Wednesdays are for the New Testament
6/5/24
Bruce, F.F. (1988). "Philippi (16:6-40)." In The Book of Acts (Revised). (305-320). William B. Eerdmans Publishing,
Bruce observes that Paul, on his journeys, includes both detailed planning and a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. In Acts 16:6-10, by some unspecified means, Paul perceives that he is not to go west into Ephesus and Asia Minor, but to go through Phrygia and Galatia (Bruce 1988, p. 305). In verses 7-8, then, the group with Paul went north. The specific locations they reached are not entirely clear, but at the end point they arrived at Troas and the sea. At this point "the Spirit of Jesus" brought further instruction (Bruce 1988, p. 307). At Troas, according to verse nine, Paul had a vision at night of a man from Macedonia asking for help. Bruce notes that in verse ten, Luke appears to have joined the party, as the narrative moves to the first person rather than the third person. This is the first segment of Acts which uses the "we" in its narrative. From this point, Paul and his companions went west toward Philippi.
In Acts 16:11-12a, Bruce observes that the voyage from Troas to Neapolis took only two days, compared to a voyage in the opposite direction from Acts 20:6, which took five days due to wind conditions. Neapolis is approximately ten miles from Philippi, serving as its port. Bruce observes, "Luke likes to note the ports of arrival and departure" (Bruce 1988, p. 308). Philippi was notably a Roman colony, described specifically as such by Luke. Bruce notes that the colony would use Roman law and have a constitution similar to that of Rome.
Philippi, as we see from the fact that Paul did not attend a synagogue, presumably did not have one, indicating that there would not have been ten Jewish men to constitute a quorum of a synagogue (Bruce 1988, p. 310). The Jewish women and presumably some Gentiles who worshiped God were in the habit of assembling by the river for prayer. At this location, in Acts 16:14-15, Paul met Lydia, a Gentile from Thyatira, who was engaged in the manufacture of purple dye. She believed and she and her household were baptized. After this, she persuaded Paul and his companions to remain at her house.
Acts 16:16-18 record an encounter with a slave girl who was possessed by a demon and was being exploited by her owner (Bruce 1988, p. 312). As she was following Paul and his companions and proclaiming that they were servants of God, Paul commanded the spirit to leave her. This resulted in her conversion to Christ. As a result of this, her owners prosecuted Paul and Silas, who were stripped, beaten, and imprisoned (Bruce 1988, p. 313). Bruce observes that this move, recorded in verses 19 and following, was illegal arrest, as Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, not non-citizen wandering Jews. Because they were proselytizing, which could spark strife in the city, the magistrates had them punished severely (Bruce 1988, p. 314).
Acts 16:25-34 records the abrupt end of the imprisonment of Paul and Silas. Bruce considers this passage to have been inserted into the narrative of Luke, taken from some other source, as verse 24 leads directly into verse 35 (Bruce 1988, p. 316). Paul and Silas could not have been comfortable after their beating and being confined in stocks. However, they were singing hymns in prison around midnight, when the prison was shaken and the prisoners were released by an earthquake. Bruce observes the unusual situation that must have allowed Paul and Silas to persuade the prisoners not to flee. The assumption that the prisoners had fled drove the jailer to decide that suicide was the appropriate reaction. Upon finding that the prisoners were present, the jailer (who according to "the Western reviser" secured the other prisoners first) asked Paul and Silas how to be saved. Bruce observes that the type and extent of his inquiry is not entirely clear (Bruce 1988, p. 317). However, learning that he needed to believe on Jesus, he responded with belief, cared for the prisoners, and was baptized. Bruce theorizes that there was likely a well in the courtyard of the prison (Bruce 1988, p. 318).
Acts 16:35-40 describes the act of the praetors attempting to release Paul and Silas, who then revealed their identity as Roman citizens. Bruce observes that Paul apparently thought their treatment as Romans had been inappropriate, judging on the rights and rule of law, which Bruce details briefly (Bruce 1988, p. 319). The praetors, possibly fearing repercussions for their mistreatment of Roman citizens, came to Paul and Silas and asked them to allow an escort out of the city, caring for the right of Roman citizens to be immune to forcible removal from a city (Bruce 1988, p. 320). Bruce suggests that Paul's assertion of his rights may have served to gain some level of protection for Lydia and her household.
