Acts 16: Paul and Silas in Prison

Alongside our Sunday teachings, we’re keeping things simple. We’ll be reading through the book of Acts, featuring the many unique voices of the ClearView Church congregation. Each week, we’ll release two chapters, followed by a few reflection questions.

In this  episode, you’ll hear a brief introduction from Pastor Phil, followed by a reading of Acts 16 and some reflection questions from one of the young adults in our congregation.

Read along with the following reflection:

As you heard today’s passage, what word or phrase did the Holy Spirit draw your attention to?  What details from the story stirred within you?

I keep thinking about Paul and Silas’ words, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” What impact did those words have on the early church?  How have they shaped the universal church of Jesus Christ? 

What do they mean for you? Are they comforting? Challenging? Reassuring? Disturbing?

Perhaps there were other ideas or phrases that captured your attention. Linger over them and ask God any questions you may have. 

Pray your life to God and take a moment to rest in God’s presence.

Faith Matters is a ministry of Clearview Church, Oakville, On.
https://clearviewchurch.com/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

You are listening to the Faith Matters Podcast from Clearview Church, where we explore everyday faith in a complex world. Our goal is to strengthen and equip followers of Jesus just like you through practical and theological discussions and resources. In this season of the podcast, we're diving deeper into the practices of prayer and study. Each week, we'll release two episodes featuring voices from our congregation reading a chapter from the Book of Acts, along with a few reflection questions. Each episode will begin with a short introduction to help set the context of the passage. As you listen, we encourage you to go slow. There will be built-in pauses with gentle background music, giving you space to reflect and wonder about what you're hearing. You might choose to follow along in your Bible or use a Bible app as the passage is read aloud. Above all, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you and reveal what you need from the text. Our hope is that this practice would nurture and deepen your faith as you continue to grow your life with Christ. Now, on to the book of Acts and the passage of the day.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

Acts chapter 15 brings us to the first major family argument in the church. And the question is: do Gentiles have to become like Jews to follow Jesus? And the debate the church has, it's serious. The arguments are heated. But the apostles and the elders of the church, they gather, they listen, and they're discerning. What is the Spirit saying? What is God doing? And the decision they come to is liberating. Salvation is by grace, not by burdening Gentile believers with the whole law. And so after the meeting, the mission begins to move forward with a clearer sense of air, with a whole lot less friction. And we move into chapter 16.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

Paul came to Derby and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on a journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Migea, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mige and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, come over to Macedonia and help us. After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight from Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. From there we travelled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia, and we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the woman who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thiachura, named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. If you consider me a believer in the Lord, she said, Come and stay at my house. And she persuaded us. Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money from her owners by fortune telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, These men are servants of the most high God, who are telling you the way to be saved. She kept this up for many days. Finally, Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her. At that moment the spirit left her. When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice. The crowds joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prisons were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains became loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, Don't harm yourself. We are all here. The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds. Then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God, he and his whole household. When it was daylight the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order release those men. The jailer told Paul, The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace. But Paul said to the officers, They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and they threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No. Let them come themselves and escort us out. The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them out from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left. As you heard today's passage, what word or phrase did the Holy Spirit draw your attention to? What details from the story stirred within you? I keep thinking about Paul and Silas's words. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. What impact did those words have on the early church? How have they shaped the universal church of Jesus Christ? What do those words mean for you? Are they comforting, challenging, reassuring? Perhaps there were other ideas or phrases that captured your attention. Linger over them and ask God any questions you may have.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

We hope this time has helped you slow down and create space to hear from God. Join us again for our next episode as we continue through the Book of Acts together. Go in peace and may you continue to grow your life with Christ.