Acts 16
16
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
1Paul and Silas came to the city of Derbe and then went on to Lystra, # 16:1 Lystra is modern-day Klistra, a city in Turkey. Derbe, also in Turkey, was about sixty miles from Klistra (Lystra). the hometown of a believer named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish follower of Jesus, but his father was not a Jew. # 16:1 The Aramaic is “his father was a Syrian” (an Aramaic speaker). In the time of Paul’s missionary journeys, the Aramaic language was commonly spoken in the region he traveled throughout in the Middle East. The Greek is “his father was a Greek.” 2Timothy was well known and highly respected among all the believers of Lystra and Iconium. 3Paul recognized God’s favor on Timothy’s life and wanted him to accompany them in ministry, but Paul had Timothy circumcised first because of the significant Jewish community living in the region, and everyone knew that Timothy’s father wasn’t a Jew.
4They went out together as missionaries, traveling to different cities where they preached and informed the churches of the decrees of the apostolic council of Jerusalem for the non-Jewish converts to observe. 5All the churches were growing daily and were encouraged and strengthened in their faith.
Paul’s Vision of the Man from Macedonia
6The Holy Spirit had forbidden Paul and his partners to preach the word in the southwestern provinces of Turkey, # 16:6 Or “Asia.” This does not refer to the continent of Asia as we know it today, but to the far western and southwestern provinces of Asia Minor (Turkey). so they ministered throughout the region of central and west-central Turkey. # 16:6 Or “Phrygia” and “Galatia.” The modern-day capital of Turkey, Ankara, is situated in the area known as Galatia. 7When they got as far west as the borders of Mysia, they repeatedly attempted to go north into the province of Bithynia, # 16:7 Both Mysia and Bithynia are northwestern regions of Turkey. but again the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to enter. # 16:7 We do not know how the Holy Spirit kept them from going into Bithynia, but it could have been through a warning given by means of a dream or vision. In any case, it is obvious the Holy Spirit was guiding his missionaries. He is the Lord of the harvest who prepares, imparts gifts, anoints, and sends out his servants to gather the nations to Jesus Christ. The book of Acts is best understood as the book of Activities of the Holy Spirit. Here he is designated “the Spirit of Jesus.” True and lasting fruit in ministry comes through the work and leading of the Spirit of Jesus. 8So instead they went right on through the province of Mysia to the seaport of Troas.
9While staying there Paul experienced a supernatural, ecstatic vision during the night. A man from Macedonia appeared before him, pleading with him, “You must come across the sea to Macedonia and help us!”
10After Paul had this vision, we # 16:10 Apparently, Luke now joins the missionary team going to Macedonia (which includes parts of modern-day Bulgaria and former Yugoslavia). This is the first instance in Acts of the gospel going to Europe. Luke likely left the group later, as he is not included in the team starting in v. 40. Portions of Acts appear to be Luke’s missionary travel journal. immediately prepared to cross over to Macedonia, convinced that God himself was calling us to go and preach the wonderful news of the gospel to them.
Paul Arrives at Philippi
11From Troas we sailed a straight course to the island of Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. 12Finally we reached Philippi, a major city # 16:12 The Aramaic is “the capital city.” in the Roman colony of Macedonia, and we remained there for a number of days. # 16:12 The Aramaic can be translated “In a matter of days we were well known in the city.” Other versions of the Aramaic read “We were there over certain holy days.”
13When the Sabbath day came, we went outside the gates of the city to the nearby river, for there appeared to be a house of prayer and worship there. # 16:13 Although implied in the Greek text, it is made explicit in the Aramaic, “We saw it was a house [place] of prayer.” Sitting on the riverbank we struck up a conversation with some of the women who had gathered there. 14One of them was Lydia, a businesswoman from the city of Thyatira who was a dealer of exquisite purple cloth # 16:14 Or “purple dye,” a rare commodity that would only be purchased by the wealthy. and a Jewish convert. While Paul shared the good news with her, God opened her heart to receive Paul’s message. # 16:14 Or “feared [worshiped] God.” The implication is that Lydia was a gentile convert to Judaism. 15She devoted herself to the Lord, and we baptized her and her entire family. Afterward she urged us to stay in her home, saying, “Since I am now a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house.” So we were persuaded to stay there.
