Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Acts Chapter 16 mean?

Acts 16 describes the second segment of Paul and Silas’ missionary journey. After their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem and received official instructions from the church leadership there that Gentiles did not have to convert to traditional Judaism; they did not need to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic law to follow Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. Silas and Judas Barsabbas escorted Paul and Barnabas back to their home church in Syrian Antioch with a letter to that effect. After a falling out over John Mark, Barnabas took Mark to the island of Cyprus and Paul took Silas and a copy of the letter to the churches around Syria and Cilicia, the territories along the northeast Mediterranean Sea (Acts 15).

Paul and Silas take the letter to the churches in Galatia that Paul and Barnabas had planted on their first trip, meet a young man named Timothy, and promptly circumcise him. Since Timothy’s mother is Jewish, he is Jewish, but his father is Greek, so he was not circumcised. Paul sees leadership potential in the young man and knows Timothy will have fewer problems with older Jewish Christians if he physically conforms to the Mosaic law (Acts 16:1–5).

Traveling east, the Holy Spirit forbids Paul, Silas, and Timothy from going into Asia, the province on the southwest corner of modern-day Asia Minor, or Bithynia, along the southern coast of the Black Sea. Instead, they go to the port city of Troas where two important events occur. Paul has a vision of a man inviting him to cross the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. And the pronouns of the narrative switch from “they” to “we”: Luke has joined Paul’s retinue (Acts 16:6–10).

Paul and his team waste no time, sailing to Neapolis on the Macedonian coast and traveling west to Philippi. Apparently, the sizable Roman colony boasts very few Jews—at least, not enough for a formal synagogue—so the team walks to the river where they find a small group of God-worshiping women praying. The merchant Lydia responds to their message immediately. She and her household believe, and the men baptize them. She then invites them to stay at her house (Acts 16:11–15).

Pagan Gentiles of that era may have been tolerant of another’s religious beliefs, but not when those beliefs interfered with business. After a demon-possessed, fortune-telling girl harasses Paul’s group for several days, Paul expels the demon. Realizing their source of income is gone, the girl’s owners accuse Paul and Silas of promoting the worship of an unauthorized deity. The crowd attacks Paul and Silas, the city leaders tear their clothes, law enforcement beats the missionaries, and a jailer chains the two in a prison cell (Acts 16:16–24).

What happens next demonstrates how God works in different ways depending on the situation. In Acts 12:6–11, an angel released Peter from prison and told him to flee. Here, an earthquake frees all the prisoners from their chains and opens their doors—but they stay. The jailer is dumbstruck, knowing if just one prisoner had fled, he would have been executed. He tends to Paul’s and Silas’s wounds and asks how he can be saved. He and his household believe and are baptized (Acts 16:25–34).

The example of Paul and Silas shows that Christians should prepare to accept persecution, but it is still proper to insist on our legal rights. When the city leaders ask Paul and Silas to leave quietly, the two refuse. They are Roman citizens, and the crowd, the magistrates, and the guards had no right to attack them. Paul and Silas could press charges, but they only demand an official apology. The city leaders comply and allow them to visit Lydia before politely requesting they move on, apparently leaving Luke in Philippi (Acts 16:35–40).

The team will face more opposition and more success as they continue their journey. In Thessalonica, the Jewish leaders drive them out then chase them out of Berea. Paul flees to Athens, where he has a debate with Greek philosophers before meeting up with Silas and Timothy in Corinth. There, he meets Priscilla and Aquila, and the expanded team sails east again to Ephesus. He leaves Priscilla and Aquila, briefly meets with the local synagogue, and sails to Caesarea Maritima on the Samaritan coast. During his hiatus, Paul takes a quick trip to Jerusalem and back north to Syrian Antioch (Acts 17:1—18:22). Acts 19—20 records Paul’s third missionary journey. The rest of the book covers his arrest in Jerusalem, imprisonment in Caesarea Maritima, and voyage to house arrest in Rome.

Chapter Context
Acts 15 ends with Paul and Silas spreading the news that Gentile Christians don’t have to be circumcised. Acts 16 begins with Paul circumcising a Jewish man, Timothy, to prevent difficulties in preaching to older Jews as the boy grows into church leadership. Paul’s second missionary trip finds the church growing east, into Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth (Acts 16:11—18:18). On his way back to Syrian Antioch, Paul will stop by Ephesus and soften the Jews for the extended ministry of Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos. During his first trip, Paul planted churches and ordained elders; in his second, he commissions more missionaries.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Paul 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.

Paul and Barnabas received confirmation from the church leadership in Jerusalem that Jesus-followers do not have to be circumcised or adhere to the Mosaic law (Acts 15:22–29). The two had intended to take this message to the Gentile churches they’d planted in modern-day Asia Minor. An argument over whether they should take Barnabas’ cousin John Mark split the pair. Barnabas takes Mark to Cyprus, and Paul partners with Silas (Acts 15:39–40). Paul and Silas have already visited the churches in Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:41)—on the northeast coasts of the Mediterranean—and now travel overland into Galatia in central Asia Minor.

Paul and Silas likely would have traveled north from Syrian Antioch to Issus, then west to Tarsus, Paul’s hometown. A mountain pass called the Cilician Gates connects Tarsus to Derbe. Lystra is west and a bit north of Derbe. The last time Paul visited, the locals first tried to offer sacrifices to him and Barnabas as Hermes and Zeus, then stoned Paul and left him for dead (Acts 14:8–19). This visit is less eventful.

It’s unclear if Paul had met Timothy on his first visit. Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, trained him well in Christianity and Judaism before this meeting (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14–15). Paul will take him on, training him as his “true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Despite his youth (1 Timothy 4:12), Timothy will eventually be the pastor of the church in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). First, however, Paul must make sure the older Jews will accept him as their spiritual authority.

Because Timothy’s mother is Jewish, he is Jewish. Because his father is Greek, he is not circumcised. Even as a Jew, Timothy does not have to be circumcised to be saved. But Paul knows it will be easier for Timothy to minister to fellow Jews if they don’t get hung up on the traditions of his ancestors. So, though the primary purpose of Paul’s trip is to assure Gentiles they don’t have to be circumcised to worship God and live life with Jews, Paul does circumcise Timothy (Acts 16:3).

Context Summary
Acts 16:1–5 records Paul doing something we might not have expected. He is with Silas in modern-day Asia Minor, telling the churches he had planted that the leadership in Jerusalem agrees Gentile Christians do not have to be circumcised. In Lystra, Paul meets a young Jewish man named Timothy—and promptly circumcises him. This is not a matter of salvation, but so older Jewish believers don’t hassle the young church leader in the future (1 Timothy 4:12). Paul brings Timothy along, and the three continue visiting the churches in Galatia and Phrygia before picking up Luke and heading across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia (Acts 16:6–10).

Verse 2. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

Paul and Silas are in Galatia, the district in central modern-day Asia Minor, encouraging the churches Paul had planted with Barnabas. Part of that encouragement is letting the Gentile Jesus-followers know that, despite the insistence of Jewish Christian Pharisees, they do not have to be circumcised (Acts 15). While in Lystra, the two meet a young man named Timothy. His mother is Jewish, and his father is Greek (Acts 16:1). He’s well respected by his fellow believers, something which factors into his growing leadership role in the church (1 Timothy 4:12–16).

The district of Galatia is named after the 10,000 Gallic mercenaries and their families who were invited to stay by Nicomedes in the first century BC. During Paul’s first trip to Iconium, he and Barnabas managed to plant a church, but the unbelieving Jews riled up the Gentiles and the city leaders. When Paul and Barnabas heard they were planning on stoning them, they fled to Lystra (Acts 14:1–7).

Lystra was a market town about a day from the main road. The town was a Roman colony settled by Augustus’ Roman veterans, and the townspeople spoke more Latin than Greek. The first time Paul was there, the people had confused him with Hermes and Barnabas with Zeus; they then tried to offer sacrifices to them. Shortly after Paul and Barnabas convinced them to stop, the people were convinced by Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium to stone Paul and leave him for dead (Acts 14:8–23).

Knowing that the churches in Lystra and Iconium are doing well would have been a great encouragement to Paul. Encountering Timothy, Paul’s “true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2), is even better.

Verse 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.

Paul had just witnessed a major council in Jerusalem. This resulted in Peter and James, the leaders of the church, condemning any thought that Gentiles must be circumcised to follow the Jewish Messiah (Acts 15:1–21). Paul and Silas are traveling with the letter (Acts 16:4) explaining that the only requirements to be placed on Gentile believers was that they “abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality” (Acts 15:29). These are moderate requirements or reminders, meant to make Jewish believers feel comfortable sharing meals with their Gentile brothers in the faith. In addition, Paul’s letter to the people here, in the district of Galatia, states that if Gentiles get circumcised because they think following the Mosaic law will save them, then Jesus is worthless to them (Galatians 5:2–6). He goes so far as to say those who teach such things should just castrate themselves (Galatians 5:12).

