The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 16
Vs. 1 Paul goes to Derbe and Lystra.. He met a young man, Timothy. Timothy’s mother was Jewish, his father was Greek.
Timothy was well thought of by the people in the area. Paul decided to have Timothy travel with him. Since Paul would be with so many of the Jewish Christians, Paul thought it would be wise if Timothy was circumcised. Timothy’s father was Greek so it seems he never had Timothy circumcised when he was a baby.
There are some people who would criticize Paul for making Timothy do this just to please the Jews or the Jewish Christians. After all, they had just written a letter about Gentiles not needing to be circumcised.
This is my thinking about this.
The Christian church leaders did not think it right to demand or require a Gentile person to be circumcised in order to be a believer or Christian. Jews who became believers would probably continue to circumcise their boy babies. If a person felt that they wanted to do this or felt that for themselves they wanted to do this then ok let them. They were not required. It was something they wanted to do.
Paul knew that they would live among the Jewish people and be in their homes, etc. Those Jewish men would have ideas about what they thought was right. Paul probably thought that instead of having to explain and argue with them over and over about this one thing it would be better to ask Timothy if he was willing to be circumcised so that they would not have to be always asked about this.
Then Paul could take care of other things of teaching, etc. without this being a problem. It seems Timothy was willing.
Paul later talks about doing some things or not doing some things depending on the people he is with. Paul did not think it was wise to try to make problems and stir up arguments if it was not necessary. Paul felt a freedom to do some things but in places where people were against it Paul did not do it.
Paul’s main purpose was the speak the gospel/good news about Jesus. He tried to live among the people as they lived. He did not want to bring attention to himself or to something that would be an argument and get everyone upset.
Paul would not do something that was a sin. Paul would not give up doing what was right just to please someone. But in things that were not “sin” but opinions
of the people…..Paul used wisdom so that the gospel could go forward.
At this time, the most of the new believers had not received the letter the Christian church leaders had sent out. It would be a little while for that information to be told among all the believers and for everyone to have time to hear it and accept it.
Vs.4 As they travel around to see the groups of believers they give them the letter from the leaders in Jerusalem about circumcision, eating meat offered to idols, and blood.
Vs. 6 Paul was thinking of going into Asia. Vs. 7 But the Holy Spirit told them not to.
**Here is one of the things the Holy Spirit helps us with. He warns us. He leads us.
We do not know why God did not want them to go into Asia at that time. God has his reasons. It could be that since Greece and Rome already had rule over much of the area that the Jewish people were in that it would be easier to travel around and to speak with them.
We do know that at that time Rome had made roads everywhere where they ruled so that their soldiers could get around. So it was easier to travel. Many people spoke the Roman language of Latin. Many of the Gentile people spoke Greek.
Later men would go into Asia.
Vs. 9,10 In a dream/vision Paul saw a man from Macedonia—northern Greece—-He was calling to Paul to come help them. Paul felt that this was from God and the Holy Spirit was leading them to go there. So they did.
Vs.12 They came to the main city of Philippi. Later Paul would write a letter to them and it would become part of the New Testament, the book of Philippians.
Vs. 13-15 They went into the city. They met with some people by a river. There was a woman there who sold “purple”. She was a believer.
(Selling “purple”: the color of purple was made from a sea shell. A certain kind of shell. It was hard to get. It was hard to make the color purple from it. Because of this only very rich people could afford to buy it. In some places, only kings and royal persons were allowed to have it. This woman was probably rich because the dye and the material dyed with the color was expensive.)
Vs. 15 The woman asked to be baptized. So Paul baptized her. She asked them to come to her house and stay with her while they were in her city. Remember, they did not have hotels much a few big cities maybe there was a inn.
Vs. 16 -18 As Paul and the men with him were going along, a young girl came up to them. She had a “spirit” (demon-evil spirit) in her. This “spirit” helped her tell words of wisdom or the futures of people. At least, what she told people they thought it would be true. So she made money telling people “secrets“ for their lives. She was a slave to some men. The men collected the money she made.
Vs. 17 As she followed Paul she cried out loud “These men are servants of the most High God and will show to you the way of salvation.” She followed them around for many days saying this. Finally, Paul got tired of it. He turned to the girl and said,
“I command you that in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”
Paul was speaking to the “spirit” in her. In that same hour, the spirit came out of her.
(Notice: The evil spirit in her knew that these men were of God and had the truth of salvation in Jesus. The evil spirit was telling people who they were. The evil spirits did this to Jesus also.
Jesus, and also Paul did not want the evil spirits announcing them. They did not need or want the devil announcing who they were.
People would have to accept and believe in Jesus because of what Jesus said or Paul about Jesus. People would have to listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit in their hearts and minds and accept the truth.
The devil knows who Jesus is. And he would like to draw attention to himself.)
Vs. 19-24 The men who were her masters were upset. Now that the “spirit” was gone from her she could not tell “secrets” and “wisdom” and “futures” any more. And they could not make money. They were angry with Paul.
They began to talk to people and tell them that these men were making trouble for the city and doing things that were against the Roman law.
Finally, they made enough trouble that Paul and Silas were put in jail. (The Bible does not say that Timothy was put in jail. Maybe because he was young they ignored him.)
Vs. 23 Paul and Silas were beaten and put in jail. Their feet were put into wooden stocks. These were wooden boards with holes just big enough for their ankles. The boards closed over their ankles like hand-cuffs on the hands.
Vs. 25 At midnight, Paul and Silas were singing and praising God. (Most of us would not be singing if we were in jail.) And then God sent an earthquake. All of the doors of the jail opened up. The stocks/bands that held the prisoners were opened.
Vs. 27 The man who watched the jail was afraid. He was sure all of the prisoners had run off. He had a sword and was about to kill himself. (Because the Romans would have killed him if he lost all of the prisoners.) Paul called to him and told him not to kill himself because they were all still there in the jail.
Vs. 30 The man knew that something big had happened and God must have done it. He probably knew why Paul was in jail. He probably knew that Paul had been preaching about Jesus. He knelt down in front of Paul and asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and the people in your house.” And then Paul began to preach to them and explain more about Jesus.
Vs. 33 The jailer man took Paul and Silas into his house. He washed their backs from their beating. He gave them food. Then the man wanted to be baptized.
Vs. 35 -40 In the morning, the city leaders sent some men to tell the jailer man to let Paul and Silas go free. Paul said, “No.” The leaders beat us in front of everyone in the city and now let them come and let us go so the people can see us let go. I have Roman citizenship. I have a right to a trial. They just beat me and put me in jail. They did not have a right to do that to me.
When the city leaders heard that Paul had Roman citizenship papers they were afraid.
They did do expect a Jewish man to have Roman citizenship papers. So they came and got Paul and Silas out of jail and then asked them to leave the city.
So Paul and Silas and Timothy go on to another town.