Acts 16
Summary for Acts 16:1-3: 16:1-3 a Paul returned to churches that he and Barnabas had established on their previous journey.16:3 b Paul had Timothy circumcised to enhance Timothy’s acceptance and effectiveness as a Jew in Jewish circles (contrast Titus, who was a full Gentile, Gal 2:3 c). Elsewhere Paul clarified that it makes no difference to God whether one is circumcised or not circumcised (Rom 2:25-29 d; Gal 5:6 e; 6:15 f). Paul was prepared to use any legitimate means to communicate the Good News (1 Cor 9:20-21 g) to various audiences.
Summary for Acts 16:4-5: 16:4-5 h Paul and Silas faithfully communicated the decisions of the Jerusalem council. The wisdom of the decision was indicated as the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day (cp. 2:41 i; 4:4 j; 5:14 k; 6:1 l; 9:31 m; 21:20 n).
Summary for Acts 16:6-10: 16:6-10 o God directed the missionaries’ travels: The Holy Spirit had prevented them from proceeding westward into the province of Asia, the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go north to Bithynia, and then Paul had a vision calling them to go northwest over the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. God’s Spirit guided his servants in Acts in a variety of ways, including divine visions (see also 9:10 p; 10:9-16 q; 22:18 r), direct intuition (cp. 8:29 s, 39 t; 10:19 u; 20:22 v), counsel with other believers (cp. 15:29 w), guidance through prayer (13:2 x, 4 y), insight through Scripture (28:25-27 z), and prophecy (11:28 aa). Guidance by the indwelling Holy Spirit helped them to accomplish their mission to be Christ’s witnesses (1:8 ab; see also 4:8 ac, 31 ad; 11:24 ae; 13:9 af).
16:8 ag Troas, a major port on the Aegean Sea, was one of the more significant cities in the Roman Empire. Paul’s strategy was often to visit principal places such as Troas, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus. When the Christian faith had been planted in major centers, local Christian workers could carry it into outlying areas (e.g., Epaphras took the message from Ephesus to Colosse, Col 1:7 ah; 4:12-13 ai).
Summary for Acts 16:9-10: 16:9-10 aj a vision: See thematic note for Visions at end of chapter.
16:10 ak we: The most natural interpretation of the shift from “they” to “we” is that Luke accompanied Paul from Troas to Philippi (16:10-17 al). Later Luke joined Paul again at Philippi and sailed with him to Troas, then to Miletus (20:5-15 am), then from Miletus to Jerusalem (21:1-18 an). After Paul’s two-year imprisonment in Caesarea, Luke traveled with him to Rome (27:1–28:16 ao).
16:11 ap Samothrace is a small mountainous island lying west-northwest of the Hellespont about twenty miles (32 km) from the coast of Thrace.
• Neapolis (modern Kavala) was the seaport for Philippi and the eastern terminus of the famous Via Egnatia (the Egnatian Way), which ran from Rome to Asia.
16:12 aq At Philippi, about ten miles (17 km) inland from Neapolis, Paul began his missionary labors in Europe.
Summary for Acts 16:13-36: 16:13-36 ar Luke gives his readers cameos of three lives touched by the Good News in Philippi: a wealthy woman (16:14-15 as), an exploited slave girl (16:16-21 at), and a middle-class officer (16:23-36 au). 16:13 av The Jewish community at Philippi was too small to have a synagogue, which required ten adult males. Instead, Jews met for prayer in an open space by the Gangites (now called Angista) River that afforded privacy, quiet, and water for Jewish purification rites.
Summary for Acts 16:14-15: 16:14-15 aw The first person changed by Christ in Philippi was Lydia, a successful businesswoman from Thyatira (modern Akhisar), a city of western Asia Minor famous for its woolen fabrics, weavers, and linens. Lydia responded to the message and she and her household were baptized (cp. 16:32-33 ax).
