The magistrates sent the officers: Paul and Silas left the prison (in the protective custody of the jailer) to minister to the jailers household. That couple was in Peru to serve Jesus Christ. They encouraged them and departed: In Philippi, Paul and Silas left behind two notable converts: Lydia and the prison guard. ii. 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. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. EXALTING JESUS IN Acts (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) - GOOD - $16.40. A spirit pretending to divination, to tell 1028-1061. So, they came down to Troas. The circumstances said, escape. But love said, Stay for the sake of this one soul. They were not guided merely by circumstances, but by what love compelled. , _as we were going to the place of prayer_ (see on Thus if we want to glorify God, which is the highest goal for the Christian, we must focus on finding joy in Him. missionary venture of the church. 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. 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.. Luke reported that the group went for prayer, possibly daily. A description of Philippi. When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. This title, it is generally said, was given to Apollo, on account of his having destroyed a monstrous serpent that . 23When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. b. 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. ( Acts 16:1-2) Paul meets Timothy in Lystra. 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. This Click on the different category headings to find out more. _._ Beyer, 45f. That, by the way, is the missing note among Christians in many places today. What are some practical steps toward deepening our daily joy in the Lord. If our rights are violated, we dont take it sitting down. In this, Paul was like Jesus, who often told demons to be silent, even when they told the truth about Him (Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 3:11-12). He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. It depends on daily cultivating joy in the Lord. a. There were at least two reasons. But we will be treated wrongly, at work and at home. Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!' Acts 16:16. By Dr. Philip W. McLarty. 3. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. And now do they put us out secretly? Their charges were vague, simply accusing Paul and Silas of being troublemakers. 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. 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. In line with that, Pauls action showed the entire city, which would have heard about this incident, the spirit of Jesus Christ. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. For Christians, the Old Testament statements are enhanced by multiple verses such as Matthew 10:8, Luke 10:9 and 9:2, and Acts 5:16 that say "heal the sick". "About midnight Paul and Silas, in jail, were praying and singing hymns to God. 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. b. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. Maybe youre wondering, Does trusting God mean that we should never stand up for our rights? ⤓(4) Acts 16:16 to 28:31 (pdf). The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. (Acts 16:25-28). God is sovereign in the task of evangelism. a. With Paul, we should aim at doing all things for the sake of the gospel (1 Cor. Had there been ten Jewish men, they would have sufficed to constitute a synagogue. 4:4). These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. OUTLINE I. TIMOTHY JOINS PAUL AND SILAS (1-5) A. TIMOTHY'S BACKGROUND (1-3) 1. The demon came out that very hour. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. After learning how to become a Christians the jailer and his family were all baptized immediately. Home Changes will take effect once you reload the page. the place where he was worshipped, (which was afterwards cal 16-18. _Possessed with a spirit, &c._] _As we went to prayer_ Or to the place of prayer, mentioned before; _a Verse Acts 16:40. Paul is accompanied by Silas (15:37-38), and they are later joined by young Mark (16:1). human knowledge. So perfect were the winds that they sailed 156 miles in just two days, whereas returning the other way at a later time (Acts 20:6) it took five days. (Hughes). 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. He was a believer. The incident in Philippi took place probably in the fall of A.D. 50, and so anti-Jewish sentiment was running high. When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. apostle Paul. some MSS. i. With much fear he fell down before Paul and Silas and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Not many of us will ever go through what Christians in communist prisons had to endure. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatpage. We see another reason why the Spirit did not permit them to go into Bithynia. We see His mighty power here in the earthquake that rocked this prison. Clarke's Commentary. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. Even in their pain, God was not far from Paul and Silas. Acts 21:23-26 23So do what we tell you. 10/13/22. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Don't harm yourself: we are all here!" (Acts 16:25-28). 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." If Paul wished to maintain his links with the synagogue, he could not be seen to countenance apostasy. (Bruce). In a vision, Paul was invited to the region of Macedonia, westward across the Agean Sea. On the morning after "a great earthquake" (v. 26) strikes a city, there is much turmoil, as people assess . 