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16
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
1 Now he arrived at Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek, 2 who had a good testimony by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 And as they were going through the cities, they were delivering to them the decrees to keep, which had been decided by the apostles and the elders at Jerusalem. 5 Therefore the churches were strengthened in the faith, and were growing in number each day.
Paul's Vision of the Man of Macedonia
6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the Galatian region, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia. 7 And having come to Mysia they attempted to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So they bypassed Mysia, and went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared during the night to Paul. A certain man of Macedonia was standing, urging him, and saying, “Come across to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now when he saw the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Lydia Baptized at Philippi
11 Therefore, putting to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is chief of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were spending some days in that very city. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the city beside a river, where prayer was customarily made; and having sat down we spoke to the women who assembled together there. 14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a dealer of purple cloth of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened to give heed to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
16 Now it came to pass, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl, having a spirit of Python, met us, who brought much profit to her masters by fortune telling. 17 This girl, following after Paul and us, was crying out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days.
But Paul, being greatly annoyed and turning around, said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out in that very hour. 19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their profit was gone, they took Paul and Silas, and dragged them to the marketplace before the rulers.
20 And bringing them to the magistrates they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city; 21 and they are proclaiming customs which are not lawful for us to receive or to do, since we are Romans.” 22 And the crowd rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore their clothes and ordered men to beat them with rods. 23 And when they laid many strokes on them, they cast them into prison, commanding the prison keeper to keep them securely; 24 who, having received such a command, cast them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Saved
25 Now about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds were loosed. 27 And becoming awake, the prison keeper, seeing the doors of the prison open, drawing a sword, he was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have escaped. 28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
29 And asking for a light he rushed in, and he came trembling, and fell before Paul and Silas, 30 and he brought them forth outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all those in his house. 33 And he took them along in that same hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 And bringing them up into his house, he set a meal before them; and he rejoiced with his whole house, having believed in God.
35 Now when it became day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Release those men.”
36 And the prison keeper told these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent so that you may be released. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “They beat us publicly, although we were uncondemned Romans, and they cast us into prison, and now do they cast us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and lead us out.”
38 And the officers related to the magistrates these words, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. 39 And coming, they appealed to them, and bringing them out, they asked them to depart from the city. 40 And coming out from the prison, they entered into the house of Lydia; and seeing the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

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© 2014 Dr. Paul W. Esposito