He has a greater purpose that we often do not understand. I emphasize this first point because it is foundational to everything else. 2:14). 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. _MARION ADAMS_ When you answered the call of God, you were excited and energized about the possibility of service. He started to kill himself. The greatest blessing is His gift of salvation by His free grace. a. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, Let those men go. So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, The magistrates have sent to let you go. Let them come themselves and release us.' Do we just lay down as doormats and take whatever happens passively? That leads to the last point: We dont know why, but for some reason the next morning the magistrates sent to the jailer and told him to release Paul and Silas. The Prison Experiences Of The Bible. She was possessed by a spirit of divination. Because God said no to Paul these two times, we have a gospel and a Book of Acts written by Doctor Luke. iii. In last Sunday's lesson, Paul met Lydia while he was looking for a place of prayer. (Acts 16:29-34). 2 All the believers in Lystra and Iconium said good things about Timothy. 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. a. Acts 16:35-40 Magistrates. This Either the quake or Gods miraculous power loosed all of the prisoners chains. SEPARATOR CAPACITY, 5,000 LB. With much fear he fell down before Paul and Silas and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" We are next introduced to an incident which led to a decided apostle Paul. 33He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. i. Now, they found Timothy gro WE WERE MET BY A SLAVE GIRL. _._ Beyer, 45f. 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. 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. So Paul took Timothy and . If Paul wished to maintain his links with the synagogue, he could not be seen to countenance apostasy. (Bruce). Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. Acts 16 Bible Study Questions (Handout) ACTS 16:1 1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. b. Lydia was a seller of purple: Anyone who was a seller of purple dealt in a valued, luxurious product. THE HEALING OF THE GIRL POSSESSED WITH THE PYTHON SPIRIT (16:16-18). This was as dramatic as it sounds. masters much gain by soothsaying: Now therefore depart, and go in peace.. Summarize Acts 16:35-40 by explaining that the magistrates sent word to the prison guard to let Paul and Silas go. IN T _A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination._ As you know, when he later wrote to this Philippian church from a prison cell in Rome, the major theme of that letter was joy in the Lord in spite of our circumstances. 3. This should be rendered as in above Studying Acts 16 11-15, 40. i. And, in addition to these common trials, we can expect even more trials because we are Christians. This sort of treatment effectively terrorizes the population into submission. (10) Satan transforms himself in A pythonical spirit. 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. Immediately all the doors were opened, and everyones bonds were loosed. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. b. This is salvation by grace alone, received by faith alone. i. without expecting opposition. 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. Some wrongly teach that we should never defend ourselves, either legally or against aggressive attacks against our character or person. Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 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). i. The arrival in Europe was clearly seen by Luke as very important. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Acts 16:16-34. But few of us know the kind of persecution experienced by those in former or present communist countries, or those in strongly Muslim countries They could more effectively preach from the story in our text than I can. 4:12). 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, 'Don't harm yourself: we are all here!' prayer, R.V. It was based on their knowledge of a good and sovereign God. For though the Greek noun here is without By Dr. Philip W. McLarty. labours in that city, Lois a jewess, her daughter Eunice, and Timothy Paul refused to go because he knew his rights as a Roman citizen and knew that their treatment of him was unjust. A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US. Our responsibility in such difficult times is to trust and obey Him. 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. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. b. God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas and pick up a doctor named Luke. And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. In their former 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. LIGHTNING SOURCE INC And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 35When it was day, the magistrates sent the police with this message: 'Release those men!' ii. "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. There was an old chaplain general of the British Army Bishop John Taylor Smith who used a unique test on candidates for the chaplaincy. 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. When a Barnabas leaves (for whatever reason), God has a Timothy to go on with him. Journey into Europe, Philippi. He has a greater purpose that we often do not understand. Most certainly not! med. 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 places specially mentioned are Samaria, Azotus, Caesarea, Lydda, the Sharon valley, and Joppa. d. When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison: After being severely beaten, Paul and Silas were imprisoned in maximum-security conditions (commanding the jailer to keep them securely the inner prison fastened their feet in the stocks). But because Barnabas was i 1 Chronicles 10:13; 1 Samuel 28:7; 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Peter 2:3; Damsel. been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia.' 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. Demons cast out of a damsel. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who . Peter warns those going through suffering to be on the alert, since the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us in such times (1 Pet. Chapter 2Now when the day of Pentecost ( Acts 2:1 )This would be feast day following the Passover, of which Jesus was crucified. Timothy's father, however, was a Greek. The next time, they would follow the Roman law! Acts 16:16. to set aside Jewish prejudice. They were occult pimps, prostituting her spiritually. ( ). 26Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. Paul was guided by hindrance. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, A certain disciple was there, named Timothy, son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews in that region, as they went through the cities, the delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily, They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, They tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them, And a vision appeared to Paul in the night, 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, From there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made, The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul, She begged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay., A certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination brought her masters much profit, 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., I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her, Her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, Exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe, When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely the inner prison fastened their feet in the stocks, But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, all the doors were opened and everyones chains were loosed, The keeper of the prisonwas about to kill himself, Paul called with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here., Ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house, And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, And immediately he and all his family were baptized, The magistrates have sent to let you go. That, by the way, is the missing note among Christians in many places today. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers[ b] at Lystra and Iconium. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. b. He knew that it was easier for the gospel to spread from these cities than to these cities. The demon-possessed girl keeps bothering Paul and his group "for many days" (16:18). From the city of Thyatira: Thyatira was well known as a center for this purple dye and fabric made from it. i. Paul knew that a man will be identified by both his friends and his enemies, and could do without a demonic letter of reference. 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. 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. A *Christian called The authorities were full of fear when they learned that Paul was a Roman. The wisdom and greatness of Gods plan was beginning to unfold. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. They charged the jailer to keep them safely. Home 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. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The guard had a remarkable sign an earthquake, but all Lydia had was the move of the Holy Spirit in her heart. 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 . That his mother was a Jewess originally, but believed in Christ; her name was Eunice, his grandmother's name was Lois. A disciple, whose mother was a Jewish Christian and father was Greek 3. (temp. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. A. Now we see another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. The jailer then saw that all the prisoners were still there. We see that the earthquake had absolutely nothing to do with freeing Paul and Silas from prison. All things? The Holy Spirit used the courageous praise of Paul and Silas in their terrible adversity. But pythona was a certain kind of snake a python. And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city. Paul and Silas were not singing so that they could be good witnesses in this difficult situation. Him, that was a disciple of Christ, Paul took to be his disciple, that he might further train him up in the knowledge and faith of Christ; he took him to be brought up for Christ.