Today's Devotion

Monday, July 20, 2026 - Acts 16:1-22

[Note: I apologize for not having a devotion for last Friday. I was out of town and pre-scheduled Monday through Thursday’s offerings, but Friday slipped my mind. — +LB]

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Paul’s return to the newly-established churches in Derbe and Lystra is bearing fruit. He meets a young Christian named Timothy – uniquely positioned for mission work being half-Jew and half-Gentile. Paul brings Timothy along in this, his second missionary journey. Backed by the decision of the council of Jerusalem consisting of “the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem” (Acts 15) which “they delivered to [the cities they visited], St. Paul preached the freedom in the Gospel regarding matters of the Old Testament regulations, Paul demonstrates that this freedom can be used either way to the advantage of the Gospel, as St. Timothy was circumcised before preaching to the Jews. This is, however, not a law. For Paul prevented Titus from being circumcised in order to exercise Christian liberty in the face of hostility (Gal 2:3). We are to use our freedom in whatever way that is to the Gospel’s advantage.

Although Paul had a plan for this journey, he remained open to the urging of the Holy Spirit to change course. St. Luke uses a strong term, saying that Paul and company were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit” to carry out their plan to go to Bithynia. And to emphasize that this was not merely Paul running into difficulty, but was rather the will of the Triune God, Luke refers again to the Holy Spirit, calling Him “the Spirit of Jesus” who “did not allow them” to carry out their plan.

Instead, by means of a vision of a man calling for Paul’s help, the Spirit prompted Paul to “come over to Macedonia.” This is an important conquest of the church. For the first time, Christianity is making its way into Europe. Leaving Asia behind, the missionaries cross the Aegean Sea. We soon learn why the Spirit led Paul to this part of Greece – as we will meet another important Christian saint: the first European convert mentioned by name: St. Lydia. Lydia is wealthy and offers the church resources, including opening up her home. Her entire family is baptized into the faith. Paul will also travel to Philippi – “a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.” The Greeks in this region are ready and eager to hear the Word of God. St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians will be his most upbeat and encouraging letter of all of his epistles which the Holy Spirit caused to be recorded for us.

But as is always the case as the Gospel advances, there is opposition, both human and supernatural. Paul and Silas encounter a demoniac slave girl whose masters enjoyed “much gain by [her] fortune-telling.” As we saw so often with our Lord, the demons cannot help but bewail the preaching of Jesus: “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” Paul casts out the demon. But instead of rejoicing at the girl’s deliverance and healing, instead of taking to heart the confession of Jesus even from a demon (Jas 2:19), instead of grabbing hold of that salvation that Jesus offers, the girl’s masters, now that their “hope of gain was gone,” have Paul and Silas arrested.

And unlike their experiences in Asia, here in Europe, among the Gentile Greeks, the church encounters opposition for opposing Paganism, being lumped in with the Jews who reject the Greek gods and who “advocate customs that are not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” In spite of the successes of this mission to Greece, Paul and Silas are being prepared for a public flogging.

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.