Acts 16
16
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
1Paul#16:1 Greek He came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named #ch. 17:14; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; Rom. 16:21; 1 Cor. 4:17; Phil. 2:19; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 3:2; 2 Thess. 1:1; 1 Tim. 1:2, 18; 2 Tim. 1:2 Timothy, #2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2He was well spoken of by #See John 21:23the brothers#16:2 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 40 at Lystra and Iconium. 3Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he #[Gal. 2:3]took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance #ch. 17:7 the decisions #ch. 15:28, 29 that had been reached by #See ch. 15:2the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5#[ch. 9:31] So the churches were strengthened in #See ch. 6:7 the faith, and they increased in numbers #ch. 2:47daily.
The Macedonian Call
6And #ch. 18:23; [Gal. 4:13]they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but #Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6; Phil. 1:19; 1 Pet. 1:11; [ver. 6; ch. 8:29]the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8So, passing by Mysia, they went down #ch. 20:5, 6; 2 Cor. 2:12; 2 Tim. 4:13to Troas. 9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10And when Paul#16:10 Greek he had seen the vision, immediately #ver. 11-17; ch. 20:5-8, 13-15; 21:1-18; 27:1–28:16we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
The Conversion of Lydia
11So, setting sail from Troas, we #ch. 21:1made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12and from there to #Phil. 1:1; 1 Thess. 2:2 Philippi, which is a leading city of the#16:12 Or that district of Macedonia and #[ver. 21]a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13And #See ch. 13:14 on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate #[Ezra 8:15, 21; Ps. 137:1] to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we #Matt. 5:1sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, #ch. 18:7 who was a worshiper of God. The Lord #See Luke 24:45opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15And after she was baptized, #See ch. 11:14 and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she #Gen. 19:3; Luke 24:29prevailed upon us.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16As we were going to #ver. 13 the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had #Luke 13:11 a spirit of #See Lev. 19:31 divination and #ver. 19brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17She followed Paul and us, #See James 2:19 crying out, “These men are #Dan. 3:26 servants of #See Mark 5:7 the Most High God, who proclaim to you #[ch. 9:2; Matt. 7:14]the way of salvation.” 18And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, #[Mark 1:25, 34] “I command you #See Mark 9:38 in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And #[Matt. 17:18]it came out that very hour.
19But #ver. 16; [ch. 19:25, 26] when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and #ch. 17:6-8; 21:30; James 2:6; [ch. 8:3; 18:12; Matt. 10:18]dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21They #[Esth. 3:8] advocate customs that are not lawful for us #[ver. 12]as Romans to accept or practice.” 22The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders #2 Cor. 6:5; 11:23-25; 1 Thess. 2:2to beat them with rods. 23And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24Having received this order, he put them into the inner #See Luke 21:12 prison and fastened their feet in #Job 13:27; 33:11; Jer. 20:2, 3; 29:26the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Converted
25 #
Job 35:10; Ps. 42:8; 77:6; 119:62 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26and suddenly #See ch. 4:31 there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately #ch. 5:19; 12:10 all the doors were opened, and #ch. 12:7everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and #[ch. 12:19; 27:42; 1 Kgs. 20:39]was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29And the jailer#16:29 Greek he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he #ch. 10:25fell down before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, #ch. 2:37; 22:10; Luke 3:10, 12, 14; [John 6:28, 29] what must I do to be #[ver. 17]saved?” 31And they said, #See Mark 16:16 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you #See ch. 11:14and your household.” 32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33And he took them #ver. 25 the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he #See ch. 8:12was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he #Ps. 9:14; 13:5; Isa. 25:9; Luke 1:47; 1 Pet. 1:6, 8; [ch. 2:46]rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
35But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, #ch. 22:25, 29uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38The police reported these words to the magistrates, and #[See ver. 37 above]they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and #[Matt. 8:34]asked them to leave the city. 40So they went out of the prison and visited #ver. 14 Lydia. And when they had seen #See John 21:23the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.
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