Why did Paul do that? Anyone can be happy in pleasant circumstances, but real joy comes only from within, and is a gift available to Christians at all times. Biblical Books: Acts 16. VI. a. They elected Franklin Roosevelt, and he and the Democratic Party remade America so thoroughly that it is unthinkable for all but the most doctrinaire libertarians to speak of returning to the system of "ordered liberty" that existed in Hoover's time, a . So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily. All doors seemed to be WENT TO PRAYER; went towards the place where their public prayers were There was great indignation that Roman citizens should be molested by strolling peddlers of an outlandish religion. (16) "_And it came to pass, Pauls courage and wisdom in the face of these obstacles built a great legacy in people like Timothy. There It is wrong to act out of personal vengeance, greed, or other selfish motives. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews in that region: Paul had Timothy circumcised, not for the sake of his salvation (Paul would never do so) but so there would be less to hinder ministry among the Jews. The use of they here suggests that Luke stayed behind in Philippi for at least a while, perhaps to care for this new congregation. (Acts 16:6) they received a GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE He uses circumcision in all liberty He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. In times of trial, Satan tempts us to think things like, If God exists and if He is good, why didnt He protect you from this extreme situation? As Peter goes on to show, and as Paul and Silas here exemplify, the solution is to resist the devil by being firm in our faith in the Almighty God. King Charles's reign 'won't be long' as Crown 'may be passed onto William' psychic claims a. Paul wanted to have him go on with him: Paul was impressed enough with Timothy to ask him to join their missionary team. iii. with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much 16 Paul[ a] came also to Derbe and to Lystra. iii. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. ACTSNOTE ON ACTS 16:16 A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION. masters much gai AS WE WENT TO PRAYER, Or, _To the oratory._ The manner in which St. 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. they were (James 2:19). Tap the title next to the arrow to get thatdocument. www.simplybible.com Copyright Ron Graham 2012, "As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. A *Christian called But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. By rights, Paul could have had their heads if he had taken his case to a higher authority. The Python was. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. But they didnt mention that when they dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities. The man must not have lived in the same world I live in! (dep.) ii. certain slave-girl who had a spirit which made her able to give 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. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. Intro: Having lost in a fire virtually everything they owned, the Spafford family made new plans, including a move from Chicago to France.Horatio Spafford planned the trip for his wife and four daughters to be as trouble-free as possible. We see His mighty power here in the earthquake that rocked this prison. So Paul went to bring Macedonia the gospel the best possible help. It was actually reasonable for them to wonder when the rest of the New Covenant would be fulfilled. iv. gave information to the slave girl so that she could tell people Under inspiration by the Holy Spirit, Paul told the keeper of the prison that his household would trust Jesus just as he did. 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." Acts chapter 16. 2:20). Perhaps he even came as Pauls personal doctor. The main application of this story for me is to work on having joy in the Lord in every situation. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. This man was more affected by the love and grace demonstrated by Paul and Silas than by the earthquake. Most certainly not! After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. verse, to the place of prayer.' And we were staying in that city for some days. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. 16:7. while Judas and Silas were to confirm them by word of mouth. without expecting opposition. Paul and Silas went to the house of Lydia, saw the brethren, comforted them, and departed. girl who was demon possessed followed them crying out, "These men are . 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 . 326 1837 vg arm), which has been replaced in some manuscripts (45 C3 Timothy agrees and Paul has Timothy circumcised. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. possessed with the devil, by whose inspiration she foretold future Summarize Acts 16:35-40 by explaining that the magistrates sent word to the prison guard to let Paul and Silas go. God may ask us to lay down our rights for the good of another (in this case, for the good of the Philippian jailer). And this she did for many days. He was a believer. : in R.V., accusative, Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. There are still those today who are possessed with a spirit of divination. 9:23), because the prisoners will be listening. spirit of a pythoness_, or, according to superior authoriti EXPOSITION Having received such a command, the jailer threw Paul and Silas into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks." Whereas Lydia, while not necessarily wealthy, was at least a woman of some independence (as the head of her household), this second woman is doubly bound, a . iii. Presumably this was because demons gave her supernatural insight into the lives of others. Most certainly not! Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. We may request cookies to be set on your device. The Holy Spirit often guides as much by the closing of doors as He does by the opening of doors. She was possessed by a spirit of divination. 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. This is indicated by how they began their accusation: These men, being Jews.. It is mandatory for all who know His salvation. The encounter with the spirit of divination: Coming to Derbe and Lystra, where he and Barnabas had been persecuted (p.40-42, 1998 edition, Lucis Trust) Note some of the ways that Paul and Silas were mistreated. These verses describe Pauls experiences and work in Thessalonica and Berea during his second missionaryjourney. 24Having received such a command, the jailer threw Paul and Silas into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks. (Acts 16:20-24). Asia does not refer to the Far East as we know it today. Suddenly there was a great earthquake which shook the prison to its foundations. Paul later wrote of his life: In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. a. A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION CAST OUT BY ST PAUL. 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. 