Acts 17:2-3 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said.
 
OUR impression is Paul, Silas and Timothy were teaching at the synagogue for three Sabbaths. But we learn from Philippians 4:15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Again and again means the evangelists were in Thessalonica for some time. The new, small church in Philippi was supporting the three evangelists with regular offerings as they taught Jesus is the Christ.
   We must stop to consider what it meant for the Jews to hear, “Jesus is the Christ!” everywhere the apostles preached. This was an extremely radical departure from what the Jews had learned in their synagogue for generations. The faithful Jews understood the law pointed to a supreme Christ, who would come in glory and power to overthrow all opposition. He would be enthroned in Jerusalem. All nations would bow to his authority.
   That will happen one day when Jesus returns. But in the meantime, the Jews could not accept a man from Nazareth (Few knew Jesus was born in Bethlehem.) who was crucified, dead and buried could possibly be the prophesied Christ – the Messiah of conquest and physical salvation.
   Still, in God’s grace as is always true, vs. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. But to the majority of the Jews, hostile opposition was the only correct response to Paul’s teaching:
 
Acts 17:5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 
 
Did you read how the Jews organized a riot? This method is still true for many who use violence to promote their cause. They did not care who they attacked. Jason owned the house where the evangelists lodged. He quickly became the mob’s scapegoat.
 
Acts 17:6 But when they did not find Paul, Silas and Timothy, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”
 
In the same way the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking Roman law, the Jews accused the gospel teachers with large exaggerations and lies.
 
Acts 17:8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
 
In each place Paul and Silas had ministered, there was a time God opened the gospel to be taught and people to confess, “Jesus is the Christ.” Then evil drove the Truth away. Be alert in your individual faith and in your church. Do not let people who reject the gospel separate you from Jesus.
 

Acts 16:40-17:1 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left. 17:1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.  
 
​LET’S first clarify some language. Read verse 40 carefully. Silas and Paul are escorted from prison. They go to Lydia’s house. Who were the people at Lydia’s  house? Women, men and likely children. Then Luke wrote: They met with the brothers and encouraged them. Why did he not say, “They met with the brothers and sisters.” when women were present?
   In truth Luke was referring to all the people at Lydia’s home. It is common in the New Testament epistles to use brothers when referring to all in the church. This language can seem to minimize women and is often a deterrent today to women who do not know God or understand women’s remarkable role to advance God’s kingdom.
   Brother is actually very meaningful to all who believe Jesus is Lord. Brother in Greek means to “be connected in the womb”. In John’s gospel and epistles, he refers to believers as children of God. John teaches us we are connected to each other through Jesus, who came from Mary’s womb. Because he was born of the virgin, Jesus qualifies to be Savior. Through him, the Father has granted new birth to you who believe. Your profession of faith is new life, born into the light of God’s revelation. In a wonderful proclamation of God as Creator we read in Job 38:29 From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens. God births the world into existence. Indeed, our life in Christ is created from and through God’s power and favor. In this way, brother does refer to all in the church.
   Paul, Silas and let’s remember Timothy then traveled about 100 miles to Thessalonica. Why did they stop there? Thessalonica was independent of Roman governing authority. Jews had a synagogue and apparently lived there in peace. There was a base to work from as Paul had often done.
   Remember again, Jesus commissioned Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Even though Paul is beginning his teaching with Jews, he will learn God has prepared many Gentiles to come to faith. Men, women, Jews and Gentiles come from God’s womb. He has sent Jesus to bless the nations.  

Acts 16:35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” 38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.
 
FROM Acts 16:16 to this point fear and lack of fear have influenced people’s response to Paul’s and Silas’ gospel preaching. When Paul exorcised the demon from the slave girl, the Philippians had no fear of God. They were only concerned the two men threatened the culture’s worship of idols.
   In contrast, when the earthquake released the prisoners, the jailer’s fear turned his heart to God. He knew he was under the authority of a supernatural force.
   Now Philippi’s authorities are afraid Paul and Silas will charge them of violating Rome’s laws. How quickly the authorities are willing to please the men they sentenced to lashings and the deepest darkness of prison. Fear and no fear motivate our behavior.
   God wants you to fear him. He says so in many circumstances throughout Scripture. The most direct is Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Jesus very pointedly warned of the consequences to a soul that does not fear God: Matthew 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Does that motivate you?
   Your fear of God must be grounded in the understanding he will justly judge your life based on your response to his Word. No fear of God led to Israel’s and Judah’s destruction: Jeremiah 3:8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.
   To fear God is to gain the wisdom and knowledge to honor his law. You worship his holiness. You submit to his commands. You delight in his love. You understand God teaches you what is right because the Father wants you with him.
   God gives you this eternal promise: Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
   Trust God’s warnings. Rejoice in his promises. Thank God Jesus has come to teach you a proper fear of God opens the door to your eternal life.  

