Mythology, by Apollo, who was hence called Pythius, and the priestess _as we went to prayer_ Better, AS WE WERE GOING TO THE PLACE OF c. Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go: Paul did not hesitate to answer the call of the Macedonian man. Preacher: Joel Fair _Scripture: Mark 16:1-8 _ Luke 24:5b (ESV) "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He comments: The words had scarcely left his lips when she was released from its power.. a. The incident in Philippi took place probably in the fall of A.D. 50, and so anti-Jewish sentiment was running high. Today, much of what fortune-tellers and psychics do is only a money making sham. It's one of those chapters that you always remember - just the record along of Lydia and her marvelous liberation. Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!' a. Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. spirit of a pythoness_, or, according to superior authoriti EXPOSITION (p.40-42, 1998 edition, Lucis Trust) Instead of cursing men, they blessed God. (Stott). 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 326 1837 vg arm), which has been replaced in some manuscripts (45 C3 But that would depend on where in the city he was and what kind of worship he came to perform. In last Sunday's lesson, Paul met Lydia while he was looking for a place of prayer. (Acts 16:16-19). i. 37:4). Tell students that Acts 16-20 contains an account of Paul's second and third missions (the account of Paul's second mission actually begins in Acts 15:40). d. She begged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. Immediately, Lydia set about doing good. 4:4). Timothy lived there. Paul did things for the sake of love that he would not do for the sake of trying to please God through legalism. Studying the book of Acts 16; shows a significant summary of the history, time and relevant details according to the bible's acts based onBenson Joseph - Bible Commentary and reading parallely the bible's version Legacy Standard Bible. SPIRIT OF DIVINATION; an evil spirit, under the influence of which she spiritum The next time, they would follow the Roman law! b. Paul would be qualified. Focus on joy in the Lord and dont forget your witness. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, they think that they would be happier back in slavery in Egypt than to be with God and His provision in the wilderness. So Paul and Silas went out of the prison, and entered into Lydias house to see and encourage the brethren; then Paul and Silas departed." How can a person be sorrowful yet always rejoicing (2 Cor. Demons cast out of a damsel. You can download/save a pdf document with all the verse by verse lessons in ActsFacts PartFour, from the middle of chapter to the endofActs. I have a hunch that if most of us had gone through what Paul and Silas suffered, if we were praying at midnight it would be, God, get me out of here! I cant prove it, but I also have a hunch that Paul and Silas were not praying that way. "About midnight Paul and Silas, in jail, were praying and singing hymns to God. The accusing and abusing of Paul and Silas for it, their imprisonment, and the indignities done them, ver 19-24. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour. Timothy agrees and Paul has Timothy circumcised. (Witham) --- A divining spirit, which pretended to foretell things to A fortune-telling female slave, who brought much money to her owners After being troubled by this many days Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. c. And he came out that very hour: The idea behind that very hour is that the demon came out immediately. Acts 16:1-15To Be Led by the Spirit. 16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. Lit., a (Acts 16:25-28). certain damsel met us_ (that is, met Paul and his three companions) Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION CAST OUT The circumstances said, escape. But love said, Stay for the sake of this one soul. They were not guided merely by circumstances, but by what love compelled. Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Acts 2:40. When they had laid many blows on Paul and Silas, they threw them into prison. 4:12). Greek. The miraculous conversion of the jailer to the faith of Christ (v. 25-34). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). When we were on our way to the place of prayer.. it happened that a Pioneer preacher J. W. McGarvey (1829-1911), commenting in his famous "Commentary on Acts" on the apostle Paul's vision of the invitation to go into Macedonia (see Acts 16), made some . Better, perhaps, _to the oratory,_ or _place 40So Paul and Silas went out of the prison, and entered into Lydias house to see and encourage the brethren; then Paul and Silas departed. (Acts 16:38-40). How can we know when it is right to defend ourselves and when we should simply yield our rights? EXALTING JESUS IN Acts (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) - GOOD - $16.40. So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed. , is added here by ABCE, several others, _Origen_ and Knowing this, Paul called with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. He assured the jailer that no one had escaped. Paul and Silas travel to Derbe and Lystra, where they meet Timothy 2. For though the Greek noun here is without And, in addition to these common trials, we can expect even more trials because we are Christians. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. " Jeremiah 16:16 (KJB) On this episode of 'Rightly Dividing', we are covering a lot of ground tonight and taking your Bible questions as we do it. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. _And he came also _for _then came he, _A.V._ _and T.R. But those vague charges were enough, because both the multitude and the magistrates were biased against Paul and Silas. O taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. This was a strong, godly man, leading a strong, godly team. i. Acts 16 is the sixteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. As well, this may have even been the same guard who beat them a few hours earlier. as we were going to prayer, there met us a certain female serv And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed b. Immediately all the doors were opened, and everyones bonds were loosed. Commentary on the Book of Acts Paul and Silas: Acts 16. by Ed Rickard. Under Roman law and custom, guards who allowed their prisoners to escape received the penalty of their escaped prisoners. (2 Corinthians 11:23), ii. The Jewish religion was tolerated, but Jews were prohibited from proselytizing Romans. real possession, and that St. Paul himself considered it in th AT PHILLIPPI. Both heard the gospel and believed, and through each of them their whole families were touched! And he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. This girl had brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. The guard had a remarkable sign an earthquake, but all Lydia had was the move of the Holy Spirit in her heart. _paidiske._ See note on Acts 12:13. read "a spirit,. How could Paul and Silas prove their Roman citizenship? d. Immediately we sought to go: The shift from they (they came down to Troas, Acts 16:8) to we in this verse probably means that Luke joined the band of missionaries in Troas. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 16. If Paul and Silas had been having a pity party because their rights had been violated and they had been treated wrongly when they were just trying to serve the Lord, they would have been depressed and complaining. (16) "_And it came to pass, Paul does with regard to Timothy. b. By Dr. Philip W. McLarty. a. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. He told the Colossians, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake (Col. 1:24). of the fear of death by the jailer in Acts 16 is also not strange in the African religious experience, where the fear of death But we will be treated wrongly, at work and at home. The Holy Spirit used the courageous praise of Paul and Silas in their terrible adversity. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. If our rights are violated, we dont take it sitting down. Also, Paul and Silas legal rights were violated. As G. Campbell Morgan observes, He did not sing because he was to be let out of prison. 36The jailer reported these words to Paul: 'The magistrates have sent a message for your release; therefore come out now, and go in peace.' The work, under the Spirit, opens to the glory of the Now we see another reason why they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. ; _to Lystra Scriptures: Acts 16:11-15. a. They elected Franklin Roosevelt, and he and the Democratic Party remade America so thoroughly that it is unthinkable for all but the most doctrinaire libertarians to speak of returning to the system of "ordered liberty" that existed in Hoover's time, a . Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Timothy's father, however, was a Greek. This title, it is generally said, was given to Apollo, on account of his having destroyed a monstrous serpent that . It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle . The fact is, most of us as Americans have never experienced any serious violation of our religious rights. When you are treated wrongly, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. Acts 16:1 - Timotheus; Acts 16:10 - we Lord had . thin A Textual Commentary On The Greek New Testament by Bruce M. Metzger, Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, College Press Bible Study Textbook Series, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch, G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly, John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851), Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible, Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible, Manly Luscombe Commentary on New Testament, Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611), Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible, Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible, NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols), Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament, Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary, Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith, Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set). ( ). Rather, they accused them of throwing the city into confusion and of proclaiming customs that were not lawful for Romans to accept or observe (16:20-21). _Then came he to Lystra,_ as in Acts 14:6. For the Philippian jailer, Paul did not direct him to counseling. This moved Paul and his missionary team from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe; this was the first missionary endeavor to Europe. Her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone: This explains why Paul and Silas were treated so badly. "The jailer called for lights and rushed in to the prison. d. When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison: After being severely beaten, Paul and Silas were imprisoned in maximum-security conditions (commanding the jailer to keep them securely the inner prison fastened their feet in the stocks). Timothy had a believing mother with a Jewish background (son of a certain Jewish woman who believed), and a (presumably) unbelieving Greek father. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION MET US, WHO BROUGHT HER MASTERS This shows Gods provision, because John Mark and Barnabas just left Paul (Acts 15:36-41). And we were staying in that city for some days. Suddenly there was a great earthquake: This earthquake was clearly supernatural. spirit of divination met us, who brought her illustrates the successful ministry there by a threefold description 18She continued doing this for several days. After learning how to become a Christians the jailer and his family were all baptized immediately. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18 She kept this up for many days. a. ii. He has a greater purpose that we often do not understand. A *Christian called But to them, the lives of others were more important than their own personal freedom and comfort. Yet, Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to go there. What does Acts 16:16-40 mean? THESE MEN ARE SERVANTS. Luke reported that the group went for prayer, possibly daily. If they couldnt do it within three minutes, they werent fit for the chaplains service. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: In Troas, God made Pauls direction clear. There was certainly nothing wrong with Pauls desire to preach the word in Asia; but it wasnt Gods timing, so this was forbidden by the Holy Spirit. Acts 16:16-34 Commentary. They were all saved because they all trusted the word of God and the Jesus revealed to us through the word. Paul trusted God to work for His purpose and glory, whether Paul got delivered or whether he died in the process. SEPARATOR CAPACITY, 5,000 LB. