www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk
The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 16:1-40 Timothy Joins Paul and Silas 16:1 He also came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but whose father was a Greek. When their lives were in danger Paul and Barnabas went to these two cities for safety (Acts 14:6). On returning to these places they met a young man named Timothy whose mother was a Jewess named Eunice and maternal grandmother Lois both sincere believers in Christ (2 Timothy 1:5). His father was Greek thus Timothy’s Greek name and most probably why he was not circumcised. 16:2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Timothy at some time had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and was serving Him well in the local church (it is not known whether this was at Derbe or Lystra) for the brethren gave him a good testimony. 16:3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek. Paul was impressed by this young man so much so that he wanted Timothy to go with them on their missionary journey. However, in order not to cause any problems among the Jews they would be witnessing to Paul circumcised Timothy because of the fact that his mother was a Jewess. This might seem to be very strange since the purpose in visiting the churches at this time was to inform the believers of the decree agreed by the council at Jerusalem and the letter they carried to this effect. It was not because of the believers that Timothy was circumcised but because of the unbelieving Jews, he knew that Timothy would not be allowed into the synagogue (1 Corinthians 9:22). 16:4 As they went through the towns, they passed on the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey. As they went through the towns they passed on the decrees that had been agreed by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem that the Gentile believers were expected to obey.
16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day. The churches were strengthen and established in the faith and many more were adding to them.
Paul's Macedonian Call 16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia. The Holy Spirit prevented them preaching in what were call Preconsular Asia so they went on to Phrygia and Galtia in Asia Minor. 16:7 - 8 When they came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do this, so they passed through Mysia and went down to Troas. They made an attempt to go in Bithynia but the Holy Spirit again stopped them so they went on to Troas passing through Mysia. 16:9 A vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there urging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" Here Paul had a vision during the night of a Macedonian man pleading with him to over to Macedonia to help them. 16:10 After Paul saw the vision, we attempted immediately to go over to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. In the morning Paul immediately made plans to go to Macedonia confidently believing that God had called them to go and proclaim the Gospel message.
First Convert in Europe 16:11 We put out to sea from Troas and sailed a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, They took a ship from Troas and sailed straight to Samothrace an island in the Aegean Sea and the next day sailed to Neapolis. 16:12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for some days. They did not stay in Neapolis but went on to Philippi one of the main cities of Macedonia that was a Roman colony where they stayed for a few days. 16:13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began to speak to the women who had assembled there.
It would appear that there was no synagogue in this place but the Jews had built a place of prayer down by the river side so Paul and his companions joined themselves to a group of woman who had met for prayer. 16:14 A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. Present in the meeting was a business woman named Lydia originally from Thyatira who dealt in expensive purple cloth. It is not certain whether she was Gentile or Jew but she worshiped God and listen intently to what was said. The heart was opened and she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, "If you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house." And she persuaded us. After this she and her family were baptized in water and she pressed them to stay in her home if they were really convinced she was a believer in the Lord and so they did.
Philippian jailor and his family saved The Prelude to Imprisonment 16:16 Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortunetelling. It is not certain whether this happened on the same day or another that as they were going to the place of pray a slave girl met them. This woman was possessed by a demon that enabled her foretell the future and by doing so made a lot of money for those who owned her. 16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." She kept following Paul and his companions and kept crying out that these men were the servants of the Most High God who had come to proclaim the way of salvation. Although this was the truth Paul realized the source of the proclamation was not of God but demonic. 16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out of her at once. This went on for a number of days until Paul had enough of it and turned round and commanded the unclean spirit to come out of her in the Name of Jesus Christ and it immediately left her. 16:19 But when her owners saw their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. Her owners were not at all pleased about this as they had lost their means of income so they grabbed hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them to the market place before the city authorities.
