Acts 16:20-40

         WeekLy BooK oF Acts 

20 - And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews/Hebrews and they are disturbing our city! 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore their garments and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had beat them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely locked up. 24 Having received this order, the jailer put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

     25 At about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake. The foundations of the prison were shaken, all the doors were opened and everyone's bonds were loosened.

     27 When the jailer woke and saw the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in the house. 33 And the jailer the same hour of the night, washed their wounds. And then he and all his family were baptized. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household to be believing in God.

     35 But then when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said, “They have beaten us publicly, men who were not condemned and who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison! And now do they throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and let us out.”

     38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, who were afraid when they found out they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized and led them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and went to Lydia’s house. And when they had seen the believers, they encouraged them and departed.

 🗝️ [  ] - word/language insights, facts, cross references, etc.

      {  } - thots

By Necessity Paraphrased

Annual Weekly Reading & Study

WeekLy BooK oF Acts 15:22-41

   By Necessity Slightly 

       Paraphrased   

22 - Then it seemed good to the apostles and elders, and the rest of the church, to choose men from among them and to send them back to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading ones among the believers, 23 along with the following letter: “The believers, the apostles and the elders of Jerusalem, to the believers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 We have heard that some went to you from us and have troubled you with their words - unsettling your minds - although we gave them no such instructions. 25 It has seemed good to us, having come to an agreement about the matter, to choose men and send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will tell you the same things as this letter. 28 It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from those things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” (Later!)

     30 And when they were sent on their way, they went down to Antioch, gathered the congregation together, and delivered the letter. 31 And after it was read, they rejoiced at its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the believers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace back to those who had sent them. 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

     36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the believers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they’re doing.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John Mark. 38 But Paul disagreed because he had turned back from the work the last time. 39 And they disagreed so sharply that they separated. Barnabas went with Mark, sailing away to Cyprus, 40 and Paul went with Silas, having been prayed for by the church and given over to the grace of the Lord. 41 Then he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches/believers. (As of yet there were no brick and mortar churches, the believers met mostly in one another’s homes.)

 🗝️ [  ] - word/language insights, facts, cross references, etc.

      {  } - thots

W𝕖𝕖𝕜𝕝𝕪 B𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕠𝕗 A𝕔𝕥𝕤 17 1-14

𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚑𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍

1 - From Philippi, Paul and Silas went through Amphipolis and Apollonia, on their way to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue. 2 As was his habit, Paul went to the synagogue on Sabbath, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the scriptures. 3 Showing how Messiah had to suffer and die and then rise from death, saying, “This Jesus I’m talking about, is the Messiah.” [Ps.16:10, etc./Acts 2:27 (Eccles.9:5,10).] 4 Some were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God fearing Greeks and prominent women of the town. 5 But others were jealous, so they rounded up some bad characters and started a riot and came in search of Paul and Silas at one Jason’s house in order to drag Paul and Silas out into the riot. 6 Not finding them, they instead brought Jason and some others to the city council shouting, “The men, Paul and Silas, have been causing trouble all over, and now they are here too! And causing riots! 7 And Jason has made them welcome in his home! They are all breaking the law, proclaiming allegiance to a king named Jesus!” 8 This threw the officials and the crowd into turmoil. (Rome might consider such a thing, if it happened, to be a revolt and Rome had an “iron” fist.) 9 But then they made Jason and the others post a bond and let them go. 10 Later that night, the believers sent Paul and Silas to the neighboring town of Berea, and when they got there they went to the synagogue. 11 The Jewish (Hebrew) people of Berea were more conscientiously minded than those of Thessalonica. They listened to Paul’s message and they searched the Scriptures each day to see if what Paul and Silas were teaching was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did a number of prominent Greek women and some Greek men as well. 13 But when the leaders of Thessalonica heard Paul and Silas were teaching in Berea, they followed and stirred up a crowd against them. 14 So the believers hurried Paul on his way to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea for a while.

                         ~*~

     Very Brief Outline of Acts:

Jesus returns to where he was with the Father before his advent/visit (his brief first one).

The Holy Spirit/Presence of God is poured out on the believers who were in Jerusalem on the late Spring holy day of Pentecost. Peter speaks, there are 3000 new believers that day.

The good news message spreads, Peter is invited and goes to a Roman’s house and all believe. The first record of non Hebrew believers (besides likely some on Pentecost).

     Persecution breaks out.. jail. stoning. Pharisee Saul leads the persecution, but on his way to Damascus with papers for arrests, Jesus makes himself seen but is so bright Paul falls to the ground and is blinded. After two days he is healed and is a believer, and soon is called Paul. He wrote many (to most) of the New Testament letters, but spent a few years (it seems to me) exclusively listening to the Lord. He established many ‘churches’ in what’s called three missionary journeys, and met and worked with Mark and Luke, and quite a few others. (Luke wrote this Book of Acts.) His fourth journey is to Rome to trial as a prisoner. There’s a shipwreck on the way.. He wrote many of his letters while in prison and under ‘house’ arrest.

                            🍃

W𝕖𝕖𝕜𝕝𝕪 B𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕠𝕗 A𝕔𝕥𝕤 16 20-40

(Review - When her ‘owners’ realized their hope of making money from her demon inspired prognostication, was gone, they seized Paul and Silas to face the authorities.)

     20 “Because of these Jews, the whole city is in an uproar!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching new customs that are illegal for us Romans!” 22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas. The city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with rods. 23 They were beaten severely, thrown into prison, and the jailer was ordered to make sure they did not escape. 24 So he put them deep inside the jail, and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, the foundations of the prison were shaken, all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains fell loose. 27 When the jailer woke and saw the prison doors were open, he drew his sword to kill himself, thinking the prisoners had escaped. (Under Rome, punishable by death.) 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all still here!” 29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and trembling, fell before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. You and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to everyone in his house. 33 And even at that hour, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were baptized. 34 Then he brought them into his house, and fed them a meal. And everyone in the house was rejoicing because they had come to believe in God. 35 When it was day, the magistrates sent word to release them. 36 So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to go. Leave in peace.” 37  But Paul said to the officers who were sent, “They beat us publicly without a trial, and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens! (ThAt was a no no.) And now they want to send us away secretly? Surely not! Let them come themselves and accompany us out!” 38 So the officers told this message to the magistrates, and they were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized, and led them out, asking that they leave the city. 40 After they left the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the believers and to encourage them. And then they left the city.

                         ~*~

     Very Brief Outline of Acts:

Jesus returns to where he was with the Father before his advent/visit (his brief first one).

The Holy Spirit/Presence of God is poured out on the believers who were in Jerusalem on the late Spring holy day of Pentecost. Peter speaks, there are 3000 new believers that day.

The good news message spreads, Peter is invited and goes to a Roman’s house and all believe. The first record of non Hebrew believers (besides likely some on Pentecost).

     Persecution breaks out.. jail. stoning. Pharisee Saul leads the persecution, but on his way to Damascus with papers for arrests, Jesus makes himself seen but is so bright Paul falls to the ground and is blinded. After two days he is healed and is a believer, and soon is called Paul. He wrote many (to most) of the New Testament letters, but spent a few years (it seems to me) exclusively listening to the Lord. He established many ‘churches’ in what’s called three missionary journeys, and met and worked with Mark and Luke, and quite a few others. (Luke wrote this Book of Acts.) His fourth journey is to Rome to trial as a prisoner. There’s a shipwreck on the way.. He wrote many of his letters while in prison and under ‘house’ arrest.

                            🍃