acts 16:16 40 commentary acts 16:16 40 commentary

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. | List b. (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. The first Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. a. Their response teaches us how to be right when we are wronged. Rather, they accused them of throwing the city into confusion and of proclaiming customs that were not lawful for Romans to accept or observe (16:20-21). Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. (Witham) --- A divining spirit, which pretended to foretell things to A fortune-telling female slave, who brought much money to her owners 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.". If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Its not enough just to grit your teeth and endure trials; God wants us to rejoice in them! As George Muller put it, the chief business of every day is first of all to seek to be truly at rest and happy in God (A. T. Pierson, George Muller of Bristol [Revell], p. 257). _And he came also _for _then came he, _A.V._ _and T.R. 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. 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. change in the fortunes of Paul and Silas. 19. CHAPTER 16 i. Bruce translates the phrase, It came out there and then. Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. William Carey wanted to go to Polynesia, but God sent him to India. 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). 4. The other prisoners were listening to them. Lit., a At the time, Paul probably had no idea of the greatness of Gods purpose. Scriptures: Acts 16:11-15. Maybe youre wondering, Does trusting God mean that we should never stand up for our rights? 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? Acts 15:36-18: . As we went to prayer , Into the proseucha: Acts 16:13, and Luke 6:12.The article, , is added here by ABCE, several others, Origen and Theophylact: thus makes the place more emphatic, and seems to determine the above meaning of to be right-not the act of prayer or praying to God, but the place, the . Clarke's Commentary. But Paul, greatly annoyed: Paul was greatly annoyed, and he did not appreciate the free advertising from the demon. 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. (2 Corinthians 11:23), ii. They would have missed this great opportunity for witness. But Paul could not land in Europe in the power of the Holy Spirit i. MUCH PROFIT BY FORTUNE-TELLING. Not many of us will ever go through what Christians in communist prisons had to endure. " 20 When the slave girl's masters had brought Paul and Silas to the magistrates, they said, 'These men, who are Jews, are confusing . The words, literally, are as in the margin, a spirit of Python, or, as 38The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. They were all saved because they all trusted the word of God and the Jesus revealed to us through the word. b. It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle . If it had been America, they would have sued and had the magistrates removed from office. (Acts 16:6) they received a GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE i. The real reason for the anger of the slave girls owners was that they had just been deprived of their source of income (16:19). Our lives back up the reality of the message. Paul trusted God to work for His purpose and glory, whether Paul got delivered or whether he died in the process. DAMSEL POSSESSED MET US. Paul was anxious to see for himself how the work of the Lord continued among these churches he founded five years before. His action in the circumcision of Timothy is startling in Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers[ b] at Lystra and Iconium. We have four men who are under a vow. Timotheus] was probably of Lystra, not Derbe. 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. closing to him as in one way or another he was first hindered from a. Full-Time. His collection of works is called Thiruvachakam. First, Paul was concerned for justice for all people, and what these magistrates had done was grossly unjust. When they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them: Only after this did they agree to go. He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Greek. 1:4 ). d. She begged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. Immediately, Lydia set about doing good. But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. There 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. ii. Behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy. a. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. They were not given an opportunity to defend themselves. The Preaching forbidden in Asia (Acts 16:6). 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. Paul and Silas did not sit in jail lamenting, Maybe we missed the signals! Acts 16:1 - Timotheus; Acts 16:10 - we Lord had . But, you cannot believe without hearing so they spoke unto him and to those in his house the word of the Lord. He was told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." " 1 Paul came to Derbe and Lystra. Here begins the account of Pads second journey. And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. King Charles's reign 'won't be long' as Crown 'may be passed onto William' psychic claims They were whipped and put in the inner prison with chains on their feet. 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. A verse by verse study of Acts 17:1-15. 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. Yet Jesus said that some demons would be more difficult to cast out than others (Matthew 17:21). 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 . between Paul and Barnabas who had been close companions on the first spirit of a pythoness_, or, according to superior authoriti EXPOSITION "ACTS OF THE APOSTLES" Chapter Sixteen OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER 1) To trace the route of Paul . Now, again on his way to the place of prayer, Paul meets another woman. 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 . In Pauls mind, he wanted to reach a few cities in his region. Our rights are not as important as our obedience to the will of God. The more difficult reading appears to be pu,qwna (74 a A B C* D* 81 A spirit pretending to divination, to tell And yet the two missionaries were falsely accused, beaten, and thrown into the inner prison, with their feet locked into the stocks, without any semblance of a trial. 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 . For the Philippian jailer, Paul did not direct him to counseling. by her Satanic incantations, continues to follow these evangelists day 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. b. Timothy's father, however, was a Greek. Bibliografische Daten. (temp. 