The Acts of the Apostles

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- Chapter 16 -

Then he arrived at Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a faithful Jewish woman, his father a Gentile.(a)

The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium rendered good testimony to him.

Paul wanted this man to travel with him, and taking him, he circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those places. For they all knew that his father was a Gentile.

And as they were traveling through the cities, they delivered to them the dogmas to be kept, which were decreed by the Apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.(b)

And certainly, the Churches were being strengthened in faith and were increasing in number every day.

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian

Then, while crossing through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the Word in Asia.

But when they had arrived in Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

Then, when they had crossed through Mysia, they descended to Troas.

And a vision in the night was revealed to Paul of a certain man of Macedonia, standing and pleading with him, and saying: “Cross into Macedonia and help us!”

Then, after he saw the vision, immediately we sought to set out for Macedonia, having been assured that God had called us to evangelize to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

(Revelation 2:18–29)

And sailing from Troas, taking a direct path, we arrived at Samothrace, and on the following day, at Neapolis,

and from there to Philippi, which is the preeminent city in the area of Macedonia, a colony. Now we were in this city some days, conferring together.

Then, on the Sabbath day, we were walking outside the gate, beside a river, where there seemed to be a prayer gathering. And sitting down, we were speaking with the women who had assembled.(c)

And a certain woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple in the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened. And the Lord opened her heart to be receptive to what Paul was saying.

And when she had been baptized, with her household, she pleaded with us, saying: “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, enter into my house and lodge there.” And she convinced us.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

Then it happened that, as we were going out to prayer, a certain girl, having a spirit of divination, met with us. She was a source of great profit to her masters, through her divining.(d)

(e)

This girl, following Paul and us, was crying out, saying: “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are announcing to you the way of salvation!”

Now she behaved in this way for many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go out from her.” And it went away in that same hour.

But her masters, seeing that the hope of their profit went away, apprehended Paul and Silas, and they brought them to the rulers at the courthouse.(f)

And presenting them to the magistrates, they said: “These men are disturbing our city, since they are Jews.

And they are announcing a way which is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, since we are Romans.”

And the people rushed together against them. And the magistrates, tearing their tunics, ordered them to be beaten with staffs.

And when they had inflicted many scourges on them, they cast them into prison, instructing the guard to watch them diligently.

And since he had received this kind of order, he cast them into the interior prison cell, and he restricted their feet with stocks.

The Conversion of the Jailer

Then, in the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were praying and praising God. And those who were also in custody were listening to them.

Yet truly, there was a sudden earthquake, so great that the foundations of the prison were moved. And immediately all the doors were opened, and the bindings of everyone were released.

Then the prison guard, having been jarred awake, and seeing the doors of the prison open, drew his sword and intended to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled.

But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying: “Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!”

Then calling for a light, he entered. And trembling, he fell before the feet of Paul and Silas.

And bringing them outside, he said, “Sirs, what must I do, so that I may be saved?”

So they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and then you will be saved, with your household.”

And they spoke the Word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house.

And he, taking them in the same hour of the night, washed their scourges. And he was baptized, and next his entire household.

And when he had brought them into his own house, he set a table for them. And he was joyous, with his entire household, believing in God.

An Official Apology

And when daylight had arrived, the magistrates sent the attendants, saying, “Release those men.”

But the prison guard reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent to have you released. Now therefore, depart. Go in peace.”

But Paul said to them: “They have beaten us publicly, though we were not condemned. They have cast men who are Romans into prison. And now they would drive us away secretly? Not so. Instead, let them come forward,

and let us drive them away.” Then the attendants reported these words to the magistrates. And upon hearing that they were Romans, they were afraid.

And arriving, they pleaded with them, and leading them out, they begged them to depart from the city.

And they went away from the prison and entered into the house of Lydia. And having seen the brothers, they consoled them, and then they set out.

Footnotes

(a)16:1 It is not clear from the text whether she was faithful to the Jewish faith, or was one of the faithful (i.e. a convert to Christianity).(Conte)

(b)16:4 This decision at Jerusalem, made by Peter and the Apostles and elders (i.e. Bishops), was perhaps the first dogmatic decree of an Ecumenical Council.(Conte)

(c)16:13 It was a Jewish custom, and apparently a custom of some early Christians, to go for a prayerful or meditative walk on the Sabbath.(Conte)

(d)16:16 This girl is said to have the spirit of a python because the python in Greek mythology was associated with divination.(Conte)

(e)16:16 A pythonical spirit:That is, a spirit pretending to divine, and tell fortunes.(Challoner)

(f)16:19 The word ‘forum’ often refers to a marketplace, but in this context it refers to a place for judgment and justice, such as a court house.(Conte)

He came to Derbe and Lystra; and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed, but his father was a Greek.

The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.

Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian

When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them.

Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.”

When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Good News to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

(Revelation 2:18–29)

Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.

On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.

When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

As we were going to prayer, a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling.

Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”

She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour.

But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city

and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

The multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore their clothes from them, then commanded them to be beaten with rods.

When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.

Having received such a command, he threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.

The Conversion of the Jailer

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.

The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!”

He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,

brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.

He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.

He brought them up into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with all his household, having believed in God.

An Official Apology

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

The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace.”

But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!”

The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.

They went out of the prison and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, then departed.