By rights, Paul could have had their heads if he had taken his case to a higher authority. Also, if he wanted to come back again, he knew that they would not prevent him. Even in their pain, God was not far from Paul and Silas. Timothy's father, however, was a Greek. They were occult pimps, prostituting her spiritually. 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. We are next introduced to an incident which led to a decided gain by soothsaying: (17) The same followed Paul and us, and cr We now enter on the missionary journeys, as they are called, of the The Prison Experiences Of The Bible. There was an old chaplain general of the British Army Bishop John Taylor Smith who used a unique test on candidates for the chaplaincy. VII. 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. Thats how it always should be. The Holy Spirit often guides as much by the closing of doors as He does by the opening of doors. IN T _A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination._ 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. Focus on joy in the Lord and dont forget your witness. 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. This is a work God must do in all who believe, because as Jesus said, no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him (John 6:44). A disciple, whose mother was a Jewish Christian and father was Greek 3. 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. 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. He did not give him a lecture on theology. 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. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. ( Acts 16:1-2) Paul meets Timothy in Lystra. Everything else flows from that. _Theophylact_: thus m AS WE WENT TO PRAYER - Greek: as we were going to the proseuche, Why didnt Paul and Silas reveal their Roman citizenship earlier? She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. b. Shiva Puranam By Saint Manikka vasagar Translated by P.R.Ramachander (Manikka Vasagar was one of the four great Nayanmars (saivite saints ) of Tamil Nadu , who was a great poet as well as great contributor to the SAivite philosophy. This title, it is generally said, was given to Apollo, on account of his having destroyed a monstrous serpent that . Presumably this was because demons gave her supernatural insight into the lives of others. the article it is clearly to be rendered as in the previous verse. PREACHING ON THE SABBATH AT PHILIPPI. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. This should be rendered as in above This man was more affected by the love and grace demonstrated by Paul and Silas than by the earthquake. One could see Christ reflected in their faces. 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). Paul never specifically called the keeper of the prison to repent because he was already repenting. a. They encouraged them and departed: In Philippi, Paul and Silas left behind two notable converts: Lydia and the prison guard. They were physically attacked in an inhumane way. Our trials do not mean that He does not exist or that He is not loving and good. Our responsibility in such difficult times is to trust and obey Him. It's one of those chapters that you always remember - just the record along of Lydia and her marvelous liberation. 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 . They were not given an opportunity to defend themselves. 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? At the beginning of Paul's second mission, the Lord directed him to people who were prepared to hear the gospel. If Paul wished to maintain his links with the synagogue, he could not be seen to countenance apostasy. (Bruce). She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. . The guard had a remarkable sign an earthquake, but all Lydia had was the move of the Holy Spirit in her heart. 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. 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. How could Paul and Silas prove their Roman citizenship? Come on, Paul, get realistic! 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. 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. The Python was. Our series on Acts and the early church continues with the beginning of Paul's second missionary journey. God still calls people to the mission field, and He may call through unusual ways. They elected Franklin Roosevelt, and he and the Democratic Party remade America so thoroughly that it is unthinkable for all but the most doctrinaire libertarians to speak of returning to the system of "ordered liberty" that existed in Hoover's time, a . b. And he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. (G3814) DISCOURSE: 1786 But God wanted to give Paul a continent to win for Jesus Christ. 6. This Week: John 17:20-26. 26Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. Lit., a Mythology, by Apollo, who was hence called Pythius, and the priestess _as we went to prayer_ Better, AS WE WERE GOING TO THE PLACE OF b. Lydia was a seller of purple: Anyone who was a seller of purple dealt in a valued, luxurious product. The fact is, most of us as Americans have never experienced any serious violation of our religious rights. by her Satanic incantations, continues to follow these evangelists day The other prisoners were listening to them. It was actually reasonable for them to wonder when the rest of the New Covenant would be fulfilled. Non-citizens had no civil rights, and were subject to the whims of both the multitude and the magistrates. Acts 16:16. But it was the Holy Spirits plan to lead him there. They were in, not out, of Gods will. Tap the title next to the arrow to get thatdocument. a. He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. She didnt do this only once, but for many days (Acts 16:18). 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. 1028-1061. i. 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. 4:13). The article, The Python was the s ACTSNOTE ON ACTS 16:11 Philippi was the first Macedonian city in ind. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. of P And it came about that, as we were going to the place of prayer, a iv. "The jailer called for lights and rushed in to the prison. In Pauls mind, he wanted to reach a few cities in his region. ( ). 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). provided that they should be delivered by both Barnabas and Paul, Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. They trusted that He had another purpose in mind, and so He did, namely, the conversion of the jailer and his family. When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Wise, I: NEW /E OF THE BABYLONIAN TALMU. No, in this he was simply obeying the words of Jesus, Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. A spirit pretending to divination, to tell a. spirit of a pythoness_, or, according to superior authoriti EXPOSITION But it had everything to do with the salvation of a certain prison guard and his household. b. That his mother was a Jewess originally, but believed in Christ; her name was Eunice, his grandmother's name was Lois. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. ACTS 16:35-40. Four lessons from Acts 16: 1. You can download/save a pdf document with all the verse by verse lessons in ActsFacts PartFour, from the middle of chapter to the endofActs. Do they now release us secretly? Timothy Joins Paul and Silas. And this did she many days. Paul's Macedonian vision. Are we out of the will of God? Being in the will of God is not a guarantee of protection from trials. spirit of divination met us, who brought her But those vague charges were enough, because both the multitude and the magistrates were biased against Paul and Silas. Romans were exempt from public beatings. " Jeremiah 16:16 (KJB) On this episode of 'Rightly Dividing', we are covering a lot of ground tonight and taking your Bible questions as we do it. i. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God. (Acts 16:29-34). Is depression a sin? Yet, Paul did not contradict his belief or the findings of the council when he had Timothy circumcised. 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). O, but he did! You can also change some of your preferences. 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. b. CHAPTER 16 The Jewish religion was tolerated, but Jews were prohibited from proselytizing Romans. The Roman emperor Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome in A.D. 49. EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: This is Paul's Second Missionary Journey (49-52 A.D.) as recorded in Acts 15:30 - 18:21. For all they knew, they would be executed the next day, or left to die a slow death in prison. He devised the plan of salvation and sovereignly chose certain individuals to salvation before the foundation of the world ( Eph. to set aside Jewish prejudice. Paul and Silas would not be hurried out of town until they had brought their work there to a conclusion. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplaced unto the rulers. Quite simply, it means even if something appears to be free, there's always some kind of catch. Now therefore depart, and go in peace, They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, They came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city, When they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . In not escaping, they showed tremendous discernment. Acts 16:16-18 Spirit of Divination. Verses 1-5 Dont be surprised! spirit, a Python. Clarke's Commentary. It would have been easy for Paul and Silas to escape thinking God provided another miraculous jailbreak. While in this instance, His will was to send a powerful earthquake and free them, it doesnt always work out that way. ", "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. part. 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. Maybe your mate or a family member treats you with contempt because of your Christian convictions. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. The Gospel in Europe EXORCISM OF A POSSESSED GIRL. which guarded Delphi. ii. i. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But Paul, greatly annoyed: Paul was greatly annoyed, and he did not appreciate the free advertising from the demon. This is salvation by grace alone, received by faith alone. 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. 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. It was a strange and wonderful church they left behind in Philippi: Lydia, perhaps the slave girl, the jailer and his household, and others. 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 dyes used for making purple were expensive and highly regarded. 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. 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". Tertullian said, The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven.. His action in the circumcision of Timothy is startling in A verse by verse study of Acts 17:1-15. 35When it was day, the magistrates sent the police with this message: 'Release those men!' The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. CONTENTS: Paul finds Timothy. This was an epoch-making moment, but how quietly it is recorded. pp. iii. nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. So he stood on his rights in order to protect the church and the cause of Christ in that city. 34The jailer then brought Paul and Silas up into his house, and set food before them. Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. spiritum Paul did this not for Timothys salvation or right standing with God, but so that Timothys status as a non-circumcised man from a Jewish mother would not hinder their work among the Jews and in synagogues. 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. See on ch. The honourable discharge of Paul and Silas by the magistrates, ver 35-40. 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. ACTSNOTE ON ACTS 16:16 A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION. 16:7. 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. Those prison walls had probably never heard such a sound. Timotheus (Acts 16:1)._ Some have worried that Pauls invitation to salvation here is too easy, and would promote a too-easy faith or a cheap grace. 24Join these men, go through the rite of purication with them, and pay for the shaving of their heads. " 20 When the slave girl's masters had brought Paul and Silas to the magistrates, they said, 'These men, who are Jews, are confusing . iv. Not many of us will ever go through what Christians in communist prisons had to endure. Acts chapter 16. ACTS 16:1 One way or another, Paul and his company got the message. All I can say here is, when you are treated wrongly, your response should be motivated by the furtherance of Gods glory and the gospel, and by the administration of Gods justice through law and government, which He has appointed for the well being of society. masters much gain by soothsaying"Going to the place of prayer" Ac 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most Paul refused to leave because he was mistreated as a Roman citizen. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the . Note some of the ways that Paul and Silas were mistreated. (16-40). This is how God wants our lives to be: Natural magnets drawing people to Him. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. 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. Paul asks Timothy to come with him on their journey, preaching the gospel in Asia Minor. The use of they here suggests that Luke stayed behind in Philippi for at least a while, perhaps to care for this new congregation. An earthquake opened the prison doors and caused all the shackles to fall off. The other prisoners were listening to them. Because God said no to Paul these two times, we have a gospel and a Book of Acts written by Doctor Luke. Paul trusted God to work for His purpose and glory, whether Paul got delivered or whether he died in the process. Were out of here! And they would have run for their lives. This commentary on Acts 16 treats the missionary journey of Paul and SIlas through Asia Minor to Philippi, where they were imprisoned. When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. 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.". It would be a very long time before these officials would beat a man without a trial. "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. iii. Those charges were simply not true. Paul and Silas beaten. He knew that it was easier for the gospel to spread from these cities than to these cities. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. gain by soothsaying: A slave THE PRISON OF HIS PRAISES. The magistrates were sufficiently humbled, and the public at large, hearing of this circumstance, must be satisfied of the innocency of the apostles. 16. Explanation - The following list includes not only commentaries but other Christian works by well known evangelical writers.Most of the resources below are newer works (written after 1970) which previously were available only for purchase in book form .
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