Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
1 Paul16:1 Greek He came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named ch. 17:14;18:5;19:22;20:4;Rom. 16:21;1 Cor. 4:17;Phil. 2:19;Col. 1:1;1 Thess. 3:2;2 Thess. 1:1;1 Tim. 1:2,18;2 Tim. 1:2Timothy, 2 Tim. 1:5;3:15the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by See John 21:23the brothers16:2 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 40 at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he [Gal. 2:3]took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance ch. 17:7the decisions ch. 15:28,29that had been reached by See ch. 15:2the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 [ch. 9:31] So the churches were strengthened in See ch. 6:7the faith, and they increased in numbers ch. 2:47daily.
The Macedonian Call
6 And ch. 18:23;[Gal. 4:13]they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but Rom. 8:9;Gal. 4:6;Phil. 1:19;1 Pet. 1:11;[ver. 6;ch. 8:29]the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down ch. 20:5,6;2 Cor. 2:12;2 Tim. 4:13to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 And when Paul16:10 Greek he had seen the vision, immediately ver. 11-17;ch. 20:5-8,13-15;21:1-18; 27:1–28:16we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
The Conversion of Lydia
11 So, setting sail from Troas, we ch. 21:1made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Phil. 1:1;1 Thess. 2:2Philippi, which is a leading city of the16:12 Or that district of Macedonia and [ver. 21]a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And See ch. 13:14on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate [Ezra 8:15,21;Ps. 137:1] to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we Matt. 5:1sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, ch. 18:7who was a worshiper of God. The Lord See Luke 24:45opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, See ch. 11:14and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she Gen. 19:3;Luke 24:29prevailed upon us.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 As we were going to ver. 13the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had Luke 13:11a spirit of See Lev. 19:31divination and ver. 19brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, See James 2:19crying out, "These men are Dan. 3:26servants of See Mark 5:7the Most High God, who proclaim to you [ch. 9:2;Matt. 7:14]the way of salvation." 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, [Mark 1:25,34] "I command you See Mark 9:38in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And [Matt. 17:18]it came out that very hour.
19 But ver. 16;[ch. 19:25,26] when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and ch. 17:6-8;21:30;James 2:6;[ch. 8:3;18:12;Matt. 10:18]dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They [Esth. 3:8] advocate customs that are not lawful for us [ver. 12]as Romans to accept or practice." 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders 2 Cor. 6:5;11:23-25;1 Thess. 2:2to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner See Luke 21:12prison and fastened their feet in Job 13:27;33:11;Jer. 20:2,3;29:26the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Converted
25 Job 35:10;Ps. 42:8;77:6;119:62About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly See ch. 4:31there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately ch. 5:19;12:10all the doors were opened, and ch. 12:7everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and [ch. 12:19;27:42;1 Kgs. 20:39]was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." 29 And the jailer16:29 Greek he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he ch. 10:25fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, ch. 2:37;22:10;Luke 3:10,12,14;[John 6:28,29] what must I do to be [ver. 17]saved?" 31 And they said, See Mark 16:16"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you See ch. 11:14and your household." 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them ver. 25the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he See ch. 8:12was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he Ps. 9:14;13:5;Isa. 25:9;Luke 1:47;1 Pet. 1:6,8;[ch. 2:46]rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go." 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace." 37 But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, ch. 22:25,29uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out." 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and [See ver. 37above]they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and [Matt. 8:34]asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited ver. 14Lydia. And when they had seen See John 21:23the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.