Acts 16 English Standard Version (ESV)
Timothy
Joins Paul and Silas
16 Paul[a] came also to Derbe
and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a
Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of
by the brothers[b] at Lystra and
Iconium. 3 Paul
wanted Timothy to accompany him, and 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 As they
went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for
observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles
and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the
faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
The
Macedonian Call
6 And they
went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the
Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up
to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did
not allow them. 8 So,
passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And 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.” 10 And when Paul[c] had seen the vision,
immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had
called us to preach the gospel to them.
The Conversion of Lydia
11 So,
setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the
following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a
leading city of the[d] district of Macedonia
and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day
we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a
place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come
together. 14 One who
heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple
goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay
attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, 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 prevailed upon us.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 As we
were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who
had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by
fortune-telling. 17 She
followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the
Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for
many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the
spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of
her.” And it came out that very hour.
19 But when
her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas
and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.20 And when they had brought
them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are
disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful
for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in
attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave
orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon
them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them
safely. 24 Having
received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their
feet in the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Converted
25 About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake,
so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the
doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and
saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to
kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud
voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer[e] called for lights and
rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and
Silas. 30 Then he
brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they
said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your
household.”32 And they
spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the
same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at
once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set
food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he
had believed in God.
35 But when
it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported
these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go.
Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them,
“They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, 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.” 38 The police reported these
words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they
were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they
took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the
prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they
encouraged them and departed.
Footnotes:
- Acts 16:1 Greek He
- Acts 16:2 Or brothers and
sisters; also verse 40
- Acts 16:10 Greek he
- Acts 16:12 Or that
- Acts 16:29 Greek he
Timothy Joins Paul
and Silas
16:1 He
also came to Derbe 1 and to Lystra. 2 A disciple 3 named Timothy was there, the
son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, 4 but whose father was a Greek. 5 16:2 The brothers in Lystra 6 and Iconium 7 spoke well 8 of him. 9 16:3 Paul wanted Timothy 10 to accompany him, and he took 11 him and circumcised 12 him because of the Jews who were
in those places, 13 for they all knew that his
father was Greek. 14 16:4 As they went through the towns, 15 they passed on 16 the decrees that had been
decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem 17 for the Gentile believers 18 to obey. 19 16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in
the faith and were increasing in number every day. 20
1 sn Derbe was
a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. It was about 90 mi
(145 km) from Tarsus.
5 sn His father was a
Greek. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage between a Jewish
woman (see 2 Tim 1:5) and a Gentile man. On
mixed marriages in Judaism, see Neh
13:23-27; Ezra 9:1-10:44; Mal 2:10-16; Jub.
30:7-17; m. Qiddushin 3.12; m. Yevamot7.5.
9 tn Grk “who
was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.” Because of the
awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who
was a believer…who was well spoken of”) and the awkwardness of the passive verb
(“was well spoken of”), the relative pronoun at the beginning of 16:2 (“who”) has been
translated as a pronoun (“him”) and the construction converted from passive to
active at the same time a new sentence was started in the translation.
11 tn Grk “and
taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to
requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed
in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an
issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).
12 tn The
verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12)
if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.
14 tn The anarthrous
predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than
indefinite (“a Greek”).
sn His father was Greek. Under Jewish law at least
as early as the 2nd century, a person was considered Jewish if his or her
mother was Jewish. It is not certain whether such a law was in effect in the
1st century, but even if it was, Timothy would not have been accepted as fully
Jewish because he was not circumcised.
16 tn BDAG 762-63
s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to
observe Ac 16:4.”
17 map For location
see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
18 tn Grk “for
them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation
for clarity.
Paul’s Vision of the
Macedonian Man
16:6 They
went through the region of Phrygia 21 and Galatia, 22 having been prevented 23 by the Holy Spirit from
speaking the message 24 in the province of Asia. 25 16:7 When they came to 26 Mysia, 27 they attempted to go into
Bithynia, 28 but the Spirit of Jesus did
not allow 29 them to do this, 30 16:8 so they passed through 31 Mysia 32 and went down to Troas. 33 16:9 A 34 vision appeared to Paul
during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there 35 urging him, 36 “Come over 37 to Macedonia 38 and help us!” 16:10After Paul 39 saw the vision, we attempted 40 immediately to go over to
Macedonia, 41 concluding that God had
called 42 us to proclaim the good news
to them.
22 sn Galatia refers
to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of
Asia Minor (North Galatia), or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose
principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch (South
Galatia). The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of
considerable controversy in modern NT studies.
25 tn Grk “Asia”;
in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about
one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the
west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are
supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the
continent of Asia.
30 tn The words “do this”
are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons, since
English handles ellipses differently than Greek.
31 tn Although the normal
meaning for παρέρχομαι (parercomai) is “pass by, go by,” it would be
difficult to get to Troas from where Paul and his companions were without going
through rather than around Mysia. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 6 list
some nonbiblical examples of the meaning “go through, pass through,” and give
that meaning for the usage here.
33 sn Troas was
a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near
ancient Troy.
34 tn Grk “And
a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences
or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does
not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
37 tn Grk “Coming
over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite
verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Arrival at Philippi
16:11 We
put out to sea 43 from Troas 44 and sailed a straight course 45 to Samothrace, 46 the next day to Neapolis, 47 16:12 and from there to Philippi, 48 which is a leading city of
that district 49 of Macedonia, 50 a Roman colony. 51 We stayed in this city for
some days. 16:13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the
city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of
prayer, and we sat down 52 and began to speak 53 to the women 54 who had assembled there. 55 16:14 A 56 woman named Lydia, a dealer
in purple cloth 57 from the city of Thyatira, 58 a God-fearing woman, listened
to us. 59 The Lord opened her heart to
respond 60 to what Paul was
saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized,
she urged us, 61 “If 62 you consider me to be a believer in
the Lord, 63 come and stay in my house.”
And she persuaded 64 us.
43 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
44 sn Troas was
a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See
v. 8.
45 tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course” here;
L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”
47 sn Neapolis was
a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from
Philippi.
49 tc ‡ Or perhaps, “a city
in the first district” (there are a number of textual variants). L&N 1.85
follow the text of UBS4 and NA27here: “In Ac 16:12…the Greek New Testament
published by the United Bible Societies has adopted a conjectural emendation,
since the more traditional text, πρώτη τῆς μερίδος, literally ‘first of the district,’ is not only misleading in
meaning but does not reflect the historical fact that Philippi was a city in
one of the four districts of Macedonia but was not a capital city.” The original
text is probably πρώτη τῆς μερίδος (prwth th" merido", “first of that district”) as
found in Ì74 א A C Ψ 33vid 36
81 323 945 1175 1891 pc. This has traditionally been translated to
give the impression that Philippi was the capital city of the district, but it
does not necessarily have to be translated this way. The translation of the
article before μερίδος as “that” acknowledges that there were other
districts in the province of Macedonia.
51 sn A Roman
colony was a city whose residents were regarded as Roman citizens,
since such cities were originally colonized by citizens of Rome. From Troas to
Philippi was 130 mi (208 km).
52 tn Grk “and
sitting down we began to speak.” The participle καθίσαντες (kaqisante")
has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary
English style.
54 sn To the women. Apparently
there were not enough Jews present in Philippi to have a synagogue (ten men
would have been required to have one).
56 tn Grk “And
a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences
or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does
not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
59 tn The words “to us” are
not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often
omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern
English reader.
60 tn Although BDAG 880
s.v. προσέχω 2.b gives the meaning “pay attention to” here,
this could be misunderstood by the modern English reader to mean merely
listening intently. The following context, however, indicates that Lydia
responded positively to Paul’s message, so the verb here was translated “to
respond.”
61 tn Grk “urged
us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English
and has not been translated.
62 tn This is a first class
condition in Greek, with the statement presented as real or true for the sake
of the argument.
63 tn Or “faithful to the
Lord.” BDAG 821 s.v. πίστος 2 states concerning this verse, “Of one
who confesses the Christian faith believing or a
believer in the Lord, in Christ, in God πιστ. τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 16:15.” L&N 11.17 has “one
who is included among the faithful followers of Christ – ‘believer, Christian,
follower.’”
64 tn Although BDAG 759
s.v. παραβιάζομαι has “urge strongly, prevail upon,” in
contemporary English “persuade” is a more frequently used synonym for “prevail
upon.”