6/5/24
Bruce, F.F. (1988). "Philippi (16:6-40)." In The Book of Acts (Revised). (305-320). William B. Eerdmans Publishing,
Bruce observes that Paul, on his journeys, includes both detailed planning and a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. In Acts 16:6-10, by some unspecified means, Paul perceives that he is not to go west into Ephesus and Asia Minor, but to go through Phrygia and Galatia (Bruce 1988, p. 305). In verses 7-8, then, the group with Paul went north. The specific locations they reached are not entirely clear, but at the end point they arrived at Troas and the sea. At this point "the Spirit of Jesus" brought further instruction (Bruce 1988, p. 307). At Troas, according to verse nine, Paul had a vision at night of a man from Macedonia asking for help. Bruce notes that in verse ten, Luke appears to have joined the party, as the narrative moves to the first person rather than the third person. This is the first segment of Acts which uses the "we" in its narrative. From this point, Paul and his companions went west toward Philippi.
In Acts 16:11-12a, Bruce observes that the voyage from Troas to Neapolis took only two days, compared to a voyage in the opposite direction from Acts 20:6, which took five days due to wind conditions. Neapolis is approximately ten miles from Philippi, serving as its port. Bruce observes, "Luke likes to note the ports of arrival and departure" (Bruce 1988, p. 308). Philippi was notably a Roman colony, described specifically as such by Luke. Bruce notes that the colony would use Roman law and have a constitution similar to that of Rome.
Philippi, as we see from the fact that Paul did not attend a synagogue, presumably did not have one, indicating that there would not have been ten Jewish men to constitute a quorum of a synagogue (Bruce 1988, p. 310). The Jewish women and presumably some Gentiles who worshiped God were in the habit of assembling by the river for prayer. At this location, in Acts 16:14-15, Paul met Lydia, a Gentile from Thyatira, who was engaged in the manufacture of purple dye. She believed and she and her household were baptized. After this, she persuaded Paul and his companions to remain at her house.
Acts 16:16-18 record an encounter with a slave girl who was possessed by a demon and was being exploited by her owner (Bruce 1988, p. 312). As she was following Paul and his companions and proclaiming that they were servants of God, Paul commanded the spirit to leave her. This resulted in her conversion to Christ. As a result of this, her owners prosecuted Paul and Silas, who were stripped, beaten, and imprisoned (Bruce 1988, p. 313). Bruce observes that this move, recorded in verses 19 and following, was illegal arrest, as Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, not non-citizen wandering Jews. Because they were proselytizing, which could spark strife in the city, the magistrates had them punished severely (Bruce 1988, p. 314).
Acts 16:25-34 records the abrupt end of the imprisonment of Paul and Silas. Bruce considers this passage to have been inserted into the narrative of Luke, taken from some other source, as verse 24 leads directly into verse 35 (Bruce 1988, p. 316). Paul and Silas could not have been comfortable after their beating and being confined in stocks. However, they were singing hymns in prison around midnight, when the prison was shaken and the prisoners were released by an earthquake. Bruce observes the unusual situation that must have allowed Paul and Silas to persuade the prisoners not to flee. The assumption that the prisoners had fled drove the jailer to decide that suicide was the appropriate reaction. Upon finding that the prisoners were present, the jailer (who according to "the Western reviser" secured the other prisoners first) asked Paul and Silas how to be saved. Bruce observes that the type and extent of his inquiry is not entirely clear (Bruce 1988, p. 317). However, learning that he needed to believe on Jesus, he responded with belief, cared for the prisoners, and was baptized. Bruce theorizes that there was likely a well in the courtyard of the prison (Bruce 1988, p. 318).
Acts 16:35-40 describes the act of the praetors attempting to release Paul and Silas, who then revealed their identity as Roman citizens. Bruce observes that Paul apparently thought their treatment as Romans had been inappropriate, judging on the rights and rule of law, which Bruce details briefly (Bruce 1988, p. 319). The praetors, possibly fearing repercussions for their mistreatment of Roman citizens, came to Paul and Silas and asked them to allow an escort out of the city, caring for the right of Roman citizens to be immune to forcible removal from a city (Bruce 1988, p. 320). Bruce suggests that Paul's assertion of his rights may have served to gain some level of protection for Lydia and her household.
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