First, he did the work of strengthening the churches through the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:40-41). Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. _Possessed with a spirit, &c._] _As we went to prayer_ Or to the place of prayer, mentioned before; _a He did not give him a lecture on theology. was no heralding of the gospel which was to transform Europe. Home _praes. Each of these two had their lives touched by Jesus in very different ways. At the beginning of Paul's second mission, the Lord directed him to people who were prepared to hear the gospel. 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). Knowing this, Paul called with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. He assured the jailer that no one had escaped. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatpage. " 20 When the slave girl's masters had brought Paul and Silas to the magistrates, they said, 'These men, who are Jews, are confusing . It would have been easy for Paul and Silas to escape thinking God provided another miraculous jailbreak. The magistrates sent the officers: Paul and Silas left the prison (in the protective custody of the jailer) to minister to the jailers household. It would be a very long time before these officials would beat a man without a trial. 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. First, Paul was concerned for justice for all people, and what these magistrates had done was grossly unjust. There is joy in obedience to God's sovereign call to proclaim the gospel. The book of Acts emphasizes the power and abilities of the leaders of the Jesus movement. And he came out the same hour. ii. which Paul witnessed. This man was more affected by the love and grace demonstrated by Paul and Silas than by the earthquake. A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US. They came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city: The magistrates acted as politicians often act by instinct. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Preacher: Joel Fair _Scripture: Mark 16:1-8 _ Luke 24:5b (ESV) "Why do you seek the living among the dead? c. Exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. An earthquake opened the prison doors and caused all the shackles to fall off. They encouraged them and departed: In Philippi, Paul and Silas left behind two notable converts: Lydia and the prison guard. When that happens, its important to respond the way Paul and his team did. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. 32They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house. He did not talk about sacraments or even churches. [1965-73], 2:149). Bibliografische Daten. So, they came down to Troas. Entered into the house of Lydia This was the place of their residence while at Philippi: see Acts 16:15.. The only way that prison and mistreatment and a raw back do not matter is when the delight of God matters more. _ 1. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle . God does not give Christians an exemption, even when they are in the middle of doing His will and pursuing His kingdom and righteousness. Because God said no to Paul these two times, we have a gospel and a Book of Acts written by Doctor Luke. b. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Phil. This was as dramatic as it sounds. (G3814) DISCOURSE: 1786 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. The authorities sent word to let these men go. In line with that, Pauls action showed the entire city, which would have heard about this incident, the spirit of Jesus Christ. The greatest help we can bring anyone is the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. ", "About midnight Paul and Silas, in jail, were praying and singing hymns to God. As we come to the 16 th chapter of Acts we are coming, really, to a chapter that is going to, I think, leave an impression on all of us. a. Now we see another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. Paul cried, "Do thyself no harm: for we are all here." Acts 16:16. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers[ b] at Lystra and Iconium. So he stood on his rights in order to protect the church and the cause of Christ in that city. , is added here by ABCE, several others, _Origen_ and With Paul, we should aim at doing all things for the sake of the gospel (1 Cor. Thus if we want to glorify God, which is the highest goal for the Christian, we must focus on finding joy in Him. Luke notes that the prisoners were listening to them (16:25). And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: In Troas, God made Pauls direction clear. FOR SALE! 25About midnight Paul and Silas, in jail, were praying and singing hymns to God. ACTS 16:1 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? usually made. Ver. One could see Christ reflected in their faces. Python, in the Greek mythology, was the serpent 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). Timotheus] was probably of Lystra, not Derbe. 5:18). 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. Wise, I: NEW /E OF THE BABYLONIAN TALMU. 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. We Americans have a thing about standing up for our rights. iii. Now therefore depart, and go in peace: If Paul and Silas were released the day after their beating, arrest, and imprisonment, why did God send the earthquake? For the Philippian jailer, Paul did not direct him to counseling. Our trials do not mean that He does not exist or that He is not loving and good. A. But it had everything to do with the salvation of a certain prison guard and his household. spirit, a Python. The size of this file is 8.8 megabytes. Is depression a sin? God may ask us to lay down our rights for the good of another (in this case, for the good of the Philippian jailer). Tertullian said, The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven.. This shows how repentant he was and how he followed the example of love shown by Paul and Silas. 40So Paul and Silas went out of the prison, and entered into Lydias house to see and encourage the brethren; then Paul and Silas departed. (Acts 16:38-40). 19. But at this point, Paul says, No way! iii. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." Always? These verses describe Pauls experiences and work in Thessalonica and Berea during his second missionaryjourney. