Russian synodal translation. Great Christian Library Demon Possessed Girl

16:1-3 He reached Derbe and Lystra. And behold, there was a certain disciple named Timothy, whose mother was a Jew who believed, and whose father was a Greek.
2 and to which the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium testified.
In a divided religious family, where one is a believer in Christ and the other is not, as we see, it is possible to raise a child in the teaching and admonition of the Lord. Timothy chose the worldview of his mother, not his father, and therefore became a disciple of Christ.
ABOUTTimothy's brothers witnessed well not only in Lystra, but also in Iconium, which means that his success and zeal were clear and obvious to everyone. Moreover, in a short period of time he was able to interest Paul in himself, and Paul saw that they were of the same spirit as him.

In order for them to want to cooperate with us in the work of God, it will not hurt us to give good testimony about ourselves through ourselves and our deeds.

Paul wanted to take him with him;
If Paul had not traveled, he would not have met Timothy on his life's journey.
So, Paul liked Timofey as an employee. But here’s the problem: he was a “half-breed”, uncircumcised, his father was Greek, and his mother was Jewish. And after the scandal in Antioch with the Jews regarding the circumcision of the Gentiles, Paul meant that this could happen again in other cities, which would cause Timothy and those listening to their preaching to stumble.

Apparently, he did not have a letter from the authorities of Jerusalem for Antioch with permission for pagans not to be circumcised: it could have remained as a certificate in Antioch.
And he and Timothy walked long and hard through the ranks of the Jews, still zealous for the Mosaic Law. What could be done to ease the task of preaching with Timothy the Greek, but without unnecessary excesses in a clash with the Jews?

and he took it and circumcised it for the sake of the Jews who were in those places; for everyone knew about his father that he was a Greek.
To plant a sprout even in earthen soil, they first work on the soil: they dig it up, loosen it, and fertilize it. Moreover, a lot of work will have to be put in if we are talking about the “soil” of the hearts of those listening: Paul understood that the inertia of religious thinking among the Jews was great, and it would take time to change their beliefs (while the temple was in operation, it was difficult to convince the Jews that circumcision was nothing).
Since circumcision was not a sin, he encouraged Timothy, for the sake of the peace of the Jews, to perform the act of circumcision, which the Jews revered sacredly. Otherwise, the Jews would not have accepted either the Apostle Paul or Timothy as servants of God and His Christ (see principle 1 Cor. 9:19)

So, Paul decided to circumcise Timothy and thereby stop all the mouths of the Jews, but open the door for unhindered preaching in tandem with Timothy.
It’s like a Russian in Scotland would have to go to a sermon in a skirt and without a tie. In order to acquire the Scots.
So Timothy, in order to gain for Christ admirers of the Mosaic Law, he himself became in the flesh an admirer of the same.

16:4,5 As they passed through the cities, they commanded [the faithful] to observe the regulations established by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem.
5 And the churches were established by faith and increased in number daily.
However, as they walked through the pagan cities, they did not call on any of the pagans to be circumcised, telling the FAITHFUL (not everyone in a row, so as not to cause strife) about the decision of the Jerusalem conference for Antioch - not to force new recruits added to the Church of Christ to be circumcised.

Let us pay attention to the fact that Timothy was not indignant at Paul’s decision regarding his circumcision, although being circumcised at his age only for the sake of the scrupulousness of the Jews was not an easy matter and very painful. Although he could well have told Paul, for example, this way: “let them accept the new light and learn not to stumble, this is their problem, if they are babies, let them grow up. Why should I suffer because of them?
But Timothy was God’s warrior, that’s why he couldn’t say that, and that’s why he made such sacrifices.
Compared to the sacrifice of Christ, undergoing circumcision for the sake of expanding Jehovah’s estate is a mere trifle. But His estate still successfully expanded: the number of congregations in those cities grew.

16:6-8 Having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, they were not allowed by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.
They were not allowed by the Holy Spirit to Asia and Bethany, where they themselves wanted to go. How to understand this?
Simply, or some circumstances prevented them from visiting these cities at that time. Or they were explicitly forbidden from above.
But it is interesting that the apostles made efforts to check their direction in different directions: it didn’t work out in Asia, they headed to Bethany, and did not decide for themselves that if they were not allowed into Asia, then this was a sure sign to rest and do nothing at all do:
7 Having reached Mysia, they set out to go to Bithynia; but the Spirit did not allow them.
8 Having passed through Mysia, they descended into Troas.

