Acts 15:36-16:10: "Messiness on the Way to Macedonia"

Take your Bibles and turn with me to Acts 15:36. Previously we saw God use good leaders to protect the gospel from corruption and perversion. Today we’re going to see once again the catapulting of the gospel throughout the world even as far away as the region of Macedonia. More on that in a minute!

But before we get into that, let me just make an obvious observation to set up the text. This statement is not twitter-worthy or anything like that. It’s just a fact of life that I’ve come to embrace. Here it is—“life is messy.” Amen? Everybody agree with me on that? 

And as much as you try to de-messify your life… as much as you try to sanitize and organize and systematize your life, sometimes things come along and blow that all to pieces. Is that true? Now for someone like myself who is OCD, life creates messes that are hard to deal with. Sometimes I’m responsible for those messes myself. Sometimes it’s caused by others. Life is messy.

But here’s a comfort. I believe in a God who replaces beauty for ashes. And sometimes God does his best work in spite of our messiness. Sometimes… here’s the thesis for today’s message, “God uses the not-so-great circumstances of life to bring about his greater purposes.” 

Our passage today is Acts 15:36–16:10. And the title of our message is “Messiness on the Way to Macedonia.” At the end of our passage… by the time we reach Acts 16:10… Paul and his cohort are going to enter a whole new continent for the first time, namely Europe. And this is a continent that before Acts 15 had never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. But that’s about to change. 

One author referred to this as one of the greatest turning points in history. This is as significant or even more significant than when Columbus set sail from Spain or when Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to the West Indies.    

Yet before we get to that momentous occasion when Paul went to Europe to evangelize for the first time, let’s deal with the messiness. Let’s deal with the messiness that transpired on the way to Macedonia.    

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Now remember, Paul and Barnabas had just recently completed their first missionary journey. In Acts 14, they went to the island of Cyprus and to other cities north of that island to preach the gospel and plant churches. And despite opposition, they were phenomenally successful.  

[Paul’s First Missionary Journey: click for map]

And in Acts 15 they traveled down to Jerusalem to protect the gospel from “Pharisaical Judaizers.” These were the guys who said, “Unless you are circumcised… you cannot be saved” (15:1). Paul and Barnabas won a rousing victory over the Judaizers. Peter and James backed them not the Judaizers! And then, they returned to Antioch and look at verse 31, “[the church at Antioch] rejoiced.” And verse 35 says, “Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.” 

So now what? What’s Paul going to do now? Is he going to stay and keep preaching in Antioch? No, he gets itchy feet. Look at verse 36.

36 And after some days [maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months] Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 

“The cities in Cyprus and the cities in Galatia! Those cities and those churches where God did such an amazing work!” 

“It’s time for another adventure, Barnabas! It’s time to check in on the brothers.” And by the way, this is significant, because Christ’s mission wasn’t just a call for raw evangelism (as important as that is). Christ’s call was a call to make disciples. And disciples need to be followed up on. Churches and church folk need to be checked on and encouraged to keep doing what they’re doing. 

When I was a young church planter in Illinois, we had a group of people from our mother church that would check in on me from time to time. And that was really good for me and for our elders. And they would travel and visit our church and see how we were doing. That was tremendous for me and my church as we were just getting off the ground. That was a shot in the arm for us. 

Paul and Barnabas did this in the first century. They decided to go back to the places where they planted churches. Just to be clear, the churches that they planted are autonomous now. They even have their own elders! But they are baby churches full of baby Christians. And they need some checking up on and some encouraging and some strengthening. 

So this plan sounds great to Barnabas. They both agree to visit the churches. But here’s where a wrench gets thrown into their gears. Here’s the messiness. Look at verse 37.  

37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 

Now just a few details about John Mark. John Mark is Barnabas’s cousin (Col 4:10). This is the guy who was sent out with Paul and Barnabas from Antioch a few years earlier. But John Mark didn’t make it even halfway through their journey. Acts 13:13 says “John left them and returned to Jerusalem.” He literally went running back to his mama in Jerusalem (see Acts 12:12).

