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. CONVERSION AND BAPTISM OF LYDIA. And yet the same mighty power that sent the quake could have prevented the beating and imprisonment in the first place, but did not. Verse Acts 16:40. The use of they here suggests that Luke stayed behind in Philippi for at least a while, perhaps to care for this new congregation. He has a greater purpose that we often do not understand. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. What's more, Paul and Barnabus have traveled . And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. Acts 16 Bible Study Questions (Handout) ACTS 16:1 1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. 35When it was day, the magistrates sent the police with this message: 'Release those men!' Commentary on the Book of Acts Paul and Silas: Acts 16. by Ed Rickard. The other prisoners were listening to them. with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much a. Presumably this was because demons gave her supernatural insight into the lives of others. 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). Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. 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. Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters. (Bruce). It refers to the Roman Province of Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey. 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. 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" Maybe they thought that the beating and night in prison would send these guys packing, never to return. If it had been America, they would have sued and had the magistrates removed from office. 6:10)? Both heard the gospel and believed, and through each of them their whole families were touched! Chapter 2Now when the day of Pentecost ( Acts 2:1 )This would be feast day following the Passover, of which Jesus was crucified. 37:4). professed to divine, that is to reveal things beyond the reach of When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. masters much gain by soothsaying"Going to the place of prayer" Ac 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most 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 discuss the spiritual terminology of the jailer. Acts 16:16-18 Spirit of Divination. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. iii. There are still those today who are possessed with a spirit of divination. And these disciples expected God to do something! 30Then he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' Timothy's father, however, was a Greek. (Acts 16:6) they received a GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE Paul cried, "Do thyself no harm: for we are all here." This Week: John 17:20-26. This is indicated by how they began their accusation: These men, being Jews.. He And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 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 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. 31They answered, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' When you answered the call of God, you were excited and energized about the possibility of service. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Now we see another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. by her Satanic incantations, continues to follow these evangelists day From the city of Derbe to Troas. 29The jailer called for lights and rushed in to the prison. 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? So Paul took Timothy and . 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. Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. About midnight they were singing and praying in the hearing of the other prisoners. It is mandatory for all who know His salvation. They were singing because their hearts were full of praise toward God and the joy of His salvation. SPIRIT OF DIVINATION; an evil spirit, under the influence of which she The demon came out that very hour. As WE went to prayer - This i "And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that. Her masters made a lot of money from her power. 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 he does not yet do, speaking racially. 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 . 37But Paul replied with this message for the magistrates: 'They have flogged us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison. So Paul went to bring Macedonia the gospel the best possible help. spirit of divination met us, who brought her 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; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. The article, of P And it came about that, as we were going to the place of prayer, a possessed with the devil, by whose inspiration she foretold future She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 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. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. (Witham) --- A divining spirit, which pretended to foretell things to A fortune-telling female slave, who brought much money to her owners Scriptures: Acts 16:11-15. He pointed this obviously repentant man to faith in Jesus Christ. David Guzik commentary on Acts 1 describes the ascension of Jesus into heaven and the appointing of Matthias as a replacement for Judas. provided that they should be delivered by both Barnabas and Paul, But it had everything to do with the salvation of a certain prison guard and his household. 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. pythonem. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. But those vague charges were enough, because both the multitude and the magistrates were biased against Paul and Silas. they were (James 2:19). John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:4-18. Further, there was racial prejudice behind these false charges. 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. But it was the Holy Spirits plan to lead him there. As this story continues through the end of chapter 16, the . Just because God is the omnipotent Creator does not mean that He will spare you from intense trials. When you are wronged, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. _paidiske._ See note on Acts 12:13. read "a spirit,. In last Sunday's lesson, Paul met Lydia while he was looking for a place of prayer. i. The spirit of Christ is to forgive those who sin against us, while at the same time holding them accountable to change their behavior. masters much gain by soothsaying: the place of prayer, Acts 16:13. Acts 16:30-34 What must I do to be Saved? ", "About midnight Paul and Silas, in jail, were praying and singing hymns to God. which Paul witnessed. This was as dramatic as it sounds. 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. Lydias heart was gently opened; the guards heart was violently confronted. her supernatural abilities. 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. 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'. We simply know Paul and Silas were severely beaten. 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. A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US. The other prisoners were listening to them. How can a person be sorrowful yet always rejoicing (2 Cor. The keeper of the prisonwas about to kill himself: The jailer did this for a good reason. 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. See on ch. DIVINATION.Better, _a female slave_ (Galatians 4:22) _having the Instead of cursing men, they blessed God. (Stott). Paul was guided by hindrance. As Roman citizens, Paul and Silas had a right to a trial before any punishment. ; _to Lystra That couple was in Peru to serve Jesus Christ. 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. I wish that Paul had said, Rejoice in the Lord as a general rule. But, always? Strong churches will naturally increase in number daily, without relying on man-centered and manipulative methods. 34:3, 8). 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. 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. This was a big step, perhaps bigger than Paul even knew. 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." We are studying the story of Lydia, recorded in Acts 16:11-15 and :40, for Sunday, February 28. So, they came down to Troas. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. ANGER OF THOSE WHO MADE b. But Timothy's father was a Gentile who came from Greece. masters much gai AS WE WENT TO PRAYER, Or, _To the oratory._ The manner in which St. In Derbe and Lystra again. (Acts 16:20-24). And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. Do they now release us secretly? while Judas and Silas were to confirm them by word of mouth. 