Bible Text

Bible Text

Acts 17:16-34 (ESV)

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.

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, 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’;

as even some of your own poets have said,

“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

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.

Go Deeper

Acts 17:16-17

In what ways am I challenged by Paul’s response in vv. 16-17?

Acts 17:22-32

Contrast Peter’s Acts 2 sermon, given to devout Jews who had knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures and of Jesus’ ministry, with Paul’s sermon here to a pagan, philosophical audience. Contrast the results as well. What can I learn about ministry in a secular setting?
Note Paul’s words in v. 30. To what extent do I personally appreciate that repentance is a command God issues to “all people everywhere”?

Have I obeyed this command? How has repentance brought wholeness and healing into my life?

Prayer

By gracepoint

June 29, 2022

Acts 17:1-15

Journal

Please use one of the prompts below to get your journaling started.

Explore your fears and what’s behind them.
Write about a relational conflict you are experiencing.
List out all that you are grateful for.
Recall a significant reaction, conversation or event.

Here are some tools to help you with the devotionals:

Commentary

Bible Text

Acts 17:1-15 (ESV)

¹ Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ² And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ 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.” ⁴ 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. ⁵ But the Jews 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.

⁶ 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, ⁷ and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” ⁸ And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. ⁹ And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

¹⁰ The brothers 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.

Go Deeper

Acts 17:1-4

• What is the relationship between faith and reason as shown in this text?

• Why might some who are “persuaded” end up not “joining” (v. 4)?

Acts 17:5-9

• Contrast what motivated the Jews’ opposition (v. 5) with the charges they bring against Paul (vv. 6-7). This contrast has been seen before. How is this played out today?

Acts 17:10-15

• In what ways am I challenged by the description of the Bereans?

Prayer

By gracepoint

June 28, 2022

Acts 16:25-40

Journal

Please use one of the prompts below to get your journaling started.

Explore your fears and what’s behind them.
Write about a relational conflict you are experiencing.
List out all that you are grateful for.
Recall a significant reaction, conversation or event.

Here are some tools to help you with the devotionals:

Commentary

Bible Text

Acts 16:25-40 (ESV)

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 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 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.

Go Deeper

Acts 16:25-40

• What happens to Paul and Silas after they deliver the slave girl from her demon-possession?

• How do Paul and Silas respond, and what does this passage show about the impact our response to suffering can have on others?

• Recall why Paul came to Philippi in Macedonia: “a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’” (16:9). How might Paul have envisioned his ministry in Macedonia? Considering what ends up happening at Philippi, do you think Paul would have regretted responding to the call?

• How does this passage address my expectations of what a life of responding to God’s will looks like?

Prayer

By gracepoint

June 27, 2022

Prayer

Our church is going through a new devotional format, to devote Mondays and Fridays to prayer. We will continue our study through the Book of Acts on Tuesdays through Thursdays.

“Pray for ‘all men.’ We usually pray for things more than we do for men. Our prayers should be thrown “If we would therefore behave like good soldiers of Jesus Christ, we must be always on our guard, and “It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.” – Hudson Taylor

Prayer of Gratitude

Prayer of Supplication

By gracepoint

June 24, 2022

Prayer

Our church is going through a new devotional format, to devote Mondays and Fridays to prayer. We will continue our study through the Book of Acts on Tuesdays through Thursdays.

“Pray for ‘all men.’ We usually pray for things more than we do for men. Our prayers should be thrown “If we would therefore behave like good soldiers of Jesus Christ, we must be always on our guard, and never pretend to lay down our spiritual weapons of prayer and watching, till our warfare is ended by death; for if we do, our spiritual foe will quickly prevail against us.” – George Whitefield

Prayer of Gratitude

Prayer of Supplication

By gracepoint

June 23, 2022

Acts 16:16-24

Journal

Please use one of the prompts below to get your journaling started.

Explore your fears and what’s behind them.
Write about a relational conflict you are experiencing.
List out all that you are grateful for.
Recall a significant reaction, conversation or event.

