Chapter Sixteen

Paul in Lystra and Derbe and Troas (1–8). The vision of the Macedonian man and the journey to Macedonia (9–11). Paul in Philippi, the conversion of Lydia (12–15). The expulsion of the divining spirit (16–18). Imprisonment, a miracle, the conversion of the jailer, release from prison (19–40).

Acts 16:1. He came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, there was a certain disciple there named Timothy, whose mother was a believing Jewish woman, while his father was a Greek, On Derbe and Lystra see Acts 14:6. “There was there,” that is, in Lystra, not Derbe, as the testimony about Timothy from the Lystrans also indicates. “A certain disciple,” that is, a Christian. The mother of this disciple (named Eunice — 2 Tim 1:5) was a believing Jewish woman, while his father was a “Greek,” that is, a pagan (cf. Acts 11:20), who apparently remained such even after his wife and son had turned to Christ (cf. Acts 16:3). Mixed marriages of Jewish women with pagans were evidently customary among Jews of the diaspora, and these marriages were not dissolved even when one spouse converted to Christianity, provided both partners consented (cf. 1 Cor 7 and following).

Acts 16:2. and who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. “The brothers bore witness” about Timothy, that is, they gave a favorable account of him and recommended him as a fine Christian. The brothers were not only those “at Lystra” but also “at Iconium” (see Acts 13:51), a neighboring city — which speaks to Timothy’s considerable renown and his exceptional qualities.

Acts 16:3. Paul wanted to take him along with him; and, taking him, he circumcised him on account of the Jews who were in those places; for they all knew that his father was a Greek. “Paul wanted to take him along” as a companion and co-worker in the work of preaching. Beyond Timothy’s outstanding qualities, Paul — also taking into account his birth, which made him belong equally to pagans and Jews — found him especially suited for his apostolic activity among both groups. “Taking him” — naturally with his consent — “he circumcised him because of the Jews,” evidently himself rather than through someone else, which was permitted to any Israelite. Why did the apostle resolve on such an extraordinary act with a Christian young man, seemingly contrary both to his own convictions and to the decision of the apostolic council? (Acts 15:29). “Because of the Jews,” that is, those not yet converted to Christ, who might be troubled and turned away from Christianity by the fact that the apostle’s assistant was uncircumcised. Thus Paul’s action is explained not by dogmatic motives but by Paul’s wise adaptability — “to be all things to all people in order to save all, to the Jews to become as a Jew in order to win the Jews” (1 Cor 9:20-22). Nor does this action stand in contradiction to the decisions of the apostolic council, since it was entirely voluntary on the part of both Paul and Timothy. “Paul’s wisdom is worthy of great admiration,” says Theophylact. “He, who fought so hard against the circumcision of pagans and who stirred everything up until the question was decided, circumcised his own disciple... In every matter he had the benefit in view and did nothing without purpose!... ‘Because of the Jews’; because they would never have agreed to listen to the word of God from an uncircumcised person....’”

Acts 16:4. As they traveled through the cities, they were delivering to the believers the decisions reached by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem to be kept. “As they went on their way through the cities,” that is, of the regions of Pisidia, Lycaonia, and Pamphylia, where on Paul’s and Barnabas’s previous journey churches had been founded (Acts 13-14), “they,” that is, Paul, Silas, and Timothy, “delivered” — orally, and perhaps also in writing, by distributing copies of the original letter of the apostolic council — the decisions “reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem” — concerning the non-obligatory nature of the Mosaic law in Christianity.

Acts 16:5. And the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were growing in number daily. The strengthening of the churches in faith and the growth in the number of their members was greatly aided by the apostles’ visits to them and their work among them.

Acts 16:6. Having passed through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from proclaiming the word in Asia. “Having passed through Phrygia and the region of Galatia...” — the interior regions of Asia Minor. It was at this very time that the churches were founded there, to which the apostle later wrote special epistles (to the Galatians, to the Colossians). “Asia” — the so-called proconsular Asia — the entire western coastline of Asia Minor on the Mediterranean Sea, with the provinces of Mysia, Lydia, and Caria. “Forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.” By exactly what means — whether external or internal actions of the Spirit — and for what reasons the apostles were prohibited from preaching here, the narrator does not indicate. In any case, the apostles clearly perceived such special, direct actions of the Holy Spirit, distinguishing them from their own intentions, plans, and calculations. “Mysia” and “Bithynia” — the northwestern regions of Asia Minor, abutting the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. After fruitless attempts to preach there, the apostles receive in the coastal Mysian city of Troas a clear revelation of the Holy Spirit to transfer their preaching activity from Asia to Europe.