Paul and Silas Are
Thrown Into Prison
16:16 Now 65 as we were going to the place
of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell
the future by supernatural means. 66 She 67 brought her owners 68 a great profit by
fortune-telling. 69 16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept
crying out, 70 “These men are servants 71 of the Most High God, who are
proclaiming to you the way 72 of salvation.” 73 16:18 She continued to do this for many days.
But Paul became greatly annoyed, 74 and turned 75 and said to the spirit, “I
command you in the name of Jesus Christ 76 to come out of her!” And it
came out of her at once. 77 16:19 But when her owners 78 saw their hope of profit 79 was gone, they seized 80 Paul and Silas and dragged 81 them into the marketplace
before the authorities. 16:20 When 82 they had brought them 83 before the magistrates, they
said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. 84 They are 85 Jews 16:21 and are advocating 86 customs that are not lawful
for us to accept 87 or practice, 88 since we are 89 Romans.”
16:22 The
crowd joined the attack 90 against them, and the
magistrates tore the clothes 91 off Paul and Silas 92 and ordered them to be beaten
with rods. 93 16:23 After they had beaten them severely, 94 they threw them into prison
and commanded 95 the jailer to guard them
securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the
inner cell 96 and fastened their feet in
the stocks. 97
16:25 About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying 98 and singing hymns to God, 99 and the rest of 100 the prisoners were listening
to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so
that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew
open, and the bonds 101 of all the prisoners came
loose.16:27 When the jailer woke up 102 and saw the doors of the
prison standing open, 103 he drew his sword and was
about to kill himself, 104 because he assumed 105 the prisoners had
escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, 106 “Do not harm yourself, 107 for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer 108 rushed in and fell down 109 trembling at the feet of
Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside 110 and asked, “Sirs, what must 111 I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, 112 “Believe 113 in the Lord Jesus 114 and you will be saved, you
and your household.” 16:32 Then 115 they spoke the word of the
Lord 116 to him, along with all those
who were in his house. 16:33 At 117 that hour of the night he
took them 118 and washed their wounds;119 then 120 he and all his family 121 were baptized right away. 122 16:34 The jailer 123 brought them into his house
and set food 124 before them, and he rejoiced
greatly 125 that he had come to believe 126 in God, together with his
entire household. 127 16:35 At daybreak 128 the magistrates 129 sent their police officers,130 saying, “Release those
men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul,
saying, 131 “The magistrates have sent
orders 132 to release you. So come out
now and go in peace.” 133 16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, 134 “They had us beaten in
public 135 without a proper trial 136 – even though we are Roman
citizens137 – and they threw us 138 in prison. And now they want
to send us away 139 secretly? Absolutely not!
They140 themselves must come
and escort us out!” 141 16:38 The police officers reported these words
to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas 142 were Roman citizens 143 16:39 and came 144 and apologized to them.
After 145 they brought them out, they
asked them repeatedly 146 to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they
entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and
then 147 departed.
65 tn Grk “Now
it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it
happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in
contemporary English and has not been translated.
66 tn Or “who had a spirit
of divination”; Grk “who had a spirit of Python.” According to
BDAG 896-97 s.v. πύθων, originally Πύθων(Puqwn) was the name of the
serpent or dragon that guarded the Delphic oracle. According to Greek
mythology, it lived at the foot of Mount Parnassus and was killed by Apollo.
From this, the word came to designate a person who was thought to have a spirit
of divination. Pagan generals, for example, might consult someone like this. So
her presence here suggests a supernatural encounter involving Paul and her
“spirit.” W. Foerster, TDNT 6:920, connects the term with
ventriloquism but states: “We must assume, however, that for this girl, as for
those mentioned by Origen…, the art of ventriloquism was inseparably connected
with a (supposed or authentic) gift of soothsaying.” It should also be noted
that if the girl in question here were only a ventriloquist, the exorcism
performed by Paul in v. 18 would not have been
effective.
67 tn Grk “who.”
Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one
another (“who had a spirit…who brought her owners a great profit”) the relative
pronoun here (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“she”) and a new
sentence begun in the translation.
70 tn Grk “crying
out, saying”; the participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in
English and has not been translated. The imperfect verb ἔκραζεν (ekrazen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.
71 tn Grk “slaves.”
See the note on the word “servants” in 2:18. The translation “servants”
was used here because in this context there appears to be more emphasis on the
activity of Paul and his companions (“proclaiming to you the way of salvation”)
than on their status as “slaves of the Most High God.”
72 tn Or “a way.” The
grammar of this phrase is a bit ambiguous. The phrase in Greek is ὁδὸν σωτηρίας (Jodon swthria"). Neither the head noun nor the
genitive noun has the article; this is in keeping with Apollonius’ Canon
(see ExSyn 239-40). Since both nouns are anarthrous, this
construction also fits Apollonius’ Corollary (see ExSyn 250-54);
since the genitive noun is abstract it is most naturally qualitative, so the
head noun could either be definite or indefinite without being unusual as far
as the grammar is concerned. Luke’s usage of ὁδός elsewhere is indecisive as far as this passage is concerned.
However, when one looks at the historical background it is clear that (1) the
woman is shut up (via exorcism) not because her testimony is false but because
of its source (analogous to Jesus’ treatment of demons perhaps), and (b) “the
way” is a par excellence description of the new faith throughout Acts. It thus
seems that at least in Luke’s presentation “the way of salvation” is the
preferred translation.
73 sn Proclaiming to you
the way of salvation. The remarks were an ironic recognition of Paul’s
authority, but he did not desire such a witness, possibly for fear of
confusion. Her expression the Most High God might have been
understood as Zeus by the audience.
74 tn Grk “becoming
greatly annoyed.” The participle διαπονηθείς (diaponhqei") has
been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English
style. The aorist has been translated as an ingressive aorist (entry into a
state or condition). See BDAG 235 s.v. διαπονέομαι.
75 tn Grk “and
turning.” The participle ἐπιστρέψας (epistreya") has
been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English
style.
76 tn Or “Messiah”; both
“Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been
anointed.”
77 tn BDAG 1102-3
s.v. ὥρα 2.c has “at that very time, at once, instantly” for
the usage in this verse.
79 tn On this use of ἐργασία (ergasia), see BDAG 390 s.v. 4. It is often the case that
destructive practices and commerce are closely tied together.
80 tn Grk “was
gone, seizing.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has
been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English
style.
82 tn Grk “And
when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins
sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does
not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
83 tn Grk “having
brought them.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has
been taken temporally. It is also possible in English to translate this
participle as a finite verb: “they brought them before the magistrates and
said.”
84 tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἐκταράσσω has “agitate, cause trouble to, throw into confusion”
for the meaning of this verb.
85 tn Grk “being
Jews, and they are proclaiming.” The participle ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte") has been translated as a finite verb due
to requirements of contemporary English style.
86 tn Grk “proclaiming,”
but in relation to customs, “advocating” is a closer approximation to the
meaning.
88 sn Customs that are
not lawful for us to accept or practice. Ironically, the charges are
similar to those made against Jesus in Luke 23:2, where Jews argued he was
“twisting” their customs. The charge has three elements: (1) a racial element
(Jewish); (2) a social element (unlawful); and (3) a traditional element (not
their customs).
89 tn Grk “we
being Romans.” The participle οὖσιν (ousin) has been translated
as a causal adverbial participle.
90 tn L&N 39.50 has
“the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepesth)
in this verse.
91 tn Grk “tearing
the clothes off them, the magistrates ordered.” The participle περιρήξαντες (perirhxante") has been translated as a finite verb due
to requirements of contemporary English style. Although it may be possible to
understand the aorist active participle περιρήξαντες in a causative sense (“the magistrates caused the clothes to
be torn off Paul and Silas”) in the mob scene that was taking place, it is also
possible that the magistrates themselves actively participated. This act was
done to prepare them for a public flogging (2 Cor 11:25; 1 Thess 2:2).
92 tn Grk “off
them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation
for clarity.
93 tn The infinitive ῥαβδίζειν (rJabdizein) means “to beat with rods or sticks” (as opposed
to fists or clubs, BDAG 902 s.v. ῥαβδίζω).
94 tn Grk “Having
inflicted many blows on them.” The participle ἐπιθέντες (epiqente") has been taken temporally. BDAG 384
s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 1.a.β has “inflict blows upon someone” for this
expression, but in this context it is simpler to translate in English as “they
had beaten them severely.”
95 tn Grk “commanding.”
The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilante") has been
translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
97 tn L&N 6.21 has
“stocks” for εἰς τὸ ξύλον (ei" to xulon) here, as does BDAG 685
s.v. ξύλον 2.b. However, it is also possible (as mentioned in L&N
18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden
column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied. Such a
possibility is suggested by v. 26, where the “bonds”
(“chains”?) of the prisoners loosened.
