WEB

Acts 16

Paul recruits Timothy at Lystra, then a night vision of a Macedonian man pulls the mission across into Europe for the first time. Watch the narration shift to "we" (v.10) as the writer joins the party, and how the first European converts are two outsiders: Lydia the purple-seller and a Philippian jailer.

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Acts 16 (WEB)

1
He came to Derbe and Lystra; and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed, but his father was a Greek.
2
The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.
3
Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
4
As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.
5
So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
6
When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
7
When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them.
8
Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
9
A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.”
10
When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Good News to them.
11
Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;
12
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.
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.
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!”
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.
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
21
and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”
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.
24
Having received such a command, he threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.
25
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26
Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.
27
The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!”
29
He called for lights, sprang in, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,
30
brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31
They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32
They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.
33
He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.
34
He brought them up into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with all his household, having believed in God.
35
But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.”
36
The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace.”
37
But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!”
38
The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
39
and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.
40
They went out of the prison and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, then departed.

Atos 16 (WPB)

1
Ele chegou a Derbe e a Listra; e eis que estava ali certo discípulo chamado Timóteo, filho de uma judia crente, mas seu pai era grego.
2
Os irmãos que estavam em Listra e Icônio davam bom testemunho dele.
3
Paulo queria que ele fosse com ele, e tomou-o e o circuncidou por causa dos judeus que estavam naquelas regiões, pois todos sabiam que seu pai era grego.
4
Ao passarem pelas cidades, entregavam-lhes os decretos para serem guardados, os quais haviam sido ordenados pelos apóstolos e presbíteros que estavam em Jerusalém.
5
Assim, as igrejas eram fortalecidas na fé, e cresciam em número diariamente.
6
Tendo passado pela região da Frígia e da Galácia, foram impedidos pelo Espírito Santo de anunciar a palavra na Ásia.
7
Quando chegaram defronte da Mísia, tentaram ir para a Bitínia, mas o Espírito não lhes permitiu.
8
Passando pela Mísia, desceram a Trôade.
9
Uma visão apareceu a Paulo durante a noite. Havia um homem da Macedônia em pé, rogando-lhe e dizendo: “Passa à Macedônia e ajuda-nos.”
10
Quando ele teve a visão, imediatamente procuramos partir para a Macedônia, concluindo que o Senhor nos havia chamado para lhes pregar as Boas Novas.
11
Navegando, portanto, de Trôade, fizemos uma rota direta para Samotrácia, e no dia seguinte para Neápolis;
12
e dali para Filipos, que é a cidade principal daquele distrito da Macedônia, e uma colônia romana. Ficamos alguns dias nesta cidade.
13
No dia de sábado, saímos da cidade para a beira de um rio, onde supúnhamos haver um lugar de oração; e, assentando-nos, falamos às mulheres que haviam se reunido.
14
Certa mulher chamada Lídia, vendedora de púrpura, da cidade de Tiatira, que adorava a Deus, nos ouvia. O Senhor abriu o seu coração para dar atenção às coisas que eram ditas por Paulo.
15
Quando ela e a sua casa foram batizadas, ela nos rogou, dizendo: “Se julgais que sou fiel ao Senhor, entrai em minha casa e ficai.” E ela nos persuadiu.
16
Aconteceu que, indo nós para o lugar de oração, nos encontrou certa jovem que tinha um espírito de adivinhação, a qual trazia muito lucro aos seus senhores com adivinhações.
17
Seguindo a Paulo e a nós, ela clamava: “Estes homens são servos do Deus Altíssimo, que nos proclamam um caminho de salvação!”
18
Ela fez isso por muitos dias. Mas Paulo, ficando muito incomodado, voltou-se e disse ao espírito: “Eu te ordeno em nome de Jesus Cristo que saias dela!” E na mesma hora ele saiu.
19
Mas, quando os seus senhores viram que a esperança do seu lucro havia desaparecido, agarraram Paulo e Silas e os arrastaram para a praça principal, perante as autoridades.
20
Quando os apresentaram aos magistrados, disseram: “Estes homens, sendo judeus, estão agitando a nossa cidade
21
e defendem costumes que não nos é lícito aceitar nem praticar, sendo nós romanos.”
22
A multidão levantou-se unida contra eles, e os magistrados rasgaram-lhes as roupas, e ordenaram que fossem açoitados com varas.
23
Depois de lhes darem muitos açoites, lançaram-nos na prisão, ordenando ao carcereiro que os guardasse com segurança.
24
Tendo recebido tal ordem, ele os lançou no cárcere interior e prendeu os pés deles no tronco.
25
Mas, por volta da meia-noite, Paulo e Silas oravam e cantavam hinos a Deus, e os prisioneiros os escutavam.
26
De repente, houve um grande terremoto, de modo que os alicerces da prisão foram abalados; e imediatamente todas as portas se abriram, e as correntes de todos se soltaram.
27
O carcereiro, despertando do sono e vendo abertas as portas da prisão, puxou a sua espada e estava para se matar, supondo que os prisioneiros tivessem fugido.
28
Mas Paulo clamou com grande voz, dizendo: “Não faças mal a ti mesmo, pois estamos todos aqui!”
29
Ele pediu luzes, saltou para dentro e, tremendo, prostrou-se diante de Paulo e Silas;
30
e, tirando-os para fora, disse: “Senhores, o que devo fazer para ser salvo?”
31
Eles disseram: “Crê no Senhor Jesus Cristo, e serás salvo, tu e a tua casa.”
32
E pregaram a palavra do Senhor a ele e a todos os que estavam em sua casa.
33
Ele os tomou consigo naquela mesma hora da noite e lavou os seus ferimentos; e logo foi batizado, ele e todos os seus.
34
Levando-os para a sua casa, pôs comida diante deles e alegrou-se muito com toda a sua casa, por ter crido em Deus.
35
Mas, quando amanheceu, os magistrados enviaram os oficiais de justiça, dizendo: “Soltai aqueles homens.”
36
O carcereiro relatou estas palavras a Paulo, dizendo: “Os magistrados mandaram soltar-vos; agora, portanto, saí e ide em paz.”
37
Mas Paulo lhes disse: “Açoitaram-nos publicamente sem condenação, sendo nós cidadãos romanos, e nos lançaram na prisão! E agora nos soltam secretamente? Não, de modo nenhum! Que eles mesmos venham e nos tirem daqui!”
38
Os oficiais de justiça relataram estas palavras aos magistrados, e eles ficaram com medo quando ouviram que eram romanos;
39
e vieram e lhes suplicaram. Depois de os tirarem para fora, pediram-lhes que se retirassem da cidade.
40
Eles saíram da prisão e entraram na casa de Lídia. Quando viram os irmãos, os encorajaram, e então partiram.

Roman citizenship as a lever

The Philippi arrest hinges on a legal detail held back until the end. Beaten and jailed without trial, Paul refuses a quiet release: "They have beaten us publicly... men who are Romans" (v.37). The magistrates' fear once they learn his status protects the new believers he leaves behind in Lydia's house.