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_Into the_ _proseucha_: Acts 16:13, and Luke 6:12. But Paul wrote Second Corinthians to defend his character and his apostolic ministry. They encouraged them and departed: In Philippi, Paul and Silas left behind two notable converts: Lydia and the prison guard. But God wanted to give Paul a continent to win for Jesus Christ. 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. iii. frequently, and the party comes to be known. masters much gain by soothsaying: Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. And he came out the same hour. The authorities were full of fear when they learned that Paul was a Roman. After such a bad beating, they were put in uncomfortable conditions (fastened their feet in the stocks). No number of women would compensate for the absence of even one man necessary to make up the quorum of ten. (Bruce). WENT TO PRAYER; went towards the place where their public prayers were Acts 16:40. whom Paul had baptized, ( Acts 16:14 Acts 16:15 ) . 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 . (Acts 16:16-19). That, by the way, is the missing note among Christians in many places today. He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 10/13/22. a. When they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them: Only after this did they agree to go. , _as we were going to the place of prayer_ (see on But few of us know the kind of persecution experienced by those in former or present communist countries, or those in strongly Muslim countries They could more effectively preach from the story in our text than I can. This he does not yet do, speaking racially. was no heralding of the gospel which was to transform Europe. a. 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. i. Philippi was the place where the armies of Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius in the decisive battle of the second Roman civil war in 42 B.C. (Hughes) Because of this, many Roman soldiers retired in the area, and Philippi was proud of its Roman connection. So he stood on his rights in order to protect the church and the cause of Christ in that city. For though the Greek noun here is without Since they assumed Paul and Silas were not Roman citizens, they were offended that these obviously Jewish men harassed Roman citizens with their strange religion of a crucified Savior. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you . certain maid having. ii. IN T _A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination._ 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. Timothy Joins Paul and Silas. 23When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. Four lessons from Acts 16: 1. Hesychius defines it as (a spirit of (Acts 16:35-37). This 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. (p.40-42, 1998 edition, Lucis Trust) The world should see (or hear) our joy in the Lord from the dungeon and ask, Whats with these people, anyway? Then we tell them. 2 All the believers in Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. b. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. ), ._ Acts i. _ 1. This was a strong, godly man, leading a strong, godly team. Acts 2:40. 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. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. ; _to Lystra But at this point, Paul says, No way! Peter warns those going through suffering to be on the alert, since the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us in such times (1 Pet. Our responsibility in such difficult times is to trust and obey Him. 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. Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters. (Bruce). Sailing from Troas: Paul and his missionary team (now including Luke) had to sail across the Agean Sea, from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe. Tap the title next to the arrow to get thatdocument. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. We may request cookies to be set on your device. We see His mighty power here in the earthquake that rocked this prison. gain by soothsaying: Commentary on Acts 16:16-34. But, you cannot believe without hearing so they spoke unto him and to those in his house the word of the Lord. 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. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. As this story continues through the end of chapter 16, the . Let them come themselves and release us.' The demon knew who 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. But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. What's more, Paul and Barnabus have traveled . A disciple, whose mother was a Jewish Christian and father was Greek 3. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 16 Paul[ a] came also to Derbe and to Lystra. ii. 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. _ (G1096) Paul trusted God to work for His purpose and glory, whether Paul got delivered or whether he died in the process. (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. This Week: John 17:20-26. Now, they found Timothy gro WE WERE MET BY A SLAVE GIRL. A man called Timothy lived in Lystra. masters much gain by soothsaying"Going to the place of prayer" Ac 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most THE HEALING OF THE GIRL POSSESSED WITH THE PYTHON SPIRIT (16:16-18). David Livingstone wanted to go to China, but God sent him to Africa. 1:20). 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. 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. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. There was an old chaplain general of the British Army Bishop John Taylor Smith who used a unique test on candidates for the chaplaincy. How can we know when it is right to defend ourselves and when we should simply yield our rights? I wish that Paul had said, Rejoice in the Lord as a general rule. But, always? 16. Acts 16 Commentary; G CAMPBELL MORGAN. 