Chapter 15
Paul and Barnabbas decided to check up on the towns they visited during the 1st Missionary Journey.
Barnabbas had took John Mark with him and went to Cyprus
Paul had taken Silas and went to Syria and Cilicia
Chapter 16
Paul went to Derbe and Lystra where he found Timothy
Timothy: Christian, Christian mother but Greek father, the believers in Iconium and Lystra spoke well of him.
They went through the towns strengthening their faiths.
Paul, Silas, Timothy and the rest traveled through Phyrgia and Galatia
The Holy Spirit did not allow them to travel to Asia
The Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go to Bithynia (East of Mysia)
So they went to Troas
Where at night Paul had a vision of a Macedonian standing and begging them to go to their help
After this, they got ready and went to Macedonia
On the Sabbath, they went to the riverside where they sat down and started to preach to the women gathered there.
There was Lydia from Thyatira who was a dealer in purple cloth, she had worshiped God and the Lord had opened her mind to listen to Paul's saying
She invited them to stay at her house after being baptised.
One day, they all went to a place of prayer.
There was a girl with an evil spirit which allowed her to predict the future.
She followed Paul and "Us" (whereby "us" refers to Timothy, Silas and Luke)
She kept on saying that these men are the servants of the Most High God and announce how if the people were to follow these men they will be saved.
Paul became upset and ordered the Spirit to come out of her.
Her owners became very angry because they had lost a source of income.
They had seized Paul and Silas, dragged them to the authorities at the Public Square.
They brought them before the Roman officials and accused them of teaching customs that were against the Law.
The officials stripped Paul and Silas.
Whipped them.
Had them thrown into jail.
A jailer had thrown them into the inner cell.
Their feet were fastened with heavy blocks of wood.
At midnight: Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God while the other prisoners were listening.
Then suddenly there was a violent earthquake.
The doors of the prison had opened and the chains fell off the prisoners.
The jailer woke up and took a sword to kill himself.
Paul shouted to not to do that.
The jailer called for some light and fell to Paul's and Silas' feet, he asked them what must he do to be saved.
They said he must believe in the Lord Jesus.
They preached the Word of God to the jailer's family and the jailer cleaned their wounds. The whole family got baptised.
Next morning, police officers sent by the Roman officials with the orders to release Paul and Silas.
Paul said to the officers that he wanted the Roman officials themselves to apologize to them for they are Roman officials.
They came and apologized.
They went back to Lydia's place.
Chapter 17
Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica.
When they had arrived there they had went to the synagogues, and for 3 Sabbaths they held discussions and explained the Scriptures.
The Jews got jealous and they had gathered loafers. They formed a mob and created an uproar int the city. They attacked a man's home- Jason to find Paul and Silas but they had fail. Then they dragged the followers out of Jason's house and brought them to the authorities. The authorities made Jason and the other followers to pay a required amount and was set free.
At night the followers sent Paul and Silas to Berea
At Berea, the people were more open minded, listened to Paul's teaching and kept checking the Scriptures to see whether Paul's sayings were true.
The Jews from Thessalonica came and started a riot in Berea.
The believers had Paul sent to the coast and they sent him off to Athens. He left a message to Silas and Timothy that they should join him as soon as possible.
Silas and Timothy had stayed back.
When Paul arrived in Athens he was very upset over the city's worship of idols.
He had debated with Epicurean and Stoic teachers.
He went to the Aeropagus and gave a speech.
Some had made fun of him while there are some that listened.
Dysonias and Damaris converted.
Chapter 18
Paul left Athens and went to Corinth
He then met Aquila and Priscilla from Italy.
He met them because Emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome.
Paul stayed and worked with them. He made a living by making tents.
Every Sabbath he went and held discussions in the synagogues.
Timothy and Silas had joined him now.
Paul preached and the Jews opposed him and said evil thing about him.
They went to a house of Titus Justus where his house was next to a synagogue and the leader was Crispus.
At night Paul had a vision where the Lord said to him to not be afraid, keep on speaking and do not give up. No one is able to harm him because the people were His'.
Paul stayed here for about a year and a half.
Gallio was now the new governor of Achaia.
The Jews brought Paul before him.
He dismissed them.
The Jews then took Sosthenes and beat him up.
Paul Stayed with the believers in Corinth for many months. Then he went to the port of Cenchrea where he had shaved his head for a vow.
He went to Ephesus where he left Aquila and Priscilla.
He then ventured to Ceaserea, on to Jerusalem where he greeted the Church
and Finally he went on to Syria in Antioch.
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