acts 16:16 40 commentary acts 16:16 40 commentary

i. 5:11-12). The Midnight Miracles Acts 16:16-40; F B MEYER. We have four men who are under a vow. Behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy. Now therefore depart, and go in peace: If Paul and Silas were released the day after their beating, arrest, and imprisonment, why did God send the earthquake? 16-30, Ezekiel 37:21-28). [1965-73], 2:149). ; _to Lystra damsel 3:1). i. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God." From the city of Thyatira: Thyatira was well known as a center for this purple dye and fabric made from it. A man called Timothy lived in Lystra. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. However, the jailers household was not saved merely because he was; Paul came and spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. Click on the different category headings to find out more. What does Acts 16:16-40 mean? He has a greater purpose that we often do not understand. 24Join these men, go through the rite of purication with them, and pay for the shaving of their heads. TIMOTHY WORKS WITH PAUL AND SILAS, 16:1-5 As we went to prayer , Into the proseucha: Acts 16:13, and Luke 6:12.The article, , is added here by ABCE, several others, Origen and Theophylact: thus makes the place more emphatic, and seems to determine the above meaning of to be right-not the act of prayer or praying to God, but the place, the . The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God. (Acts 16:29-34). Now, they found Timothy gro WE WERE MET BY A SLAVE GIRL. She was possessed by a spirit of divination. What should a Christian do when his life has been a poor testimony to those without Christ? Also, Paul and Silas legal rights were violated. FORTUNE-TELLING was forbidden in the OT _CRITICAL REMARKS_ Have you ever had an experience where you knew God was calling you to do something, but it didn't come out the way you thought it would? She followed Paul and us, crying out, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation! She continued doing this for several days. And he came out the same hour. We Americans have a thing about standing up for our rights. MUCH PROFIT BY FORTUNE-TELLING. Or, as James wrote, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2-3). Paul wanted to have him go on with him. (Acts 16:14-15 RSV) The next step after the proclaiming of the Word of God -- the radical, revolutionary message of the gospel -- is always up to God. THE PYTHONESS Pauls missionary team did not hesitate to follow him on the basis of this call. Her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone: This explains why Paul and Silas were treated so badly. "When it was day, the magistrates sent the police with this message: Release those men! The jailer reported these words to Paul: The magistrates have sent a message for your release; therefore come out now, and go in peace. But Paul replied with this message for the magistrates: They have flogged us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison. When you answered the call of God, you were excited and energized about the possibility of service. 26Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. ACTS 16 COMMENTARY. a. A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION CAST OUT the jailor in Acts 16:31-40, commenting on the various characteristics of repentance he possessed or displayed. _Theophylact_: thus m AS WE WENT TO PRAYER - Greek: as we were going to the proseuche, i. Paul knew that a man will be identified by both his friends and his enemies, and could do without a demonic letter of reference. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. (Acts 16:20-24). "As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas and pick up a doctor named Luke. But Paul could not land in Europe in the power of the Holy Spirit Let them come themselves and get us out. And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. a. ), ._ Acts We note with interest that the Holy Spirit actually forbade Paul to do something we normally think of as good preaching Gods Word to those who need it. 1. (13-15) The conversion of Lydia. THESE MEN ARE SERVANTS. And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divinationc met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: Acts 16:17. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. ACTS When a Barnabas leaves (for whatever reason), God has a Timothy to go on with him. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. c. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily: Paul, Silas, and Timothy together enjoyed great success in their work of strengthening and growing churches. ACTS 16:1 the article it is clearly to be rendered as in the previous verse. PREACHING ON THE SABBATH AT PHILIPPI. was no heralding of the gospel which was to transform Europe. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:40, ESV: So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia.And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed. Everything else flows from that. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. There was certainly nothing wrong with Pauls desire to preach the word in Asia; but it wasnt Gods timing, so this was forbidden by the Holy Spirit. Acts 16:1-15To Be Led by the Spirit. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers[ b] at Lystra and Iconium. He devised the plan of salvation and sovereignly chose certain individuals to salvation before the foundation of the world ( Eph. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. There Having received such a command, the jailer threw Paul and Silas into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18 She kept this up for many days. c. You and your household: This seems to be a specific promise for that Philippian jailer. b. If our rights are violated, we dont take it sitting down. Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters. (Bruce). some MSS. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, A certain disciple was there, named Timothy, son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews in that region, as they went through the cities, the delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily, They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, They tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them, And a vision appeared to Paul in the night, A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us., Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go, From there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made, The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul, She begged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay., A certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination brought her masters much profit, This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation., I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her, Her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, Exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe, When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely the inner prison fastened their feet in the stocks, But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, all the doors were opened and everyones chains were loosed, The keeper of the prisonwas about to kill himself, Paul called with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here., Ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house, And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, And immediately he and all his family were baptized, The magistrates have sent to let you go. If Paul wished to maintain his links with the synagogue, he could not be seen to countenance apostasy. (Bruce). We are next introduced to an incident which led to a decided God knows what He is doing when he says, No.. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatpage. And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. It is possible that they didnt have the opportunity, but it is more likely that the Holy Spirit directed them to not reveal it until a certain time. A. Lydia was prospering in business; the guard was about to kill himself. This was as dramatic as it sounds. Paul would be qualified. He was a believer. 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. PRAYER, see on Acts 16:13. convert in Europe. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. At some time you will be falsely accused. Hand-drawn illustrations based on sermons by Kevin DeYoung guide you through the book of Acts helping to communicate truths in a unique, compelling way. a. As well, the multitude and the magistrates felt free to abuse Paul and Silas because they assumed they were not Roman citizens. Python, in the Greek mythology, was the serpent Thus Paul could say that the life he now lived in the flesh, he lived by faith in the Son of God who loved him and gave Himself for him (Gal. Anyone can be happy in pleasant circumstances, but real joy comes only from within, and is a gift available to Christians at all times. And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divinationc met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. By her soothsaying she provided much gain for her As I mentioned last week, any time that your rights have been violated and you have been mistreated, you are probably looking at a wonderful opportunity for bearing witness of Christ. Let them come themselves and release us. ", "The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. 34:3, 8). Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. In Pauls mind, he wanted to reach a few cities in his region. a. Paul trusted God to work for His purpose and glory, whether Paul got delivered or whether he died in the process. the place of prayer, Acts 16:13. The man must not have lived in the same world I live in! So Paul took Timothy and . Ministry at Philippi (Acts 16:12-40) The conversion of Lydia (Acts 16:12-15) The demon possessed slave girl (Acts 16:16-18) The imprisonment of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:19-25) The release of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:26-27) The conversion of the jailor (Acts 16:28-34) The departure from the city (Acts 16:35-40) The ministry in Thessalonica (Acts . i. If Paul and Silas had been having a pity party because their rights had been violated and they had been treated wrongly when they were just trying to serve the Lord, they would have been depressed and complaining. In the Roman Empire there were two very different laws: one for citizens of the Roman Empire, and one for those who were not citizens. But they didnt mention that when they dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities. The Prison Experiences Of The Bible. They always are, of course! This was a strong, godly man, leading a strong, godly team. c. And he came out that very hour: The idea behind that very hour is that the demon came out immediately. In light of the economic populism evident in the Progressive-era Social Gospel movement, one might expect religious studies scholars to exhibit some modestly reformist attitudes, but the field is pre-occupied with radical LGBTQ themes. They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans: Because Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they had recognized civil rights, which were violated by the Philippian magistrates. He did not talk about sacraments or even churches. Paul and Silas show us four aspects of a right response to wrong treatment. 