This was a strong, godly man, leading a strong, godly team. Our series on Acts and the early church continues with the beginning of Paul's second missionary journey. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. It seemed as if nothing would make them stop praising God. 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 trusted that He had another purpose in mind, and so He did, namely, the conversion of the jailer and his family. 23When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. Biblical Books: Acts 16. ii. She was possessed by a demon, who gave The man must not have lived in the same world I live in! _possessed with a spirit of divination_ Greek, Not many of us will ever go through what Christians in communist prisons had to endure. i. Anyone can be happy in pleasant circumstances, but real joy comes only from within, and is a gift available to Christians at all times. Immediately all the doors were opened, and everyones bonds were loosed. This he does not yet do, speaking racially. When you are treated wrongly, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. We see His mighty power here in the earthquake that rocked this prison. Paul would be qualified. Acts 16:40 Parallel Verses [ See commentary ] Acts 16:40, NIV: After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them.Then they left. This was as dramatic as it sounds. We demand that they personally come and bring us out (16:37). Let them come themselves and release us. " (Acts 16:35-37). Paul and Silas were not singing so that they could be good witnesses in this difficult situation. The decrees Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great (Matt. Articles, monographs and books hosted on this site by Authors with Surnames beginning with O, P and Q By rights, Paul could have had their heads if he had taken his case to a higher authority. TO PRAYER; the place of prayer. The Midnight Miracles Acts 16:16-40; F B MEYER. Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! The demon came out that very hour. A disciple, whose mother was a Jewish Christian and father was Greek 3. Sale Date(s) . John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:4-18. PRAYER, see on Acts 16:13. The jailer then brought Paul and Silas up into his house, and set food before them. | Topics They always are, of course! Her masters made a lot of money from her power. 30Then he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' Acts 16:12 and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first Compare Mark 3:12; Luke 4:34-35. From the city of Thyatira: Thyatira was well known as a center for this purple dye and fabric made from it. Timothy. She was possessed by a spirit of divination. This commentary on Acts 16 treats the missionary journey of Paul and SIlas through Asia Minor to Philippi, where they were imprisoned. Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! The demon came out that very hour. The jailer was so impressed by Paul and Silas by the love they showed to him, and from their ability to take joy even in misery that he instantly wanted the kind of life that Paul and Silas have. Do we just lay down as doormats and take whatever happens passively? That leads to the last point: We dont know why, but for some reason the next morning the magistrates sent to the jailer and told him to release Paul and Silas. Those prison walls had probably never heard such a sound. God guides us along the way, to just the right place. b. Our responsibility in such difficult times is to trust and obey Him. Now, again on his way to the place of prayer, Paul meets another woman. 6. God knows what He is doing when he says, No.. _MARION ADAMS_ If it had been America, they would have sued and had the magistrates removed from office. 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. ; _to Lystra i. (Acts 16:29-34). But because Barnabas was i 1 Chronicles 10:13; 1 Samuel 28:7; 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Peter 2:3; Damsel. Timotheus] was probably of Lystra, not Derbe. Paul's plans now seemed to begin to go awry. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. _for _Lystra, _A.V._; Timothy _for _Timotheus, _A.V._; of a Jewess Having received such a command, the jailer threw Paul and Silas into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks." As John Piper rightly states, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. med. It would have been easy for Paul and Silas to escape thinking God provided another miraculous jailbreak. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Psalm 97 . i. Python". The conversion of the Jailer in Philippi Acts 16:16-40: At a place of prayer in Philippi Paul and Silas came across a girl that had a spirit of divination. of prayer._ (See Note on Acts 16:13.) 16-30, Ezekiel 37:21-28). I think that if they were offering any petitions mixed in with their praise, it would have been, Lord, use this situation for the greater furtherance of the gospel. Paul and Silas knew that God could have prevented them from being beaten and thrown in prison in the first place, but He did not do so. We simply know Paul and Silas were severely beaten. Paul and Silas beaten. This was an epoch-making moment, but how quietly it is recorded. God still calls people to the mission field, and He may call through unusual ways. _Into the_ _proseucha_: Acts 16:13, and Luke 6:12. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. In their former i. Jewish legal tradition gave a maximum number of blows that could be delivered when beating a person, but the Romans had no such limit. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. The Macedonian man wanted help. . THESE MEN ARE SERVANTS. Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. . For though the Greek noun here is without 1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. This verse must refer to a different occ _aor. 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. A. 17She followed Paul and us, crying out, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!' secrets about their lives. Either the quake or Gods miraculous power loosed all of the prisoners chains. 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. Whereas Lydia, while not necessarily wealthy, was at least a woman of some independence (as the head of her household), this second woman is doubly bound, a . Better, perhaps, _to the oratory,_ or _place In Acts 16, the Apostle Paul began his second missionary journey by visiting again some of the churches he had established on his first trip. Scriptures: Acts 16:11-15. This one incident does not exhaust the biblical teaching on when to stand up for your rights and when to let them go. He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. Its not enough just to grit your teeth and endure trials; God wants us to rejoice in them! (16:35-40) When the 'police' . FORTUNE-TELLING was forbidden in the OT _CRITICAL REMARKS_ d. Immediately we sought to go: The shift from they (they came down to Troas, Acts 16:8) to we in this verse probably means that Luke joined the band of missionaries in Troas. Strong churches will naturally increase in number daily, without relying on man-centered and manipulative methods. At some time you will be falsely accused. iii. Acts 16:12-40 But when it is true and has a supernatural origin (as opposed to clever, insightful guessing), there is no doubt that it is inspired by demons. (p.40-42, 1998 edition, Lucis Trust) Later, there was a church in Thyatira also, and it was one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation (Revelation 2:18-29). This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. Acts does not say. When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. See on ch. Whatever form it takes, you should not be surprised when you are treated wrongly. All things? Paul and Silas would not have been rejoicing in the Lord in the dungeon at midnight under these awful circumstances if it had not been a regular part of their everyday lives. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: In Troas, God made Pauls direction clear. And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. Pauls courage and wisdom in the face of these obstacles built a great legacy in people like Timothy. to set aside Jewish prejudice. Acts 15:36-18: . Lydia was prospering in business; the guard was about to kill himself. When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. Roman citizens had specific, zealously guarded civil rights. Peter echoes this: But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation (1 Pet. Americans rejected this call for fidelity to abstract ideals and a balanced budget over the need to help decent people live decently. Entered into the house of Lydia This was the place of their residence while at Philippi: see Acts 16:15.. The other prisoners were listening to them. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 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. certain maid having. 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 to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. In a vision, Paul was invited to the region of Macedonia, westward across the Agean Sea. Python, in the Greek mythology, was the serpent spirit of divination met us, who brought her You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Paul and Silas, their rights having been violated and their backs torn open, their feet in the stocks and locked in the dark inner prison, were praying and singing hymns of praise to God at midnight (16:25)! i. a. FOR SALE! Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 1. One thing I really want to talk about is the best way to use Bible commentaries so you are actually learning how to study the Book for yourself, and not just memorizing the thoughts of the . Come on, Paul, get realistic! 2:20). He drew his sword and was about to kill himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped. before, Paul was favorably impressed with the young man, Timothy, who med. masters much gai AS WE WENT TO PRAYER, Or, _To the oratory._ The manner in which St. ( ). VI. 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. The demon-possessed slave girl preached for Paul, giving a demonic testimony to their divine credentials and their message. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. 16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. PAUL AND SILAS ARE SEIZED, BROUGHT BEFORE THE they were (James 2:19). Timothy Joins Paul and Silas. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. 5:11-12). But God wanted to give Paul a continent to win for Jesus Christ. It is false teaching that Christians are exempt from the common trials that come upon the entire human race: sickness, poverty, tragedies, and death. But those vague charges were enough, because both the multitude and the magistrates were biased against Paul and Silas. 16. Our trials do not mean that He does not exist or that He is not loving and good. by her Satanic incantations, continues to follow these evangelists day He uses circumcision in all liberty These verses describe Pauls experiences and work in Thessalonica and Berea during his second missionaryjourney. Paul was guided by hindrance. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. Paul trusted God to work for His purpose and glory, whether Paul got delivered or whether he died in the process. The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them (v. 19-24). ii. between Paul and Barnabas who had been close companions on the first Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyones chains were loosed. 