Acts 16:1-40
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
1He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Paul's Vision of the Man of Macedonia
6Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Lydia's Conversion in Philippi
11From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. 12From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 15When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
19When 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. 20They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27The 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. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The 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 whole family.
35When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." 36The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."
37But 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."
38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.
St. Luke, a Gentile, writes about three early apostles doing missionary work around the world...Paul, Silas, and Timothy are early Christians spreading the word of Jesus Christ...These three were very instrumental in spreading the good news outside of Israel...They maybe our first missionaries...
Timothy's mother was a Jewess...His father was Greek...The believers of Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy...Paul would take Timothy under his wing and take him on some of his missions and would write about him in many of his epistles...Here Paul thought it would be the right thing to do to have him circumcised, because of the Jews that traveled with them...Paul would also write two letters to Timothy in the New Testament...
Silas was one who knew the original disciples...He was included in the Jerusalem Council...He and Judas (called Barsabbas) would be the ones who would encourage the letter written by the Jerusalem Council...They would also be chosen to go to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to help spread the message of the Council on the Gentile on rules of dietary restrictions and sexual immorality (Acts 15)...Barnabas and Paul got into a disagreement over John Mark, also called Mark...Paul would team up with Silas and Barnabas would not go on this mission (Acts 15:39)...
Paul had a vision at the start of their travels...The vision was one of a man from Macedonia, begging him to come to Macedonia...The Spirit of Jesus was with them and would not allow them to go to Bithynia...So Paul took his vision that Jesus wanted them to go to Macedonia, concluding that God wanted them to preach the gospel to the Macedonians...
They set out for Macedonia and on their way they went through Philippi...Philippi was a Roman colony and the leading city in Macedonia...In that city a woman, who was a dealer in purple cloth...She was a worshiper of God...The LORD opened her heart to Paul's message...She and the members of her household were baptized...She invited them to her house to stay...
Later, while still in Macedonia, they were going to a place of prayer, they met a slave girl who could predict the future...She earned a great deal of money for her owners by this fortune-telling...She followed Paul and the mission group and was saying the "these men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved."...She kept this up for many days...Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit in her, "in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her."...At that very moment the spirit came out of her...She now could no longer do fortune-telling...Her owners were very upset that she could no longer predict the future...The owners had Paul and Silas dragged through the marketplace to the authorities, because they lost a way to make money from her fortune teller...They claimed that the mission group was inciting riots, and had thrown the city into an uproar...The crowd attacked Paul and Silas...They were severely flogged and thrown in jail...Their were in the inner cell and their feet were shackled...
At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God...Suddenly a violent earthquake happened a the prison was shaken...Everybody's chains were loosened...The jailer, who was asleep, woke up and was about to kill himself because the prisoners could have escaped if they wanted to...Paul shouted at him not to harm himself, because we are still here...The jailer called for lights and rushed in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas...He ask them what he must do to be saved...Paul and Silas replied to believe in the LORD Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household...Paul and Silas spoke the word of the LORD to all his household...That night, the jailer washed their wounds and took them to his house to eat...
When morning came the magistrate had the group released...The jailer told Paul and Silas they could leave, and to go in peace...Paul told them they were Roman citizens and it was unlawful for the them to be beaten... When the officers heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens they went back to the magistrate and told him...After that the officers trying to appease Paul and Silas requested them to leave the city...They went to Lydia's house, when they left the jail...They encouraged all the brothers there...Then they left Macedonia...
It was tough spreading the good news after Jesus was resurrected...The early Christians and apostles we persecuted...The early missions were dangerous...Paul found himself often in jail and being flogged...
The church welcomed young and energetic ministers like Timothy...Good teachers like Paul can keep the church and the number of believers growing...Encouraging people like Lydia keeps the gospel fresh and going...St. Paul knew how to spread the word, in a hostile time and environment...
God speaks to each of us in different ways...Paul heard the Spirit of Jesus and they could not enter Bithynia...How sad for Bithynia...But another door opened and God called them to go to Macedonia...How good it was for the Macedonians to hear the good news...There they met Lydia and she would be of great help to them...
Evil and evil spirits are around...We must be on guard for them and their temptations...Evil and when man can make money from a tempting project, one must be aware of what is going on around them and not give in to evil or money made from and by evil doers...
When we believe in LORD Jesus we are saved...Paul and Silas were chained, yet were singing hymns...God's grace allowed many sinners to be saved, and had Paul and Silas released from jail...After the appropriate apology, Paul and Silas would forgive those who brought them being jailed, and continued to spread the word...The believers numbers were growing, even though they had been in jail...