Yet, now, Paul takes Timothy, a resident of Galatia, and circumcises him. The difference here is in motivation: Timothy is Jewish since Jewish ethnicity passes through the mother (Acts 16:1). Paul senses the young man will have a major role in the church, and he doesn’t want to give legalistic Jewish Christians any reason to find fault in him. If Timothy is not circumcised, the Jewish Christians might see it as a stumbling block to their faith (Romans 14:13). It’s about ministry, here, not salvation, and Paul knows that sacrifice is necessary for the spread of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:12, 19, 23; Colossians 1:24).

Timothy will go on with Paul as his “true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul will continue the spiritual and personal training Eunice and Lois, Timothy’s mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14–15), started. Timothy will represent Paul to several churches (1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:19) and eventually pastor in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3).

Verse 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.

Visiting churches which Paul had established during his first missionary journey with Barnabas, Paul, Silas, and Timothy are in the province of Galatia in central modern-day Asia Minor (Acts 14:1–23). When Paul and Barnabas had returned home to Syrian Antioch, they discovered Jewish Christians from the sect of the Pharisees vehemently insisting Gentiles needed to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic law—convert to Judaism—before they could worship the Jewish Messiah. Paul and Barnabas disagreed, and the church leaders in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem for formal guidance. Peter, James—the pastor of the church and half-brother of Jesus—and the other elders agreed with Paul and Barnabas. They wrote a letter and commissioned Silas and Judas Barsabbas to present the letter in Antioch (Acts 15:1–35).

After falling out with Barnabas, Paul takes Silas to the churches in the provinces of Syria and Cilicia to pass on the letter (Acts 15:36–41). As they travel north, they meet Timothy in Lystra and bring him along. Paul does circumcise Timothy—not because it is required for salvation, but because Timothy is an uncircumcised Jewish man who is destined to be a leader in the church. Paul knows Timothy will meet less opposition if he is circumcised (Acts 16:1–3).

There are no details here regarding the Pharisaical teachings in Galatia, but Paul’s letter to the Galatians proves it is a big problem. Paul starts his letter to the Galatians by reminding them of the gospel which he, as a commissioned apostle to the Gentiles, taught them. He affirms that any additions anyone might make to that gospel are heresy (Galatians 1:6–24). Paul describes how he went to Jerusalem to see Peter, John, and James. They affirmed the gospel Paul was teaching to the Gentiles is accurate (Galatians 2:1–10). Even when Peter and Barnabas temporarily slid back into the legalism of the Pharisees, Paul addressed them publicly (Galatians 2:11–14). Much of the rest of the letter is comprised of strong arguments that salvation is through faith alone, not works like circumcision. Paul finishes by revealing the real motive of the Pharisaical Christians. They know circumcision isn’t necessary for salvation, and they know that no one can follow the Mosaic law. But if they are seen eating with Gentiles who have not converted to Judaism, they will lose their treasured reputation among the non-Christian Jews. It’s all about image, not Jesus (Galatians 6:12–13).

James understands this. He couldn’t care less about the reputations of the Pharisaical Christians (James 2:1–7), but as a pastor he knows the importance of unity in a church gathering.

Silas then joins Paul to deliver the letter to the churches Paul and Barnabas had planted in other regions. There is some confusion about the timing of the visit described in Acts 16, Paul’s letter to the Galatians, and the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Most likely, Paul wrote Galatians after he had encountered the Pharisees in Antioch but before he and Barnabas left for Jerusalem. As much as the churches in Galatia might have trusted and been relieved by Paul’s letter, Silas and the letter from the elders in Jerusalem do much to build their faith (Acts 16:5).

Verse 5. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

When Paul and Barnabas travelled through Galatia in central modern-day Asia Minor to plant churches, they found an effective routine. They first entered synagogues and explained how Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the Jewish prophecies of the Messiah. The synagogue audiences included Jews as well as God-fearing Gentiles who worshiped the Jewish God but hadn’t fully converted to Judaism by being circumcised. People from both groups believed the message and accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Paul and Barnabas stayed long enough to establish churches and anoint elders to lead the congregations in their absence (Acts 14:1–23).

After Paul and Barnabas returned home to Syrian Antioch, Jewish Jesus-followers who still identified as Pharisees arrived. They were horrified to see a mix of Jews and Gentiles living life and eating meals together. They quickly convinced some of the Jews that eating with uncircumcised Gentiles was still a sin. They also threatened the Gentiles, saying they needed to convert to Judaism to worship the Jewish Messiah (Acts 15:1).

Paul pushed back strongly—to the point that he publicly confronted Peter, who was visiting from Jerusalem, when Peter stopped eating with the Gentile Christians (Galatians 2:11–14). There is some question as to the exact order in which these various events occurred. The elders of the church in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to ask for a formal ruling from the leaders there. James and Peter agreed with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Silas and Judas Barsabbas back to Antioch with Saul and Barnabas and a formal letter from the church in Jerusalem. The letter explained that Christians do not have to be circumcised or follow the Mosaic law. But the Gentiles should be reminded to be sexually pure, and they should avoid eating blood and meat sacrificed to idols. These are not requirements for salvation, but so the Jewish Christians will feel more comfortable being in community with them (Acts 15:2–35).

In between Paul and Barnabas’ return to Antioch and their departure for Jerusalem, Paul apparently heard this same false teaching had spread in the churches they planted in Galatia. He wrote the letter to the Galatians to reaffirm circumcision is not necessary for salvation; the only reason Pharisees cared about it was because eating with uncircumcised Gentiles would cost their reputation among the non-Christian Jews (Galatians 6:12). Now, he and Silas are in Galatia, presenting the council’s letter. Knowing decisively that salvation is through faith, not works, only serves to strengthen the Galatians’ convictions, and grow their congregations.

Verse 6. And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy are visiting churches Paul and Barnabas had planted in southern Galatia. They are encouraging the people, correcting any wrong beliefs which have cropped up, and presenting a letter from the leadership of the church in Jerusalem. Jewish Christians who still think of themselves as Pharisees have been trying to maintain their exalted reputation among the non-Christian Jews (Galatians 6:12). They don’t want to be seen in community with Gentile believers who never fully converted to Judaism. They insist Gentile Christians must be circumcised and follow the Mosaic law and that, until they do, Jewish Christians need to withdraw from them (Acts 15:1; Galatians 2:11–14). Paul, Silas, and the church in Jerusalem disagree. The letter states Gentile Jesus-followers do not need to be circumcised, but they do need to remain sexually pure and modify their diet so that Jews feel comfortable sharing a meal (Acts 15:22–29).

Galatia is the large region in the center of modern-day Asia Minor, and Phrygia is a small area with less stable boundaries to the west. Phrygia wasn’t very autonomous, and its territory typically shifted between western Galatia and eastern Asia. “Asia” is not the giant continent but a sizeable province that takes up the western third of the peninsula. It is home to the cities listed in Revelation 2 and 3 as well as Colossae and Troas.

The team apparently travels north from Phrygia to Mysia in northern Asia with the intent to plant churches in Bithynia, the province in northern Asia Minor on the southern shore of the Black Sea (Acts 16:7). Two cities in Bithynia—Nicaea and Chalcedon—will go on to have great significance in the early church. The Nicene Creed of AD 325, later modified in Constantinople and known as the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381, outlines the basics of the Christian faith including the Trinity, the deity and humanity of Jesus, the universal church, and the physical resurrection of the saints. In AD 451, the Council of Chalcedon finalizes the Christian understanding of the one Person and two natures of Christ.

God wants Paul, Silas, and Timothy to head farther west, however, across the Aegean Sea into Macedonia and then south to Greece (Acts 16:9). Paul will stop by Ephesus briefly on his way home to Syrian Antioch (Acts 18:19–21), but it appears Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos will be the first to spend time sharing Jesus’ story in Asia (Acts 18:24–28). Paul will concentrate on Ephesus during his third missionary journey, establishing the church more firmly (Acts 19).

Context Summary
Acts 16:6–10 records Paul, Silas, and Timothy striking out into new territory. They have visited the churches Paul and Barnabas planted in Galatia and given them the letter from the church in Jerusalem affirming Gentiles do not need to convert to Judaism to follow Jesus. Now they head farther west. The Holy Spirit tells them to bypass Asia and Bithynia—the districts in the far west and far north of modern-day Asia Minor—and cross the Aegean Sea. Jesus’ offer of salvation is coming to Macedonia and Greece. They also meet the author of both this book and the gospel which bears his name: Luke.

Verse 7. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

For the first part of Paul and Silas’s missionary journey, they visited churches Paul and Barnabas had planted during Paul’s first missionary voyage (Acts 13:1—14:23). Besides seeing Paul’s old friends, they shared a letter from the leadership in Jerusalem. This missive affirmed salvation is by grace through faith alone and gave instructions for how Gentile and Jewish Jesus-followers could more comfortably live in community (Acts 15:22–29).

The two men had intended to continue west to the province of Asia on the western end of modern-day Asia Minor. The news about Jesus’ offer of salvation had not yet infiltrated the cities there, although some had known John the Baptist (Acts 19:1–7). The Holy Spirit redirected them, however. In response, they tried to head north, into Bithynia, the province along the southern coastline of the Black Sea. But God wants them to bypass the rest of the peninsula and continue west, across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia (Acts 16:9–10).

So, they travel to Troas. At that point, the pronouns in the gospel change from “they” to “we.” Luke, the author of the book of Acts, will have joined the team.