As we see, serving God, especially the work of preaching, is under the control of the “highest” and everything will be according to the heavenly scenario in the end, and not according to human reasoning: God can intervene in any event on earth if He deems it necessary.But if He does not consider it necessary to intervene, this does not always mean that God approves of everything that happens in His people.
For example, He did not always interfere in the worship of Old Testament times, allowing the mistakes of His servants (Easter was celebrated incorrectly for many centuries before Hezekiah) and “smoking” on the high places (partial apostasy). But this did not mean that He approved of the incorrect understanding of the celebration of Easter and “smoking” on the high places.

Therefore, there is no need to worry if something does not go the way we would like, although we tried to do something with the best intentions. Paul and Timothy were not at all upset that their expectations for preaching in Asia were not met.

16: 9,10 And Paul had a vision at night: a certain man, a Macedonian, appeared, asking him and saying: come to Macedonia and help us.
10 After this vision, we immediately decided to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel there.
According to God's plan, they needed to move to Macedonia: a vision from God helped them navigate in this direction. Later they understood why.

16:11,12 So, starting from Troas, we arrived straight to Samothrace, and the next day to Naples,
12 From there to Philippi: this is the first city in that part of Macedonia, a colony. We stayed in this city for several days.
As we see, on this journey through Macedonia, Paul and Timothy were accompanied by the author of the book “Acts,” the physician Luke.

16:13 ,14 On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the river, where, as usual, there was a house of prayer, and, sitting down, we talked with the women who had gathered there.
14 And a certain woman from the city of Thyatira, named Lydia, a merchant of purple, honoring God, listened; and the Lord opened her heart to listen to what Paul said.

On occasion, on the Sabbath, they preached to the women of the local house of prayer, and one of them LISTENED, and therefore - with the help of God, I included what Paul was saying.
And others, it turns out, didn’t listen? They listened too. However, apparently they did not pay enough attention or were not very interested in the content of Paul’s sermon. Lydia was spiritually ready to accept Paul’s words, for people speak, but the Lord opens hearts.

And if Lydia had not listened, it is unlikely that she would have wanted to become a Christian and be won for Christ. Truly faith comes from hearing the word of God; you cannot tell it and no one will hear it.

16:1 5 When she and her household were baptized, she asked us, saying: if you have recognized me as faithful to the Lord, then enter my house and live [with] [me]. And she convinced us. Judging by the fact that all her family also wanted to be baptized, Lydia herself did a lot of spiritual work with them to explain God’s plan.
Thus Paul and Timothy began the conversion to Christianity in Macedonia.

16:16-18 It happened that when we were going to the house of prayer, we met a servant girl possessed by a spirit of divination, who through divination brought great income to her masters.
17 As she followed Paul and us, she cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
18 She did this for many days. Paul, indignant, turned and said to the spirit: in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her. And [the spirit] came out at that very hour.
There are not many passages in Scripture from which we can obtain information about the abilities of spirits. What information can be gleaned from this encounter between Paul and the prophetess?

1) She spoke the truth, was not aggressive, but, on the contrary, if Paul had not intervened, those watching her would probably have gotten the impression that she was helping Paul carry the word of God, and that the servant had a spirit from God, the same , as in Paul.

2) Paul did not like what this servant girl was doing even though she was telling the truth about Paul and his co-workers in the cause of God. This means that they were led by different spirits: Paul - by God, she - by demonic, otherwise Paul would not have resisted her spirit.

3) Everything that came from the spirit of God abiding in Paul (healing, resurrection, etc.) - Paul did freely, for it is written: freely you received, freely give.

The soothsayer charged a fee for her unusual abilities.

4) This ability to predict had nothing to do with the woman herself because as soon as the spirit was expelled from her, she lost this ability.

So, as we see, demonic spirits (for only demons adapt to earn money from a spiritual miracle) can also know and even speak the truth about God’s servants, that they proclaim the path of salvation. Only this truth was out of place: it interfered Paul and Timothy to preach.
It turns out that demons interfere with Christians in various ways, even with the help of the truth, if the truth is pronounced in the wrong place or at the wrong time.
The evangelists of God had to drive out the demons from this girl with grave consequences for themselves.

