a. of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in 16-18. "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. They comforted them, and departed. As Paul saw it, being a good Christian did not mean being a bad Jew. (Longenecker) The wording of Acts 16:3 implies that Paul himself performed the circumcision (he took him and circumcised him). Roman citizens had specific, zealously guarded civil rights. On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made: The fact that the Jews of Philippi had no synagogue and met by the river means that there were not many Jewish men in Philippi. They were not given an opportunity to defend themselves. | Topics The demon inside the girl kept shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved" (16:17). a. 16. The magistrates were sufficiently humbled, and the public at large, hearing of this circumstance, must be satisfied of the innocency of the apostles. As well, this may have even been the same guard who beat them a few hours earlier. Conversion of the Philippian jailer. There was great indignation that Roman citizens should be molested by strolling peddlers of an outlandish religion. b. Lydia was a seller of purple: Anyone who was a seller of purple dealt in a valued, luxurious product. At Lystra Some charge him with Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. Sermon #7 . The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them (v. 19-24). 1:25 is the other). They were biased because of their Jewish appearance, and because they assumed Paul and Silas were not Roman citizens. 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. Paul is accompanied by Silas (15:37-38), and they are later joined by young Mark (16:1). Tell students that Acts 16-20 contains an account of Paul's second and third missions (the account of Paul's second mission actually begins in Acts 15:40). God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas and pick up a doctor named Luke. Paul does with regard to Timothy. The last time Paul was in Lystra, they first worshipped him as a god and then tried to kill him by stoning (Acts 14:11-20). It is false teaching that Christians are exempt from the common trials that come upon the entire human race: sickness, poverty, tragedies, and death. And now do they put us out secretly? The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. Their charges were vague, simply accusing Paul and Silas of being troublemakers. The arrival in Europe was clearly seen by Luke as very important. GAIN THEREBY. Suddenly there was a great earthquake: This earthquake was clearly supernatural. By her soothsaying she provided much gain for her abs._ 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. The next time, they would follow the Roman law! 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. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." Acts 16 Commentary; G CAMPBELL MORGAN. But that would depend on where in the city he was and what kind of worship he came to perform. 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.". And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. a. A verse by verse study of Acts 17:1-15. I would never have it another way. (In Our Daily Bread [2/85].). We do not know firsthand the true meaning of the word persecution. Perhaps some of you may have felt ostracized at work or have been passed over for a promotion because you are a Christian. This was a promise made specifically to the keeper of the prison. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. i. Bruce translates the phrase, It came out there and then. A. Timothy (16:1-10) As Paul and Silas go through Derbe and Lystra, they come across a disciple named Timothy who was spoken highly of by the brethren. Presumably this was because demons gave her supernatural insight into the lives of others. Both heard the gospel and believed, and through each of them their whole families were touched! The Preaching forbidden in Asia (Acts 16:6). Paul did things for the sake of love that he would not do for the sake of trying to please God through legalism. Her masters made a lot of money from her power. while Judas and Silas were to confirm them by word of mouth. Paul and Silas show us four aspects of a right response to wrong treatment. Paul and Silas looked Jewish, and Anti-Jewish sentiment lay very near the surface in pagan antiquity. (Bruce) The objection that these men were Jews is even more interesting knowing the Jewish community in Philippi was small. Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. Timotheus] was probably of Lystra, not Derbe. ii. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. There were at least two reasons. The authorities were full of fear when they learned that Paul was a Roman. with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much Th WELCOMED; ATTESTED; IMPRISONED med. masters much gain by soothsaying"Going to the place of prayer" Ac 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most 31They answered, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' Development structures variation and, consequently, the ways in which a population can respond to selection (1-4).The direction with the greatest amount of variation is termed the "line of least resistance" (LLR) (5-7).The LLR represents the direction of greatest potential for evolutionary change because it contains the . 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. Studying Acts 16 11-15, 40. This he does not yet do, speaking racially. The real issue, when youre treated wrongly, is, Do you trust in a sovereign, omnipotent God who could have prevented this situation if He had so willed? Anyone can be happy in pleasant circumstances, but real joy comes only from within, and is a gift available to Christians at all times. Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. This man was more affected by the love and grace demonstrated by Paul and Silas than by the earthquake. He told the Colossians, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake (Col. 1:24). (dep.) some MSS. 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? Knowing this, Paul called with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. He assured the jailer that no one had escaped. Now, they found Timothy gro WE WERE MET BY A SLAVE GIRL. 38The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. a. Instead of cursing men, they blessed God. (Stott). Acts 16:16-26. b. The more difficult reading appears to be pu,qwna (74 a A B C* D* 81 A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. The Macedonian man wanted help. A slave a. ii. If anyone had a right to be angry, they did. 