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Acts
16:1
The first missionary
journey had been about five years before the events of this chapter and
Paul was eager to follow up the work of the Lord among these churches
founded five years before.
In Derbe Paul
had great success on his first missionary journey (Acts 14:20-21).
In Lystra, a
crowd had tried to honor Paul and Barnabas as pagan gods on the first
missionary journey (Acts 14:8-20) and then they stoned him (Acts 14:19)!
Certain disciple
- Timothy was probably a convert of Paul's from his previous missionary
trip to Derbe and Lystra (1Ti 1:2 "to Timothy, my true child in the faith:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.").
His mother and grandmother had trained him well in the Jewish Scriptures
(see notes
2 Timothy 1:5;
3:15),
and evidently all three had accepted Christ. Timothy was no doubt aware of
Paul's miraculous restoration after his stoning (Acts 14:20 "But while the
disciples stood around him, he arose and entered the city. And the next
day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe."), and was ready and willing to
go with Paul when asked. Since his father was a Greek (Christian or not is
not known), he had never been circumcised, and Paul deemed it expedient
though not required to have this done before taking him into the
synagogues, to avoid giving unnecessary offense to the Jews.
Disciple (mathetes from manthano = intentional
learning by inquiry and observation) is a person who learns from another
by instruction, whether formal or informal. A disciple is an adherent who
accepts instruction given to him and makes it his rule of conduct.
A believer (pistos
from peítho = to
persuade) is something or someone who is worthy of faith or keeps promises
and is applied to God, humans, His Word, etc
Vincent gives
a nice summary (expanded in the discussion that follows) of the meaning of
pistos, faithful, writing that it is used
(1), of one who shows Himself faithful
in the discharge of a duty or the administration of a trust (Mt
24:45). Hence, trustworthy ( see
note
2 Ti 2:2).
Of things that can be relied upon (see
note
2 Ti 2:11).
(2) Confiding; trusting; a believer (Gal
3:9;
Acts 16:1; 2Cor 6:15; 1Ti 5:16)" (Word
Studies in the New Testament)
Webster says that
Faithful
means firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance and implies
unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by
which a tie was contracted.
Pistos is
used in two senses in the NT
1) An active
meaning = trusting or believing
This is the less
frequent usage. This sense speaks of a sinner exercising faith in the Lord
Jesus. In the first NT use in this sense, Jesus "said to Thomas,
Reach here your finger, and see My
hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not
unbelieving, but believing. (Jn
20:27)
Paul instructs
Timothy to
let those who have believers (pistos)
as their masters not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren,
but let them serve them all the more, because those who partake of the
benefit are believers (pistos) and beloved. Teach and preach
these principles. (1Ti
6:2)
When pistos
is used in this active sense to refer to the faith which a lost sinner
must place in the Lord Jesus in order to be saved, it includes the
following ideas -- the act of considering the Lord Jesus worthy of trust
as to His character and motives, the act of placing confidence in His
ability to do just what He says He will do, the act of entrusting the
salvation of his soul into the hands of the Lord Jesus, the act of
committing the work of saving his soul to the care of the Lord. This means
a definite taking of one’s self out of one’s own keeping and entrusting
one’s self into the keeping of the Lord Jesus. Thus Paul says
So then those
who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the
believer
(pistos). (Gal
3:9)
Luke
records that Paul
came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And
behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish
woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. (Acts
16:1)
Note also that with
regard to believers, they are spoken of sometimes in the Active
sense (as believers) and sometimes in the Passive (as faithful).
The New Testament
concept of faith includes three main elements, mutually connected
and requisite, though according to circumstances sometimes one and
sometimes another may be more prominent
(1) a fully convinced acknowledgement
of the revelation of grace;
(2) a self-surrendering fellowship
(adhesion) and
(3) a fully assured and unswerving
trust (and with this at the same time hope) in the God of salvation or in
Christ. (Modified from Cremer)
Acts
16:2
Well spoken of
(matureo) refers to a human declaration of ascertainable facts
based on firsthand knowledge or experience and in the present context
refers to a good report or having a good reputation.
This verb is used of
Jesus in Luke...
And all were speaking well of
Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips;
and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?" (Luke 4:22)
It is also used of
those who would lead in the church...
But select from among you, brethren,
seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,
whom we may put in charge of this task. (Acts 6:3)
Acts
16:3
Circumcised him
- (see study of noun
circumcision)
The Jerusalem council had declared that circumcision was not necessary for
salvation or for acceptance into the Christian church (See Acts 15 where
Pharisees felt circumcision was necessary but the council concluded it was
not), but because of Timothy's Jewish background it seemed expedient in
his case in order to enlarge his local usefulness even as Paul declared in
his letter to Corinth...
To the weak I became weak, that I might
win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means
save some. And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may
become a fellow partaker of it. (1Cor 9:22-23)
In Acts 15, the
Jerusalem council had declared that circumcision was not necessary for
salvation (Acts 15:19), but because of Timothy's part-Jewish background
Paul felt it was expedient in order to enlarge his usefulness in
witnessing.
Nowhere does Luke state that Paul circumcised Timothy in order that he be
saved, but simply because of the Jews who were in those parts. It is
a wise spiritual leader who knows how and when to apply the principles of
the Word of God, when to stand firm and when to yield.
In the case of
Gentile Titus, Paul insisted that he not be circumcised because the
Judaizers insisted on circumcision as necessary for salvation, a false
doctrine to which Paul would not acquiesce. Paul writes...
But not even Titus who was with me,
though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. But it was because
of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we
have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not
yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the
gospel might remain with you. (Galatians 2:3-5).
John MacArthur
explains that...
Circumcision was the sine qua non of
Judaism. Had Timothy not been circumcised, the Jews would have assumed he
was renouncing his Jewish heritage and choosing to live as a Gentile.
