Acts16

Paul and Silas begin their second missionary journey, joined by Timothy, and are divinely guided to Macedonia after a vision. In Philippi, Lydia and her household convert, and Paul casts out a spirit of divination, leading to his and Silas's unjust imprisonment. A miraculous earthquake frees them, resulting in the jailor's conversion and baptism, before they are honorably released by the magistrates.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Timothy Joins the Mission

1
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father. ​
2
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
3
Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ​
4
As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. ​
5
So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

The Holy Spirit Directs

6
After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. ​
7
And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.
8
So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ​
9
During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ​
10
As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. ​

The Gospel Reaches Europe

11
We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis. ​
12
From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. ​
13
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there. ​
14
Among 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. ​
15
And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. ​

Conflict and Imprisonment

16
One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. ​
17
This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” ​
18
She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.
19
When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace. ​
20
They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil
21
by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.” ​
22
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods. ​
23
And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.
24
On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. ​

The Philippian Jailer Saved

25
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ​
26
Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose. ​
27
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. ​
28
But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!” ​
29
Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30
Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ​
31
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” ​
32
Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
33
At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized. ​
34
Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.
35
When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.”
36
The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.”

Paul Demands Roman Justice

37
But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!” ​
38
So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. ​
39
They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city. ​
40
After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city. ​

Study Notes for Acts 16

Verse 1

Timothy, of mixed Jewish and Greek heritage, becomes Paul's trusted helper. Paul’s practice was to establish churches through teams of missionaries and co-workers.

Verse 3

Paul circumcised Timothy, not as a requirement for salvation (which he vehemently opposed), but to remove a social and cultural stumbling block for the Jewish communities they intended to evangelize.

Verse 4

The decrees confirmed the decision of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), stressing that Gentiles did not need to be circumcised but should avoid practices offensive to Jewish believers.

Verse 6

The Holy Spirit actively directed Paul’s movements, preventing him from preaching in Asia (the Roman province), reserving that mission for a later time.

Verse 8

Troas was a major port city on the Aegean coast, marking the geographical transition point from Asia Minor to Europe.

Verse 9

This vision of the 'man of Macedonia' redirected the entire course of the second journey, opening the door for the Gospel to enter the European continent.

Verse 10

The sudden shift to the plural pronoun 'we' marks the point where the author, Luke, joins Paul's company, suggesting he may have been a resident of Troas or Philippi.

Verse 11

Philippi was the first city in Europe reached by Paul, making it a pivotal location in missionary history.

Verse 12

Philippi was a Roman *colonia* (colony), meaning its citizens held the rights and privileges of Roman citizens, explaining Paul's later actions (v. 37).

Verse 13

Since there was likely no synagogue (which required ten Jewish men), the Jewish community, mostly women, gathered at a riverside prayer place (*proseuche*).

Verse 14

Lydia was a Gentile 'God-fearer' (one who worshipped the Jewish God). Her trade in expensive purple dye indicates wealth and status, making her conversion significant for establishing the church.

Verse 15

The immediate conversion and baptism of Lydia and her household establishes the pattern of hospitality and domestic evangelism that characterized the early church.

Verse 16

The spirit of divination, often identified with the Python oracle at Delphi, suggests the slave girl was a medium used for fortune-telling, bringing her owners great profit.

Verse 17

The spirit’s testimony, though factually correct, was disruptive and unauthorized; Paul drove out the demon to assert the authority of Christ over all spiritual powers.

Verse 19

The owners’ motivation was purely economic; the loss of the girl’s ability to prophesy meant the loss of their income, leading them to fabricate charges against Paul and Silas.

Verse 21

The charge was religious innovation and social disturbance, appealing to Roman sensitivity regarding foreign, unauthorized cults which were perceived as undermining Roman order.

Verse 22

The magistrates acted quickly and illegally, ordering a public beating without a formal trial or investigation, likely due to mob pressure.

Verse 24

The inner prison and the stocks were used for maximum security, indicating the severity of the charge and the jailer’s fear of allowing escape.

Verse 25

Despite their painful injuries, Paul and Silas engaged in prayer and singing, demonstrating deep faith and reliance on God, providing a powerful witness to the other prisoners.

Verse 26

This sudden, localized earthquake was understood as a divine intervention, echoing Old Testament accounts of God manifesting His presence (e.g., Sinai).

Verse 27

Under Roman law, a jailer who allowed a prisoner to escape faced the same penalty as the prisoner; suicide was often preferred to execution and disgrace.

Verse 28

Paul's immediate concern for the jailer's life exemplifies the Gospel's compassion and prevents unnecessary death.

Verse 30

This famous question is the heart of the Gospel message, shifting the narrative from Paul’s suffering to the jailer’s profound spiritual need.

Verse 31

This simple, foundational statement encapsulates the doctrine of justification by faith, emphasizing that salvation is a gift received through belief in Jesus Christ.

Verse 33

The jailer’s immediate actions—caring for their wounds and receiving baptism—demonstrate the fruit of genuine repentance and faith.

Verse 37

Paul asserted his Roman citizenship because the magistrates had violated Roman law by beating and imprisoning uncondemned citizens publicly. This assertion protected the nascent Philippian church from further arbitrary persecution.

Verse 38

The magistrates feared the consequences of mistreating Roman citizens, which could lead to severe penalties from higher Roman authorities.

Verse 39

The magistrates' action of beseeching Paul and Silas was a public apology, restoring the apostles' honor and establishing the legitimacy of the Christian mission.

Verse 40

Paul and Silas used their release to strengthen and organize the new community of believers (including Lydia and the jailer’s households) before departing the city.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options