5. The strengthening of the Gentile churches 15:36-16:5

Luke reported Paul and Barnabas' efforts to strengthen the churches they had planted in Cyprus and Asia Minor to emphasize the importance of this phase of church extension. He also did so to set the scene for the next major advance of the church. Paul went next into the provinces around the Aegean Sea some of which were on the European continent.

 The beginning of Paul's second missionary journey 15:36-41

15:36-39 Some commentators have overestimated the "sharp disagreement"between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark, in my opinion.⁶³⁴The text says they disagreed vigorously over this issue, but there is no statement or implication that they ended up disliking each other, as some of the commentators have inferred. It seems that they were both led by the Holy Spirit to arrive at their respective conclusions regarding the wisdom of taking John Mark with them. Their separation, I infer, was friendly. Paul later wrote with respectful admiration of Barnabas (1 Cor. 9:6) and John Mark (Col. 4:10; Phile. 24; 2 Tim. 4:11). Their decision to go separate ways certainly resulted in greater gospel extension since more people became involved as fellow missionaries, and they covered more area in less time. Some Christians erroneously feel that any disagreement between believers is sinful, but there is no indication in the text that this difference of opinion was sinful.

Barnabas' desire to offer John Mark another opportunity was certainly commendable and godly even though Paul viewed it as unwise. Many of us would have dropped out of ministry had it not been for a gracious Barnabas who was willing to give us another chance after we failed.

15:40-41 Paul and Silas departed from Antioch with the church's blessing. This time they travelled by land north through Syria and Cilicia where Paul had been born and had previously labored. They strengthened the young churches in those Roman provinces.⁶³⁵

 The churches of Galatia 16:1-5

16:1 Paul and Silas probably crossed the Taurus Mountains at a pass called the Cilician Gates (modern Gülek Bogaz). Alexander the Great had marched east through this pass to conquer the vast Persian Empire four centuries earlier.⁶³⁶This route would have led them into the kingdom of Antiochus that was west of Cilicia, to the south of Galatia, and to the east of Pamphylia. They proceeded on into Lycaonian Galatia, to Derbe, and then to Lystra.

At Lystra a young believer named Timothy impressed Paul. Many Bible students have assumed that Timothy was from Lystra and had trusted Christ during Paul's first trip to that town (cf. 1 Cor. 4:17). The text does not state these facts, but they are certainly strong possibilities. Mixed marriages between Jews and Gentiles were more common outside Palestine than within it.⁶³⁷Timothy's mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois were both sincere Jews and had instructed Timothy in the Hebrew Scriptures (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15).⁶³⁸This young man now filled the place that John Mark had occupied on the first journey, before Mark returned to Jerusalem. Timothy was to become one of Paul's closest friends and most faithful fellow workers.

"He [Paul] was always well aware of the necessity of training a new generation for the work and for the days that lay ahead."⁶³⁹

16:2 "The preoccupation with character in those who assume Christian leadership is a marked feature of the story of the early Church ([verse 2, ] vi. 3, x. 22, xxii. 12)."⁶⁴⁰

16:3 Paul obviously did not circumcise Timothy because he believed that rite was necessary for his justification or sanctification. He did so because it was necessary for effective evangelistic ministry among Jews (cf. 1 Cor. 9:20-22). Unbelieving Jews would not have given Paul a hearing if he had travelled with an uncircumcised Gentile even though Timothy was half Jewish (cf. 1 Cor. 9:20).

16:4 Part of Paul's ministry included acquainting the churches in Galatia with the directives formulated at the Jerusalem Council.

16:5 This fifth progress report concludes the section on the church's expansion into Asia Minor (12:25-16:5; cf. 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 19:20; 28:31). This part of its history was particularly crucial since in this phase of its expansion the church changed from predominantly Jewish to predominantly Gentile.