Acts 16:1. Paul revisits derbe and lystra, chooses Timothy for a companion in his mission, and circumcises him. They pass through Phrygia and Galatia, and come into Mysia and to Troas. By a vision Paul is called into Macedonia. He crosses the sea and remains some days at Philippi 1. _to Derbe and L... [ Continue Reading ]
_well reported of_ The same expression is used of Cornelius (Acts 10:22) and by Paul of Ananias (Acts 22:12). _by the brethren_ i.e. the members of the Christian churches. Five or six years had elapsed since the previous visit of St Paul, so that the congregations had become somewhat formed, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
_and circumcised him_ It must be remembered that the decree of the synod of Jerusalem only related to the exemption of Gentiles from circumcision. It was a very different thing for a Jew to consent to become a fellow-worshipper in the Christian churches with a Gentile who remained uncircumcised, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_they delivered them_ i.e. they gave to the Gentile-Christians the decrees to observe, for there was nothing in them which a Jew would be likely to disregard. All that would be needed for the Jews in such cities would be to explain the terms on which Gentiles were to be admitted to the Christian com... [ Continue Reading ]
_established in the faith_ The verb is peculiar to the Acts, and is used (Acts 3:7; Acts 3:16) of the strengthening of the limbs of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. So its employment here indicates that thus the church was now prepared to make great progress. The barrier to Gentile... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now when they had gone throughout_ The oldest MSS. merely say AND THEY WENT THROUGH. _Phrygia and the region of Galatia_ Scarcely the direction, so far as population was concerned, which would have been chosen by them of their own accord, but the inner admonition of the Holy Ghost kept them from en... [ Continue Reading ]
_were come to Mysia_ The Greek scarcely says this. The preposition would be better rendered OVER AGAINST. The course of the journey seems to have been through Galatia and Phrygia, until they got so far to the west as to be opposite to, and on the borders of, Mysia. From this point they were inclined... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they passing by Mysia_ i.e. without preaching in that district, which was a part of Proconsular Asia, where they were not permitted to preach. _came down to Troas_ The well-known seaport on the coast of Mysia.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a vision appeared_ So also to Ananias (Acts 9:10). Cp. also Acts 10:3; Acts 10:17; Acts 10:19; Acts 11:5; Acts 12:9; Acts 18:9. This was a part of the fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel about which St Peter spake on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17). _a man of Macedonia_ The words which he spake ma... [ Continue Reading ]
_we endeavoured_ More literally and better, _we sought_. (So _R. V._) The steps taken would be in the way of enquiry how and when they could get across the sea to Europe. Here the writer begins to speak in the first person as if at this point he became a sharer in St Paul's labours. This he continue... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samothracia_ This island lies in the north of the Aegean Sea, opposite to that part of the Thracian coast at which the river Hebrus empties itself. _Neapolis_ The port of Philippi. This place is generally identified with the modern _Kavalla_. On the discussion about its identity, see _Dictionary o... [ Continue Reading ]
_and from thence to Philippi_ As the same verb is used for the whole description of the journey, it seems that the whole was made by ship. _which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony_ Better and more in accord with the oldest MSS. "_which is a city of Macedonia, the first of th... [ Continue Reading ]
Preaching on the Sabbath at Philippi. Conversion and baptism of Lydia. A spirit of divination cast out by Paul. Anger of those who made gain thereby. Paul and Silas are seized, brought before the authorities, scourged and imprisoned, but the prison doors are opened by a miracle. Conversion and bapti... [ Continue Reading ]
_named Lydia_ This may have been her proper name, or it may only have been that by which she passed among the colonists of Philippi, being from the _Lydian_town of Thyatira. From inscriptions which have been found on the site of the ancient town, it is clear that dyeing was one of the staple trades... [ Continue Reading ]
_and her household_ Of a like baptizing of a household see below (Acts 16:33), and also cp. Acts 11:14. We are not justified in concluding from these passages that infants were baptized. "Household" might mean slaves and freedwomen. _and abide there_ Like the two disciples who followed Jesus (John... [ Continue Reading ]
_as we went to prayer_ Better, AS WE WERE GOING TO THE PLACE OF PRAYER, see on Acts 16:13. For though the Greek noun here is without the article it is clearly to be rendered as in the previous verse. This must have been on another occasion than that on which Lydia was converted. For in the expressio... [ Continue Reading ]
_followed Paul and us, and cried_ Whatever the nature of the mental and spiritual malady under which this damsel suffered, it produced on her the like effect which is recorded of evil spirits in the history of Jesus (Mark 1:25; Luke 4:41), and forced her to confess to the true character of the Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
_this did she many days_ Whether this following took place only on the sabbaths, when the Apostles were going to the place of prayer, in which case the Apostles must have remained in Philippi some weeks, or whether it was on every occasion on which they appeared in public, we are not told. _Paul, b... [ Continue Reading ]