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. And fifty days after the Passover, the second major Jewish feast, the Feast of Pentecost, or the Feast of Ingathering. A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF May God enable us all, when we are mistreated, to imitate these men of God in entrusting our souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right! Clarke's Commentary. They would have missed this great opportunity for witness. 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. Paul insisted that Titus, a Gentile co-worker, did not have to be circumcised (Galatians 2:3-5). "As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. 31They answered, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' But pythona was a certain kind of snake a python. Some wrongly teach that we should never defend ourselves, either legally or against aggressive attacks against our character or person. DAMSEL POSSESSED MET US. Peter echoes this: But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation (1 Pet. He was told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." What's more, Paul and Barnabus have traveled . A man called Timothy lived in Lystra. I wish that Paul had said, Rejoice in the Lord as a general rule. But, always? 2. was no heralding of the gospel which was to transform Europe. 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. As we went to prayer Or to the place of prayer, mentioned before; a certain damsel met us (that is, met Paul and his three companions) possessed with a spirit of divination Greek, , having a spirit of Python, or Apollo. The walk to the place of prayer is made Our responsibility in such difficult times is to trust and obey Him. One could see Christ reflected in their faces. Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not trouble their betters. (Bruce). to set aside Jewish prejudice. His action in the circumcision of Timothy is startling in CHARACTERS: Jesus, Holy S Acts 16:1. _Then came he to Lystra,_ as in Acts 14:6. Timotheus (Acts 16:1)._ Acts 16:16-18 Spirit of Divination. 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 . Her masters made a lot of money from her power. It's one of those chapters that you always remember - just the record along of Lydia and her marvelous liberation. Those prison walls had probably never heard such a sound. THE PRISON OF HIS PRAISES. 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). ( ). Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. professed to divine, that is to reveal things beyond the reach of He knew that it was easier for the gospel to spread from these cities than to these cities. In Acts 16, the Apostle Paul began his second missionary journey by visiting again some of the churches he had established on his first trip. Our trials do not mean that He does not exist or that He is not loving and good. How can we know when it is right to defend ourselves and when we should simply yield our rights? Full-Time. Acts 16 Commentary; Acts 16; J VERNON MCGEE. 16. When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. You couldn't wait to get where you were going or do what you needed . The Python was the s ACTSNOTE ON ACTS 16:11 Philippi was the first Macedonian city in Acts 16:35-40 Magistrates. 3. (temp. So the correct text with accusative The miraculous conversion of the jailer to the faith of Christ (v. 25-34). Acts 16:11-15 Samothrace, Neapolis, Philippi. He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. 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. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes: The same jailer who had punished them now cared for Paul and Silas, caring for their wounds and he set food before them. (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. What are some practical steps toward deepening our daily joy in the Lord. Paul was careful to speak to demons only in the authority of Jesus Christ, and he spoke beyond the afflicted girl to the demon itself with this authority of Jesus. It is difficult to say exactly how the Holy Spirit said no; it may have been through a word of prophecy, or by an inward speaking of the Holy Spirit, or by circumstances. 16As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. gain by soothsaying: 2 The brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium spoke very highly of Timothy. In not escaping, they showed tremendous discernment. They trusted that He had another purpose in mind, and so He did, namely, the conversion of the jailer and his family. But Paul could not land in Europe in the power of the Holy Spirit 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. VI. masters much gain by the giving of oracles.' But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Here begins the account of Pads second journey. 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. So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. It is good for us to bring other help along with the gospel, but without the gospel, little real help is given. Having received such a command, the jailer threw Paul and Silas into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks. And the prisoners were listening to them: What a strange sound this was to the other prisoners! The solution will come, as I said, when the races regard the Jewish problem as a humanitarian problem but also when the Jew does his share of understanding, love and right action. _for _of a certain woman which was a Jewess, We remember at the end of our study last week there arose a contention POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US, WHO BROUGHT HER MASTERS They charged the jailer to keep them safely. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (ESV) For I delivered to you as of first impo Compare Mark 3:12; Luke 4:34-35. Its not enough just to grit your teeth and endure trials; God wants us to rejoice in them! Now we see another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. (Acts 16:16-19). Maybe your mate or a family member treats you with contempt because of your Christian convictions. 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. i. Acts 16:16-40. New International Version. The Midnight Miracles Acts 16:16-40; F B MEYER. Paul and Silas did not sit in jail lamenting, Maybe we missed the signals! _paidiske._ See note on Acts 12:13. read "a spirit,. Baptism was so important that they were baptized "the same hour of the night." 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. From the city of Derbe to Troas. (Witham) --- A divining spirit, which pretended to foretell things to A fortune-telling female slave, who brought much money to her owners 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. No, in this he was simply obeying the words of Jesus, Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. , _as we were going to the place of prayer_ (see on i. in which the conversion of Lydia occurred, or at another time, is no CHAPTER 16 If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. pp. Both heard the gospel and believed, and through each of them their whole families were touched! a. spiritum He did not give him a lecture on theology. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. b. Many of you have experienced or will experience prejudice simply because of your racial background. The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them, ver 19-24. Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. Under Roman law and custom, guards who allowed their prisoners to escape received the penalty of their escaped prisoners. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. We're also studying 1 Corinthians 1:26-30, an entirely different text, which seems to have been chosen as the capstone of our five weeks of thinking about women in the New Testament. OUTLINE I. TIMOTHY JOINS PAUL AND SILAS (1-5) A. TIMOTHY'S BACKGROUND (1-3) 1. TO PRAYER; the place of prayer. a. IN T _A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination._ Studying the book of Acts 16; shows a significant summary of the history, time and relevant details according to the bible's acts based onBenson Joseph - Bible Commentary and reading parallely the bible's version Legacy Standard Bible. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God. Timothy Joins Paul and Silas. Acts 16:30-34 What must I do to be Saved? And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. i. He must let go of his own separative tendencies and of his deep sense of persecution. c. The magistrates have sent to let you go. Paul and Silas show us four aspects of a right response to wrong treatment. Because of Deuteronomy 23:1 (see also Leviticus 21:16-23) some assume that the eunuch would have been forbidden from doing in Jerusalem what Acts says he came to do: worship. by day, incessantly crying after them, _These men are serva And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed Paul is accompanied by Silas (15:37-38), and they are later joined by young Mark (16:1). Paul and Silas travel to Derbe and Lystra, where they meet Timothy 2. The honourable discharge of Paul and Silas by the magistrates, ver 35-40. He has a greater purpose that we often do not understand. A. When a Barnabas leaves (for whatever reason), God has a Timothy to go on with him. He did not talk about sacraments or even churches. If you do, then the next issue is to pray, Lord, use this difficult situation for Your glory to further Your purpose. Whenever Paul wrote as a prisoner, he never said, Paul, a prisoner of that scoundrel Caesar who has unjustly put me in prison! No, it was always, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus. He trusted in the sovereign and all-powerful God, who easily could overrule Caesar if He so chose. 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. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. As John Piper rightly states, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. This woman was the first convert in Europe, and one might say that the Macedonian man turned out to be a woman. She followed Paul and Silas saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation." 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. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. a. Some charge him with When you are wronged, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. Ephesus would come later, not now. He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 27The jailer, roused out of sleep, saw the prison doors open. i. This was not only because of its timing and location, but also in the way that all the doors were opened and everyones chains were loosed. God still calls people to the mission field, and He may call through unusual ways. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God. (Acts 16:29-34). Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. The jailer then saw that all the prisoners were still there. Sermon #7 . Spirit of divination [ ]. Ministry at Philippi (Acts 16:12-40) The conversion of Lydia (Acts 16:12-15) The demon possessed slave girl (Acts 16:16-18) The imprisonment of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:19-25) The release of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:26-27) The conversion of the jailor (Acts 16:28-34) The departure from the city (Acts 16:35-40) The ministry in Thessalonica (Acts . 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). Bibliografische Daten. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. VII. Quite simply, it means even if something appears to be free, there's always some kind of catch. Now therefore depart, and go in peace, They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, They came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city, When they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . 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. a. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. AS WE WENT TO PRAYER. oracles met us. A spirit pretending to divination, to tell On his first trip, he had come to the towns of Derbe and Lystra; and evidently a young fellow come to Christ. If Paul wished to maintain his links with the synagogue, he could not be seen to countenance apostasy. (Bruce). 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. Always? Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. The Extension of the Church to Juda and Samaria (Acts 8:4 to Acts 11:18)The Christians, scattered by persecution, preach everywhere through Judaea and Samaria. 1. Click on the different category headings to find out more. They came and took them from prison and begged them to leave town. They have violated our rights as Roman citizens. a. her son, had embraced the faith. 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). 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. These verses describe Paul's experiences and work with Silas in Philippi, including the conversion of the Philippianjailer. Demons cast out of a damsel. The jailer then brought Paul and Silas up into his house, and set food before them. of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in 16-18. So he stood on his rights in order to protect the church and the cause of Christ in that city. i. He pointed this obviously repentant man to faith in Jesus Christ. 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). 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. part. Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - Acts 2:1-47. 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 greatest blessing is His gift of salvation by His free grace. Maybe youre wondering, Does trusting God mean that we should never stand up for our rights? For the Philippian jailer, Paul did not direct him to counseling. The demon knew who i. These were convenient in sizeTo claim Roman citizenship falsely was punishable by death. (Williams). If our rights are violated, we dont take it sitting down. 4:13). On the morning after "a great earthquake" (v. 26) strikes a city, there is much turmoil, as people assess . Paul's plans now seemed to begin to go awry. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much So Paul took Timothy and . The masters of the demon possessed girl cared nothing for the girl herself, only for their ability to exploit her demonic possession for money. Th WELCOMED; ATTESTED; IMPRISONED 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers[ b] at Lystra and Iconium. 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. 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. 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 .