Podcast Summary: Back to the Bible Podcast

Host: Larsen Plyler
Episode 111: Acts 15:22–16:24
Date: June 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Larsen Plyler continues his verse-by-verse study of the Book of Acts, focusing on the end of chapter 15 and into chapter 16. The episode addresses key events in the early church: the aftermath of the Jerusalem Council’s decision regarding Gentile believers, the sharp disagreement and parting of ways between Paul and Barnabas, the recruitment and circumcision of Timothy, the Spirit’s guidance in Paul’s missionary route, and the beginning of Paul’s evangelism in Philippi, including the conversion of Lydia and conflict in the city.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Jerusalem Council’s Letter and Its Aftermath (Acts 15:22–35)

• The council sends a letter, delivered by Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and Judas, to Gentile Christians clarifying that circumcision and the full Mosaic law are not required for salvation.
• Key requirements: Gentiles are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, blood, things strangled, and from sexual immorality.
• The congregation in Antioch rejoices and is encouraged by the message.
• Silas and Judas, both prophets, deliver further encouraging instruction.
• Notable textual variant: whether Silas stayed in Antioch is mentioned in some manuscripts.

Quote (Larsen Plyler, 05:40):

“They say that we have heard that there are some who've gone out that we gave no instruction to ... It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials.”

2. Paul and Barnabas: Sharp Disagreement and Separation (Acts 15:36–41)

• Paul proposes revisiting the churches from their first missionary journey.
• Barnabas wants to take John Mark, but Paul refuses due to Mark’s earlier desertion.
• The disagreement is so sharp they part ways: Barnabas takes Mark to Cyprus; Paul takes Silas north through Syria and Cilicia.
• The separation is presented not as a doctrinal split, but a matter of personal reliability and strategy.

Quote (Larsen Plyler, 15:25):

“I think the idea here that Paul and Barnabas go separate ways is not a matter of them dividing within the Lord. They're not abandoning the gospel. One of them is not promoting a false doctrine ... it was just a matter of personal reliability.”

• Later in Paul's life, reconciliation with Mark is evident (see 2 Timothy 4).

3. Timothy Joins Paul and the Issue of Circumcision (Acts 16:1–5)

• In Lystra, Paul encounters Timothy, well-spoken of by local believers, who becomes Paul's companion.
• Paul circumcises Timothy, despite the prior council decision, due to local Jewish sensitivities. Contrast: Paul refuses circumcision for Titus in a different context.
• The distinction: Timothy’s circumcision is to avoid unnecessary barriers in ministry among Jews, while forcing Gentiles like Titus into circumcision would be legalistic and wrong.
• Churches are strengthened as Paul and his team deliver the council’s decisions.

Quote (Larsen Plyler, 23:55):

“Paul's pattern seems to be that if following some old covenant practice will help draw Jews toward Jesus, he is on board, as with the case of Timothy ... But with Titus, when they try to circumcise him, he absolutely prohibits it.”

4. Spirit-Led Redirection and the "Macedonian Call" (Acts 16:6–10)

• Paul and his company are divinely prevented from preaching in Asia and Bithynia.
• Paul receives a vision: a man from Macedonia begs, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
• They interpret this as a call from God to preach the Gospel in Macedonia.
• The use of the pronoun “we” in verse 10 signals that Luke, the author, joins the group at Troas.

Quote (Larsen Plyler, 29:25):

“Paul had the thing they really needed. And when they say, come over and help us, his first conclusion is not, let's raise money so we can send an aid package ... His response is, it's time to go preach the Gospel. That is the great help that he had to offer.”

5. The Gospel Comes to Philippi—Lydia’s Conversion (Acts 16:11–15)

• Paul arrives in Philippi, a major city of Macedonia.
• Because there is no synagogue, they go to a riverside gathering of women in prayer.
• Lydia, a merchant and worshiper of God, listens and responds; God "opens her heart" as Paul preaches. She and her household are baptized.
• Lydia extends hospitality to Paul and his companions, marking the start of the Philippian church.

Quote (Larsen Plyler, 36:55):

“God opened her heart through the words that Paul was teaching. That's how the Lord went to work on her heart, through the message of Paul.”

6. Conflict in Philippi: The Slave Girl and Imprisonment (Acts 16:16–24)

• A demon-possessed slave girl, used for profit by her owners, repeatedly announces that Paul’s group are “servants of the Most High God.”
• Paul casts out the spirit, infuriating her owners, who incite the city’s authorities against Paul and Silas.
• The apostles are beaten and imprisoned, their feet secured in stocks—setting up the dramatic events of the next passage.

Quote (Larsen Plyler, 42:05):

“So this girl followed Paul and the rest of the teachers, saying they were servants of the most high God and they were proclaiming the way of salvation. Now, this bothered Paul because it was a demon making this proclamation. So he commanded the demon to come out.”

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Paul and Barnabas separate but continue fruitful ministry:
  “I would hope that in every instance when there is a personal disagreement that we might work it out and be able to be unified in our work. But that was not the situation here ... It seems to me that both of them are able to continue in faithful work to the Lord even though they go in different directions.”
  (17:30)

• The Gospel as the church’s greatest ‘help’:
  “As local congregations, as Christians, we need to keep that in mind. We need to understand that the great help that local churches have to give is the preaching of the gospel. When someone calls us for help, that's the help we have to give.”
  (30:45)

• Discerning God’s work in the heart:
  “God opened her heart through the words that Paul was teaching ... The Lord went to work on her heart through the message of Paul.”
  (36:55)

• Only God holds the future:
  “Was she actually able to tell the future? I'm not sure. But as one older preacher has rightly said, only the true God holds the future in his hands.”
  (42:50)

Important Timestamps

• 05:40 — The council's letter and essentials for Gentile Christians
• 15:25 — Paul and Barnabas’ sharp disagreement
• 23:55 — Timothy’s circumcision and Jewish evangelism
• 29:25 — The Macedonian vision and the primacy of the gospel
• 36:55 — Lydia’s conversion and the work of God on the heart
• 42:05 — Paul confronts the demon-possessed slave girl; subsequent imprisonment

Summary Flow & Tone

Larsen Plyler’s tone is earnest, reverent, and analytical, focusing on careful study and direct application of Scripture to Christian life and church practice. He emphasizes fidelity to the text above human tradition and encourages listeners to evaluate all teaching by the authority of the Bible, maintaining a spirit of humility and willingness to change when confronted by God’s Word.

Conclusion

This episode provides a detailed, thoughtful walkthrough of key transitions in Paul’s ministry: dealing with church conflict, discerning when to uphold or set aside tradition, being led by the Spirit in mission, the vital importance of gospel proclamation, and the cost of faithful ministry. Through scriptural exposition and practical application, Plyler challenges listeners to shape all life and ministry under the authority of God’s Word.