Now we don’t know why he deserted the mission, but we can probably guess that John Mark had enough of travel, sickness, sorcerers, and opposition. And he eventually said, “I can’t take this anymore.” And he packed his bags and went home. 

And he even left before things got really bad—when people tried to kill Paul and Barnabas in Galatia. And Barnabas is like, “Let’s give the kid another chance. He’s grown in the last few years, Paul. He’s matured. I want him to go with us.” 

Remember now, Barnabas’s name was Joseph, but they called him Barnabas, which means “the son of encouragement” (see Acts 4:36). He’s going to err on the side of grace and encouragement. This is on brand for him—“give the kid another chance.”

But look at this. Look at Paul’s response in verse 38.

38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 

Let me just say this about the Apostle Paul—his nickname wasn’t the “son of encouragement.” That doesn’t mean he never encouraged people. He did! Especially later in life, he did! But that wasn’t his natural temperament. Paul was a hardliner. Paul’s got a soldier’s mentality. 

I could see Paul saying something like this, “You don’t reward deserters, Barnabas. This guy’s not combat-ready. This guy’s soft! And we can’t afford to have “soft” people on the battlefield. So Barnabas, turn your “son of encouragement” dial down a little bit and think reasonably about this.” 

Paul’s got a point. I can almost hear Paul say something like this at this time: “My good opinion once lost is lost forever.”   

Now who’s right here? Paul or Barnabas? Let me just argue both sides. From Barnabas’s perspective, he might have said something like this “We all need second chances, Paul. Paul, you’re being too task-oriented. Our mission is about people not tasks. Show some grace. You need to balance, Paul, your truth-mindedness with some grace.” 

And maybe also Barnabas said something like this, “I was in Jerusalem, Paul, when you helped stone Stephen. You made mistakes too, buddy. And yet when you got saved, I vouched for you. When everyone else was terrified of you and wrote you off, I worked alongside of you. Now it’s your turn to show some grace to John Mark.” Makes sense, doesn’t it? How many of you would agree with Barnabas?

In response, Paul might have said something like this, “Barnabas, this kid’s not ready. He needs to grow up a little more. This isn’t a task for just anybody. Missions work is hard. It’s dangerous. John Mark abandoned us when we needed him the most, and I’m not willing to risk that again.” 

“And you know what, Barnabas, I think you might be favoring him right now because he’s your cousin. Blood is thicker than water, eh? He needs to stay here and grow up a little bit before he heads out on another mission trip. Barnabas you need to balance your grace-mindedness with truth.” That makes sense too, doesn’t it? 

Also, by the way, Paul’s the apostle, right? Shouldn’t Barnabas submit to Paul’s authority here even though he’s younger? How many of you would agree with Paul? How many of you would agree with Barnabas? 

So what happens? Who wins the argument? Look at verse 39.

39 And there arose a sharp disagreement [here’s the Greek word παροξυσμὸς], so that they separated from each other. 

 Yuck. This is messy, isn’t it? This is heartbreaking. Paul and Barnabas, the dynamic duo! These guys were an amazing team! How can they let this little disagreement, this παροξυσμὸς come between them? 

Actually it wasn’t a “little disagreement,” it was a “sharp disagreement.” The word παροξυσμὸς means a “state of irritation expressed in argument.” It connotes “incitement” or “extreme aggravation.” This was a tense and acrimonious disagreement among two good friends.  

By the way, we have a similar English word that is derived from this Greek word, paroxysm, which denotes violent action or emotion. “This wasn’t just a mild gentlemen’s disagreement but an intense and passionate conflict.” 

Let me speculate just a bit. There were probably some angry words between Paul and Barnabas with this little dispute. There were probably some hurt feelings. There were probably some emotional outbursts… some weeping… some grieving… some repenting… some sleepless nights. Conflicts are hard! Aren’t they?