98 tn Grk “praying,
were singing.” The participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) has been
translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
99 sn Praying and
singing hymns to God. Tertullian said, “The legs feel nothing in the
stocks when the heart is in heaven” (To the Martyrs 2; cf. Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 5:6). The presence of God
means the potential to be free (cf. v. 26).
101 tn Or perhaps, “chains.”
The translation of τὰ δεσμά (ta desma) is to some
extent affected by the understanding of ξύλον (xulon, “stocks”) in
v. 24. It is possible (as
mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of
wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were
chained or tied.
102 tn L&N 23.75 has
“had awakened” here. It is more in keeping with contemporary English style,
however, to keep the two verbal ideas parallel in terms of tense (“when the
jailer woke up and saw”) although logically the second action is subsequent to
the first.
103 tn The additional
semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative
nuance in English.
104 sn Was about to kill
himself. The jailer’s penalty for failing to guard the prisoners would
have been death, so he contemplated saving the leaders the trouble (see Acts 12:19; 27:42).
106 tn Grk “But
Paul called out with a loud voice, saying.” The dative phrase μεγάλῃ φωνῇ (megalh fwnh) has
been simplified as an English adverb (“loudly”), and the
participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated since it is
redundant in English.
107 sn Do not harm
yourself. Again the irony is that Paul is the agent through whom the
jailer is spared.
sn Fell down. The earthquake and the freeing of the
prisoners showed that God’s power was present. Such power could only be
recognized. The open doors opened the jailer’s heart.
110 tn Grk “And
bringing them outside, he asked.” The participle προαγαγών (proagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to
requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek
sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here.
Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the conjunction “then” to
indicate the logical sequence.
113 sn Here the summary term
of response is a call to believe. In this context it refers to
trusting the sovereign God’s power to deliver, which events had just pictured
for the jailer.
114 tc The majority
of mss add Χριστόν (Criston, “Christ”) here (C D
E Ψ 1739 Ï sy sa), but the best and earliest witnesses read
simply τὸν κύριον ᾿Ιησοῦν (ton kurion Ihsoun,
“the Lord Jesus”; Ì74vid א A B 33 81 pc bo).
The addition of “Christ” to “Lord Jesus” is an obviously motivated reading.
Thus on both external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is strongly
preferred.
115 tn Grk “And
they.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the
continuity with the preceding verse. Greek style often begins sentences or
clauses with “and,” but English style does not.
116 sn The word of the
Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a
divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15
times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times
as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou
kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36;
19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this
phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.
117 tn Grk “And
at.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins
sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does
not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
118 tn Grk “taking
them…he washed.” The participle παραλαβών (paralabwn) has been
translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
119 tn On this phrase BDAG
603 s.v. λούω 1 gives a literal translation as “by washing he freed
them from the effects of the blows.”
121 sn All his family. It
was often the case in the ancient world that conversion of the father led to
the conversion of all those in the household.
124 tn Grk “placed
[food] on the table” (a figurative expression). Since the actual word for food
is not specified, it would also be possible to translate “set a meal before
them,” but since this is taking place in the middle of the night, the
preparations necessary for a full meal would probably not have been made. More
likely Paul and Silas were given whatever was on hand that needed little or no
preparation.
126 tn The translation “come
to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.
127 tn The phrase “together
with his entire household” is placed at the end of the English sentence so that
it refers to both the rejoicing and the belief. A formal equivalence
translation would have “and he rejoiced greatly with his entire household that
he had come to believe in God,” but the reference to the entire household being
baptized in v. 33 presumes that all in
the household believed.
128 tn The translation “day
is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in
this verse is given by BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a.
129 tn On the term
translated “magistrates,” see BDAG 947-48 s.v. στρατηγός 1. These
city leaders were properly called duoviri, but were popularly known
as praetors (στρατηγοί, strathgoi). They were the chief
officials of Philippi. The text leaves the impression that they came to the
decision to release Paul and Silas independently. God was at work everywhere.
130 tn On the term ῥαβδοῦχος (rJabdouco") see
BDAG 902 s.v. The term was used of the Roman lictor and
roughly corresponds to contemporary English “constable, policeman.”
131 tn The word “saying” is
not in the Greek text, but is implied; it is necessary in English because the
content of what the jailer said to Paul and Silas is not the exact message
related to him by the police officers, but is a summary with his own additions.
132 tn The word “orders” is
not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often
omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern
English reader.
133 tn Grk “So
coming out now go in peace.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has
been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English
style.
134 tn Grk “to
them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation
for clarity.
135 tn Grk “Having
us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirante") has
been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English
style.
136 tn Or “in public,
uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned,
without due process” for this usage.
137 tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive
adverbial participle.
138 tn The word “us” is not
in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek
when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English
reader.
141 sn They themselves
must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and
Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking
their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major
public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.
142 tn Grk “heard
they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation
for clarity.
143 sn Roman citizens. This
fact was disturbing to the officials because due process was a right for a
Roman citizen, well established in Roman law. To flog a Roman citizen was
considered an abomination. Such punishment was reserved for noncitizens.
144 tn Grk “and
coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has
been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English
style.
145 tn Grk “and
after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the
conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new
English sentence is begun.
146 tn The verb ἐρώτων (erwtwn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the
English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.
147 tn “Then” is not in the
Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the
translation.
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old
Testament
Acts 16
The only OT influence
in this chapter comes in the form of some minor uses of biblical language.
16:14
The phrase “the Lord opened her
heart” is reminiscent of 2 Macc. 1:4: “May he open your hearts to his law.”
16:17
The slave girl can hardly be
deliberately picking up the common LXX designation of God as the “Most
High” (hypsistos); the term was also
at home in Greek religion. Nevertheless, a knowledge of how Hellenistic Jews
referred to their God could well have influenced the phraseology.
16:36
“Go in peace” is said to be
“biblical Greek” (cf. Judg. 18:6; see BDF §4.3). Some commentators are skeptical
as to whether a new convert could have picked up a Jewish Christian greeting
quite so quickly as this.[1]
Robert H. Gundry, Commentary on the New Testament: Verse-by-Verse Explanations with a
Literal Translation
THROUGH THE
CITIES OF LYSTRA AND DERBE
Acts 16:1–5
16:1–2: And he [Paul] arrived both at Derbe and at Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was
there by the name of Timothy—the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek
[and therefore Gentile] father—2 who [referring back to Timothy] was being attested [to Paul during his
visit] by the brothers in Lystra and
Iconium. “Behold” highlights the sterling reputation of Timothy, which
advances Luke’s program of advertising the virtues of Jesus and his disciples
for Luke’s evangelistic purpose in writing Acts. As usual, “the brothers”
advertises their communitarianism as well, and for the same purpose. Son of a
mixed marriage, Timothy was half Jewish and half Gentile. “Disciple” means
“learner,” and Luke notes the belief of Timothy’s mother. So Luke’s calling
Timothy “a certain disciple” suggests
that Timothy learned from his mother to believe in Jesus (compare 2 Timothy 1:5).
16:3: Paul wanted this [Timothy] to go out with him [as a helper replacing John Mark in the work of
evangelism]; and on taking [him for
this purpose], he circumcised him on
account of the Jews who were in those localities. For they all knew that his father
had been Greek. “Had been” implies the father was now dead. Greeks
considered the ideal of beauty to be the nude body of a male human being and
therefore wouldn’t hear of circumcision, the partial mutilation of their ideal.
And in that male-dominated culture fathers had the say-so over their newborn
sons. Despite the Jewish mother of Timothy, then, his Greek father hadn’t
circumcised him. So without the benefit of physical inspection the local Jews’
knowledge that he had a Greek father gave all of them the further knowledge of
Timothy’s uncircumcision. Not to keep the law of circumcision, then, but to
avoid putting a roadblock in the way of evangelizing the local Jews and
stabilizing those who believed, Paul circumcised Timothy. As in the decrees of
the Jerusalem Council, conciliation reigned supreme.
16:4–5: And as they were traveling through the cities,
they gave over to them [particularly to the Christians in the cities of
that region] the decrees adjudicated by
the apostles and elders in Jerusalem [for them] to keep. “The decrees” consisted in commands to avoid ingesting
meat sacrificed to an idol, sexual immorality, what’s been strangled, and blood
at festivities in pagan temples (see 15:20, 29 with comments). Originally, the
decrees were addressed to Gentile converts in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
(15:23). But since they applied to Gentile converts everywhere, Paul and Silas
distribute the decrees also in this further region. 5 So on the one hand the churches were being
stabilized in their belief [because the decrees also included a repudiation
of the disturbing doctrine that Gentile believers had to get circumcised and
keep the rest of Moses’ law] and were
increasing in number day by day. Evangelistic success keeps on growing.