Acts 16:7. Coming to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. Acts 16:8. And, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. Acts 16:9. And a vision appeared to Paul at night: a certain man, a Macedonian, was standing there, appealing to him and saying: Come over to Macedonia and help us. The “vision” that came to Paul “at night,” like the vision to Peter (Acts 10:10-17), was apparently not a dream, though it was “at night,” but a “vision” in a wakeful state. “There appeared (suddenly) a certain man, a Macedonian,” that is, in the form of a Macedonian; according to some commentators’ conjecture, this was the angel of the Macedonian people (Dan 10:13). Paul could have recognized him as a Macedonian either by a distinctive garment he might have seen on Macedonian merchants in his native trading city of Tarsus, or from the man’s own words of invitation, which called him to Macedonia. “Macedonia” — a large region bordering the northwestern shores of what was then the Aegean Sea (the Archipelago). “Help us” — the substance of the help is not stated, but the apostles rightly interpret it as a request to preach the Gospel in Macedonia. Without Christ, humanity is condemned to ruin and is in a helpless condition; hence to preach Christ to those who do not know him means to help them be freed from ruin and to enter into the Kingdom of Christ.

Acts 16:10. After this vision, we immediately resolved to set out for Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to proclaim the good news there. “We sought,” that is, decided to depart. Here, with the word “we,” the narrator includes himself for the first time among the companions and co-workers of the Apostle Paul, and continues in this vein, with some interruptions, until the end of the book, as an immediate eyewitness and participant in these events. He most likely joined the Apostle Paul precisely at Troas, which is why he now narrates in the first person plural — we.

Acts 16:11. So, setting sail from Troas, we sailed straight to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis, “Samothrace” — an island in the Aegean Sea, to the northwest of Troas, about 55–60 versts from the European shore. “Neapolis” — a coastal city on the Strymonian Gulf — the first European city where Paul and his companions disembarked. Neither here nor in Samothrace does the apostle begin to preach, hastening toward the “first city” of Macedonia at that time — “Philippi,” about 14 versts to the northwest of Neapolis.

Acts 16:12. and from there to Philippi: this is the leading city in that part of Macedonia, a colony. In this city we spent several days. The city of “Philippi” was built by Philip, king of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great, on the site of a village called Crenides, fortified by Philip in view of its proximity to Thrace, and named after him. The narrator calls Philippi “a leading city of that part of Macedonia and a colony.” This designation “leading,” not in the sense of the chief city, is explained by the fact that Macedonia was then divided into four parts or districts, and the one in which Philippi was located was called the first district, or first Macedonia. The chief city of this part of Macedonia was “Amphipolis” (Acts 17:1), not Philippi, which is called “the leading city” evidently only in a topographical sense, as the first Macedonian city that the preachers would enter in fulfilling the higher will concerning the visitation of Macedonia. “Colony” — Philippi was at that time a Roman colony, ever since Octavian Augustus settled supporters of Antony there and granted the city the so-called right of Italian jurisdiction — jus italicum.

Acts 16:13. On the Sabbath day we went outside the city to the riverside, where there was customarily a place of prayer, and sitting down we spoke with the women who had gathered there. “On the Sabbath day” — the day of synagogue gatherings of the Jews (see Acts 13:14). “Outside the gate, to the river.” Which river is meant here is hard to establish: it is hardly the large river Strymon, which was at least a day’s journey from the city; more likely it refers to some small stream in this area rich in streams and brooks. “Where there was supposed to be a place of prayer” — Greek: οῦ ενομίζετο προσευχή εῖναι; Slavonic: “where a place of prayer was supposed to be.” More precisely: where prayer was appointed to take place. In such places buildings were not always erected; sometimes these were simply open areas where Jews would gather at set times for prayer. Chrysostom also states this: “The Jews prayed not only where there was a synagogue, but also outside it, setting apart a special place for this purpose.” Proximity to a river was preferred for the convenience of performing the customary ablutions and purifications before prayer. “We sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered.” Apparently the Jewish community in Philippi was very small (which may be why there was no synagogue) and consisted predominantly of women, who had probably married pagans (Acts 16:1).

