Commentary by Ron Beckham

Verse 1. "Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek,"

Derbe and Lystra were two cities of Lycaonia, which Paul had visited before (Acts 14:6-21). A lame man had been healed in Lystra, and the multitudes tried to worship Paul and Barnabas, because of the healing. Paul was stoned and left for dead, when he would not receive their worship. This current visit was much more gentle, and it was here Paul and Timothy came together for the first time.

Timothy was to become like a son to Paul, who would later write two letters to the younger man. Can you imagine getting a letter from Paul? Actually we have received a lot of them, because the Holy Spirit makes them personal to each one. We see here that Timothy had a Gentile (Greek) father and a devout Jewish-Christian mother named Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). We know from the same verse that his grandmother was a believer, also.

Verse 2. "and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium."

Timothy was "well spoken of" by the Christians of that time and place, not only in his home town of Lystra, but also at Iconium to the north. To be well spoken of from a worldly perspective would mean they "liked" him, because he perhaps had a pleasant manner or he was good looking.

That was not true of most early Christians. Some had worldly and superficial values, but many had learned to look from the heart. We are gifted by God, just like they were, but it’s all too easy to remain superficial and immature. We need to learn, as a people, to look with the eyes, the heart, and the love of God, when we consider those around us.

Verse 3. "Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek."

The Law for Israel was very specific: they were not to marry outside of their own people (Deuteronomy 7:3). The purpose in that prohibition was clear – we tend to adopt the mannerisms and practices of those we care about, and God wanted to protect them from the idolatry of their neighbors (Deuteronomy 7:4). But Timothy’s parents did marry (Acts 16:1) and he was born from that union.

Here was Paul’s opportunity to make a statement against circumcism as a practice but he did not do that. The point, as Paul often said, is not about our external practices at all, because something much more important was at stake. If Timothy remained uncircumcised, the Jews of the region would conclude that Christians preached lawlessness and they would not turn to the Lord. Timothy would be circumcised, because winning souls to Christ is infinitely more important than any outward ritual we might think important at the time.

Verse 4. "Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe."

The "cities" they (Paul and those with him) were visiting, included Derbe and Lystra (verse 1). "Decrees" refers to the decision made by the Jerusalem Council, consisting of the apostles and elders at Jerusalem (Acts 15:19-21 & context). After a hard fought battle, the ministry of FREEDOM in Christ (for Gentiles to remain Gentiles, and Jews to continue to be Jews) was authenticated.

The written copies of the decision they were carrying, essentially truly reflected a statement of God’s love to the Church. The decrees held that you don’t have to be a participant in some kind of elaborate religious ritual, in order to be right with God. You may be drawn to certain religious practices, and I may like different ones, but if we each have Christ, we will satisfy God. God’s purpose is also that we will learn to love one another, despite our differences.

Verse 5. "So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily."

Ceremonial law is appealing, but is valid only if it reflects a heart which is truly converted to Christ. The imposition of many ceremonial duties can actually be like a burdensome yoke – one that frightens people away. Down through the years, I've noticed that many people who think they are angry at God, are actually annoyed with some Church or another. If you are angry with God, you might think that decision over – the one that hurt you, may not be the One you think. The thrust of the ruling by the Jerusalem Council was that Jews could continue to be Jews, and Gentiles didn’t have to become Jews in order to be saved. These people were strengthened by what had happened.

You and I should respect the differences in others and not force one another to essentially "be like me!" Sometimes religious discipline is much more about power and much less about love. We are not "clones" of other religious people, but instead we are set FREE to become who we really are in Christ. We can find our destiny in Him. When we live in the love of God, rather than by a mere system of rules, others (like in this verse) will be drawn to faith in Jesus Christ, and our numbers will likely grow.

Verse 6. "They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;"

Phrygia was to the north and east of Derbe and Lystra (verse 1). The region of Galatia was more due north from those places, and would have been reached after Phrygia. Paul seems to have pretty much traveled where he wanted, but in this verse and in the next one, he runs right into a wall. They tried to enter the Roman province of Asia, but were "forbidden" by the Holy Spirit from entering.