Acts 16:26-27 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
 
VIOLENCE had assaulted God’s servants. It was time for the Lord’s justice in Philippi. But God did not shake the jail that night to condemn. He came to save.
 
Acts 16:28-29 But Paul shouted, “Don't harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
 
Paul had demonstrated God’s power when he removed an evil spirit from a slave girl. The people angrily responded because they did not fear God’s power. The jailer is different.
   The jailer felt the earthquake – a natural occurrence – and he saw the prison doors opened. This, too, could be a result of the violent earthquake. But then he saw something very unnatural. All the prisoners were free of their chains, but they all remained in prison! The jailer’s life was on the line. Unlike the unruly mob, the jailer became afraid. A fear of an unknown power grew inside of him. He understood the God to whom Paul and Silas sang was the reason for the earthquake, the open doors, the loose chains and the prisoners remaining. The Holy Spirit opened this desperate man’s heart. He knew God’s righteous judgment confronted him. He needed help.
   What would save him from death? What would save his soul? Apparently he had heard of Paul’s and Silas’ work in Philippi. He heard their songs and witnessed their faith amid their suffering. He then asked the question every Christian wants to hear. V. 30 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
   Paul and Silas, of course, could only give one answer, one that changed the jailer’s life: v 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.” Paul and Silas continued to teach the gospel: V 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
   The jailer became captive to Christ. He cared for Silas and Paul. V. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds. In response to the jailer’s and his family’s faith, v. 33 he and all his family were baptized. They were born again. God’s violent intrusion into the jail had judged the family into eternal salvation. It is likely the Spirit saved many other prisoners who had witnessed God’s grace.
   Joy filled the new children of God. V 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his whole family. The rescued man cared for the good news messengers.
 
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)
 

Acts 16:23b-25 The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
 
WHAT would you do if you had been judged guilty without a trial, beaten, flogged, put into a prison’s most inner cell and shackled to stocks? Hopefully you would pray as Paul and Silas did. But would you sing hymns, too? We don’t know the words to their hymns, but we can believe they sang praise and thanksgiving hymns to our Lord. This is the kind of response Paul preached: 1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  
   These are easy words to preach, but very difficult words to live! When we remember that Paul had once had the authority to cause great suffering among Christians, this unfair prosecution could have been extremely difficult for Paul to accept. How was it possible for Paul and Silas to so faithfully respond to their suffering?
   You could say they have had much opportunity to learn. We have read that opposition encountered Paul and Barnabas, then Paul and Silas wherever they went. The evangelists expected opposition. Jesus, too, said to Ananias in Acts 9:16 “I will show him (Paul) how much he must suffer for my name.”  As his new life in Christ began, Paul had spent three years in study and retreat to more personally know the Scriptures’ pointing to the Savior. He would have also come to more personally understand Jesus’ obedience to suffer to redeem his life.
   For about 20 years, Paul had experienced many obstacles. And he had experienced a very personal, deepening relationship with his Suffering Savior. The more diligently Paul and Silas had preached the gospel and the more assuredly he had stood before his persecutors, the more the men could truly be joyful and give thanks in all circumstances. Paul and Silas had lived God’s goodness through all types of conditions.
   Their singing response to pain and suffering is a faithful response to God’s enduring, eternal love. In every aspect of their life, they knew they belonged to God. What did their earthly circumstances matter? Jesus had saved them.  
 