 And you might say to that, “Tony, I’m so glad that nothing like that ever happens in churches today!” Doesn’t it, though? Let me ask you something, have you ever had a παροξυσμὸς with your spouse, with your family, with a coworker, with a fellow church member, with a trusted friend? 

“None here, Pastor Tony. I haven’t had a conflict since 1987.” Okay. Well for the rest of us mere mortals, conflict is inevitable. It’s not fun. It’s not ideal, but it’s a necessary part of life in this fallen world.

 You know as I read verse 39, I have some mixed emotions. On one side, I feel heartbroken. I’m sad that Paul and Barnabas had to separate over this matter. These two guys were such an effective team. They were like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen together. They traveled the Roman Empire together. They preached the gospel and planted churches. 

On the other side, another part of me feels… maybe this’ll sound odd to you… I feel comforted by this story. Even apostles get into conflicts. Apostles have hurt feelings and emotional outbursts just like the rest of us. They’re men, not messiahs... which is strangely comforting. They’re sinners like us, even though God used them to do incredible things. I take comfort in that.

And here’s another reason to take comfort in what’s happening here. God is going to use this “not-so-great” thing called conflict to bring about his greater work. 

So watch this! Look at verse 39.

Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 

That makes sense. Barnabas was from Cyprus. He’s familiar with that region. And he and Paul went there first on their previous journey. And Barnabas heads back in that direction to revisit and encourage those churches.

And look what Paul does in verse 40. 

40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. 

So let me just show you on the map where these two missionary teams go. These are the destinations that Paul and Barnabas visited on their first trip.

[Paul’s First Missionary Journey: click for map]

Paul goes northwest by land through Syria and Cilicia. Barnabas goes southeast of Antioch by sea to the island of Cyprus. Barnabas chooses John Mark. Paul chooses Silas. And here’s what God does after this conflict. Here’s the silver lining in this story. God doubles the work of the ministry. Does everyone see that? 

Once you look past the sadness… once you look past the hurt feelings… once you look past this not-so-great thing called “conflict” you can see God’s greater work accomplished. The missionary teams splits, but it also doubles. And God uses this to accomplish his purposes. 

Go ahead and write this down as the first point in your notes. I’ll give you today…

Three “not-so-great” things that God uses to accomplish his greater purposes:

1) Conflict (15:36–41)

Now listen, this is not an admonition; this is a comfort. This is not me saying to you go out there and create as much conflict as you possibly can because God will use that for his greater purposes. No.

Don’t misunderstand me in this. God can and does use “conflict” for his greater purposes. God can and does use the “butting of heads,” the “locking of horns,” the “hurting of feelings,” the inevitable conflicts that are produced in this fallen world… for his greater good. So we don’t pat ourselves on the back for being great at conflict. 

“Pastor Tony, I’m really good at conflict. I can lock horns with the best of them!” That’s not a skill we need more of! But we do praise God for accomplishing his purposes even in our fallen state.

And listen, hear me on this. One of the most important things that you need to learn as a disciple, as a follower of Christ is how to manage conflict well. We need to fight clean and not dirty. Everyone listening to this? This is so important! You need to learn how to conflict clean and not dirty with your spouse, with your family, with your coworkers, and with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Fight clean, not dirty! And if at all possible don’t fight at all. 

The Bible says, “Let your reasonableness be made known to everyone” (Phil 4:5). The Bible says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all [men]” (Rom 12:18). The Bible says, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt 5:9) not “Blessed are the warmongers.” Not “Blessed are those who are really, really good at starting conflicts.” 

So when you conflict, you need to conflict well. When you conflict, conflict well, in a way that can produce a good result. A kinder, gentler Paul later in life said it this way, “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor 16:14). 

Actually it was later in life that Paul said this of John Mark, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry” (2 Tim 4:11). You know that kid, that deserter, who Paul didn’t have time to bother with in Acts 15. When Paul was about to die in 2 Timothy, Paul spoke well of him as someone “very useful” to him for ministry. Maybe Barnabas was right to give him a second chance. 