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. O, but he did! serpent destroyed, according to Greek We see that the earthquake had absolutely nothing to do with freeing Paul and Silas from prison. So Paul went to bring Macedonia the gospel the best possible help. professed to divine, that is to reveal things beyond the reach of They charged the jailer to keep them safely. ACTSNOTE ON ACTS 16:16 A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION. Acts of the Apostles - 423 pages Pdf (includes the following notes) Acts Commentary 15:36-16:10; Acts Commentary 16:11-24; Acts Commentary 16:25-40; HENRY MORRIS. He did not appreciate the source of the recommendation, and he didnt need demonic approval of his work. The world should see (or hear) our joy in the Lord from the dungeon and ask, Whats with these people, anyway? Then we tell them. 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. Why did Paul do that? This should be rendered as in above A precise commentary on acts 16 16 34 can boost your faith and strengthen your walk with Jesus Christ. Later, there was a church in Thyatira also, and it was one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation (Revelation 2:18-29). Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. Pauls courage and wisdom in the face of these obstacles built a great legacy in people like Timothy. 18She continued doing this for several days. 5:8). Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Acts 16:16-34. "The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. As a result of the numerous miracles performed through Paul and Peter, the church grows daily. Summarize Acts 16:35-40 by explaining that the magistrates sent word to the prison guard to let Paul and Silas go. prayer, R.V. AS WE WENT TO PRAYER. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. 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. _Theophylact_: thus m AS WE WENT TO PRAYER - Greek: as we were going to the proseuche, It is written in the scriptures that no one can please God without faith. The word "house" is rightly supplied, for the sense is not, that they went into the country of Lydia, as some have been tempted to think; but they went to the woman Lydia, whose heart the Lord had opened, and was become a disciple and follower of Christ; they went to her house it . 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. The jailer then brought Paul and Silas up into his house, and set food before them. And this she did for many days. spiritum Her masters made a lot of money from her power. certain slave-girl who had a spirit which made her able to give a. We see the humble repentance of the jailer in that he fell down trembling, in the full idea of the word believe (pistis, which means to trust in, rely on, and cling to), and in the command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ). _Gen. . 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. Let them come themselves and release us. " (Acts 16:35-37). So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. Acts 16:16. Presumably this was because demons gave her supernatural insight into the lives of others. He has a greater purpose that we often do not understand. certain damsel met us_ (that is, met Paul and his three companions) 25But as for the Gen-tiles who . VIII. He also wrote to the Philippians, Do all things without grumbling or disputing (Phil. The miraculous conversion of the jailer to the faith of Christ, ver 25-34. Acts 1:8 Commentary; Acts 20:17-27 Commentary; Acts 20:28-38 Commentary; COMMENTARIES AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT CAN BE BORROWED FROM ARCHIVE.ORG. 33He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. ii. Hollywood, FL. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the . 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]). While in this instance, His will was to send a powerful earthquake and free them, it doesnt always work out that way. Second, Paul was concerned about the future of the church and the gospel in Philippi. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." THE HEALING OF THE GIRL POSSESSED WITH THE PYTHON SPIRIT (16:16-18). 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Dive Deeper. Note some of the ways that Paul and Silas were mistreated. a. POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US, WHO BROUGHT HER MASTERS Acts 16:14 She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." 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. A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US. Acts 16:16. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved: Pauls answer to the keeper of the prison is a classic statement of the essence of the gospel. Oxford University Press. From the city of Derbe to Troas. 6. Pauls action helped hold these men accountable to carry out justice for others who would be accused of some crime. a. Paul wanted to have him go on with him: Paul was impressed enough with Timothy to ask him to join their missionary team. "As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. 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. WENT TO PRAYER; went towards the place where their public prayers were ii. David Guzik commentary on Acts 1 describes the ascension of Jesus into heaven and the appointing of Matthias as a replacement for Judas. 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. apostle Paul. I emphasize this first point because it is foundational to everything else. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. The dyes used for making purple were expensive and highly regarded. Read Acts 16 again and ask God to reveal and emphasize truths from this chapter that He wants you to see. Paul and Silas show us four aspects of a right response to wrong treatment. The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them, ver 19-24. _AS WE WENT TO PRAYER_] , 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? According to the legend, AS WE WENT TO PRAYER,. With much fear he fell down before Paul and Silas and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas looked Jewish, and Anti-Jewish sentiment lay very near the surface in pagan antiquity. (Bruce) The objection that these men were Jews is even more interesting knowing the Jewish community in Philippi was small. Verses 1-5 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. (Acts 16:25-28). _possessed with a spirit of divination_ Greek, Thus if we want to glorify God, which is the highest goal for the Christian, we must focus on finding joy in Him. But it was the Holy Spirits plan to lead him there. The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. Also, if he wanted to come back again, he knew that they would not prevent him. It was actually reasonable for them to wonder when the rest of the New Covenant would be fulfilled. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: In Troas, God made Pauls direction clear. apostles went towards the forementioned place of prayer,. 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. 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. The English, on the other hand, although faced with a more benevolent geography, had a preference for clustering close to the Atlantic seaboard until the eighteenth century; only in the Hudson and Connecticut River valleys, and in parts of the Chesapeake region, did settlement of the interior begin from the outset.50 It is a striking commentary . 