Acts 16 Lydia of Philippi Believes in Jesus
Acts 16:11 We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. 12 From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.
The wonderful thing about Paul and Silas is that they take every opportunity to share the magnificent news about salvation in Jesus Christ. It’s the Sabbath, and Paul and Silas walk out to a place on a riverbank where people meet for prayer. Lydia from Thyatira is a wealthy merchant, respected by everyone who knows her. Now God speaks to Lydia’s heart, and she begs for baptism. After baptism, Lydia invites Paul and Silas to her home, thrilled by the moving of the Holy Spirit. Sounds wonderful, right? But things are about to get nasty.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
In Paul’s day, possessed people were victimized. The criminals controlling this poor demonized enslaved teen-ager had no interest in her well-being or her eventual fate; all they wanted was for the demon to speak so people would pay them handsomely. But when Paul and Silas cast out the demon, the girl becomes simply one more poor young woman and worthless financially. Now the girl’s masters are furious. If they can’t make money, at least they can take revenge. Down in the market place, there are plenty of idle young men who are always willing to form a mob, especially if they might get paid. City officials who have benefited from the girl’s arcane talents are more than ready to issue an edict and throw these two trouble makers in jail.
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
At midnight, Paul and Silas are worshiping God while other prisoners listen. Suddenly, there is a massive earthquake, freeing all the prisoners. The jailer is ready to kill himself, for the punishment he will receive will include severe beating and torture before he is put to death for dereliction of duty. But Paul assures the jailer that not a single prisoner has escaped. Now the jailer comes under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and he and his entire household accept Jesus Christ and are baptized. One of the worst nights of Paul’s life has turned into one of the best. But what about the city officials? Those fellows are about to receive a severe shock.
35 The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” 36 So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.”
37 But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!”
Now the local officials are sweating bullets! Turns out that these two troublemakers are Roman citizens whose rights have been violated. Roman citizens had ten rights, including the right to vote, the right to hold public office, legal protection that allowed citizens to appeal to a higher authority if they felt that their legal rights had been violated, the right to a fair trial, the right to own and transfer property and engage in commercial transactions, the right to marry, tax exemptions, the right to serve in the military, immunity from certain punishments, and inheritance rights. (https://roman-empire.net/society/roman-citizenship)
By seizing Paul and Silas, beating them, and throwing them in jail without a trial, city officials have violated the terms of their Roman citizenship. Roman citizenship provided certain immunities and protections from certain types of punishment. For example, citizens could not be subjected to certain types of corporal punishment or torture. All of this was designed to ensure that citizens were treated fairly and justly under the law.
38 When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. 40 When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.
There are several important points about this story, apart from the obvious miracle of an earthquake that would open prison doors and sever chains. The prisoners don’t immediately take off when they find themselves free. Perhaps these men have been so impressed by Paul and Silas that they want to know more. Paul succeeds in keeping the jailer from killing himself, and the jailer and his entire family become Christians. One of the most significant facts is that of Roman citizenship. Long before Paul and Silas ever found themselves being thrown into that prison, they had already been born as Roman citizens. God arranged the circumstances of the births of two men so that eventually, that citizenship would protect them.
It is a sad mistake when we assume that we are merely pawns of fate or karma and that our lives are meaningless. God, the Lord God Almighty of the Universe, Melech Ha-Olam, arranges details. We have free will and we can mess up anything; however, in the beginning, God has great plans for us. Even though this story focuses on Paul and Silas, consider all the others involved. Lydia and her household accept Jesus as Savior, and Lydia undoubtedly returns to share her good news with all her business associates. The jailer and his family, plus the prisoners, all learn about Jesus. Who knows how many people will later come into the Kingdom because of the testimonies of these people? We hope that God delivers the demonized slave girl from her cruel masters, allowing her to live a fulfilling and godly life. And who knows what happens in the hearts of the city officials? These men also may come to a saving knowledge of God’s grace. God is always reaching out to as many people as possible; we are the ones who limit Him.
May God help us, so that we take advantage of every opportunity to demonstrate the love of God in Christ Jesus to all those around us!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to realize that You want to reach all those around us and that we are to be channels of Your love and grace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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