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Scripture

Going Deeper

Going Deeper

Exposing our Idols (10-25-14)

Grab your bible and let’s go deeper into Acts 19:23-41

  1. How to discern Idols

The first thing that is important for us to see is how Paul always took on the idols of the people’s hearts.

One of the biggest tools in his bag as he preached the Gospel and planted churches and spoke to the lost was his ability to discern idols.   I believe it is essential that you and I have this ability too.

See, without discerning and exposing the idols of the heart in both you and I—and in those we share Jesus with—Jesus can became something new to add on; to coexist alongside the other things one worships instead of becoming everything or the main thing that drastically changed the life we once knew.

Let’s dig into today’s passage.

To understand Acts 19 we need to go back to Acts 17

Acts 17:16Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.”

  1. Paul recognized the Idols. How good are you at seeing the idols in today’s culture?
  2. He went to the Augora, the marketplace, to preach. It was the epicenter of the culture. But Paul’s reason for being there was more than that it was the place people gathered.  Paul is there to point out the idols that cast the very shadows over the market place.

Realize:   Every setting that is not based on the Glory and majesty of God is going to be based on something that has been put into God’s place.   In this, every community, every family, group, gang, team, neighborhood, city, class, country is looking for something to save it, to rescue it; something to put its hope, its meaning in: a form of idolatry.    Idolatry that must be replaced with the Gospel of Jesus.

The definition for Idolatry that I find most helpful is:  A substitute or counterfeit God – something in the creation that is inflated to function as God.  Or: Taking a good thing and making it an ultimate thing

So, what ever good thing that you have made an ultimate thing becomes the god you worship.

Beauty is a good thing, but when you raise it up as ultimate you worship:  Aphrodite.

Human reason is a good thing, but when science and thought becomes ultimate you worship Athena.

Money is a helpful thing that allows us to eat and be comfortable but when it becomes ultimate you worship: Artemis.

Enjoying the things of Life is God’s intention for us, but when wine turns to drunkenness and satisfaction is sought out in the temporary tasty meal or sexual interaction you worship Dionysus.

Now, none of you likely have a statue of Athena in your home that you bow down to.   But we don’t need a physical idol to worship! The key is what it reveals as our soul idolatry!

Do you see the Idols in your life?  In your vocation?  In your family or home?  In your social groups?   Only after you discern the idols of the heart can you begin to EXPOSE them for what they really are.

This brings us to point #2

  1. How to expose idols

In Acts 19:26, Paul doesn’t just say there are many idols around but he says “among them there are no gods at all.”

It didn’t take much to stir the pot and expose the fact that the idols really do not hold any power to make life better.  So if belief in the idol means you expect to be saved by it and it really doesn’t have the power to ultimately save you, exposing this lie is essential.

Take Money for example:  It is the main idol the passage is focused on.  Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and fertility.   But over the years, she became the goddess of business.  Because she was the goddess of fertility, that meant she was the one they looked to for their crops to grow in abundance which directly affected the main profit stream of the day for much of the culture.

Acts 19:35 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?”

A meteorite fell to the earth that many claimed looked like the statue of Artemis.  So they passed the word and people traveled from all over to come see it.  In that day it became a huge attraction.  So they built the temple of Artemis.  It was massive. So grand, it is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Everyone wanted to come see it.  It became the Disneyland of the day.  At Disneyland, there are 1800 different trinkets you can buy with Mickey’s face on them.   Merchants in Ephesus made a living selling trinkets of Artemis as well. That is what Demetrius did.

Acts 19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis…”

The profits that people were making were good.  And so people would sacrifice to Artemis to get profits.  They believed that if she wasn’t pleased maybe business would go down.  How horrible is that?   But really it is not that different for our western culture too.

I grew up in a similar Ephesus called Orange County in the city of Irvine. It was and is still today a business hub in the world.   Tons of wealth.  One of the local High Schools advertises in Asia to draw wealthy Asian families to Orange County so that we can help train their children to be successful western profiteers.

