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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Acts 16
16
Timothy Accompanies Paul and Silas
1#Ac 14:6; 17:14Then he came to Derbe and then to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed, but his father was a Greek. 2He was well spoken of by the brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3#Gal 2:3Paul wanted him to travel with him. So he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4#Ac 15:28–29; 15:2As they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to observe, that were set forth by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5#Ac 9:31; 2:47So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian
6#Ac 18:23; 1Pe 1:1; Gal 1:2They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7#Ro 8:9; Gal 4:6When they came near Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not allow them. 8#2Co 2:12; 2Ti 4:13So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9#Ac 18:5; 19:21During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10After he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
The Conversion of Lydia
11From Troas we set sail on a straight course to Samothrace and the next day to Neapolis, 12#Php 1:1; 1Th 2:2and from there to Philippi, which is the main city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony. We stayed in this city several days.
13#Ac 13:14On the Sabbath we went out of the city to a riverside, where prayer was customarily offered. And we sat down and spoke to the women who had assembled. 14#Lk 24:45; Ac 18:7A woman named Lydia, a seller of purple fabric of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to acknowledge what Paul said. 15#Ac 11:14; Heb 13:2When she and her household were baptized, she entreated us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and remain there.” And she persuaded us.
The Imprisonment in Philippi
16#1Sa 28:7; 1Ch 10:13On one occasion, as we went to the place of prayer, a servant girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17#Mk 5:7; Da 3:26She followed Paul and us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18#Mk 16:17; 1:34She did this for many days. But becoming greatly troubled, Paul turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out at that moment.
19#Ac 21:30; 8:3When her masters saw that the hope of their profits was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace to the rulers. 20#Ac 28:22And they brought them to the magistrates, saying, “These men, being Jews, greatly trouble our city 21#Est 3:8; Ac 16:12and teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”
22#1Th 2:2; 2Co 6:5The crowd rose up together against them. And the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them. 23After they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely. 24#Job 13:27; 33:11Having received such an order, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25#Job 35:10; Ps 42:8At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26#Ac 4:31; 12:7Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s shackles were loosened. 27#Ac 12:19When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
29He called for lights and rushed in, trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. 30#Ac 2:37; 22:10He then led them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31#Mk 16:16; Jn 1:12They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your household will be saved.” 32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his household. 33#Ac 16:15; 16:25In that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds. And immediately he and his entire household were baptized. 34#Ac 2:46Then he brought them up to his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced with his entire household believing in God.
35When it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Release those men.” 36#Ac 15:33The prison guard reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to release you. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
37#Ac 22:25–29But Paul said to them, “They have publicly beaten us, who are uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they secretly throw us out? Certainly not! Let them come themselves and bring us out.”
38#Ac 22:29The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. 39#Mt 8:34So they came and entreated them. And they brought them out, asking them to leave the city. 40#Ac 16:14They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia. When they had seen the brothers, they exhorted them and departed.
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