Neither Asia nor Bithynia will be neglected for long. Paul will stop by Ephesus on his way home, and Apollos, Priscilla, and Aquila will share the gospel there (Acts 18:19–21, 24–28). On Paul’s third missionary voyage, he will return to Ephesus and firmly establish the church (Acts 19). Asia is home to the seven churches of Revelation 2—3 as well as Colossae.

Bithynia will host two major councils that will determine significant matters of our own orthodox theology. The members of the Nicene Council in 325 wrote the initial draft of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, finalized in AD 381. The creed affirms the Trinity, the universal church, and the bodily resurrection of both Jesus and believers. The Council of Chalcedon in AD 451 firmed up the church’s understanding of the hypostatic union. This is the teaching that Jesus is fully man and fully God, two natures in one Person. The council also determined the autonomy of churches: specifically stating that the Church of Rome had no authority over the Church in Constantinople. This ruling eventually led to the Schism between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Mysia is a territory in northwest Asia that includes the major port Troas. It’s not clear here if “the Spirit of Jesus” means the Holy Spirit or if Jesus more directly communicated with either Paul or Silas, both of whom were prophets (Acts 13:1; 15:32).

Verse 8. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

Paul and Silas have traveled through the province of Galatia in central modern-day Asia Minor. Their primary purpose was to let the Gentiles know they did not have to follow Mosaic law to be saved (Acts 16:4–5). They also met Timothy, a young Jewish man who had been faithfully trained in Judaism and Christianity (2 Timothy 1:5). Paul sees in Timothy a future church leader, so he circumcises the young man and brings him along (Acts 16:1–3).

The next logical step is to spread Jesus’ offer of salvation in Asia, the large province on the western third of the peninsula. The province includes the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2—3 as well as Colossae and Troas. The Holy Spirit redirects the trio, however, so they choose to go north, to the province of Bithynia along the southern coast of the Black Sea. Again, they are told no (Acts 16:6–7). Their only options are to backtrack to Galatia or to skirt between the two provinces to the Asian territory of Mysia, to the port town of Troas.

From Troas, they can go anywhere in the Roman Empire. God sends Paul a vision of a man inviting them to take the short trip across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. They do so and bring the gospel to Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth (Acts 16:9—18:17).

Verse 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.”

Troas is a port town on the westernmost shore of modern-day Asia Minor. Paul, Silas, and Timothy have traveled there, having visited the churches Paul and Barnabas planted in the center of the peninsula. And yet, the Holy Spirit has herded them away from the north and west. Now, the Holy Spirit leads them across the northern Aegean Sea to Macedonia.

At that time, Macedonia covered much of the northern peninsula of Greece. The three will go and “help” the Macedonians by telling them of Jesus’ offer of salvation, but their work will come at a cost. In Philippi, Paul and Silas will be beaten and jailed (Acts 16:22–34). The Thessalonians will attack the locals who accept Christ and then chase Paul and Silas out of Thessalonica, follow them to Berea, and harass Paul until he flees to Athens in Greece (Acts 17:5–15). In Athens, Paul will find very few Jews or Gentile God-followers. He will share the gospel with pagan philosophers, who will persecute him, but not as severely as he’d been attacked in other towns (Acts 17:32). Finally, in Corinth, the Jews will harass the Christians, but God will protect them (Acts 18:6–17).

Modern-day western Christians know, on an intellectual level, that spreading the message of forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ sacrifice will bring persecution (John 15:18–21). And yet, those who stay in the West tend to be sheltered; at times, western Christians misidentify inconvenience with persecution. To Paul and Silas, starting a church on the bank of a river is a very minor inconvenience. Being mocked for their beliefs did not deter them. Being beaten and chained in a prison cell is persecution, but not so great that they would rather escape than keep the opportunity to share the gospel with their jailer (Acts 16:29–34). It is good for the modern church to insist on the rights promised by the secular government. It is better to accept both inconvenience and persecution while remembering what our mission is: to help others escape eternal torment and find loving reconciliation with their Creator.

Verse 10. And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

During Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey, they traveled to the island of Cyprus. After this, they went up into central modern-day Asia Minor in the province of Galatia. On Paul’s second journey, this time with Silas, they go overland from Syrian Antioch to visit the same churches in Galatia. In Lystra, they pick up Timothy, a young Jewish Christian who quickly becomes Paul’s “true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2).

From Galatia, the team has several options. They can go west into the province of Asia, home to several large cities. Or they can move north to Bithynia where their evangelism would reach those who sail the Black Sea. But the Holy Spirit pulls them even farther west. They reach the port city of Troas on the westernmost point of Asia Minor where Paul has a vision of a man asking him to come to Macedonia, on the northern section of the Greek peninsula, to “help” the people there (Acts 16:9). Paul’s team immediately knows that “help” means sharing Jesus’ offer of reconciliation with God.

This verse includes a small change that is easy to overlook. For the first time in the book of Acts, the pronoun changes from “they” to “we.” Luke, the “beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14), has finally joined the group. He stays until Paul, Silas, and Timothy leave Philippi for Berea (Acts 16:40) and eventually meets up with Paul again in Macedonia when Paul is on the return trip from his third missionary journey (Acts 20:5). Luke stays either with or near Paul during his arrest in Jerusalem, imprisonment in Caesarea Maritima, sea voyage to Rome, and Paul’s house-arrest there (2 Timothy 4:11). He is the only known Gentile writer of the New Testament, and his letters to Theophilus—the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts—comprise over a quarter of the New Testament.

Verse 11. So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis,

Reading his writing, it’s clear that Luke enjoys narrating a sea voyage. He met Paul, Silas, and Timothy in the port town of Troas on the western coast of modern-day Asia Minor. Now he joins the three on their short sail across the northern Aegean Sea to Macedonia. Samothrace is an island where ships regularly stay overnight instead of risking the open water in the dark. Neapolis is the port on the Macedonian side, about ten miles from Philippi.

Paul’s travels—what cities he visits when and where he plants churches—can only be explained by the leading of the Holy Spirit. He spent several years in his hometown of Tarsus. There, he shared the gospel and built a church (Acts 9:29–30). Barnabas called him to Syrian Antioch to help disciple the new Gentile Jesus-followers (Acts 11:25–26). Both cities are on the far northeast coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey took them southwest to the island of Cyprus, then north into center of modern-day Asia Minor (Acts 13:1—14:23). After planting churches there, Paul revisited them twice, establishing leaders and reinforcing their beliefs (Acts 14:24; 16:1–5).

But then, the Holy Spirit led him straight through the western third of the peninsula, by-passing several large, influential cities including Colossae and Ephesus (Acts 16:6–7). Instead, Paul and his team go to Philippi on the border of Macedonia and Greece. From here, Paul will make his way south to Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth. He will briefly stop at Ephesus, but he won’t spend any significant time there until his third missionary trip (Acts 16:12—18:21).

Very rarely does the Holy Spirit give us detailed direction as to where He wants us to serve. When He does, however, we should remember how flexible and trusting Paul was. God has a strategic plan for the spread of the gospel into the world (Acts 1:8). Paul willingly follows it.

Context Summary
Acts 16:11–15 sees Jesus’ offer of salvation come to Macedonia. Paul, Silas, and Timothy have traveled through the province of Galatia, building up the churches. Now they quickly move through the western end of modern-day Asia Minor. They meet with Luke and cross the Aegean Sea. In Philippi, they meet Lydia who helps them plant the first church in Europe: the first predominantly Gentile church. The church in Philippi grows into a strong, generous body that Paul proudly holds up as an example for others.

Verse 12. and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.

Paul and Silas leave Syrian Antioch to visit the churches Paul had planted with Barnabas on his first missionary journey. They make stops in central modern-day Asia Minor, picking up Timothy in Lystra. The Holy Spirit directs them to bypass northern and western Asia Minor. In Troas, Paul has a vision that directs them to cross the Aegean Sea, instead, bringing Jesus’s offer of salvation to Macedonia. So, they pick up Luke and land in Neapolis, the port city of Philippi (Acts 16:1–11).

In most cities, Paul enters the local Jewish synagogue and waits for the leadership to ask him to speak (Acts 13:5, 14; 14:1; 18:4). He shows how Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the Hebrew prophecies of the Jewish Messiah (Acts 13:16–41). Some Jews as well as some God-fearing Gentiles who worship the Jewish God believe him (Acts 13:43; 17:4). Eventually, those who do not believe him will run him and his followers out of the synagogue, and they will establish a church in a local home (Acts 18:7).

Philippi doesn’t have a synagogue. It takes ten Jews to establish one, which tells us something about the demographics of the city. Instead, the team will go to the river, a common place for people to meet and pray. They will find Lydia, a Gentile who worships God, and lead her and her household to salvation in Jesus (Acts 16:13–15).

The lack of a synagogue means that Paul and his companions won’t be pushed out of town by Jews angered by worship of Jesus as the Messiah: a man who claims to be God. Or, they may be jealous the missionaries’ message is so well received (Acts 13:45; 17:5). But Philippi is a Roman colony, which comes with its own problems. The population is Roman. Most of the natives are Roman citizens. They live as if they are in Italy. One of the strongest laws is that it is illegal to preach about a god not recognized by the Roman government. Judaism is a recognized religion; to this point, Christianity is seen as a sect of Judaism. When Paul disrupts the business opportunity of local slaveholders, they will take advantage of their city’s strong affinity for the law and have Paul and Silas beaten and jailed (Acts 16:16–24).