Become part of it! “On the other hand” awaits in the next episode.
THROUGH THE
PHRYGIA-GALATIAN REGION AND NORTHWEST ASIA MINOR
Acts 16:6–40
16:6–8: On the other hand [compare 16:5],
they [Paul, Silas, and Timothy] went through the Phrygia-and-Galatian
region [in central Asia Minor], having
been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia [not the
continent; rather, a province in western Asia Minor]. 7 And on coming down to Mysia [a province
in northwest Asia Minor], they were
assaying to travel into Bithynia [a province in northern Asia Minor]; and the Spirit of Jesus didn’t allow them
[to do so]. 8 And on
going along the edge of Mysia, they went down to Troas [a seaport in the
northwest corner of Asia Minor]. To speak the word of the gospel is good; but
the Holy Spirit tells where to speak it, and when to speak it there. So his
forbidding Paul and Paul’s party to speak the word in Asia and not allowing
them passage to Bithynia shows that evangelism proceeds under the control as
well as power of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, too, it can’t be thwarted,
only surrendered to—if you’re smart. Since “the Spirit of Jesus” controls the where-and-when of evangelism in just the same
way “the Holy Spirit” does, the two
equate with each other in the sense that the Holy Spirit is Jesus’ Spirit, so that again Luke comes close to ascribing
absolute deity to Jesus (compare the comments on 15:40).
16:9–10: And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a
man, a certain Macedonian, was standing and urging him and saying, “On coming
through
[that is, on crossing the Aegean Sea, which lies between Asia Minor and
Macedonia-Greece], help us.” 10 And when he’d seen the vision, immediately
we sought to go out from [Troas] into
Macedonia, concluding that God had summoned us to proclaim the good news to
them [the Macedonians]. “Concluding” means something like our colloquial
expression, “connecting the dots.” In other words, Paul and his companions, to
whom he must have reported the vision, put the Spirit’s forbidding them to
speak the word in Asia and not allowing them passage to Bithynia together with
the vision of a Macedonian’s call for help. Just as 2 + 2 = 4, the conclusion
followed that God had summoned them to help. And when we put together the Holy
Spirit’s forbidding, the disallowing by Jesus’ Spirit, and God’s summoning,
something very like the doctrine of the Trinity emerges. The Macedonian’s
“standing” in Paul’s vision suggests a note of desperation in the “urging” to
come over and help. But through ignorance of the gospel the Macedonian doesn’t
know what kind of help is needed. So Paul and his companions have to interpret
the need for help in evangelistic terms. The immediacy with which they sought
to cross the Aegean Sea stresses their obedience to the divine summons and
their eagerness to proclaim the good news to needy people. “We sought to go out from [Troas] into
Macedonia” implies they needed to find a ship sailing there that would take
them aboard. “We sought” and
“summoned us” imply that the author
of Acts is a member of Paul’s party, probably (though not certainly) by having
joined at this point.
16:11–13: And on setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight
course to Samothrace
[an island in the northern Aegean Sea], and
the next [day] to Neapolis [a
harbor city on the coast of Macedonia], 12 and from there [inland about ten miles] to Philippi, which is a first city [= a prominent one] of a district of Macedonia, a [Roman] colony [referring to Philippi, not to
“a district” or to “Macedonia”]. “A straight course” and “the next day”
indicate that Paul and his companions wasted no time answering God’s summons
that they proclaim the good news to Macedonians. The description of Philippi as
prominent also hints that they aim to reach with the good news a city of some
importance. The further description of Philippi as a Roman colony, settled by
veterans of the Roman army as we know from other sources, prepares both for a
charge that Paul and his companions advocate behavior illegal by Roman
standards (16:20–21) and for the appeal of Paul to his and Silas’s Roman
citizenship (16:37–39). And we were
spending some days in this city. This statement, along with others in the
passage that use “we” and “us,” makes the account derive from an eyewitness,
the author (compare Luke 1:1–4). 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate [of the city] to a riverside where we were thinking a
place of prayer was. And on sitting down, we were speaking to the assembled
women. Apparently there was a
place of prayer beside the river. Luke doesn’t say whether it was a building,
such as a synagogue; for his interest runs to the telling of good news to the
assembled women. Apparently no men are present. Again Luke doesn’t say why, but
the upcoming description of one of the women as “worshiping God” (16:14)
suggests a group of Gentile women who apart from their husbands had started
worshiping and praying to the one true God. In any case, Luke focuses on the
evangelizing of these women. This focus helps balance the emphasis elsewhere in
Acts on men. The gospel is for women as well as men.
16:14–15: And a certain woman by the name of Lydia from the
city of Thyatira, a seller of purple-dyed [fabric], worshiping God, was listening, whose heart the Lord opened so as to
attend to the things being spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household had been
baptized, she urged [us], saying,
“If you [plural] have judged me to
be believing the Lord [as apparently you have by baptizing me], on coming into my house, stay.” And she
prevailed on us. The gospel’s attracting a pious woman like Lydia shows it
to be worthy of belief by other religiously sensitive people as well. Her
baptism indicates that “attend[ing] to the things being spoken by Paul”
entailed believing the gospel. “Worshiping God” and “was listening” are so
closely connected that it seems her listening constituted worship of God. The
opening of her heart by the Lord stresses that salvation is his work in the
receiving of it just as in making it available. The baptism of Lydia’s
household broadens this evangelistic success; and her insistence on providing
hospitality to Paul and his companions exhibits Christian hospitality, and
therefore an attractive communitarianism, right from the start.
16:16–18: And it happened that as we were going to the place
of prayer, there met us a certain slave girl, having a spirit of divination,
who as such
[referring to the slave girl] was
providing her masters [= owners] much
profit by fortune-telling [for a fee]. 17 While following behind Paul and us, this
[slave girl] kept shouting, saying,
“These men are slaves of the Most High God [compare Luke 8:28], who as such are announcing to you [the
surrounding populace] the way of
salvation.” 18 And
she kept doing this for many days. But on getting annoyed and turning around,
Paul said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out
of her.” And it came out that very hour. “As we were going to the place of
prayer” calls attention to the piety of Paul and his companions. They didn’t
meet the slave girl. She met them. “Having a spirit of divination” indicates it
was this spirit that prompted the girl to meet them, and then to follow them
and shout repeatedly and persistently. “These
men” reflects her proximity while following. “These men” sets off Paul and his companions as human beings over against
“the Most High God,” and “slaves” describes their “announcing the way of
salvation” as a service to God, so that the spirit of divination is giving
supernatural attestation to Paul, his companions, and their message, an
attestation that Luke cites to impress prospective converts with the truth of
the gospel. “To you” implies that those to whom Paul and his companions have
been speaking are also hearing what the slave girl shouts. “While following
behind Paul and us,” “kept shouting,” and “kept doing this for many days”
underline that Paul exercised great patience before getting annoyed and that
therefore the upcoming seizure, dragging, charging, disrobing, beating, and
imprisonment of him and Silas will have no justification. At this point it
would be easy to speculate that Paul finally got annoyed because he didn’t like
being advertised by a fortune-teller. But Luke doesn’t say so. Therefore his
emphasis falls on the success of Paul’s exorcism. The annoyance merely sets up
for the exorcism, and the exorcism proves successful because of Paul’s using
“the name of Jesus Christ.” Thus the slave girl, who’d been shouting that Paul
and his companions were announcing the way of salvation, is herself saved
(compare 4:12). “The way of
salvation” is the road that leads to salvation at the end (compare the comments
on 9:2 and see Luke 13:23–24; Matthew 7:13–14).
16:19–21: But on seeing that their hope of profit had gone
out
[with the exit of the spirit that had enabled the slave girl to tell fortunes],
her masters—on taking hold of Paul and
Silas—dragged [them] into the
marketplace before the rulers. 20 And on bringing them to the officers, they said, “These men, being
Jews, are throwing our city into confusion; 21 and they’re announcing standards that are
unlawful for us, being Romans, to welcome or practice.” After calling the
city authorities “the rulers,” Luke calls them “the officers,” probably by way
of reflecting the military background of those who’d settled Philippi as a
Roman colony (compare 16:12). Putting the slave girl’s masters in a
self-serving and otherwise bad light are (1) their valuing her profitability to
them above her deliverance from the spirit that had possessed her; (2) their dragging Paul and Silas; (3) their
pejorative citation of Paul’s and Silas’s Jewishness; (4) their blowing up the
exorcism into city-wide confusion; (5) the covering up of their pecuniary
motive with a false charge that Paul and Silas were announcing standards
unlawful for Romans to welcome or practice; and (6) their failure to specify
any such standards. The standards supposedly
being announced by Paul and Silas contrast with “the way of salvation” actually being announced by them.