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. _for _of a certain woman which was a Jewess, We remember at the end of our study last week there arose a contention Commentary on Acts 16:35-40 (Read Acts 16:35-40) Paul, though willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, and without any desire to avenge himself, did not choose to depart under the charge of having deserved wrongful punishment, and therefore required to be dismissed in an honourable manner. Do we just lay down as doormats and take whatever happens passively? That leads to the last point: We dont know why, but for some reason the next morning the magistrates sent to the jailer and told him to release Paul and Silas. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 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.. 1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 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. change in the fortunes of Paul and Silas. Here begins the account of Pads second journey. They may each have carried a copy of his professio or registration of birth, in which his Roman status would have been recorded. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. 19 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 16:16-19). A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF She was possessed by a spirit of divination. Ver. And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION CAST OUT BY ST PAUL. certain damsel met us_ (that is, met Paul and his three companions) There In last Sunday's lesson, Paul met Lydia while he was looking for a place of prayer. They always are, of course! Lit., a And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. So she persuaded us. In line with that, Pauls action showed the entire city, which would have heard about this incident, the spirit of Jesus Christ. At Lystra he found His collection of works is called Thiruvachakam. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." 2. Their singing was not based on their knowledge of a happy outcome. This is good advice to anyone contemplating suicide. 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. God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas and pick up a doctor named Luke. Paul insisted that Titus, a Gentile co-worker, did not have to be circumcised (Galatians 2:3-5). You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. Tertullian said, The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven.. John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:4-18. The next time, they would follow the Roman law! masters much gain by the giving of oracles.' spirit of divination met us, who brought her Paul and Silas were not singing so that they could be good witnesses in this difficult situation. Three stories in the Bible help us to distinguish three kinds of belief. Acts 16:1-15. Acts 16:16-18 Spirit of Divination. They charged the jailer to keep them safely. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. 16. b. pythonem. So Paul went to bring Macedonia the gospel the best possible help. Acts 16:16-40. 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. The demon-possessed slave girl preached for Paul, giving a demonic testimony to their divine credentials and their message. ACTS 16:35-40. 19Now 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 16:16-19). Python, in the Greek mythology, was the serpent 4:13). Paul's plans now seemed to begin to go awry. But pythona was a certain kind of snake a python. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. i. iv. V. The casing of an evil spirit out of a damsel, ver 16-18. _AS WE WENT TO PRAYER_] , 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)! 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. 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. This was a promise made specifically to the keeper of the prison. Now we see another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. When a Barnabas leaves (for whatever reason), God has a Timothy to go on with him. If we add the article , see critical note: to the place of as we were going to prayer, there met us a certain female serv And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed The spirit of Christ is to forgive those who sin against us, while at the same time holding them accountable to change their behavior. ANGER OF THOSE WHO MADE They were whipped and put in the inner prison with chains on their feet. ii. Verse Acts 16:40. thin A Textual Commentary On The Greek New Testament by Bruce M. Metzger, Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, College Press Bible Study Textbook Series, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch, G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly, John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851), Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible, Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible, Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament, Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611), Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible, Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible, NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols), Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament, Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary, Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith, Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set). ( ). 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. Some have worried that Pauls invitation to salvation here is too easy, and would promote a too-easy faith or a cheap grace. with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much First, there were the false accusations. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. 16-30, Ezekiel 37:21-28). This sort of treatment effectively terrorizes the population into submission. 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. b. It is possible that they didnt have the opportunity, but it is more likely that the Holy Spirit directed them to not reveal it until a certain time. 36The jailer reported these words to Paul: 'The magistrates have sent a message for your release; therefore come out now, and go in peace.' No indeed! Sale Date(s) . 