This is counter to the belief of many, who teach that God would NEVER prohibit us from doing what we would consider a good work. "I can do all things through Christ" (Philippians 4:13) does not mean all doors will be open at all times. In the last 30-years, I have seen LOTS of doors closed that I would have expected to be open, for myself and for others. God does close "doors" and then He unexpectedly has openings that are a surprise, and suddenly, we find ourselves in places we would never have expected.

Verse 7. "and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;"

Mysia was another Roman province in Asia Minor. Paul was able to get right into to that area, but when they tried to enter the province of Bithynia, on the Black Sea, "the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them". The Holy Spirit of God said "No" to Paul the apostle. The question for you, is this: Will you still trust in God if He unexpectedly says "No" to you? – especially if your need is very great? If your faith in Him is not tested by a "No", now and then, how will you know if your faith in Him is true?

Note that somebody entered these regions, because Peter wrote specifically to those who DID enter Asia and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1), and the "somebody" may have been Paul at another time (Acts 19:10). God has a "time table" and a plan, for your life and for those you will encounter - and He has a plan for those to whom you will not be allowed to speak. Our job, always, is to simply do our best and TRUST in Him.

Verse 8. "and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas."

In the two preceding verses, we saw Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to enter certain areas. And we should look carefully at his responses. He didn’t keep pounding on the "door", he just passed them by, and went to other places. There are times when you should keep trying to enter an area of life that seems closed to you. The only way to tell the difference in whether to go or stay, is to pray, trust in our Lord, respond to His Word, and follow the Spirit of God. Look to Him and you will learn to know what to do.

Instead of turning north to the Black Sea, they proceeded north and west to Troas, a name applied to both a region and a city. The region is comprised of the northwest corner of what we call Asia Minor. The city was Alexandria Troas, located about 10-miles from the ruins of ancient Troy. Troas was a Roman colony in Caesar Augustus’ day, and it had become one of the most important cities of northwest Asia Minor.

Verse 9. "A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’"

In the vision of Paul, a man from Macedonia pleads with him to "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Note that the person who needs Christ has a greater need than the one who requires an organ transplant for his body. Paul had options here, and one of them would be to say "it was just a dream" as many in this century would think. Most do not think visions and dreams from the Lord, along with prophesies, even exist in this time and place. And there IS indeed a danger in looking to such things excessively, for the enemy can create the false, just as the Lord creates the true.

But Paul trusted in the Lord, and I’m sure he prayerfully examined every dream, prophesy and vision that came his way. God will speak to us today in a variety of ways. A key method of reaching us is the Word of God, the Bible; and the Holy Spirit, who inspired all of its human authors, will speak to you through His Word. Be open, be cautious, look to Him in prayer, and place your faith in our Lord.

Verse 10. "When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them."

Notice Paul’s response to the vision: Immediately they would go to the coast of Europe, trusting that the Lord had called them to sail from Troas and preach the gospel to the people of Macedonia. This was an area to the north that had conquered all of Greece under Phillip, Alexander the Great’s Father. I like the responsiveness of Paul, who immediately WENT when the Lord called him to go.

During the last 30-years, I have seen many closed doors to ministry. Though I was called, I was not to "go" while the training was still on (though, in a way, we are ALWAYS in training). I met and heard about a lot of others who were in the same "boat." They were called but encountered obstacles that seemed to last for a long time. If you experience this sort of opposition, don’t give up. Pray, faithfully try all the "doors" (as God allows) and at some point, one or more of them will open – for you!

Verse 11. "So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis;"

Samothrace is an island in the Aegean Sea, a stopover point on the way between Asia Minor and the Grecian coast. Knowing Paul (we are getting to KNOW this man), we can be sure he found SOME way to share the gospel of Christ on that island, and also with the sailors on the vessels they sailed upon.  It's not specifically mentioned, that that's the way he was.

The same goes for Neapolis, in the area of Philippi. You can be sure they hit the beach (or the dock) running with the gospel of the Lord! Such a man was Paul, and so were the others God sent with him. He would have been a hard guy to work for, which explains something about the tension with Barnabas over John Mark (Acts 15:36-41).