In the culture of affluence I grew up in there was a ton of child sacrifice.  It was designed to be that way.  Both mother and father would hand off their children from birth through the next 18 years—not because they had too, but because they wanted a bigger ring on their finger or fancier car to drive.  Because the business demand in OC was fierce, and to keep up you had to pay a high price.  I had many friends who grew up in families almost without a mom or dad because of this.  They had great toys and went on fancy vacations but they had no one who really raised them.

We have to see our idols are killing us.  They can not give you salvation, nor the joy you hope they will give.  So, We have to expose them.  

For me, personally,  there is no one person I love more in this world than my wife, Jennifer.  And for that reason, she is potentially the most likely to become the idol I put in the place of God.  But it is not that I want to love her less, it is that I want to know the Gospel as the Good News that causes me to love Jesus MORE.   So that he is my deepest love and has my deepest affection.

Now, if we are going to truly expose our idols, it is really important to understand the different layers of idols in our lives.  A way to begin this road for yourself is to take some honest inventory of your life. You can do this yourself or invite a few people that you trust who know you well and can help you see what you maybe cannot see on your own.  Here is a taste:

In Tim Keller’s book “Counterfeit Gods” he writes:  “The idols of the Heart become spiritual addictions.  We take more and greater risk to get an ever diminishing satisfaction from the thing we crave until breakdown occurs.”  In recovery we think to ourselves, ‘what was I thinking? How could I ever be so blind?’  We wake up like people with a hangover who can hardly remember the night before.  But WHY?  Why did we act so irrationally?  Why did we completely lose sight of what was truly satisfying?  John Calvin said it best when he said, “ the human heart is an idol factory.”

As a pastor I have had the privilege of being invited to help in these recovery moments.  When the bottom falls out. When an idol doesn’t deliver.   Every time, the person says, “I didn’t see it.  Why couldn’t I see it?”

See, we must EXPOSE our idols because if we don’t they will EXPOSE us.  See,  a created thing will never be able to deliver on an ultimate level.

Finally, and this is vital to understand:

  1. How to destroy Idols

First we must remember that idols live in the affections and desires we have for the things we have inflated to function as God.

So how do we destroy them?    We don’t!

Thomas Chalmers said it so well, “There is not one personal transformation in which the heart is left without an object of ultimate beauty and joy. The heart’s desire for one particular object can be conquered, but its desire to have some object is unconquerable. The only way to dispossess the heart of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new one.”

The vital thing you must see when it comes to trying to defeat your idolatry is that you cannot destroy your idols.

The world’s remedy for addictive behavior, bad habits, hurtful loves, lust filled affections, etc. is to work hard to eliminate them.

You might be able to temporarily remove one idol, but your heart still must cast its affections on something.  So,  you will simply pick up another to fills it’s place.

Chalmers is saying here that you cannot defeat or remove your idols, you can only REPLACE THEM.  Idols of the heart cannot be removed, they can only be replaced.

So the question then is replaced with what?    The only thing that ultimately can satisfy and bring joy and life and identity and security and purpose is JESUS.  This is why in our ministry we must become far less concerned with telling people what to do or not to do. That just equals religion’s failed road to salvation, which is suck it up and try harder to do the right thing.

Temporary fixes and/or helpful habits do not cure the deepest disease and self-inflicted pain we struggle with in Life:   Our idolatry.  Only the expulsive power of a bigger and better target for our affections can eliminate the failed idols the heart has tried to cling to.

Soldiers: We have to focus on stirring our affections toward the Gospel—THE GOOD NEWS—to understand the fullness of the beauty and wonder of Christ. To fall deeply in love with him.  The key to being rid of the idols we worship is not really to love them less to but to love Christ more.  And in doing so, if the heart truly is that taken by Jesus, our clinch to over elevate God’s created things is rightfully place on God.

