If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Were out of here! And they would have run for their lives. We see another reason why the Spirit did not permit them to go into Bithynia. Let those men go: In societies that recognize few rights for their citizens it is common for one to be arrested, beaten, imprisoned and then quickly and unexpectedly released. They were singing because their hearts were full of praise toward God and the joy of His salvation. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. No indeed! He was a believer. masters much gai AS WE WENT TO PRAYER, Or, _To the oratory._ The manner in which St. Here begins the account of Pads second journey. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. iv. Yet they returned to the prison willingly to spare the jailer certain death. 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. I'll try to post some notes on that . The miraculous conversion of the jailer to the faith of Christ (v. 25-34). When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. By rights, Paul could have had their heads if he had taken his case to a higher authority. V1 Paul went to Derbe and then he went to Lystra. In everything? 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. 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.' As well, the multitude and the magistrates felt free to abuse Paul and Silas because they assumed they were not Roman citizens. They were physically attacked in an inhumane way. But because Barnabas was i 1 Chronicles 10:13; 1 Samuel 28:7; 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Peter 2:3; Damsel. This is how God wants our lives to be: Natural magnets drawing people to Him. 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. Verse Acts 16:16. Romans were exempt from public beatings. The Gospel in Europe EXORCISM OF A POSSESSED GIRL. As we come to the 16 th chapter of Acts we are coming, really, to a chapter that is going to, I think, leave an impression on all of us. Tap a Lookup below to generate a list oflessons. But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. 26Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. It's one of those chapters that you always remember - just the record along of Lydia and her marvelous liberation. I could handle, Try not to grumble too much. Rejoice always; In everything give thanks; for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess. PDF Salvation in Acts 16: Meaning and missional implication derived from It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle . This page is a verse by verse study of Acts 16:16-40. Perhaps he even came as Pauls personal doctor. The keeper of the prisonwas about to kill himself: The jailer did this for a good reason. 1:20). i. 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 . a. . You couldn't wait to get where you were going or do what you needed . Acts 16 Commentary | Precept Austin Paul cried, "Do thyself no harm: for we are all here." By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. These stocks had more than two holes for legs, which could thus be forced apart in a such a way as to cause the utmost discomfort and cramping pain. (Bruce), iii. The safety Trainer in partnership with management and Human . (16) "_And it came to pass, Acts 16:30-34 What must I do to be Saved? Clarke's Commentary. Their response teaches us how to be right when we are wronged. Studying the book of Acts 16; shows a significant summary of the history, time and relevant details according to the bible's acts based onBenson Joseph - Bible Commentary and reading parallely the bible's version Legacy Standard Bible. A precise commentary on acts 16 16 34 can boost your faith and strengthen your walk with Jesus Christ. Compare Mark 3:12; Luke 4:34-35. i. A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION CAST OUT i. possessed with a spirit of (f) divination met us, which brought her a. Timothy had a believing mother with a Jewish background (son of a certain Jewish woman who believed), and a (presumably) unbelieving Greek father. I wish that Paul had said, Rejoice in the Lord as a general rule. But, always? Commentary on Acts 8:26-40 - Working Preacher 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. i. 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. med. Tap the title next to the arrow to get thatdocument. of prayer._ (See Note on Acts 16:13.) Conversion of the Philippian jailer. Acts 16:16 - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org At the time Paul met Timothy, he was delivering the news of this decree that came out of the Acts 15 council (as they went through the cities, the delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem). These were convenient in sizeTo claim Roman citizenship falsely was punishable by death. (Williams). When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Don't harm yourself: we are all here!", "The jailer called for lights and rushed in to the prison. When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. Everything else flows from that. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. We may assume here t Acts 16:16. 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. c. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul: Before Lydia was converted (as demonstrated by her baptism), the Lord opened her heart. 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? Verses 1-5 Note some of the ways that Paul and Silas were mistreated. He drew his sword and was about to kill himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped. Paul and Silas beaten. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." Quite simply, it means even if something appears to be free, there's always some kind of catch. The book of Acts emphasizes the power and abilities of the leaders of the Jesus movement. 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. Those who are prisoners in Satans domain of darkness are always listening to and watching the Lords people, especially in times of trial. Just because God is the omnipotent Creator does not mean that He will spare you from intense trials. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. certain damsel met us_ (that is, met Paul and his three companions) It was a strange and wonderful church they left behind in Philippi: Lydia, perhaps the slave girl, the jailer and his household, and others. 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. The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. Its still possible for a type of Macedonian Man to give an unusual call to serve God in a distant place. Acts 16:16. been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia.' So he stood on his rights in order to protect the church and the cause of Christ in that city. they were (James 2:19). On his first trip, he had come to the towns of Derbe and Lystra; and evidently a young fellow come to Christ. Articles, monographs and books hosted on this site by Authors with Surnames beginning with O, P and Q The Key teachings of Jesus Christ are focused on Faith and Love. "The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. A man called Timothy lived in Lystra. As George Muller put it, the chief business of every day is first of all to seek to be truly at rest and happy in God (A. T. Pierson, George Muller of Bristol [Revell], p. 257). Do they now release us secretly? For all they knew, they would be executed the next day, or left to die a slow death in prison. 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. When you are treated wrongly, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. Acts 16:1-15. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. The jailer then brought Paul and Silas up into his house, and set food before them. TANSTAAFL is an acronym for the old adage, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch," reportedly coined by Robert Heinlein. We demand that they personally come and bring us out (16:37). (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. The demon's shouting is . change in the fortunes of Paul and Silas. Acts 16:6-10 Phrygia, Bithynia, Mysia. Others refuse to preach repentance, claiming that this text says that it is not necessary. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. They were whipped and put in the inner prison with chains on their feet. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. They were all saved because they all trusted the word of God and the Jesus revealed to us through the word. Presumably this was because demons gave her supernatural insight into the lives of others. Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. certain slave-girl who had a spirit which made her able to give DAY 6 - ASK FOR INSIGHT READ THE PASSAGE Think back through what you have learned each day this week. God is sovereign in the task of evangelism. PRAYER, see on Acts 16:13. Hosted Articles, Monographs and Books: Authors B Study Guide for Acts 16 by David Guzik - Blue Letter Bible Acts 16 Explication - Benson Joseph - Bible Commentary 9:23), because the prisoners will be listening. a. 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. Acts 16 - A Study Guide by Mark A. Copeland 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). Acts 16 - Wikipedia This should be rendered as in above As a result of the numerous miracles performed through Paul and Peter, the church grows daily. The solution will come, as I said, when the races regard the Jewish problem as a humanitarian problem but also when the Jew does his share of understanding, love and right action. abs._ For the Philippian jailer, Paul did not direct him to counseling. The walk to the place of prayer is made This led Theodore Olson, a leading critic of the Supreme Court, to suggest that the students should dance nude before their football games, since the court prefers naked dancing to prayer as a form of expression (Kathleen Parker, The Washington Times [9/11/00], p. A12)! When they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them: Only after this did they agree to go. But Paul wrote Second Corinthians to defend his character and his apostolic ministry. A certain disciple was there, named Timothy: In the time since Paul had been to Lystra, a young man named Timothy had been serving the Lord (He was well spoken of by the brethren). Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. 1:25 is the other). 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. Lord. Acts 16:1-15To Be Led by the Spirit. going one way, and then anoth MINISTRY IN PHILIPPI FROM THE HOUSE OF LYDIA (16:12B-40). Introduction. Ephesus would come later, not now. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself observe and guard the law. In times of trial, Satan tempts us to think things like, If God exists and if He is good, why didnt He protect you from this extreme situation? As Peter goes on to show, and as Paul and Silas here exemplify, the solution is to resist the devil by being firm in our faith in the Almighty God. How can a person be sorrowful yet always rejoicing (2 Cor. b. Overcoming any obstacle that is presented, they go about proclaiming to the world that Jesus died and was raised so that all could Continue reading "Commentary on Acts 16:16-34" Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Character of God, Faith, Suffering, Trials, Persecution, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. 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. b. Being his Apostles, Paul and Silas exhibited a scene of Faith during their . and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first But it was the Holy Spirits plan to lead him there. IN T _A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination._ b. And yet the same mighty power that sent the quake could have prevented the beating and imprisonment in the first place, but did not. 27The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Why did Paul do that? Maybe God didnt mean for us to come to Macedonia. Four lessons from Acts 16: 1. a. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 3 Paul wanted Timothy as a companion on his journey. 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. Scriptures: Acts 16:11-15. Acts 16:40. whom Paul had baptized, ( Acts 16:14 Acts 16:15 ) . Him, that was a disciple of Christ, Paul took to be his disciple, that he might further train him up in the knowledge and faith of Christ; he took him to be brought up for Christ. That his mother was a Jewess originally, but believed in Christ; her name was Eunice, his grandmother's name was Lois. Acts 16:16-40 - Charles Box Commentaries - bibliaplus.org 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. Paul and Silas travel to Derbe and Lystra, where they meet Timothy 2. 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. gave information to the slave girl so that she could tell people Oxford University Press. Some have worried that Pauls invitation to salvation here is too easy, and would promote a too-easy faith or a cheap grace. Increasingly, our religious rights are being violated in the interest of so-called neutrality. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that nude dancing was entitled to considerable legal protection as expressive behavior, but they struck down student elections permitting speech that might be used for prayer prior to high school football games. a. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Acts 16:40. Lesson 41: How to be Right When You're Wronged (Acts 16: 16-40) DAMSEL POSSESSED MET US. And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city. All doors seemed to be FORTUNE-TELLING was forbidden in the OT _CRITICAL REMARKS_ Th WELCOMED; ATTESTED; IMPRISONED But he let their wrong go unpunished and by his actions showed that Christians are not out for personal vengeance. 3. Their work was successful because their first interest was in strengthening the churches. " 1 Paul came to Derbe and Lystra. The real reason for the anger of the slave girls owners was that they had just been deprived of their source of income (16:19). 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). 5:3-5). They charged the jailer to keep them safely. POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US, WHO BROUGHT HER MASTERS Why didnt Paul and Silas reveal their Roman citizenship earlier? The decrees 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. Paul and Silas went to the house of Lydia, saw the brethren, comforted them, and departed. Acts 16:16-24 | Walking Together Ministries It was at least the third choice for him. _MARION ADAMS_ But pythona was a certain kind of snake a python. 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. Their charges were vague, simply accusing Paul and Silas of being troublemakers. "The jailer called for lights and rushed in to the prison. Is depression a sin? Studying Acts 16 11-15, 40. And immediately he and all his family were baptized: The jailer and his family saw no reason to delay baptism; they were baptized that very night, and all this began around midnight (Acts 16:25). 4:4). Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. 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.. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. professed to divine, that is to reveal things beyond the reach of He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. 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. So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. 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. 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.". Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. Acts 21:23-26 23So do what we tell you. Paul and Silas show us four aspects of a right response to wrong treatment.