Acts 16:1-15

Christian Standard Bible

Paul Selects Timothy

16 Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy,^(A) the son of a believing Jewish woman,^(B) but his father was a Greek. ² The brothers and sisters at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.^{(C) 3} Paul wanted Timothy to go with him; so he took him and circumcised^(D) him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for the people to observe.^{(E) 5} So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.^(F)

Evangelization of Europe

⁶ They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.^{(G) 7} When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus^(H) did not allow them. ⁸ Passing by Mysia they went down to Troas.^{(I) 9} During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” ^{(J) 10} After^(K) he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia’s Conversion

¹¹ From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to Philippi,^(L) a Roman colony and a leading city of the district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days. ¹³ On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. ¹⁴ A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.^{(M) 15} After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”^(N) And she persuaded us.