1:4 ). The phrase, being Jews, was no doubt said with a slur. When that happens, its important to respond the way Paul and his team did. On his first trip, he had come to the towns of Derbe and Lystra; and evidently a young fellow come to Christ. When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. But the overflow of their worship was witness. b. The masters of the demon possessed girl cared nothing for the girl herself, only for their ability to exploit her demonic possession for money. But those vague charges were enough, because both the multitude and the magistrates were biased against Paul and Silas. The fact is, most of us as Americans have never experienced any serious violation of our religious rights. 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. | Next 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). 2 The brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium spoke very highly of Timothy. ACTS 16:1 And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 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. Also, Paul and Silas legal rights were violated. nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. The places specially mentioned are Samaria, Azotus, Caesarea, Lydda, the Sharon valley, and Joppa. Yet the Spirit of God directed this work, and Paul wasnt the right person in the right place at the right time to begin bringing the gospel to the Roman Province of Asia Minor. ", "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. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2001, All Rights Reserved. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: In Troas, God made Pauls direction clear. The Python was the s ACTSNOTE ON ACTS 16:11 Philippi was the first Macedonian city in 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. " 20 When the slave girl's masters had brought Paul and Silas to the magistrates, they said, 'These men, who are Jews, are confusing . Others refuse to preach repentance, claiming that this text says that it is not necessary. If you do, then the next issue is to pray, Lord, use this difficult situation for Your glory to further Your purpose. Whenever Paul wrote as a prisoner, he never said, Paul, a prisoner of that scoundrel Caesar who has unjustly put me in prison! No, it was always, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus. He trusted in the sovereign and all-powerful God, who easily could overrule Caesar if He so chose. b. important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. . I think that if they were offering any petitions mixed in with their praise, it would have been, Lord, use this situation for the greater furtherance of the gospel. Paul and Silas knew that God could have prevented them from being beaten and thrown in prison in the first place, but He did not do so. b. I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her: Jesus cast out demons with His own authority. 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). _Possessed with a spirit, &c._] _As we went to prayer_ Or to the place of prayer, mentioned before; _a For the Philippian jailer, Paul did not direct him to counseling. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily. Maybe youre wondering, Does trusting God mean that we should never stand up for our rights? 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. V. The casing of an evil spirit out of a damsel (v. 16-18). I am using the wording of 1 Peter 4:19, which is one of two times in the New Testament God is called the Creator (Rom. , is added here by ABCE, several others, _Origen_ and change in the fortunes of Paul and Silas. It was a strange and wonderful church they left behind in Philippi: Lydia, perhaps the slave girl, the jailer and his household, and others. "About midnight Paul and Silas, in jail, were praying and singing hymns to God. David Guzik commentary on Acts 1 describes the ascension of Jesus into heaven and the appointing of Matthias as a replacement for Judas. Whether this was on the same day He a. The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them, ver 19-24. Acts 16:16-34 Commentary. You can also change some of your preferences. i. A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US. a. Paul and Silas beaten. Acts 16:12 Being his Apostles, Paul and Silas exhibited a scene of Faith during their . Acts 21:23-26 23So do what we tell you. The incident in Philippi took place probably in the fall of A.D. 50, and so anti-Jewish sentiment was running high. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. It was at least the third choice for him. Is depression a sin? The authorities sent word to let these men go. Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. A. The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. When you are treated wrongly, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. 34The jailer then brought Paul and Silas up into his house, and set food before them. They tried to make their problem go away quietly by sweeping it under the rug. V1 Paul went to Derbe and then he went to Lystra. A. Paul was anxious to see for himself how the work of the Lord continued among these churches he founded five years before. serpent destroyed, according to Greek (16-40). 1:25 is the other). We see that the earthquake had absolutely nothing to do with freeing Paul and Silas from prison. What are some practical steps toward deepening our daily joy in the Lord. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. The safety Trainer in partnership with management and Human . 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. . 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. 5:3-5). VI. (Acts 16:38-40). Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!' 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). The keeper of the prisonwas about to kill himself: The jailer did this for a good reason. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. (10) Satan transforms himself in A pythonical spirit. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. CHAPTER 16 Americans rejected this call for fidelity to abstract ideals and a balanced budget over the need to help decent people live decently. ( Acts 16:1-2) Paul meets Timothy in Lystra. We need to keep in mind that Paul and Silas did not know the end of this story when they began singing at midnight in the dungeon. 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.