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. This is a work God must do in all who believe, because as Jesus said, no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him (John 6:44). professed to divine, that is to reveal things beyond the reach of Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. But it was the Holy Spirits plan to lead him there. b. God guides us along the way, to just the right place. 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. ii. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. ii. 1:25 is the other). By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. 39So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. . 1. He was a believer. PAUL AND SILAS ARE SEIZED, BROUGHT BEFORE THE Commentary on the Book of Acts Paul and Silas: Acts 16. by Ed Rickard. 1:4 ). He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. i. We see another reason why the Spirit did not permit them to go into Bithynia. 5:3-5). The encounter with the spirit of divination: Coming to Derbe and Lystra, where he and Barnabas had been persecuted 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. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Click on the different category headings to find out more. 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. AGENCY - The auctioneer is acting as agent only and is not responsible for the acts . We are next introduced to an incident which led to a decided 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. The demon came out that very hour. 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. God is sovereign in the task of evangelism. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Don't harm yourself: we are all here!" (Acts 16:25-28). We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Biblical Books: Acts 16. By Dr. Philip W. McLarty. Thats how it always should be. Quite simply, it means even if something appears to be free, there's always some kind of catch. (Acts 16:20-24). Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord (Phil. masters much gai AS WE WENT TO PRAYER, Or, _To the oratory._ The manner in which St. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Character of God, Faith, Suffering, Trials, Persecution, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. Posted: February 16, 2023. Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: Paul (and Silas) arrived in Derbe, where he had great success on his first missionary journey (Acts 14:20-21), and in Lystra, where a crowd tried to honor Paul and Barnabas as pagan gods on the first missionary journey (Acts 14:8-20). Their pure, upright life, deep faith and devotion to God, their gentleness and their wonderful manliness, became a shining example of life for thousands (in Christianity Today [6/21/74]). Acts 16:1-15. before, Paul was favorably impressed with the young man, Timothy, who Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters. (Bruce). Timothy. i. The honourable discharge of Paul and Silas by the magistrates (v. 35-40). ( ). While in this instance, His will was to send a powerful earthquake and free them, it doesnt always work out that way. ), ._ Acts When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. Acts 16:16-26. a. As WE went to prayer - This i "And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that. The Midnight Miracles Acts 16:16-40; F B MEYER. gain by soothsaying: They came and took them from prison and begged them to leave town. That, by the way, is the missing note among Christians in many places today. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 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. 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. 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. Maybe your mate or a family member treats you with contempt because of your Christian convictions. 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. the place where he was worshipped, (which was afterwards cal 16-18. 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). Everything else flows from that. As well, this may have even been the same guard who beat them a few hours earlier. Paul refused to go because he knew his rights as a Roman citizen and knew that their treatment of him was unjust. 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 . When they had brought them out of the prison, they continued pleading with them to leave the city. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. Whether this was on the same day The Python was the s ACTSNOTE ON ACTS 16:11 Philippi was the first Macedonian city in 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. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Acts 16:16-34. i. 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. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Site Location117 Pembroke Pines-PEM. i. damsel i Paul and Silas Imprisoned pythonem. (Acts 16:35-37). At the time, Paul probably had no idea of the greatness of Gods purpose. Those charges were simply not true. A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF 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). Acts 15:36-18: . _Then came he to Lystra,_ as in Acts 14:6. His collection of works is called Thiruvachakam. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. ii. He uses circumcision in all liberty Presumably this was because demons gave her supernatural insight into the lives of others. As I mentioned last week, any time that your rights have been violated and you have been mistreated, you are probably looking at a wonderful opportunity for bearing witness of Christ. The other prisoners were listening to them. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself observe and guard the law. So Paul went to bring Macedonia the gospel the best possible help. ii. Years ago, in the former Soviet Union, a criminal who later got saved and became a church leader, wrote about his experience in prison: Among the general despair, while prisoners like myself were cursing ourselves, the camp, the authorities; while we opened up our veins or our stomachs, or hanged ourselves; the Christians (often with sentences of 20 to 25 years) did not despair. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, they think that they would be happier back in slavery in Egypt than to be with God and His provision in the wilderness. iii. When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. And fifty days after the Passover, the second major Jewish feast, the Feast of Pentecost, or the Feast of Ingathering. THE PRISON OF HIS PRAISES. Paul later wrote of his life: In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 33He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. D2 E H L P most m Verse Acts 16:16. Her masters made a lot of money from her power. 