Written ~ 06-24-2024
Read Acts Chapter Sixteen
Acts 16
In Acts 15:36-41, after a very long time ministering together, Paul and Barnabas separate. They had a disagreement about having John Mark continue in their missionary journey. Paul was against him going, Barnabas was for it. Even though they were unable to agree, they settled the matter, but went their separate ways. Barnabas with John Mark and Paul chose Silas to go with him. What I found interesting in this short passage, is that these two men went through a lot together in their spreading of the Gospel Message, but they disagreed with one another. So much so that it caused them to go their separate ways. We won’t hear about Paul and Barnabas coming back together until Paul speaks about him in Galatians 2:1, fourteen years later. Even though they couldn’t agree, they remained steadfast to the spreading of the Good News. Even though their disagreement caused them to go in different directions, they both continued in the boldness of the Holy Spirit to strengthen the believers and bring people to Christ. You and I may not agree with how someone else goes about their ministry pursuits, but that does not mean an agreement cannot be made and the Gospel Message continue just as strongly, maybe just not together.
Acts 16:1-5…
1 “Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. 2Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, 3so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference (respect or esteem) to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. 4Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.”
Here we are introduced to Timothy, Paul later describes Timothy as his true son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2). I have a feeling Timothy learned a lot from Paul and strengthened his faith greatly by “tagging along.” Timothy is mentioned multiple times in the rest of the New Testament, Paul highly esteemed Timothy and the work he was doing for the Lord.
Did you notice that Paul had Timothy circumcised? After we just learned in Acts chapter 15 that it wasn’t necessary for new converts to be circumcised, why do you think Paul arranged for Timothy to be circumcised? Believe me it wasn’t out of any kind of lack of respect for the decision the apostles and elders had come to. No, it was actually out of respect for the Jewish leaders. Timothy’s mother was Jewish, but everyone knew his father was Greek. So to respectfully concede to what the Jewish leaders would expect, the procedure was done as a fulfillment to his Jewish heritage.
In verse 16:4 it says that “…they (Paul, Silas and Timothy) went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by apostles and elders in Jerusalem.” And what instructions were they delivering? It was the letter addressed to the churches from the apostles and elders (see Acts 15:22-29 for a reminder). Everywhere they went they strengthened the churches and encouraged the believers.
Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul and the rest of his companions set off on a missionary journey that would bring the Gospel message even further than it had before. Along the way Luke joins the group as they set out for Macedonia (Acts 16:10).
Acts 16:12…
12 “…we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.”
This could very well be the beginnings of the Philippian church to which Paul writes the letter to the Philippians later in the New Testament! There they find a group of women gathered together at a riverbank, the men soon realize that they worshiped God. One of the women, Lydia, listened intently to what Paul and the rest had to say and she opened her heart to the Lord and both she and her household were baptized. It was not only Lydia’s hospitality but her true belief in the Lord that led Paul and his companions to stay at her home. Acts chapter 16 is the only mention of Lydia, but Paul and Silas do return to her home at the end of this chapter to encourage the believers before they moved on.
Acts 16:16-40 is another incredible story of the Power of God shown in a miraculous way.
First off, we see our missionaries being taunted by a girl who was possessed by an evil spirit.
Acts 16:16-18…
16One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. 17She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
18This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
After the masters of this girl saw what had happened and that their hopes to become wealthy through her fortune-telling were shattered, they grabbed Paul and Silas and brought them before the city officials (Acts 16:19-20).
Because of the accusations from the men who grabbed them and a growing mob of people, Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten and thrown into jail. We learn in verses 16:23-24 that the jailer was ordered to put Paul and Silas in the inner dungeon and have them shackled to the stocks. They weren’t going to risk these two men escaping.
I absolutely LOVE what happens next!
But first, let’s stop for a moment. I want each of us to think about what Paul and Silas are going through right now. They have been severely beaten by wooden rods, they are dragged into the deepest part of a dungeon and shackled to the stocks. For anyone this would be a very desperate situation! How would you react? What comes to my mind is that I would be full of worry and fear. After being beaten and thrown into a dungeon I think all that would cross my mind is that my life would come to an end in the darkness of that dungeon. Well… that’s not what happened with Paul and Silas…
Acts 16:25…
25“Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.”
