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
5. “Be Wise” [Brigham Young University–Idaho devotional, Nov. 7, 2006], byu.edu.