Their charge is true, but the magistrates make a terrible mistake: they assume two itinerant Jewish teachers are not Roman citizens. The crowd and magistrates who abused Paul and Silas are guilty of a greater crime than the evangelists and could, themselves, be imprisoned (Acts 16:35–40).

Verse 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.

Understandably, the early church is filled with “firsts.” The church in Jerusalem was the first church (Acts 2:1–4). Cornelius and his household were the first large group of Gentiles to come to faith in Christ (Acts 10:44–48). The church in Syrian Antioch was the first to be home to large numbers of Gentiles (Acts 11:19–26).

The church in Philippi was the first church in Europe, and the first documented to start with a Gentile household, and the first that began with a woman.

In the time of the early church, Jews were scattered all over the Roman Empire. Some had traveled for business opportunities. Some had been enslaved by conquering armies. Romans quickly found out that as Jews strongly resisted working on the Sabbath and had quirky diets, they didn’t make good slaves. Many Jews were freed wherever they happened to be.

Because of this, many cities had synagogues, including Salamis on the island of Cyprus (Acts 13:5), Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:15), Iconium (Acts 14:1), Thessalonica (Acts 17:1), Berea (Acts 17:10), Athens (Acts 17:17), Corinth (Acts 18:4), and Ephesus (Acts 18:19). But not Philippi. It takes ten Jews to establish a synagogue, and the major city must have been content with a handful of women who met by the river to pray.

If Paul had followed his instincts, he would have gone to the district of Asia in the western third of modern-day Asia Minor to visit the great number of Jews in cities like Ephesus and Colossae. Barring that, he would have gone north to Chalcedon and Nicaea, two cities that go on to host councils that make significant contributions to Christian theology.

Instead, the Holy Spirit guides Paul’s group to the Roman outpost of Philippi to one woman: Lydia (Acts 16:14). The church in Philippi thrives, becoming a generous partner in the spread of the gospel to other cities (Philippians 4:15–16).

Verse 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.

Normally, when entering a new city, Paul attends the local synagogue and waits for an opportunity to speak (Acts 13:5, 14; 14:1; 18:4). He explains how Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament and how He died and rose again for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 13:16–41). Some of the Jews and God-worshiping Gentiles accept his claim, while others don’t (Acts 13:43; 17:4). Philippi, however, doesn’t seem to have the requisite ten Jews needed to maintain a synagogue. All it has is a group of women who worship the Jewish God and meet on the Sabbath at the river to pray.

One of these is Lydia. Thyatira is a town in Asia. The “Asia” mentioned here is not the modern continent, but a large province which takes up the western third of modern-day Asia Minor. Thyatira is one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation. Jesus warns them against a woman in their congregation who entices members into a mystery sex cult, although He also recognizes a good number in the church follows Him well (Revelation 2:18–29). We don’t know if Lydia returns to Thyatira and is part of this church; if she is, she is almost certainly not the idolatrous woman.

That Lydia sells purple goods, native to her district, infers that she is wealthy. She soon invites Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke to stay in her home, which proves she is also generous. The church that starts with Lydia and her household continues that generous tradition, supporting Paul in his ministry to Thessalonica (Philippians 4:15–16).

Ironically, Paul had wanted to plant churches in Asia. There are many sizeable cities with strong Jewish populations that would welcome, to some degree, the message of Jesus. The Holy Spirit herds him away, however, to an Asian woman on the border of Macedonia and Greece.

Verse 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, Silas, Timothy, and Luke have arrived in the Roman outpost of Philippi on the border of Macedonia and Greece. It is a sizeable city with one noticeable lack: there is no synagogue. Typically, Paul plants a church in a new city by preaching in the local synagogue. There, he would recruit Jews and God-fearing Gentiles who accept that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. Philippi, apparently, doesn’t have the ten Jewish worshippers required to maintain an official synagogue. So, the team goes to the river where people often gather to pray. They find a group of women, including a well-to-do merchant from Thyatira named Lydia.

Lydia is a bit of a mystery to us. She is only mentioned here, in the beginning of the team’s stay in Philippi, and at the end (Acts 16:40). She is the first recorded convert in Europe, although she is from Asia, the province in western modern-day Asia Minor where the Holy Spirit has recently told Paul not to teach (Acts 16:6).

Macedonian women were more independent than others in the Roman Empire. In addition, Roman law gave freeborn women with three children and freedwomen with four children additional legal privileges. We know nothing about Lydia’s family, just that she is generous and passes on that generous spirit to the church that started in her home (Philippians 4:15–16). When Paul was debating where to go, the Holy Spirit sent a vision of a man beckoning him to Macedonia (Acts 16:9). When they arrive, the first person to come to a saving relationship with Jesus—who is hand-picked by the Holy Spirit—is a woman. Women are equally included in God’s kingdom, and subtle details such as these help emphasize that point.

Verse 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.

The Holy Spirit has called Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke to Macedonia to spread Jesus’ offer of salvation. When they arrive in Philippi, they find there are not enough Jews in the city to have a synagogue. Knowing the custom, they presume they will find a group who worship the Jewish God at the river. They do—a gathering of women including Lydia who accepts their message of Jesus and invites them to stay with her (Acts 16:9–15). Apparently, the group continues meeting at the river, listening to Paul and Silas talk about Jesus.

In most cities, Paul would speak in the synagogue, showing how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Messiah in Jewish Scripture. After a while, the synagogue leaders would reject his message, but others—Jew and Gentile—would follow him and learn more. Eventually, the synagogue leaders would incite the city leaders to drive Paul out of town, at least once by stoning him (Acts 14:19–20). In Philippi, Paul learns that threatening a Gentile’s money stream can be as dangerous as challenging a synagogue’s teaching.

The “spirit of divination” that possesses the girl is related to the myth of Pythian: a serpent or dragon that guarded the oracle at Delphi and had been slain by Apollo. The girl is possessed by a demon that has taken on this myth—but this does not validate the existence of the “spirit of python.” Some churches teach that every hardship and sin, from unemployment to poor health, promiscuity, and even stubbornness is caused by a demon. Many teach that the “python spirit” can thwart a Christian’s communication with the Holy Spirit, both blocking the Spirit’s leading and the believer’s prayers. Others say Python squeezes away their joy or causes greed or fear.

These are false teachings. Not every hardship is caused by a demon; the world is fallen, and bad things happen when people make wrong choices. A demon can oppress a Christian, but it cannot possess someone who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Demons have been around for a long time, and they can use that experience and their ability to observe those around us to reveal things a normal person doesn’t know, but there’s no indication they can determine the future.

Context Summary
Acts 16:16–24 shows that religiously confused Gentiles can hinder Paul’s ministry as much as Jews. Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke are in Philippi on the border of Macedonia and Greece. When Paul expels a demonic spirit from a slave girl, her owners accuse Paul and Silas of illegally promoting a foreign god. The crowd and the city magistrates beat and imprison the pair. Only later do they realize their mistake: Paul and Silas are both Roman citizens (Acts 16:37), and you can’t punish Roman citizens without a trial.

Verse 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.”

Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke are in the city of Philippi on the border of Macedonia and Greece. They have found a small group of women who meet at the riverside to pray to the Jewish God, although it’s likely at least some of them are Gentiles. Some people in town own a demon-possessed slave girl who tells fortunes. The demon in the girl has recognized that Paul’s team serves Jesus (Acts 16:13–16).

This is not the first demon who has publicly identified God’s servant; Jesus had to deal with this several times. Demons called Him “the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24–25) and the “Son of God” (Mark 3:11–12). In each case, Jesus silenced the demon (Mark 1:34). On the surface, one supernatural being validating the message of the servants of another supernatural Being may seem like a good thing. However, since the beginning, Satan has excelled at adding a little lie to a big truth with catastrophic effect. Christ did not need or want validation from lying spirits bent on destroying everything good in the world. He was also not ready to publicly reveal Himself as the Messiah and the Son of God, so He forbade them to speak and expelled them from their victims.

Paul’s actions are decidedly more human. He expels the demon, but because it’s annoying, not necessarily dangerous (Acts 16:18). Some commentors suggest the girl’s words are sarcastic or taunting. It’s also possible she is simply following the missionaries closely and being loud and disruptive.

Another question is, why does the demon speak at all? Why does it accurately declare that Paul and Silas are teaching the way to salvation? In Jesus’ ministry, demons seemed to be compelled to approach Him. There’s no record in the Gospels that indicates they lied in His presence. This demon does the same. There is something about the power of God in these situations that overrides the demons’ natural inclination to lie and hide and forces them to reveal themselves. As the apostle John writes, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

Verse 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.