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Now watch what happens next. Barnabas and John Mark sail off into the sunset. We don’t hear from them again in the book of Acts. Paul and Silas, on the other hand, go by land through Syria and Cilicia.

Look again at verse 40.

40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 

The church in Antioch was like, “Paul, I know you’ve had some conflicts with Barnabas. And you’ve dealt with Judaizers too. You’ve had a rough go of it lately. But we’re still behind you. We support you.” And Paul and Silas were commended and sent out again in the grace of the Lord. I’m sure Paul was comforted by this after a season of messiness.

By the way, Silas, proved to be just as good a companion for Paul as Barnabas. Probably better! Silas was a native Greek speaker. He was a Roman citizen which becomes important later in Acts. He was one of the men sent by the church in Jerusalem to Antioch to stop the Judaizing. So not only has God doubled the missionary work, but he’s partnered Paul with an even better partner than Barnabas. Isn’t that great? God used that conflict for his greater purposes. 

Look at verse 41.

41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. 

Now chapter 16, verse 1.

1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. 

Lystra. Remember that place? That’s where Paul almost kicked the bucket. First they thought he was a god, and then they changed their mind and tried to kill him. And then when they dragged him out of the city thinking he was dead, Paul got up and went back into the city. And now he’s going back to that city again a few years later. Paul is “crazy for Jesus,” what can I say. 

1 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. 

So Paul and Silas come across this young man named Timothy, who was half Jewish and half Gentile. He was ethnically mixed. But you also get the impression that Timothy’s parents were unequally yoked. 2 Timothy 1:5 says that Timothy’s mother “Eunice” and even his grandmother “Lois” were believers, but his father’s faith is never mentioned. And by the way, Eunice and Lois had a radical impact on Timothy’s life. Paul says about Timothy that “from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation” (2 Tim 3:15).  

Moms, listen to me for a second. That wasn’t Timothy’s dad teaching him the Scriptures. His dad was probably an unbeliever. So who taught him the Scriptures as a child? His mama taught him the Scriptures. His grandmama taught him the Scriptures. Let me ask you a question, “Can great Christian kids come out of homes with unequally yoked parents?” Yes they can, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

Moms, whatever your marital status: single, unequally yoked, or equally yoked to a godly man, don’t underestimate the impact that you can make on your children. Engrave God’s Word on the hearts of your children. 

So, Timothy’s mom was a believer. Timothy and his mom both probably saw Paul stoned and left for dead in Lystra. They saw Paul get up bloodied, wounded, broken, and limp back into town. And I guess Timothy figured, “Whatever that guy has, I want some of that. I want something I believe in so strongly that I’d be willing to die for it.” And Timothy became a disciple and started to grow. And when Paul comes back to Lystra, Timothy’s reputation was such that Paul wanted to take him along with him as an understudy. 

And verse 3 says,

3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, 

This is actually the beginning of something amazing. Think Humphrey Bogart in “Casablanca” saying, “This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” That’s what this is between Paul and Timothy. 

Paul becomes a lifelong mentor to young Timothy. Timothy becomes for him a de facto son in the faith. Timothy becomes for Paul more important than Barnabas, more important than Silas, more important than any other friend or co-laborer. But I don’t want to say any more than that. We’re getting ahead of the story here.

I do wonder this, though. What were Timothy’s mother (Eunice) and grandmother (Lois) thinking when they heard this? “Our baby Timothy wants to go on mission with Paul… That crazy guy who got stoned and left for dead!” Maybe they said that. Maybe they didn’t. I’m just speculating. I just know what my mama would say in a situation like that. And I know what my son’s mama would say in a situation like that. 

And besides that, look at verse 3. This is surprising.

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.  

