When a Barnabas leaves (for whatever reason), God has a Timothy to go on with him. Paul does with regard to Timothy. Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. He did not talk about sacraments or even churches. The Midnight Miracles Acts 16:16-40; F B MEYER. 18She continued doing this for several days. Perhaps he even came as Pauls personal doctor. possessed with the devil, by whose inspiration she foretold future apostles went towards the forementioned place of prayer,. And he came out the same hour. Summarize Acts 16:35-40 by explaining that the magistrates sent word to the prison guard to let Paul and Silas go. V. The casing of an evil spirit out of a damsel (v. 16-18). 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. Bibliografische Daten. _for _Lystra, _A.V._; Timothy _for _Timotheus, _A.V._; of a Jewess her supernatural abilities. And now do they put us out secretly? AND IT CAME TO PASS, AND WE WENT TO PRA 40 Silas was almost necessary as a companion for Paul. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God. You can check these in your browser security settings. Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!' Even in their pain, God was not far from Paul and Silas. Let them come themselves and get us out. And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. _Theophylact_: thus m AS WE WENT TO PRAYER - Greek: as we were going to the proseuche, ventriloquist (Ramsay). Many of you have experienced or will experience prejudice simply because of your racial background. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." i. 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). And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. "The jailer called for lights and rushed in to the prison. DAMSEL POSSESSED MET US. certain maid having. closing to him as in one way or another he was first hindered from ii. Focus on joy in the Lord and dont forget your witness. "As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. 15. I wish that Paul had said, Rejoice in the Lord as a general rule. But, always? The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them, ver 19-24. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God: Though they were arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for doing good, Paul and Silas were filled with joy, and sang praises to God. His captors smashed four of his vertebrae and either cut or burned 18 holes in his body, but they could not defeat him. And we were staying in that city for some days. 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? All things? ii. Had there been ten Jewish men, they would have sufficed to constitute a synagogue. masters much gain by soothsaying"Going to the place of prayer" Ac 16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most 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 . professed to divine, that is to reveal things beyond the reach of while Judas and Silas were to confirm them by word of mouth. Timothy. But those vague charges were enough, because both the multitude and the magistrates were biased against Paul and Silas. Here begins the account of Pads second journey. Paul asks Timothy to come with him on their journey, preaching the gospel in Asia Minor. Quite simply, it means even if something appears to be free, there's always some kind of catch. c. Ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas: This hardened keeper of the prison fell down trembling. 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" His action in the circumcision of Timothy is startling in 6. When her masters saw that their means of gain was gone they took Paul and Silas before their rulers and charged them with teaching rules of living that were unlawful. As WE went to prayer - This i "And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that. This moved Paul and his missionary team from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe; this was the first missionary endeavor to Europe. a. | Next the place where he was worshipped, (which was afterwards cal 16-18. His mother was a Jew who had become a believer in Jesus. The article, 4:13). 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. It is written in the scriptures that no one can please God without faith. i. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. i. Lydia was a churchgoer; the guard was not. 33He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. Are we out of the will of God? Being in the will of God is not a guarantee of protection from trials. 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. And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 16. God does not give Christians an exemption, even when they are in the middle of doing His will and pursuing His kingdom and righteousness. All doors seemed to be No number of women would compensate for the absence of even one man necessary to make up the quorum of ten. (Bruce). 16:7. her son, had embraced the faith. 16As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. Most certainly not! pythonem. Conversion of the Philippian jailer. ; _to Lystra Acts 16:6-10 Phrygia, Bithynia, Mysia. 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. This is how God wants our lives to be: Natural magnets drawing people to Him. It would have been easy for Paul and Silas to escape thinking God provided another miraculous jailbreak. They were all saved because they all trusted the word of God and the Jesus revealed to us through the word. Praise the Lord is not a nice suggestion; its a command! These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Our series on Acts and the early church continues with the beginning of Paul's second missionary journey. This was an epoch-making moment, but how quietly it is recorded. i. between Paul and Barnabas who had been close companions on the first It is used here because the python was associated with the god Apollonot far from Philippi, in this very area of Europe, there was a shrine to the Pythian Apollo. (Boice). V1 Paul went to Derbe and then he went to Lystra. 2 The brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium spoke very highly of Timothy. (temp. David Livingstone wanted to go to China, but God sent him to Africa. 