Acts 16
16
Paul Selects Timothy
1Then he went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, # Ac 17:14-15; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; Rm 16:21; 1Co 4:17; Php 2:19; 1Th 3:2,6 the son of a believing Jewish woman, # 2Tm 1:5; 3:15 but his father was a Greek. 2The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him. # Ac 13:51; 16:40 3Paul wanted Timothy # Lit wanted this one to go with him, so he took him and circumcised # Gl 2:3 him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for them to observe. # Ac 11:30; 15:2,28 5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily. # Ac 2:47; 9:31; 15:41
Evangelization of Europe
6They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. # Ac 2:9; 18:23; Gl 1:2; 3:1 7When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus # Ac 8:29; Rm 8:9; Gl 4:6; Php 1:19; 1Pt 1:11 did not allow them. 8So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas. # Ac 16:11; 20:5-6; 2Co 2:12; 2Tm 4:13 9During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us! ” # Ac 9:10; 20:1,3 10After # Ac 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1–28:16 he had seen the vision, we # The use of we in this passage probably indicates that the author Luke is joining Paul’s missionary team here. immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.
Lydia’s Conversion
11Then, setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, 12and from there to Philippi, # Ac 20:6; Php 1:1; 1Th 2:2 a Roman colony, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for a number of days. 13On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. 14A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul. # Lk 24:45; Ac 18:7; Rv 1:11 15After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” # Gn 19:3; Lk 24:29; Ac 11:14 And she persuaded us.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction. # Or a spirit by which she predicted the future # Lv 19:31; Dt 18:11; 1Sm 28:3,7 She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. 17As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you # Other mss read us the way of salvation, are the slaves of the Most High God.” 18And she did this for many days.
But Paul was greatly aggravated and turning to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! ” And it came out right away. # Lit out this hour # Mk 5:7; 16:17
19When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas # Mt 10:18; Ac 8:3; 15:22; 17:6-8; 19:25-26; 21:30; Jms 2:6 and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews 21and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.” # Est 3:8; Ac 16:12
22Then the mob joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. # 2Co 6:5; 11:25; 1Th 2:2 23After they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to keep them securely guarded. 24Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks. # Jb 13:27; 33:11; Jr 20:2-3; 29:26
A Midnight Deliverance
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. # Ac 4:31; 5:19; 12:7,10 27When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because all of us are here! ”
29Then the jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30Then he escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ” # Ac 2:37; 22:10
31So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.” # Mk 16:16; Ac 11:14 32Then they spoke the message of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. 33He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. 34He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had believed God with his entire household. # Ac 11:14; 16:15
An Official Apology
35When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men! ”
36The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace.” # Ac 15:33; 16:27
37But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to smuggle us out secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out! ” # Ac 22:25-29
38Then the police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39So they came and apologized to them, and escorting them out, they urged them to leave town. 40After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house where they saw and encouraged the brothers, and departed. # Mt 8:34; Ac 16:14
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Acts 16: HCSB
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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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