The Python Spirit
16One day, as we were going to the house of prayer, we encountered a young slave girl who had an evil spirit of divination, the spirit of Python. # 16:16 In the religious context of Greek mythology, she was an “oracle,” a medium who had the spirit of the gods speaking through her to foretell the future. The Python spirit was the epithet of Apollo, known as the Greek god of prophecy. An individual (often a young virgin) who became the oracle of Apollo was known as the Python, or Pythia. She had earned great profits for her owners by being a fortune-teller.
17She kept following us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Great High God, and they’re telling us how to be saved!”
18Day after day she continued to do this, until Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit indwelling her, “I command you in the name of Jesus, the Anointed One, to come out of her, now!” At that very moment, the spirit came out of her!
19When her owners realized that their potential of making profit had vanished, they forcefully seized Paul and Silas and dragged them off to the city square to face the authorities.
20When they appeared before the Roman soldiers and magistrates, the slave owners leveled accusations against them, saying, “These Jews are troublemakers. They’re throwing our city into confusion. 21They’re pushing their Jewish religion down our throats. It’s wrong and unlawful for them to promote these Jewish ways, for we are Romans living in a Roman colony.”
22A great crowd gathered, and all the people joined in to come against them. The Roman officials ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped of their garments and beaten with rods on their bare backs.
Miracles Can Come Out of Painful Places
23After they were severely beaten, they were thrown into prison and the jailer was commanded to guard them securely. 24So the jailer placed them in the innermost cell of the prison and had their feet bound and chained. # 16:24 Or “placed in stocks.”
25Paul and Silas, undaunted, prayed in the middle of the night and sang songs of praise to God, while all the other prisoners listened to their worship.
26Suddenly, a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. All at once every prison door flung open and the chains of all the prisoners came loose.
27Startled, the jailer awoke and saw every cell door standing open. Assuming that all the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself 28when Paul shouted in the darkness, “Stop! Don’t hurt yourself. We’re all still here.”
29The jailer called for a light. When he saw that they were still in their cells, he rushed in and fell trembling at their feet. 30Then he led Paul and Silas outside and asked, “What must I do to be saved?”
31They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and all your family.” # 16:31 The implication is “you and anyone in your household who believes.” 32Then they prophesied the word of the Lord # 16:32 Or “spoke the word of the Lord.” This phrase is consistently used in the Old Testament for prophetic utterance of a supernatural origin. over him and all his family. 33Even though the hour was late, he washed their wounds. Then he and all his family were baptized. He took Paul and Silas into his home and set them at his table and fed them. 34The jailer and all his family were filled with joy in their newfound faith in God.
35At daybreak, the magistrates sent officers to the prison with orders to tell the jailer, “Let those two men go.” 36The jailer informed Paul and Silas, “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. So you’re free to go now.”
37But Paul told the officers, “Look, they had us beaten in public, without a fair trial—and we are Roman citizens. # 16:37 Paul didn’t notify them that he and Silas were Romans prior to their beatings, when they could have escaped persecution. Instead, they endured the brutal treatment and ended up leading their jailer to Christ. Do you think we’re just going to quietly walk away after they threw us in prison and violated all of our rights? Absolutely not! You go back and tell the magistrates that they need to come down here themselves and escort us out!”
38When the officers went back and reported what Paul and Silas had told them, the magistrates were frightened, especially upon hearing that they had beaten two Roman citizens without due process. 39So they went to the prison and apologized to Paul and Silas, begging them repeatedly, saying, “Please leave our city.”
40So Paul and Silas left the prison and went back to Lydia’s house, where they met with the believers and comforted and encouraged them before departing.
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Acts 16: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationActs 16
16
Timothy Goes With Paul and Silas
1Paul went to the city of Derbe and then to Lystra, where a follower of Jesus named Timothy lived. Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. 2The believers in the cities of Lystra and Iconium had only good things to say about him. 3Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him, but all the Jews living in that area knew that his father was a Greek. So Paul circumcised Timothy to please the Jews.