22The crowd rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off Paul and Silas, and commanded them to be beaten with rods. So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. It is wrong to act out of personal vengeance, greed, or other selfish motives. So Paul went to bring Macedonia the gospel the best possible help. The Jewish religion was tolerated, but Jews were prohibited from proselytizing Romans. ANGER OF THOSE WHO MADE When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia: After strengthening the churches in the region, Paul sought to go next to the south-west, towards the important city of Ephesus. 2 The brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium spoke very highly of Timothy. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him to . And, in addition to these common trials, we can expect even more trials because we are Christians. Yet they returned to the prison willingly to spare the jailer certain death. Acts 2:40. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Phil. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you . Yet, Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to go there. We see another reason why the Spirit did not permit them to go into Bithynia. possessed with the devil, by whose inspiration she foretold future Thats how it always should be. The wisdom and greatness of Gods plan was beginning to unfold. Timothy AS WE WENT TO PRAYER. They came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city: The magistrates acted as politicians often act by instinct. It is mandatory for all who know His salvation. Cultivating joy in the Lord every day is not optional. Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION CAST OUT BY ST PAUL. If it had been America, they would have sued and had the magistrates removed from office. The jailer thought the prisoners had escaped. _AS WE WENT TO PRAYER_] , But it had everything to do with the salvation of a certain prison guard and his household. One could see Christ reflected in their faces. Each of these two had their lives touched by Jesus in very different ways. i. 2:14). There is perhaps no example of this more remarkable than that which possessed with a spirit of (f) divination met us, which brought her a. Paul wanted to have him go on with him: Paul was impressed enough with Timothy to ask him to join their missionary team. provided that they should be delivered by both Barnabas and Paul, Full-Time. b. And, they were then locked into the stocks, which was a painful torture in and of itself, let alone when your back was ripped open from a beating. the servants of the Most High God, (10) And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel _possessed with a spirit of divination_ Greek, Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - Acts 2:1-47. Then he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. (16:35-40) When the 'police' . Praise the Lord is not a nice suggestion; its a command! Acts 16:14 (Acts 16:29-34). But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God: Though they were arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for doing good, Paul and Silas were filled with joy, and sang praises to God. 24Having received such a command, the jailer threw Paul and Silas into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks. (Acts 16:20-24). In this section of Acts, Paul and Silas are arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for delivering the slave-girl from her demonic possession, and they (Paul and Si. ( Acts 16:1-2) Paul meets Timothy in Lystra. Paul's plans now seemed to begin to go awry. And the prisoners were listening to them: What a strange sound this was to the other prisoners! The demon's shouting is . But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Don't harm yourself: we are all here!" (Acts 16:25-28). Luke notes that the prisoners were listening to them (16:25). David Guzik commentary on Acts 1 describes the ascension of Jesus into heaven and the appointing of Matthias as a replacement for Judas. By Jewish law Timothy was a Jew, because he was the son of a Jewish mother, but because he was uncircumcised he was technically an apostate Jew. OUTLINE I. TIMOTHY JOINS PAUL AND SILAS (1-5) A. TIMOTHY'S BACKGROUND (1-3) 1. c. Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go: Paul did not hesitate to answer the call of the Macedonian man. (temp. Commentary on the Book of Acts Paul and Silas: Acts 16. by Ed Rickard. Supplemental Teaching Idea. damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her On the morning after "a great earthquake" (v. 26) strikes a city, there is much turmoil, as people assess . After being troubled by this many days Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. We are next introduced to an incident which led to a decided And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. It actually says, She had a spirit of Pythona. That does not mean much to most of us, which is why it is not translated literally. Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This title, it is generally said, was given to Apollo, on account of his having destroyed a monstrous serpent that . He did not appreciate the source of the recommendation, and he didnt need demonic approval of his work. Acts 16:16. "When the slave girls masters had brought Paul and Silas to the magistrates, they said, These men, who are Jews, are confusing our city, proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or to observe. | Next The article, They encouraged them and departed: In Philippi, Paul and Silas left behind two notable converts: Lydia and the prison guard. The world should see (or hear) our joy in the Lord from the dungeon and ask, Whats with these people, anyway? Then we tell them. secrets about their lives. abs._ Summarize Acts 16:35-40 by explaining that the magistrates sent word to the prison guard to let Paul and Silas go. 2. masters much gain by soothsaying: Under Roman law and custom, guards who allowed their prisoners to escape received the penalty of their escaped prisoners. professed to divine, that is to reveal things beyond the reach of had evidently been converted through Paul on his first visit NOW IT HAPPENED, AS WE WENT TO PRAYER, THAT A CERTAIN SLAVE GIRL Our trials do not mean that He does not exist or that He is not loving and good. And we were staying in that city for some days. Summary. Paul and Silas in Prison. Timothy had a believing mother with a Jewish background (son of a certain Jewish woman who believed), and a (presumably) unbelieving Greek father. Natural selection acts on phenotypic variation in a population. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2001, All Rights Reserved. The miraculous conversion of the jailer to the faith of Christ, ver 25-34. We are studying the story of Lydia, recorded in Acts 16:11-15 and :40, for Sunday, February 28. ow DAMSEL. ii. They seized Paul and Silas: Paul and Silas were singled out not only because they were the leaders of the evangelistic group, but also by their appearance, as they were the most obviously Jewish. Most certainly not! 5:8). "About midnight Paul and Silas, in jail, were praying and singing hymns to God. Their charges were vague, simply accusing Paul and Silas of being troublemakers. So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. As WE went to prayer - This i "And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that. We may request cookies to be set on your device. 15. Wise, I: NEW /E OF THE BABYLONIAN TALMU. The book of Acts emphasizes the power and abilities of the leaders of the Jesus movement. The words, literally, are as in the margin, a spirit of Python, or, as The late Romanian pastor, Richard Wurmbrand, spent 14 years in prison for preaching the gospel, three in solitary confinement in a dark cell. God may ask us to lay down our rights for the good of another (in this case, for the good of the Philippian jailer). But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? apostle Paul. Acts 16:6-10 Phrygia, Bithynia, Mysia. Focus on joy in the Lord and dont forget your witness. They have violated our rights as Roman citizens. Most certainly not! So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. The Extension of the Church to Juda and Samaria (Acts 8:4 to Acts 11:18)The Christians, scattered by persecution, preach everywhere through Judaea and Samaria. As you know, a missionary wife and her baby were recently shot to death and the pilot of their plane was badly wounded when a Peruvian air force plane opened fire on them. They were all saved because they all trusted the word of God and the Jesus revealed to us through the word. Our rights are not as important as our obedience to the will of God. Under inspiration by the Holy Spirit, Paul told the keeper of the prison that his household would trust Jesus just as he did. Acts 16:30-34 What must I do to be Saved? b. He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Acts 16:12-40 They were whipped and put in the inner prison with chains on their feet. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, Let those men go. So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, The magistrates have sent to let you go. While in this country at this time, such physical torture from government authorities is rare, you may face times when your legal rights are violated. Acts 12:13. This was not only because of its timing and location, but also in the way that all the doors were opened and everyones chains were loosed. He drew his sword and was about to kill himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped. The Key teachings of Jesus Christ are focused on Faith and Love. So far, we've seen how the gospel has spread throughout Judea and Samaria, all the way up to modern-day Lebanon and Syria. Let them come themselves and release us. " (Acts 16:35-37). GAIN THEREBY. If I radiate His joy because I have entrusted my soul to Him, the faithful Creator, then even when Im wrongly treated, He will be glorified and others will be drawn to the Savior. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. So Paul and Silas went out of the prison, and entered into Lydias house to see and encourage the brethren; then Paul and Silas departed." i. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." Timothy's father, however, was a Greek. Doug Bratt. i Paul and Silas Imprisoned For the Philippian jailer, Paul did not direct him to counseling. (G3814) DISCOURSE: 1786 masters much gai AS WE WENT TO PRAYER, Or, _To the oratory._ The manner in which St.