October 24 Daily Devotional

Acts 15 and 16

Now a few days later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.” Barnabas was willing to go, but was determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought it not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus. And Paul chose Silas, who had come to Antioch from Jerusalem, and who was a distinguished teacher and preacher. So these two departed from Antioch, “recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.” They went through the countries of Asia Minor together, and visited the churches which had been founded by Paul and Barnabas.

Then came they to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain women, which was a Jewess and believed; but his father was a Greek. Timothy had known the word of God from his childhood, and had given his heart to Christ. Paul asked this young man to leave his home and to go with him as a helper and coworker. So Paul, Silas, and Timothy journeyed through Asia Minor, preaching the gospel and planting the church. “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately he endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called for to preach the gospel unto them. Therefore loosing from Troas, he came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis.” At this time they were joined by a physician, named Luke, who stayed with Paul many years. They came to Philippi. And on the sabbath they went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and there they sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of … Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.” Lydia is the first known convert in Europe. She showed her gratitude to the apostles by caring for them while they stayed at Philippi.