A Study of Acts: Summary of Acts 16-Acts 20

Each devotional reference has a title, a synopsis, a lesson and my prayer.

Mar 09, 2025

Welcome to this summary of my Acts 16-20 devotionals! If you wish to read any of the individual posts in their entirety, go to the Heaven On Wheels Home Page, then use the search “magnifying glass” icon (🔍) to search for either the chapter and verse (Acts 16:1-5, for example) or the title (“A Return to Lystra, Timothy is Introduced”. I pray that this and the remaining summaries serve you well in your study of God’s Word!

Acts 16:1-5 - A Return to Lystra, Timothy is Introduced

Synopsis: Paul and Silas go to Derbe and Lystra in Galatia. Paul meets Timothy and wants him to go with them; Paul has him circumcised to ease the concerns in the synagogues they would visit.

Lesson: Out of love for our fellow believers, we must sometimes adhere to customs that ensure we reach out to others with our faith and respect.

Prayer: Dear Lord - I thank You for the opportunities we have had to see other churches and the customs of those who call You Lord. Respect for others as a believer helps others see that Christians are not arrogant and judgmental but are hoping to shine Your light! Amen.

Acts 16:6-13 - Forbidden Areas, Journey to Macedonia, A Change to “First Person”

Synopsis: The Holy Spirit forbids the missionary group from speaking the word in Asia (western Turkey); Paul has a vision of a man in Macedonia asking for help and they travel to Philippi. Luke is now with the group.

Lesson: The will of God comes through the renewing and transforming of our minds through Christ Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Lord - Today I pray the prayer from F.B. Meyer that was also in the commentary that I excerpted from Precept Austin: O God, since we know not what a day may bring forth, but only that the hour for serving Thee is always present, may we wake to the instant claims of Thy holy Will; not waiting for tomorrow, but yielding today. Consecrate with Thy presence the way our feet may go; and the humblest work will shine, and the roughest places be made plain. AMEN. (Our Daily Walk)

Acts 16:14-21 - Lydia and Her Household; A Possessed Slave Girl

Synopsis: A woman named Lydia who deals in purple fabrics hears Paul’s message and her whole family believes and is baptized and offer Paul and his group a home to stay in; a slave girl has a demon exorcised by Paul and the townspeople are incensed because she made money as a fortune teller.

Lesson: Be on your guard; the devil prowls like an angry lion, especially when many are saved.

Prayer: Dear Lord - Please help me to be full of hospitality for others and to be cognizant of the evils of slavery that exist in our world today. Help me to be on guard against the devil and his schemes. Amen.

Acts 16:22-40 - Beatings, Imprisonment, A Miracle, A Conversion, A Plea

Synopsis: A crowd rises up against Paul and Silas and they are beaten and thrown into prison. An earthquake releases their chains and opens the prison doors. The jailer asks what he should do to be saved. He and his entire household believe and are baptized. The city leaders plead with Paul and Silas to leave.

Lesson: Do you react to circumstances or to God’s abiding love and grace? Could you pass the army chaplain test to save souls? [To preach the word in three minutes or less].

Prayer: Dear Lord - Today I pray the words of Psalm 100, in Thanksgiving:

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.”

Acts 16 Summary: Paul and Silas find Timothy in Lystra, then are told by the Holy Spirit to avoid certain areas. Paul has a vision of a man in Macedonia asking for help and the group travels to Philippi. A woman named Lydia hears his preachings and her whole household becomes believers. A demon-possessed slave girl is healed by Paul, but the town rises up and jails him and Silas. An earthquake releases them; the jailer and his family believe and are baptized. Paul and Silas are asked to leave the town.

Acts 17:1-4 - Paul Preaches in Thessalonica

Synopsis/Lesson: Paul reasons to another synagogue group, resulting in success with many who are persuaded of the truth of Christ.

Prayer: Dear Lord - I thank You that reason and intellect have important roles to play in persuading others of the truth of Scripture. Amen.

Acts 17:5-9 - Another City, Another Mob

Synopsis: A jealous mob descends on the home where the missionaries are staying in Thessalonica and receive a plea and promise from Jason, the homeowner.

Lesson: Can you turn the world right side up?

Prayer: Dear Lord - Please help me to reach others with reason and the light of Your love. Coming into Your kingdom is a glorious thing and I am grateful that You brought us to You. Amen.

Acts 17:10-15 - Noble-minded Bereans; Another Mob Appears

Synopsis: Paul and Silas escape to Berea, where they have success preaching to the scripturally aware people; the mob catches up with them and Paul is sent as far away as Athens.

Lesson: Do you know where your favorite Bible is located?