16:22–24: And the crowd rose up together against them; and
the officers, on ripping off their [Paul’s and Silas’s] clothes, were commanding [policemen] to beat [them] with rods [compare 2 Corinthians 11:24–25]. 23 And after laying many blows on them, they
threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to guard them securely, 24 who [referring to the jailer] on receiving such an order threw them into
the inner prison [for maximum security] and secured their feet in the wood [= in stocks for even further
security]. The crowd acts as a mob, the officers like dupes of the slave girl’s
owners. Paul and Silas are given no chance to answer the charges brought
against them. They’re beaten with many blows of a rod and thrown into prison
without so much as a verdict of guilty. But their suffering carries out God’s
preannounced plan, particularly for Paul (see 9:16). Luke’s introduction of the
jailer and the emphasis on keeping Paul and Silas securely prepare for the next
episode, which will reverse the jailer’s role and wreak havoc on the rulers’
order and the means of security.
16:25–26: But toward midnight Paul and Silas, praying, were
singing praise to God; and the prisoners [that is, the rest of them] were listening to them. 26 And suddenly a great earthquake occurred,
so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And at once all the doors
were opened and the fetters of all [the prisoners] came loose. As often, Luke highlights the piety of Christians, this
time by noting Paul’s and Silas’s praying and singing praise to God even in
prison and even toward midnight. What good news it must be to produce such
piety under such circumstances! The listening of other prisoners makes them
earwitnesses to this piety. Suddenness dramatizes the earthquake as a divine
response to the injustice perpetrated on Paul and Silas. The greatness of the
earthquake magnifies this response and is certified by the shaking of the
prison’s foundations, the immediate opening of all the prison doors, and the
loosening of all the prisoners’ fetters. The double use of “all” leaves no door
unopened, no prisoner still fettered.
16:27–29: And the jailer, on waking out of [his] sleep and seeing the doors of the prison
opened, drawing [his] sword he was
about to do away with [= kill] himself,
supposing the prisoners had escaped. He was responsible for keeping them
securely in prison. Better to kill himself than to suffer the indignity of
public punishment, perhaps even execution. 28 But with a loud voice Paul called, saying,
“You shouldn’t do yourself any harm, for we’re all here.” Paul hasn’t taken
the opportunity to escape; and despite the jailer’s having thrown him into the
inner prison and secured his feet in stocks, Paul calls out to save the
jailer—in more than one way, it’ll turn out. The loudness of Paul’s voice
stresses the strength of his concern for the jailer’s salvation. Luke doesn’t
tell how it happened that none of the other prisoners took the opportunity to
escape. It’s enough that their not doing so will make possible the jailer’s
salvation. 29 And on
asking for lights, he jumped in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
The jailer wanted lights to see for himself whether all the prisoners were
still there. “Asking for lights”
implies his enlisting help, probably that of his household since they’re to be
mentioned shortly. His jumping in shows eagerness to check out the truth of
Paul’s statement. That he “fell down … before Paul and Silas” implies his
discovery that all the prisoners are indeed still there. Together with the
falling down, the trembling that accompanied it contrasts with the jailer’s
earlier rough treatment of Paul and Silas. God has turned the tables, for the
gospel can’t be stopped.
16:30–32: And on bringing them outside, he said, “Lords,
what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you’ll be saved—also
your household.” 32 And
they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with all those in his household.
Most English translations have “Sirs” instead of “Lords.” It’s true that the
underlying Greek word can carry either meaning, in addition to the meaning
“master” or “owner,” as for the slave girl’s masters/owners (16:16, 19). But
here it looks as though the jailer—because of the great earthquake, perhaps
also because he thought Paul and Silas had supernaturally kept the other
prisoners from escaping—is addressing Paul and Silas as though they’re deities
in human guise who can save him if he does what they tell him to do. His having
fallen at their feet with trembling supports this impression. But they quickly
point away from themselves to Jesus as “the Lord” who’ll save him if he rests
his faith on him (compare 4:12: “And there’s salvation in no one else, for
under heaven there’s no other name that’s been given among human beings by
which we must be saved”). “Also your household” expands the evangelistic
enterprise that Paul and Silas are making out of the earthquake. From his own
standpoint, the jailer may have been asking what he must do to be saved from
execution for failure to keep the prisoners secure, in which case Paul and
Silas answer in the far more important terms of eternal salvation. At the level
of Luke’s text, though, it’s a question of eternal salvation from the very
start. “The word of the Lord” that Paul and Barnabas proceed to speak will have
consisted in particulars of the gospel. Since this word is spoken not only to
the jailer but also to “all those in his household,” it appears that they’re
the ones on whom he’d called for lights (16:29).
16:33–34: And on taking them along at that hour of the night,
he washed away
[the blood] from the blows [they’d
received]; and he was baptized—also all
his [household members]—at once.
34 And on bringing them
up into [his] house, he set a table
[with food] and, having believed God,
exulted with all [his] household.
The jailer had thrown Paul and Silas into the inner prison, secured their feet
in stocks, and then feared they and the other prisoners had escaped. In a
dramatic turnaround, he now takes Paul and Silas alongside himself from the
prison, cleanses their wounds, gets baptized, brings them to his home, and
treats them to a celebratory meal. “At that hour of the night” (midnight
according to 16:25) adds to the drama. The jailer can’t wait to make amends.
Nor can he wait to get baptized, as “at once” indicates; and his baptism
indicates he has believed on the Lord Jesus to be saved. The baptism also of
“all his [household members]” indicates they too have believed. “All his household” stresses the power of
“the word of the Lord” that they’d heard. “Having believed God” replaces
“believ[ing] on the Lord Jesus” and thus comes close yet again to equating
Jesus as Lord with God. At least the association is close enough to point
toward Jesus’ deity alongside that of God the Father. Exultation reflects the
joy generated by believing the gospel, a theme prominent in Luke–Acts (see an
early instance in Luke 2:10). “Exulted with all his household” portrays a
family happy and united in their newfound faith, the kind of family prospective
converts should want to make for themselves by believing God, which is to
believe on the Lord Jesus.
16:35–36: And when day came, the officers [= the city
rulers] sent [their] policemen, saying [to the jailer], “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to
Paul: “The officers have sent [orders] that
you [plural, for Silas as well as Paul] be let go. On coming out [of the jail], then, travel on now [from the city] in peace.” So Paul and Silas have returned to jail. We might
speculate that the city rulers wanted Paul and Silas let go to forestall
further earthquakes, or that they figured a night in jail had taught Paul and
Silas a lesson. But Luke doesn’t say so, because his interest focuses solely
and appropriately on the salvific
effect of the earthquake: it resulted in the salvation of the jailer and all
his household. “Travel on now in peace”
contrasts with the upset that Paul and Silas were falsely accused of causing
and also with the beating, jailing, and stocks they’d suffered.
16:37: But Paul said to them, “Though we’re Romans, they
threw
[us] into prison after beating us in
public without condemnation [that is, without putting us on trial and
reaching a verdict of guilty]. And now
they’re throwing us out in secret? No way! Rather, on coming [here] they themselves are to bring us out!”
Though it was the jailer who’d reported to Paul the words of release, Paul
replies “to them,” who’ll turn out to
be the policemen sent by the city rulers. For the first time it appears that
both he and Silas have Roman citizenship. This makes ironic the false charge
that they’d been announcing standards unlawful for Roman citizens (16:20–21).
What in fact had happened was that their rights as citizens had been grossly
violated, whereas they’d shown good citizenship by passing up an opportunity to
escape the jail and by returning there after the jailer had taken them to his
home. The mistreatment of Roman citizens such as Paul and Silas—in violation of
their rights—could backfire on the city rulers, so that Paul is now emboldened
to demand they escort him and Silas out of prison rather than surreptitiously
throwing them out. As the counterpart of “threw [us] into prison,” “throwing us out”
portrays the release as a self-serving attempt by the city rulers to keep Paul
and Silas from pressing their own charges against them.
16:38–40: And the policemen reported these words to the
officers
[= city rulers]. And they got scared on
hearing, “They’re Romans.” 39 And on coming [to the prison] they
implored them and, on bringing [them] out,
they were asking [them] to go away
from the city. 40 But
on coming out from the prison they went into Lydia’s [house]; and seeing the brothers, they encouraged
[them] and went out [of the city].