Excerpt from research by scientists at the Dallas Seminary:
Acts 16:16-18. The owners of a certain young slave profited from her “abilities,” for she was possessed by a divinatory spirit. (In the Greek text there are two words here: “spirit, python.” There was a belief that in the Greek city of Delphi the god Apollo incarnated into a huge snake - a python. It was believed that the main priestess of the Delphic temple of Apollo was possessed by the spirit of this god, incarnated in a python; he gave the priestess the ability to “predict” the future. Hence the idea arose that anyone who was possessed by the “spirit of a python” became capable of predicting the future.) In fact, the young slave was simply in the power of a demon (demons “use” those who worship false gods; compare 17:23; 1 Cor.

16:19-24 Then her masters, seeing that the hope of their income had disappeared, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the square to the leaders.
20 And they brought them to the commanders and said, “These people, being Jews, are troubling our city.
21 and they preach customs which we Romans should neither accept nor practice.
22 The people also rose up against them, and the commanders, tearing off their clothes, ordered them to be beaten with sticks
23 And having given them many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep a tight guard over them.
24 Having received such an order, he threw them into the inner prison and hammered their feet into a block.

So, the demons left the girl, and her ability to predict went with them. Naturally, the owners of the “hen” that laid the “golden eggs” decided to punish Paul with force, but were embarrassed to name the true reason for their indignation: they disguised their purely mercantile interest under the noble pretext of concern that Rome would not adopt the wrong way of serving God.

captured Paul and Silas. Paul and Silas were captured because they were Jews leading a group of missionaries. Their companions were pagans (Luke was from Antioch in Syria and Timothy was from Lystra, a pagan on his father’s side), and they were not accused. (Geneva)
Oh yes, this was a serious reason for mass discontent. The entire people took advantage of this reason and dragged the evangelists to the local governors with prison and all the consequences.

So it turns out: the main thing in this world is to formulate an accusation beautifully and know who to do it in front of, in the hope that no one will figure anything out.

It is surprising that in such cases the people also strive with great readiness to take part in the event, moreover, thoughtlessly and emotionally. In general, people rarely, in most cases, use their thinking abilities: after all, if they had thought about it, they would have raised the questions for themselves: “By what power did Paul cast out the spirit from the servant?” If Paul's spirit is stronger, then what spirit was driven out of the maidservant? And can it be that the spirit from God is weaker than the unclean spirit (if we assume that the spirit of God was in the servant)?

And if questions had been raised, they would have been able to answer them intelligently.

16:25-3 1 But, alas, in cases of mass psychosis, the option of reflection is for some reason completely absent.
Around midnight, Paul and Silas, praying, sang praises to God; the prisoners listened to them.
26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.

The beaten Paul and Silas, however, did not lose heart in prison, but sang praises to Jehovah. And He heard their song. As a result of these wonderful events, another family of pagans was found for Jehovah: not only is there a silver lining, but it also turns out that it happens the other way around.
An interesting metamorphosis occurred with the prison guard:
27 But the prison guard, waking up and seeing that the doors of the prison were open, drew a sword and wanted to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 He called for fire, ran [into the prison] and fell in trepidation to Paul and Silas,
30 And, leading them out, he said: “My lords!” what should I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved. WITHfucking in front of his superiors almost prompted him to take his own life out of despair.
However, he was told to believe - and thus his whole house would be saved.
Does this mean that it was enough for the guard to believe himself for salvation to automatically spread to all his relatives?

16:32-3 4 No: the following text shows what saving the household (the whole family) means:
And they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
33 And taking them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds and immediately was baptized himself and all his household.
31 And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved. the guard brought the prisoners into the house, there his household washed the wounds of Paul and those with him,gave them an honorable reception,They listened to Paul’s sermon about Christ, believed and were baptized: the whole guard’s house believed in Jesus Christ. It is precisely THIS way (by the acceptance and sanctification of Christ) that the opportunity to be saved extended to all the guard’s household (not automatically, not by the guard’s faith alone).
If the guard had believed, and the household had begun to resist, salvation would not have reached them, but the principle from Matt.
10:34-37 (a man’s enemies are his own household, for the house would be divided into those who accepted Christ and those who rejected).