If my children are my idol,  he is not calling me to love them less, he is calling me to love them rightly.   The only way I can do that  is to be satisfied in the one thing that can truly satisfy; is to be saved by the one and only thing that can save me; is to be secured by the one and only person who can keep me secure; is to be purposed by the only one who can give me eternal purpose….  Jesus!

Jeremiah 2:11-13  “11 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods?But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord,13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

Please hear this:   We have to never forget that the temporary victories of this life are not our ultimate victory. How easily we can get caught up in trying to use God as a mere idol to get to what we think our hearts really want (the created temporary wells of water that leak and never satisfy.)  Or we can grow our affection and enjoyment for the fountain of Living Water, which is God himself.  We have to forsake the wells and dig God.

When we get this, when we begin to really understand the Gospel and Christ power in and through us, it changes everything.  Like Paul in our passage today, we are emboldened to risk our lives to share the gospel and see the society truly changed as a result of the Gospel.

Acts 19:30 “But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater.”

When the idols are identified and exposed it is dangerous. Because on one hand idols are powerless as they are created things lifted up to an ultimate place.  But on the other hand idols wield unbelievable power of influence to swing us here and there.

Notice how Paul here is willing to risk his life to defeat the false worship of idols and replace it with the life giving Gospel.   WHY?     Because he understood the Gospel. The Power of Christ at work.  Jesus did the same thing. He put his life in the hands of an angry crowd who was resolved to have him killed yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”   And they did.  And in doing so

Colossians 2:15  “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

When the power and principalities unleashed all their fury and darkness upon Jesus on the cross, when he was wearing the weight of all of the world’s sin, he bowed his head into it and died.  And in doing so consumed it and by the power and supremacy of God conquered it.  He defeated the idols and the wickedness that fuels their worship. Only Jesus can do this in you.

In this Christ offers you and I deliverance from our condemned idolatry and victory in Him alone.  Jesus is the Expulsive Power that crushes the failed affections of your idolatry.  

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd

Soldiers for Jesus MC

Bakersfield CA

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Scripture

October 24

Acts 19

Paul in Ephesus

19:1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland1 country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in2 the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all.

And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.3 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

The Sons of Sceva

11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all4 of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

A Riot at Ephesus

21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

23 About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”

28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. 30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs,5 who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?6 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further,7 it shall be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

Footnotes

[1] 19:1 Greek upper (that is, highland)

[2] 19:5 Or into

[3] 19:9 Some manuscripts add from the fifth hour to the tenth (that is, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

[4] 19:16 Or both

[5] 19:31 That is, high-ranking officers of the province of Asia

[6] 19:35 The meaning of the Greek is uncertain

[7] 19:39 Some manuscripts seek about other matters

(ESV)

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Scripture

October 23

Acts 18

Paul in Corinth

18:1 After this Paul1 left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews2 made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. 15 But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.” 16 And he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

Paul Returns to Antioch

18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers3 and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit,4 he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

Footnotes

[1] 18:1 Greek he

[2] 18:12 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verses 14 (twice), 28

[3] 18:18 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 27

[4] 18:25 Or in the Spirit

(ESV)

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Scripture

October 22

Acts 17

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews1 were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Paul and Silas in Berea

10 The brothers2 immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

Paul in Athens

16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,3 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for


  “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;4

as even some of your own poets have said,


  “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’5

29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul went out from their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Footnotes

[1] 17:5 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 13

[2] 17:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 14

[3] 17:24 Greek made by hands

[4] 17:28 Probably from Epimenides of Crete

[5] 17:28 From Aratus’s poem “Phainomena”

(ESV)

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Scripture

October 21

Acts 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16:1 Paul1 came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers2 at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

The Macedonian Call

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul3 had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The Conversion of Lydia

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the4 district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Philippian Jailer Converted

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and 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 unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that 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, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer5 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 his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

35 But 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 to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Footnotes

[1] 16:1 Greek He

[2] 16:2 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 40

[3] 16:10 Greek he

[4] 16:12 Or that

[5] 16:29 Greek he

(ESV)