• One of Lydia’s first acts as a true believer in the Lord was to extend hospitality to the visiting missionaries. Hospitality is an important Christian virtue (Matt 25:31-46 ay; Rom 12:13 az; 16:23 ba; 1 Tim 3:2 bb; Titus 1:8 bc; Heb 13:2 bd; 1 Pet 4:9 be; 3 Jn 1:5-8 bf; cp. Gen 18:1-8 bg; 19:1-3 bh; 24:23-33 bi).
Summary for Acts 16:16-18: 16:16-18 bj The second portrait of a changed life in Philippi is of a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future.
• Even though the demon within her was stating the truth, Paul, like Jesus, did not permit it to proclaim the Christian message (cp. Mark 1:25 bk, 34 bl; 3:11-12 bm; Luke 4:35 bn, 41 bo). The Lord had commanded that the gospel be proclaimed by his disciples, not by opponents (Acts 1:8 bp; 9:15 bq; 26:15-18 br; Matt 28:18-20 bs; Luke 24:46-49 bt; John 20:21 bu; see Acts 22:15 bv).
Summary for Acts 16:19-21: 16:19-21 bw As in the ministry of Jesus, sometimes the Good News threatened established commercial interests (see also 19:25-27 bx; Mark 5:1-20 by). The slave girl’s exploiters viciously attacked the missionaries and dragged them before the authorities as criminals, blamed them for fomenting a disturbance, resorted to racial bias (these Jews), and appealed to the Philippians’ pride (us Romans; the Philippians prided themselves on being Roman citizens of a Roman colony).
• customs that are illegal: By law, Jews were not permitted to make converts of Romans.
Summary for Acts 16:22-24: 16:22-24 bz All reasonable security measures were taken to ensure that Paul and Silas didn’t escape after they had been stripped and beaten with wooden rods (see 22:24-26 ca; 2 Cor 6:5 cb; 11:23-25 cc). As at Christ’s tomb (Matt 27:65 cd), however, human effort did not prevent divine intervention.
16:25 ce Paul and Silas, like the persecuted apostles in Jerusalem, were joyful, “rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus” (5:41 cf).
16:26 cg The massive earthquake is reminiscent of the great earthquake at Jesus’ resurrection (Matt 28:2-3 ch).
Summary for Acts 16:27-36: 16:27-36 ci Luke’s third portrait in Philippi is of the Philippian jailer who, shaken by what had happened, responded in faith when challenged to accept the Lord Jesus and be saved. He was baptized with his household and rejoiced in his newfound faith as he reached out with hospitality to the preachers. 16:27 cj The Roman jailer clearly knew that his life could be forfeited if the prisoners for whom he was responsible escaped. This was standard practice (12:19 ck; 27:42 cl; cp. Code of Justinian 9.4.4).
Summary for Acts 16:29-30: 16:29-30 cm Paul and Silas had impressed the jailer with their cheerful faith (16:25 cn), their composure in crisis, and their concern for his well-being (16:28 co). Whatever the jailer’s previous understanding of Paul’s message, God touched his heart, and he cried out for divine help.
Summary for Acts 16:31-34: 16:31-34 cp Paul and Silas directed the jailer to a faith in Christ that brings blessing both to him and to his family. The whole household received Christian instruction, and their response was expressed in baptism and the offering of hospitality to Paul and Silas.
Summary for Acts 16:37-39: 16:37-39 cq Paul and Silas were both Roman citizens, so the beating and imprisonment (16:22-24 cr) had been illegal. After the city officials learned of this, they were justifiably alarmed because they had committed a crime against Rome.
• Let them come themselves to release us: Paul made use of his rights as a Roman citizen in order to clear his name and ensure that no disrepute would attach to the Christian message or those who accepted it. Luke intended to show that Christianity should enjoy the same status as Judaism in the Roman Empire as a permitted religion—the Christian faith was compatible with the life of a Roman citizen. Accordingly, it was important to note that Paul made use of his rights as a Roman citizen (cp. 22:25-27 cs) and was ready to use the privileges of citizenship to advance the cause of Christ in a hostile world.