Verse 12. "and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days."

Notice in these verses that suddenly it’s "we" were staying here and going there. Through verse 8, "they" were doing things and now it’s "we". The reason, of course, is Dr. Luke, the human author of the Books of Luke and Acts. He very likely joined them in Troas.

Now the group came to Philippi, which means "Pertaining to Philip," a city named after Alexander the Great’s father, Philip of Macedon. This was the leading (literally "first") city of the area, and it had the status of a Roman colony. And now everything was to go into comparatively slow motion (for Paul) as they settled down and stayed in that place for some time.

Verse 13. "And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled."

We have seen that in some of the cities Paul visited (such as Iconium- Acts 14:1), synagogues had been established. But in other locales, such as here in Philippi, another, older custom was in effect among the Jews of the Dispersion – gatherings on the Sabbath along the banks of a local river. The custom had existed for a long time, as we see in Psalm 137:1, "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion."

Paul expected them to likely be in that place, and as Dr. Luke relates, "We" sat down and began speaking to them. They gathered for prayer, and it is reported at least most (perhaps all) of them were women. This is much like the Churches I remember from the 1950’s – most of those in attendance were women. Paul and the others began to speak with the women who had assembled.

Verse 14. "A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul."

It is now that we meet Lydia, who was to be the first European convert through Paul’s ministry. This was an industrious lady, much like the woman in Proverbs 31. Her business was the selling of purple, which could refer to purple cloth, a favorite of the royalty of the time, or more likely she dealt in the costly dye itself, which was extracted from the "marine mulex trunculus," first manufactured by the Phoenicians. A crushed gland gave out a milky fluid that turned purple on contact with the air.

Lydia was "a worshiper of God" which likely means she was a proselyte to Judaism. We will see that she was quite wealthy, a person who had servants and a large home. Notice the LORD opened her heart to receive that which was spoken by Paul. It’s so important to understand that even the capacity to receive Christ is the gift of the Lord. "Our" faith is His gift to you and to me. Are you in Christ? Thank Him often, for He has done great things – for you. And by the way, notice that it was not enough, from God’s perspective, that Lydia would worship God – she also needed to receive and place her trust in Christ.

Verse 15. "And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us."

The Churches of the time were in people’s homes, although it is more accurate to say that Churches are actually people, and not buildings at all. These people would live and worship in Lydia’s large mansion, and not only would Paul reside there, but his rather large company of followers would stay there as well – this was a large house.

Note that when she came to Christ, she brought her whole household with her. We should be drawn to help others come to the Lord. Her household probably consisted of a large group of people, for it would take a lot of servants to maintain such a place. How wonderful, by the way, to have the apostle Paul stay in your home. She was a hospitable lady, and a generous spirit is likely to receive much from the Lord.

Verse 16. "It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling."

The "place of prayer" was likely down by the riverside, for that was where prayer was customarily offered in a place of exile (as in verse 13). Not only did the Lord await them, but the enemy was active, too, for a demon-possessed slave girl met them on the way. Just as our Lord is utterly good and inclined to save us, there is an enemy who is totally evil, and longs to trip us up. Note that when we are going to the place of prayer, we might encounter the enemy, who intends to divert us from that prayer.

This girl was possessed of a "spirit of divination" ("Pythonissa") and she made a lot of money for her masters. Such people (as exemplified by the "Oracle at Delphos") were actually quite common in the area of Greece. The enemy is not as limited as human beings and he has access to information we don’t. He can imitate a departed relative and often has information about the intentions of the leaders of other countries. A "spirit of divination" might be intriguing, but the intention of that spirit is to lead us straight to hell.

Verse 17. "Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, ‘These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.’"

The enemy is well aware of Christ and what He can do for you and for me. He has been at the throne of God, and knows the reality of the "Most High God", far better than the theologians. She followed Paul and "us" (as reported by Dr. Luke), informing everybody in sight that they "are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." This may seem odd, but keep in mind that a key strategy of the enemy is to draw your attention away from the work of the Holy Spirit of God, and to the enemy, himself.