Paul's circumcision of Timothy had nothing to do with salvation; he did it
for expediency's sake, to avoid placing an unnecessary stumbling block in
the way of Jewish evangelism. Timothys circumcision granted him full
access to the synagogues he would visit with Paul and Silas...From Paul's
actions concerning his two companions an important principle becomes
evident. Missionaries must be sensitive to the unique characteristics of
the cultures in which they work. As Paul did in circumcising Timothy, they
should avoid giving any unnecessary offense. But like Paul in refusing to
circumcise Titus, they must not compromise any of the timeless truths of
Scripture. (MacArthur,
J: Acts 1-12; Acts
13-28 Moody Press or
Logos)
Bruce adds
that...
By Jewish law Timothy was a Jew,
because he was the son of Jewish mother, but because he was uncircumcised
he was technically an apostate Jew. If Paul wished to maintain his links
with the synagogue, he could not be seen to countenance apostasy. (Bruce)
Acts
16:4
Delivering the
decrees - What decrees? The decrees which had been drawn up by
the apostles and elders at Jerusalem which can be summarized (1) that
salvation is by faith alone (God cleansed the Gentiles "hearts by faith."
Acts 15:9) and does require circumcision or law-keeping, (2) that sexual
immorality was forbidden for all believers for all time and (3) that meats
offered to idols, from animals that had been strangled, and blood were all
forbidden as food, not as matters essential to salvation, but to
facilitate fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers. Some of these
instructions were revised 1 Cor. 8-10; 1 Ti 4:4, 5).
Acts
16:5
The churches
(ekklesia from ek = out + kaleo = call) is literally
the "called-out ones". Greeks used ekklesia for an assembly of
citizens "called out" to transact city business. The church is not an
organization but a living organism, Christ's body, composed of individual
members (believers) joined together and in and through which Christ, the
Head works, carries out His purposes and lives. These churches were
composed of men and women who had received and believed the gospel Paul
and Barnabas had proclaimed on the First Missionary Journey.
Strengthened
(stereoo from
stereos
= solid, stable.
Stereoo is used 3 times in the NT all in Acts ( Acts 3:7, 3:16, 16:5)
means literally to make strong, stable, firm and figuratively to solidify,
confirm or establish in the faith (cf see note
1Thessalonians 3:2
-
sterizo)
The faith speaking of the Christian profession, the faith
professed.
Increasing
(4052)
(perisseuo
from perissós = abundant)
means caused to superabound, to overflow, to be in affluence, to excel or
to be in abundance with the implication of being considerably more than
what would be expected.
Perisseuo
carries the idea of exceeding the requirements, of overflowing or
overdoing. It means to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over
and above a certain number or measure. It means to have or to be more than
enough, to be extremely rich or abundant. To exceed or remain over (as
used in loaves left over after feeding the 5000 [Mt 14:20]! When Jesus
supplies there is more than enough so that some is even left over! How
quick we are to forget this basic principle!) The idea is to overflow like
a river out of its banks!
Perisseuo is used 3 times in Paul's first letter
to the Thessalonians and in two instances is translated "excel" (see notes
) referring not so much to growth in numbers but in their walk of faith
(see notes
1Thessalonians 3:12;
4:1,
4:10)
Number (arithmos) The result was fruit from the witness of
the believers so that the churches increased in number daily. We see a
similar principle in Acts 2...
(The church was) praising God, and
having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number
day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47).
Principle -
strong (Biblically sound) churches will naturally increase in number
daily, without relying on carnal, seeker oriented or manipulative ways.
Sound expository preaching that matures believers in solid food (see note
Hebrews 5:14)
will build a strong church and God will add His people to an edifying,
equipping body of believers.
Acts
16:6
Forbidden (Hindered,
prevented) (2967)
(koluo
from kólos = docked, lopped, clipped, kolazo = curtail)
means to cut off, to cut short, to weaken and generally to hinder, to
prevent, to check, to restrain or to forbid by word or act. The idea is to
cause something not to happen. To hinder means to make slow or difficult
the progress of something by interfering in some way with the activity or
progress thereof. In short koluo means to make it difficult for
someone to do something or for something to happen.
At times the Spirit
says no so He can lead us to a greater ministry for Jesus. How He
forbade Paul, Silas and Timothy is not specifically stated.
In Asia - Asia was an
important region and there would later be churches in such cities as
Ephesus, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Colossae, Sardis, Pergamum, and
Thyatira but for now Paul was forbidden to speak there.
F B Meyer
writes
Each believer has an appointed place in
the great army of God. It is indicated by the voice of God, and by the
circumstances of our life; and it should be jealously retained. Repeatedly
the Apostle bade his converts abide in the calling wherein they were
called. Yours may be towards the bleak north of difficulty, or the warm
south of privilege — in the home, the country parish, or the difficult
foreign post. But, on the whole, you should stay where you are; unless the
Captain of our salvation moves you by some unmistakable indication of his
will. The apostle Paul ever lived in such dependence on the Holy Spirit
for guidance, and for the unfolding of the Divine purpose, that from some
apparently trivial circumstance he would “gather” the movements of the
pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night. And interval there was none
between his apprehension of the Divine purpose and his endeavor to strike
his tent and follow wherever it might lead (Acts 16:6–7). (Meyer, F. B.
Our Daily Homily)
Acts
16:7
The Spirit of
Jesus did not permit them - Paul, beautifully responsive to the Holy
Spirit, is willing to lay down his will and plans for the direction that
the Holy Spirit brings. Paul is being guided by hindrance. The Holy Spirit
guides as much by the closing of doors as He does by the opening of doors.
Acts 16:6-7 both clearly demonstrate the superintendence and guidance of
the Holy Spirit in missionary strategy.
Charles Ryrie writes that...