Acts 16:19-21 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

THE slave girl no longer (v.16) had a spirit by which she predicted the future. Paul and Silas have cast an evil spirit from her. Her furious owners lost a lucrative income. But the slave owners do not attack the evangelists for their financial lost. Instead, they charge that Paul and Silas were advocating customs unlawful for us Romans. In other words, the slave owners attacked God’s gospel that proclaimed Jesus’ dominion – his lordship – over all.
   History tells us the Romans were very jealous about their gods. Roman citizens rejected new religions, which included the segment of faithful Jews, who obeyed the LORD God’s laws. At one point some Jews were banished from Rome.
   The accusers attack on the Jews quickly stirred the crowd and the authorities against Paul and Silas.
 
Acts 16:22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23a After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison.
 
How violently the people reacted! We’ll see this kind of evil passion against Paul again. For many days he had been speaking the gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God. A new church was formed in Lydia’s house. No one seemed to notice until Paul’s public display of Jesus’ dominion over evil spirits. The people of Philippi did not fear God’s power to drive out the demon. They only saw a threat to their pagan culture. Psalms 36:1 An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.
   This the condition of the sinful heat. It desires to have dominion over God’s goodness. Satan wants us to hold tightly to a culture that worships him.
   But Jesus has come to break evil’s grasp and to establish his reign throughout the world. The LORD prepared the Jews for this: Daniel 7:14 The Son of Man was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
   This is the truth the unbelieving world labels Unlawful. All Christians know Jesus’ dominion is everlasting. Many in Philippi are about to learn Jesus’ proclamation of dominion, “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31)

Acts 16:16-18 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
 
THE slave girl was not merely a slave to her human owner, the devil owned her. Throughout the Bible there are examples of people Satan had afflicted with various powers we would consider miraculous. For his reasons, God allows the devil to afflict certain people in this way until God’s chosen time to destroy Satan.
   You might ask, “Why did Paul command the spirit to come out of the slave girl? She was telling everyone, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Shouldn’t everyone know?
   But consider what aggravation she was! Despite her words she was Satan’s weapon to destroy the evangelists’ mission. Her verbal interruptions would make it impossible for the men to plainly preach and speak to the people of Philippi. Her words would also confuse a people who worshiped pagan gods. Who was the Most High God to them? Many would have mistaken Paul and the others to be representatives of their own perception of a “high god”.
   Another reason to rebuke the spirit is the same as Jesus’ reason. Remember several times our Lord commanded demons who confessed his identity, “Be quiet!” (Mark 1:25) The Jews and others believed that if an evil spirit knew a person’s name, that person was associated with the demons.
   Satan was working to quiet the gospel. He’s good at making much noise to distract the world from God’s truth. For example, his noise is in common lies about God, celebration of evolution, self-glory, abortion, self-righteousness and many more outbursts of opposition to God.
   Paul silenced the woman, but he has not silenced the devil. As we’ll learn next, Satan did not go away quietly.
 
Note: Does God permit Satan to give supernatural power to humans? Yes, he does. An example of this is the prophet Balaam. Numbers 22 tells us Balaam had the power to curse people, even nations. Balak, king of Moab, paid a generous sum to Balaam to curse Israel. Even though Balaam knows God is supreme and it is useless to curse God’s people, he agreed to do so for the money. But God turned Balaam’s curses into blessings. The battle belongs to the Lord.
   Balaam and the slave girl were slaves to money and to wickedness. Peter used Balaam as an example of those who worship money above God: 2 Peter 2:15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

Acts 16:13-15 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
 
PAUL, Silas, Timothy and now Luke were in Philippi at the Lord’s command. It is likely they expected the Spirit would have a group of men waiting, as usual, at a synagogue to hear the gospel. But the circumstances were very different. There was no synagogue. No one welcomed them and invited them to speak. How would they begin the gospel preaching?
   The Lord showed them how. He brought to them Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. This means she was a Gentile who followed the Jews’ teachings of God. With grace and joy, the men began to speak to the women who had gathered there. This was not a casual conversation. They spoke the gospel message. Lydia and her household confessed Jesus.
   The simple act of the men speaking to the women is a significant mark of Jesus’ transforming love. Paul would have completely ignored them if he were still a Pharisee! Orthodox Jewish rabbis would look at Lydia and say, “It is better that the words of the Law be burned than be delivered to a woman!” The gospel transforms hearts into a unity of love for one another.
   Lydia had come from Thyatira in Asia Minor to sell her purple cloth. The evangelists had come from ministry in Thyatira and other towns. The Spirit had prepared Lydia’s heart to hear and the evangelists’ mouths to speak. Consider this: These two groups from Asia Minor began the first church in Europe. As all true churches, this church would be built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20)
   No formal building nor special order of worship was needed. The missionaries’ obedient call to go to Philippi, their true gospel preaching and a group of prepared women led to the baptism of new believers. This is the church fulfilling Jesus’ command: Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey all I have commanded. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.
   Yes, Jesus’ Spirit was with them because they obeyed Jesus. Much more is yet to happen in Philippi. 

