35 hPaul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Division Over John Mark

36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.” 37 Now Barnabas 4was determined to take with them iJohn called Mark. 38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them jthe one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. 39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to kCyprus; 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, lbeing 5commended by the brethren to the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, mstrengthening the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Then he came to aDerbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, bnamed Timothy, cthe son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he dtook him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the edecrees to keep, fwhich were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5 gSo the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

The Macedonian Call

6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of hGalatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in 1Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the 2Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they icame down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A jman of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go kto Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia Baptized at Philippi

11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to lPhilippi, which is the 3foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of mThyatira, who worshiped God. nThe Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So oshe persuaded us.