Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Acts 16:6 begins a new chapter in the spread of the Gospel
it started in Jerusalem, then spread into Judea, then Samaria and then out into the uttermost parts of the earth
it is now moving into Europe, making its way towards the capital of the Roman Empire
Summary:
Jesus, by his HS, restrained Paul and his team from speaking the Word in Asia, what is now western Turkey
knowing they had been called to preach they kept travelling until God opened a door for them
that opportunity to preach was finally opened at Troas when the Lord directed them to Macedonia
so they sailed across the Aegean Sea into Europe to Philippi
because there was no synagogue they went outside of the city to the temporary meeting place where they preached to a group consisting largely of women
as Paul preached the Word God God opened the heart of a business woman named Lydia so that she was willing and able to understand
he gave her grace so that she was able to exercise her saving faith along with some from her household
all who heard, believed and repented of their sins were baptized
at the same time that God was working through Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke to save sinners Satan was working against them through a slave girl in order to keep those sinners under his power and control
he directed a demon possessed fortune telling slave girl to attach herself to Paul’s team and to cry out that they were servants of the Most High God and were proclaiming the way of salvation
imagine Satan doing that!!
Paul wisely recognized Satan’s subtle attack and cast the demon out of the girl
when the owners of the girl realized their source of income had been destroyed by Paul they turned their outrage against them
Satan changed his tactics from subtlety to an outright attack on them
Paul’s teaching on the power of the devil:
contrast the power of the devil to Jesus’ promise in Mt 16:18:
“I will build my church, and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it”
in our text today the gates of a prison cannot hold back the gospel from those whom God has chosen to save
Vicious Opposition to the Gospel
Satan’s subtle but devious effort to corrupt the gospel through the fortune telling slave girl was foiled when Paul cast his demon out by the power of the HS
Paul had assaulted Satan’s gates and the Devil fought back
“they seized … and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers”
seized: to take hold of; grab
dragged: to seize away ⇔ haul v. — to lead someone away by force against their will; conceived of as drawing a heavy object out of something with great effort.
they were manhandled, dragged and shoved into the marketplace before the rulers
the trumped up charges:
they are Jews - true
The Jews always have been and always will be hated by the world because they are God’s chosen people.
having been separated by God as his chosen people they are Satan’s target
The same is true for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
about this time Emperor Claudius ordered all the Jews to leave Rome
this anti-semitism may explain why only Paul and Silas were apprehended, Luke being a Gentile and Timothy a half-Gentile
they are disturbing our city - false
disturb: to throw into great confusion or disorder
this was of course false
up to this point their ministry in Philippi had been relatively quiet
there was no significant Jewish presence to stir up opposition as they did in other cities like Lystra where Paul was stoned
they advocate unlawful customs - partially true
there was a Roman law forbidding its citizens from practicing any foreign religion which had not been approved by the State, however it was rarely enforced
If Paul and his team were to obey the calling of the Holy Spirit they would have to disobey Roman law and accept the consequences.
example of Peter and John before the Sanhedrin
“the crowd joined in attacking them”
“attacking” is supplied - lit. “the crowd joined against them”
the crowd joined the slave owners in their attack on Paul and Silas
“the magistrates tore the garments off them … beat them with rods”
having been stirred into a mob like frenzy Paul and Silas were physically attacked
all of their outer clothing was ripped off them, they were stripped down to their underwear
they were beaten over and over again with a rod or a cane
this was the first of 3 that Paul would endure for the Gospel (2 Cor 11:25)
Paul’s testimony of his treatment
Paul and Silas were publicly humiliated in this unjust act of brutality, a strong warning to any who would follow them
When Satan’s subtle attack failed he made a direct physical attack on Paul and Silas.
remember the progression in the level of persecution when the church was first planted in Jerusalem:
Acts 4 - verbal warning - prayed for boldness - the place was shaken, they were filled with the HS and they continued to speak with boldness
Acts 5:17-42 - physical beating - rejoiced in their suffering counting it a privilege to suffer for Christ - did not cease teaching and preaching
Acts 7:54-60 - Stephen was martyred - great persecution - the gospel was spread as they scattered
the Jews limited their beatings to 40 less 1 in order to protect the person’s honour
the goal under God’s OT law was not the destruction of the person’s standing but to restrain evil and cause others to fear
there were no restraints like this on these Romans who brutally beat Paul and Silas
after the vicious beating Paul and Silas were cast into prison where their feet were fastened in stocks
Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians described their treatment in Philippi:
The Gospel Affirmed Through Suffering
Acts 16:25-34
“praying and singing hymns to God”
In spite of the severe beating, their unjust imprisonment and being put in stocks they were praying and singing to God!
they were not doing so with loud voices
this was not a deliberate attempt to witness to a captive audience
their focus was on God
he had kept them from preaching in Western Turkey, he had directed them to Philippi, Lydia and many of her household had been saved
perhaps like Peter and John they were rejoicing at being counted worthy to suffer for Christ!
“the prisoners were listening to them”
to overhear v. — to hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers
Paul and Silas were not loudly praying and singing but were worshipping and praying as they trusted in the Lord.
perhaps they were encouraging one another in the midst of their sufferings
as they did so the prisoners and the jailor were eaves dropping
Questions for Self Examination:
what would an unbeliever think if they were able to eaves drop on your words when you have been shamefully treated?
unjustly slandered?
ridiculed?
what would an unbeliever think if they were able to eaves drop on your times of bible reading, study and prayer?
“suddenly there was a great earthquake … all the doors were opened … everyone’s bonds unfastened”
remember that they were praying and singing to God
not only were the prisoners listening but God was listening and caused an earthquake as a result
why would God do that???
Before the NT scriptures were completed miracles were God’s means of affirming the preacher and his message.
“when the jailor awoke”
if he had been listening he fell asleep
seeing that the prison doors were open he naturally assumed the prisoners had escaped and drew his sword to kill himself
remember what happened when Peter escaped King Herod’s soldiers: they were executed!
when a man enrolled in the Roman army he swore a military oath to the General and the Emperor called the sacramentum
in it he promised to fulfill his duties on the pain of punishment up to and inclusive of death
discipline in the Roman army was extreme compared to modern standards
a general had the power to execute any soldier under his command
when a soldier had been courtmartialed for dereliction of duty the soldier would be stoned or beaten to death in front of the troops (called fustuarium)
[Read Acts 16:28-34 and make brief comments]
he fell down before Paul and Silas
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