So the very rulers who publicly humiliated Paul and Silas suffer themselves the
humiliation of acceding to Paul’s demand that they come and serve as a kind of
honor guard by escorting him and Silas out of the prison. Adding to the rulers’
public humiliation is their having to implore Paul and Silas to come out of the
prison, as though they had to say, “Please
come out, because you don’t deserve to be there despite our having thrown you
in.” The request that Paul and Silas go out of town as well as come out of the
prison piles yet more humiliation on the rulers. They can’t handle the presence
of these preachers. And adding a final touch of humiliation is Paul’s and
Silas’s snubbing the rulers’ request by going to Lydia’s house, seeing the
brothers there, and encouraging them before leaving town. “The brothers” calls
to mind the attractively familial character of Christian communities.
Stanley D.
Toussaint, The Bible Knowledge Commentary
b. The
conscription of Timothy (16:1–5).
16:1–3. Timothy, whose home was Lystra, was of mixed parentage; his mother was Jewish and his father was a Greek. Probably Timothy
had been converted under Paul’s ministry during the apostle’s first visit to
Lystra (cf. 1 Tim. 1:2). Some suggest he had been led to the Lord by his
grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5). At any rate, he became
Paul’s protegé. Because of Timothy’s
good reputation (Acts 16:2) Paul wanted
to take him along on the journey, probably as a helper as Mark had been.
There was a problem, however. The Jews to whom Paul would be preaching the
gospel would be offended if a man with a Jewish mother was uncircumcised. So
Timothy was circumcised. Apparently
he had been uncircumcised because of his father’s influence.
This appears to
contradict Paul’s thinking in Galatians 2:3–5 where he refused to let Titus be
circumcised. The situations, however, were different. In Galatians 2 the issue
was the method of justification; here it was a question of not giving offense
(cf. 1 Cor. 9:19–23). The Jerusalem Council, of course, had determined
circumcision was not necessary for salvation (Acts 15:10–11, 19). In Acts 16
Paul acted as he did for the sake of the ministry; it was a wise move.
16:4. As they traveled from town to town, they
delivered the decisions reached by the Jerusalem Council (15:23–29).
Assuming Paul wrote Galatians after the first missionary journey, but before
the Jerusalem Council, the report of the decision would be strong confirmation
of the gospel which he preached and about which he wrote.
16:5. With
another “progress report” (cf. Introduction),
Luke brought another section of his book to a close. The word strengthened (estereounto, “being made solid or firm”) differs from its synonym epistērizō (“to strengthen”; 14:22;
15:32, 41).
C. The extension of the church in the Aegean area
(16:6–19:20).
1. the call to macedonia (16:6–10).
16:6–7. God’s
guidance was at first negative. Evidently the missionary party first attempted
to go to the western province of Asia
whose leading city was Ephesus. So they went throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia (cf. 18:23). Possibly
this should be understood as the Phrygian region of Galatia. They then proceeded north to eastern Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but again they were prevented from doing
so by the Spirit of Jesus. How these
hindrances were accomplished is not stated. It may have been circumstances, a
word of prophecy, a vision, or some other phenomenon. At any rate, God planned
for people in both Ephesus and Bithynia to hear the gospel at a later time (cf.
18:19–21, 24–19:41; 1 Peter 1:1).
16:8–9. Finally,
at Troas, a seaport city on the
Aegean Sea near the ancient site of Troy, God gave positive direction by means
of a night … vision to Paul. Macedonia was a Roman senatorial
province, corresponding roughly to northern Greece today.
16:10. The first
of the we sections begins here in
Acts, indicating that Luke joined the party of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. The
how, why, and precise location of Luke’s joining the group are left unstated.
2. the conflicts in macedonia
(16:11–17:15).
a. At Philippi (16:11–40)
(1) The
conversion of Lydia (16:11–15). 16:11. The journey from Troas to Samothrace
and to Neapolis, the seaport city
for Philippi, was a rapid one, implying that the wind was with them (cf. 20:6
where the trip in the opposite direction took five days).
16:12. From Neapolis the missionaries traveled the 10 miles on the Via
Egnatia, the Egnatian Road to Philippi,
which Luke described as a Roman colony
and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. Quite clearly Luke
displayed pride in the city he came to love. Some say he grew up and attended
medical school there. Philippi, originally named Crenides (“Fountains”), was
taken by Philip of Macedon and renamed after him. In 168 b.c. Philippi became a Roman possession.
After Mark Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of
Julius Caesar, near Philippi in 42 b.c.,
the city was made into a Roman colony. This gave it special privileges (e.g,
fewer taxes) but more importantly it became like a “transplanted” Rome (cf.
comments on Philippi in the Introduction
to Phil.). The primary purpose of colonies was military, for the Roman leaders
felt it wise to have Roman citizens and sympathizers settled in strategic
locations. So Octavian (who became Caesar Augustus, the first Roman emperor, in
27 b.c.) settled more colonists
(primarily former soldiers) at Philippi after his defeat of Antony at Actium,
on Greece’s west coast, in 31 b.c.
16:13. The
Jewish population at Philippi must have been limited, for there was no
synagogue there; 10 Jewish males were required for a synagogue. A place of prayer (cf. v. 16), which
may have been a place in the open air or a simple building, was located by the Gangites River about a mile and one-half west of town.
To the women … gathered there, the
missionaries presented the gospel.
16:14. Lydia was a seller of purple cloth. This purple color came
from a shellfish, the murex, or from the root of a plant. She was from Thyatira, a city known for its commerce
in Asia Minor (cf. comments on Thyatira in Rev. 2:18–29). She was a worshiper of God, a term used for
Gentiles (e.g., Cornelius [Acts 10:2] and those in Thessalonica [17:4] and
Athens [17:17]) who were not proselytes to Judaism but who did worship Yahweh.
Even so, they were not in the New Testament church, the body of Christ. The Lord opened her heart (cf. Luke
24:45) to respond to Paul’s message.
Again Luke stressed the sovereignty of God in salvation (cf. Acts 13:48).
16:15. Lydia was
then baptized, apparently soon after
her faith in Christ. The members of her
household probably refer to servants as well as to her children, if she was
a widow. Other persons in the New Testament who along with their “household”
members came to Christ include Cornelius (10:24, 44), the Philippian jailer
(16:31), Crispus (18:8), Aristobulus (Rom. 16:10), Narcissus (Rom. 16:11), and
Stephanas (1 Cor. 1:16).
That she was a
woman of considerable means is evidenced by the size of her house. It would have to be ample enough
to house four men as well as her household without embarrassment (cf. Acts
16:40).
(2) The
deliverance of the soothsayer. 16:16–18. Some men were exploiting a demon-possessed slave girl for her ability to predict the future. The English
words, a spirit by which she predicted
the future, translate two Greek words, “a spirit, a python.” This concept
goes back to the Greek city of Delphi where the god Apollo was believed to be
embodied in a python snake. The original priestess at Delphi was purported to
be possessed by Apollo and thereby able to predict the future; therefore anyone
possessed by the python spirit could foretell coming events. No doubt an actual
demon gave such a person predictive powers. Demons took advantage of people’s
worship of false gods (cf. 17:23; 1 Cor. 10:20).
The girl attached herself to Paul and the others and was shouting (imperf. tense) who they were (servants of the Most High God) and what
they preached (the way to be saved).
Though her statements were true, the gospel of Christ would be damaged by an
association with a demon-possessed slave girl. So after many days … Paul exorcised the demon, speaking directly to the spirit. (Other cases of victory
over the occult in Acts are recorded in 8:9–24; 13:6–12; 19:13–20.)
(3) The
conversion of the jailer (16:19–34). 16:19–21. Each Roman colony was governed
by two leaders called douviri in
Latin. The term magistrates
translates stratēgois, the Greek
equivalent for the Latin word.
The charge of the slave girl’s owners against Paul and
Silas was obviously prejudicial. Shortly before this incident the Emperor
Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome (18:2). Philippi, a Roman colony,
would have caught this flavor of anti-Semitism. This also helps explain why
Timothy and Luke were not taken before the authorities. Timothy was a
half-Gentile (16:1) and Luke was probably a Gentile.
Furthermore,
Paul and Silas were accused of disrupting the city … by advocating customs unlawful for … Romans to accept or
practice. Rome permitted the peoples of its colonies to have their own
religions but not to proselytize Roman citizens. The civil leaders could not
distinguish between Judaism and Christianity (cf. 18:14–15), so they would see
the preaching of Paul and Silas as a flagrant infraction of imperial law.
