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.G1161G2658G1519G1191G2532G3082G2532G2400G5100G3101G2258G1563G3686G5095G5207G5100G1135G2453G4103G1161G3962G1672 2Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium,G3739G3140G5259G80G1722G3082G2532G2430 3so 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.G5126G2309G3972G1831G4862G846G2532G2983G4059G846G1223G2453G3588G5607G1722G1565G5117G1063G1492G537G3754G846G3962G5225G1672 4Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.G1161G5613G1279G4172G3860G846G1378G5442G2919G5259G652G2532G4245G3588G1722G2419 5So 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.G1161G1330G5435G2532G5561G1054G2967G5259G40G4151G2980G3056G1722G773 7Then 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.G2064G2596G3465G3985G4198G2596G978G2532G4151G1439G846G3756 8So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.G1161G3928G3465G2597G1519G5174 9That 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!"G2532G3705G3700G3972G1223G3571G2258G2476G5100G435G3110G3870G846G2532G3004G1224G1519G3109G997G2254 10So 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.G3767G321G575G5174G2113G1519G4543G5037G1966G1519G3496 12From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.G5037G1564G1519G5375G3748G2076G4413G4172G3310G3109G2862G1161G2258G1722G5026G4172G1304G5100G2250 13On 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.G5037G4521G2250G1831G1854G4172G3844G4215G3757G4335G3543G1511G2532G2523G2980G1135G4905 14One 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.G2532G5100G1135G3686G3070G4211G4172G2363G4576G2316G191G3739G2588G2962G1272G4337G2980G5259G3972 15She 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.G1161G1096G2257G4198G1519G4335G5100G3814G2192G4151G4436G528G2254G3748G3930G846G2962G4183G2039G3132 17She 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."G3778G2628G3972G2532G2254G2896G3004G3778G444G1526G1401G5310G2316G3748G2605G2254G3598G4991 18This 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.G1161G5124G4160G1909G4183G2250G1161G3972G1278G1994G2532G2036G4151G3853G4671G1722G3686G2424G5547G1831G575G846G2532G1831G846G5610 19Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.G1161G846G2962G1492G3754G1680G846G2039G1831G1949G3972G2532G4609G1670G1519G58G1909G758 20"The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted to the city officials.G2532G4317G846G4755G2036G3778G444G5225G2453G1613G2257G4172 21"They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice."G2532G2605G1485G3739G1832G3756G1832G2254G3858G3761G4160G5607G4514 22A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.G2532G3793G4911G2596G846G2532G4755G4048G846G2440G2753G4463 23They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape.G5037G2007G4183G4127G846G906G1519G5438G3853G1200G5083G846G806 24So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.G3739G2983G5108G3852G906G846G1519G2082G5438G2532G805G846G4228G805G1519G3586 25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.G1161G2596G3317G3972G2532G4609G4336G5214G2316G1161G1198G1874G846 26Suddenly, 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!G1161G869G1096G3173G4578G5620G2310G1201G4531G5037G3916G3956G2374G455G2532G3956G1199G447 27The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.G1161G1200G1096G1853G2532G1492G5438G2374G455G4685G3162G3195G337G1438G3543G1198G1628 28But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!"G1161G3972G5455G3173G5456G3004G4238G4572G3367G2556G1063G2070G537G1759 29The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.G1161G154G5457G1530G2532G1096G1790G4363G3972G2532G4609 30Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"G2532G4254G846G1854G5346G2962G5101G1163G3165G4160G2443G4982 31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household."G1161G2036G4100G1909G2962G2424G5547G2532G4771G4982G2532G4675G3624 32And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.G2532G2980G846G3056G2962G2532G3956G1722G846G3614 33Even 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.G2532G3880G846G1722G1565G5610G3571G3068G575G4127G2532G907G846G2532G3956G846G3916 34He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.G5037G321G846G1519G3624G3908G5132G3908G2532G21G4100G2316G3832G846G3832 35The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, "Let those men go!"G1161G1096G2250G4755G649G4465G3004G630G1565G444G630 36So the jailer told Paul, "The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace."G1161G1200G518G5128G3056G4314G3972G3754G4755G649G2443G630G3568G3767G1831G4198G1722G1515 37But 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!"G1161G3972G5346G4314G846G1194G2248G1219G178G5225G4514G444G906G1519G5438G2532G3568G1544G2248G1544G2977G3756G1063G235G2064G846G1806G2248G1806 38When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.G1161G4465G312G5023G4487G4755G2532G5399G191G3754G1526G4514 39So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.G2532G2064G3870G846G2532G1806G2065G1831G4172 40When 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