Acts
Chapter 16
Overview
Acts 16 follows Paul and his companions as they carry Jesus’ message into new territory. Their plans keep changing until a nighttime vision leads them across the sea to Macedonia, a Roman-controlled region north of Greece. In Philippi, they meet Lydia, confront the exploitation of an enslaved girl, and suffer violence without a trial. Yet even a locked inner cell cannot contain what follows. Sometimes a closed road becomes the map: blocked journeys, an earthquake, and an anxious jailer all move the story toward new communities of believers and an awkward reckoning for the city’s officials.
1Paul also arrived at Derbe and Lystra. A disciple named Timothy lived there. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was Greek.
2The believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy.
3Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him, so he circumcised him because of the Jews living in that region. They all knew that Timothy’s father was Greek.
4As they traveled through the cities, they gave the believers the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem and instructed them to follow those decisions.
5So the communities of believers grew stronger in their faith, and their numbers increased every day.
6They traveled through Phrygia and the region of Galatia because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the message in the Roman province of Asia.
7When they reached the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them.
8So they passed through Mysia and went down to Troas.
9During the night, Paul had a vision. A man from Macedonia stood before him and pleaded, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!”
10As soon as Paul saw the vision, we prepared to leave for Macedonia. We concluded that God had called us to bring its people the good news.
11We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace and reached Neapolis the following day.
12From there we went to Philippi, a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We stayed in the city for several days.
13On the Sabbath, the Jewish weekly day of rest, we went outside the city gate to a river, where we thought there was a place for prayer. We sat down and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
14One of those listening was Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. She worshiped God, and the Lord opened her heart so that she paid close attention to what Paul was saying.
15After Lydia and the people of her household were baptized in water, she urged us, “If you consider me faithful to the Lord, come and stay in my home.” She strongly persuaded us to accept.
16One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met an enslaved girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell fortunes. Her owners made a great deal of money from her fortune-telling.
17She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men serve the Most High God! They are telling you the way to be rescued by God!”
18She kept doing this for many days. Finally, Paul became deeply annoyed. He turned and said to the spirit, “By the authority of Jesus the Messiah, I command you to come out of her!” The spirit left her that very moment.
19When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the public square before the city authorities.
20They brought them to the city officials and said, “These men are Jews, and they are throwing our city into confusion.
21“They are promoting customs that we Romans are not permitted to accept or practice.”
22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas. The officials tore the clothes off them and ordered that they be beaten with rods.
23After giving them many blows, the officials threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.
24Because of this order, the jailer put them in the innermost cell and locked their feet in wooden restraints.
25Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs of praise to God, while the other prisoners listened.
26Suddenly, a powerful earthquake shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors immediately opened, and everyone’s restraints came loose.
27The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open. Thinking that the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
28But Paul shouted, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”
29The jailer called for lights, rushed inside, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31Paul and Silas replied, “Put your trust in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
32Then they spoke the Lord’s message to the jailer and to everyone in his home.
33During that same hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone belonging to his household were immediately baptized in water.
34He brought Paul and Silas into the house and served them a meal. He and his whole household celebrated because he had come to trust in God.
35When morning came, the city officials sent their officers with this order: “Release those men.”
36The jailer reported this to Paul: “The city officials have sent orders for you to be released. You may leave now and go in peace.”
37But Paul told the officers, “They beat us publicly and put us in prison without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens. Now they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let the officials come here themselves and escort us out.”
38The officers reported Paul’s words to the city officials. When the officials heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they became afraid.
39So they came and pleaded with them. They escorted them out of prison and asked them to leave the city.
40After leaving the prison, Paul and Silas went to Lydia’s home. There they met with the fellow believers and encouraged them. Then they left the city.