Acts 16:14. And a certain woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a seller of purple cloth and a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. “The city of Thyatira” — a Macedonian colony in the Asia Minor province of Lydia (see note to Acts 16:6-8). “A seller of purple goods” — πορφυρόπωλις, a vendor of goods — fabrics, garments, and adornments — of purple or crimson color. The production of such items flourished especially in the province of Lydia and in Thyatira, according to ancient testimonies. “A worshiper of God,” that is, a proselyte (see note to Acts 13:16).

Acts 16:15. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay there. And she persuaded us. Acts 16:16. It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain servant girl met us who was possessed by a spirit of divination, and who through her divination brought a great profit to her masters. “As we were going to the place of prayer” — πορευομένων ημῶν εις προσευχήν — more precisely in Slavonic: “as we were going to pray” (Acts 16:13), that is, to the customary place appointed for prayer. This was probably on one of the following Sabbaths (cf. Acts 16:17). “A slave girl who had a spirit of divination,” Slavonic: “having a searching spirit,” Greek: έχουσα πνεῦμα Πύθωνος — a spirit of Python, of the Pythian serpent, of the Pythian deity — the ability of divination, of perceiving what is hidden to ordinary people, and of foretelling the future.

Acts 16:17. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying: These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to us the way of salvation. “These men are servants of the Most High God” — an involuntary confession on the part of the divining spirit of the greatness of God proclaimed by the apostles, similar to Mark 1:23-24. Chrysostom exposes the demon’s particular malicious intention in this: “Why did the demon say this, and why did Paul silence it? The demon acted with evil intent, and Paul acted wisely, since he wanted people not to trust it. If Paul had accepted its testimony, the demon, emboldened, would have deceived many, even among believers; therefore it resolved to announce their deeds in order to advance its own designs, and to exploit Paul’s tolerance for the ruin of others...”

Acts 16:18. This she did for many days. Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit: In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her. And the spirit came out that very hour. “Paul, having become greatly annoyed” — that the enemy of God and man was offering his confession as a kind of prop for the evangelical preaching — drove it out of the fortune-teller, having recognized it with his God-enlightened gaze.

Acts 16:19. Then her masters, seeing that their hope of profit had vanished, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the marketplace before the authorities. “They seized Paul and Silas,” evidently as the chief preachers of the new faith. Luke and Timothy were spared their fate on account of their more modest role in the matter at that point.

Acts 16:20. And, bringing them before the magistrates, they said: These men, being Jews, are causing an uproar in our city The apostles are accused of disturbing the public peace by preaching customs contrary to Roman practice. Thus the accusers “turned the matter into a crime against the state” (Chrysostom). “Being Jews” — an expression carrying a tone of contempt, contrasted with the proud phrase that follows — “to us Romans.” Apparently this also implies that the accusers do not distinguish Christianity from Judaism and have no conception of it as a distinct religion.

Acts 16:21. and are proclaiming customs that it is not lawful for us, being Romans, either to accept or to practice. “Customs that... are not lawful to accept or practice.” This refers to the strict Roman prohibition on introducing foreign religious customs contrary to the pagan religion. In particular, this was said, apparently, under the fresh impression of the well-known edict of Emperor Claudius expelling the Jews from Rome (see Acts 18:2), which is why it had such a decisive effect.

Acts 16:22. The crowd also rose up against them, and the magistrates, having torn the clothes off them, ordered them to be beaten with rods, “The crowd rose up against them.” This is the first mention in the book of Acts of persecution of the apostles by pagans as such. Evidently, stirred up by the owners of the healed slave girl and provoked by exaggerated reports of the anti-Roman preaching of the Jewish apostles, the crowd expressed its agitation through shouts, demands, and threats against the preachers before the magistrates, and the magistrates rashly permitted themselves that flogging of the prisoners for which Paul afterward so shrewdly made them answer (Acts 16:37-39). Paul and Silas silently endured the public disgrace, though they could have instantly avoided it by invoking their right as Roman citizens, which exempted them from corporal punishment. However, they preferred silence, rejoicing in this dishonor for the glory of God and for the name of Christ (cf. Acts 5:41), deferring the announcement of their rights for their ultimate vindication.