34The jailer then brought Paul and Silas up into his house, and set food before them. If they couldnt do it within three minutes, they werent fit for the chaplains service. [1965-73], 2:149). a. Paul wanted to have him go on with him: Paul was impressed enough with Timothy to ask him to join their missionary team. In Acts 15, Paul argued strongly that it was not necessary for Gentile converts to come under the Law of Moses for salvation (Acts 15:2 and 15:12). This man was more affected by the love and grace demonstrated by Paul and Silas than by the earthquake. I wish that Paul had said, Rejoice in the Lord as a general rule. But, always? b. d. When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison: After being severely beaten, Paul and Silas were imprisoned in maximum-security conditions (commanding the jailer to keep them securely the inner prison fastened their feet in the stocks). THE PYTHONESS It depends on daily cultivating joy in the Lord. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 15. _for _of a certain woman which was a Jewess, We remember at the end of our study last week there arose a contention Paul never specifically called the keeper of the prison to repent because he was already repenting. 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. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you . was a female slave possessed A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. The authorities were full of fear when they learned that Paul was a Roman. Even in their pain, God was not far from Paul and Silas. oracles met us. At Lystra As well, the multitude and the magistrates felt free to abuse Paul and Silas because they assumed they were not Roman citizens. (10) Satan transforms himself in A pythonical spirit. Praise the Lord is not a nice suggestion; its a command! Acts 21:23-26 23So do what we tell you. Because God said no to Paul these two times, we have a gospel and a Book of Acts written by Doctor Luke. The English, on the other hand, although faced with a more benevolent geography, had a preference for clustering close to the Atlantic seaboard until the eighteenth century; only in the Hudson and Connecticut River valleys, and in parts of the Chesapeake region, did settlement of the interior begin from the outset.50 It is a striking commentary . And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. Further, there was racial prejudice behind these false charges. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? The main application of this story for me is to work on having joy in the Lord in every situation. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." The phrase, being Jews, was no doubt said with a slur. The demon came out that very hour. i. Philippi was the place where the armies of Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius in the decisive battle of the second Roman civil war in 42 B.C. (Hughes) Because of this, many Roman soldiers retired in the area, and Philippi was proud of its Roman connection. _Possessed with a spirit, &c._] _As we went to prayer_ Or to the place of prayer, mentioned before; _a If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Baptism was so important that they were baptized "the same hour of the night." A. Paul and Silas show us four aspects of a right response to wrong treatment. When a Barnabas leaves (for whatever reason), God has a Timothy to go on with him. God wanted to give him a continent for Jesus, to give him a personal doctor, and to give all of us the man whom God would use to write more of the New Testament than anyone else did. i. A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US. Acts 16:25-40 (ESV) 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. (Acts 16:6) they received a GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE Paul and Silas show us four aspects of a right response to wrong treatment. 39So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. They comforted them, and departed. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. Greek. i. Just because God is the omnipotent Creator does not mean that He will spare you from intense trials. 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. You can also change some of your preferences. _ (G1096) 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 . Are we out of the will of God? Being in the will of God is not a guarantee of protection from trials. We may assume here t Acts 16:16. See 2 Kings xxviii; Isaias viii. They were assumed guilty without a hearing or trial. "As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. No number of women would compensate for the absence of even one man necessary to make up the quorum of ten. (Bruce). The response of Jesus in the following verses also indicates that He did not . Dive Deeper. The Prison Experiences Of The Bible. That convicts me of my lack of joy and my grumbling over the minor irritations in my life! Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. The great missionary David Livingstone summarized the spirit of Paul when he said, I am prepared to go anywhere, so long as it is forward. (Cited in Barclay). 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. DAY 6 - ASK FOR INSIGHT READ THE PASSAGE Think back through what you have learned each day this week. Pioneer preacher J. W. McGarvey (1829-1911), commenting in his famous "Commentary on Acts" on the apostle Paul's vision of the invitation to go into Macedonia (see Acts 16), made some . That couple was in Peru to serve Jesus Christ.

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