Asia needed the Gospel, but this was
not God's time. Need did not constitute their call. They had just come
from the east; they had been forbidden to go south or north, but they did
not presume that the Lord was leading them to the west --they waited His
specific directions. Logic alone is not the basis for a call.
Discerning God's Will - move ahead and allow Him to close doors
until the right opportunity presents itself.
The Lord's calling may become evident in different ways. One key principle
is indicated here in the calling of Paul to Macedonia in Greece. Paul was
already active, trying to preach in the province of Asia, then in
Bithynia. He was not waiting idly at home, hoping to receive a call. The
Holy Spirit in some very clear way closed the first two doors, but then
opened another by this special vision. It is sobering to think that if
Paul had not been redirected to Philippi and Greece, he might never have
gone into Europe and Christianity might have remained primarily an Asian
religion. But God had other purposes.
MacDonald
summarizes how the early believers discerned the will of God and His
guidance writing...
1. Through the Scriptures.
2. Through visions and prophecies.
3. Through circumstances.
4. Through the advice and initiative of other Christians.
5. Through direct communication, possibly in an inward, subjective manner.
(MacDonald,
W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or
Logos)
1. Surrender your
own will
I seek at the
beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own
in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people
generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when
our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one
is truly in this state it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of
what His will is.
2. Do not depend on feelings.
Having done this, I
do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make
myself liable to great elusions.
3. Seek, the Spirit's will through God's Word.
I seek the will of
the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The
Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone
without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusion also. If the Holy
Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and
never contrary to them.
4. Note providential circumstances.
Next I take into
account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's
will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
5. Pray.
I ask God in prayer
to reveal His will to me aright.
6. Wait.
><> ><> ><>
F B Meyer - THE
GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Acts 16:7-10.
THE SPIRIT of Jesus often shuts doors
in the long corridors of life. We pass along, trying one after another,
but find that they are all locked, in order that we may enter the one that
He has opened for us (Rev 3:7-8). Sometimes in following the Spirit's
guidance we seem to come to a blank wall. The little missionary band found
themselves facing the sea. They had not contemplated crossing to Europe,
but there seemed no other course open. They walked to and fro on the
sea-wall or landing-stage, looking over the restless waves, and noticing
the strange costumes of sailors and travellers who had gathered in the
thriving sea-port, which bore the name famous to all the world for the
Siege of Troy.
It was with such thoughts in his heart
that St. Paul slept that night in his humble lodging, and in his dreams, a
man from Macedonia, like one he had seen on the quay, stood and beckoned
to him (Acts 16:10, R.V.).
Where it is possible for the judgment
to arrive at a right conclusion, on the suggestions that may be supplied
by the Divine Spirit, we are left to think out the problems of our career.
Within your reach are the materials needed for formulating a correct
judgment; use them, balance the pros and cons, and looking up to God to
prevent you from making a mistake, act. When once you have come to a
decision, in faith and prayer, go forward, not doubting or looking back.
A small door may lead to a vast
opportunity. St. Paul might have been discouraged by his reception in
Europe. He looked for the man whom he had seen in the vision, but the only
trace they could find of the worship of God was the gathering together of
a few women. How startled they must have been by the sudden appearance of
these missionaries, but a mighty work for God began in the life of at
least one of them "whose heart the Lord opened." Let us not despise the
smallest opening, for we can never tell into what a wide place it may
conduct us.
PRAYER - O God, since we know not what a day may bring forth, but only
that the hour for serving Thee is always present, may we wake to the
instant claims of Thy holy Will; not waiting for to-morrow, but yielding
today. Consecrate with Thy presence the way our feet may go; and the
humblest work will shine, and the roughest places be made plain. AMEN.
(Our Daily Walk)
F. B. Meyer
in his book Paul A Servant of Jesus Christ writes...
It is interesting to study the method
of his guidance as it was extended towards these early heralds of the
Cross. It consisted largely in prohibitions, when they attempted to take
another course than the right. When they would turn to the left, to Asia,
He stayed them; and when they sought to turn to the right, to Bithynia,
again He stayed them. He shut all the doors along their route, and bolted
them; so that they had no alternative but to go straight forward. In the
absence of any prohibition, they were left to gather that they were
treading the prepared path for which they had been created in Christ
Jesus.
Whenever you are doubtful as to your
course, submit your judgment absolutely to the Spirit of God, and ask Him
to shut against you every door but the right one. Say, "Blessed Spirit, I
cast on Thee the entire responsibility of closing against my steps any and
every course which is not of God. Let me hear thy voice behind me whenever
I turn to the right hand or the left. Put thine arrest on me. Do not
suffer me."
In the meanwhile, continue along the
path which you have been already treading. It lies in front of you; pursue
it. Abide in the calling in which you were called. Keep on as you are,
unless you are clearly told to do something else. Expect to have as clear
a door out as you had in; and if there is no indication to the contrary,
consider the absence of indication to be the indication of God's will that
you are on his track.
The Spirit of Jesus waits to be to you,
O pilgrim, what He was to Paul. Only be careful to obey his least
prohibitions, and where, after believing prayer, there are no apparent
hindrances, believe that you are on the way everlasting, and go forward
with enlarged heart. "Teach me to do thy will, for Thou art my God: thy
Spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness." Do not be surprised
if the answer comes in closed doors. But when doors are shut right and
left, an open road is sure to lead to Troas. There Luke awaits, and
visions will point the way, where vast opportunities stand open, and
faithful friends are waiting.
Acts
16:9
Although the man
of Macedonia represented all the culture, intelligence, religion, and
achievements of Greek civilization, he was spiritually bankrupt. Here the
Gospel turns to Europe. So after two "no's", then a "go".
Guzik writes that...
God still calls people to the mission
field. Perhaps many today will encounter a "Macedonia man" who will call
them out to the mission field. Would to God that those who hear a
"Macedonian man" today will respond the way Paul and his team responded!
