The book of Acts
Paul goes to Troas
Chapter 15:36 to 16: 8
After some days in Antioch Paul proposed to Barnabas to go back and visit the brethren in every city they had evangelized on their previous journey, to see how they were doing. Barnabas was willing to go but insisted in taking his cousin John, called Mark, with them.
John Mark (writer of the Gospel of Mark) was the son of a person named Mary who lived in Jerusalem. It was in her house that many people gathered to pray for Peter when he was in a prison, from which he emerged miraculously (chapter 12). Sometime later, Mark went out to Cyprus as a minister of Barnabas and Saul and then followed them by sea to Perga, but gave up going further by land with them, and returned to Jerusalem (13:13).
Paul did not think it prudent to take him now because of that experience, but Barnabas insisted, and there was serious disagreement between them. It was so serious that Barnabas left Paul and sailed back to Cyprus with Mark.
We do not have enough evidence to pronounce judgment as to who was right, Paul or Barnabas. Something is wrong when two servants of the Lord, of their standing, fail to reach an agreement with regard to their service to the Lord. Could one of them have disobeyed the Holy Spirit, who guided them in a special way in the early church?
Mark continued serving the Lord and was very helpful later collaborating with Paul when he was in prison in Rome for the first time (Colossians 4:10 and Philemon 1:24). So much so that, after Mark returned to Ephesus, Paul asked Timothy to bring him back to Rome with him because he was very helpful for ministry (2 Timothy 4:11).
Mark was also with Peter in Babylon, which was a major centre of Jewish studies at the time (1 Peter 5:13). Peter called him "my son", indicating that Mark was his disciple, and it is possible that it was Peter who provided much of the information contained in Mark's Gospel, such as the episodes personally witnessed only by Peter, James and John. Nothing further is told in the Bible about Mark or even his cousin Barnabas.
Returning to our text, we learn that Paul now chose as his companion Silas, who had come with them from Jerusalem, and set off on the desired journey, both commissioned by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.
The two went through the provinces of Syria and Cilicia, visiting and strengthening the churches, and came to Derbe and Lystra in Lycaonia. Timothy lived in Lystra, a disciple whose mother was a converted Jewess and his father was Greek. The brethren in the two cities gave good testimony of him, and he was well instructed in Scripture, having learned the sacred writings from his mother and grandmother since his childhood (2 Timothy 1:5, 3:15).
Paul also wanted to take him on his journey (as he previously took Mark), but there was a problem: Timothy inherited the Jewish nationality from his mother, but would not be accepted in the synagogues, where Paul intended to teach first, as he did in all cities. This was because he had not been circumcised, a characteristic of every Israelite.
If we look at the teachings of Paul in his epistles, we see that circumcision meant nothing to Paul, as there is no distinction in the church of Christ between Jews and Gentiles: "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.” (1 Corinthians 7:19). However, so that Timothy might have freedom to help him reach the Jews, who gave great importance to this sign, the solution was to circumcise Timothy, which Paul did (1 Corinthians 9:20).
Before proceeding, here is a short summary of the situation of the many churches that emerged during this period.
We find that they were all independent, meaning they were not confederated within a general organization with a higher central authority to which they were accountable. They were not divided into several denominations after their doctrinal line, but each congregation was directly submissive to the Lord Jesus.
This reality is clearly seen in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation. The Lord Jesus is placed in the midst of seven candlesticks, each representing the church in one of the seven cities of Asia Minor. He addresses each one directly, without any intermediary.
The direct rule of the Lord over His churches prevents that all together might be contaminated by errors in doctrine, as with the churches enslaved by a governing summit. A summit authority can be influenced by currents of liberalism, rationalism and apostasy, which then will flow easily down to the affiliated churches, through rulings, seminars, conventions and its representatives.
The individual responsibility of each church also gives it some protection against intervention and even persecution by the political power in the country. In a federation of churches, it is easy to control them all through the central authority, but if they are autonomous individual entities, they are less vulnerable to a broad intervention.
The overseers of the church in Jerusalem were consulted regarding the application of the Law of Moses to converted Gentiles. After the Gospel was taken to the Gentiles, the Jews who converted in those places continued to obey the Law because of their nationality and tradition, and expected the converted Gentiles to do the same.
As far as we know the Lord Jesus had never touched this subject, but it was necessary to hear the opinion of His disciples and the elders of the church in Jerusalem, who had lived with Him, for it would be more authoritative than that of some stranger.
A careful study of the facts shows that the church in Jerusalem was not an official entity with authority to govern the others. It was just a congregation led by apostles and elders. Peter gave his personal judgment, citing the reason (verses 19 to 21), and the apostles and elders wrote the letter, which stated, "it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary ... “
The Lord Jesus promised His disciples that "the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26) and the apostles were supported by that promise.
History confirms the wisdom of the independence of churches: wherever they gather beneath a dome, their spiritual decline is increased. Local assemblies that remain independent of human domain give a better Gospel witness.
Returning to our passage under study, we read that in every city they passed they delivered to the brethren, to be observed, the decisions that had been taken by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. They would be copies of the original letter.
It was also like this that the New Testament emerged: the Gospels and the letters of the apostles were copied and distributed by the early assemblies so that all might know them, in writing.
They continued through Galatia, Phrygia and Mysia, and went down to Troas, the last city in Asia Minor before crossing the Strait of Peloponnese to Macedonia (now Greece), in Europe. They made a direct journey, without diverting to the north or south, in obedience to the direct instruction of the Holy Spirit, though they would have liked to visit other locations. God had urgency for the Gospel now to reach Europe.
R David Jones
36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing."
37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Acts chapter 15, verses 36 to 41
1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.
2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.
7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.
Act 16:8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
Acts chapter 16 verses 1 to 8