Acts 16:37

But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. BUT PAUL SAID UNTO THEM - to the serjeants, who had entered the prison with the jailor, that they might be able to report that the men had departed. THEY HAVE BEATEN US OPENLY, [ deirantes (G1194) heemas (G2248) deemosia (G1219)] - 'have scourged us in public' (in designed contrast to the proposed dismissal of them "privily"). The publicity of the injury done to them, exposing their naked and bleeding bodies to the rude populace, was evidently the most sti...

− 38._They were afraid, because they were Romans. _They are not once moved with the other point, because they had handled innocents cruelly without discretion; − (234) and yet that was the greater reproach. But because they did not fear that any man would punish them, they were not moved with God’s judgment. This is the cause that they do carelessly pass over that which was objected concerning injury done by them, only they are afraid of the officers − (235) of the Romans, and lest they should be beheaded for violating the liberty in the body of a citizen. They knew that this was death if any of the chief governors [prefects] should commit it, then what should become of the officers of one free city? − (236) Such is the fear of the wicked, because they have an amazed − (237) conscience before God, th

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....

Verse 37. _THEY HAVE BEATEN US OPENLY - BEING ROMANS_] St. Paul well knew the Roman laws; and on their violation by the magistrates he _pleads_. The _Valerian_ law forbade any Roman citizen to be _bound_. The _Porcian_ law forbade any to be _beaten with rods_. "Poreia lex _virgas_ ab omnium civium Romanorum corpore amovit." And by the same law the liberty of a Roman citizen was never put in the power of the _lictor_. "Porcia lex _libertatem_ civium lictori eripuit." See CICERO, _Orat_. pro _Rabirio_. Hence, as the same author observes, _In_ _Verrem_, Orat. 5: "Facinus est _vinciri_ civem Romanum, scelus _verberari_." It is a transgression of the law to bind a Roman citizen: it is wickedness to scourge him. And the illegality of the proceedings of these magistrates was farther evident in their condemning and punishing them _unheard_. This was a gross violation of a common maxim in the Ro...

THEY HAVE BEATEN US OPENLY UNCONDEMNED - There are three aggravating circumstances mentioned, of which Paul complains: (1) That they had been beaten contrary to the Roman laws. (2) That it had been public; the disgrace had been in the presence of the people, and the reparation ought to be as public. (3) That it had been done without a trial, and while they were uncondemned, and therefore the magistrates ought themselves to come and release them, and thus publicly acknowledge their error. Paul knew the privileges of a Roman citizen, and at proper times, when the interests of justice and religion required it, he did not hesitate to assert them. In all this, he understood and accorded with the Roman laws. The Valerian law declared that if a citizen appealed from the magistrate to the people, it should not be lawful for magistrate to beat hi

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

BUT PAUL SAID UNTO THEM,.... The sergeants, who were present when the jailer reported to Paul the message they came with from the magistrates; though the Syriac version reads in the singular number, "Paul said to him", to the jailer: THEY HAVE BEATEN US OPENLY UNCONDEMNED, BEING ROMANS, AND HAVE CAST US INTO PRISON; what the magistrates ordered to be done to them, is reckoned all one as if they had done it themselves; and which was done "openly", before all the people, in the most public manner; to their great reproach, being put to open shame, as if they had been the most notorious malefactors living; when they were "uncondemned", had done nothing worthy of condemnation, being innocent and without fault, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render the word; nor was their cause heard, or they suffered to make any defence for themselves; and what was an aggravation of all this, that this...

ACTS 16:36-38 Leaving nothing to the imagination of the reader, in ver. Acts 16:36 codex Bezae reads kai. eivselqw.n o` desmofu,lax avph,ggeilen, while syrp, still more circumstantial, reads kai. avkou,saj o` desmofu,lax eivselqw.n avph,ggeilen. Similarly in ver. Acts 16:38 codex Bezae is extremely pleonastic in reading avph,ggeilan de. auvtoi/soi [sic] strathgoi/j oi` r`abdou/coi ta. r`h,mata tau/ta ta. r`hqe,nta pro.j tou.j strathgou,j…(“And the police reported to the magistrates _themselves_ these words...

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....