Acts 16:36

And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. AND THE KEEPER - overjoyed to have such orders to execute, TOLD THIS SAYING TO PAUL, THE MAGISTRATES HAVE SENT TO LET YOU GO: NOW THEREFORE DEPART, AND GO IN PEACE. Very differently does Paul receive these orders:...

35-40 Paul, though willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, and without any desire to avenge himself, did not choose to depart under the charge of having deserved wrongful punishment, and therefore required to be dismissed in an honourable manner. It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle stood upon, but justice, and not to himself so much as to his cause. And when proper apology is made, Christians should never express personal anger, nor insist too strictly upon personal amends. The Lord will make them more than conquerors in every conflict; instead of being cast down by their sufferings, they will become comforters of their brethren....

EXPOSITION ACTS 16:1 _And he came also _for _then came he, _A.V._ _and T.R.; _to Lystra _for _Lystra, _A.V._; Timothy _for _Timotheus, _A.V._; of a Jewess _for _of a certain woman which was a Jewess, _A.V. and T.R.; _which _for _and, _A.V. For DERBE and LYSTRA, see Acts 14:1. and notes. This time St. Paul visited Derbe first, whereas before he came from Lystra to Derbe (Acts 14:6, Acts 14:8, Acts 14:21). WAS THERE; viz

AND THE KEEPER OF THE PRISON TOLD THIS, SAYING TO PAUL,.... The Ethiopic version adds, "and to Silas"; this was the same person with the jailer, whom Paul had baptized; and indeed, the same word is here used, though a little differently rendered, who no doubt reported this message to Paul with great joy: THE MAGISTRATES HAVE SENT TO LET YOU GO; they have sent an order to let you out of prison: NOW THEREFORE DEPART, AND GO IN PEACE; which expresses the jailer's pleasure of mind, and joy of heart, in executing his orders; and his sincere and hearty wishes for peace and prosperity to go along with them wherever they went, who had been instrumental of so much good to him and his family....

ACTS 16:36 evn eivrh,nh| {A} Although Ropes thought that evn eivrh,nh| “is inappropriate in the mouth of a Greek jailer,” a majority of the Committee did not regard such a consideration to be germane to the question whether Luke may not have thus described the words of farewell uttered by the newly converted jailer. The omission of the phrase from two manuscripts (D itgig) appears to be accidental....

CHAPTER 16 _ 1. In Derbe and Lystra again. Timotheus (Acts 16:1)._ 2. The Preaching forbidden in Asia (Acts 16:6). 3. The Vision of the Man from Macedonia (Acts 16:9). 4. The Gospel in Europe (Acts 16:13). Read in connection with the first verses of this chapter 1 Timothy 1:18; 1Ti 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:15. The circumcision of Timothy, the offspri

RECKONING WITH THE MAGISTRATES. The legal proceedings are to go no further. But Paul has two grievances to clear up with the magistrates before he will leave the prison. The proceedings of the former day had no form of law; the accused were not properly tried; and the magistrates had no power to beat a Roman citizen. Many scholars infer that Silas also held this rank, but if one of the two held it the contention was justified. The magistrates have to come themselves and to make a personal appeal to the missionaries and request them to leave the town; it is not an expulsion, but the request could not be disregarded....

A SON IN THE FAITH (Acts 16:1-5)...

TOLD. reported. Greek. _apangello._ See note on Acts 4:23. THIS SAYING. these words. Greek. _logos,_ as in Acts 16:6. TO, &C. = in order that (Greek. _hina)_ you may be released. DEPART. come forth....

_the keeper of the prison_ As before, in Acts 16:27, _the jailor_. _told this saying_ The Greek text best supported has no pronoun. Better "_reported the words_." (So _R. V._) No doubt he came with great joy, and it is evident that Paul and Silas had gone back to their prison after the events at midnight. To make the sentence run smoothly it will be needful to insert the word _saying_before the next sentence, now that the pronoun is removed. _now therefore depart_ Better, "come forth," as _R. V._The verb in the original gives clear indication that they were still in confinement....