Acts

16:16-40

6. Gospel consolidation and expansion to Greece, 15:36-21:16

iii] Paul and Silas in prison

Following the vision of the man from Macedonia, 16:6-10, Paul crosses the Hellespont and enters Europe. Visiting Philippi he is able to minister to a small fellowship of Jews and Godfearers and witness the conversion of Lydia, v11-15. Paul's ministry in Philippi enters a difficult phase when he exorcises a demonic power from a slave girl and finds himself, along with Silas, incarcerated for disturbing the peace, or more properly, interfering in legitimate trade. The miraculous release of Paul and Silas further grounds the fledgling Philippian church, although Paul and his missionary team are forced to leave town.

The focus of Luke's account is not on the exorcising of the slave girl. The story does show that Paul exorcises demonic powers in like manner to Jesus, but the exorcism really only sets the ground for his arrest. Nor does the story focus on the earthquake and the miraculous release of Paul and Silas. God's hand is certainly evident in their release, although we are left wondering how prison doors can be wrenched open without major damage to the prison and the town in general, or at least Barrett so wonders. The focus of the story is on the jailor and his conversion. Here we see evident "the joyful experience of God's saving work that marked the earliest church appear now in a Roman environment", Tannehill.

poreuomenwn (poreuomai) pres. part. "[once] when we were going" - [and it happened] going. The participle is adverbial, temporal, as NIV.

eiV thn proseuchn "to the place of prayer" - to the prayer = a prayer place, a house of prayer. Obviously the newly established Christian house-church.

uJpanthsai (uJpantaw) act. inf. "[we] were met by" - to meet. The infinitive, with its subject "a certain slave girl" in the accusative case, forms a substantival clause which stands as the subject of egeneto "happened"; a certain slave girl ...... met/meeting us happened = a certain slave girl by chance came upon us." For meaning the NRSV renders the phrase in the active voice, "we met a slave-girl." It's a chance crossing of paths, not a formal introduction.

ecousan (ecw) pres. part. "who had" - having. The participle is adjectival, limiting "slave girl", as NIV.

pneuma puqwna "a spirit by which she predicted the future" - a python-spirit. A term used to describe someone who can predict the future. "A spirit of divination" NRSV. An "evil spirit", "demon-possessed" are possibilities, although that's not what's being said. Plutarch said they were "ventriloquists". It was believed that in their trans-like state they conveyed the words of God.

ergasian pollhn "a great deal of money" - profit/gain much. "Her owners made a handsome profit out of her fortune-telling", Barclay.

manteuomenh (manteuomai) part. "fortune-telling" - divination.

katakolouqousa (katakolouqew) pres. part. "[this girl] followed" - [this one / she] following. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "was crying out"; "She followed and cried out"

ekrazen (krazw) imperf. "shouting" - was calling out. The imperfect implies that she kept on crying out, ie. a continuous action. "She kept following them and shouting out."

legousa (legw) pres. part. "-" - saying. Attendant circumstance, redundant.

tou qeou tou uJyistou "the Most High God" - of the God most high. The girl is using the title in a general sense, in the same way as we might use the title "Supreme Being" as a general designation of the divine. The Hebrew equivalent is "El Elyon", Gen.14:18, although Gentiles often used the title for Zeus. So, like all fortune-tellers she is generalizing somewhat.

oJdon swthriaV "the way to be saved" - a way of salvation. The NIV, as with most other translations, treats this noun phrase as a verbal phrase, eg. TEV goes all the way with "how you can be saved." The NRSV follows the text literally, "a way of salvation", reminding us that i] there is a distinction between preaching "a way" and "how", and ii] there is a difference between "a way" and "the way." Although there is no definite article in the Greek, it is quite proper to read "way" as "the way", but again, is our fortune-teller being that specific?

diaponhqeiV (diaponeomai) pas. part. "became [so] troubled" - having become grieved/angry/troubled/upset/annoyed. Along with the conjoined participle epistreyaV "having turned", the participle is attendant circumstance expressing action accompanying the main verb "said"; "Paul got angry, turned around and said."