This was distracting to Paul, and he kept looking over his shoulder at the girl, who was following him everywhere. Notice that the witness she gave was true, but the credit for this information was being drawn away from Paul (and the Holy Spirit) and given to the spirit who possessed her. Just because the information given by a "medium" may be true, does not mean you should listen to that "medium." When the heart is bad (and the "medium’s" heart IS bad), you will eventually be damaged by the information that is given. Consider the source.

Verse 18. "She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!’ And it came out at that very moment."

Initially, this girl must have been a great puzzle to Paul. She was obviously demon-possessed, and yet she kept shouting, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation" (verse 17). She was the mouthpiece for a lying spirit, and yet the words she spoke were true. If he was not uncertain about her, he probably would have acted in relation to her much sooner. With one exception – NOW was the time indicated by the Holy Spirit of God.

Paul did not act on his own initiative – he was waiting for the Holy Spirit, to show him precisely what to do. And then, precisely at the moment set by God, this girl was delivered from the bondage in which she had been kept by the enemy. The demon was sent out of her, by what I believe is the gift of miracles (see commentary on 1^st Corinthians 12:10). We don’t need to fear the enemy, for he and his demons are utterly subordinate to the authority, power, and love of God. Paul spoke, and the girl was free.

Verse 19. "But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities,"

The girl’s life had been ruined by a demon, an unclean thing that dominated her thoughts and words. The enemy within her had just one true aim – the destruction of her and all that listened to her. But her "masters" (she was a slave) had no real interest in her well-being, for all they cared about was financial profit (and they worried about the lack of it). People paid this girl in relation to the demonic words she spoke. The demon was gone; so were the words – and the profit!

Jesus said to His disciples, "freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8), encouraging them to not worry about money or provisions, but just to give out the good things of God, as He directs. This was how Paul lived (though the realities of life are upon us all, and he worked as a tentmaker) – He trusted in God and gave freely to people. Not so the owners of this girl, who just wanted the money she earned, and they were so angry at its’ loss, they had Paul and Silas arrested on the spot.

Verse 20. "and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, ‘These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,’"

We know from verse 19 that these men were only concerned about making a profit, through exploiting a (formerly) demon-possessed girl. In this verse and in the next one, we see they LIED to the magistrates. They acted as though they were patriotic, trying to protect the city from the words of Silas and Paul, when in fact all they cared about was revenge in relation to their potential loss of income.

I worked for the Court system for 14-years and sat in on literally hundreds of civil and criminal Court trials and hearings. Sometimes you had the feeling a witness was telling the truth, but where money was involved, people often did not tell the truth. These men were willing to say ANYTHING to the Chief Magistrates (Judges), in order to make trouble for Paul and Silas. The love of money leaves little room for concern about people.

Verse 21. "and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

These men who were accusing Paul and Silas, now appealed to the patriotism of the townspeople. Philippi was a Roman colony and the leading citizens would have been Roman to a man (or woman). Most people, in any country, have standards of "decency" and become outraged when those standards are violated, particularly by outsiders. Paul and Silas had been accused of being "Jews" by the owners of the formerly demon-possessed girl (and of course they were Jews). It was also intimated they brought strange "customs" that would further enrage the "decent" people of that community.

The law has always been used as a weapon by those who are themselves lawless in nature. These men owned a slave-girl (which was legal in Rome), and they exploited her for profit (also legal). They were undoubtedly "pillars of the community" who would be believed by the magistrates when they lied (which they did). Now they accused Paul and Silas of breaking the law (more lies) – and such has been the way of this world, since the beginning of sin.

Verse 22. "The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods."

Notice that "due process of law" had taken a vacation here. The judges (chief magistrates) had let their own emotions run wild and "mob rule" reigned supreme. No evidence was presented, except a few wild accusations by some local entrepreneurs (who owned a slave girl for profit) – no cross examination of the witnesses occurred, and the "defendants" were not represented by counsel. Paul and Silas were illegally stripped and beaten with stout rods which could have killed them.

