i. Lydia was a churchgoer; the guard was not. 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. Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. As a result of the numerous miracles performed through Paul and Peter, the church grows daily. They would have missed this great opportunity for witness. 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. This was not only because of its timing and location, but also in the way that all the doors were opened and everyones chains were loosed. So Paul took Timothy and . 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. Paul was anxious to see for himself how the work of the Lord continued among these churches he founded five years before. 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. Entered into the house of Lydia This was the place of their residence while at Philippi: see Acts 16:15.. And this she did for many days. Some wrongly teach that we should never defend ourselves, either legally or against aggressive attacks against our character or person. Now, they found Timothy gro WE WERE MET BY A SLAVE GIRL. He has a greater purpose that we often do not understand. 35When it was day, the magistrates sent the police with this message: 'Release those men!' Pauls action helped hold these men accountable to carry out justice for others who would be accused of some crime. Acts does not say. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. The Waste Pro Southeast Florida Safety Trainer is responsible for ensuring all operational personnel are trained to company standards. THE HEALING OF THE GIRL POSSESSED WITH THE PYTHON SPIRIT (16:16-18). Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Phil. The words, literally, are as in the margin, a spirit of Python, or, as 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. 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. Pioneer preacher J. W. McGarvey (1829-1911), commenting in his famous "Commentary on Acts" on the apostle Paul's vision of the invitation to go into Macedonia (see Acts 16), made some . 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. med. His captors smashed four of his vertebrae and either cut or burned 18 holes in his body, but they could not defeat him. God may ask us to lay down our rights for the good of another (in this case, for the good of the Philippian jailer). This page is a verse by verse study of Acts 16:16-40. Verse Acts 16:40. For all they knew, they would be executed the next day, or left to die a slow death in prison. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Don't harm yourself: we are all here!" (Acts 16:25-28). iii. There is joy in obedience to God's sovereign call to proclaim the gospel. (dep.) 10/13/22. i. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Verse Acts 16:16. 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. But Paul, greatly annoyed: Paul was greatly annoyed, and he did not appreciate the free advertising from the demon. Chapter 2Now when the day of Pentecost ( Acts 2:1 )This would be feast day following the Passover, of which Jesus was crucified. God guides us along the way, to just the right place. V. The casing of an evil spirit out of a damsel (v. 16-18). DAY 6 - ASK FOR INSIGHT READ THE PASSAGE Think back through what you have learned each day this week. The Python was the s ACTSNOTE ON ACTS 16:11 Philippi was the first Macedonian city in But to them, the lives of others were more important than their own personal freedom and comfort. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. (p.40-42, 1998 edition, Lucis Trust) The use of they here suggests that Luke stayed behind in Philippi for at least a while, perhaps to care for this new congregation. They were occult pimps, prostituting her spiritually. " 20 When the slave girl's masters had brought Paul and Silas to the magistrates, they said, 'These men, who are Jews, are confusing . a. A certain disciple was there, named Timothy: In the time since Paul had been to Lystra, a young man named Timothy had been serving the Lord (He was well spoken of by the brethren). Acts 16:1-18 Saving, Guiding, Empowering. spirit of divination met us, who brought her About midnight they were singing and praying in the hearing of the other prisoners. iii. 3 Paul wanted Timothy as a companion on his journey. The dyes used for making purple were expensive and highly regarded. Here begins the account of Pads second journey. The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them (v. 19-24). Acts 16 is the sixteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. secrets, and things to come. , _as we were going to the place of prayer_ (see on That his mother was a Jewess originally, but believed in Christ; her name was Eunice, his grandmother's name was Lois. Why did Paul do that? As we went to prayer Or to the place of prayer, mentioned before; a certain damsel met us (that is, met Paul and his three companions) possessed with a spirit of divination Greek, , having a spirit of Python, or Apollo. Their rights had been violated. Save yourselves, &c. That is, "See that you lay these things to heart; receiving them with such regard, as the importance of the case requires. We may request cookies to be set on your device. 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. Timothy had a believing mother with a Jewish background (son of a certain Jewish woman who believed), and a (presumably) unbelieving Greek father. He The great missionary David Livingstone summarized the spirit of Paul when he said, I am prepared to go anywhere, so long as it is forward. (Cited in Barclay). 2 All the believers in Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy. 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). med. The jailer was so impressed by Paul and Silas by the love they showed to him, and from their ability to take joy even in misery that he instantly wanted the kind of life that Paul and Silas have. i. Bruce translates the phrase, It came out there and then. After being troubled by this many days Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. 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). a. According to the estimate of William Barclay, the first missionary journey finished about five years before the events of this chapter. But Paul could not land in Europe in the power of the Holy Spirit David Guzik commentary on Acts 1 describes the ascension of Jesus into heaven and the appointing of Matthias as a replacement for Judas. 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. Because of Deuteronomy 23:1 (see also Leviticus 21:16-23) some assume that the eunuch would have been forbidden from doing in Jerusalem what Acts says he came to do: worship. i. 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)! VI. b. He also wrote to the Philippians, Do all things without grumbling or disputing (Phil. 30Then he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' We dont do well when we are wronged. They charged the jailer to keep them safely. Maybe God didnt mean for us to come to Macedonia. ow DAMSEL. The next time, they would follow the Roman law! Acts 16:35-40 Magistrates. But when it is true and has a supernatural origin (as opposed to clever, insightful guessing), there is no doubt that it is inspired by demons. ii. 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. 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. Had there been ten Jewish men, they would have sufficed to constitute a synagogue. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." b. the article it is clearly to be rendered as in the previous verse. PREACHING ON THE SABBATH AT PHILIPPI. We do not know firsthand the true meaning of the word persecution. Perhaps some of you may have felt ostracized at work or have been passed over for a promotion because you are a Christian. Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. 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 . 4:13). By rights, Paul could have had their heads if he had taken his case to a higher authority. AGENCY - The auctioneer is acting as agent only and is not responsible for the acts . Tap the title next to the arrow to get thatdocument. It was actually reasonable for them to wonder when the rest of the New Covenant would be fulfilled. 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). He devised the plan of salvation and sovereignly chose certain individuals to salvation before the foundation of the world ( Eph. (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. In the Roman Empire there were two very different laws: one for citizens of the Roman Empire, and one for those who were not citizens. (Acts 16:20-24). According to the legend, AS WE WENT TO PRAYER,. Home Introduction. i. 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. 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. The other prisoners were listening to them. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatpage. 4:12). Commentary on the Book of Acts Paul and Silas: Acts 16. by Ed Rickard. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. His mother was Jewish and a believer. Greek. He uses circumcision in all liberty In everything? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Cultivating joy in the Lord every day is not optional. been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia.'