Paul & Silas

Paul & Silas

Posted by Chad Langdon on Sunday, April 22, 2018

Acts 16:16-34

NLT

[16] (16) One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. (17) She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” (18) This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. (19) Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. (20) “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. (21) “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” (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! (27) The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. (28) But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” (29) The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. (30) Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (31) They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” (32) And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. (33) Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. (34) He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

NRSV

[16] (16) One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. (17) While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” (18) She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order 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 making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. (20) When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews (21) and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” (22) The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. (23) After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. (24) Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. (25) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (26) Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. (27) When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. (28) But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” (29) The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. (30) Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (31) They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (32) They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. (33) At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. (34) He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

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