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. 25But as for the Gen-tiles who . There were at least two reasons. Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. There is perhaps no example of this more remarkable than that which In line with that, Pauls action showed the entire city, which would have heard about this incident, the spirit of Jesus Christ. 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. The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia.' Those who are prisoners in Satans domain of darkness are always listening to and watching the Lords people, especially in times of trial. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily. They have violated our rights as Roman citizens. Either the quake or Gods miraculous power loosed all of the prisoners chains. She didnt do this only once, but for many days (Acts 16:18). 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. See 2 Kings xxviii; Isaias viii. 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. So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. Tap the title next to the arrow to get thatdocument. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the . And these disciples expected God to do something! Paul later wrote of his life: In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. And, they were then locked into the stocks, which was a painful torture in and of itself, let alone when your back was ripped open from a beating. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplaced unto the rulers. Acts 16 Commentary; Acts 16; J VERNON MCGEE. If our rights are violated, we dont take it sitting down. 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 . TIPPER CAPACITY, 34" X 40" MAX DIE / MOLD AREA **Loading Fee Due the "ERRA" CARY SPECIALIZED SERVICES, INC. $200.00, prices valid until MARCH 16, 2023 SEE PRICING SPECIFICS** Auction Details BCS AIS - POSTPONED . Verse Acts 16:40. Having received such a command, the jailer threw Paul and Silas into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks. They always are, of course! God may ask us to lay down our rights for the good of another (in this case, for the good of the Philippian jailer). Asia does not refer to the Far East as we know it today. a. 16. AGENCY - The auctioneer is acting as agent only and is not responsible for the acts . The decrees But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. prayer, or to the oratory, as they were in the way to it; for this is i. Paul was anxious to see for himself how the work of the Lord continued among these churches he founded five years before. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Supplemental Teaching Idea. The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. He wrote, We exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Rom. They encouraged them and departed: In Philippi, Paul and Silas left behind two notable converts: Lydia and the prison guard. Both heard the gospel and believed, and through each of them their whole families were touched! prayer, R.V. ACTS 16:35-40. 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. iii. God guides us along the way, to just the right place. Whatever form it takes, you should not be surprised when you are treated wrongly. 1028-1061. As well, the multitude and the magistrates felt free to abuse Paul and Silas because they assumed they were not Roman citizens. 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. i. Acts 16:14 As a result of the numerous miracles performed through Paul and Peter, the church grows daily. ACTS 16:1 It's one of those chapters that you always remember - just the record along of Lydia and her marvelous liberation. A description of Philippi. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 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. The other prisoners were listening to them. The authorities sent word to let these men go. 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). Yet Jesus said that some demons would be more difficult to cast out than others (Matthew 17:21). D2 E H L P most m Verse Acts 16:16. a. Acts 16:35-40 Magistrates. iii. ACTS 16 COMMENTARY. He was a believer. 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. 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. Psalm 97 . 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. DIVINATION.Better, _a female slave_ (Galatians 4:22) _having the (Acts 16:14-15 RSV) The next step after the proclaiming of the Word of God -- the radical, revolutionary message of the gospel -- is always up to God. 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. For Christians, the Old Testament statements are enhanced by multiple verses such as Matthew 10:8, Luke 10:9 and 9:2, and Acts 5:16 that say "heal the sick". They comforted them, and departed. 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. In this, Paul was like Jesus, who often told demons to be silent, even when they told the truth about Him (Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 3:11-12). This title, it is generally said, was given to Apollo, on account of his having destroyed a monstrous serpent that . If they couldnt do it within three minutes, they werent fit for the chaplains service. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great (Matt. 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). a. 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. She was possessed by a spirit of divination. In this section of Acts, Paul and Silas are arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for delivering the slave-girl from her demonic possession, and they (Paul and Si. He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. They were biased because of their Jewish appearance, and because they assumed Paul and Silas were not Roman citizens. abs._ 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). 4:12). There was great indignation that Roman citizens should be molested by strolling peddlers of an outlandish religion. We see that the earthquake had absolutely nothing to do with freeing Paul and Silas from prison. POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US, WHO BROUGHT HER MASTERS 9:23), because the prisoners will be listening. A jailer was charged to watch them. 