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. He Authors Vern and Bonnie Bullough write in The care of the sick: the emergence of modern nursing, that this is seen as an aspect of following Jesus' example, since so much of his public . Rather, they accused them of throwing the city into confusion and of proclaiming customs that were not lawful for Romans to accept or observe (16:20-21). (Acts 16:6) they received a GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE 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. On his first trip, he had come to the towns of Derbe and Lystra; and evidently a young fellow come to Christ. He did not appreciate the source of the recommendation, and he didnt need demonic approval of his work. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. His mother was a Jew who had become a believer in Jesus. Those who are prisoners in Satans domain of darkness are always listening to and watching the Lords people, especially in times of trial. Acts 16:16. b. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. (16) "_And it came to pass, i. A man called Timothy lived in Lystra. So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. And we were staying in that city for some days. 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. Site Location117 Pembroke Pines-PEM. Paul trusted God to work for His purpose and glory, whether Paul got delivered or whether he died in the process. 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. (p.40-42, 1998 edition, Lucis Trust) 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. How to Turn Persecution into Production. Just because God is the omnipotent Creator does not mean that He will spare you from intense trials. They charged the jailer to keep them safely. 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. He testified, Alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I danced for joy every night. During this time he asked a fellow prisoner, whom he had led to Christ before they were both arrested, Have you any resentment against me that I brought you to Christ? The man responded, I have no words to express my thankfulness that you brought me to the wonderful Savior. He knew that it was easier for the gospel to spread from these cities than to these cities. 27The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. It would be a very long time before these officials would beat a man without a trial. i. Paul refused to go because he knew his rights as a Roman citizen and knew that their treatment of him was unjust. The response of Jesus in the following verses also indicates that He did not . And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Dive Deeper. med. With Paul, we should aim at doing all things for the sake of the gospel (1 Cor. AS WE WENT TO PRAYER. Timothy. It is wrong to act out of personal vengeance, greed, or other selfish motives. Paul and Silas did not sit in jail lamenting, Maybe we missed the signals! iii. Preacher: Joel Fair _Scripture: Mark 16:1-8 _ Luke 24:5b (ESV) "Why do you seek the living among the dead? serpent destroyed, according to Greek And yet the two missionaries were falsely accused, beaten, and thrown into the inner prison, with their feet locked into the stocks, without any semblance of a trial. This title, it is generally said, was given to Apollo, on account of his having destroyed a monstrous serpent that . Acts 16:1-18 Saving, Guiding, Empowering. Save yourselves, &c. That is, "See that you lay these things to heart; receiving them with such regard, as the importance of the case requires. So he stood on his rights in order to protect the church and the cause of Christ in that city. This moved Paul and his missionary team from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe; this was the first missionary endeavor to Europe. 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. And this did she many days. 1. The term emphasizes His omnipotence and sovereignty. He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Acts 16:35-40. Her hospitality was touching and a wonderful example. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. The first 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. [1965-73], 2:149). But to them, the lives of others were more important than their own personal freedom and comfort. In last Sunday's lesson, Paul met Lydia while he was looking for a place of prayer. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.. Timothy Joins Paul and Silas. 2. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. This should be rendered as in above ( ). 3 Paul wanted Timothy as a companion on his journey. Acts 16:11-15 Samothrace, Neapolis, Philippi. Upon learning this, the magistrates were filled with fear, because it was a grave offense to treat Roman citizens as Paul and Silas had been treated. THE HEALING OF THE GIRL POSSESSED WITH THE PYTHON SPIRIT (16:16-18). She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. Hesychius defines it as (a spirit of 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. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. Have students review Acts 16:1-5 and look for answers to the following: 3:1). Acts 16:16-18 Spirit of Divination. Acts 16:1-15To Be Led by the Spirit. God is sovereign in the task of evangelism. 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. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes: The same jailer who had punished them now cared for Paul and Silas, caring for their wounds and he set food before them. As you know, when he later wrote to this Philippian church from a prison cell in Rome, the major theme of that letter was joy in the Lord in spite of our circumstances. give it, a Python spirit. This was an epoch-making moment, but how quietly it is recorded. 37But 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. These were convenient in sizeTo claim Roman citizenship falsely was punishable by death. (Williams). 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. But God wanted to give Paul a continent to win for Jesus Christ. b. It was actually reasonable for them to wonder when the rest of the New Covenant would be fulfilled. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. When you are treated wrongly, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION CAST OUT BY ST PAUL. Luke reported that the group went for prayer, possibly daily. We see His mighty power here in the earthquake that rocked this prison. Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. | List ⤓(4) Acts 16:16 to 28:31 (pdf). Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Acts 16:16-34. They always are, of course! When a Barnabas leaves (for whatever reason), God has a Timothy to go on with him. At Lystra he found Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters. (Bruce). 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.