Help
(997)
(boetheo
from boé = a cry,
exclamation + theo = to run)
(Click
for study on
boetheo)
means to run on hearing a cry, to give assistance.
Boethéo
means to succor (KJV says God "is able to succour them that are
tempted" - see note
Hebrews 2:18)
which is a word you may not be too familiar with, but which means
literally to run to or run to support hence, to help or relieve when in
difficulty, want or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering; as, to
succor a besieged city; to succor prisoners. (succor is derived from Latin
succurrere = to run up, run to help, from sub- = up + currere to run).
The greatest help we
can bring anyone is the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ! It is good
for us to bring help (social, medical needs, etc) but without the life
changing gospel of Christ, what help of eternal value have you given them?
George MacDonald wrote that...
Nothing makes a man strong like a call
for help
><> ><> ><>
Our Daily Bread -
THE MAN FROM MACEDONIA - Acts 16:9
When the apostle Paul saw in a vision the man from Macedonia, it changed
the history of the world. Heeding the man's plea to "come over to
Macedonia," Paul altered his plans. It was in Macedonia he led Lydia to
the Lord, and it was there that the evangelization of the Western world
began.
All Christians should be on the lookout for "the man from Macedonia." That
man or woman may be well-educated, or have no education at all. He may
drive an expensive car, or he may be poor and eke out a living ransacking
garbage cans. He may live next door, down the street, or across the sea.
He may speak a different language. But wherever you find him, and whatever
his situation, he has one pressing need -- to know Jesus Christ as his
Savior.
Sometimes that need is expressed as a cry for help. At other times it is
veiled in bitter hostility to the Savior and the gospel. Many times his
sins and errors and crimes announce this desperate condition. Yet despite
the thousand different ways he voices that need, the plea is always the
same: "Come over...and help us" (Acts 16:9).
Sooner or later someone will call out to you for help. Will you be quick
to answer?-- Haddon W. Robinson
O stir me, O stir me,
Lord, till all my heart
Is filled with compassion for those who are lost,
Until Your compelling love drives me to pray
And follow Your leading, not counting the cost.-- Anon
If you've accepted
Christ's invitation to come,
have you obeyed his commission to go?
><> ><> ><>
Acts
16:10
The first use here
of we in the narrative, instead of "they," seems to indicate that
Luke, the author of the book of Acts, joined the missionary party at Troas.
Then after Paul and Silas and Timothy left Philippi, Luke changed the
pronoun
from we to they in Acts 17:1, which suggests
that he remained behind in Philippi to watch over the infant church after
Paul left.
God wanted Paul and his team to go to Troas and pick up a doctor named
Luke. If God wouldn't have said "no" to Paul two times, we might not have
a gospel and a Book of Acts written by Luke!
It was some six to
seven years later when Luke rejoined Paul...
But these had gone on ahead and were
waiting for us at Troas. (Acts 20:5 )
Finally, in the
third we section, Luke is with Paul has they sail for Italy ...
And when it was decided that we
should sail for Italy, they proceeded to deliver Paul and some other
prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. (Acts 27:1)
Concluding (sumbibazo
from sun = union + bibazo = to force) means to cause to come
together, to bring together, to join together. It is used more literally
and in a physical sense in (see notes
Ephesians 4:16,
cf
Colossians 2:2
"knit together").
How did the facts
"come together" and allow them to arrive at a conclusion? Two "no's" plus
one "vision" added up to a directive to preach the gospel (to
"help" cf Acts 16:9)
A T Robertson
adds that sumbibazo is...
A very striking word, present active participle of sumbibazo, old verb to
make go together, to coalesce or knit together, to make this and that
agree and so to conclude. Already in Acts 9:22 of Paul’s preaching. This
word here gives a good illustration of the proper use of the reason in
connection with revelation, to decide whether it is a revelation from God,
to find out what it means for us, and to see that we obey the revelation
when understood. God had called them to preach to the Macedonians. They
had to go.
Acts 16:11
A straight course
to Samothrace - This phrase is a nautical term which means
"sailing before the wind".
They anchored for a night at Samothrace.
From the continent of Asia, to the continent of Europe. From Troas to
Neapolis, the port of Philippi was a distance of about 150 miles, and it
took them two days to make the journey. Later, the trip in the opposite
direction would take five days, apparently because of contrary winds, Luke
recording...
And we sailed from Philippi after the
days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and
there we stayed seven days. (Acts 20:6).
The wisdom and
greatness of God's sovereign plan of salvation begins to unfold. In Paul's
mind as he traveled through Asia and tried to enter Bithynia, he sought to
reach a few of the cities in this region. On the other hand, God had a
much bigger plan for He wanted Paul to reach a continent for Jesus Christ!
Neapolis some 120 miles from Troas was the seaport for
Philippi which was located about 10 miles inland as one treks along
the
Via Egnatia (picture of road upon which Paul probably entered
Philippi). This paved road
extended some 530 miles from Dyrrachium (Modern day Albania) on the
Adriatic coast across Macedonia to Neapolis on the Aegean Sea,
traversing through major metropolitan centers such as Thessalonica.
Acts
16:12
Roman colony was
like a piece of Rome transplanted abroad so that those who held
citizenship in a colony enjoyed the same rights they would have had if
they had lived in Italy. Other colonies mentioned in Acts are Pisidian
Antioch, Lystra, Troas, Ptolemais, and Corinth.
Wiersbe adds
that...
