The Book of Acts Chapter 16
Originally posted Friday, May 23, 2008
General Comment: In Chapter 15 we were made
aware of the Jewish Christians who were of the "sect of the
Pharisees." This group which will become known as the Judaizers advocated
strict adherence to the Law of Moses regarding circumcision and
kashruth, the dietary laws. In effect any Gentile who wished to become a
Christian would first have to convert to Judaism, at least in regard to these
two restrictions. According to Paul's autobiographical comments, James, the
brother of Jesus, was of that party. What seems to be at stake in such a system
is the power of one group to define the requirements for and meaning
of being a Christian for all others. What is especially problematic is the
use of visible signs as a validation for true belief. Who among us is
competent to judge another's Christian practice? Are we wise enough to discern
the hearts of others? Some churches forbid the Eucharist to divorced
persons. Some say sexuality apart from heterosexuality deserves an
automatic rejection of a person's profession of faith. Others say the lack of
an anointing with the Holy Spirit resulting in ecstatic speech is a sure
indication of an immature level of faith. There are United Methodists who
demand doctrinal purity as a measure of true faith. Are we not called to
live out our faith in the best way we know how? The saying "hate the
sin but love the sinner" is indeed trite and cliché. But there is an
element of usefulness in these words. Whatever we perceive (rightly or wrongly)
to be the deficiency of the other, in the Christian way of Christ, we are
taught not to allow any perception to get in the way of heart felt
kindness, compassion and fellowship. Whatever is in the hearts of others, let
our hearts be filled with Christ and the way of Christ. What did Jesus say?
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"
Acts Chapter 16:1-1-5
Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
As
Paul and Silas made their rounds to the churches of Asia Minor they came to
Lystra. One of the Jewish converts of Lystra was a Jewish woman who was married
to a Greek (Gentile). Their son, Timothy, was a disciple but his father
was not although he was well regarded by the Christians of Lystra. Such mixed,
interreligious marriages were less common than marriages of two
Gentiles, one a believer and one not. Unless the woman's parents were also
believers she likely would have been disowned by the family.
Paul
decided to take Timothy with him, a decision which would prove fruitful in
the later church where he will become an important leader. However, Timothy has
not been circumcised, probably because of his Gentile father's refusal to allow
it. Although considered Jewish through his mother, Timothy's Jewish identity is
not firmly established. He is the result of the mixed marriage and he hasn't been circumcised.
To accommodate the sensitivities of the Jews and in keeping with the
spirit of the Jerusalem Council's letter, Paul had Timothy circumcised.
Such a concession would certainly be beneficial as Paul and Silas followed the
usual pattern of visiting Synagogues first in their missionary work. It would
also make Timothy more acceptable to the Jewish Christian elements of the new
churches.
Paul
also used the visits to acquaint the believers with the decisions of the
Jerusalem Council. As before these visits served as a source of encouragement
for the believers and encouragement to do their own local evangelism, a labor
which apparently was successful.
Acts Chapter 16 6:10 The Man
of Macedonia
This
passage reminds us of Luke's understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit. The
Spirit is the guide and source of power for the missionary work of the
Church. Here Luke writes that Paul went through the district of Phrygia in
central Asia Minor (Turkey) and the province of Galatia because the Spirit had
"forbidden" him from preaching in "Asia," a term loosely
used for the western part of Asia Minor. The Spirit, this time of Jesus, also
blocked Paul's attempt to cross north through Mysia into Bithynia. Being
blocked from the North and the West, Paul travels to the seaport of Troas
(Troy) on the northwest corner of Asia Minor. It is here that Paul has a "Spirit
vision" of a man pleading with him to "Come over to Macedonia and
help us." Paul was ever obedient to the leading of the Spirit and he took
this as a sign of God's call to preach the Gospel to the Macedonians. Without
hesitation plans were made to quickly answer the call.
Acts Chapter 16:11-15 The
Conversion of Lydia (1)
Following
Paul's travels is best done with a map or, better still, a Biblical Atlas. The
movement is significant because Paul is leaving "Asia" and the
familiar territory in which he has established several churches, sailing along
the coast of the Aegean Sea to Europe. His destination was Philippi, named by
Philip, father of Alexander the Great. In Paul's time it was a thoroughly Roman
city, settled by veterans of the Roman Army and Italian troops. As with
Macedonia in general the Jewish population was very small. According to our
text there were not enough male Jews in Philippi to establish a Synagogue
for worship (ten men constituted a quorum). On Paul's first Sabbath the missionaries
went to a small river outside the city gate where there was a "place
of prayer," There were a number of women present and they sat with
them. We can imagine that Paul served as a Rabbi for the group and led
prayers and Scripture reading. It was an opportunity to introduce the
women to the Gospel message. One of the women, Lydia, was a Gentile "God
Worshipper" from Thyatira, a city in northwestern Asia Minor famous for
its cloth dyeing industry and indigo trade. Luke provides some interesting
details about Lydia. She was the head of her own household, perhaps a widow or
divorced. She owned her own business as a dealer in purple
cloth. Purple cloth was used by the wealthy, the nobility and high
government officials. She would have associated with influential members of
Roman and Greek society and be able to hold her own in a
competitive environment.