16:40 ct This meeting in the home of Lydia bolstered the spirits of the Philippian Christians who had to deal with the fallout from the missionaries’ work there.
Thematic note: Visions
Visions are closely related to other revelatory experiences such as dreams (Gen 37:5-10 cu; 40:5-19 cv). Classic examples include Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezek 37:1-14 cw) and Isaiah’s vision of God’s throne (Isa 6 cx). Visions were often the means by which the Old Testament prophets received messages from the Lord. These visions often contained very striking imagery. The imagery generally offered a graphic, metaphorical depiction of an earthly reality, which was then interpreted for the one seeing the vision by God or an angel.
Visions are also prominent in the book of Acts, and they are usually connected with prayer (Acts 9:10-12 cy; 16:9-10 cz; 22:17-21 da; 23:11 db; see Luke 1:8-20 dc). On one occasion, Cornelius, a Roman officer, was visited by an angel (Acts 10:1-6 dd, 30-32 de), who told him to send for Peter. The following day, Peter received a vision as he prayed (10:9-16 df; see 11:5-10 dg) that directly related to his subsequent encounter with Cornelius. In Acts 9, the visions of Paul and Ananias likewise highlight God’s involvement in their lives (9:3-6 dh, 10-16 di). These visions are not chance coincidences but the providential outworking of God’s saving purposes in the world.
Visions give divine direction and show Christian workers the way in which they should carry out the Great Commission. Paul had visions on the Damascus road at his conversion (Acts 9:3-6 dj; 22:6-10 dk; 26:12-19 dl), on the threshold of his missionary advance into Europe (16:9 dm), at Corinth (18:9-11 dn), in the Temple (22:17-21 do), and again in Jerusalem before he set out on his trip to Rome (23:11 dp). Through visions God is active in guiding the affairs of the church and in extending its mission (see the study notes on 10:3, 9-16; 22:17-22; 23:11; see also Gal 1:8-9 dq and study note there).
Passages for Further Study
Gen 37:5-10 dr; 40:1–41:36 ds; Isa 6:1-13 dt; Jer 14:14 du; Ezek 37:1-14 dv; Dan 8:1-27 dw; 9:21 dx; Hos 12:10 dy; Obad 1:1 dz; Hab 2:3 ea; Luke 1:8-20 eb; Acts 9:3-6 ec, 10-16 ed; 10:3-6 ee, 9-16 ef, 30-32 eg; 11:5-9 eh; 16:9-10 ei; 18:9-11 ej; 22:6-10 ek, 17-21 el; 23:11 em; 26:14-19 en; 2 Cor 12:1-10 eo; Rev 1:9–22:7 ep
Acts 17
Summary for Acts 17:1-9: 17:1-9 eq After traveling through Macedonia to Thessalonica, Paul preached to the Jews first (Rom 1:16 er) in the synagogue. Here, as elsewhere, there was a mixed response.Summary for Acts 17:1-3: 17:1-3 es Amphipolis was a Roman military post located on the Egnatian Way in the northeastern part of Macedonia.
• Apollonia, named after the Greek god Apollo, was also situated on the Egnatian Way.
• Thessalonica offered a starting point for ministry because it had a Jewish synagogue (see study note on 9:2). Paul was able to preach for three consecutive Sabbaths, explaining the Scriptures and showing their fulfillment in Jesus.
17:4 et God-fearing Greek men: See study note on 10:2.
• Luke regularly draws attention to women who joined the Christian movement (17:4 eu, 12 ev, 34 ew; see also 5:14 ex; 8:12 ey; 16:13-15 ez, 31-34 fa; 18:26 fb; 21:9 fc).
Summary for Acts 17:5-7: 17:5-7 fd Once again, the enemies of the Christian faith saw it as a disruptive threat (cp. 16:19-21 fe). Ironically, they gathered some troublemakers and then accused Paul and Silas of causing trouble by disturbing the peace and committing treason against Caesar—serious charges of threatening the stability of the empire (cp. Luke 23:2 ff).
