Under Roman law and custom, guards who allowed their prisoners to escape received the penalty of their escaped prisoners. Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters. (Bruce). They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans: Because Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they had recognized civil rights, which were violated by the Philippian magistrates. And now do they put us out secretly? Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. 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. Paul and Silas travel to Derbe and Lystra, where they meet Timothy 2. The demonic spirit knows that the presence and power of God is with the missionaries. Sermon #7 . 16. Summarize Acts 16:35-40 by explaining that the magistrates sent word to the prison guard to let Paul and Silas go. The demon-possessed girl keeps bothering Paul and his group "for many days" (16:18). But Paul wrote Second Corinthians to defend his character and his apostolic ministry. Ephesus would come later, not now. Acts 1:8 Commentary; Acts 20:17-27 Commentary; Acts 20:28-38 Commentary; COMMENTARIES AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT CAN BE BORROWED FROM ARCHIVE.ORG. The magistrates sent the officers: Paul and Silas left the prison (in the protective custody of the jailer) to minister to the jailers household. Acts of the Apostles - 423 pages Pdf (includes the following notes) Acts Commentary 15:36-16:10; Acts Commentary 16:11-24; Acts Commentary 16:25-40; HENRY MORRIS. Pauls courage and wisdom in the face of these obstacles built a great legacy in people like Timothy. 5:18). Our responsibility in such difficult times is to trust and obey Him. 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. 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. iii. ( Acts 16:1-2) Paul meets Timothy in Lystra. b. Paul asks Timothy to come with him on their journey, preaching the gospel in Asia Minor. She was possessed by a spirit of divination. Acts does not say. The honourable discharge of Paul and Silas by the magistrates (v. 35-40). 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. 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). And she prevailed upon us. DAMSEL POSSESSED MET US. of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in 16-18. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. (apparition, a spirit, a python), not the genitive (). The crowd rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off Paul and Silas, and commanded them to be beaten with rods. How can we know when it is right to defend ourselves and when we should simply yield our rights? Those prison walls had probably never heard such a sound. Our series on Acts and the early church continues with the beginning of Paul's second missionary journey. In not escaping, they showed tremendous discernment. 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 i. 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). i. (2 Corinthians 11:23), ii. 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. Strong churches will naturally increase in number daily, without relying on man-centered and manipulative methods. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God. Roman citizens had specific, zealously guarded civil rights. 4:13). 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. Paul, beautifully responsive to the Holy Spirit, was willing to lay down his will and his plans for the direction that the Holy Spirit brings. a. Four lessons from Acts 16: 1. What's more, Paul and Barnabus have traveled . i. But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. _ 1. Our Christianity should make others want what we have with God. 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. We're also studying 1 Corinthians 1:26-30, an entirely different text, which seems to have been chosen as the capstone of our five weeks of thinking about women in the New Testament. 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. 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. Compare Mark 3:12; Luke 4:34-35. Luke relates this history,plainly implies that he considered it as a All of the ambiguity that this character radiates has an . A certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination brought her masters much profit: This girl, though demon possessed, was a source of money for her owners as a fortune teller. Her masters made a lot of money from her power. a. CHAPTER 16 9:23), because the prisoners will be listening. (G3814) DISCOURSE: 1786 i. Or, as James wrote, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2-3). ow DAMSEL. 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. It is mandatory for all who know His salvation. Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. Hesychius defines it as (a spirit of 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. c. The magistrates have sent to let you go. When they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them: Only after this did they agree to go. The fact is, most of us as Americans have never experienced any serious violation of our religious rights. 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. 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. Timothy had a believing mother with a Jewish background (son of a certain Jewish woman who believed), and a (presumably) unbelieving Greek father. a. It would be a very long time before these officials would beat a man without a trial. 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)! of prayer._ (See Note on Acts 16:13.) 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. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. O taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. her supernatural abilities. His action in the circumcision of Timothy is startling in Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. serpent destroyed, according to Greek prayer, or to the oratory, as they were in the way to it; for this is If anyone had a right to be angry, they did. ii. He started to kill himself. A cheerful, joyous spirit does not depend on having wonderful, trouble-free circumstances. 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. Python". How could Paul and Silas prove their Roman citizenship? Paul and Silas in Prison. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." Clarke's Commentary. 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. Acts 16 Bible Study Questions (Handout) ACTS 16:1 1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. William Carey wanted to go to Polynesia, but God sent him to India. It refers to the Roman Province of Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey. But God wanted to give Paul a continent to win for Jesus Christ. This was a big step, perhaps bigger than Paul even knew. Thus Paul could say that the life he now lived in the flesh, he lived by faith in the Son of God who loved him and gave Himself for him (Gal. 31They answered, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' One could see Christ reflected in their faces. A demonic spirit who The man must not have lived in the same world I live in! i. Paul knew that a man will be identified by both his friends and his enemies, and could do without a demonic letter of reference. oracles met us. (16-40). Tap the title next to the arrow to get thatdocument. ii. ii. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. THE MISSION TO EUROPE (16:6-19:20). 1. ), ._ Acts He was a man who had learned to focus on the Lord and His abundant grace in every situation, and so he was filled with joy in the Lord in every situation, even in severe trials. 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. So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. 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. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. Paul later wrote of his life: In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. SEPARATOR CAPACITY, 5,000 LB. This This he does not yet do, speaking racially. Paul and Silas show us four aspects of a right response to wrong treatment. 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. From there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia: Paul here followed a plan to plant churches in the major cities. God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas and pick up a doctor named Luke. 25But as for the Gen-tiles who . 20When the slave girls masters had brought Paul and Silas to the magistrates, they said, 'These men, who are Jews, are confusing our city, 21proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or to observe'. 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. 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. a. Paul insisted that Titus, a Gentile co-worker, did not have to be circumcised (Galatians 2:3-5). Thats how it always should be. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. The Macedonian man wanted help. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. But because Barnabas was i 1 Chronicles 10:13; 1 Samuel 28:7; 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Peter 2:3; Damsel. iii. After such a bad beating, they were put in uncomfortable conditions (fastened their feet in the stocks). closing to him as in one way or another he was first hindered from This was a strong, godly man, leading a strong, godly team. 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. So he stood on his rights in order to protect the church and the cause of Christ in that city. Paul and Silas beaten. 25About midnight Paul and Silas, in jail, were praying and singing hymns to God. 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. Later, there was a church in Thyatira also, and it was one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation (Revelation 2:18-29). 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. The jailer then brought Paul and Silas up into his house, and set food before them. 2. 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. This is salvation by grace alone, received by faith alone. Acts 16:1-18 Saving, Guiding, Empowering. They comforted them, and departed. Under inspiration by the Holy Spirit, Paul told the keeper of the prison that his household would trust Jesus just as he did. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them (v. 19-24). i. Paul didnt set out to go to Troas. Everything else flows from that. The response of Jesus in the following verses also indicates that He did not . 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. 2 All the believers in Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy. Hand-drawn illustrations based on sermons by Kevin DeYoung guide you through the book of Acts helping to communicate truths in a unique, compelling way. was no heralding of the gospel which was to transform Europe. 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" Timothy. They tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them: After the attempt to go to Asia, Paul sought to go north into Bithynia, but was again prevented by the Holy Spirit. verse, to the place of prayer.' Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. Tap the title next to the arrow to get thatdocument. med. human knowledge. The main application of this story for me is to work on having joy in the Lord in every situation. Acts 16:1-15. 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 . Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. As we went to prayer , Into the proseucha: Acts 16:13, and Luke 6:12.The article, , is added here by ABCE, several others, Origen and Theophylact: thus makes the place more emphatic, and seems to determine the above meaning of to be right-not the act of prayer or praying to God, but the place, the . 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. FORTUNE-TELLING was forbidden in the OT _CRITICAL REMARKS_ a. Acts 16 Commentary; Acts 16; J VERNON MCGEE. This is indicated by how they began their accusation: These men, being Jews.. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. 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). 16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord (Phil. the article it is clearly to be rendered as in the previous verse. PREACHING ON THE SABBATH AT PHILIPPI. 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 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? Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 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. Acts 16:16-24. Their work was successful because their first interest was in strengthening the churches. 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). All doors seemed to be Here begins the account of Pads second journey. That they sailed straight for Samothrace is quite revealing, because this is a nautical expression that means the wind was at their backs. Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. The authorities were full of fear when they learned that Paul was a Roman. Second, Paul was concerned about the future of the church and the gospel in Philippi. Their response teaches us how to be right when we are wronged. of P And it came about that, as we were going to the place of prayer, a Acts 16:16-40. Verse Acts 16:40. iii. Further, there was racial prejudice behind these false charges. apostle Paul. a. Sirs, what must I do be saved? Biblical Books: Acts 16. In Derbe and Lystra again. 15. Paul and Silas were not singing so that they could be good witnesses in this difficult situation. As Paul later wrote to the Philippians, his aim was that with all boldness, Christ would even now, as always, be exalted in his body, whether by life or by death (Phil. He devised the plan of salvation and sovereignly chose certain individuals to salvation before the foundation of the world ( Eph. After learning how to become a Christians the jailer and his family were all baptized immediately. The miraculous conversion of the jailer to the faith of Christ, ver 25-34. And these disciples expected God to do something! He asked them to say how they would speak to a man injured in battle, who had three minutes to live, how to be saved and come to peace with God. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. Presumably this was because demons gave her supernatural insight into the lives of others. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you . The Key teachings of Jesus Christ are focused on Faith and Love. They were physically attacked in an inhumane way. One way or another, Paul and his company got the message.