When Jesus was teaching in a synagogue early in His ministry, a demon that had possessed a man cried out, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” Jesus’ first command was, “Be silent” (Mark 1:21–25). When Jesus was teaching and healing by the Sea of Galilee, demons would declare, “You are the Son of God.” Jesus “strictly ordered them not to make him known” (Mark 3:11–12). This was His standard way of dealing with demons: “he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him” (Mark 1:34). There is a noticeable exception in the situation with the men at the tombs in the Gadarenes who were possessed by Legion (Matthew 8:28–34). In that case, Jesus spoke with Legion, negotiating a transfer to a herd of pigs (Mark 5:1–13). The difference seems to be that in the Gadarenes, only the disciples witnessed the interaction.

Here, Luke tells the story of a girl possessed by a fortune-telling demon. The spirit has been harassing him, Paul, Silas, and Timothy every day as they walk to the riverside outside Philippi to pray. Through the girl, the demon has announced the men serve God and proclaim how to be saved (Acts 16:16–17). It’s not clear why Paul waited to deal with the situation until now. It may be that Jesus silenced the demons only because He didn’t want the people to know yet that He was the Son of God. Explaining Jesus’ identity is Paul’s entire mission. It may be that Paul anticipates freeing the girl will cause problems with the men who own her—which it does (Acts 16:19).

Finally, Paul expels the demon. The girl is freed but no longer able to tell fortunes. This does not please her owners who made quite a bit of money by taking advantage of her condition. They drag Paul and Silas before the town leaders and charge them with teaching about foreign gods (Acts 16:20–21). Although the Roman Empire is open to all sorts of religion, any “gods” must be officially approved by the government. Philippi is a Roman outpost, so the law is enforced more strongly. Although Judaism is a recognized religion, worship of Jesus Christ is rapidly distinguishing itself. Especially problematic for Romans, Christians elevate another man above the deified emperor.

The law is so important to Romans that the people and magistrates beat and jail Paul and Silas. The next morning, the magistrates learn that Paul and Silas are not unsophisticated yokels: they are Roman citizens. It is as great a crime to disrespect Roman citizens as it is Roman gods. When the magistrates learn of their error, they officially apologize and meekly request the two move on (Acts 16:35–40).

Verse 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.

Depending on how a historian defines the term, they might well say that most inhabitants of the Roman Empire were slaves. These ranged from prisoners who worked the mines to indentured servants who sold themselves to government officials to learn an administrative trade. In Philippi, some people own a girl who is possessed by a spirit of divination. They make a great deal of money from her ability to tell fortunes (Acts 16:16). The Bible is silent as to whether demons have any real ability to know the future. Even if demons cannot infallibly predict anything, they have observed humanity for thousands of years. They have more than enough intellect to interpret the actions and words of people around them. Like a con artist with thousands of years of experience and a genius’ intellect, a demon could make very good guesses as to what will happen to the girl’s clients.

During Jesus’ ministry, demons seemed strangely compelled to confront Him (Mark 3:11). One would expect a demon would avoid the One who could destroy them with a thought. The man possessed by Legion in the tombs could have run away; instead, he ran to Jesus (Mark 5:1–7). In a similar way, the girl follows Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke for several days, identifying them as “servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). Perhaps because he didn’t want trouble with her owners, Paul ignores her at first. Her words might be true, but it’s not good to let the work of God be associated with a false spirit. And, the girl is probably being obnoxious, interrupting or impeding their ability to preach. Finally, incredibly annoyed, Paul casts the demon out (Acts 16:18).

Usually, Paul’s adversaries ran him out of town when traditionally minded Jews believed he was teaching contrary to Scripture. Or, because they were jealous of his popularity (Acts 13:45, 50). This may be the first time Gentiles persecute Paul for financial reasons. It’s not the last. During his third missionary journey, a great number of Gentiles will come to faith in Jesus in Ephesus. They will burn their magic books worth 50,000 pieces of silver (Acts 19:19). The local idol makers will take notice. Paul will escape, but the silversmiths, fearful that the worship of Artemis—and the popularity of their idols—will wane, will grab two of Paul’s companions and start a riot (Acts 19:23–34).

Verse 20. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.

Roman rule succeeded, in part, because it left many aspects of a conquered territory untouched. Local custom, language, and religion were mostly tolerated. In other ways, the Roman Empire had a tight rein on its inhabitants. They required rigid adherence to certain laws and considerable taxes. Most who lived under Roman rule were slaves or subsistence workers. But people knew how to game the system. Rome expected a lot from the local rulers they appointed. The reason the Sanhedrin could convince Pilate to crucify Jesus, for instance, was by threatening to accuse Pilate of sedition (John 19:12) or through provoking a riot (Matthew 27:24).

In this verse, we see the owners of a possessed slave girl make a similar play against the magistrates of Philippi. They don’t care that Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke are teaching the people that some Jewish man is God. They’re not actually offended at claims that Jesus offers forgiveness from sins and reconciliation with God. They care that Paul expelled the demon from their slave girl, and now she can’t make them money telling fortunes (Acts 16:16–19). Their complaint uses the Roman law to get revenge.

The Roman Empire made room for many gods, but all had to be authorized by the government. Even Judaism was authorized—though the Romans referred to Jews as “atheists,” for rejecting all but one, invisible God. In this verse, the owners of the slave girl claim Paul’s team is causing a disturbance because they are “[advocating] customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice” (Acts 16:21). That is, they are teaching that Jesus is God, and Jesus is not one of Rome’s approved deities.

Though Judaism wasn’t illegal, spreading it was considered against the common good as it drew people away from worshiping the emperor. The slave girl’s owners get what they want: the magistrates beat Paul and Silas and throw them in jail. But by characterizing the two men as “Jews,” they make a terrible mistake. Paul and Silas are Jews, but they are also Roman citizens (Acts 16:37). To beat and imprison a Roman citizen without a trial was almost worse than to introduce a new deity. The magistrates have unknowingly violated the missionaries’ civil rights, and Paul will be sure the error does not go unnoticed (Acts 16:37).

Verse 21. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”

Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy are in Philippi planting a church. The city apparently does not have enough Jews for a synagogue, so the missionaries meet with God-fearing women by the river. Over the past several days, a possessed girl has been following them, crying “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). Her influence is either distracting or deceptive enough that Paul becomes annoyed and expels the demon from the girl (Acts 16:18).

This causes problems. The demon has given the girl the ability to know things she wouldn’t otherwise. She is a slave, and her owners realize she can no longer bring in money through her ability to tell fortunes. Her owners tell the magistrates that Paul and Silas are breaking the law (Acts 16:19–20).

“Advocate customs” means to teach people to worship a god that is not authorized by the Roman government. Cicero, in De Legibus, ii.18 said, “No person shall have any separate gods, or new ones; nor shall he privately worship any strange gods, unless they be publicly allowed.” Judaism was legal, but the magistrates might not know too much about it. Jews would quietly worship an “invisible” God, but Paul and his team are talking about worshiping a man from Galilee. In addition, Philippi was a Roman military outpost, so the laws may have been enforced more strongly.

In response, the crowds and the police beat and imprison Paul and Silas. Of course, God works their hardship for good. First, the jailer and his family come to faith in Jesus. Then the magistrates discover their “criminals” are Roman citizens—whom they have illegally harassed. The must officially apologize (Acts 16:22–39). Roman law protected citizens as much as gods.

Verse 22. The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

Paul has expelled a fortune-telling demon out of a slave girl, ruining her owners’ income source. In response, the owners accuse Paul and Silas of advocating unlawful customs (Acts 16:21). The charge is a serious one. The Roman Empire strongly controlled what gods its inhabitants could worship. Judaism was authorized, but while Rome sometimes grandfathered Christianity under Judaism, Christians teach the worship of a man, Jesus of Nazareth, placing Him on the same level or higher than the emperor. The Roman statesman Cicero, who lived in the first century BC, said in De Legibus, ii.8, “No person shall have any separate gods, or new ones; nor shall he privately worship any strange gods, unless they be publicly allowed.” The response of the crowd and the city leaders is immediate, possibly due to the fact Philippi, although in Macedonia, was a Roman city (Acts 16:23–24).

It so happens that the response of the magistrates, itself, was illegal. Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, who were entitled to a trial before being beaten. Though the local leaders attempt to cover up their error, Paul ensures they admit to their mistake (Acts 16:36–39).

Later, Paul will write to the Thessalonians about this day, how he and Silas had “suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi” (1 Thessalonians 2:2). Despite this and despite the treatment they receive in Thessalonica, Paul says, “our coming to you was not in vain” (1 Thessalonians 2:1). God promised Paul he would suffer for the spread of the gospel (Acts 9:16), and he did (2 Corinthians 11:24–28).

After Philippi, Paul, Silas, and Timothy will go southwest to Thessalonica. Unlike Philippi, which didn’t even have a synagogue, Thessalonica had many Jews. Some of the Jews in Thessalonica will be stubborn enough not only to start a riot and drive Paul and Silas away, but also to follow them to Berea and start more problems. It will get so bad, the believers rush Paul away to Athens (Acts 17:4–15).

Verse 23. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.

A demon-possessed slave girl followed Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy to the river where they met to pray. There, she loudly declared, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). The description suggests she was being intrusive, obnoxious, or possibly sarcastic. The men successfully ignore her for several days. Eventually, Paul decides he’s had enough and expels the demon. Unfortunately, the girl’s owners depend on the money the fortune-telling demon makes for them. It was not against Roman law to expel a demon, but it was illegal to preach a new religion and encourage the worship of a god not endorsed by the Roman government. The girl’s owners charge Paul and Silas with advocating unlawful customs (Acts 16:16–21).

