Acts 16
16
Timothy Joins Paul in Lystra
1Paul arrived in the city of Derbe and then went to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived. Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was Greek. 2The believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. 3Paul wanted Timothy to go with him. So he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in those places and because he knew that Timothy’s father was Greek.
4As they went through the cities, they told people about the decisions that the apostles and spiritual leaders #16:4 Or “pastors,” or “elders.” in Jerusalem had made for the people. 5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew in numbers every day.
Paul Has a Vision
6Paul and Silas went through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit kept them from speaking the word in the province of Asia. 7They went to the province of Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t allow this. 8So they passed by Mysia and went to the city of Troas.
9During the night Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia. The man urged Paul, “Come to Macedonia to help us.”
10As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia. We concluded that God had called us to tell the people of Macedonia about the Good News.
Paul and Silas in Philippi
11So we took a ship from Troas and sailed straight to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the city of Neapolis, 12and from there we went to the city of Philippi. Philippi is a leading city in that part of Macedonia, and it is a Roman colony. We were in this city for a number of days.
13On the day of rest—a holy day, we went out of the city to a place along the river where we thought Jewish people gathered for prayer. We sat down and began talking to the women who had gathered there. 14A woman named Lydia was present. She was a convert to Judaism from the city of Thyatira and sold purple dye for a living. She was listening because the Lord made her willing to pay attention to what Paul said. 15When Lydia and her family were baptized, she invited us to stay at her home. She said, “If you’re convinced that I believe in the Lord, then stay at my home.” She insisted. So we did.
16One day when we were going to the place of prayer, a female servant met us. She was possessed by an evil spirit that told fortunes. She made a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. 17She used to follow Paul and shout, “These men are servants of the Most High God. They’re telling you how you can be saved.” 18She kept doing this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned to the evil spirit, and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!”
As Paul said this, the evil spirit left her. 19When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities in the public square. 20In front of the Roman officials, they said, “These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They’re Jews, 21and they’re advocating customs that we can’t accept or practice as Roman citizens.”
22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered ⌞the guards⌟ to beat them with sticks. 23After they had hit Paul and Silas many times, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security. 24So the jailer followed these orders and put Paul and Silas into solitary confinement with their feet in leg irons.
25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly, a violent earthquake shook the foundations of the jail. All the doors immediately flew open, and all the prisoners’ chains came loose.
27The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open. Thinking the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28But Paul shouted as loudly as he could, “Don’t hurt yourself! We’re all here!”
29The jailer asked for torches and rushed into the jail. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas. 30Then he took Paul and Silas outside and asked, “Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved?”
31They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved.” 32They spoke the Lord’s word to the jailer and everyone in his home.
33At that hour of the night, the jailer washed Paul and Silas’ wounds. The jailer and his entire family were baptized immediately. 34He took Paul and Silas upstairs into his home and gave them something to eat. He and his family were thrilled to be believers in God.
35In the morning the Roman officials sent guards who told the jailer, “You can release those men now.”
36The jailer reported this order to Paul by saying, “The officials have sent word to release you. So you can leave peacefully now.”
37But Paul told the guards, “Roman officials have had us beaten publicly without a trial and have thrown us in jail, even though we’re Roman citizens. Now are they going to throw us out secretly? There’s no way they’re going to get away with that! Have them escort us out!”
38The guards reported to the officials what Paul had said. When the Roman officials heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid. 39So the officials went to the jail and apologized to Paul and Silas. As the officials escorted Paul and Silas out of the jail, they asked them to leave the city.
40After Paul and Silas left the jail, they went to Lydia’s house. They met with the believers, encouraged them, and then left.
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Acts 16: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Acts 16
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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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.