Philippi was a Roman colony, which
meant that it was a "Rome away from Rome." The emperor organized
"colonies" by ordering Roman citizens, especially retired military people,
to live in selected places so there would be strong pro-Roman cities in
these strategic areas. Though living on foreign soil, the citizens were
expected to be loyal to Rome, to obey the laws of Rome, and to give honor
to the Roman emperor. In return, they were given certain political
privileges, not the least of which was exemption from taxes. This was
their reward for leaving their homes in Italy and relocating elsewhere. (Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor
or
Logos)
Acts
16:13
Sabbath - (sabbaton
from shabath - H7676 = to cease from work, intermission) Jewish
Sabbath was the 7th day of week and was kept originally by a total
cessation from all labor as even the kindling of a fire, but apparently
without any public solemnities except an addition to the daily sacrifice
in the tabernacle and the changing of the shewbread (Ex 20:8, 31:13; Lv
24:8; Nu 15:32, 28:9). The custom of reading the Scriptures in public
assemblies and synagogues appears to have been introduced after the exile
(cf. Neh 8; Lu 4:16).
Christians are to do what the New Testament says. Jesus fulfilled the
ceremonial, sacrificial part of the Old Testament law when He died on the
cross (Hebrews 10). He told Peter that the dietary laws no longer applied
to the church (Acts 10). True believers keep the moral part of God’s laws
as they live by His Spirit (see notes
Romans 8).
The sabbath was a sign between the Lord and the nation of Israel—the sign
of the Old Covenant (the Law)—that they might know He is the Lord Who
sanctifies them, sets them apart. Israel was to observe the sabbath
because it was holy, set apart, for them. The one who profaned the
sabbath, did not treat it as holy, was put to death. The sabbath, the
seventh day, was to be a day of complete rest. Israel was to keep it
throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
But after the captivity arose the school of the Pharisees, and by them the
attractive character of the Sabbatical observances was destroyed. In place
of the joy, they imposed upon the people the yoke of a scrupulous, slavish
sabbatarianism which made the Sabbath an END instead of a MEANS, hampered
the spirit of true worship, and laid greater stress upon a punctilious
obedience to mere human regulations than upon God's commands in the Law.
Some of the ridiculous prohibitions were as follows: walking in the grass
on the Sabbath because its bruising effect would constitute a kind of
threshing; wearing nailed shoes because they would be viewed as carrying a
burden. It was against this perversion of the commandment that the Lord
protested. He refused to sanction Pharisaical legalism and vigorously
defended His Sabbath miracles.
Jesus kept the Sabbath in the highest sense of the term. He observed every
jot and tittle of the Mosaic Law in the freedom of the spirit. He taught
us that acts of necessity and mercy are to be performed always, even on
the Sabbath, and worldly occupations are to be put as far as possible out
of our thoughts. In the Christian church the first day of the week has
been substituted for the last day as a day of worship and rest. This,
however, is in commemoration of the resurrection of Christ.
We went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that
there would be a place of prayer -
Paul normally went first to a local synagogue when he arrived in a new
city, but apparently there was none in Philippi. Ten Jewish men who were
heads of there household was required to constitute a synagogue,
suggesting that Philippi must have had a small Jewish population.
The only religious activity on the weekly Sabbath was apparently the ladies'
prayer meeting, so that was where Paul headed. This gathering became the
nucleus of the first Christian church in Europe.
Wiersbe quips...
Paul had seen a man in the vision at
Troas, but here he was ministering to a group of women! 'It is
better that the words of the Law be burned than be delivered to a woman!"
said the rabbis; but that was no longer Paul's philosophy. He had been
obedient and the Lord had gone before to prepare the way. (Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor
or
Logos)
Bruce adds
that...
Had there been ten Jewish men, they
would have sufficed to constitute a synagogue. No number of women would
compensate for the absence of even one man necessary to make up the quorum
of ten.
Acts
16:14
AND A CERTAIN WOMAN NAMED LYDIA: kai tis gune onomati Lydia: The
first European Christian!
She may have been
named after the land, though Lydia is a common female name. Lydia was
itself a Macedonian colony. When Paul wrote the Philippians he did not
mention Lydia who may have died meanwhile and who certainly was not Paul's
wife.
FROM THE CITY OF THYATIRA A SELLER OF PURPLE FABRICS: porphuropolis poleos Thuateiron:
Thyatira
(plural form like Philippi) was famous for its purple dyes as old as Homer
(Iliad) and had a guild of dyers as inscriptions show. There
was a great demand for purple fabric as it was used on the official toga
at Rome and in Roman colonies.
A WORSHIPER OF GOD: sebomene (PMPFSN) ton theon:
Like Cornelius (Acts
10:2), she was a God-fearer or Gentile but was not a full Jewish
proselyte. Nevertheless she openly worshiped with the Jews and clearly she was
seeking truth.
WAS LISTENING: ekouen (3SIAI):
The imperfect tense
pictures her as listening,
really listening and she kept it up, listening to each of these new and
strange preachers.
AND THE LORD OPENED HER
HEART: es o kurios dienoixen (3SAAI) ten kardian:
The Lord thoroughly,
totally opened her mind by dividing the mind was was previously closed and
causing her to understand spiritual truths otherwise hidden to the natural
mind. Lu 24:31, 45.
Repentance is a gift
to undeserving sinners granted by a merciful, kind God [Ro 2:4 Acts 5:31
11:18]
This verse is clear proof of the sovereignty of God in salvation.
When Lydia heard the gospel, the Lord opened her heart and she
believed--another example where divine election and human responsibility
are naturally juxtaposed.
This is a work God must do in all who believe, because as Jesus said,
No one can come to Me, unless the
Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
(John 6:44).
TO RESPOND TO THE
THINGS SPOKEN BY PAUL: prosechein (PAN) tois laloumenois (PPPNPD) hupo tou
Paulou:
Respond is an
interesting Greek picture - to continually hold her mind toward. She kept
her mind centered on the things spoken by Paul whose words gripped her
attention.
Spoken is not the word for official proclamation but here pictures
a more personal conversation (rather than a sermon).
The Spirit of God used Paul as a vessel to win the heart of this woman to
Christ. It is important to note that it was the Word which brought the
sinner Lydia to the Savior Christ Jesus.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who
hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does
not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24)
This event in which
we see the power of God's word working in Lydia who believed is a
beautiful illustration of
1Thessalonians 2:13;
2:14 (note).
