Acts

Chapter 16
1a~~Then came he {Paul}
to Derbe and Lystra.

1b~~And, behold, a certain disciple/student
kept on being there
  {meaning serving the Lord},
named Timotheus {Timothy},
the son of a certain woman,
who was a Jewess, and believed . . .
but his father was a Greek
  {implies was an unbeliever}.

2~~Who {Timothy} was well reported of under the authority of the brethren {the other believers in these cities} that were at Lystra and Iconium.

{Note: Apparently Timothy had the gift of pastor-teacher and was doing missions for the churches in Lystra and Iconium and they reported good marks on his works. Timothy is about 21 years old here.}

3~~Him {Timothy} would Paul have to go forth with him. And took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in that
region . . . for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

{Note: This is an example of the Law of Expediency. To do something - not required - for the benefit of evangelizing the unbelievers. Paul knows it is not necessary for Timothy to be circumcised. For example Paul's top troubleshooter was a Greek - Titus - whom Paul took with him to the legalistic Church in Jerusalem to make the point that being circumcised is not required. However to evangelize the Jews, they would not listen to Timothy knowing he was Greek IF he did not get circumcised.}

 4~~And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees {dogma - a firm stand on a subject} for to keep {literally means to guard something that belongs to you}, that were ordained of the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

5~~And so were the churches keeping on being stabilized in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6~~Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.

{Note: There were many possible reasons for this: 1. It was a very legalistic area and Paul just failed in legalism. Maybe Paul was not ready. Discipline and training first. 2. By closing the doors in the hallway, the Pauline team made it all the way to France and Spain and the Atlantic Ocean - a great spread of the gospel.}

7~~After they were come to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not.

8~~And they passing by Mysia came down to Troy {Troas}.

9~~And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a Noble Man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us."

{Note: The Macedonians kept their unique helmets and style of dress so Paul would recognize where he was from.}

10~~And after he {Paul} had seen the vision, immediately we
{Paul, Silas, Timothy and the writer of Acts - Luke, with others} endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

11~~Therefore setting sail from Troy {Troas}, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis.

12~~And from there to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia . . . and a colony. And we were in that city abiding {wearing away the time looking for an opportunity} certain days.

{Note: Philippi was named after Alexander the Great's father Philip.
A 'colony' meant Philippi was under special Roman status. When a
city was made a colony, all its citizens became Roman citizens automatically. They no longer could be scourged or crucified. And, all Roman citizens had the right to appeal their case to the Emperor - as Paul does in the future.}

13~~And on the Sabbath {Jewish Sabbath- Saturday} we {Paul, Timothy, Silas, and Luke} went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was customarily made and we sat down, and spoke unto the women which resorted thither.

14~~And a certain woman named Lydia {a traveling salesperson}, a seller of purple {dye}, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, kept on listening to us . . . whose heart the Lord opened {Holy Spirit acting as a human spirit making the gospel real to her}, that she concentrated on the things which kept on being spoken under the authority of Paul.

{Lydia is the first European convert documented. Purple was a dye that was used to color clothes particularly Roman garbs were Red and or Purple. Thyatira's water was very good for dyes . . . Lydia apparently was a very successful businesswoman.}

15~~And when she received baptism, and her household, she besought us, saying, "If you have discerned me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there." And she urged us to do so.

{Note: Lydia was a leader in her household. Many followed her lead and accepted Christ and were saved. Once they understood positional truth, they were baptized.}

16~~And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a Greek slave girl possessed with a 'puthon' demon met us, which brought her masters {gangsters} much gain by soothsaying.

{Note: Puthon derived from the Oracle of Delphi - a python snake - means she was possessed with a fallen angel with the ability to foretell the future.}

17~~The same followed Paul and us, and kept on shouting, saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, who show to us the way of salvation."

{Note: Very subtle attack here. This demon possessed woman is telling the truth - is supporting Paul if you will. If Paul accepts the support, he would be subtly in league with the Devil!}

18~~And this she kept on doing many days. But Paul, being displeased {he understood the threat}, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out the same hour.