16:22. Impelled
by the crowd … the magistrates ordered
them to be stripped and beaten. The verb translated “beaten” is from rhabdizō, which means “to beat with a
rod.” This was one of the three beatings Paul referred to in 2 Corinthians
11:25, the only other place where this verb occurs in the New Testament.
16:23–24. Paul
and Silas were severely flogged and
then thrown into prison. What a
reception in the first European city where they preached the gospel! The jailer with his strict orders was not going to take any
chances so he put them in the inner cell
(possibly a dungeon, at least the most secure cell) and fastened their feet in stocks.
16:25. Paul and
Silas singing in the inner prison gives special significance to the theme of
joy in Acts (cf. Ps. 42:8; “at night His song is with me”). Their praying and singing was heard not only
by God but also by the other prisoners.
16:26. This
supernatural deliverance reminds the reader of the parallel experiences of
Peter (cf. 5:18–20; 12:3–11). This was certainly an unusual midnight experience
in a prison—the earth quaking, the prison shaking, doors flying open … chains
falling off.
16:27–28.
Because the jailer was responsible
for any escaped prisoners (cf.
12:19), he drew his sword … to kill
himself. But Paul, seeing what was about to happen, reassured him that the
prisoners had not escaped. Perhaps
the other prisoners were so impressed with the God of Paul and Silas that they
did not dare flee!
16:29–30. Going
into Paul and Silas’ cell, the jailer … trembling
… asked, Men, what must I do to be saved? This question was filled with
significance. He must have understood what he was asking. Undoubtedly he had
heard the story of the slave girl and how she had announced these men to be
servants of God with the message of salvation (v. 17). Possibly also the
prayers and singing of Paul and Silas
(v. 25) had reached his ears. The awesome earthquake with the subsequent
opportunity for the prisoners to escape and Paul’s reassuring words all moved
him to ask for the way of salvation.
16:31–32. Verse
31 is a key passage on the message of faith. All that is needed for
justification is faith in the Lord Jesus.
The jailer had asked what he should do. The answer was that he need perform no
works; he only needed to believe in
Jesus who is the Lord.
The words and your household mean those members
of his house who were of sufficient
age to believe would be saved (cf. v. 34) as they trusted Christ. Each member
had to believe to be saved.
16:33. The jailer … washed the wounds of Paul and Silas (cf. v. 23)—an
amazing thing for a jailer to do for his prisoners. Then by water baptism he and all his family gave testimony to
the washing away of their sins.
16:34. The jailer took the former prisoners
home and fed them! And his family
was joyful. Once again the evidence of the victorious gospel was joy.
(4) The
deliverance of Paul and Silas (16:35–40). 16:35–36. Apparently the jailer brought Paul and Silas back to
prison. What prompted the magistrates
to change their minds is left unstated. Perhaps the earthquake jarred their
senses, or maybe on further reflection they realized how unjust they had been.
16:37–40. Paul’s
demand that the magistrates escort
him and Silas out of prison appears to be vindictive. But it
probably was designed to spare the young church in Philippi from further
harassment. It certainly would place the believers in a far more secure
position before the officials.
But why did Paul wait so long to mention his Roman citizenship? Perhaps the uproar
at the trial (vv. 19–22) kept him from being heard. Or maybe Paul purposely
waited till the most propitious time to give out this information. Born a Roman citizen (22:28), Paul had certain
rights, including a public hearing. And no Roman citizen was supposed to be
scourged.
In only two
places in Acts was Paul harmed or threatened by Gentiles—in Philippi and in
Ephesus (19:23–41). In both instances people were losing money in vested
interests and in each case Paul was vindicated by a Roman official. After their prison release, Paul and Silas … met with the believers
at Lydia’s house (cf. 16:15).
With Paul’s
departure the first we section ends,
indicating Luke remained on at Philippi (cf. they in 16:40).[2]
A New Helper
(Acts 16:1–5)
Paul and Silas approached their
destination from the east, so they came first to Derbe and then to Lystra, just
the reverse of the first journey (Acts 14:6–20). The preachers went from church
to church, delivering the decrees and helping establish the believers in the
faith. The result was fruit from the witness of the believers so that the
churches increased in number daily (see Acts 2:47). It was certainly a most
successful tour, but I wonder if any of the believers asked about Barnabas? And
what did Paul tell them?
Perhaps the best
thing that happened at Lystra was the enlistment of Timothy to replace John
Mark as Paul’s special assistant. Timothy was probably converted through Paul’s
ministry when the apostle first visited Lystra, for Paul called him “my beloved
son” (1 Cor. 4:17) and “my own son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2). Timothy’s mother
and grandmother had prepared the way for his decision by being the first in the
family to trust Christ (2 Tim. 1:5). Young Timothy undoubtedly witnessed Paul’s
sufferings in Lystra (Acts 14:19–20; 2 Tim. 3:10–11) and was drawn by the Lord
to the apostle. Timothy was Paul’s favorite companion and coworker (Phil.
2:19–23), perhaps the son Paul never had but always wanted.
Because he had a
good report from the churches (1 Tim. 3:7), Timothy was ordained by Paul and
added to his “team” (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). Paul’s next step was to have
Timothy circumcised, an action that seems to contradict the decision of the
Jerusalem Conference. However, there was an important spiritual principle
behind Paul’s decision.
The decision at
the Jerusalem Conference was that it was not necessary to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul did not allow
Titus to be circumcised lest the enemy think he was promoting their cause (Gal.
2:1–5). The battle in Jerusalem was over the truth of the Gospel, not over the
fitness of a man to serve. Paul’s concern with Timothy was not his salvation
but his fitness for service.
Timothy would be
working with both Jews and Gentiles in the churches, and it was essential that
he not offend them. That was why Paul had Timothy circumcised (see 1 Cor.
9:19–23). Again, it was not a matter of Timothy’s salvation or personal
character, but rather of avoiding serious problems that would surely become
stumbling blocks as the men sought to serve the Lord (Rom. 14:13–15). It is a
wise spiritual leader who knows how and when to apply the principles of the
Word of God, when to stand firm and when to yield.
In the years
that followed, Timothy played an important part in the expansion and
strengthening of the churches. He traveled with Paul and was often his special
ambassador to the “trouble spots” in the work, such as Corinth. He became
shepherd of the church in Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3) and probably joined Paul in Rome
shortly before the apostle was martyred (2 Tim. 4:21).
A
New Vision (Acts 16:6–40)
In this section, we see three
wonderful “openings.”
God opened the
way (vv. 6–12). After visiting
the churches he had founded, Paul tried to enter new territory for the Lord by
traveling east into Asia Minor and Bythinia, but the Lord closed the door. We
don’t know how God revealed His will in this matter, but we can well imagine
that Paul was disappointed and perhaps a bit discouraged. Everything had been
going so smoothly on this second journey that these closed doors must have come
as a great surprise. However, it is comforting to know that even apostles were
not always clear as to God’s will for their ministries! God planned for the
message to get there another time (Acts 18:19–19:41; see 1 Peter 1:1).
In His sovereign
grace, God led Paul west into Europe, not east into Asia. It is interesting to
speculate how world history might have been changed had Paul been sent to Asia
instead of to Europe. At Troas, Paul was called to Macedonia by a man whom he
saw in a night vision. “Nothing makes a man strong like a call for help,” wrote
George MacDonald, and Paul was quick to respond to the vision (compare Acts
26:19).
Note the pronoun
we in Acts 16:10, for Dr. Luke, who
wrote the Book of Acts, joined Paul and his party at Troas. There are three “we
sections” in Acts: 16:10–17; 20:5–15; and 27:1–28:16. Luke changed from “we” to
“they” in Acts 17:1, which suggests that he may have remained in Philippi to
pastor the church after Paul left. The next “we section” begins in Acts 20:5 in
connection with Paul’s trip from Macedonia. Luke devoted a good deal of space
to Paul’s ministry in Philippi, so perhaps he was a resident of that city. Some
students think Luke may have been the man Paul saw in the vision.
From Troas to
Neapolis, the port of Philippi was a distance of about 150 miles, and it took
them two days to make the journey. Later, the trip in the opposite direction
would take five days, apparently because of contrary winds (Acts 20:6).
Philippi lay ten miles inland from Neapolis, and the way Luke described the
city would suggest that he was indeed one of its proudest citizens.