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. There is perhaps no example of this more remarkable than that which The Key teachings of Jesus Christ are focused on Faith and Love. 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. Praise the Lord is not a nice suggestion; its a command! 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" Was he a masochist, or what? He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 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. When you are wronged, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. Our responsibility in such difficult times is to trust and obey Him. and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first 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. Yet the Spirit of God directed this work, and Paul wasnt the right person in the right place at the right time to begin bringing the gospel to the Roman Province of Asia Minor. They had a daily habit of mentally focusing on how great and wonderful God is, and on the many blessings that He daily heaps on His children. They always are, of course! Commentary on Acts 16 16 34. VII. The authorities sent word to let these men go. (Acts 16:20-24). Doug Bratt. a. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. _Into the_ _proseucha_: Acts 16:13, and Luke 6:12. ii. In everything? This was as dramatic as it sounds. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. " Jeremiah 16:16 (KJB) On this episode of 'Rightly Dividing', we are covering a lot of ground tonight and taking your Bible questions as we do it. was no heralding of the gospel which was to transform Europe. The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them (v. 19-24). When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. The spirit of Christ is to forgive those who sin against us, while at the same time holding them accountable to change their behavior. He was a man who had learned to focus on the Lord and His abundant grace in every situation, and so he was filled with joy in the Lord in every situation, even in severe trials. a. Even in their pain, God was not far from Paul and Silas. Studying Acts 16 11-15, 40. In not escaping, they showed tremendous discernment. Paul and Silas went to the house of Lydia, saw the brethren, comforted them, and departed. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." 18 And this she kept doing for many days. CHARACTERS: Jesus, Holy S Acts 16:1. the jailor in Acts 16:31-40, commenting on the various characteristics of repentance he possessed or displayed. b. I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her: Jesus cast out demons with His own authority. From there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia: Paul here followed a plan to plant churches in the major cities. 2. THESE MEN ARE SERVANTS. Most certainly not! 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. Had there been ten Jewish men, they would have sufficed to constitute a synagogue. Psalm 97 . Timothy Joins Paul and Silas. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. The arrival in Europe was clearly seen by Luke as very important. 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 the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 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. V. The casing of an evil spirit out of a damsel, ver 16-18. It's one of those chapters that you always remember - just the record along of Lydia and her marvelous liberation. Acts 12:13. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Phil. ; _to Lystra This is good advice to anyone contemplating suicide. We are studying the story of Lydia, recorded in Acts 16:11-15 and :40, for Sunday, February 28. Paul and Silas would not be hurried out of town until they had brought their work there to a conclusion. 16-30, Ezekiel 37:21-28). a. Sirs, what must I do be saved? 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. change in the fortunes of Paul and Silas. But Paul wrote Second Corinthians to defend his character and his apostolic ministry. . 24Join these men, go through the rite of purication with them, and pay for the shaving of their heads. God still calls people to the mission field, and He may call through unusual ways. b. Lydia was a seller of purple: Anyone who was a seller of purple dealt in a valued, luxurious product. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. God may ask us to lay down our rights for the good of another (in this case, for the good of the Philippian jailer). as we were going to prayer, there met us a certain female serv And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed 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. 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. the place where he was worshipped, (which was afterwards cal 16-18. Quite simply, it means even if something appears to be free, there's always some kind of catch. Everything else flows from that. 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. Journey into Europe, Philippi. By rights, Paul could have had their heads if he had taken his case to a higher authority. masters much gain by soothsaying: And he came out the same hour. He did not discuss the spiritual terminology of the jailer. ow DAMSEL. without expecting opposition. 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). spirit of divination met us, who brought her 31They answered, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' Her masters made a lot of money from her power. If Paul wished to maintain his links with the synagogue, he could not be seen to countenance apostasy. (Bruce). Acts 16:16-26. Prayers and praises unto God at midnight, in the midst of a brutal prison. i. her son, had embraced the faith. 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? 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 16. After such a bad beating, they were put in uncomfortable conditions (fastened their feet in the stocks). Being his Apostles, Paul and Silas exhibited a scene of Faith during their . 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, 'Don't harm yourself: we are all here!' It refers to the Roman Province of Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey. It is false teaching that Christians are exempt from the common trials that come upon the entire human race: sickness, poverty, tragedies, and death. ACTS 16:1 But God wanted to give Paul a continent to win for Jesus Christ. 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. Acts 16:1-18 Saving, Guiding, Empowering. A description of Philippi. 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. Paul refused to leave because he was mistreated as a Roman citizen. They trusted that He had another purpose in mind, and so He did, namely, the conversion of the jailer and his family. That his mother was a Jewess originally, but believed in Christ; her name was Eunice, his grandmother's name was Lois.