1. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church
Lesson 9:
Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church
(Acts 16:1 – 18:23)
Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey

2. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Philippi (16:11-40)
Paul’s method of teaching
Went to where the people were – v. 13
Spoke to women gathered to pray – v. 13
Use every opportunity – v

3. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Philippi (16:11-40)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response
Slave girl possessed with spirit of divination
Thought to be inspired by a Greek god
A demon’s endorsement is an unfavorable one
Once demon cast out, owners deprived profit
Paul and Silas thrown in prison
No doubt a product of Satan’s opposition
Materialism (16-19), defamation of character (19), prejudice (20), politics (20-22)

4. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Philippi (16:11-40)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
Lydia – a woman of prayer, piety, prosperity
She faithfully obeyed the Word
Jailer – a man who needed faith
He was told, “Believe” – v. 31
Taught the Word of the Lord – v. 32
Responded by repenting & being baptized
They rejoiced when they had bel’d/obeyed

5. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Philippi (16:11-40)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
Key to conversion
Like Lydia, must have an open mind.
Like the Jailer, must have an unquenchable desire for salvation.

6. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Thessalonica (17:1-9)
Paul’s method of teaching
Went to where the people were – v. 1
Try, try, try again (3 Sabbaths) – v. 2
He “reasoned…from the Scriptures” – v. 2
He spent time “explaining and demonstrating that…Jesus…is the Christ” – v. 3
Presenting Jesus as King – v. 7
This type of teaching led to the accusation: “These who have turned the world upside down…” – v. 6

7. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Thessalonica (17:1-9)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response
Jews proved to be very non-receptive
These words are used to describe their response: “envious,” “evil,” “mob,” “uproar,” “attacked,” “dragged,” “troubled.”
Attacking a home and dragging the occupants out is pretty harsh!
No doubt a product of Satan’s opposition
Envy (5), gossip (5), stir up hatred (5)

8. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Thessalonica (17:1-9)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
Paul “persuaded…a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women” (v. 4).
Aristarchus and Secundus later became Paul’s traveling companions (20:4)

9. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Thessalonica (17:1-9)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
Key to conversion
Like certain Thessalonians, must be given to a logical use of Scripture.

10. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Berea (17:10-15)
Paul’s method of teaching
Went to where the people were – v. 10
He didn’t put it off
He spoke the oracles of God – v. 11

11. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Berea (17:10-15)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response
Enemies from Thessalonica:
Pursued Paul & Silas
Stirred up the crowds
Forced them to leave
No doubt a product of Satan’s opposition
Hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, envy, etc. (cf. Gal. 5:19-21)

12. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Berea (17:10-15)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
Found fair-minded, noble individuals
Received Paul’s message with readiness
They had a predisposition to listen—desired it
Researched Paul’s message
“The Scriptures” were their authority/standard
Responded to Paul’s message with faith
Obedient, including Sopater (cf. 20:4)

13. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Berea (17:10-15)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
Key to conversion
Like certain Bereans, must accept, respect & use the Bible as the only authority in religious matters.

14. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Athens (17:16-34)
Paul’s method of teaching
He reasoned – logically, methodically
Went to where the people were
Talked “with those who happened to be there”
The same message about “Jesus and the resurrection” (v. 18) was applicable to all men, even Epicureans, Stoic philosophers & idolaters
Recognized who he was speaking to and aimed his lesson directly at their spiritual needs

15. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Athens (17:16-34)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response
“Some mocked” – v. 32
Some delayed—“We will hear you again on this matter” – v. 32
No doubt a product of Satan’s opposition
Ridicule, “this babbler,” trying to keep the people “given over to idols” (16, 18, 32)

16. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Athens (17:16-34)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
“Some men joined him and believed” – v. 34, including:
Dionysius the Areopagite
A woman named Damaris
And others with them

17. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Athens (17:16-34)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
Key to conversion
Like certain Athenians, must have a submissive spirit even when unpopular.

18. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Corinth (18:1-17)
Paul’s method of teaching
He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath – v. 4
Preached that Jesus is the Christ – v. 5
When rejected, he did not stop. He went to find others who would be receptive. – v. 6
Took strength from God and preached faithfully the Word of God – v. 9-11

19. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Corinth (18:1-17)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response
“Opposed…blasphemed” – v. 6
“the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul” – v. 12
Took Paul to the proconsul saying, “This fellow persuades men…contrary to law” – v. 13
Took Sosthenes & beat him – v.17; cf. 1 Co. 1:1
No doubt a product of Satan’s opposition
Ridicule, anger, rejection, politics (6, 12-17)

20. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Corinth (18:1-17)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
“Crispus…believed on the Lord with all his household” – v. 8; cf. 1 Cor. 1:14
“Many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized” – v. 8
“Believed” and “were baptized” are in the Greek imperfect tense—i.e., people just kept on coming; a constant flow of conversions

21. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
Advances in Corinth (18:1-17)
Paul’s method of teaching
Negative response (product of Satan’s opposition)
Positive response
Key to conversion
Like certain Corinthians (Crispus, Gaius, Sosthenes), must have a willingness to change religions.

22. Evangelistic Fervor Advances His Glorious Church (Acts 16:1 - 18:23)
We can be effective soul-winner for Jesus if we will follow the example of Paul:
We must be sensitive to our prospects’ feelings—why Paul circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:1-3).
We must love the lost—why Paul incessantly went to synagogues (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1).
We must believe in the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16). Such was Paul’s message in every city.
We must never silence God’s word. Even when opposed, mocked, imprisoned, etc., Paul courageously preached without compromise (Acts 17:30-31).