Acts 16:23. and, having inflicted many blows on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely. Acts 16:24. Having received such an order, he threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks. Acts 16:25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:26. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison shook; immediately all the doors flew open, and everyone’s chains were loosened. Carrying out the order to guard the prisoners more securely, the jailer throws them “into the inner prison,” where especially dangerous criminals were held, and fastens their feet “in the stocks” — a large, heavy wooden block with holes. But — “the stricter the confinement, the more glorious the miracle!” (Chrysostom). “Suddenly there was a great earthquake” — not as an ordinary natural event, but as a miracle wrought by the Lord for the glorification of his Name and the deliverance of his servants — the apostles. The miraculous nature of the earthquake was evident precisely in the fact that not only Paul’s and Silas’s bonds but those of all the other prisoners in the jail “were unfastened,” which gave everyone the full opportunity to leave immediately through the doors opened by the earthquake. It is also miraculous that this earthquake apparently did not extend beyond the area of the prison.

Acts 16:27. The jailer, waking up and seeing that the doors of the prison were open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. “Was about to kill himself” — out of fear of punishment for the escape of the prisoners.

Acts 16:28. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying: Do yourself no harm, for we are all here. “We are all here.” Struck by the miracle, the prisoners, who had just been listening with moved hearts to the prayers and hymns of the apostles, were far from thinking of escape — if only because they had not yet recovered from the incomprehensible shock.

Acts 16:29. He called for lights, rushed in, and trembling fell down before Paul and Silas, “Trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.” His fear of losing the prisoners had now turned into a fear of keeping them, for he felt he was dealing not with criminals but with favorites of the gods.

Acts 16:30. and, leading them outside, said: Sirs! what must I do to be saved? Acts 16:31. They said: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. Acts 16:32. And they proclaimed the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. “Having led them out...” — into the outer prison (Acts 16:23), or perhaps into the prison courtyard, and more likely still into his own quarters adjoining the prison, where the apostle could preach the word of the Lord not only to the jailer himself but to “all who were in his house” (Acts 16:32).

Acts 16:33. And, taking them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds and was immediately baptized himself along with all his household. “He washed their wounds,” inflicted on them by rods in the marketplace, striving to ease their suffering and as it were to make amends for the guilt of those who had beaten them — or, according to Chrysostom’s interpretation, he washed them “rendering thanks thereby and showing them honor.”

Acts 16:34. And, having brought them into his house, he set food before them and rejoiced with his whole household that he had come to believe in God. Acts 16:35. When day came, the magistrates sent the city officers with the message: Release those men. The magistrates had probably received word of the events that had taken place in the prison during the night, and perhaps had also reconsidered their injustice toward the apostles, which is why they ordered their release.

Acts 16:36. The jailer reported these words to Paul: The magistrates have sent orders to release you; so now go out and leave in peace. Acts 16:37. But Paul said to them: They beat us publicly without a trial — us, Roman citizens — and threw us into prison, and now they are releasing us secretly? No, let them come themselves and lead us out. Dishonor had been publicly inflicted on the apostles, and now Paul demands his release and vindication publicly — not out of ambition or caprice, but for the most obvious restoration of his innocence. If they had been released secretly from the prison, not everyone could have known that they left with their honor restored, and many might even have interpreted their departure as a flight or some other humiliating circumstance. Roman citizenship, by Roman law (Lex Valeria and Lex Porcia; Liv. 10, 9, 8), exempted those who held it from corporal punishment. The magistrates’ treatment of the apostles in this case was all the more criminal in that it was carried out without any trial or investigation of the matter. But the Apostle Paul, without threatening his offenders with the law, confines himself to demanding the public removal of the dishonor inflicted upon them. How did the apostles acquire the rights of Roman citizenship? From what follows (Acts 22:25-28) it is clear that Paul either was born with these rights, obtained by one of his ancestors either for special services or by purchase, which was also possible. The same may probably be assumed with respect to Silas.

Acts 16:38. The city officers reported these words to the magistrates, and the magistrates were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. Acts 16:39. And, coming, they apologized to them and, leading them out, asked them to leave the city. “They asked them to leave the city” — voluntarily, so as not to stir up popular unrest again.

Acts 16:40. They, having left the prison, went to Lydia’s house and, having seen the brothers, instructed them and then departed. “They came to Lydia” (see Acts 16:14-15). “They departed” — apparently only Paul and Silas, without Luke and Timothy, who seemed to have remained for a time in Philippi, probably to organize the young community of believers there. This is suggested by the change of voice in the subsequent narrative (Acts 17 — “they,” not “we,” and so on). Timothy is mentioned again shortly thereafter (in Beroea, Acts 17:14); therefore, if he did not leave Philippi together with Paul and Silas, it may be supposed that he rejoined them here, in Beroea, having left Philippi a little after Paul and Silas.