An interesting observation is that here we see one solitary convert, a
woman, already a seeker after God, and a native of the very area where
they had been forbidden to preach! God's ways are so much higher than our
ways. A new era had dawned for Europe and for women in the conversion of
Lydia. PTL Who Alone can opened closed hearts.
><> ><> ><>
C H Spurgeon -
Morning and Evening - In Lydia’s conversion there are many points of
interest. It was brought about by providential circumstances. She was a
seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, but just at the right time for
hearing Paul we find her at Philippi; providence, which is the handmaid of
grace, led her to the right spot. Again, grace was preparing her soul for
the blessing—grace preparing for grace. She did not know the Saviour, but
as a Jewess (Ed note: most commentators feel she was not Jewish but
was a Gentile seeker of God), she knew many truths which were excellent
stepping-stones to a knowledge of Jesus. Her conversion took place in the
use of the means. On the Sabbath she went when prayer was wont to be made,
and there prayer was heard. Never neglect the means of grace; God may
bless us when we are not in his house, but we have the greater reason to
hope that he will when we are in communion with his saints.
Observe the words,
“Whose heart the Lord opened.” She did not open her own heart. Her prayers
did not do it; Paul did not do it. The Lord himself must open the heart,
to receive the things which make for our peace. He alone can put the key
into the hole of the door and open it, and get admittance for himself. He
is the heart’s master as he is the heart’s maker.
The first outward
evidence of the opened heart was obedience. As soon as Lydia had believed
in Jesus, she was baptized. It is a sweet sign of a humble and broken
heart, when the child of God is willing to obey a command which is not
essential to his salvation, which is not forced upon him by a selfish fear
of condemnation, but is a simple act of obedience and of communion with
his Master.
The next evidence
was love, manifesting itself in acts of grateful kindness to the apostles.
Love to the saints has ever been a mark of the true convert. Those who do
nothing for Christ or his church, give but sorry evidence of an “opened”
heart. Lord, evermore give me an opened heart. (Morning and Evening -
Evening Devotional, December 10)
><> ><> ><>
F B Meyer
writes...Acts 16:14, 27 - A
certain woman named Lydia…. The Keeper of the prison.
These are typical cases, put here in
juxtaposition for the teaching and comfort of believers in every age. Each
of them needed Christ, and each was brought into his true light; but each
came in a different way. Lydia’s heart opened as a flower beneath the
touch of the sun, so gradually and imperceptibly that it was impossible to
say the precise moment of her new life. The jailer came to Christ
suddenly, startlingly, amid the crash of an earthquake. The one was drawn
by love; the other driven by fear. A distinguished missionary says, “The
Lord awakened me with a kiss” — it was so that Lydia’s heart was won.
Another tells us that the Lord sprang on him like a lion — it was thus
with the jailer.
Lydia. — Do not always be
looking out for signs and manifestations, for marked experiences. We do
not notice the lines of longitude and latitude as we cross the ocean of
life. Without knowing it, your character may be in the process of
transfiguration. By insensible gradations the work of God may be
proceeding in your heart. The tide is rising daily by tiny wavelets that
appear to recede as fast as they advance. Do not measure progress by
experiences; only be yielded to God, and let Him do his will.
The Jailer. — Do not undervalue
the influence of fear. There are some natures that never will be awakened
unless they are startled by being brought face to face with the
consequences of sin. If men will not come by the highest motives, be
thankful that they come by any. Remember it is not belief about Christ,
about his death or resurrection, but trust in Him as a living Person, that
saves from the power and penalty of sin. “Believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ.” He is a living Person. Trust Him now. (Meyer, F. B. Our Daily
Homily).
><> ><> ><>
Acts
16:15
And her household
- see similar descriptions of the household (John 4:53; Acts 11:14)
Lydia's household apparently consisted of her servants. There is no
indication that she was either married or a widow.
Note two evidences of her conversion - She boldly identified
herself with Christ by being baptized, and she insisted that the
missionaries stay at her house. Clearly Lydia was not saved by her good
works, but she was saved for good works (see note
Ephesians 2:10).
Acts
16:16
And it happened
- More literally "And it came into being"
Wiersbe gives us a sage warning...
No sooner are lost people saved than
Satan begins to hinder the work. In this case, he used a demonized girl
who had made her masters wealthy by telling fortunes. (Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor
or
Logos)
Spirit of
divination - is literally spirit of python.
Divination (puthon/python) in Greek mythology was the serpent that
guarded the oracle of Delphi, lived at the foot of Mt. Parnassus, and was
slain by Apollo. Later puthon/python came to designate a spirit of
divination, then also of ventriloquists, who were believed to have such a
spirit dwelling in their belly. About A.D. 50-100, Plutarch maintained
that the term puthognes applied to ventriloquists, and earlier in the LXX
those having demonic spirits were called ventriloquists (Lev. 19:31; 20:6,
27; including the witch of En Dor in 1 Sam. 28:7).
TDNT adds that...
Python/puthon is the name of the snake
that guards the Delphic oracle, and it is also used from the early
imperial period for a ventriloquist, through whom, as many think, a god is
supposed to speak, and who is thus regarded as a soothsayer. How python
comes to be equated with engastrimythos, the ventriloquist, is not
certain. (Kittel,
G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament. Eerdmans)
Acts
16:17
The Most High God
- El Elyon, a name that connotes His sovereign control over all history.
(See study
El Elyon: Most High God - Sovereign Over All)
The continual harangue by the girl, referring to "the most high God,"
designed to produce ridicule and resentment against Paul, showed that her
"spirit of divination" was actually a demonic spirit. Compare the
experience of Jesus, whom they recognized as God, with such evil spirits
(Mt 8:31,32 Mk 1:24,34).