The onlookers join in the persecution, beating Paul and Silas until the magistrates more officially tear off the men’s clothes and beat them with rods (Acts 16:22). This proves to be a mistake. Philippi was a Roman city, despite the fact it sits on the border of Macedonia and Greece. That may be why the populace is so riled up about this new religion. But it also means the people knew Roman citizens had special rights. For one, they were entitled to “due process:” they could not be punished, let alone beaten and imprisoned, without a fair trial. While it is true that most of the population in the Roman Empire were not citizens, especially the Jews, Paul and Silas were. They could charge the magistrates with false imprisonment. Instead, they will merely demand an official apology and move on to Berea (Acts 16:35–40).

Verse 24. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

After expelling a fortune-telling demon from a slave girl, Paul and Silas are charged by her owners with promoting unlawful customs. They are doing exactly that: spreading Christianity, a religion not authorized by the Roman Empire. A crowd attacks them, and the magistrates order the police to beat them with rods and throw them in prison (Acts 16:16–23).

Paul must see the irony in this. He, too, abused and imprisoned Jesus-followers (Acts 22:19; 26:10–11). Now Paul is in a Roman city, surrounded by family, regional, and national gods, none of which exist, and he is imprisoned for preaching about the one true God. Paul knows God could free him and Silas in an instant, but he also knows that he and Silas have the capability to arrange for their own rescue. They are Roman citizens. Everything that has happened to them—the beatings, the chains, and the prison—is strictly illegal. At most, they should be under house arrest until given a chance at a fair trial.

Despite the pain Paul and Silas must feel, they’re not really worried about where they are. They start singing hymns and praying out loud. The other prisoners listen. In the middle of the night, a great earthquake opens all the cell doors and releases all the chains. The jailer assumes the prisoners have escaped. He knows his life is forfeit so he draws his sword to kill himself. Paul reassures him: no one has left; they are all accounted for. The jailer brings Paul and Silas to his home, washes their wounds, and accepts their God (Acts 16:25–34).

All that’s left is to tell the magistrates what a horrible mistake they’ve made.

Verse 25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

Paul and Silas have been imprisoned, wrongly, at least from a certain point of view. It is true they “advocate customs that are not lawful” in the Roman Empire (Acts 16:20–21). Specifically, they are spreading the worship of a deity—Jesus—that is not authorized by the Roman government. In truth, their accusers charged them for financial reasons. Paul expelled a demon from a slave girl. The girl lost the ability to tell fortunes, and her owners lost the ability to use her to make money (Acts 16:16–19).

Promoting the worship of an authorized god was a serious crime, but the city magistrates also broke the law when they beat and imprisoned two Roman citizens without trial (Acts 16:22–24). Paul and Silas don’t know what will happen, but they know God is in control. Paul references this suffering in Philippi in his letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:2). In that same letter, he will tell the Thessalonians, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). And he will tell the Colossians that as Jesus suffered to offer salvation, he willingly suffers to spread Jesus’ offer of salvation (Colossians 1:24).

Since Luke inserted himself into the narrative (Acts 16:10), the writing grew more personal and detailed. Verses 25–34 again feel impersonal and summarized. That doesn’t mean this part isn’t Scripture. Paul and Silas probably told Luke what happened, and the Holy Spirit directed him to include it. Verse 35 returns to the more personal, first-hand style (Acts 16:35).

Context Summary
Acts 16:25–40 records Paul’s first imprisonment. The Philippian magistrates arrested Paul and Silas and had them beaten for spreading the news about Jesus. The two are now chained in a cell, praying and singing to God. An earthquake shakes the prison, releasing all the doors and chains. Paul assures the jailer no one has left, and the jailer tends to the pair’s wounds. They share Jesus’ offer of forgiveness of sins, and the jailer and his household accept Christ. In the morning, the magistrates attempt to release Paul and Silas, only to be confronted with their own crime: they have illegally punished two Roman citizens. After apologizing, the magistrates ask Paul and Silas to leave town.

Verse 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.

In Philippi, it was not a crime to expel a fortune-telling demon from a slave girl. When Paul does so, the girl’s owners lose a steady source of income, but they have no legal recourse. Instead, they accurately accuse Paul and Silas of encouraging the worship of a deity—Jesus—which is not authorized by the Roman government. In response, a crowd attacks them, and the city magistrates beat them with rods and send them to jail. Paul and Silas respond by singing praises to God and praying while the other prisoners listen (Acts 16:16–25).

Macedonia is known for its earthquakes, but this tremor is unique. The building doesn’t collapse, and none of the prisoners are harmed, but all the doors and chains come loose. Strangely enough, the prisoners stay.

When Herod Agrippa I imprisoned Peter, an angel came to his aid and led him out. As was the custom, Agrippa ordered the guards executed (Acts 12:3–19). The jailer owns this jail. If his prisoners escape, he will forfeit his life. The text doesn’t say, but likely the prisoners know this. Whether through the influence of the Holy Spirit or the leadership of Paul, the prisoners wait patiently. By doing so, they save the jailer’s life. Soon after, Paul and Silas will lead him and his family to eternal life (Acts 16:27–33).

Verse 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.

When Herod Agrippa I imprisoned Peter with the intent to execute him, God sent an angel to lead Peter out of the prison. Because they let a prisoner go free, Agrippa had the guards executed (Acts 12:3–19). When a jailer in Philippi realizes a freak earthquake has opened all his cell doors and unloosed his prisoners’ chains, he prepares to kill himself. He is personally responsible for the prisoners of the Roman outpost. A sword is kinder than what the city magistrates would do to him; they might even crucify him.

Among the prisoners are Paul and Silas. Hours before, the magistrates had beaten and imprisoned them for breaking the law by promoting a new religion: the worship of Jesus of Nazareth. They spent the early hours praying and singing hymns while the other prisoners listened. It’s not written, but likely they influenced their cell mates to stay (Acts 16:20–25).

When the jailer finds none of the prisoners escaped, he is overwhelmed. He falls at Paul and Silas’s feet and asks them how to be saved. They tell him and his household about Jesus; they believe and are baptized. He then dresses their wounds and feeds them, no longer concerned about what the magistrates may think (Acts 16:28–34).

Of course, Paul and Silas trust God for their well-being, whether God’s will includes freedom or eternity in Jesus’ presence. But they have an ace up their sleeves. Although the charges against them are true, their punishment was illegal. They are Roman citizens, which even in that era meant a right to “due process:” a controlled process before punishment. They had been beaten and imprisoned without a fair trial. When the magistrates find out, they fear for their own lives. Paul and Silas demand an official apology and agree to leave (Acts 16:35–40). But the jailer and his family are forever changed.

Verse 28. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

Paul and Silas are in prison in Philippi. Until moments before, they and the other prisoners were chained and locked behind cell doors, but an earthquake has opened the doors and loosened the shackles. Knowing that the loss of the prisoners—even to an earthquake—would be a death sentence, the jailer is prepared to take his own life; he would rather literally fall on his own sword than risk crucifixion (Acts 16:26–27).

The jailer need not worry. Paul and Silas have been singing hymns and praying while the other prisoners listen (Acts 16:25). Perhaps, their words spread a sense of peace; no one leaves, and the jailer is spared. He immediately falls at Paul and Silas’s feet and asks how he can be truly saved. The two explain Jesus’ offer of peace, and the jailer and his household accept Jesus as their Savior. The next morning, when the city magistrates tell Paul and Silas to leave Philippi quietly, the pair reveal they are Roman citizens. This means their abuse and imprisonment without trial was illegal. The magistrates apologize and politely request they depart (Acts 16:29–40).

Paul’s and Silas’s faith in God save the life of the jailer, provide for the eternal life of his family, and possibly save the lives of the other prisoners who would have been hunted down while they fled. It’s not unreasonable to assume at least some of the prisoners also accepted faith in Christ. The missionaries’ willingness to stay in prison—even though they were placed there illegally—ensures they can return to Philippi (Acts 20:1–2, 6). It strengthens the nascent church that becomes one of Paul’s greatest blessings (Philippians 4:10).

This will not be the last time Paul accomplishes significant work for Christ while in prison. During his first imprisonment in Rome, while he is under house arrest and chained to a Roman guard, he reaches members of Caesar’s household (Philippians 4:22) and the imperial guard (Philippians 1:13). In addition, he most likely writes the letters to Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon during this same stretch.

Verse 29. And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.

It is sometime in the middle of the night in Philippi, a Roman outpost. Paul and Silas had been accused of encouraging the worship of Jesus, a faith not legally endorsed by the Roman Empire. In response, a crowd attacked them and the city magistrates ordered them beaten with iron rods and imprisoned (Acts 16:20–24). As with most crimes that do not warrant execution, the magistrates plan on exiling them in the morning (Acts 16:35).

In prison, Paul and Silas do not let their pain or their situation determine their outlook. They sing hymns of praise to God and pray while the other prisoners sit and listen. Suddenly, the earth shakes, the cell doors open, and the shackles come unlocked (Acts 16:25–26). When the jailer realizes what has happened, he draws his sword; allowing prisoners to escape is a capital offense, and it is better to die of one’s own hand than to risk crucifixion (Acts 12:18–19; 16:25–27).

