Acts 16:11–23

Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.

13

On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 13. There was prayer. [1] The Greek word signifies either prayer itself, or an oratory, or place to pray in. Witham.—Not every prayer is here understood, but that which was joined in the celebration of the sacred mysteries. Estius in diffic. loca. See 1 Corinthians 7 and Acts 6.

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14

A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.

15

When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

16

As we were going to prayer, a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 16. A pythonical spirit. A spirit pretending to divination, to tell secrets, and things to come. See 2 Kings 24. Isaias 8:19. Witham.—A divining spirit, which pretended to foretell things to come. It is strictly forbidden every where throughout the old law to have any dealings with persons of this description. Deuteronomy 18:10. Levit. 20 ult. and so forth Hence it would appear that these superstitions were of early practice among mankind. It is lamentable that the present age is still credulous enough to believe in such impostures. The ignorance of mankind, it appears, has always been made a source of emolument to the designing. A.

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17

Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 17. These men are the servants of the most high God. Evil spirits in possessed people, are sometimes forced to tell the truth. Witham.

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18

She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 18. Observe here that the servants of God have a power granted them of controlling wicked spirits, according to the promise of our Lord, Luke 9 and 10. Hence the seventy disciples, returning, said: Lord, even the devils are subject to us in thy name. Est. in diffic. loc.

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19

But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

20

When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 20. Jews. This was the name the first Christians went by among the pagans. Indeed our Saviour’s being born of that nation, and his disciples adoring the same God, and following the same morality and Scriptures as the Jews, were sufficient reasons to make them confounded. When Suetonius relates that Claudius banished the Jews from Rome, he means the Christians. Calmet.

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21

and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 21. There was a standing decree of the senate, which forbade the introduction of any new divinity, without the formal consent of the senate. V.

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22

The multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates tore their clothes from them, then commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23

When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.