16:35- 40 The same principle is shown by Paul in 1 Cor. 7:14, when the presence of at least one believer in the house is a chance to convert others to God.
When the day came, the governors sent city servants to say: let those people go.
36 The jailer announced this to Paul: the commanders have sent to release you; So come out now and go in peace.
Having dealt with Pavel’s case and realizing that by beating them with sticks they had gotten excited, the governors decided to release them from prison quietly, secretly and without scandal, covering up the traces of their own injustice.
Moreover, in conveying to Paul their decision to let them go, they tried to give their actions the appearance of mercy or condescension: they say, you are guilty and very guilty, but we decided not to punish you very strictly.

However, Paul did not allow this evil plan to come true, did not want to quietly disappear into oblivion from this prison and did not give them the opportunity to look smart in his eyes.
37 But Paul said to them: We, Roman citizens, were publicly beaten without trial and thrown into prison, and now we are being released secretly? no, let them come and take us out themselves.
38 The city servants related these words to the commanders, and they were afraid when they heard that these were Roman citizens.
39 And having come, they apologized to them and, leading them out, asked them to leave the city.
40 They came out of the prison and came to Lydia, and when they saw the brothers, they taught them and went away.

Paul had the opportunity NOT to leave these guardians of public order - smart in his own eyes - Pr. 26:5.
That’s why he and Timofey simply left prison and that’s it. The main thing has been done: now they will not think that they can not always easily get away with their unfair actions.
It is not fitting for a servant of God to remain silent when there is an opportunity to bring some understanding and the stupidity of the “wise” in his own eyes - to expose

16:1 a disciple named Timothy. Paul found this young man in the small Jewish community of Lystra. Since Timothy's father was Greek, Timothy was not circumcised. But since his mother was a Jew, Paul considered that by circumcising him, he did not violate the principle of the freedom of the Gentiles from the law.

16:6 through Phrygia and the Galatian country. This is the southern part of the vast Galatian province. It included Phrygia, Antioch of Pisidia and its district.

in Asia. The province of Asia, located in western Asia Minor, included the city of Ephesus, where God later sent Paul (chapter 19).

16:7 Having reached Mysia. Paul and Silas reached an area extending northwest from Phrygia.

16:8 And when they had passed through Mysia, they went down to Troas. Troas is a fortified seaport on the Aegean Sea.

16:10 Here begins the first section of the text, where the author resorts to the pronoun “we”, implying his presence with Paul and Silas. See Introduction: Author.

16:11 to Samothrace. Large island in the northern Aegean Sea.

and the next day to Naples. Modern Kavala.

16:12 to Philippi. Philip II, king of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great) founded a large Greek colony here, calling it Philippi. The Romans captured it in 167 BC. and annexed it to the Macedonian province of their empire.

16:13 house of worship. Literally: “a place for prayer.” According to Jewish law, at least ten Jewish men were required to found a synagogue. If there was no synagogue, a place for prayer in the open air was chosen.

with the women gathered there. The women probably met informally, simply read and studied the Scriptures, and welcomed the participation of any Jewish teacher who happened to visit them.

16:14 from the city of Thyatira. Located about fifty kilometers southeast of Pergamum, Thyatira was a city of the ancient Lydian kingdom; later became part of the Asian province of the Roman Empire. Thyatira was famous for its dyehouses and the production of purple fabrics (for example, the royal scarlet).

The Lord opened her heart. Special Divine illumination and influence are necessary for a heart blinded by sin to respond to the gospel (Jer. 13:23; John 6:44.65; Rom. 9:16; 1 Cor. 2:14). Thanks to this call of God, all who have been chosen by God in His love come to faith (13:48; 2 Thess. 2:13.14; 2 Tim. 1:9.10).

16:15 She and her household were baptized. Throughout the history of redemption, God has often poured out His mercy on entire families (Gen. 17:7-14; Acts 2:38-39; 11:14; 16:31). The baptism of entire houses in the Book of Acts is a clear example of this (10:47.48; 16:31-33; cf. 1 Cor. 1:16). Given that such baptisms were apparently common practice, it is safe to assume that they included children and even infants.