Prayer: Dear Lord - I am so grateful that You have given us a way, through our devotional studies, to be like the Bereans and dig deep into Scripture and examine the beauty of Your Word. Amen.

Acts 17:16-21 - Paul Arrives in Athens, Reasons in the Synagogue, and Debates Philosophers

Synopsis: Paul preaches in the synagogues in Athens and in the marketplace every day while waiting for the others in the group to arrive. The philosophers in the marketplace listen to his preachings and invite him to preach at the Aerogapus.

Lesson: Could you bring the case for Christ to a roomful of arrogant philosophers?

Prayer: Dear Lord - I am grateful that my journey through the “idle babble” of many philosophies led me to return to belief in You. Amen.

Acts 17:22-34 - Paul’s Sermon on Mars Hill

Synopsis: Paul preaches one of his most unique sermons, one that is tailored to pagans and non-believers and he describes the fundamental nature of God and our salvation.

Lesson: Putting the words of this sermon into a simple sentence is beyond my capabilities. Read it for yourself!

Prayer: Dear Lord - This path that we have taken to write devotionals is Your way of guiding us into closer and closer fellowship with You. I ask repentance (again) and am grateful beyond words for where we are in our lives, as we get closer to putting a number to the right of the “-“ on our tombstone. Amen

Acts 17 Summary: Paul and Silas preach in Thessalonica and have some success, but are confronted by an angry mob. They travel to Berea and have greater success but the mob follows them. Paul goes on to Athens on his own and preaches to synagogues and to the philosophers at Mars Hill.

Acts 18:1-4 - Paul Travels to Corinth

Synopsis: Paul travels to Corinth, meets Priscilla and Aquila (believers who are tent-makers) and reasons in the synagogues every day.

Lesson: When you visit a place that is important in the New Testament, that brings Scripture to life for believers!

Prayer: Dear Lord - I am so grateful that we were able to see some of the places mentioned in the Bible on our travels, especially the city of Corinth, Greece. Amen.

Acts 18:5-11 - Paul Preaches in Corinth, A Vision From the Lord

Synopsis: Timothy and Silas arrive and Paul begins preaching full-time. The Jews are unreceptive, so Paul takes his message to the Gentiles. God assures Paul in a vision that he should not be afraid and should continue speaking.

Lesson: The Lord is with us and we should no longer be afraid.

Prayer: Dear Lord: Today I pray this short prayer that found in Precept Austin: O Lord, may the Good News become like a "burning fire" in my bones, to the point I grow weary of not speaking to those around me about the free gift of God of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Acts 18:12-17 - Gallio Refuses to Rule Against Paul

Synopsis: The Jews in Corinth bring Paul before the Roman Proconsul and accuse him of blasphemy. Gallio is unwilling to be a judge in this matter.

Lesson: Are you indifferent to the story of Jesus?

Prayer: Dear Lord - Please keep me from ever being indifferent to my salvation and the gift of eternal life through You! Amen.

Acts 18:18-22 - Paul Returns to Syria

Synopsis: Paul leaves Corinth with Priscilla and Aquila and fulfills a religious vow. He journeys through Ephesus, preaching there briefly and finally arrives in Antioch.

Lesson: While Gentiles don’t have comply with Mosaic Law to be believers, converted Jews like Paul would often honor their religious roots.

Prayer: Dear Lord: Thank you for the details that Luke provides about Paul’s journeys. This makes the book of Acts even more real to readers. Amen.

Acts 18 Summary: Paul travels to Corinth, meets Priscilla and Aquila and begins preaching. Timothy and Silas arrive, so Paul devotes all of his time to preaching. He is rejected by the Jews so he turns to the Gentiles and has a vision from the Lord on being unafraid. He is brought before the Roman proconsul by the Jewish leaders and his case is dismissed. Paul then travels back to Syria and then sets out again. Apollos arrives in Corinth.

Acts 19:1-7 - Paul Meets “Disciples” in Ephesus

Synopsis: Paul, on his third missionary journey, arrives in Ephesus and meets some believers who do not know the full story of Jesus. He preaches to them, baptizing them in the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit comes upon them.

Lesson: Will you be with God in Heaven when you die? How would you answer God when He asks you why you should be let into Heaven?

Prayer: Dear Lord - I am going to Heaven when I die and the reason why is because I believe that You, Lord Jesus, redeemed me when You suffered and died on the Cross and You granted me eternal life through Your Resurrection. By believing in You I have the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide me until that day of death. Amen!

Acts 19:8-10 - Paul and the School of Tyrannus

Synopsis: Paul preaches in the synagogues in Ephesus for three months and is rebuffed. He turns to the school of Tyrannus as a location to preach every day to all who will come and listen. He does this for two years.