Summary for Acts 17:8-9: 17:8-9 fg The charges did not hold up under scrutiny, so the officials released Jason and the other believers after they posted bond. Christianity, Luke contended, was politically harmless to the Roman Empire and should therefore be recognized as a permitted religion and not subjected to political attack.
Summary for Acts 17:10-12: 17:10-12 fh In light of the strong opposition in Thessalonica, the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea, located about fifty miles (80.5 km) west of Thessalonica. There the missionaries had a better reception than in Thessalonica. Many Jews came to faith, as well as many of the prominent Greek women and men. The Bereans were exemplary in their attitude, for they were open-minded and eager to learn, good listeners, diligent Bible students, and thoughtful people. Their resulting faith had a strong foundation.
Summary for Acts 17:13-15: 17:13-15 fi Paul acknowledged the determination and persistence of this persecution when he wrote to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 2:14-16 fj).
Summary for Acts 17:16-34: 17:16-34 fk In this chapter, we see Paul presented as a model witness for Christ, engaging the thinkers of his day and challenging them with the Christian message. Paul quoted writers his audience would be familiar with and showed the relevance of the gospel by dialoguing with them, critiquing their assumptions, and offering Jesus as a constructive alternative (see Col 1:28 fl). Paul reminded these proud intellectuals that there is a living God to whom all human beings are answerable; that they will be judged by him through Jesus, whom God raised from the dead; and that they should therefore repent and put their faith in Jesus.
Summary for Acts 17:16-17: 17:16-17 fm Athens, like Alexandria and Tarsus, prided itself on its intellectual sophistication in examining ideas and considering the different philosophies that were current at the time.
17:18 fn Epicurean ... philosophers: Epicureanism was a popular school of Greek philosophy, founded by Epicurus (341–270 BC). Epicureans believed that the principal aim of life was to secure happiness. They thought of pleasure not in terms of sensual indulgence, as their critics charged, but in terms of tranquility. Their contemporaries often called them atheists; in their view, there were no gods to fear, and death simply marked the end of human existence. They sought their security in organized communities where they could live in contentment apart from society.
• Stoic philosophers: Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium (335–263 BC) and became the most influential philosophy in the Greco-Roman world. It viewed the universe as permeated by Reason (sometimes referred to as God or Providence). Stoicism saw divine Reason as expressed in human reason and held that as humans made progress, they could advance from ignorance (the source of vice) to true knowledge (the source of virtue). They developed extensive lists of virtues and vices and produced detailed household codes to guide family behavior. Paul’s teaching resembles that of the Stoics in his use of household codes and lists of virtues and vices (Gal 5:19-23 fo; Eph 5:22-33 fp; Col 3:18–4:1 fq; 1 Tim 3:1-13 fr; 5:1–6:1 fs). However, Paul’s message of Good News—focusing on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—was strange and foreign to these Greek philosophers.
• The air of superiority with which they addressed Paul as this babbler indicates their arrogance.
Summary for Acts 17:22-31: 17:22-31 ft Paul’s remarkable sermon in Athens reveals his versatility in preaching the Good News (Rom 11:14 fu; 1 Cor 9:19-23 fv; 10:33 fw; cp. Acts 16:3 fx; 17:2-3 fy; 21:20-26 fz). While Paul’s Greek audience did not know the Scriptures or have a tradition of monotheism as the Jews did, they did have a rich intellectual heritage. So Paul established a point of contact on the basis of an Athenian inscription to an Unknown God. He then explained God’s nature as the Creator (17:22-29 ga), followed by God’s purpose as the Redeemer (17:30-31 gb).