In the midst of their pain, their eyes squinting to see a flicker of light, there Paul and Silas were, praising God. What an incredible example we have in these men, in their desperate state we can see their complete trust and reliance on the Lord. They didn’t know what was going to happen, but they chose in that hopeless moment to pray and to sing. Do you see how that posture of praise helped the other prisoners become calm and how they were at peace as they listened in? There can be several reactions to this kind of treatment… anger, anguish and sorrow, crying out in pain. If Paul and Silas were panicked and grief stricken, angry, how do you suppose the other prisoners would have responded? Instead, these two men brought peace, worship and praise to an atmosphere of complete despair.
How do you respond to a situation completely out of your control? Is your first thought to lash out in anger? Or do you take a step back and honor the Lord in your response? The difference in our responses can be polar opposite. If we bring anger and disappointment into our situation we fuel the desperation with more anger and cause more damage than is already present. But if we can take a moment and assess our circumstances, even if we don’t know what the outcome will be and we bring prayer, praise and worship to that situation, all may seem hopeless, but bringing honor to the Lord allows peace, light and hope into whatever is going on1. That’s what Paul and Silas did, at that moment their situation was quite dire… but God…
Acts 16:25-28…
25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
Isn’t that scene absolutely fantastic! Just think, if the prisoners had been riled up, plotting their escape when this massive earthquake happened, the outcome would have been a lot different. If Paul, Silas and the rest of the prisoners had not been in a state of worship when the walls came crashing down and their chains fell to the ground, there would have been a chaotic mass exodus out of that dungeon. And the fate of that prison guard would have been death.
Instead of more death and destruction, God brought light and freedom. Paul and Silas were led out of the prison. Now, I am unsure about what happened to the rest of the prisoners, but even if they remained in jail, they witnessed the power of God. Their lives would have been changed. They saw the light of God through the prayer and worship of those two men, Paul and Silas. It’s not something any of those prisoners would soon forget. That’s why it is so important to choose our reactions to things carefully, we can either bring devastating blows in our anger and make things even worse, or we can choose to bring the Light of Jesus into the situation and diffuse an otherwise volatile situation.
In our story, there is freedom and Salvation…
Acts 16:29-34…
29The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
This is another miraculous scene! Why? Because this jailer, who at first beat, shackled and threw Paul and Silas into a dungeon, is now professing his need for Salvation and through his turning to the Lord, his entire household is saved! That’s a turn of events we should all be praising God for! When our hearts are set on the Lord, miraculous things can happen. The entire dynamic of your household can change! It’s just a matter of stepping up, admit to wrongdoing, seek forgiveness and accept the Lord’s Salvation! Let the rejoicing of God’s presence be what inspires the rest of your days.
Acts 16:40…
40“When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.”
It’s more than likely the believers gathered at Lydia’s home had heard that Paul and Silas were arrested and thrown into prison. What a wonderful testimony for Paul and Silas to come and greet those believers and tell them all that the Lord had done for them. Incredible. Those believers were encouraged and I’m sure their faith in the Lord was strengthened greatly on that day.
It’s important for us to share with each other the wonderful things God does in our lives. Even if we think it’s inconsequential, it may mean the world to someone else who is facing a difficult situation and after hearing about your story, they can be encouraged, beyond what you can even imagine. God uses each of our circumstances as a tool to strengthen the faith of someone else who might be struggling. Don’t keep your small (and big) victories to yourself! Share your story, be prepared to praise and worship the Father even when no one else is! You never know what can come out of your worship. Walls can come crashing down. Chains can fall off and be crushed. Release from a dire situation can happen! It’s all in our posture before the Lord. If we stand firm in anger and despair, more of that will follow. But if we stand firm in the truth of Jesus Christ and the words written in the Scriptures… praise and worship and miraculous outcomes will follow.
~AMEN~