Verse 23. "When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;"

Life seems to strike us with "many blows" when we least expect it. There are "prisons" in life which are unexpected and harsh. I remember as a child that one moment I could run and play, and the next I was in wheelchairs – and it was like a "jailer" was at the "door" of my future, stopping me from life itself. It’s the same with all those we meet in convalescent homes and similar places – there's a surprise, shock, fear, and often anger at the new "circumstances" of life.

And yet, when life hits you the hardest, you can praise our God (as you see Paul and Silas) doing in just a couple of verses. Looking back over many years, I can see that our darkest problems are only temporary. Life is much shorter than I thought it was, a few decades ago. A limitation that lasts for a lifetime, is only a "moment" in relation to eternity. Don’t lose heart, for God is with you and He will see you through.

Verse 24. "and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks."

Paul and Silas were thrown into the dank, inner part of the Philippine prison, and their feet were placed into stocks (wooden and/or metal "handcuffs"). Life was dark for them at this point (literally and figuratively). From a human perspective, there was no guarantee they would ever get out. Certainly being in a dark place with your feet in stocks (and an angry mob outside) didn’t offer much hope.

But then there is God! In your worst circumstances, God will see you through. The longer I live, the quicker and shorter life seems to be, and , as stated in the preceding verse, I recognize that our deepest, most "permanent" disabilities are only temporary in nature. Trust in God and He WILL take you right out of the darkest "prisons" life can offer.

Verse 25. "But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;"

Paul and Silas were not your "typical average prisoners." Most people are reasonably VERY upset when things go wrong and only a few sing God’s praises when they’re in some kind of "prison" or another. To rejoice in suffering is to understand that God is real, to believe that He cares about you, that He is ABLE to bring you through, and that He WILL deliver you. If not now, then in eternity His little ones will SURELY be delivered.

Note that the other prisoners were LISTENING to them. It would have been hard for them to NOT listen, for Paul and Sills were pretty loud. People are listening to you, too (and watching). This is not said to make you nervous, and it shouldn’t, for God is with you, especially when you are with Him. On a recent Sunday, we were with two men in wheel chairs, and both of them are "worse off" than almost everyone else. And yet, to the extent they can communicate, they praise God (the favorite word of one of them is "hallelujah" which of course means "praise the Lord").

Verse 26. "and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened."

Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and life, which can seem to go on-and-on in an endless "rut", suddenly changed for them. The foundation of this whole world can be shaken in a moment, and the "chains" around your life can be thrown right off. NONE of life’s problems and limitations are permanent – Those in Christ, finally discover that ALL "chains" of life were dealt with on His cross. The hardship which seems to go on "forever", will suddenly be lifted from your life, and your chains will be unfastened.

Verse 27. "When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped."

For a Roman jailer the penalty for letting your prisoners escape, was death. This would be a very difficult death, accompanied by pain, and his family would (at best) likely be killed before his eyes. The jailer awoke from a sound sleep, to the apparent ruin of his prison, and he noted that the doors (at least some of them, from his perspective) were open. Supposing that all (or many) of his prisoners had escaped, the jailer determined he would run himself through with his sword.

Sometimes, it seems like all is lost in life. Your job is gone, your spouse has left, and your health is failing. At that point, depression is likely to settle in fast and your life might be in great danger – by your own hand. Such things do happen and it’s a very good idea to have better resources than a "positive philosophy of life" or some similar device. You need the Lord NOW, if you are to triumph in the day of adversity that does come to all people.

Verse 28. "But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!’"

Right now, as we are sharing these words, thousands, or more probably millions of people are involved in self-destructive behavior, which will lead to death if their actions are not changed. The jailer of the prison (see preceding verses), was about to kill himself, because he thought his prisoners had escaped. The Lord, through Paul, called to him, "Do yourself no harm" and it was added, "for we are all here!" (Paul the apostle was one of the prisoners).

To the one who drinks excessively, or is into drugs, or some other type of destructive behavior, such as being just plain suicidal, the Lord is gently and patiently calling to you, "Do yourself no harm." And, of course, your tendency toward self-destructive behavior was only what they call a "coping mechanism" anyway – a substitute for a deeper need. Of Jesus, it was said (hundreds of years before He was born on earth) "By His stripes we are healed". Your need is met in our Lord.