5:8). Why did Paul do that? some MSS. 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). her son, had embraced the faith. There are still those today who are possessed with a spirit of divination. If we add the article , see critical note: to the place of 6:10)? He also wrote to the Philippians, Do all things without grumbling or disputing (Phil. The Key teachings of Jesus Christ are focused on Faith and Love. iv. 10/13/22. The arrival in Europe was clearly seen by Luke as very important. 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. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. 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. They always are, of course! Americans rejected this call for fidelity to abstract ideals and a balanced budget over the need to help decent people live decently. They charged the jailer to keep them safely. A description of Philippi. 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. Acts 16:1-15To Be Led by the Spirit. med. When you answered the call of God, you were excited and energized about the possibility of service. WENT TO PRAYER; went towards the place where their public prayers were EXALTING JESUS IN Acts (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) - GOOD - $16.40. Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - Acts 2:1-47. her supernatural abilities. _MARION ADAMS_ i. Bruce translates the phrase, It came out there and then. 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. possessed with a spirit of (f) divination met us, which brought her ind. 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.. . Acts 16:40 Parallel Verses [ See commentary ] Acts 16:40, NIV: After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them.Then they left. (Acts 16:38-40). 2 The brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium spoke very highly of Timothy. iv. 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. Acts 16:40. whom Paul had baptized, ( Acts 16:14 Acts 16:15 ) . When you are wronged, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. Oxford University Press. to set aside Jewish prejudice. 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. Later, there was a church in Thyatira also, and it was one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation (Revelation 2:18-29). gain by soothsaying: Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. The other prisoners were listening to them. But they didnt mention that when they dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities. Paul and Silas would not be hurried out of town until they had brought their work there to a conclusion. 3:1). Lydia was prospering in business; the guard was about to kill himself. The first In a vision, Paul was invited to the region of Macedonia, westward across the Agean Sea. No single worker in Gods kingdom is irreplaceable. This he does not yet do, speaking racially. It was actually reasonable for them to wonder when the rest of the New Covenant would be fulfilled. Lord. He told the Colossians, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake (Col. 1:24). She was possessed by a spirit of divination. 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. VII. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God." 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. The safety Trainer in partnership with management and Human . 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. missionary venture of the church. spirit of divination met us, who brought her part. The Gospel in Europe EXORCISM OF A POSSESSED GIRL. This was a big step, perhaps bigger than Paul even knew. 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). What's more, Paul and Barnabus have traveled . She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. In last Sunday's lesson, Paul met Lydia while he was looking for a place of prayer. 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. They were singing because their hearts were full of praise toward God and the joy of His salvation. (10) Satan transforms himself in A pythonical spirit. without expecting opposition. (apparition, a spirit, a python), not the genitive (). i. 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. Prayers and praises unto God at midnight, in the midst of a brutal prison. Clarke's Commentary. 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. John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 8:4-18. And now do they put us out secretly? Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. _paidiske._ See note on Acts 12:13. read "a spirit,. 31They answered, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' i. That is, As the masters much gain by soothsaying: Spirit of divination [ ]. Acts 16:11-15 Samothrace, Neapolis, Philippi. "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. If it had been America, they would have sued and had the magistrates removed from office. 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 . and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first 2. After such a bad beating, they were put in uncomfortable conditions (fastened their feet in the stocks). This is salvation by grace alone, received by faith alone. The man must not have lived in the same world I live in! Timothy had a believing mother with a Jewish background (son of a certain Jewish woman who believed), and a (presumably) unbelieving Greek father. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. They were whipped and put in the inner prison with chains on their feet. Romans were exempt from public beatings. DIVINATION.Better, _a female slave_ (Galatians 4:22) _having the God knows what He is doing when he says, No.. iii. ACTS The fact is, most of us as Americans have never experienced any serious violation of our religious rights. Maybe they thought that the beating and night in prison would send these guys packing, never to return. POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US, WHO BROUGHT HER MASTERS Do they now release us secretly? There was an old chaplain general of the British Army Bishop John Taylor Smith who used a unique test on candidates for the chaplaincy. 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). in which the conversion of Lydia occurred, or at another time, is no CHAPTER 16 The miraculous conversion of the jailer to the faith of Christ, ver 25-34. Paul does with regard to Timothy.