Acts
16:18
Annoyed (diaponeo
from dia = through or as intensifier + poneo = to labor from
ponos = toil or pain) means literally to labor through, to work out with
labor or to produce with labor. Figuratively, it means to feel burdened as
the result of someone’s provocative activity, be greatly disturbed, or to
be annoyed. To be grieved or to become wearied or grieved at the
continuance of anything (Acts 4:2; 16:18). The slave girl with demonic
spirit "wore Paul out".
Paul did not want either the Gospel or the name of God to be promoted by
demons. Satan is a liar and will use truth one minute but in the next
minute will speak a lie and the unsaved listener would not know the
difference.
Jesus commanded the demons not to speak of Him...
The ability to cast out demons was a special ability of Christs
apostles...
and to have authority to cast out the
demons. (Mark 3:15).
Acts
16:19
But when her
masters saw that their hope of profit was gone - They did not care for
the girl but the money she brought in. This conflict between the gospel
and money comes up repeatedly in Acts (see Acts 5:1-11, 8:18-24,
20:33-34).
In Ephesus, we see a similar conflict between Paul and the worshippers of
the false idol Artemis, as the gospel had begun to negatively impact the
sale of the lifeless shrines of Artemis. Luke records...
Acts 19:25-26 these he gathered
together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that
our prosperity depends upon this business. And you see and hear that not
only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and
turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with
hands are no gods at all.
Mark 5:16-17 And those who had seen it described to them how it had
happened to the demon possessed man, and all about the swine. And they
began to entreat Him to depart from their region. (Comment: They
did not care that the man was set free from the demon, but that their
profit was gone.)
Hope
(1680)
(elpis)
is used usually in Scripture to refer to an absolute certainty of future
good (as the blessed hope of the Lord's sure return in Titus 2:13 -
see note).
However in this verse hope is used as it is by the secular world conveying
the sense of "I hope so".
Profit (ergasia from ergázomai = to toil, work) refers here to
their work in the sense of their business or trade (they "traded" in
fortune telling) and in the sense of that which brings gain or income.
(See this nuance in Acts 16:16, 19; Acts 19:24).
Seized (epilambanomai from epí = upon + lambáno = to take) means to
make the motion of grasping or taking hold of something. To lay hold of or
to seize upon anything with the hands, to take hold of or grasp, with
focus upon the goal of motion seize for help, injury, attainment or any
other purpose, catch, lay hold upon, take hold of.
Market place (agora) is the town-square where the people assembled
in public. It can also refer to a market or thoroughfare or a broad
street. Here it refers to a forum or a market place where things were
exposed for sale and where assemblies and public trials were held (See
similar use in Mk 7:4; Acts 16:19; 17:17)
Acts
16:20
Judaism was not a
prohibited religion (the cult of the emperor being the official religion),
but propagating it was regarded as a menace. Paul and Silas were regarded
as Jews, since, at this time, the Romans considered Christianity to be a
Jewish sect.
MacArthur adds this note...
Anti-Semitism was alive even then. The
Emperor Claudius issued an order around that time expelling the Jews from
Rome (Acts 18:2). This may explain why they apprehended only Paul and Silas,
since Luke was a Gentile and Timothy half-Gentile. (MacArthur,
J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word
or
Logos)
Acts
16:21
In the Roman Empire,
there were two very different laws: one for citizens of the Roman Empire,
and one for those who were not citizens. Roman citizens had specific civil
rights which were zealously guarded. Non-citizens had no civil rights, and
were subject to the whims of both the multitude and the magistrates.
Bruce
comments that...
There was great indignation that Roman
citizens should be molested by strolling peddlers of an outlandish
religion. Such people had to be taught to know their proper place and not
trouble their betters.
Acts
16:22
Rose up (sunephistemi
from sún = together + ephistemi = stand upon, be at hand,
stand before, by or over) means to join in an uprising or join in an
attack. Here Luke adds the preposition katá which means against so the
idea is that the crowd made an assault together against them. This same
verb describes the assembly rises up against Moses also the servant of the
Lord...
And they assembled together against
Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone far enough, for all the
congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst;
so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (Nu 16:3)
The chief
magistrates tore their robes off them - Moved by the incited crowd and the
false accusations, the magistrates acted rashly and did not investigate
the matter fully as they should have. Their neglect later brought them
embarrassment for it was imprison Roman citizens without a trial (and Paul
was a Roman citizen).
Chief magistrates (strategos from stratos = an army +
ágo = to lead) referred to the highest official in a Greco-Roman
city. In other contexts strategos was used to describe a commander
responsible for the temple in Jerusalem or captain of the temple (see Acts
4:1, 5:24). More generally it referred to the leader or commander of an
army such as a general.
Every Roman colony had two of these men serving as judges. In this case,
they did not uphold Roman justice: They did not investigate the charges,
conduct a proper hearing, or give Paul and Silas the chance to defend
themselves.
Tore off (perirrhegnumi from perí = about +
rhegnumi = to break, tear) means literally to tear from around
someone, as tearing off fetters or stripping off ones robe by tearing.
This verb is used in the NT only of garments of Paul and Silas as the
crowd tore off their clothes preparing them to be scourged. The Roman
custom was to allow officers to tear off the clothes of criminals before
being scourged.
Beaten with rods (rhabdizo from rhabdos = rod for
scourging) means to beat with a rod or stick and in the NT is used only of
Roman punishment by scourging. This punishment was referred to by the
Latin term fustigatio and was distinguished from catigatio (a lashing) and
verberatio (flogging with chains). As Paul records (see below) this
punishment was inflicted on his body on three separate occasions although
this is the only one the NT specifically records in detail.
It is interesting that in the Septuagint, rhabdizo is used of
threshing wheat to remove the chaff from the grain...