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. When you are wronged, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. As we went to prayer Or to the place of prayer, mentioned before; a certain damsel met us (that is, met Paul and his three companions) possessed with a spirit of divination Greek, , having a spirit of Python, or Apollo. Hand-drawn illustrations based on sermons by Kevin DeYoung guide you through the book of Acts helping to communicate truths in a unique, compelling way. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. This was not only because of its timing and location, but also in the way that all the doors were opened and everyones chains were loosed. It seemed as if nothing would make them stop praising God. a. Sirs, what must I do be saved? The demon came out that very hour. The other prisoners were listening to them. But it was the Holy Spirits plan to lead him there. EPILOGUE. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. TANSTAAFL is an acronym for the old adage, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch," reportedly coined by Robert Heinlein. They seized Paul and Silas: Paul and Silas were singled out not only because they were the leaders of the evangelistic group, but also by their appearance, as they were the most obviously Jewish. VII. So the magistrates came begging to Paul and Silas. 3:1). Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers[ b] at Lystra and Iconium. He fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 5:8). You can check these in your browser security settings. Commentary on Acts 16:16-34. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. See 2 Kings xxviii; Isaias viii. (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. Americans rejected this call for fidelity to abstract ideals and a balanced budget over the need to help decent people live decently. i. Sale Date(s) . They came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city: The magistrates acted as politicians often act by instinct. The demon-possessed girl keeps bothering Paul and his group "for many days" (16:18). Paul and Silas would not have been rejoicing in the Lord in the dungeon at midnight under these awful circumstances if it had not been a regular part of their everyday lives. We may request cookies to be set on your device. Acts 1:8 Commentary; Acts 20:17-27 Commentary; Acts 20:28-38 Commentary; COMMENTARIES AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT CAN BE BORROWED FROM ARCHIVE.ORG. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, 'Don't harm yourself: we are all here!' In not escaping, they showed tremendous discernment. Four lessons from Acts 16: 1. Hesychius defines it as (a spirit of Acts 16:16-26. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. b. This led Theodore Olson, a leading critic of the Supreme Court, to suggest that the students should dance nude before their football games, since the court prefers naked dancing to prayer as a form of expression (Kathleen Parker, The Washington Times [9/11/00], p. A12)! It is written in the scriptures that no one can please God without faith. 2:14). iii. Sailing from Troas: Paul and his missionary team (now including Luke) had to sail across the Agean Sea, from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. This was a big step, perhaps bigger than Paul even knew. certain maid having. But they can read and predict human behavior, and can attempt to steer events towards a previously predicted conclusion. Anyone can be happy in pleasant circumstances, but real joy comes only from within, and is a gift available to Christians at all times. 16As we were going to prayer, it happened that a certain slave girl met us. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. prayer, or to the oratory, as they were in the way to it; for this is iii. 1. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. His action in the circumcision of Timothy is startling in He drew his sword and was about to kill himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped. A. Clarke's Commentary. c. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul: Before Lydia was converted (as demonstrated by her baptism), the Lord opened her heart. Presumably this was because demons gave her supernatural insight into the lives of others. Shiva Puranam By Saint Manikka vasagar Translated by P.R.Ramachander (Manikka Vasagar was one of the four great Nayanmars (saivite saints ) of Tamil Nadu , who was a great poet as well as great contributor to the SAivite philosophy. The article, i. If anyone had a right to be angry, they did. He 1:25 is the other). 17She followed Paul and us, crying out, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!' V1 Paul went to Derbe and then he went to Lystra. By rights, Paul could have had their heads if he had taken his case to a higher authority. There are still those today who are possessed with a spirit of divination. In Derbe and Lystra again. The Extension of the Church to Juda and Samaria (Acts 8:4 to Acts 11:18)The Christians, scattered by persecution, preach everywhere through Judaea and Samaria. They were assumed guilty without a hearing or trial. The jailer rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God. Commentary, explanation and study verse by verse. If I radiate His joy because I have entrusted my soul to Him, the faithful Creator, then even when Im wrongly treated, He will be glorified and others will be drawn to the Savior. MUCH PROFIT BY FORTUNE-TELLING. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. They have violated our rights as Roman citizens. According to the estimate of William Barclay, the first missionary journey finished about five years before the events of this chapter. the place of prayer, Acts 16:13. Dive Deeper. Paul did this not for Timothys salvation or right standing with God, but so that Timothys status as a non-circumcised man from a Jewish mother would not hinder their work among the Jews and in synagogues. He must let go of his own separative tendencies and of his deep sense of persecution. The real reason for the anger of the slave girls owners was that they had just been deprived of their source of income (16:19). And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God: Though they were arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for doing good, Paul and Silas were filled with joy, and sang praises to God. No, in this he was simply obeying the words of Jesus, Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