Philippi was a
Roman colony, which meant that it was a “Rome away from Rome.” The emperor
organized “colonies” by ordering Roman citizens, especially retired military
people, to live in selected places so there would be strong pro-Roman cities in
these strategic areas. Though living on foreign soil, the citizens were expected
to be loyal to Rome, to obey the laws of Rome, and to give honor to the Roman
emperor. In return, they were given certain political privileges, not the least
of which was exemption from taxes. This was their reward for leaving their
homes in Italy and relocating elsewhere.
God opened
Lydia’s heart (vv. 13–15). Paul and his
friends did not plunge immediately into evangelizing the city, even though they
knew God had called them there. No doubt they needed to rest and pray and make
their plans together. It is not enough to know where God wants us to work; we must also know when and how He wants us
to work.
The Jewish
population in Philippi must have been very small since there was no synagogue
there, only a place of prayer by the river outside the city. (It required ten
men for the founding of a synagogue.) Paul had seen a man in the vision at Troas, but here he was ministering to a group
of women! “It is better that the
words of the Law be burned than be delivered to a woman!” said the rabbis; but
that was no longer Paul’s philosophy. He had been obedient and the Lord had
gone before to prepare the way.
Lydia was a
successful businesswoman from Thyatira, a city renowned for its purple dye. She
probably was in charge of a branch office of her guild in Philippi. God brought
her all the way to Greece so that she might hear the Gospel and be converted.
She was “a worshiper of God,” a Gentile who was not a full Jewish proselyte but
who openly worshiped with the Jews. She was seeking truth.
Paul shared the
Word (“spoken” in Acts 16:14 means personal conversation, not preaching), God
opened her heart to the truth, and she believed and was saved. She boldly
identified herself with Christ by being baptized, and she insisted that the
missionaries stay at her house. All of her household had been converted, so
this was a good opportunity for Paul and his associates to teach them the Word
and establish a local church. (We will deal with “household salvation” when we
get to Acts 16:31.)
We must not
conclude that because God opened
Lydia’s heart, Lydia’s part in her conversion was entirely passive. She
listened attentively to the Word, and it is the Word that brings the sinner to
the Saviour (John 5:24). The same God who ordained the end, Lydia’s salvation,
also ordained the means to the end,
Paul’s witness of Jesus Christ. This is a beautiful illustration of 2
Thessalonians 2:13–14.
God opened the
prison doors (vv. 16–40). No sooner are
lost people saved than Satan begins to hinder the work. In this case, he used a
demonized girl who had made her masters wealthy by telling fortunes. As Paul
and his “team” went regularly to the place of prayer, still witnessing to the
lost, this girl repeatedly shouted after them, “These men are the servants of
the Most High God, who show us the way of salvation!” Paul did not want either
the Gospel or the name of God to be “promoted” by one of Satan’s slaves, so he
cast out the demon. After all, Satan may speak the truth one minute and the
next minute tell a lie; and the unsaved would not know the difference.
The owners had
no concern for the girl; they were interested only in the income she provided,
and now that income was gone. (The conflict between money and ministry appears
often in Acts: 5:1–11; 8:18–24; 19:23ff; 20:33–34.) Their only recourse was the
Roman law, and they thought they had a pretty good case because the
missionaries were Jewish and were propagating a religion not approved by Rome.
Moved by both religious and racial prejudices, the magistrates acted rashly and
did not investigate the matter fully. This neglect on their part later brought
them embarrassment.
Why didn’t Paul
and Silas plead their Roman citizenship? (see Acts 22:25–29; 25:11–12) Perhaps
there was not time, or perhaps Paul was saving that weapon for better use later
on. He and Silas were stripped and beaten (see 2 Cor. 11:23, 25) and put in the
city prison. It looked like the end of their witness in Philippi, but God had
other plans.
Instead of
complaining or calling on God to judge their enemies, the two men prayed and
praised God. When you are in pain, the midnight hour is not the easiest time
for a sacred concert, but God gives “songs in the night” (Job 35:10; also see
Ps. 42:8). “Any fool can sing in the day,” said Charles Haddon Spurgeon. “It is
easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight; but the skillful singer is
he who can sing when there is not a ray of light to read by … Songs in the
night come only from God; they are not in the power of men.”
Prayer and
praise are powerful weapons (2 Chron. 20:1–22; Acts 4:23–37). God responded by
shaking the foundations of the prison, opening all the doors, and loosening the
prisoners’ bonds. They could have fled to freedom, but instead they remained
right where they were. For one thing, Paul immediately took command; and, no
doubt, the fear of God was on these pagan men. The prisoners must have realized
that there was something very special about those two Jewish preachers!
Paul’s attention
was fixed on the jailer, the man he really wanted to win to Christ. It was a
Roman law that if a guard lost a prisoner, he was given the same punishment the
prisoner would have received; so there must have been some men in the prison
who had committed capital crimes. The jailer would rather commit suicide than
face shame and execution. A hard-hearted person seeking vengeance would have
let the cruel jailer kill himself, but Paul was not that kind of a man (see
Matt. 5:10–12, 43–48). It was the jailer who was the prisoner, not Paul; and
Paul not only saved the man’s life, but pointed him to eternal life in Christ.
“What must I do
to be saved?” is the cry of lost people worldwide, and we had better be able to
give them the right answer. The legalists in the church would have replied,
“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be
saved” (Acts 15:1, nkjv).
But Paul knew the right answer—faith in Jesus Christ. In the Book of Acts, the
emphasis is on faith in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 2:38–39; 4:12; 8:12, 37;
10:10–43; 13:38–39).
The phrase “and
thy house” does not mean that the faith of the jailer would automatically bring
salvation to his family. Each sinner must trust Christ personally in order to
be born again, for we cannot be saved “by proxy.” The phrase means “and your
household will be saved if they will also believe.” We must not read into this
statement the salvation of infants (with or without baptism) because it is
clear that Paul was dealing with people old enough to hear the Word (Acts
16:32), to believe, and to rejoice (Acts 16:34).
So-called “household
salvation” has no basis in the Word of God—that is, that the decision of the
head of the household brings salvation to the members of the household. The
people in the household of Cornelius were old enough to respond to his call
(Acts 10:24) and to understand the Word and believe (Acts 10:44; 11:15–17;
15:7–9). The household of Crispus was composed of people old enough to hear and
believe God’s Word (Acts 18:8). There is no suggestion here that the adults
made decisions for infants or children.
It is touching
to see the change in the attitude of the jailer as he washed the wounds of
these two prisoners who were now his brothers in Christ. One of the evidences
of true repentance is a loving desire to make restitution and reparation
wherever we have hurt others. We should not only wash one another’s feet (John
13:14–15), but we should also cleanse the wounds we have given to others.
What about the
other prisoners? Luke doesn’t give us the details, but it is possible that some
of them were also born again through the witness of Paul and Silas and the
jailer. Some of these prisoners may have been waiting for execution, so imagine
their joy at hearing a message of salvation! Paul and Silas thought nothing of
their own pains as they rejoiced in what God did in that Philippian jail! No
doubt the jailer later joined with Lydia in the assembly.
The city
officials knew that they had no convincing case against Paul and Silas, so they
sent word to the jailer to release them. Paul, however, was unwilling to “sneak
out of town,” for that kind of exit would have left the new church under a
cloud of suspicion. People would have asked, “Who were those men? Were they
guilty of some crime? Why did they leave so quickly? What do their followers
believe?” Paul and his associates wanted to leave behind a strong witness of
their own integrity as well as a good testimony for the infant church in
Philippi.
It was then that
Paul made use of his Roman citizenship and boldly challenged the officials on
the legality of their treatment. This was not personal revenge but a desire to
give protection and respect for the church. While the record does not say that
the magistrates officially and publicly apologized, it does state that they
respectfully came to Paul and Silas, escorted them out of the prison, and
politely asked them to leave town. Paul and Silas remained in Philippi long
enough to visit the new believers and encourage them in the Lord.
As you review
this chapter, you can see that the work of the Lord progresses through difficulties
and challenges. Sometimes the workers have problems with each other, and
sometimes the problems come from the outside. It is also worth noting that not
every sinner comes to Christ in exactly the same manner. Timothy was saved
partly through the influence of a godly mother and grandmother. Lydia was
converted through a quiet conversation with Paul at a Jewish prayer meeting,
while the jailer’s conversion was dramatic. One minute he was a potential
suicide, and the next minute he was a child of God!
Different people
with different experiences, and yet all of them changed by the grace of God.
Others just like
them are waiting to be told God’s simple plan of salvation.
Will you help
them hear?
In your own
witness for Christ, will you be daring?[3]
BDF Blass, F., A. Debrunner, and R. W. Funk. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961
nkjv New King James
Version
[3]
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary,
vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 466–469.
No comments:
Post a Comment