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

I would imagine that this man (the Philippine jailer) had previously been fairly successful in his profession. Philippi was a Roman colony, and the officials of that place (he was one of them), would be the "best of the best", as opposed to those found in outlying areas. He would have no background of failure, and would have become confident in his abilities. He would have no ability, no precedent, no past failures, to deal with the ruin he "saw" at that moment.

As stated, such a man would not be used to failure, especially in a culture where one serious, public mistake would mean his death. One minute, his life was ruined, and in the next, he experienced a miracle and his life could go on. He asked for a light (a lantern) from an assistant, and entering the prison proper, he fell trembling before Paul and Silas. Considering who he was, his behavior was perfectly reasonable under the circumstances.

Verse 30. "and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’"

There is a point in your life when all your "buttons have been pushed" and you clearly can only turn to the Lord Jesus Christ (which is why you were created in the first place). Religions and philosophies are absorbing and interesting in peaceful settings, amid societies where there is lots of leisure time. But when you are faced with the loss of – EVERYTHING – you need something, some One more. You need a valid Savior, and there is only One – You need Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

We tend to ask the wrong questions of one another, like: "Who won the football game?" And then, in a few days or weeks, we don’t remember who won, and probably don’t even care. In relation to importance, there is only ONE question of relevance in life, and it is: "What must I do to be saved?" Thirty or so years ago, I wore a button which read "Jesus is the Answer" and someone laughingly asked, "What is the question?" The question is: What is the deep need of your soul? And HE is the answer to your need.

Verse 31. "They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’"

This verse is both a truth for all people and a prophetic statement for the Philippine jailer. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" is true for everyone who ever lived. The cross of Christ is SUFFICIENT for us all. When we hear His Name. We are drawn to Him by the Holy Spirit of God. If we trust in Him, we are given – everything!

The verse is also prophetic, because Paul’s statement continued, "and your household." Not only would the jailer receive the Lord, but after he did, his loved ones would receive the Lord, also. This jailer’s response to the Lord was genuine, and he would influence others, starting with the members of his own household. When you are in Christ, you become an influence on others, and your example can bring them to the Lord.

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

The kindest thing you can ever do for another person is to speak the Word of the Lord to them, and the Lord is speaking to you right now. He will touch the "heart" (the center of your being) with the Word of God - continually. Often, people choose to ignore His Word, which is eloquently expressed through this book we call the "Bible" ("Biblios" or "Book"). God might use a man such as Paul to express His Word to you, but the understanding will always come through the Holy Spirit of God, who touches your heart.

Even the physical universe is a "word" of His love to you. As Paul revealed in Romans 1:20, "since the creation of the world, His (God's) invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and divine nature, so that they" (you and me) "are without excuse." The physical properties of matter and energy are so complex, that they SHOUT the existence of their Creator (and the Name of that Creator is Jesus Christ).

Verse 33. "And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household."

Paul and Silas had been beaten "within an inch of their lives", by the "good citizens" of Philippi. They used "rods" which were stout staffs or sticks (not unlike a baseball bat) capable of breaking the bones of those who were beaten. The flesh of these men of God had been broken many times and the jailer now washed their aching wounds.

Paul had spoken the Word of the Lord to this household. Not only the jailer, but also his family and servants embraced the Lord, and had just received Him into their hearts. The jailer washed them (which was possibly done through servants), and then Paul and Silas washed all of them in return, through the waters of baptism.

Verse 34. "And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household."

It had probably been a long time since Paul and Silas had eaten. They had experienced a busy day, casting an evil spirit out of a girl, having been taken by a mob, sentenced by judges (magistrates) without trial, beaten with rods, imprisoned with their feet in stocks, and they endured an earthquake. They sang praises to God while in prison, and now they passed on the joy of the Lord to this jailer and his family.

