Acts 16 - Prayer Tents

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

16Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek.G1161G2658G1519G1191G2532G3082G2532G2400G5100G3101G2258G1563G3686G5095G5207G5100G1135G2453G4103G1161G3962G16722Timothy was well thought of by the believers

in Lystra and Iconium,G3739G3140G5259G80G1722G3082G2532G24303so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.G5126G2309G3972G1831G4862G846G2532G2983G4059G846G1223G2453G3588G5607G1722G1565G5117G1063G1492G537G3754G846G3962G5225G16724Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.G1161G5613G1279G4172G3860G846G1378G5442G2919G5259G652G2532G4245G3588G1722G24195So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.G3303G3767G4732G1577G4732G4102G2532G4052G706G2250G2596

A Call from Macedonia

6Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.G1161G1330G5435G2532G5561G1054G2967G5259G40G4151G2980G3056G1722G7737Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia

, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.G2064G2596G3465G3985G4198G2596G978G2532G4151G1439G846G37568So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.G1161G3928G3465G2597G1519G51749That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"G2532G3705G3700G3972G1223G3571G2258G2476G5100G435G3110G3870G846G2532G3004G1224G1519G3109G997G225410So we

decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.G1161G5613G1492G3705G2112G2212G1831G1519G3109G4822G3754G2962G4341G2248G2097G846

Lydia of Philippi Believes in Jesus

11We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis.G3767G321G575G5174G2113G1519G4543G5037G1966G1519G349612From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.G5037G1564G1519G5375G3748G2076G4413G4172G3310G3109G2862G1161G2258G1722G5026G4172G1304G5100G225013On 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.G5037G4521G2250G1831G1854G4172G3844G4215G3757G4335G3543G1511G2532G2523G2980G1135G490514One 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.G2532G5100G1135G3686G3070G4211G4172G2363G4576G2316G191G3739G2588G2962G1272G4337G2980G5259G397215She was baptized along with other members of her household, 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.G1161G5613G907G2532G846G3624G3870G3004G1487G2919G3165G1511G4103G2962G1525G1519G3450G3624G3306G2532G3849G2248

Paul and Silas in Prison

16One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters.G1161G1096G2257G4198G1519G4335G5100G3814G2192G4151G4436G528G2254G3748G3930G846G2962G4183G2039G313217She 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."G3778G2628G3972G2532G2254G2896G3004G3778G444G1526G1401G5310G2316G3748G2605G2254G3598G499118This 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.G1161G5124G4160G1909G4183G2250G1161G3972G1278G1994G2532G2036G4151G3853G4671G1722G3686G2424G5547G1831G575G846G2532G1831G846G561019Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.G1161G846G2962G1492G3754G1680G846G2039G1831G1949G3972G2532G4609G1670G1519G58G1909G75820"The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted to the city officials.G2532G4317G846G4755G2036G3778G444G5225G2453G1613G2257G417221"They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice."G2532G2605G1485G3739G1832G3756G1832G2254G3858G3761G4160G5607G451422A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.G2532G3793G4911G2596G846G2532G4755G4048G846G2440G2753G446323They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape.G5037G2007G4183G4127G846G906G1519G5438G3853G1200G5083G846G80624So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.G3739G2983G5108G3852G906G846G1519G2082G5438G2532G805G846G4228G805G1519G358625Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.G1161G2596G3317G3972G2532G4609G4336G5214G2316G1161G1198G1874G84626Suddenly, 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!G1161G869G1096G3173G4578G5620G2310G1201G4531G5037G3916G3956G2374G455G2532G3956G1199G44727The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.G1161G1200G1096G1853G2532G1492G5438G2374G455G4685G3162G3195G337G1438G3543G1198G162828But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!"G1161G3972G5455G3173G5456G3004G4238G4572G3367G2556G1063G2070G537G175929The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.G1161G154G5457G1530G2532G1096G1790G4363G3972G2532G460930Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"G2532G4254G846G1854G5346G2962G5101G1163G3165G4160G2443G498231They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household."G1161G2036G4100G1909G2962G2424G5547G2532G4771G4982G2532G4675G362432And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.G2532G2980G846G3056G2962G2532G3956G1722G846G361433Even 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.G2532G3880G846G1722G1565G5610G3571G3068G575G4127G2532G907G846G2532G3956G846G391634He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.G5037G321G846G1519G3624G3908G5132G3908G2532G21G4100G2316G3832G846G383235The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, "Let those men go!"G1161G1096G2250G4755G649G4465G3004G630G1565G444G63036So the jailer told Paul, "The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace."G1161G1200G518G5128G3056G4314G3972G3754G4755G649G2443G630G3568G3767G1831G4198G1722G151537But 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!"G1161G3972G5346G4314G846G1194G2248G1219G178G5225G4514G444G906G1519G5438G2532G3568G1544G2248G1544G2977G3756G1063G235G2064G846G1806G2248G180638When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.G1161G4465G312G5023G4487G4755G2532G5399G191G3754G1526G451439So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.G2532G2064G3870G846G2532G1806G2065G1831G417240When 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.G1161G1831G1537G5438G1525G1519G3070G2532G1492G80G3870G846G2532G1831