Acts 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

1Then he came to #Acts 14:6Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, #Acts 19:22; Rom. 16:21; 1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10; Phil. 1:1; 2:19; 1 Thess. 3:2; 2 Tim. 1:2named Timothy, #2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he #(1 Cor. 9:20; Gal. 2:3; 5:2)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the #Acts 15:19–21decrees to keep, #Acts 15:28, 29which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5#Acts 2:47; 15:41So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

The Macedonian Call

6Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of #Acts 18:23; Gal. 1:1, 2Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8So passing by Mysia, they #Acts 16:11; 20:5; 2 Cor. 2:12; 2 Tim. 4:13came down to Troas. 9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A #Acts 10:30man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go #2 Cor. 2:13to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia Baptized at Philippi

11Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12and from there to #Acts 20:6; Phil. 1:1; 1 Thess. 2:2Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13And 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. 14Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of #Rev. 1:11; 2:18, 24Thyatira, who worshiped God. #Luke 24:45The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So #Gen. 19:3; 33:11; Judg. 19:21; Luke 24:29; (Heb. 13:2)she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

16Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl #Lev. 19:31; 20:6, 27; Deut. 18:11; 1 Sam. 28:3, 7; 2 Kin. 21:6; 1 Chr. 10:13; Is. 8:19possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters #Acts 19:24much profit by fortune-telling. 17This 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.” 18And this she did for many days.

But Paul, #Mark 1:25, 34greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” #Mark 16:17And he came out that very hour. 19But #Acts 16:16; 19:25, 26when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and #Matt. 10:18dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

20And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, #1 Kin. 18:17; Acts 17:8exceedingly trouble our city; 21and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes #2 Cor. 6:5; 11:23, 25; 1 Thess. 2:2and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Philippian Jailer Saved

25But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26#Acts 4:31Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately #Acts 5:19; 12:7, 10all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27And 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. 28But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

29Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30And he brought them out and said, #Luke 3:10; Acts 2:37; 9:6; 22:10“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31So they said, #(John 3:16, 36; 6:47; Acts 13:38, 39; Rom. 10:9–11; 1 John 5:10)“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34Now when he had brought them into his house, #Matt. 5:4; Luke 5:29; 19:6he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

Paul Refuses to Depart Secretly

35And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.”

36So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned #Acts 22:25–29Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”

38And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. 39Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and #Matt. 8:34asked them to depart from the city. 40So they went out of the prison #Acts 16:14and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.

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Acts 16: NKJV

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