But Paul cries out in reassurance: the prisoners have all remained (Acts 16:28). Incredulous, the jailer submits to his prisoners. He has heard these two have been preaching about salvation through a Christ. He now believes them. He and his household receive their words and see to their wounds (Acts 16:30–34).

Paul and Silas started their stay in Philippi by bringing one Gentile woman and her household to Christ (Acts 16:14–15). Their last night, they watch a jailer and his family follow (Acts 16:32–34). For some reason, Philippi becomes one of the strongest churches of Paul’s ministry, even supporting him as he ministers to other churches (Philippians 4:14–16). No one is beyond the Holy Spirit’s grasp, and no one is too “other” to serve God’s kingdom.

Verse 30. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Paul and Silas have saved a jailer’s physical life; now he asks them how he can have eternal life.

The magistrates of Philippi have illegally beaten and imprisoned Paul and Silas. In the morning, as is the custom, the officials will ban them from the city. Their mission to spread Jesus’ offer of salvation and plant a church in Philippi has come to an end, for now. Instead of lamenting that their time is cut short, they sing praises to God and pray loud enough for the other prisoners to hear (Acts 16:20–25).

Apparently, their rejoicing has brought peace to their audience’s hearts. When an earthquake racks the prison, opening doors and shackles, the men all stay. The jailer doesn’t know this and, realizing his life will be forfeit for losing prisoners, prepares to kill himself. Paul stops him. The jailer falls at his and Silas’s feet. Salvation comes to one last household before Paul and Silas must move on (Acts 16:26–29).

The jailer’s words mirror those spoken by the recipients of the first gospel presentation on the first day of the church (Acts 2:37). Salvation, from a traditional Jewish view, meant following the Mosaic law. For the Romans, “salvation” could mean almost anything. Typically, people worshiped household idols for their family’s well-being, city gods for their community, national gods for the Empire, and the emperor, himself. Many didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead.

Paul and Silas’s message is much simpler: believe that Jesus of Nazareth died and rose again for the forgiveness of sin and accept His gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8–9). The jailer and his family do so. The jailer washes the wounds of his two prisoners; they baptize him as a sign his sins are washed away. They all finish the night rejoicing (Acts 16:31–34).

Verse 31. And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

The previous day, the city magistrates in Philippi beat and imprisoned Paul and Silas for sharing Jesus’ story. That night, an earthquake freed them and the other prisoners from their cells. They all stayed, saving the jailer from execution. Now, the two explain how Jesus offers forgiveness of sins, saving the jailer and his family from eternity in hell (Acts 16:20–30).

In the Roman Empire, people typically prayed and offered grain to household idols for the good of the family. Each city had specific gods the people were expected to worship so the region would be blessed (Acts 19:28). The Empire had dozens of gods, including the emperor, all of whom needed to be placated. Beliefs on the resurrection of the dead depended on one’s philosophical school. Only the Jews were authorized to worship an invisible God, and they were called “atheists” for doing so. But some philosophers were functional atheists, denying the existence of the supernatural but only in secret for fear of persecution.

With all these different worldviews, it’s understandable the jailer would ask Paul and Silas how to be saved. They introduce him to the invisible Jewish God and the visible Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, was resurrected, and now offers forgiveness to all who have faith to accept it. They explain how His offer is not because anyone deserves it—no one does—but because God has grace to save (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Paul will later describe how he takes pride in his ability to adapt to any situation: whatever is needed to share Jesus’ offer of salvation (1 Corinthians 9:19–23; Philippians 4:11–13). As he says in 1 Corinthians 9:23, “I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” Sitting in the home of his jailer, blood drying on his skin, knowing he will have to leave the city in the morning, Paul shows no condemnation. If given half the chance, nothing will keep him from sharing Jesus’ love.

Verse 32. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

Paul and Silas are in Philippi, sharing the good news of forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice to a jailer and his household. This is an important verse. Some passages, like Acts 16:15, can be casually misread to suggest that if the head of the household accepted Christ for her or his savior, the rest of the household will automatically be saved. That sentiment has stretched today into a common belief that those who are “raised in a Christian home” are Christians even if they have not made a personal decision to accept Christ. To an extent, Judaism is a community religion and salvation is in some sense communal. Christianity is not. Each individual must accept God’s offer of grace to be saved.

Even this passage does not specifically say that each member of the jailer’s house believed although they were all baptized (Acts 16:33). In situations like this, “baptized” is a figure of speech called a synecdoche. It is a part that is used in place of a whole. A modern example might be if someone gets a “haircut,” we know they may also get their hair washed, dried, and styled. The statement that the family members are baptized assumes they also accepted salvation through Jesus.

In fact, they must do so. In a culture that has gods for everything, becoming a Christ-follower is a serious decision. You will no longer sacrifice and eat to the civil gods; because of that, your neighbors will believe you no longer care for the welfare of your city. If you are in a trade, your guild may divert business away from you. And if you refuse to worship the emperor, you may be executed. A family cannot be half-pagan and half-Christian and stay together. The jailer makes an important decision for his family, and the family members follow. Despite the dangers, they know they are making the right choice and praise God (Acts 16:34).

Verse 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.

Jesus was not an authorized deity of the Roman Empire. And yet, Paul and Silas are in Philippi preaching that Jesus of Nazareth died on a cross and rose again, offering reconciliation with the Creator God, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. Residents of the city with a grudge against Paul and Silas accuse them of promoting the worship of an illegal deity; the crowd attacks them and the city magistrates have them beaten with rods and imprisoned (Acts 16:20–24).

When an earthquake rattles the jail, freeing every captive of their chains, Paul and Silas stay and apparently encourage the other prisoners to do the same. If any had escaped, the jailer would have been executed. He knows he is saved from physical death, and he and his family accept Paul and Silas’s invitation to accept God’s offer of salvation from eternal death (Acts 16:25–32).

Now, he washes the blood off Paul’s and Silas’s wounds, and they baptize him and his family. Baptism doesn’t save. It doesn’t actively forgive every past sin. It is a picture of the washing away of sins people experience when they give those sins to Jesus to forgive (Acts 22:16). It represents dying to one’s old sinful nature, burying the old person, and rising again regenerated and restored to new life (Colossians 2:12). Paul and Silas no longer bear the blood of their shameful, unfair punishment, and the jailer’s family is washed of their sins in Jesus’ blood and freed of the punishment they justly deserve.

Verse 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.

An hour before, Paul and Silas had been chained in a dark prison cell, blood drying on their bodies from a horrific, illegal attack (Acts 16:22–23). Unjustly beaten, unjustly imprisoned, they sat and sang praises to God while the other prisoners listened (Acts 16:25). They refused to allow their circumstances to dictate their trust in God (Philippians 4:11–13).

When an earthquake opens all the prison doors and unlatches all the shackles, Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners stay. In doing so, they save the jailer’s life from execution. The jailer, who apparently knows the pair were arrested for spreading a message of salvation, asks if he can have that message. He and his family believe. He washes the blood from Paul’s and Silas’s bodies and they symbolically wash his family’s sins away in baptism (Acts 16:27–33).

Now, like Paul and Silas in the prison, the family rejoices. After being bound to the Roman Empire’s hundreds of household, civil, and national idols, they have found the True God. The family that makes a living chaining up prisoners is free.

This is the first record of Paul being imprisoned, but it’s far from the last. In his first imprisonment in Rome, he will bring the message of reconciliation with God to Caesar’s household (Philippians 4:22) and imperial guard (Philippians 1:13) and write his letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. In another imprisonment, he will write his personal letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:8). Paul knew from the beginning he would suffer in his ministry (Acts 9:16); when persecution comes, he doesn’t let it slow him down.

Verse 35. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.”

Paul and Silas have been attacked by a crowd, beaten by the city magistrates, and imprisoned overnight (Acts 16:22–23). This was standard procedure for crimes that did not warrant capital punishment. Giving the accused the option to go into exile was also standard; the accused avoids more punishment, and the magistrates don’t have to hold a formal trial.

The message the police bring is not unexpected. However, the magistrates will find it is not so simple to apply. When they looked at Silas and Paul, they saw two itinerant Jewish teachers, possibly magicians. They didn’t bother to ask if they were Roman citizens. Few people in the Roman Empire were actual citizens; such a status was granted to children of citizens, residents of particular cities, those who were honored by the Empire, and those who could buy it (Acts 22:28).

Besides legal, political, and religious advantages, citizens could only be placed under house arrest on command. They could not be punished or fully imprisoned without a fair trial; they could not even be bound. Later, a tribune in Jerusalem will be deeply afraid to learn this law has been violated (Acts 22:29), revealing how seriously the magistrates in the current situation in Philippi have erred.

Paul and Silas’s response is worthy of being imitated. The magistrates have denied them their legal rights; in defense of those rights and to avoid future incidents, Paul and Silas demand an apology. But they do not formally accuse the magistrates with the crime. For justice and for the protection of their church plant, they demand respect. For peace, they will accept the apology and leave the city (Acts 16:36–40).

Verse 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.”

