What Happened at Philippi?
Introduction:
Paul and his
co-workers had arrived in Philippi and converted Lydia and her
household. At her bequest, they stayed and made her household their
base of operations in the city.
Text:
Acts 16:16-40
Body:
I.
Paul and Silas Are Imprisoned
Acts 16:16-24
“Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl
possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her
masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and
us, and cried out, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the Most
High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.’ And this she
did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said
to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come
out of her.’ And he came out that very hour. But when her masters
saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas
and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they
brought them to the magistrates, and said, ‘These men, being Jews,
exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not
lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.’ Then the
multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore
off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And
when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into
prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having
received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and
fastened their feet in the stocks.”
NKJV
·
Near the end of Paul’s efforts in Philippi, he met a
demon-possessed slave girl. She had a spirit of divination – a
Pythian spirit. Apparently this demon had some knowledge that
impressed the crowds. Fortune-telling was forbidden to God’s people
under the Law of Moses. (Deuteronomy
18:10-11)
“There shall not be
found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass
through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer,
or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures
spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.”
·
She spoke the truth when she cried out who these men
were and who they served. Note
James 2:19
“You believe
that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and
tremble!” NKJV
·
Paul finally took pity on her and cast out the demon.
(I John 4:4)
“You are of
God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in
you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Also
Luke 10:17-18
“Then the
seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are
subject to us in Your name.’ And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall
like lightning from heaven.’ ” NKJV
·
This angered the girl’s owners greatly. When
the spirit came out, so did their source of income. Paul and Silas
were seized [not Timothy and Luke] and dragged before the
authorities. Marketplace: One source states this was a paved area
[164’ x 325’] with a large platform at one end. This served as
a “judgment seat” for Paul and Silas.
·
Two chief magistrates presided over each
Roman colony. The slave-owners made accusations that would stir the
emotions of all those present.
·
The officials ordered that Paul and Silas be
beaten. The men who were to inflict this punishment were
“rod-bearers.” They carried a bundle of wooden rods tied with red
cords. These rods were about the thickness of a thumb. This bundle
represented Roman authority and for several years was pictured on
the back of a United States dime.
·
The guards stripped the clothing off the
backs of Paul and Silas and hit them with the rods repeatedly.
Being bruised and bleeding, they were thrown into the inner prison
or dungeon and put in stocks. They were treated as dangerous
criminals!
II.
A Jailer Is Converted
Acts
16:25-40
“But at 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 chains were
loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing
the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his
sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud
voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.’ Then he
called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and
Silas.
And he brought
them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they
said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you
and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him
and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of
the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his
family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house,
he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God
with all his household. And when it was day, the magistrates sent
the officers, saying, ‘Let those men go.’ So the keeper of the
prison reported these words to Paul, saying, ‘The magistrates have
sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.’ But
Paul said to them, ‘They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans,
and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out
secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.’
And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were
afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and
pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart
from the city. So they went out of the prison and entered the house
of Lydia; and when they had seen the Brethren, they encouraged them
and departed.” NKJV
·
Even in pain, Paul and Silas were singing. Their
bodies may have been bound, but their spirits weren’t. (I
Peter 2:19-20)
“For this is
commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief,
suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten
for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and
suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”
NKJV There was an earthquake, no
doubt miraculous, which opened the doors and unfastened the stocks.
The jailer awakened and believed the prisoners had all escaped. So
he attempted to kill himself to avoid being executed. Paul yelled
at him to stop which he does. The jailer trembled before Paul and
Silas realizing there is a powerful force behind them.
·
The jailer asked what he needed to do to be saved,
probably from the judgment of God. He did not know who Jesus was so
Paul and Silas told him and his household and of their need for
forgiveness of sins. Like the blind man in
John 9:36.
“He answered
and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ ”
There is a basic level of truth one must
understand in order to be saved. Only after repenting and being
baptized did the jailer rejoice that he had “believed in God.” So
believing in God included repentance and baptism.
·
The magistrates probably thought the beatings and
imprisonment would be sufficient to teach these trouble-making Jews
a lesson. The authorities had broken two laws. They had inflicted
punishment without a trial and beaten two Roman citizens. Note that
Paul and Silas used the protection of civil law for their safety.
They went back to Lydia’s house, encouraged the brethren and then
left. But Luke stayed in Philippi. Notice the use of “they” in
Acts 17:1.
“Now when
they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they
came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.” NKJV
Conclusion:
An important lesson
we learn from the Philippian jailer is the need to do things
immediately and not put them off. When he asked Paul what he needed
to do to be saved, Paul replied that he needed to believe in the
Lord Jesus. He and his household were taught more about salvation
and were baptized at once. Baptism was essential to their salvation
so it was not put off for days or weeks, but was done immediately.
Bobby Stafford
March 20, 2016
Acts:
Lesson 35
Acts 16:16-40
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