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. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. First, Paul was concerned for justice for all people, and what these magistrates had done was grossly unjust. Paul would be qualified. 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). Timothy's father, however, was a Greek. masters much gain by soothsaying"Going to the place of prayer" Ac 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most 19. 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. Paul insisted that Titus, a Gentile co-worker, did not have to be circumcised (Galatians 2:3-5). Paul refused to leave because he was mistreated as a Roman citizen. Now when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them to the marketplace to face the rulers." damsel ii. VII. Do they now release us secretly? CHARACTERS: Jesus, Holy S Acts 16:1. _Then came he to Lystra,_ as in Acts 14:6. spirit of divination met us, who brought her Instead of cursing men, they blessed God. (Stott). 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. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. She was possessed by a spirit of divination. a. This was a promise made specifically to the keeper of the prison. ", "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. was a female slave possessed A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION Hollywood, FL. Its still possible for a type of Macedonian Man to give an unusual call to serve God in a distant place. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour. her supernatural abilities. Acts 16:12 b. Lydia was a seller of purple: Anyone who was a seller of purple dealt in a valued, luxurious product. 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. THE PRISON OF HIS PRAISES. Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters. (Bruce). 31They answered, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' Therefore, a most important element in evangelism is asking God through prayer to open hearts, for without this there can be no genuine conversion. He started to kill himself. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God." iv. How can we know when it is right to defend ourselves and when we should simply yield our rights? pythonem. 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. It would be a very long time before these officials would beat a man without a trial. , is added here by ABCE, several others, _Origen_ and not to be understood of their just going to the act, or dut And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed Scriptures: Acts 16:11-15. 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. Acts 16:16-24. Tap the title next to the arrow to get thatdocument. By making these officials realize that they had committed a serious offense against Roman citizens, Paul insured that they would not trouble the Christians in Philippi. 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. 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. Paul and Silas would not be hurried out of town until they had brought their work there to a conclusion. New International Version. The safety Trainer in partnership with management and Human . 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. This is how God wants our lives to be: Natural magnets drawing people to Him. Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. Hesychius defines it as (a spirit of Luke relates this history,plainly implies that he considered it as a . 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. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. was no heralding of the gospel which was to transform Europe. The demon knew who TIPPER CAPACITY, 34" X 40" MAX DIE / MOLD AREA **Loading Fee Due the "ERRA" CARY SPECIALIZED SERVICES, INC. $200.00, prices valid until MARCH 16, 2023 SEE PRICING SPECIFICS** Auction Details BCS AIS - POSTPONED . Because of Deuteronomy 23:1 (see also Leviticus 21:16-23) some assume that the eunuch would have been forbidden from doing in Jerusalem what Acts says he came to do: worship. The other prisoners were listening to them. a. You can check these in your browser security settings. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Either the quake or Gods miraculous power loosed all of the prisoners chains. Paul's Macedonian vision. They comforted them, and departed. The jailer then brought Paul and Silas up into his house, and set food before them. And they went out, &c. The servants of Christ, being honourably cleared from every crime by this public release, left the prison quietly, and went to the house of Lydia With whom they had lodged before; and when they had seen the brethren The disciples whom they had made; they comforted them By rehearsing what God had done both for them and by them, in prison; and . to set aside Jewish prejudice. They have violated our rights as Roman citizens. 2 The brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium spoke very highly of Timothy. Cultivating joy in the Lord every day is not optional. When they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them: Only after this did they agree to go. Verses 1-5 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 . Praise the Lord is not a nice suggestion; its a command! It is difficult to say exactly how the Holy Spirit said no; it may have been through a word of prophecy, or by an inward speaking of the Holy Spirit, or by circumstances. 