On
this particular day Lydia was a spiritually hungry person listening to Paul
winding his way through the great epic of Israel, the Prophets and to
the one to which they all pointed, Jesus of Nazareth. Whatever the words
it was her soul that was moved to such a degree that she and her entire
household became believers and were baptized. In her thankfulness for what Paul
has brought to her she offered the hospitality of her home to the
three travelers which they accepted.
Acts Chapter 16:16-40 Paul
and Silas in Prison
The
"place of prayer" can prove to be more than a place for prayer and
worship. On this day the group encounter a slave girl who has a "spirit of
the Python," an oracle and discoverer of secret knowledge (think
Oracle of Delphi) who saw the future. Apparently she was quite good at her
trade for she provided significant income for her owners. A person of such
ability might be a very expensive slave and would be owned by a
cooperative. As far as Paul was concerned her Pythian spirit was demonic. Her
continuous chanting for several days that the missionaries were "slaves of
the Most High God (a title for Zeus as well as the God of Israel)" is
reminiscent of the demons that recognized Jesus as the Son of the Most High.
The
annoyance of Paul and the others by this girl creates a scene of
conflict. It pits the power of Zeus represented by the Pithian spirit (spirit
of the Python), and God, represented by Paul. The contest is one of superiority
similar to that which occurred in Egypt between Yahweh and the deities of
the Egyptians. In this case Zeus is no match for Paul's God and the
power of the Holy Spirit. He orders the demon to come out of the girl in
the name of Jesus Christ, which it does "that very hour."
As
in any economics driven culture, those who tamper with a business's profit will
run afoul of the owners. Such is the case with the slave girl whose owners have
just lost a prime commodity, the proverbial goose that lays the
golden eggs. They are outraged and drag Paul and company into the Agora
demanding "justice" from the chief magistrates. Their charge is not
one of loss of income for their use of a slave for such purposes would be
frowned upon as disreputable. Instead they couch their
argument in a general religious prejudice against Jews who have
special privileges granted by the Roman Government unavailable to others. Since
Paul and Silas are Jews the owners by inference claim the men are proponents of
customs not lawful for Romans to observe. This is enough to incite the crowd
and earn them the standard punishment available to a local official, a beating
with rods. Following the beating the men are turned over to the local jailor
who secures them in stocks in "the innermost cell."
Late
at night Paul, Silas and Timothy pray and sing the Psalms while the other
prisoners listen. A strong earthquake (considered an act of God) shakes
the prison, the doors open and all the chains fall off all the prisoners. The
jailor, who knows his life is forfeit if the prisoners escape, assumes the worst
and draws his sword. Paul intervenes in a timely fashion, letting the man know
there has been no escape. The terrified man calls for lights and leads the men
outside. The events of the evening are enough for the jailor to make a
connection between the earthquake and Paul's power over the Pythian spirit. He
understands that power as somehow connected to the Most High God who
is not Zeus and asks Paul how this God of his can deliver him. The simple
Gospel answer, standard for Paul's ministry, is to believe on the Lord
Jesus. If he does so he and his entire household will be saved. The jailor
gathers his household (family and slaves) and they listen to Paul's message
(the word of the Lord). The jailor's response is not unlike Lydia's. He
provides medical care for the threesome and the hospitality of his home. Then,
as would be common in a patriarchal family system, the entire household is
baptized "without delay."
The
story is not over and the magistrate will discover that his lack
of judicial due diligence will not go unnoticed. He attempts to secretly
let them out of jail and send them on their way. He had not thought to question
Paul's citizenship. Roman law is very orderly. No citizen can be punished
without a legal hearing and a charge proven with adequate witnesses and
testimony. Certainly no citizen can be beaten in public without having been
duly convicted. Paul refuses to leave without a public apology. It is now
the magistrate's time to be terrified as well as humiliated. They come to Paul
and the others who are now back in the jail, make their apology and encourage
them to be on their way, now. This will not be the last time Paul will benefit
from his citizenship.
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Note
(1) In a previous
passage there was a subtle change that might have gone unnoticed. In vs. 6 "Theywent through the region of Phrygia." In vs. 10 "We immediately tried to cross over." There has been a
shift from third person plural (they) to first person plural (we). In
other words the previous narrations are from a source outside
the action and now are from someone inside the action, a
participating eye witness. The question to be answered is one of authorship.
Who is the eye witness" Is it Paul? Not according to vs. 14. Was it Luke who has just joined
Paul, Silas and Timothy as a traveling companion? Maybe.
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