The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Apostles 16
1 He came to Derbe and Lystra; and behold,
a certain disciple was there, named
Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed,
but his father was a Greek.
2 The brothers who were at Lystra and
Iconium gave a good testimony about him.
3 Paul wanted to have him go out with
him, and he took and circumcised him
because of the Jews who were in those
parts, for they all knew that his father
was a Greek.
4 As they went on their way through
the cities, they delivered the decrees to
them to keep which had been ordained
by the apostles and elders who were at
Jerusalem.
5 So the assemblies were strengthened in
the faith, and increased in number daily.
6 When they had gone through the region of
Phrygia and Galatia, they were for bidden
by the Holy Spiritto speak the word in Asia.
7 When they had come opposite Mysia,
they tried to go into Bithynia, but
the Spirit didn’t allow them.
8 Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night.
There was a man of Macedonia standing,
begging him and saying, “Come over into
Macedonia and help us.”
10 When he had seen the vision, immediately
we sought to go out to Macedonia,
concluding that the Lord had called us to
preach the Good News to them.
11 Setting sail therefore from Troas, we
made a straight course to Samothrace, and
the day following to Neapolis;
12 and from there to Philippi, which is
a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the
district, a Roman colony. We were staying
some days in this city.
13 On the Sabbath day we went outside of
the city by a riverside, where we supposed
there was a place of prayer, and we sat
down and spoke to the women who had
come together.
14 A certain woman named Lydia, a
seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one
who worshiped God, heard us. The Lord
opened her heart to listen to the things
which were spoken by Paul.
15 When she and her household were
baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you
have judged me to be faithful to the Lord,
come into my house and stay.” So she
persuaded us.
16 As we were going to prayer, a certain
girl having a spirit of divination met us,
who brought her masters much gain by
for tune telling.
17 Following Paul and us, she cried out,
“These men are servants of the Most High
God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”
18 She was doing this for many days.
But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed,
turned and said to the spirit, “I command
you in the name ofJesus Christ to come out
of her!” It came out that very hour.
19 But when her masters saw that the
hope of their gain was gone, they seized
Paul and Silas and dragged them into the
marketplace before the rulers.
20 When they had brought them to the
magistrates, they said, “These men, being
Jews, are agitating our city
21 and advocate customs which it is not
lawful for us to accept or to observe, being
Romans.”
22 The multitude rose up together
against them and the magistrates tore
their clothes from them, then commanded
them to be beaten with rods.
23 When they had laid many stripes on
them, they threw them into prison,
charging the jailer to keep them safely.
24 Having received such a command, he
threw them into the inner prison and
secured their feet in the stocks.
25 But about midnight Paul and Silas
were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 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
bonds were loosened.
27 The jailer, being roused out of sleep
and seeing the prison doors open, drew
his sword and was about to kill himself,
supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying,
“Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!”
29 He called for lights, sprang in, fell
down trembling before Paul and Silas,
30 brought them out, and said, “Sirs,
what must I do to be saved?”
31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and you will be saved, you and your
household.”
32 They spoke the word of the Lord to
him, and to all who were in his house.
33 He took them the same hour of the
night and washed their stripes, and was
immediately baptized, he and all his
household.
34 He brought themup in to his house and
set food before them, and rejoiced greatly
with all his household, having believed in
God.
35 But when it was day, the magistrates
sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.”
36 The jailer reported these words to
Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to
let you go; now therefore come out and go
in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “They have
beaten us publicly without a trial, men
who are Romans, and have cast us into
prison! Do they now release us secretly?
No, most certainly, but let them come
themselves and bring us out!”
38 The sergeants reported these words
to the magistrates, and they were afraid
when they heard that they were Romans,
39 and they came and begged them.
When they had brought them out, they
asked them to depart from the city.
40 They went out of the prison and entered
into Lydia’s house. When they had
seen the brothers, they encouraged them,
then departed.