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. Others refuse to preach repentance, claiming that this text says that it is not necessary. Their response teaches us how to be right when we are wronged. TIMOTHY WORKS WITH PAUL AND SILAS, 16:1-5 The main application of this story for me is to work on having joy in the Lord in every situation. The only way that prison and mistreatment and a raw back do not matter is when the delight of God matters more. while Judas and Silas were to confirm them by word of mouth. gain by soothsaying: And fifty days after the Passover, the second major Jewish feast, the Feast of Pentecost, or the Feast of Ingathering. Yet Jesus said that some demons would be more difficult to cast out than others (Matthew 17:21). The Gospel in Europe EXORCISM OF A POSSESSED GIRL. Supplemental Teaching Idea. i. This page is a verse by verse study of Acts 16:16-40. 6. 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). As G. Campbell Morgan observes, He did not sing because he was to be let out of prison. apostles went towards the forementioned place of prayer,. The Preaching forbidden in Asia (Acts 16:6). 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. Pauls missionary team did not hesitate to follow him on the basis of this call. change in the fortunes of Paul and Silas. Pauls courage and wisdom in the face of these obstacles built a great legacy in people like Timothy. This was a strong, godly man, leading a strong, godly team. The jailer thought the prisoners had escaped. They had a daily habit of mentally focusing on how great and wonderful God is, and on the many blessings that He daily heaps on His children. 1. c. And he came out that very hour: The idea behind that very hour is that the demon came out immediately. Full-Time. frequently, and the party comes to be known. Acts 16 is the sixteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. the article it is clearly to be rendered as in the previous verse. PREACHING ON THE SABBATH AT PHILIPPI. All of the ambiguity that this character radiates has an . Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Although I have not verified it, I have heard that the most frequent command in the entire Bible is, Sing! And you cant rightly obey the command to praise God and sing for joy unless your heart is full of joy in Him. PAUL AND SILAS ARE SEIZED, BROUGHT BEFORE THE He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. They were in, not out, of Gods will. i. ow DAMSEL. This is salvation by grace alone, received by faith alone. The phrase, being Jews, was no doubt said with a slur. I have a hunch that if most of us had gone through what Paul and Silas suffered, if we were praying at midnight it would be, God, get me out of here! I cant prove it, but I also have a hunch that Paul and Silas were not praying that way. The miraculous conversion of the jailer to the faith of Christ (v. 25-34). What's more, Paul and Barnabus have traveled . 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" 34:3, 8). Acts 16:11-15 Samothrace, Neapolis, Philippi. It is good for us to bring other help along with the gospel, but without the gospel, little real help is given. First, there were the false accusations. The Key teachings of Jesus Christ are focused on Faith and Love. VII. 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. of P And it came about that, as we were going to the place of prayer, a They trusted that He had another purpose in mind, and so He did, namely, the conversion of the jailer and his family. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers[ b] at Lystra and Iconium. of the fear of death by the jailer in Acts 16 is also not strange in the African religious experience, where the fear of death But because Barnabas was i 1 Chronicles 10:13; 1 Samuel 28:7; 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Peter 2:3; Damsel. ACTSNOTE ON ACTS 16:16 A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION. 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. DAY 6 - ASK FOR INSIGHT READ THE PASSAGE Think back through what you have learned each day this week. EPILOGUE. 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. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews in that region: Paul had Timothy circumcised, not for the sake of his salvation (Paul would never do so) but so there would be less to hinder ministry among the Jews. Timotheus] was probably of Lystra, not Derbe. This man was more affected by the love and grace demonstrated by Paul and Silas than by the earthquake. _AS WE WENT TO PRAYER_] , Whatever form it takes, you should not be surprised when you are treated wrongly. Natural selection acts on phenotypic variation in a population. TANSTAAFL is an acronym for the old adage, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch," reportedly coined by Robert Heinlein. We are studying the story of Lydia, recorded in Acts 16:11-15 and :40, for Sunday, February 28. Let them come themselves and release us. " (Acts 16:35-37). i. 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? 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. The honourable discharge of Paul and Silas by the magistrates, ver 35-40. 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. abs._ Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: Paul (and Silas) arrived in Derbe, where he had great success on his first missionary journey (Acts 14:20-21), and in Lystra, where a crowd tried to honor Paul and Barnabas as pagan gods on the first missionary journey (Acts 14:8-20). 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.