Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
Acts 16
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
Commentary:
16:22 Responding to the unruly crowd, the magistrates had Paul and Silas stripped and gave orders to beat them with rods. The magistrates in Roman cities were served by attendants who carried bundles of wooden rods bound together as symbols of the magistrates’ authority and their right to inflict corporal punishment. Paul and Silas were severely beaten with these wooden rods (v. 23; cf. 2 Cor. 11:25). The entire process was a miscarriage of justice, since there was no fair hearing to ascertain the facts or to allow Paul and Silas to speak in their own defense. In 1 Thess. 2:2, Paul says he was “shamefully treated at Philippi.”
16:23 prison. The stone structure often designated as Paul’s prison in tourist literature on Philippi was so designated only in later church tradition.
16:25–34 Conversion of the Jailer. Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from their confinement. They did not view their freedom as a means of escape, however, but as an opportunity for witness (cf. 5:17–21). As a result, the jailer and his household became believers.
16:25 praying and singing hymns to God. Amid their suffering Paul and Silas experienced the strong presence of the Holy Spirit, filling their hearts with joy and praise (cf. 1 Pet. 2:19–21; 4:12–14). Joy for the honor of suffering is a common theme in Acts (Acts 4:24–30).
16:23 prison. The stone structure often designated as Paul’s prison in tourist literature on Philippi was so designated only in later church tradition.
16:25–34 Conversion of the Jailer. Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from their confinement. They did not view their freedom as a means of escape, however, but as an opportunity for witness (cf. 5:17–21). As a result, the jailer and his household became believers.
16:25 praying and singing hymns to God. Amid their suffering Paul and Silas experienced the strong presence of the Holy Spirit, filling their hearts with joy and praise (cf. 1 Pet. 2:19–21; 4:12–14). Joy for the honor of suffering is a common theme in Acts (Acts 4:24–30).
Questions:
- Once again, a mob rises up against Paul and he and Silas are arrested, stripped, severely beaten and imprisoned. Paul HAS to be thinking, "God, I came here because you told me to! What in the world is going on here?" His obedience led directly to his suffering. But how did Paul and Silas respond? Did they sulk or complain or shake their fists at God? Quite the contrary. They SANG... to GOD. They prayed and worshiped right there in their chains, and EVERYONE heard them. Put yourself in their shoes? How would YOU respond in that moment. What is your typical response when things don't go your way and you have to endure some sort of suffering?
- In the midst of their impromptu prison prayer and worship service, God frees them from their chains. Not only did the other prisoners see all this, but the jailer, after seeing how they suffered and still sang... he saw the power of God and asked them what he needed to do to be saved. God saved him along with his entire household! At this moment it must have become clear to Paul why he had to endure all this suffering...to bring glory to God and to bring lost people to Jesus. How might the way YOU respond to difficulty and suffering in your own life point people to Jesus? Do you have any examples of how God has done this in your life in the past?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would respond to suffering like Paul and Silas.
- That God would use your suffering to point people to Jesus.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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