eipen (legw) aor. "said [to the spirit]" - He commanded, exorcised spiritual ability.

en onomati "in the name" - "In the name" usually takes the sense "in the authority of"; "with the authority of Jesus I command ..."

exelqein (exercomai) aor. inf. "to come out" - The infinitive forms a dependent statement, indirect speech; "I command that you come out of her."

auth/ th/ wJra/ "at that moment" - in the same hour. The phrase means "immediately". "And it came out immediately", Phillips.

idonteV (eidon) aor. part. "when [the owners of the slave girl] realized" - having seen. The participle is adverbial, temporal, as NIV.

oJti "that" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of perception, expressing what they came to realize.

epilabomenoi (epilambanomai) "they seized" - having seized. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb eiJlkusan (eJlkuw) "they dragged"; "they seized ...... and dragged ...."

thn agoran "marketplace" - marketplace. The place for public meetings. The town square is a possible equivalent for us, but probably the front of A court house is better. Paul and Silas are set upon and dragged publicly before the local magistrate.

touV arcontaV "the authorities" - Most likely magistrates is intended. A Roman colony such as Philippi would have two collegiate magistrates.

prosagagonteV (prosagw) aor. part. "they brought [them]" - having brought. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "said"; "they brought them .... and said".

uJparconteV (uJparcw) pres. part. "[these men] are [Jews]" - being [Jews]. The participle is probably adjectival, attributive, limiting "men", "these men who are Jews"

ektarassousin (ektarassw) "are throwing [our city] into an uproar" - are disturbing, causing confusion, causing trouble. Note how Paul and Silas are identified as Jews, a despised people. It is also assumed they are not Roman citizens; a dangerous assumption as it turns out.

kataggellousin (kataggellw) "advocating [customs]" - preaching, teaching, declaring ... "They are trying to propagate ways of life which ....", Barclay.

ouk exestin pres. "unlawful" - it is not permitted, allowed. The subject of this verb, "it", is the two following infinitives paradecesqai "to accept" and poiein "to do"; "they are preaching customs which to accept or to do is not permitted." It is likely that what is unlawful is the advocating of foreign customs, given that Roman law prohibited the circulation of foreign religious propaganda among Roman citizens. "Since it is unlawful for these Jews to advocate foreign beliefs, it is not proper for us to either listen or act on what they are telling us."

ousin (eimi) dat. "for us [Romans]" - being [Romans]. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting the dative personal pronoun "us"; "for us who are Romans. "Which, as Roman citizens, we cannot possibly accept or put into practice", Cassirer.

sunepesth (sunefisthmi) aor. "joined in the attack" - rose up together [against]. Some commentators suggest the confrontation is physical, others that it is verbal. In 24:9 the same word is used for what is obviously a verbal attack.

perirhxanteV (perirhgnumi) aor. part. "stripped" - having torn off [their garments]. The participle is adverbial, temporal; "after having them stripped", Moffatt. Probably the magistrates ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped and beaten, although it can be read that the magistrates ripped their own clothes and then ordered that Paul and Silas be beaten. The theatrical ripping of togas was not a Roman custom.

rabdizein (rabdizw) aor. inf. "[ordered them] to be ..... beaten" - to be beaten with sticks. The infinitive forms a dependent statement of commanding, indirect speech; "commended that they be beaten".

epiqenteV (epitiqhmi) aor. part. "after [they] had been [severely] flogged" - [and] having inflicted [on them many blows]. The participle is adverbial, probably temporal, as NIV. The beating was corporal punishment inflicted by the magistrates attendants (the Lictors) with the lictor's rod. Their "sheriffs" badge illustrated rods and an axe (rods for beating and an axe for chopping off heads).

paraggeilanteV (paraggellw) aor. part. "[the jailer] was commanded" - having commanded, ordered. The participle is attendant circumstance; "they threw them into jail and commanded the jailer ..."