Here are some tools to help you with the devotionals:

Commentary

Bible Text

Acts 16:16-24 (ESV)

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.

Go Deeper

Acts 16:16-24

Think about the slave girl who “brought her owners much gain” through her demon-possession. What does Paul’s deliverance of the girl do for her? For her owners? For Paul and Silas?
Notice the charges against Paul that the owners of the slave girl bring to the magistrates (vv. 20-21). Why might they have phrased their grievance against Paul in this way?
Who might be similarly threatened by the gospel’s impact on people today?
How does this passage identify, inspire or commission me?

Prayer

By gracepoint

June 22, 2022

Acts 16:1-16

Journal

Please use one of the prompts below to get your journaling started.

Explore your fears and what’s behind them.
Write about a relational conflict you are experiencing.
List out all that you are grateful for.
Recall a significant reaction, conversation or event.

Here are some tools to help you with the devotionals:

Commentary

Background: This was Paul’s second missionary journey which lasted for about three years. This time, Paul and Silas set out by land, rather than by sea, traveling the Roman road. Macedonia was a Roman province and Philippi was its key colony, which means its constitution was patterned after that of Rome. This was Paul’s first attempt to evangelize to the Romans.

v.6: “The regions of Phrygia and Galatia included much of modern-day Turkey, yet God, for reasons known only to him, did not allow the missionaries to go into the province of Asia at that time. ‘Asia’ referred not to the continent, but rather to the Roman province that was the western part of Asia Minor. Ephesus probably would have been the leading city in this region.” ^[1]

“God’s strange providence in the way he prohibited Paul from going to places where he wanted to go shows us that, while it is right for humans to plan and have visions, those plans must be submitted to the will of God and be open to his veto. Proverbs 16:9 says, ‘In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.’ Paul submitted to God’s will and was also receptive to his voice. Though he had his plans, he always presented them to God, and God was able to get through to him with his will. We should be careful about pushing through projects we have reservations about. After all, we will be unable to give our heart and soul to such projects. It is better then to take the time to grapple with God to find out what his will is.” ^[2]

“They were forbidden at this time to preach the Gospel in Asia… [perhaps] because the people were not yet prepared to receive it, as they were afterwards (Ch. 19:10), when all those who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord.” ^[3]

v.13: “Though ‘place of prayer’ was used in those days for synagogues, this must have been simply a place where people met to worship God. It was necessary to have ten men to organize a synagogue, but only women were gathered here. Being by a river facilitated any ceremonial washing rituals.” ^[4]

“Paul’s first evangelistic contact in Macedonia was with a small group of women. Paul never allowed gender or cultural differences to keep him from preaching the gospel. In the early church, God often worked in and through women.” ^[5]

v.14: Thyatira, the city where Lydia was from, was a great way from Philippi. Perhaps marriage or business brought her to that city, but one should acknowledge God’s providence at work here: to bring Lydia from Thyatira to Philippi so that she can meet Paul and hear the Gospel. Note that through Lydia, her entire household was baptized.

“Her immediate reaction was to offer the hospitality of her house to Paul and his friends. When Paul is describing the Christian character he says that the Christian should be ‘given to hospitality (Romans 12:13). When Peter is urging Christian duty upon his converts he tells them, ‘Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.’ A Christian home is one with an ever-open door.” ^[6]

v.18: “The girl is said to have ‘a spirit by which she predicted the future.’ Though what she proclaimed affirmed Paul’s ministry, he was ‘troubled’ by it. (diaponeomai, v.18, which means “to be strongly irked or provoked at something or someone.”). Why Paul delayed responding for a few days remains a mystery. But when he did attend to it, the power of God overcame the demoniac hold over the girl’s life. The employers of the girl must have known that she was in a miserable state and that what Paul had done for her was, in effect, a deliverance from bondage. But they had lost a means of income, so they opposed Paul. Yet, they couched their opposition in noble terms, stating that the stability of the city was at stake because Paul and his team were ‘advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.’ Paul was motivated by such a deep love for people that he could not endure the pain seeing this girl under the grip of deception.” ^[7]

vv.19-21: “The charge laid was that Paul and Silas were advocating a religio illicita and thus disturbing the Pax Romana. But the charge, being couched in terms that appealed to the latent anti-Semitism of the people (‘these men are Jews’) and their racial pride (‘us Romans’), ignited the flames of bigotry and prevented any dispassionate discussion of the issues.