What? Are you serious? In other words, Timothy was half Jewish and half Gentile. His father didn’t allow him to be circumcised as a kid, even though his mom was Jewish. And Paul decides that “because of the Jews who were in those places,” and because of the fact that “they all knew his father was a Greek,” Timothy should get circumcised. What?

“Hey Paul, didn’t you read Acts 15 and the judgment of the Jerusalem Council?” 

“Yeah, I was there. I argued that circumcision isn’t necessary for salvation.” 

“Hey Paul, Haven’t you read the book of Galatians?” “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything” (Gal 5:6).

“Yeah, I actually wrote that letter, thank you very much.”

“Then why would you circumcise Timothy in order to appease the Jews?” 

I can only imagine what Timothy said in this moment. “You want me to do what? Can we just not do that… and say that we did it?”  

If you don’t know, circumcision is the cutting off of the male foreskin. It was a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. It was a symbol that was extremely important to Jewish people, so important that the Judaizers, as we saw in Acts 15, couldn’t envision a salvation from God that didn’t involve circumcision. 

Now watch what happens next, because things are going to get even stranger. Look at verse 4.

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. 

So not only did Paul circumcise Timothy to accommodate the Jews in that region, but he also delivered the judgment of the apostles in Jerusalem that Gentiles don’t need to be circumcised. Remember what James said about circumcision? “My judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles” (Acts 15:19). Remember what Peter said about circumcision? “Why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples” (Acts 15:10). 

So here’s the question—why, Paul, in light of all that you’ve fought for, in light of what this letter from the Jerusalem Council says, would you give in to local custom and circumcise Timothy? Why, Paul? Why? Is anyone else wondering about this? 

I’ve wrestled with this a lot over the years. And I’m going to give you some reasons why I think Paul did this in just a moment. But can I give you an obvious reason from the text? Part of the answer is in verse 5.

5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, 

Uncircumcised Gentiles in the church were strengthened in their faith. And circumcised Jews in the church were strengthened in their faith. And now there was newfound unity since this issue had been settled. 

and they increased in numbers daily.

 Does everyone see that at the end of verse 5? “They increased in numbers daily.” Do you think that maybe, just maybe, part of the increase in growth of the church was a result of Timothy’s circumcision? In other words, is it possible that once that stumbling block, that potential objection was removed from Timothy’s Jewishness, that more Jews were able to come to Christ and join the church? I think so. 

And I think that’s why Paul did this. He conceded. He consented to custom. He voluntarily gave up his rights... or more appropriately Timothy voluntarily gave up his rights, his freedom… in order that some tender-conscience Jews might come to Christ.

 Listen, here’s the principle: “What cannot be required for salvation, can be offered to others for unity and for ministry.” Let me say that again: “What cannot be required for salvation, can be offered to others for unity and for ministry.” 

Here’s how Paul wrote about this in 1 Corinthians. “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings” (9:19–23).

Write this down as the second point in your notes. 

Three “not-so great” things that God uses to accomplish his greater purposes:

1) Conflict (15:36–41)

2) Concession (16:1–5)

I wish concession wasn’t necessary. I wish that we didn’t have to bow to social custom. But more important to Paul than flaunting his freedom in Christ is dying to self in order to win people to Christ.

Some people might look at what Paul did with Timothy and say, “Isn’t Paul being hypocritical?” “Isn’t Paul compromising the faith?” “Isn’t Paul just people-pleasing?” 

Here’s a good response from the commentator, John Stott: “Little minds would have condemned [Paul] for inconsistency. But there was a deep consistency in his thought and action. Once the principle had been established that circumcision was not necessary for salvation, he was ready to make concessions in policy. What was unnecessary for acceptance with God was advisable for acceptance by some human beings.” And so what could not be required of Timothy for salvation was willingly conceded for an opportunity to win people to Christ. 