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. He was told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." 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. I would never have it another way. (In Our Daily Bread [2/85].). The content of the joint AAR/SBL annual meetings, which attract upwards of 11,000 attendees, is very revealing. ii. There 2 The brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium spoke very highly of Timothy. closing to him as in one way or another he was first hindered from Ministry at Philippi (Acts 16:12-40) The conversion of Lydia (Acts 16:12-15) The demon possessed slave girl (Acts 16:16-18) The imprisonment of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:19-25) The release of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:26-27) The conversion of the jailor (Acts 16:28-34) The departure from the city (Acts 16:35-40) The ministry in Thessalonica (Acts . When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. The next time, they would follow the Roman law! His action in the circumcision of Timothy is startling in 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). No indeed! Acts 16:35-40 Magistrates. They would have missed this great opportunity for witness. God is sovereign in the task of evangelism. THESE MEN ARE SERVANTS. Acts 16 Commentary; G CAMPBELL MORGAN. was a female slave possessed A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION AGENCY - The auctioneer is acting as agent only and is not responsible for the acts . 3. 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.". i. spirit of a pythoness_, or, according to superior authoriti EXPOSITION 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. They were whipped and put in the inner prison with chains on their feet. _Theophylact_: thus m AS WE WENT TO PRAYER - Greek: as we were going to the proseuche, i. This should be rendered as in above 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. The honourable discharge of Paul and Silas by the magistrates, ver 35-40. 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. Articles, monographs and books hosted on this site by Authors with Surnames beginning with B All doors seemed to be Now, they found Timothy gro WE WERE MET BY A SLAVE GIRL. , _as we were going to the place of prayer_ (see on Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. . a. Sirs, what must I do be saved? The main application of this story for me is to work on having joy in the Lord in every situation. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. pp. 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 also wrote to the Philippians, Do all things without grumbling or disputing (Phil. . 10/13/22. iii. Most certainly not! Psalm 97 . b. med. So the first lesson is: As Peter tells his persecuted readers, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you (1 Pet. How could Paul and Silas prove their Roman citizenship? CONTENTS: Paul finds Timothy. AS WE WENT TO PRAYER. The arrival in Europe was clearly seen by Luke as very important. Yet, Paul did not contradict his belief or the findings of the council when he had Timothy circumcised. Acts 16:12 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. ii. 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. New International Version. V. The casing of an evil spirit out of a damsel, ver 16-18. certain maid having. But God wanted to give Paul a continent to win for Jesus Christ. Intro: Having lost in a fire virtually everything they owned, the Spafford family made new plans, including a move from Chicago to France.Horatio Spafford planned the trip for his wife and four daughters to be as trouble-free as possible. " 20 When the slave girl's masters had brought Paul and Silas to the magistrates, they said, 'These men, who are Jews, are confusing . "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. 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 in Prison. _Possessed with a spirit, &c._] _As we went to prayer_ Or to the place of prayer, mentioned before; _a 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). The words, literally, are as in the margin, a spirit of Python, or, as Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord (Phil. i. . 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. 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. Acts 16:6-10 Phrygia, Bithynia, Mysia. Let them come themselves and release us. " (Acts 16:35-37). And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. ACTS ), ._ Acts 36The jailer reported these words to Paul: 'The magistrates have sent a message for your release; therefore come out now, and go in peace.' She was possessed by a spirit of divination. And he came out the same hour. O taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. : in R.V., accusative, Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. 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). It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle . 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. Not many of us will ever go through what Christians in communist prisons had to endure. God still calls people to the mission field, and He may call through unusual ways. Whatever form it takes, you should not be surprised when you are treated wrongly. CHARACTERS: Jesus, Holy S Acts 16:1. 16As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. They have violated our rights as Roman citizens. Development structures variation and, consequently, the ways in which a population can respond to selection (1-4).The direction with the greatest amount of variation is termed the "line of least resistance" (LLR) (5-7).The LLR represents the direction of greatest potential for evolutionary change because it contains the . which guarded Delphi. gain by soothsaying: Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. ii. 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. Yet they returned to the prison willingly to spare the jailer certain death. 1. Luke reported that the group went for prayer, possibly daily. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. c. Ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas: This hardened keeper of the prison fell down trembling. Spirit of divination [ ]. 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. God does not give Christians an exemption, even when they are in the middle of doing His will and pursuing His kingdom and righteousness. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. Paul and Silas would not be hurried out of town until they had brought their work there to a conclusion. i. TANSTAAFL is an acronym for the old adage, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch," reportedly coined by Robert Heinlein. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. Each of these two had their lives touched by Jesus in very different ways. i. 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. 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. Having received such a command, the jailer threw Paul and Silas into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks. It is false teaching that Christians are exempt from the common trials that come upon the entire human race: sickness, poverty, tragedies, and death. This page is a verse by verse study of Acts 16:16-40. 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. The miraculous conversion of the jailer to the faith of Christ, ver 25-34. TO PRAYER; the place of prayer. Either the quake or Gods miraculous power loosed all of the prisoners chains. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. That they sailed straight for Samothrace is quite revealing, because this is a nautical expression that means the wind was at their backs. Paul and Silas show us four aspects of a right response to wrong treatment. abs._ The Key teachings of Jesus Christ are focused on Faith and Love. THE PYTHONESS 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. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. Acts 16 is the sixteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Acts 16:16. secrets, and things to come. The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Timotheus] was probably of Lystra, not Derbe. You can also change some of your preferences. in which the conversion of Lydia occurred, or at another time, is no CHAPTER 16