Do you know the joy of the Lord? You should, for this life, which seems long at times, is actually short, and so very soon we will face our Creator. Jesus died for us, that we might live. We no longer need to have any fear, for His love has come into us, and we are RESCUED from sin and death. Just like Paul and Silas, like the jailer - RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST, take His Spirit, and know the joy of the Lord.

Verse 35. "Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, ‘Release those men.’"

The magistrates (judges), along with just about everybody else in Philippi, had been caught up in a mob mentality, and the judges had illegally sentenced Paul and Silas to 1) a beating, and 2) false imprisonment. It was a new day now, and the magistrates had "cooled off" - they had vented their emotions and were ready to let the disciples of the Lord go their way. So, they sent Roman officers, with word to set Paul and Silas free.

Verse 36. "And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ‘The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace.’"

The jailer told all this to Paul, supposing it would comparatively be received as "good news" by him. Actually, Paul and Silas could have simply walked away on the preceding evening, when a sharp earthquake (verse 26) knocked down some of the prison walls. Instead, they had remained, and then led this jailer (and his family) to the Lord.

I love Paul's spirit, which will be seen in the next verse. So many times a door will open in our lives, a door to freedom, where before, we had been in some kind of "prison" of the heart. But is it the Lord's door? They could now, as on the preceding evening, just walk away. What would they do?

Verse 37. "But Paul said to them, ‘They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.’"

To be "meek" (and Paul was a humble man) does not always mean we are to endure bad treatment. Paul urges us to be subject to human authority" (Romans 13:1), but we must also note that Jesus knocked over tables in the Temple, in the face of evil (Matthew 21:12). They had humiliated Paul and Silas, had nearly beaten them to death with rods, and did it all without a trial (Acts 16:22-23). I don't think Paul cared all that much about being a Roman citizen, but citizenship was a useful tool right now.

If these magistrates and officials were allowed to get away with this, what would they do next? What about the NEXT time a Christian cast out a demon from a girl? They might kill the next ones. Paul, as led by he Spirit, would call them into account right now. "Let them come down here to the prison, and release us - themselves!"

Verse 38. "The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,"

Paul and Silas would not leave the prison (see preceding verse). They told the officers, "if these 'magistrates' want to release us, let them come down here and do it themselves!" The key was that both Paul and Silas were Roman citizens (verse 37) and therefore, all the protection of the law was available to them. The magistrates had acted illegally when they had Paul and Silas beaten and imprisoned. THEY could be punished for what they had done to Roman citizens. Those who harm innocent people SHOULD be made afraid, for maybe it will stop them from harming others in the future.

Verse 39. "and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city."

This verse is not so different from Matthew 8:34 - "The whole city came out to meet Jesus," but it was not to listen to Him or worship Him." Actually, "they begged Him to depart from 'their' region." Jesus had rescued a man from demon possession, and had protected those people (for the man was dangerous). In the process, however, a whole herd of pigs had been destroyed. Those of the Land of the Gadarenes (Matthew 8:28-34) cared more for their livelihood than they cared for people.

Much like here. God had rescued a demon possessed girl through the apostle Paul, but in so doing, some local businessmen had lost their livelihood. (They could no longer sell the services of the girl for profit - I've often wondered what happened to that girl). The disciples had been beaten, imprisoned, and would now be released. But the magistrates (judges) who had been a part of all this, had to beg Paul and Silas to leave. (Good).

Verse 40. "They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed."

We first saw this lady (Lydia) in verse 14, where she became probably the first person who received Christ in Europe (they were now in Greece). Paul had been asked to "depart from the city" (preceding verse), and he would, but not right away. First, he would return to the house of Lydia. And the purpose in his return was to encourage these people who were new in Christ

They had been led to the Lord by Paul and Silas, and then had seen that these men were taken by a mob, beaten at the insistence of Roman officials, and then thrown into jail. Reasonably, the new Christians could have wondered: Is this what happens to those who receive Christ? The answer is - possibly! Possibly not. People can turn on you, just because they don't like your looks. Paul encourages them, and he encourages us - "Don't be afraid, because the very God who led the jailer and his family to Christ (through an earthquake) - is watching out for you."

Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org