Acts 16:6-7 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.
 
THE Bible’s accounts of the various patriarchs, prophets and apostles are generally very, very brief glimpses into their lives. These two verses are a good example. Other passages in Scripture tell us that two significant events in Paul’s life happened when he was in Galatia.
   Galatia is in central Asia Minor. During the team’s work there, Paul became very ill.  He needed time to rest and heal. But in God’s purpose, the Holy Spirit used Paul’s “down time” to be a good time to advance the gospel. Even in his illness, Paul and his coworkers founded several churches in Galatia. We know this because Paul wrote in Galatians 4:13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. How fascinating to consider Paul did not plan to do much preaching in Galatia. But his illness became a catalyst to change his plans and give him time for a new purpose.
   The Holy Spirit directed the evangelists to preach. Then the Spirit affected the Galatians’ hearts to receive salvation. Paul also wrote in Galatians 4:14 Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. Paul’s sickness became the Spirit’s balm to heal many souls into eternal life.
   As a Christian we must always survey our circumstances, whether they are times of trial or times of comfort and peace. Our response to God is to discern the ways God wants to use us in each situation.
   The second event in Paul’s life in these two verses is that the team was kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. Their plan was to go from the Roman province of Asia Minor east into the Asia, another Roman province. We don’t know how, but the LORED redirected this missionary team away from Asia. He was about to move them into Macedonia to plant the first church in Europe.
   A few words, sentence or several verses in the Bible often informs us of great change in God’s kingdom. Behind those words are God’s people diligently working to respond to his commands. Working with Jesus’ Spirit requires listening, going, stopping and sometimes changing direction. Working with Jesus always requires patience and perseverance.   

Acts 16:8-12 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
 
ACTS is more completely titled The Acts of the Apostles. Indeed, it is a very brief account of the apostles’ active faith to proclaim the gospel into a hostile world. And perhaps we can also title this history The Acts of the Holy Spirit. He is certainly the action-activator, isn’t he? Nothing would have happened if the Spirit had remained in heaven and the Holy Trinity had waited for the 12 apostles to take action for Jesus. Paul would have remained a Jesus-hating Pharisee. And the apostles may have remained close to their upper room retreat.
   God’s salvation plan is centered on Spirit-activated service to his purpose. The Spirit-powered apostles began to minister with his universe creating authority. God’s direct approach to these men’s ministry is something many of us envy. How good it would be to have such direct vision and verbal message from God!  
   Paul received Gods very clear invitation – command – to Macedonia. As plainly as a man standing in front of him, Paul saw and heard the vision at night, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
   They sailed from Asia Minor to Philippi. There, Luke wrote, “We stayed there several days.” This brief sentence says much. Luke has begun writing, “We” as he relates the mission group’s shift from Asia Minor to Macedonia. This means Luke has joined the group to become an first-hand eyewitness to God’s work. And we will learn that during those few days in Philippi, God began a new church to expand the gospel to Rome and to all of Europe.
   This is God’s kingdom expansion pattern. He will give “negative” directions to his evangelists, “Don’t go there.” He will give positive instructions, “Come here.” Then he will use his obedient servants make new disciples, to plant new churches and to extend the church’s influence.
   How do you fit into God’s growth plan? Do you hear in your heart, “Come over here. Help us.” as you look to ministry opportunities? If you are listening, God does give you a direct message. He uses people around you to help you know your gifts. God gives you certain skills that will help his church. He instills a passion in your heart for certain people or activities. As you read the Bible, the Spirit grants you an understanding to know what God is specifically saying to you.
          There are many places for a Christian to go – on your knees, to a far-away country or to any point in between. Be alert and be faithful to your Lord’s call. Who knows, he may want you to expand his gospel to a friend, your family, your neighbors or the world.