• As he did elsewhere in his own writings (see 1 Cor 15:33 gc; Titus 1:12 gd), Paul made use of the Greek poets. There are several points of connection in this sermon with the Hymn to Zeus by Cleanthes (about 315–240 BC). Paul was probably quoting Epimenides, who had declared about God, “In him we live and move and exist” (Epimenides, Cretica, about 600 BC). Paul also cited Aratus, a Stoic poet from Cilicia (about 315–240 BC), who had commented, “We are his offspring” (Aratus, Phaenomena 5). These allusions to their own poets established connections with his audience. Paul was then able to present the singular nature of God (Acts 17:29 ge), and he stressed the coming judgment through Jesus Christ, whom God had raised from the dead. This message, while touching on Greek culture and philosophy, had a clear focus on Christ that presented the challenge of Christ to a cultured and intellectual but idolatrous people.
17:30 gf The idea of people’s ignorance is carefully discussed both in the Old Testament law (Lev 4:2 gg, 22 gh, 27 gi; 5:15 gj, 17 gk; Num 15:25 gl, 27 gm) and in the New Testament (Eph 4:18 gn; 1 Pet 1:14 go; 2:15 gp; 2 Pet 3:5 gq, 8 gr). Paul was particularly fervent about combatting ignorance (see Rom 10:13-15 gs; 11:25 gt; 1 Cor 10:1 gu; 12:1 gv; 2 Cor 1:8 gw; 1 Thes 4:13 gx). The message of Good News overcomes ignorance and summons all who hear it to repent of their sins and turn to God (see Acts 2:38 gy).
17:32 gz The Athenians listened carefully until Paul spoke of the resurrection of the dead (17:31 ha); at that point some laughed or mocked, for the notion of resurrection was foolish to Greek ears (see 1 Cor 15:12-19 hb). Similarly, the Jews in Jerusalem later listened carefully to Paul until he mentioned God’s acceptance of the Gentiles (Acts 22:22 hc). These are examples of how the message of Good News can offend people because of their prejudices (see 1 Cor 1:20-25 hd).
17:34 he some joined him and became believers: Paul’s sermon was not without positive response. Two prominent converts are mentioned: Dionysius and Damaris. Luke often placed a man and a woman in juxtaposition (e.g., 5:1-11 hf; 17:4 hg, 12 hh; Luke 14:1-6 hi; 15:3-10 hj).
• Dionysius was a member of the council of the Areopagus, the highest governing body of Athens.
Acts 18
Summary for Acts 18:1-17: 18:1-17 hk Paul spent eighteen fruitful months preaching and teaching in Corinth, first in the synagogue and then next door in the house of Titius Justus (18:1-11 hl). Then, in court, Paul won a significant victory over his enemies (18:12-17 hm). 18:1 hn In Roman times, Greek political power in Achaia resided in Corinth, a prominent city-state and major commercial city. Corinth was notorious for its prostitution, immorality, and drunkenness (see 1 Corinthians Book Introduction, “Setting”). Paul invested much time and effort establishing a Christian community in Corinth (see study note on Acts 16:8).Summary for Acts 18:2-3: 18:2-3 ho The edict of Claudius Caesar that had deported all Jews from Rome around AD 49 is mentioned by the Roman historian Suetonius (Life of Claudius 25).
• Aquila and Priscilla became an outstanding husband-and-wife team in the early church. They earned their living as tentmakers, as did Paul, who probably lived and worked with them during his year and a half in Corinth (18:11 hp; see Rom 16:3-4 hq; 1 Cor 16:19 hr).
• just as he was: Paul would have been trained as a tentmaker as a young man. It was Jewish custom to provide sons with a manual trade, including young men who intended to become rabbis or other professionals.
Summary for Acts 18:4-6: 18:4-6 hs Once again Paul followed his custom of preaching to the Jews first, and then reaching out to Gentiles after he met with rejection and opposition (13:42-49 ht; see 3:25-26 hu; 26:20 hv; Rom 1:16 hw; 2:10 hx; 3:29 hy, 30 hz; 4:9-12 ia).
• Paul probably wrote his letters to the Thessalonian Christians after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia with a report of how things were going there (see 1 Thes 3:6 ib; 2 Thessalonians Book Introduction, “Setting”).