4Then Paul and those with him traveled through other cities. They gave the believers the rules and decisions from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. They told them to obey these rules. 5So the churches were becoming stronger in their faith, and the number of believers was growing every day.
Paul Is Called to Macedonia
6Paul and those with him went through the areas of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit did not allow them to tell the Good News in the province of Asia. 7When they reached the border of Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go there. 8So they passed by Mysia and went to the city of Troas.
9That night Paul saw a vision. In it, a man from Macedonia came to Paul. The man stood there and begged, “Come across to Macedonia and help us.” 10After Paul had seen the vision, we#16:10 we Luke, the writer, apparently went with Paul to Macedonia but did not leave Philippi with him. (See verse 40.) The first person pronoun occurs again in 20:5-21:18 and 27:1-28. immediately prepared to leave for Macedonia. We understood that God had called us to tell the Good News to those people.
The Conversion of Lydia
11We left Troas in a ship and sailed to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the city of Neapolis. 12Then we went to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there for a few days.
13On the Sabbath day we went out the city gate to the river. There we thought we might find a special place for prayer. Some women had gathered there, so we sat down and talked with them. 14There was a woman there named Lydia from the city of Thyatira. Her job was selling purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the true God. Lydia was listening to Paul, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. 15She and all the people living in her house were baptized. Then she invited us into her home. She said, “If you think I am a true believer in the Lord Jesus, come stay in my house.” She persuaded us to stay with her.
Paul and Silas in Jail
16One day we were going to the place for prayer, and a servant girl met us. She had a spirit#16:16 spirit A spirit from the devil that gave special knowledge. in her that gave her the power to tell what would happen in the future. By doing this she earned a lot of money for the men who owned her. 17She started following Paul and the rest of us around. She kept shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how you can be saved!” 18She continued doing this for many days. This bothered Paul, so he turned and said to the spirit, “By the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!” Immediately, the spirit came out.
19When the men who owned the servant girl saw this, they realized that they could no longer use her to make money. So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square to meet with the authorities. 20They brought Paul and Silas before the Roman officials and said, “These men are Jews, and they are making trouble in our city. 21They are telling people to do things that are not right for us as Romans to do.”
22The whole crowd turned against Paul and Silas. The officials tore the clothes off both men and ordered that they be beaten with rods. 23They were beaten severely and thrown into jail. The officials told the jailer, “Guard them very carefully!” 24When the jailer heard this special order, he put Paul and Silas far inside the jail and bound their feet between large blocks of wood.
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was an earthquake so strong that it shook the foundation of the jail. All the doors of the jail opened, and the chains on all the prisoners fell off. 27The jailer woke up and saw that the jail doors were open. He thought that the prisoners had already escaped, so he got his sword and was ready to kill himself.#16:27 kill himself He thought the leaders would kill him for letting the prisoners escape. 28But Paul shouted, “Don’t hurt yourself! We are all here!”
29The jailer told someone to bring a light. Then he ran inside and, shaking with fear, fell down in front of Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them outside and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?”
31They said to him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and all who live in your house.” 32So Paul and Silas told the message of the Lord to the jailer and all the people who lived in his house. 33It was late at night, but the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. Then the jailer and all his people were baptized. 34After this the jailer took Paul and Silas home and gave them some food. All the people were very happy because they now believed in God.
35The next morning the Roman officials sent some soldiers to tell the jailer, “Let these men go free.”
36The jailer said to Paul, “The officials have sent these soldiers to let you go free. You can leave now. Go in peace.”
37But Paul said to the soldiers, “Those officials did not prove that we did anything wrong, but they beat us in public and put us in jail. And we are Roman citizens.#16:37 Roman citizens Roman law said that Roman citizens must not be beaten before their trial. Now they want us to go away quietly. No, they must come here themselves and lead us out!”
38The soldiers told the officials what Paul said. When they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid. 39So they came and told them they were sorry. They led them out of the jail and asked them to leave the city. 40But when Paul and Silas came out of the jail, they went to Lydia’s house. They saw some of the believers there and encouraged them. Then they left.
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