19~~ And when her masters {the gangsters} saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they violently seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them by their ankles into the marketplace unto the praetors {leaders of a Roman colony were called praetors}.

20-21~~ And brought them to the praetors, saying, "These men, that EXIST AS Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city {disturb the peace} . . . 21~~ by announcing new customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, BEING Romans!"

{Note: These men were setting up racial and national prejudices in the crowd. Said Paul was teaching concepts foreign to the Roman culture . . . and it was presumed by their dress that they JEWS not Romans!}

22~~And the multitude {mob violence} rose up together against them. And the praetors stripped them to the waist, and commanded to beat them.

23~~ And when they {Roman lictor's were law enforcers} had laid many stripes upon them {usually was 39 cane rod whips
each . . . literally peeling the skin off their backs}, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to guard them carefully.

{Side Note: Paul is a Roman citizen and it is prohibited for a Roman citizen to be whipped. If Paul complained, Rome could remove ALL privilages from this city it is so serious an offense!}

24~~Who {Jailer}, having received such a charge, thrust them into the under prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

{Note: The inner prison of Roman jails was under the main prison. It is underground, where all the sewage drains from all the other prisons and is rat infested. Not a nice place.}

25~~And at midnight Paul and Silas kept on praying, and singing praises unto God. And the prisoners listened with intent to them.

{Note: 'Listened' here is the Greek word 'epakroaomai' - which in Greek is used for listening intently to a music recital.}

26~~And suddenly there was a great earthquake, with the result that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's shackles were broken.

27~~And the jailer, having become awakened out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled.

{Note: If a jailer lost his prisoners, he would be tortured to death. This jailer was choosing to kill himself instead of a slow death. Philippi is also similar to Japan in that it is famous for its suicides.}

28~~But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm for we are all here."

29~~ Then he {the jailer} called for a light, and charged in trembling and prostrated himself before Paul and Silas.

30~~And brought them out and said, "Sirs {title of respect}, what must I do with the result that I might receive deliverance?"

{Note: This could be a double meaning here. First a deliverance from his current problem and second an eternal deliverance.}

31~~ And they {Paul and Silas simultaneously} said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall receive salvation . . . and your house {Greek idiom - 'in the same fashion'}."

{Note: Similar to Lydia, the jailer must have had carried great authority in his house. He would influence his family to accept
Christ and believing also would save them.}

32~~And they spoke unto him, to his advantage, the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

33~~And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes {first aid}. And was baptized, he and all of his, straightway.

{Note: This implies that Paul has now taught the Jailer and his family the doctrines of positional truth and they understand the meaning of the ritual of baptism.}

34~~And when he {the jailer} had received them, to himself on the basis of himself, into his house, he set food before them, and rejoiced {inner happiness}, having believed in The God along with all his house.

35~~And when it was dawn, the praetors sent the Roman lictors, saying, "Let those men go."

36~~ And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, "The praetors have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart . . . and go in peace."

37~~ But Paul said face to face with them, "They have beaten us {scourged us} . . . uncondemned . . . EXISTING AS ROMANS long before birth {Paul was born into a family of Roman citizens for many centuries} and have cast us into prison. And now do they thrust us out secretly? NO - on the basis of doctrine - but let them come themselves and fetch us out."

{Note: As mentioned above, the status of a Roman colony could be lost if the laws of Rome were not STRICTLY enforced. It was against Roman law to scourge a Roman citizen . . . and they did so without a real trial or a chance for Paul to give his side of the story. The whole city could be punished!}

38~~And the lictors told these words unto the praetors . . . and they were afraid when they heard that they {Paul etc.} were Romans.

39~~And they came and begged them. And brought them out. And desired them to depart out of the city.

{Note: Paul would have been concerned for the safety of the new believers in a colony not following Roman law. We can assume he received assurances from the praetors on the protection of the new believers because he stood up to them, and subsequently agreed to go on.}

40~~And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia {said goodbye to the church}. And when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them {taught doctrine}, and departed.

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