Now here’s the thing, Paul could have said, “Absolutely not. We’re not yielding to social pressure. Get offended. Get angry all you want. We’re not doing that.” Timothy could have said, “Under no circumstances. I’m not doing that. Put your knife away. God doesn’t require that of me.” But Timothy willingly laid down his rights, in order to win people to Christ. Paul didn’t circumcise Timothy so that Timothy could be saved; he circumcised Timothy so that more circumcised Jews could get saved.

Now let’s talk practically. Some of you might be saying, “This is fascinating, Pastor Tony, but what does this have to do with me? What’s the modern day equivalent to this action that Paul and Timothy took?” Good questions. Here’s another one, “What are some ways that we could voluntarily give up our rights in order to see people in our community come to Christ?” That’s a great question.

Here are some things that you could willingly concede for the sake of the gospel:

Your right to live wherever you want – Some of you might say, “I’d rather live somewhere else. I’d rather live closer to a beach or to a mountain. I’d rather live closer to my parents or to my children.” Well, God has you here. Lay down that right for the sake of the gospel. 

Some of you might say, “No, I’d rather live farther away from my parents or farther away from my children.” But this is where God has you. So be fully invested here for the gospel. Bloom where you are planted.

Your right to work where you want – Some of you might say, “I could make more money over there. I can get a promotion over there. But this is where God has me. This is where God is using me for the gospel. I’m going to stay here.” You’re giving up your right to work wherever you want.

Your right to free speech – You might say, come on Tony, that sounds downright un-American. But hear me on this. If you say everything that you think all of the time, without any filter, without any discernment… and if you frontload all of your conversations with your views on politics, family, school, morality, and finer points of theology, you are not going to be effective as an evangelist. Remember, this is voluntary concession. I’m not trying to censor you. I’m just asking you to consider giving up your freedoms in order to win people to Christ.

Your right to be healthy and wealthy – I’m not even sure that right exists for Christians.

Your right to self-determine – There’s another right that I’m not so sure Christians have.

Your right to “me-time” 

Your right to fairness

[For missionaries] Your unalienable rights as an American – When you pack your bags and head off for Bangladesh or Yemen or Uganda, you can’t claim your right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those countries don’t have a Declaration of Independence, and they don’t promise those things to their people, let alone a foreigner who comes there and tries to preach the gospel. But some missionaries willingly give up those rights because they love Jesus and they want to share his love with people who have never heard about him.   

So there’s my attempt to applicationally process what Scripture teaches us here. Timothy voluntarily gave up his rights for the gospel by being circumcised. Now Paul can bring him into the synagogues. Now Paul can work with him to minister to Jews, and lead Jews to Christ. That would’ve been much more difficult, if Timothy had stayed uncircumcised. 

My desire for you is to take that list that I made of ways we can die to our rights, and add to it. That question is in your application questions in your notes. Process this yourself with a friend or with your small group. And let’s be doers of God’s Word together.

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Okay, one more thing. Write this down as #3 in your notes:

Three “not-so great” things that God uses to accomplish his greater purposes:

1) Conflict (15:36–41)

2) Concession (16:1–5)

3) Closed Doors (16:6–10)

And let me clarify on this last point. From God’s perspective, “closed doors” are a good thing. And from our perspective long-term, “closed doors” are a good thing. I can think right now of about a dozen “closed doors” in my life that I praise God for. 

But when you’re in the middle of experiencing a closed door… when you put a ton of energy and hope and effort into something and then God closes the door on it… emotionally, viscerally in the midst of that thing, it’s not great. But it’s a “not-so-great” thing that God uses to accomplish his greater purposes.

Case in point, look at verse 6.

 6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 

Here’s another map, this time focused on Paul and Silas and the Second Missionary Journey.

[Paul and Silas at the beginning of the Second Missionary Journey: click for map]

So they travel through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. This is the territory that includes Pisidian Antioch and Iconium, the places where Paul has already planted churches. And the Bible says that as they were doing that, they were… 

forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

So I guess Paul and Silas wanted to go down to Asia (not modern day Asia, but the Asia of the Roman Empire that included Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamum), and the Holy Spirit was like “No, we’re not doing that.” 