Lesson: Pray that you are never hardened by hearing the Word of God. And when should you walk away from those who oppose the Truth of Scripture?

Prayer: Dear Lord - Today I pray the words from “Walking in the Way of Jesus” from the hymn by Lida Keck at the link.

Acts 19:11-20 - Miracles are Worked Through Paul; The Dangers of Magic

Synopsis: God works extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul. A group of Jewish exorcists call on the name of Jesus and are overpowered by a demon-filled man. Fear falls on the people and the name of Jesus is magnified. Many of those in the city who practiced magic destroy their books and disclosed their practices.

Lesson: Is your name known in hell and do the demons tremble? Jesus is the only power we need, so remove those things from your life that invoke darkness.

Prayer: Dear Lord - Today and every day I pray for the full armor of God. Amen.

Acts 19:21-41 - Paul Thinks of Future Travel; Demetrius Accuses the Christians

Synopsis: Paul thinks about future travels and sends Erastus and Timothy to Macedonia and remains in Asia for a while. A local silversmith, Demetrius, is irate at the growing number of Christians as it has decreased sales of silver charms of Artemis. They hold a rally/riot in the theater and glorify Artemis and hold two of Paul’s followers. The town clerk controls the situation.

Lesson: We must preach Christ in a positive way, so that those who turn to Him will naturally turn away from idols.

Prayer: Dear Lord - Your eternal presence is felt very strongly in a place like Ephesus, where idols and false gods/goddesses have disappeared, but Your words have remained. Help me to be positive about leading others to You! Amen.

Acts 19 Summary: Paul helps some disciples in Ephesus realize that their justification in the Lord is not complete. He preaches at the school of Tyrannus for two years and God performs many miracles through Paul. Jewish exorcists calling on the name of Jesus are overpowered by a demon-filled man. Magic practitioners are fearful and burn their books and disclose their practices. Erastus and Timothy travel to Macedonia. A silversmith causes a riot against Christians because their trade in goods honoring Artemis is diminishing.

Acts 20:1-6 - Paul Travels and Meets Up With Disciples

Synopsis: The uproar ends in Ephesus. Paul goes to Macedonia and exhorts the believers and also travels to Greece, spending three months. A group rises up against him and he decides to return to Syria through Macedonia.

Lesson: How can you encourage someone today? Can you call or help someone who is in need or suffering or unsure of their faith?

Prayer: Dear Lord - Please help me to encourage others through the Holy Spirit and be there for them during difficult times and when things are going well. Amen.

Acts 20:7-12 - Eutychus Drops Out of Paul’s Class

Synopsis: The mission group is gathered in Troas and Paul gives them a long message. A young man, Eutychus, is on the window sill and he falls asleep and falls to his death. Paul revives him in a similar way to the miracles from Elijah and Elisha. The talks continued after the boy is revived.

Lesson: What is important to Paul and Luke is the Word of God; miracles are nice, but they are not what drives or sustains our faith.

Prayer: Dear Lord - I thank You for the men of the Word like Paul, who could perform miracles, but were more concerned about the Word of God. Help me to be alert to the Word when I hear it! Amen.

Acts 20:13-16 - Paul and the Group Travel South

Synopsis: The group travels through a number of locations as they try to arrive back in Jerusalem for Pentecost.

Lesson: Disciples serving God need travel days, too.

Prayer: Dear Lord - Thank you for the leaders of the early church, who lived their lives serving other churches and traveling between those locations. Keep us safe in our travels and help us to be disciples for You in any location. Amen.

Acts 20:17-38 - Paul Says Farewell to the Ephesian Church Elders

Synopsis: In one of the stops on the journey, Miletus, Paul calls for the Ephesian church elders to meet the group. He preaches a marvelous sermon to this group of Christians, commending them, reminding them to be humble and preach the whole word of God, and saying farewell.

Lesson: Lessons from Paul to the Elders: Have Humility, Preach the Whole Counsel of God, Obey the Greatest Commandment

Prayer: Dear Lord - Thank you for the commentary from David Guzik in Enduring Work that is so useful with this passage in Acts 20. Help me to be humble, to preach the whole counsel of God and to obey the greatest commandment. Amen.

Acts 20 Summary: Paul meets with the disciples in Macedonia and travels through that region and Greece. After threats, he departs back to home through Macedonia. He preaches for hours in Troas and a young man, Eutychus, falls from a window and dies. He is revived by Paul, who continues preaching. The group travel by ship to various locations and Paul has a farewell sermon to the elders from the church in Ephesus.

My next devotional summarizes Acts 21-Acts 28. I’ve decided to finish the remaining chapters in the next devotional. My next deep dive will be into the book of Daniel!