_that the hope of their gains was gone_ The verb is exactly the same as in the last clause of the previous verse. When the evil spirit _came out_, there _came out_also the chance of more gain. What the damsel herself may have thought of her own power we cannot tell, but probably, for their end of mo... [ Continue Reading ]
_and brought them to the magistrates_ These _strategoi_were the _duumviri_, the two _praetors_specially appointed to preside over the administration of justice, in cases where there was no appeal to Rome, in the _municipia_and _colonies_of the Romans. The title in the Greek seems to indicate somewha... [ Continue Reading ]
_and teach customs_ Better, _set forth_(So _R. V._), _make proclamation of_; the word refers to the preaching of the Apostles.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the multitude rose up together_ i.e. together with the aggrieved proprietors of the damsel. _the magistrates rent off their clothes_ i.e. the clothes of Paul and Silas, as is clear from the Greek verb, but not so evident from the A.V. Better, "_rent their clothes off them_." (So _R. V._only changi... [ Continue Reading ]
_cast them into prison_ So that they should have no chance of teaching any longer. They appear (see Acts 16:35) to have intended to keep them one night in prison and then to turn them out of the city.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the inner prison_ Necessarily a place dark and without ventilation, and hence foul and loathsome; perhaps underground, like the Tullianum at Rome (Varr. _L. L_. v. § 161; Lev. 29:22). _their feet fast in the stocks_ The stocks (lit. _wood_) was a means of additional security and additional torture... [ Continue Reading ]
_And at midnight_ Sleep being out of the question, they passed the night in devotions. The imperfect tenses of the verbs in this verse imply that the prayers and singing were continued. But it is unnecessary to render (as _R. V._) "Paul and Silas _were_praying … and the prisoners _were_listening, &c... [ Continue Reading ]
_And suddenly there was a great earthquake_ Just as the place wherein the Apostles prayed (Acts 4:31) was shaken, so here God testifies that He is near at hand. _and every one's bands were loosed_ The sense in which these words are to be taken may be gathered from the rest of the description. The c... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the keeper of the prison_ The word is rendered _jailor_in 23, and might well be so here (as _R. V._), otherwise the English reader supposes the Greek to be varied from this variation of translation. _awaking out of his sleep_ The word is only found here in N. T., and has the sense of a _startl... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Paul cried_ The sound of one voice would arrest the action, for at the sight of the open doors he had concluded that all had made use of the opportunity and had escaped.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then he called for a light_ The Greek has "_lights_." He would summon all the help he could, and wish to make his inspection as speedy as possible. _and came trembling_ Lit. _and being terror-stricken_. He connected all that had occurred with the two prisoners Paul and Silas, and as they were not... [ Continue Reading ]
_and brought them out_ There could be no fear that they would flee now who had remained when the open doors made flight easy. _and said. Sirs_ The Greek word Κύριοι implies an acknowledgment of great superiority. Those who had been his prisoners are now his "Lords." _what must I do to be saved?_ H... [ Continue Reading ]
_Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ_ The oldest authorities omit _Christ_. The word would not have the same significance for a Gentile as for a Jew, and may well have been omitted in the address to the jailor. What was asked from Gentile converts was to accept _Jesus_as their _Lord_. The men whom he h... [ Continue Reading ]
_the word of the Lord_ Preached to him the doctrine of Christ, as it was then only possible to do it, by the narrative of His life and its purpose.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the same hour of the night_ It was midnight, see Acts 16:25. But a new day, a birthday, had already begun for him and it must be kept as a feast, and he does his utmost to shew his rejoicing by care for those who had caused it. _washed their stripes_ An act of attendance that had not been bestowed... [ Continue Reading ]
_he set meat_(Greek, _a table) before them_ He would not leave them a moment in the dungeon, but testify to them, how the dawning of faith had filled him with joy. _and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house_ The Greek adverb which is represented by the last four words in English would be bet... [ Continue Reading ]
The magistrates would send them away, but Paul refuses to be thus dismissed. He announces that they are Romans, and the magistrates in fear beseech them to depart. They take leave of Lydia and the brethren and leave Philippi 35. _the serjeants_ These are the lictors, who were the attendants upon th... [ Continue Reading ]
_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 mi... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Paul said unto them_ i.e. to the lictors, through the jailor. It is highly probable that the conversation of the Roman officers would be in Latin, and that the proceedings of the previous day may have been conducted in that language. In this way, if Paul and Silas were unfamiliar with the Latin... [ Continue Reading ]
_and they feared_ Because each Roman citizen had the right of appeal to the Emperor, and the penalty for outraging the rights of such a man was severe.... [ Continue Reading ]
And so finding they had offended in this way, they come in the humblest wise, beseeching that the disciples by departing from Philippi will relieve them of their anxiety.... [ Continue Reading ]
_into the house of Lydia_ Waiting there probably till they were fit to travel farther. But in the midst of the suffering they still exhort and comfort the Christians whom in their stay they had gathered into a church. How deep the mutual affection which existed between St Paul and these Philippians... [ Continue Reading ]