Acts 16: Paul Begins His Second Mission

New Testament: Student Study guide, (2003), 104–105

What difficulties might people encounter when they visit another country? We have many modern conveniences today that make travel much easier than it was only fifty years ago. Imagine the hardships a traveler faced back in A.D. 50. In Acts 15:40–18:22 we read about the travels of Paul on his second missionary journey. He willingly endured the perils of traveling, persecution, and many other obstacles as he spread the gospel. Bible map 13 shows where Paul went on that second mission. As you read Acts 16, think about how Paul’s experiences compare to those of missionaries in our day.

two modern missionaries

Understanding the Scriptures

Acts 16

Assayed (v. 7)	Tried, attempted
Constrained (v. 15)	Urged
Spirit of divination (v. 16)	Evil fortunetelling
Soothsaying (v. 16)	Fortunetelling, predicting the future by evil means
Magistrates (v. 20)	Judges

Studying the Scriptures

Do activity A or B as you study Acts 16.

Paul’s Mission to Philippi

Review Acts 16:6–15 and arrange the following events in the order they occurred in the passage:

•
Paul traveled to Philippi.
•
Paul met Timothy.
•
The Spirit would not allow Paul to preach in certain areas.
•
Paul saw a vision of a man from Macedonia.
•
Paul met Lydia.

Tell the Story of Paul and the Soothsayer

Acts 16 tells the story of Paul’s missionary visit to Philippi. Tell the story in your own words by answering the following questions:

1.
Why did Paul go to the city of Philippi in Macedonia?
2.
Who was Lydia?
3.
Why didn’t Paul want the soothsayer to testify that he and Silas were the “servants of the most high God”?
4.
Why were Paul and Silas put in prison? What did they do about it?
5.
Why did their jailor get baptized?

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