Year 4, Day 249: Acts 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Chemistry

• Chemistry asks whether the person in question can work with the other people that God has called.

What an absolutely great chapter to have a look at chemistry!  We begin looking at Paul and Timothy.  Outside of Jesus and His three closest disciples – Peter, James, and John – Paul and Timothy are one of the greatest mentor/disciple relationships to which we can look.  Timothy watches as Paul is nearly stoned to death.  Paul comes back and encourages the church in Lystra at least twice after nearly dying at the hands of the people in the town.  Timothy looks to Paul as a great hero, someone to follow and imitate.  Timothy follows Paul and learns at his feet.  Clearly Paul and Timothy have chemistry together with respect to mentoring and discipling.

Paul and Lydia are another great example.  The Holy Spirit leads Paul to Philippi.  Within Philippi, Paul is led to a river, where there is a place of prayer.  Paul meet Lydia and some other women.  Paul preaches to them, tells them about what God has done through the Holy Spirit, and Lydia listens intently.  In fact, Lydia invites Paul and his followers into her home and shares in his ministry.  Clearly Paul and Lydia have chemistry with respect to mentoring and discipling.

One of the most unique examples of chemistry is Paul and the jailor.  Clearly they have chemistry as at the end of the story we hear the jailor being accepted into the Christian community that Paul had begun in Philippi.  What is neat about this story is that it takes a moment of sacrifice for the chemistry to be discovered.  Paul demonstrated that he has respect for the jailor’s life by not running away when he has the chance to leave.  Paul demonstrates his openness to chemistry with the jailor and the jailor responds in like kind. 

Come to think about it, there was a display of sacrifice with respect to Timothy.  Certainly there was a display of vulnerability with respect to Lydia as well.  Chemistry seems to be often forged and tested in times of trial and vulnerability.

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