Resentful men of the Roman outpost of Philippi charged Paul and Silas with promoting the worship of Jesus, something not legally sanctioned by the Roman Empire. The magistrates follow standard procedure for crimes committed by non-citizens when the offense does not call for execution: they beat and imprison the men for one night, intending to force them into a quiet exile away from the city (Acts 16:19–24, 35).

The magistrates send the message to the jailer. They don’t know that Paul and Silas recently saved the jailer’s life. When an earthquake opened the doors and shackles of the jail, apparently the two convinced the other prisoners to stay—protecting the jailer from a capital offense (Acts 12:19). The jailer knew Paul and Silas had been arrested for teaching about what the Romans assumed was a “new” deity who offered salvation—he wanted that salvation. He and his entire family put their trust in Jesus for reconciliation with the Creator God and were baptized into new life (Acts 16:25–34).

The police arrive with the message that it’s time for Paul and Silas to leave town. What they don’t realize—because they never asked—is that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens (Acts 16:37). At most, they should have been held under house arrest until a legal trial. Not only were the abuse and the imprisonment illegal, but also no one can force a Roman citizen out of a Roman city.

In Romans 13:1–7, Paul tells the Christians in Rome to obey the government authorities. God has established government to enforce good conduct and a peaceful society. Obviously, governments don’t always do this. As Christians, we should obey any law that does not contradict what God tells us in the Bible. But when the government breaks its own laws, we should feel free to point this out to them and expect justice. Paul and Silas do this. They will leave peacefully, but not in secret. They demand the magistrates publicly acknowledge their own injustice and apologize first.

Verse 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.”

Paul and Silas have been accused of a serious crime: promoting the worship of a God not recognized by the Roman Empire (Acts 16:20–21). The Empire had dozens of national, civil, regional, and household gods, but they were strictly controlled. In addition, the Romans insisted on emperor worship: a token tribute to the leader who was seen as the son of a god. By preaching about Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, Paul and Silas had not only broken Roman law, they had also committed sacrilege against the emperor.

The crime was serious, but not a capital offense. The standard punishment would be to beat the accused and imprison them for one night, then force them to leave the city. Paul and Silas have been beaten, and they’ve finished one night in jail, but when the magistrates send the police to quietly escort them out of Philippi, they refuse to leave. The “standard punishment” was for those who were not Roman citizens. The magistrates never bothered to ask the two Jewish men if they were also Roman citizens. They are.

Roman citizenship was given to people born in Roman colonies, like Philippi, to those whose parents were citizens, to those whom the Empire wanted to honor, and to those who could afford to buy it (Acts 22:28). The honor was given to encourage good will and spread Roman culture. Among the various legal rights were the right to defend oneself in a trial, the right to appeal a verdict to a higher court (Acts 25:11), protection from being beaten, tortured, or scourged, and protection from being executed unless found guilty of treason.

Christians should obey their governing authorities so long as the law does not force someone to disobey God’s instruction (Romans 13:1–7). It is perfectly acceptable for Christians to expect and demand the civil rights given them by the secular government. It isn’t clear why Paul and Silas didn’t reveal their citizenship earlier, although it may be because a crowd attacked them before they could say anything (Acts 16:22). Paul will be able to identify himself later, in Jerusalem (Acts 22:23–25) and even appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:11). On this day, he and Silas merely demand the magistrates publicly acknowledge their own crime before the pair move on to Thessalonica.

Verse 38. The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.

The Roman Empire was built on a multilayered caste system. Beyond the levels of patrician, equestrian, plebeian, freedman, and slave, there were citizens and non-citizens. People could be born citizens if they were from a Roman colony or their parents were citizens. They could earn it by accomplishing a significant honor for the Empire or by purchasing it. Citizenship accorded many advantages including the right to appeal a verdict (Acts 25:11) and the right to a fair trial before being punished.

It is this last civil right which has the Philippian magistrates frightened. Two itinerant Jewish teachers, Paul and Silas, have been teaching people to worship another Jewish man, Jesus of Nazareth. Not only is it a crime to worship a god that is not authorized by the Roman Empire, but also no mere man can be placed in a position of authority over Caesar. The magistrates let a crowd attack Paul and Silas, then order them beaten with rods and imprisoned for one night. As was the custom, the magistrates planned on exiling the missionaries from Philippi in the morning (Acts 16:21–24, 35).

The crime the magistrates have committed seems to be a greater legal offense than that of Paul and Silas. Years later, a tribune of the Roman army will have the same response of fear when he realizes his troops have merely tied Paul up (Acts 22:29).

Paul and Silas are not vindictive. They don’t want to punish the magistrates; they just want a formal apology. The magistrates comply, and Paul and Silas bid farewell to their hostess Lydia and leave town (Acts 16:39–40).

Verse 39. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.

Christians are to obey their governments (1 Peter 2:13–14). God established government to uphold order (Romans 13:1–7). If a law goes against God’s instruction, Christians are free to ignore that law, but they should expect to pay the cost. Christians should anticipate persecution as they follow Jesus (John 15:18–20). All those concepts are true, and important. What is also true and important is that Christians are justified to take advantage of their rights and to demand just treatment under the law.

Men from Philippi with a grudge against Paul and Silas have accused them of breaking the law. Magistrates have the two beaten with metal rods and imprisoned (Acts 16:19–24). The next morning, they send police to throw the prisoners out of town. They have just learned their terrible mistake: Paul and Silas are Roman citizens (Acts 16:35–37). Everything the magistrates have done is a federal crime.

When charged with a crime short of treason, Roman citizens were to be placed under house arrest until trial. They were not to be beaten, bound, imprisoned, or forcibly expelled from a Roman city, such as Philippi. Paul and Silas demanded that the magistrates publicly acknowledge their crime and apologize. They do not demand the magistrates be punished for their crime, and they do not demand to stay in Philippi.

Peter writes instructions which apply here. Servants are to be respectful, even to masters who are unjust. They are to endure unjust treatment graciously, as Christ did. They are not to echo their oppressors’ insults and condemnation, but to trust God for ultimate judgment (1 Peter 2:18–23).

The rules apply to Paul and Silas before the Philippian magistrates and to us in the face of our own governing authorities. Paul and Silas show respect for themselves and the Roman law and mercy toward their oppressors. They will peacefully and voluntarily leave the city. In so doing, it’s likely they protect and inspire the young church in Philippi. Paul will be able to return to Philippi twice (Acts 20:1–2, 6) and the church there remains a blessing to him as he continues his ministry (Philippians 4:10).

Verse 40. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

It is time for Paul and Silas to leave Philippi. Some time before, they and Timothy had considered their next location to plant churches. They assumed they would stay in modern-day Asia Minor, either in the province of Asia in the west or in Bithynia in the north. But the Holy Spirit did not allow them, so they traveled to the port of Troas. There, Paul had a vision of a man inviting them to Macedonia. They seem to have also met Luke in Troas, and the four of them crossed the Aegean Sea to Philippi (Acts 16:6–12).

Unlike most of the cities and towns in Galatia, Philippi apparently did not have enough Jews to make a synagogue. The team knew that in that situation, Jews and God-followers typically met out of town by a river. There, they found a group of women, including Lydia, who gathered to pray on the Sabbath. Lydia eagerly accepted Jesus as her Savior and insisted the men stay at her house (Acts 16:13–15).

While Paul and Silas planted a church, they also made enemies. After businessmen with a grudge accurately accused them of teaching an unauthorized religion, city magistrates illegally beat and imprisoned the two (Acts 16:20–24). The next morning, when the magistrates arranged for their exile from the city, Paul and Silas revealed they are Roman citizens. The magistrates were terrified: it was a great crime to even bind a Roman citizen without a fair trial, let alone beat, imprison, and exile one from a Roman city. Paul and Silas have no need to see them punished. They demanded a public apology and enough time to say goodbye to Lydia (Acts 16:35–39).

Paul and Silas’s time in Philippi shows the believers’ fluid relationship with civil law. When a law goes against God’s instruction—such as a ban on preaching Jesus’ offer of salvation—we are obligated to break it. When our legal rights, like the right to a fair trial, are withheld, we are free to demand the law be fairly applied. At the same time, when we break a law—such as when illegally preaching Christ—we should expect to pay the cost.

Paul and Silas are only halfway through their missionary voyage. From here they will go to Thessalonica. That city has enough traditionally-minded Jews to grow jealous of the missionaries’ following and chase them out of Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:1–15). Paul will flee to Athens, where he will have the quintessential philosophical debate (Acts 17:16–34) and meet up with the rest of his team in Corinth (Acts 18:1–17). Corinth will prove a difficult place to maintain a church, but Paul’s frustration is for our benefit as his letters to the Corinthians give us much to think about.

End of Chapter 16.

Please Note:

The material use in this post, video is from BibleRef.com which is from Got Questions Ministries and is posted here to be read by Immersive reader in the Edge Browser. If you copy this material please follow these rules:

•Content from BibleRef.com may not be used for any commercial purposes, or as part of any commercial work, without explicit prior written consent from Got Questions ministries.

•Any use of our material should be properly credited; please make it clear the content is from BibleRef.com.

•BibleRef.com content may not be altered, modified, or otherwise changed unless such changes are specifically noted.