Many have asked why only Paul and Silas were singled out for persecution, with Timothy and Luke left free. Of course, Paul and Silas were the leaders of the missionary party and therefore most open to attack. But we must also remember that Paul and Silas were Jews and probably looked very much like Jews (cf. comments on 14:3 on the tradition of Paul’s appearance). Timothy and Luke, however, being respectively half-Jewish and fully Gentile (cf. Col 4:14, where Luke is grouped by Paul with his Gentile friends), probably looked Greek in both their features and their dress and therefore were left alone. Anti-Semitism lay very near the surface throughout the Roman Empire.” ^[8]

vv.27-28: “When the awakened jailer saw the doors open, he surmised the worst. In Roman law a guard who allowed his prisoner to escape was liable to the same penalty the prisoner would have suffered (Code of Justinian 9.4.4). Thus the jailer drew his sword to kill himself, believing the prisoners had all escaped. But Paul saw him in the doorway and shouted out from within the prison, ‘Don’t harm yourself. We are all here!’”^[9]

v.34: “Luke’s report of joy over salvation in the home of the jailer is evidence of one of the most important themes in his writings. Nearly 24 percent of words of joy in the New Testament appear in Gospel of Luke (53) and Acts (24). It is not surprising then, that the fellowship of the first Christian community was characterized by ‘unaffected joy.’ (Acts 2:46).” ^[10]

v.37: “Was Paul being petty? Why did Paul make the magistrates escort him personally out of prison? His motive may have been to gain respect and some measure of protection from the government officials for the Christians who would remain in the city. Having treated him shamefully the day before, the city official might be more prone to mistreat the church in the future if they succeeded in hustling Paul out of town. Paul didn’t want this kind of menacing precedent to go unchallenged. In addition, Paul may have been setting the stage to return someday.”^{^[11]}

Bible Text

Acts 16:1-15 (ESV)

¹ Paul 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. ² He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. ³ 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. ⁴ 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. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

⁶ And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. ⁹ 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 Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

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 the 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.

Go Deeper

Acts 16:1-15

What is the wisdom behind Paul’s decision in v. 3?

Acts 16:6-10

Think about the topic of God’s leading as related in this passage. What did being led by God look like for Paul and his companions? How does this match our notion of what it looks like to be led by God?

Acts 16:11-15

In what ways was Lydia ready to receive salvation?

What can I learn about the fruit of salvation from Lydia’s response in v. 15?

[1] Barton, Life Application New Testament Commentary, 529.

[2] Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary Series, 436.

[3] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, (Peabody,MA: Hendrickson Publisher, 1997) 2134.

[4] Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary Series, 443.

[5] Barton, Life Application New Testament Commentary, 530-531.

[6] Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, Daily Study Bible Series, Rev. ed., 123.

[7] Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary Series, 444, 449, 454.

[8] Gaebelein, Gen. Ed. Expositor’s Bible Commentary CD, notes for vv.19-21.

[9] Gaebelein, Gen. Ed. Expositor’s Bible Commentary CD, notes for vv.25-28.

[10] Fernando, Acts, The NIV Application Commentary Series, 450.

[11] Quest Study Bible, study notes, 1531.

Prayer

By gracepoint

June 21, 2022

Acts 15:22-35

Journal

Please use one of the prompts below to get your journaling started.

Explore your fears and what’s behind them.
Write about a relational conflict you are experiencing.
List out all that you are grateful for.
Recall a significant reaction, conversation or event.

Here are some tools to help you with the devotionals:

Commentary