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. Full-Time. , is added here by ABCE, several others, _Origen_ and Exalting Jesus in Acts (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) - GOOD Product Id:1433647095 Condition:USEDGOOD 255947117284 Commentary on Acts 16:16-34. Acts 16:40. whom Paul had baptized, ( Acts 16:14 Acts 16:15 ) . A man called Timothy lived in Lystra. Biblical Books: Acts 16. By Dr. Philip W. McLarty. of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in 16-18. ⤓(4) Acts 16:16 to 28:31 (pdf). The arrival in Europe was clearly seen by Luke as very important. ii. At some time you will be falsely accused. . She was possessed by a demon, who gave And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. THE PYTHONESS We dont do well when we are wronged. If it had been America, they would have sued and had the magistrates removed from office. By rights, Paul could have had their heads if he had taken his case to a higher authority. O taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. This When you are treated wrongly, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. Acts 16:16. 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. 1. 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. c. Exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. King Charles's reign 'won't be long' as Crown 'may be passed onto William' psychic claims It was based on their knowledge of a good and sovereign God. They seized Paul and Silas: Paul and Silas were singled out not only because they were the leaders of the evangelistic group, but also by their appearance, as they were the most obviously Jewish. We see another reason why the Spirit did not permit them to go into Bithynia. They would have missed this great opportunity for witness. Acts 2:40. ii. Wise, I: NEW /E OF THE BABYLONIAN TALMU. It actually says, She had a spirit of Pythona. That does not mean much to most of us, which is why it is not translated literally. 22The crowd rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off Paul and Silas, and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 10/13/22. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. see critical note, a spirit, a Python, margin, _i.e._, a Timothy had a believing mother with a Jewish background (son of a certain Jewish woman who believed), and a (presumably) unbelieving Greek father. ii. , _as we were going to the place of prayer_ (see on Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. (10) Satan transforms himself in A pythonical spirit. i. The Jewish religion was tolerated, but Jews were prohibited from proselytizing Romans. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatpage. The words, literally, are as in the margin, a spirit of Python, or, as It is wrong to act out of personal vengeance, greed, or other selfish motives. But they can read and predict human behavior, and can attempt to steer events towards a previously predicted conclusion. We are next introduced to an incident which led to a decided Paul is accompanied by Silas (15:37-38), and they are later joined by young Mark (16:1). In their former give it, a Python spirit. The Holy Spirit often guides as much by the closing of doors as He does by the opening of doors. When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. It is good for us to bring other help along with the gospel, but without the gospel, little real help is given. ", "These men are proclaiming to us a way of salvation", "When it was day, the magistrates sent the police with this message: Release those men! The jailer reported these words to Paul: The magistrates have sent a message for your release; therefore come out now, and go in peace. But 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. As John Piper rightly states, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. (Acts 16:16-19). Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. 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. Immediately all the doors were opened, and everyones bonds were loosed. Non-citizens had no civil rights, and were subject to the whims of both the multitude and the magistrates. He also wrote to the Philippians, Do all things without grumbling or disputing (Phil. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. Verses 1-5 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). Note some of the ways that Paul and Silas were mistreated. 17She followed Paul and us, crying out, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!' 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. Now we see another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. Their charges were vague, simply accusing Paul and Silas of being troublemakers. PAUL AND SILAS ARE SEIZED, BROUGHT BEFORE THE But Paul could not land in Europe in the power of the Holy Spirit The guard had a remarkable sign an earthquake, but all Lydia had was the move of the Holy Spirit in her heart. iii. Have students review Acts 16:1-5 and look for answers to the following: Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters. (Bruce). Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Acts 2:40. The walk to the place of prayer is made A slave 5:8). Some wrongly teach that we should never defend ourselves, either legally or against aggressive attacks against our character or person. Pauls courage and wisdom in the face of these obstacles built a great legacy in people like Timothy. Maybe God didnt mean for us to come to Macedonia. illustrates the successful ministry there by a threefold description The demon-possessed girl keeps bothering Paul and his group "for many days" (16:18). Timotheus] was probably of Lystra, not Derbe. He did not give him a lecture on theology. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 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). Articles, monographs and books hosted on this site by Authors with Surnames beginning with O, P and Q 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. i Paul and Silas Imprisoned For all they knew, they would be executed the next day, or left to die a slow death in prison. 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.