Thrown in Jail 16:20 - 21 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion. They are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans." Notice that the accusers do not mention their own interest in the affair but accuse them of doing or saying things that were throwing the city into confusion. That they were Jews who were teaching customs that were unlawful for them to accept or practice being Roman citizens. They had no interest in whether Roman law had been kept or broken all they were interested in was getting revenge against those who had caused them loss. All that are opposed to the Gospel message and the deliverance it brings are not concerned for the welfare of people but only for their own selfish ends. 16:22 - 24 The crowd joined the attack against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to guard them securely. Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. The crowd that had been drawn along with them joined in the attack on them and without any hearing the magistrates tore their clothes off and ordered Paul and Silas to be beaten with rods. After this they threw them into prison and order the jailor to securely guard them so he threw them into the inner dungeon and fastened their feet in stocks. 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the rest of the prisoners were listening to them. Having been subjected to such brutal treatment Paul and Silas does not sink beneath it but in the Spirit rises above and about midnight begin praying and singing hymns to God giving Him praise and glory for their suffering for Christ’s sake (John 15:20). 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose. As they were praying and singing a great earthquake happened that shook the foundations of the prison and all the doors flew open and the chains that held the prisoners came loose. 16:27 - 28 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he assumed the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out loudly, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!" Being awaked by the earthquake when the jailor saw all the prison doors open he drew his sword to kill himself because he assumed all the prisoners had escaped. He knew that if they had especially Paul and Silas his life would have been forfeited according to the law. It was impossible for Paul to see this happening as he was in the inner dungeon so it could only have been by divine revelation. He immediately shouts out to the jailor not to kill himself for none of the prisoners had escaped! 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. The jailor called for a torch and rushed in and fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas.
16:30 Then he brought them outside and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" The man must have realized that the earthquake and subsequent events must have been for Paul and Silas’ benefit, for he immediately brings them out of the dungeon calls them sirs and looks to them for help. “What must I do to be saved” could not have been to avoid the consequences of the prisoners escaping, because they had not, but the realization of the danger that his soul was in and his need of salvation. 16:31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household." They point him to the only one and the only way that he could be saved and that was to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ not only for himself but all his family. 16:32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house. After this they fully explained the word of the Lord to him and all that were in his house. 16:33 At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away. Although it was late in the night the jailor took Paul and Silas washed and cleansed their wounds. It is not recorded in either of these two verses that they believed and received Jesus Christ as Saviour the fact that they were baptized in water by Paul and Silas is sufficient testimony for they would never have so otherwise. 16:34 The jailer brought them into his house and set food before them, and he rejoiced greatly that he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household. It is in this verse that we have the confirmation that the man and all his family were saved and rejoiced greatly. In his new found faith the jailor had no fear of the magistrates for he not only attended to their wounds but brought them prisoners as they were into his own house and fed them! 16:35 At daybreak the magistrates sent their police officers, saying, "Release those men." In the morning the magistrate's officers to the jail asking for the prisoners to be released. Was it the earthquake that had put the fear of God into them that they had second thoughts? 16:36 - 37 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent orders to release you. So come out now and go in peace." But Paul said to the police officers, "They had us beaten in public without a proper trial — even though we are Roman citizens — and they threw us in prison. And now they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! They themselves must come and escort us out!" The keeper reported this to Paul and Silas and told them to depart and go in peace. Paul however said to the officers who had come from the magistrates that as they had been beaten in public and thrown into prison without a proper trial although they were Roman Citizens they would certainly not go unless the magistrates come themselves and escort them from prison. This miscarriage of
justice had been carried out in a Roman colony and by Roman magistrates to a Roman Citizen, at least Paul was (Acts 22: 25 - 26) and it was against Roman law for a citizen to be bound or beaten. 16:38 - 39 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas were Roman citizens and came and apologized to them. After they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly to leave the city. This was reported back to the magistrates and on hearing that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens they were filled with fear. They came and apologized to them and it would seem that Paul and Silas were in no hurry to leave for they were repeatedly asked to leave the city. I wonder if Paul was still taking the opportunity to evangelize the other prisoners and to teach the jailor and his family? 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia's house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then departed. They eventually left the prison and went to Lydia’s house where they met with the believers encouraged them once more and then left the city. © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2015. Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org