SCRIPTURE: ACTS 16
TIMOTHY JOINS PAUL AND SILAS (vs. 1-5)
As Paul came to Derbe and Lystra, he met Timothy, whose mother was a Jew and a believer but whose father was a Greek. Before taking him along on the journey, Timothy was circumcised. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in faith and grew daily in numbers.
PAUL’S VISION OF THE MAN OF MACEDONIA (vs. 6-10)
Paul and his companions traveled to Mysia and Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him to come over to Macedonia to help them. After Paul had seen the vision, they got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called them to preach the gospel to them.
LYDIA’S CONVERSION IN PHILIPPI (vs. 11-15)
From Troas, they sailed to Samothrace, Philippi and stayed there for several days. On the Sabbath, they went outside the city gate and sat down to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of the listeners was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. She responded to Paul’s message and all the members of her household were baptized. Then she invited them to stay at her house.
PAUL AND SILAS IN PRISON (vs.16-40)
While at the place of prayer, Paul and Silas met a slave girl who had a spirit to predict the future. She earned lots of money for her owner by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and shouted: “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” (v. 17) Paul turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” (v. 18). At that moment the spirit left her.
When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” (v. 21)
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison,. and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. So they were placed in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake that shook off the foundations of the prison. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped/ But Paul shouted, “Don’ harm yourself! We are all here!” (v. 28) The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.” (v. 31). Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in His house. At night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his household.
When daylight came,. the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order to release those men. When the jailer told Paul that the magistrates had ordered to release them and go in peace, Paul said to the officers. “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No, let them come themselves and escort us out.” (vs. 37)
The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them.
THOUGHTS:
Timothy was the son of Jewish mother Eunice and a Greek father who was half breed like the Samaritans. His mother and grandmother Lois were faithful believers that had influenced him. Timothy was not required to be circumcised but he voluntarily did it to overcome any barriers to his witness for Christ. Sometimes we also need to go beyond the call of duty in order to further the kingdom of God.
The Holy Spirit was guiding Paul the direction of the places where he should go or not to go in spreading the Good News. It is important to seek God’s will to know what He wants us to do and where He does not want us to go.
Philippi was the key city in the region of Macedonia (northern Greece today). Paul founded a church during this visit. Later, Paul wrote a personal letter to the church, the book of Philippines from a prison in Rome. He showed his love and friendship with the believers there and thanked them for a gift they had sent. He urged the church to clear up any disunity and encouraged them not to give in to persecution.
Paul made his first evangelistic contact with a small group of women He never allowed gender or cultural boundaries to keep him from preaching the Good News. One of the listeners was Lydia who was an influential merchant of purple cloth. She believed and it opened the way for ministry in that region.
Three individuals who became believers through Paul’s ministry in Philippi were: (1)-Lydia, the businesswoman, (2)-the demon-possessed slave girl and (3) the jailer.
Fortune telling was a common practice in Greek and Roman culture. People used superstitious methods to foretell future events from interpreting omens in nature to communicating with the spirits of the dead. This young slave girl had an evil spirit and her master was exploiting her unfortunate condition for personal gain. When Paul drove out the evil spirit, her master realized that their hope of making money was gone. So they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them out and brought him to the magistrates accusing them of throwing the city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for the Romans to accept or practice. They were stripped, beaten and thrown in prison. Despite the dismal situation, they praised God, praying and singing while other prisoners listened. We should learn to praise God no matter what our circumstances.
When the jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (v. 30).. they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.” (v. 31). The entire family of the jailer believed in Him and all were saved. Salvation is simple. Recognize Jesus as Lord and trust in Him with your entire life, salvation is assured to you. If you have not believed in Him, do it now.
Paul and Silas refused to take their freedom and run. They wanted to teach the city officials in Philippi a lesson and to protect the other believers from the treatment he and Silas had received. Being Roman citizens, it was illegal for the Roman authorities to whip them without giving a fair trial. Ultimately, they were found innocent and freed by the leaders.