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Follow Paul and Silas as they face imprisonment for their beliefs, leading to a powerful display of faith and conversion of a jailer in this inspiring biblical narrative from Acts 16:24-34.
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A C T S Go Tell the Good News! Lesson 18 Acts 16:16—17:9
Paul’s 2nd Missionary JourneyPaul & Silas imprisoned - Acts 16:16-24 • Paul casts a spirit of divination out of a slave girl who made money for her masters by fortune-telling (16:16-18) • Could she actually foretell the future? (cf. Isaiah 41:22-23) • Could she know things that were not obvious to mere mortals? • Consequently, the girl’s masters seize Paul and Silas and bring them before the city’s magistrates (16:19-21). • They charge them with troubling the city and teaching unlawful customs. • The magistrates command Paul and Silas to be beaten with rods, after which they had them thrown into prison, charging the jailer to keep them securely (16:22-24; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:25). • Note that this persecution comes from Roman government officials, but was instigated by local charlatans.
Paul’s 2nd Missionary JourneyConversion of the Jailer -- Acts 16:24-34 • Confined in stocks in the inner prison, Paul and Silas are praying and singing at midnight (16:24-25) • An earthquake shakes the prison and immediately all the doors were opened and chains were loosed (16:26) • When the jailer awoke and saw the doors opened, he drew his sword to kill himself (16:27), but Paul called out, “Do yourself no harm for we all are here” (16:28) • The Jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” (16:30) • Paul responded, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” and you will be saved. • And Paul “spoke the word of the Lord to him” (16:31-32) • In response, the Jailer immediately washed their stripes (demonstrating repentance), was baptized, fed Paul and Silas, and rejoiced, “having believed in God” (16:33-34)
Paul’s 2nd Missionary JourneyRelease & Departure -- Acts 16:35-40 • The next day, the magistrates sent officers with instructions to the Jailer to free Paul and Silas (16:35) • Paul refuses to go until the magistrates themselves come and get them out, noting that… (16:36-37) • They had been beaten openly. • They were uncondemned Romans. • They had been thrown into prison. • Now the magistrates want to release them “secretly” • The magistrates came and pleaded with Paul and Silas to come out and to depart from the city (16:38-39) • After stopping by the house of Lydia and seeing the brethren, they departed (16:40)
Paul’s 2nd Missionary JourneyPaul and Silas (minus Luke) pass through Amphipolis and Appolonia and come to Thessalonica (17:1)
Paul’s 2nd Missionary JourneyPreaching in Thessalonica -- Acts 17:2-10 • Arriving in Thessalonica, they preach for three Sabbaths in the synagogue, persuading many devout Greeks and leading women (17:2-4). • Paul receives support from Philippi (Philippians 4:15-16) • Envious Jews gather a mob and attack the house of Jason, seeking Paul and Silas (17:5). • Not finding them, they drag Jason before the city rulers, charging him with harboring men who had “turned the world upside down.” (17:6-8) • The rulers take security from Jason & release him (17:9) • The brethren send Paul & Silas to Berea (17:10)
“Politarchs” in Thessalonica In Acts 17:5-6… The phrase “rulers of the city” (NKJV, ASV; “city authorities”—NASV) is translated from the Greek word politarchas, and occurs only in Acts 17 verses 6 and 8. For many years, critics of the Bible’s claim of divine inspiration accused Luke of a historical inaccuracy because he used the title politarchas to refer to the city officials of Thessalonica, rather than employing the more common terms, strateegoi (magistrates) or exousiais (authorities). -- Kyle Butt, Apologetics Press This inscription from a first century Roman Arch at Thessalonica begins, “In the time of the politarchs…”