labwn (lambanw) aor. part. "upon receiving [such orders]" - having received [such an order]. The participle is adverbial, possibly temporal, even causal; "Since he had received such an order", Barclay.

eswteran fulakhn "inner cell" - inside prison. Possibly the dungeon or the most secure cell.

hsfalisato (asfalizw) aor. "fastened" - kept safe, made secure.

eiV to xulon "in the stocks" - [the feet of them he fastened] to the wood. This was a rather painful exercise as the leg-holes were often far apart; a very painful business for a person with short legs.

proseucomenoi (proseucomai) pres. part. "praying [and singing hymns to God]" - praying [were singing God]. Attendant circumstance participle, so "were praying and singing to God", although possible temporal, "as (while) Paul and Silas were praying and singing to God", Moffatt. The Greek can be rendered "they sang (imperf.) praying (part.) to God" and therefore, possibly "they were singing psalms to God while the other prisoners listened on." This seems better than suggesting that we have here the first example of a hymn sandwich - prayers, hymn, prayers, hymn..... Note the assumption of "to God." Do we sing hymns "to" God, or do we sing them "directed toward ", in "honour of" or even "about" God? We often sing to an audience to entertain, but do we sing to God to entertain him?

megaV adj. "violent" - great.

wJste + inf. "that [the foundations of the prison were shaken]" - so as to be shaken. This construction usually forms a consecutive clause expressing result, "with the result that ...." The shaking is of "the foundations", meaning the substance upon which the building is built, therefore, possibly "so as to shake the ground upon which [the prison] was build." Shaking foundations is a rather strange image.

paracrhma adv. "at once" - immediately. Possibly in the sense of "unexpectedly" rather than the temporal "immediately", Barclay; "in an instant", Moffatt.

genomenoV (ginomai) aor. part. "[the jailer] woke up" - [and the jailer] having become [awake]. The participle, along with the conjoined participle "having seen", is adverbial, temporal; "when the jailer started from his sleep and saw the prison doors open", Moffatt.

anew/gmenaV (anoigw) perf. pas. part. "[saw the prison doors] open" - having been opened. The participle forms a dependent statement of perception expressing what the jailer saw; he "saw that the doors of the prison had been opened", Phillips.

spasamenoV (spaw) aor. part. "he drew [his sword and was about to kill himself]" - having drawn [the sword he was about to kill himself]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb hmellen and its infinitive complement anairein "was about to kill [himself]"; "having drawn his sword the jailer was about to kill himself." Either out of honour or fear of what might follow. "He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself", CEV.

nomizwn (nomizw) pres. part. "because he thought" - supposing, thinking, assuming, presuming. The participle is adverbial, probably causal; "He acted in this manner because he supposed the prisoners had made good their escape", Cassirer.

ekpefeugenai (ekfeugw) perf. inf. "[the prisoners] had escaped" - to have run away. The infinitive forms a dependent statement of perception expressing what the jailer supposed/thought; "he thought that the prisoners had run away."

It's still dark, so obviously the jailer is assuming his prisoners have escaped, although looking out from the dark, Paul can see what the jailer is about to do.

megalh/ fwnh "[Paul] shouted" - [Paul shouted] in a loud voice. The dative is obviously instrumental, either means "Paul shouted using a loud voice", or manner, "with a loud voice".

aithsaV (aitew) aor. part. "called for" - having asked, called for. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "rushed in", but possibly consecutive, "so calling for lights", Moffatt, or even temporal, "then calling for lights he sprang in", Weymouth.

fwta (fwV fwtoV) pl. "lights" - The plural indicates that the jailer has called for "torches" (bundled fire sticks) or possibly "lamps", rather than "lights", since the singular "light" would be used.

genomenoV (ginomai) aor. part. "[fell] trembling [before]" - [trembling] having become [he fell down]. Attendant circumstance participle, + the complement adjective "trembling", completing the verbal sense of "having become", expressing action accompanying the verb "he fell down before"; "He began to tremble and prostrated himself before Paul", TNT. The jailor was obviously trembling with fear and so fell semi-faint at the feet of Paul. The wind was knocked out of him.

