Acts 16:1-15 ▼

1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple (pupil) named Timothy (honoring God), the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.

2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.

3 Paul (humble) wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews (people of praise) in that area, for they all knew that his father {patēr} was a Greek.

4 As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles (sent ones) and elders in Jerusalem (city of peace) for the people to obey.

5 So the churches {ekklēsiai} were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

6 After the Holy Spirit {Hagiou Pneumatos} had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia \in Asia/, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia (Land of the Gauls).

7 And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit {Pneuma} of Jesus (YHWH saves) would not permit them.

8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

9 During the night, Paul (humble) had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.

10 As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God {Theos} had called us to preach the gospel (good news) to them.

11 We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis.

12 From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.

14 Among those listening was a woman named Lydia (from Lydia), a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God {Theon}. The Lord {Kyrios} opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

15 And when she and her household had been baptized (submerged), she urged us, “If you⁺ consider me a believer in the Lord {Kyriō}, come and stay at my house. And she persuaded us.