Paul and Silas: “But don’t they need to hear about Jesus.” 

Holy Spirit: “Trust me they will someday, but not now.” 

Paul and Silas: “Alright well, let’s try something else.” 

7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Now just for the record, I don’t distinguish between “the Holy Spirit” and “the Spirit of Jesus.” Some people do. I don’t. Paul decides to go preach in Bithynia and the Holy Spirit says again, “No dice. You’re not doing that.” 

Now here’s the tension. They want to fulfill the great commission. They want to tell people about Jesus. But God is impeding their efforts to do that! Why?

What’s going on here? Why is God doing this? Well, God has a plan for them and he’s closing doors, so that he can open up doors elsewhere.

Now I don’t know how the Holy Spirit communicated these things to Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Maybe it was through the gift of prophecy or the gift of discernment. Maybe it was through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Maybe it was something more intuitive than that, like an uneasiness in their soul. I don’t know. And Luke doesn’t specify. 

But whatever the case, God said “No, not yet.” By the way, the gospel did eventually get to those places. Ephesus in Asia Minor, became a great hub for the gospel in the years to come. Paul spent an extended time there later. And Bithynia included the cities of Nicea and Byzantium which became incredibly important centers of Christianity later. The Nicene Creed was written from the city of Nicea. So God wasn’t saying, “No, not never.” He was saying, “No, not yet.”  

So now as a result of the Holy Spirit’s leading, they can’t go south towards Asia. They can’t go north towards Bithynia. “Where do you want us to go, Lord? What now?” Here’s what he wants them to do. He wants them to wait and he wants them to trust him. 

Now I know from personal experience just how painful “closed doors” can be. And I could go on and on about some “closed doors” in my life that have left me heartbroken, bewildered, and frustrated. I’ll spare you those sad stories. 

But here’s what I believe. God is sovereign. God demands submission to his plans and his ways. And when he closes doors, we need to submit to his will and wait for doors to open elsewhere. Just by way of personal testimony, I have journals full of emotional outpouring at my home where I prayed and prayed for God to open a door in one matter or another. And for whatever reason, the door was slammed in my face. That wasn’t fun. 

But God has always been faithful. And God has redirected my heart and my emotions in the direction he wanted me to go. And in response, I say, like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Paul and Silas had to come to that place here.

And watch what happens. Look at verse 8.

 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 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.” 

That was God’s plan! That’s what God was preparing them for—a whole new continent of people who had never heard the gospel. Paul wanted to go to Asia or Bithynia, but God had something different in mind. Something greater! 

If you look on the map above, you can see Macedonia. Between Macedonia and Troas is the Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the Black Sea, and the Bosporus Strait that marks the dividing line between Asia and Europe. This divides modern-day Turkey from Greece, and the Asian continent from the European continent. So Paul is now being drawn even deeper into Gentile territory. He’s going even farther from home and farther from Jerusalem. The Lord wants him to open up a whole new mission field in a completely unreached region on the European continent. That’s why the doors were closed elsewhere. 

Look at verse 10.

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.

Who would have guessed? Who would have known that all this messiness… the conflict with Barnabas in Antioch… the concession of having Timothy circumcised… and the confusion of the closed doors to Asia and Bithynia would have led to this… one of the greatest moments in history… the beginning of the evangelization of the European continent? 

Once again, let me say it again in case it hasn’t sunk in just yet—God uses not-so-great things like “conflict” and “concession” and “closed doors.” God uses these not-so-great things to accomplish his greater purposes. 

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Final thought. Here it is. God is sovereign over our messiness. Amen? God is good. God is glorious. If you are going through as season of doubt right now… if you’ve experienced some recent closed doors… if you find yourself struggling with conflict around every corner, conflict that you don’t want, conflict that you are trying to avoid… Hear me on this. God is not going to waste that. God is not indifferent to your messiness. And he’s going to use it for his purposes and his glory.