proagagwn (proagw) aor. part. "he then brought [them] out" - having gone before. The participle is adverbial, probably temporal as NIV.

ti "what" - The question is surely theological and not just a request to be directed through a difficult situation. Yet, how much understanding the jailer has at this point in time is difficult to assess. At least he may have heard the words of the fortune-teller.

poiein (poiew) "[must] I do" - to do. The infinitive functions as the subject of the verb dei "it is necessary" = "[what] to do is necessary?" "What do I have to do to be saved, to really live?" Peterson.

iJna + subj. "to be [saved]" - that I may be saved. Probably forming a purpose clause, "in order that I may be saved."

It is obvious that Peter would have explained the substance of the gospel such that the jailer was able to make a meaningful response. These words are probably only a summary. Still, the summary says it all; salvation is wholly a gift acquired by putting our trust in Jesus. The jailer gets the full details at home, cf v32.

kai oJ oikoV sou "and your household" - and the house of you. The salvation of households (family as well as staff?) is a feature of Acts. Here, the idea is boldly presented as a promise. The salvation of the household rests on the faith of the jailer. The faith of the head of a home achieving the salvation, not only of themselves, but of others in their family, is a fascinating idea. Of course, the promise here should not be generalized. A specific promise to a specific person at a specific point in time, does not necessarily constitute a general promise to everyone for all time. What we have here is a gracious blessing for this particular person, a blessing which reflects the principle that God tends to work within families, and this because he created the family as the basic unit of human association. What about the contention that a believer's faith can influence the spiritual condition of another eg. a parent's faith in the ultimate salvation of their children, nurtured under the Lord, which faith is expressed in infant/family baptism? it is necessary to remember that faith is a reliance on the revealed will of God and therefore our faith is bound to rest on Biblical propositions which confirm God's will on those matters for which we pray the prayer of faith. Does God promise that he will save our children when we pray for their salvation, or does he just promise that he will bless them with the advantages associated with a Christian home?. As for the promise that does apply to all, namely, salvation by grace through faith in Christ, this promise rests on Biblical propositions that do apply to all humanity, eg. Jn.3:16.

autw/ pro. "[then they spoke the word of the Lord] to him" - [and they spoke] to him [the word of the Lord]. Dative of indirect object. A literal translation is a mite unclear. Peter is obviously presenting a detailed gospel message to the household. "They went on to spell out in detail the story of the Master", Peterson.

pasin toiV "all the others" - all the ones. Barrett thinks that children would not be involved and certainly this would align with cultural convention, although it is an assumption.

paralabwn (paralambanw) aor. part. "took" - having taken. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "washed". "He took them into the bathhouse/bathroom."

elousen (louw) aor. "washed [their wounds]" - he washed [from the wounds]. "He bathed and cleansed their wounds."

kai oi autou panteV "all his family" - and the ones of him all. See above on this issue. "All of his, the entire family."

anagagwn (anagw) aor. part. "[the jailer] brought [them into his house]" - having led. The participle is adverbial, probably temporal; "he then led them up to his house", Cassirer.

hgalliasato (agalliaw) 3 ps. sing. aor. mid. "he was filled with joy" - he was overjoyed, very happy. The NIV seems on the mark, given the person and number of this verb, but a collective sense is possible, "the whole household celebrated their conversion", NJB, see below.

panoikei adv. "he and his whole family" - with ones entire household. See above.

pepisteukwV (pisteuw) perf. part. "because he had come to believe" - having believed. The participle is adverbial, probably causal as NIV. This participle may be taken with either the verb "he was overjoyed" alone, or with the verb and the adverb "with ones entire household". So, Luke is either saying that the jailer, along with his family, were filled with joy, because he believed in God, or that the jailer, along with his family, were filled with joy because he and the family had come to believe in God. NRSV takes the first option, NIV the second. Either way, there's great joy.

Acts Introduction

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