18:7 ic Titius Justus (“Titus the Just”) was a Gentile who worshiped God (a “God-fearer”; see study note on 10:2). Because Titus was a common Roman name, Justus differentiates him from the better-known Titus, Paul’s co-worker (2 Cor 2:13 id; 7:6 ie, 13 if; 8:6 ig, 16 ih, 23 ii; Titus).
Summary for Acts 18:9-10: 18:9-10 ij Paul had experienced real opposition in Corinth (18:6 ik) and apparently was afraid of being attacked again, so the divine message was a comfort to him (cp. 23:11 il; Ps 34:4 im, 7 in, 19 io; Matt 28:20 ip), encouraging him to persist in his public ministry and promising God’s protection (cp. Ps 91:11 iq; 2 Tim 4:17 ir).
Summary for Acts 18:12-13: 18:12-13 is The governor of Achaia, Junio Gallio, was the older brother of the Roman philosopher Seneca (Seneca was a tutor to Emperor Nero). An inscription indicating that he was governor around AD 51–52 helps to date Paul’s visit in Corinth to about that time.
Summary for Acts 18:14-17: 18:14-17 it Gallio’s ruling indicated that the charges against Paul were unjustified. The Roman government had nothing to fear from acknowledging Christianity as a legal religion.
18:17 iu It is most likely that the Greeks beat Sosthenes to express their hostility to the Jews; it is possible that the Jews attacked their own synagogue leader because he was unsuccessful in pleading their case. Sosthenes may be the same man Paul later mentions as “our brother” (1 Cor 1:1 iv), but it is uncertain, as the name was fairly common.
18:18 iw Cenchrea was a seaport located on the Aegean Sea, roughly five miles (8 km) east of Corinth. It was here that Paul shaved his head according to Jewish custom to mark the completion of a temporary Nazirite vow (cp. 21:23-24 ix; see Num 6:1-21 iy; Judg 13:4-7 iz; 16:1 ja; Amos 2:11-12 jb; Luke 1:15 jc).
Summary for Acts 18:19-23: 18:19-23 jd Paul made a quick stop at Ephesus, the most important city in the Roman province of Asia. There he left the others behind, including Priscilla and Aquila (18:26 je). He sailed to Judea, landing at Caesarea, the headquarters of the Roman forces of occupation. After a visit to the church at Jerusalem, Paul returned to Antioch, the church that had originally commissioned him. This marked the end of his second missionary journey. In Antioch, he spent a rewarding time of reporting what God had done through him and his colleagues, sharing the excitement and challenges of their work with the home church. Then after ... some time, Paul began his third missionary journey. He went by land rather than by sea, traveling through Galatia and Phrygia and revisiting believers whom he had led to faith in Christ on his previous trips. It was important to him that these young converts not be left to founder and shipwreck their faith (see Eph 6:10-20 jf; 1 Tim 1:18-20 jg; 2 Tim 1:15 jh; 4:10 ji).
18:21 jj “I will come back later”: Paul later spent significant time in Ephesus during his third missionary journey (19:1–20:1 jk; see 19:8 jl, 10 jm).
Summary for Acts 18:23-19:41: 18:23–19:41 jn This section describes Paul’s third missionary journey (about AD 53–57). Paul revisited Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples (18:23 jo). He then traveled to Ephesus (19:1 jp), where he remained for over two years (19:8-10 jq). 18:23 jr Paul wanted to keep in touch with earlier converts and strengthen their faith.
Summary for Acts 18:24-26: 18:24-26 js Alexandria, the second-largest city in the Roman Empire, was famous for its rhetorical tradition and the philosophical work of Philo. Apollos was an eloquent speaker with an excellent knowledge of the Scriptures (the Old Testament). His knowledge about Jesus and the Holy Spirit was inadequate, though. He did not understand that believers could experience and enjoy the power of the Holy Spirit as a present energizing reality. Fortunately, Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and corrected his spiritual understanding.
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