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Acts 16

Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

What does Acts 16:20 mean?

Explanation

This verse, Acts 16:20, is part of an account in which the apostles Paul and Silas are brought before Roman authorities in the city of Philippi. The complaint is lodged by local businessmen who are upset that Paul and Silas have been teaching customs that are contrary to Roman laws.

The phrase "These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city" indicates an accusation against Paul and Silas not only for spreading Christianity, which was seen as a Jewish sect at the time, but also a suggestion of ethnic prejudice.

The accusers likely wanted to stir up the magistrates' suspicion towards these 'foreign' customs and practices.

In the context of the verse, Paul and Silas were causing a 'trouble' in the eyes of these individuals because their teaching of Christianity led to a loss of profit for the local businessmen, whose livelihood depended on the pagan practice of fortune-telling.

The charge of ‘exceeding trouble’ is a strong one, implying significant social disruption, which they hoped would prompt the magistrates to act against Paul and Silas.

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Historical Context

Acts 16:20 is found within the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles, a New Testament book detailing the spread of Christianity during the first century after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This particular episode occurs on Paul's second missionary journey, when he and Silas are in the Roman colony of Philippi around AD 49-51.

The decision to accuse them of 'troubling the city' reflects the tensions of that time between traditional Roman values and the new Christian teachings.

It underscores the challenges that early Christians faced in preaching their faith in an environment that was, at times, hostile to their message.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, Acts 16:20 illustrates the theme of conflict between the early Christian church and the surrounding culture. It demonstrates the hostility that the message of Christianity could provoke, particularly when it affected the social or economic status quo.

Theologically, this confrontation can be seen as a confrontation between the kingdom of God as preached by Paul and Silas, and the kingdom of man, represented by the economic interests of the city.

Practical Applications

The teachings in Acts 16:20 can serve as a reminder to modern believers about the potential cost of discipleship.

Christians today may face opposition when their faith and practice challenge the cultural or economic practices of their context. The passage encourages believers to stand firm in their faith, even when it leads to misunderstanding or persecution.

Cross-References

Acts 17:6: "And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;"
Acts 19:25-27: "Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth."

1 Thessalonians 2:2: "But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention."

Language Study

The key terms in the original Greek text include:

"exceedingly" (ἐκταράσσουσιν): From the root ἐκταράσσω, meaning to stir up, unsettle, or disturb greatly.
"trouble" (ταράσσω): To stir or throw into confusion, disturb the peace, cause an uproar.
"our city" (τὴν πόλιν ἡμῶν): The term πόλις refers to a city or town, emphasising possession and belonging, as in 'our city.'

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In comparing this event to other ancient myths and religious interpretations, it's evident that new religious movements often face resistance from established cultural and religious systems.

Similar stories can be found in various ancient cultures where new ideas or movements upset the status quo, leading to scapegoating or persecution of those who challenge traditional beliefs.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientific perspectives might not directly apply to the analysis of Acts 16:20.

However, social sciences such as sociology and anthropology might offer insights into the dynamics of group conflict when established social orders are challenged by new ideologies, which is reflected in this account.

Commentaries

Various Bible commentators have noted the following points about Acts 16:20:

Matthew Henry's Commentary highlights the unjust nature of the accusation, as it wasn't the preaching of Paul and Silas that troubled the city, but rather the loss of income for the merchants.
John Gill's Exposition of the Bible suggests that the accusers were being hypocritical, as they were less concerned about Roman customs and more about their own financial gain.
The Pulpit Commentary reflects on the common practice of anti-Semitism in the ancient world, noting that the use of the term "Jews" by the accusers was likely intended to invoke prejudice among the Roman citizens and magistrates.

These commentaries underscore the complex interplay of economic, ethnic, and religious tensions evident in this passage from Acts.

Acts 16

Acts 16

What does Acts 16:20 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 16:20 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?