So she gleaned in the field until
evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah
of barley. (see note
Ruth 2:17)
Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah,
which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out
wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. (see
note
Judges 6:11)
The magistrates
proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods - In Jewish legal
tradition, there was a maximum number of blows that could be delivered
when beating a person, but the Romans had no such limit. We can rest
assured Paul and Silas were severely beaten.
Paul alluded to this (and possibly other similar events) as he defended
his ministry to the saints at Corinth asking...
Are they (false apostles, deceitful
workers who were disguising themselves as apostles of Christ) servants of
Christ? (I speak as if insane) I more so; in far more labors, in far more
imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24
Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I
was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a
night and a day I have spent in the deep. (2 Corinthians 11:23-25)
Later in Acts Paul
does in fact appeal to his Roman citizenship, once to avoid being scourged
(Acts 22:25-29) and another time to force the officials to send him to
Rome as he appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:11-12) Festus' suggestion that Paul
appear in Jerusalem for trial (Acts 25:9) provoked his appeal to Caesar
for he realized that the trial would not be impartial especially in
Jerusalem, and that he would be in great danger if he was returned to the
jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin. The right of appeal was one of the most
ancient and cherished rights of a Roman citizen. And to whom ultimately
did Paul appeal? To the infamous, nefarious Nero who was emperor at that
time (A.D. 54-68)!
Acts
16:23
They threw them
into prison - This event might at first glance seem to signal the end
of Paul's ministry in Philippi, but in God's providence it would not be so
but would lead to another conversion. God's ways are always higher than
our ways. Dear believer, are you in a "dungeon" because of your witness?
Take heart from the example of Paul and Silas and by the power of the
Spirit, rejoice. And again I say rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice always, pray
without ceasing and give thanks for all things (see notes
1Thess 5:16;
17;
18)
Paul alludes to these hindrances to sharing the gospel in his letter to
the Thessalonians writing that...
after we had already suffered and been
mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to
speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. (see note
1Thessalonians 2:2)
It is fascinating
that here in Acts 16:23 we find the very one who had been throwing
Christians into jail, now in jail himself. Luke records...
But Saul (later Paul) began ravaging
the church, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women, he
would put them in prison. (Acts 8:3)
Acts
16:24
Bruce
commenting on the stocks writes that...
These stocks had more than two holes
for legs, which could thus be forced apart in a such a way as to cause the
utmost discomfort and cramping pain. (Bruce)
Stocks (xulon)
means wood and in some contexts refers to a cross (Acts 5:30, 10:39,
13:29, 1Peter 2:24). In this context xulon describes an instrument that
secured the feet (and sometimes the neck and hands) of a prisoner.
Stocks were usually constructed of wood with holes to secure the feet.
They could also be used as an instrument of torture by stretching the legs
apart and causing the prisoner to sit in unnatural positions. The Romans
often added chains along with the stocks. Stocks were much used in
medieval and later times in the persecution of Christians.
><> ><> ><>
Our Daily Bread -
"LED" INTO PRISON - In a vision, Paul saw a man of Macedonia who said,
"Come over . . . and help us." Assured that the Lord Himself had thus
called him to preach the Gospel in that area, he and Silas — and evidently
Dr. Luke — set out at once for their new "mission field." But what a
reception they received! The record tells us that the "multitude rose up
together against them" and "beat them" and "thrust them into the inner
prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks." If they would have
reacted like many of us today, Paul would probably have complained, "Well,
isn't this just fine: led by God into prison! Here we were obedient to the
heavenly vision, and this is our reward!"
Was this Paul's attitude? I should say not! Listen to the story in Acts
16:25: "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God."
Singing in prison! Paul knew that "all things work together for good to
them that love God." With the eye of faith he could see some future good,
and in that confidence was happy even while enduring severe trial. When
the Lord had accomplished His purpose, demonstrated His power, and saved
the jailer and his family, then Paul and Silas were commanded to "depart
and go in peace."
Sometimes we find ourselves in troubling situations as the result of our
service for the Lord. Doing that which we believe to be right and
according to His will, we seem to end up in the "prison" of suffering,
hardship, and loss, and are tempted to complain, "Lord, is this what I
get for my faithfulness?" Then He comes and assures us that He "doeth all
things well," and that Romans 8:28 is still in the Book! When all has been
accomplished, we shall be able to look back and clearly see His hand and
purpose in it all. "Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will
of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a
faithful Creator" (1 Pet. 4:19).
There's One who will
journey beside me,
In weal, nor in woe, will forsake;
And this is my solace and comfort,
"He knoweth the way that I take!" —Anon.
Every lock of sorrow has a key of promise to fit it!
><> ><> ><>
Our Daily Bread
- When Paul and Silas were imprisoned at Philippi and their backs were raw
from beatings, they sang hymns (Acts 16:23-25). They chose the bright
color of praise instead of the dark colors of depression, bitterness, and
despair.
No matter what affliction or crisis we may face, we too can decide how we
will respond. With the enablement of the Holy Spirit, we can refuse to
paint our lives in the dull gray of grumbling and complaining. Instead,
our chosen color can be the azure blue of contentment because God's help
is always available. -- Vernon C. Grounds
He gives me joy in
place of sorrow;
He gives me love that casts out fear;
He gives me sunshine for my shadow,
And "beauty for ashes" here. -- Crabbe
God chooses what we go through;
we choose how we go through it.
><> ><> ><>
One of the most
important times to sing praise to God is when we feel imprisoned by the
circumstances of life. Like the experience of Paul and Silas in the Roman
prison, it is often uncanny how prayer and praise open the doors of our
lives to new dimensions of opportunity and spiritual power.
Acts
16:25
Praying and
singing - Beloved if I were unjustly treated like Paul and Silas, I am
afraid that too often my first reaction would be to murmur or dispute the
charges (see notes
Philippians 2:14;
2:15). However instead of complaining to God or
even calling on Him to avenge their unjust treatment (see notes
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