16:16 possessed by a spirit of divination. Lit.: "by the spirit of Python." The expression originally referred to the mythical serpent that guarded the temple and sanctuary of the Greek deity Apollo at Delphi. Later it came to mean a person possessed by a demon or a ventriloquist. The inhabitants of Philippi probably believed that she was possessed by a demon who foretold the future.

16:17 God Most High. A Jew would attribute such a definition to Yahweh, a pagan to Zeus.

16:18 In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her. In accordance with the generally accepted meaning of the name "God Most High," it was clear to everyone that Paul was trying to convey the idea that Jesus, being God, cast out a demon.

16:19 Paul and Silas were captured. Paul and Silas were captured because they were Jews leading a group of missionaries. Their companions were pagans (Luke was from Antioch in Syria and Timothy was from Lystra, a pagan on his father’s side), and they were not accused.

16:21 preach customs that we Romans should neither accept nor practice. The charge was that Paul and Silas were spreading an illegal religion and thereby disturbing the “Roman Peace” (Roman law and order).

16:22 They tore off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with sticks. Paul and Silas were Roman citizens (v. 37) and by Roman law should not have been subjected to such treatment.

16:26 All doors opened. Wed. 5.19; 12.10.

16:27 wanted to kill himself. According to Roman law, if a prisoner escaped, the jailer had to die in his place (12:19).

16:31 You and all your house. See 2.38.39; 10.24.48; 16.15 and com.

16:37 us, Roman citizens. Paul resolutely invokes his right as a Roman citizen to be free from beatings and torture. If Roman citizens were tried by a Roman court, they had the right to appeal their case to the emperor (25.11; 26.32).

16:40 we came to Lydia. Early Christians often gathered for their worship in private homes (cf. Phil. 1:2).

seeing the brothers. The word "brethren" generally refers to all believers; in this case it includes Lydia and her household, the maidservant, and probably also the jailer and his household, and Luke, who was at Philippi at that time.

And when he came to Derbe and Lystra, behold, a certain disciple named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish wife, was faithful, and his father was a Greek: and he was testified by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. This is the desire of Paul to go away with him: and to receive his circumcision, the Jew, for the sake of those who are in the place: for he knew all his father, even as he was a Greek.

There will be a quarrel. There was some misunderstanding between Paul and Barnabas; one stood on the basis of justice, and the other wanted to sacrifice justice, but each had one goal - serving the faith. The reason for the misunderstanding is as follows. On the evangelical path, they were accompanied from Palestine to Perga in Pamphylia by a certain Mark, who, as a weak man, having fallen behind the apostles, returned to Palestine, not denying Christ, however, but refusing the further journey as difficult for him. Meanwhile, Paul and Barnabas returned with abundant fruits of faith and piety and preached the gospel to the church in Jerusalem about the conversion and repentance of the pagans. When they began to praise Paul and Barnabas for their exploits, Mark became sad and troubled in soul; because I thought: if I had been with the apostles, then I too would have become a participant in their glory; and therefore again wished to accompany them. Barnabas accepted him as repentant; and Paul insisted that they should not take with them to the work of the Lord a person who could not accompany them before. So the difference of opinion was not in the nature of injustice, but of truth and stemmed from a misunderstanding. Paul demanded truth, Barnabas demanded humanity. Although they differed in opinion, they agreed in a sense of piety; and were divided not by faith and convictions, but by human misunderstanding. This happened according to God's dispensation; because as soon as they parted, Barnabas took Mark with him and went his own special way. But Paul's strict precision also benefited Mark; since with his zeal he tried to make up for his previous mistake. Paul advised the churches not to receive Mark, not in order to sadden him, but to make him more zealous; and when he saw that Mark had shown the success of jealousy and justified himself by his subsequent actions, he began to approve of him and say: you kiss Marco the anesthesia Varnavin, about whom he received the commandment: if he comes to you, receive him (Coloss. 4, 10). We notice the same thing between the prophets, that is, we notice the difference in opinions and morals: so Elijah is strict, Moses is meek. It’s the same here: Paul is more persistent than Mark. But look: he is at the same time condescending. In the verbiage, it is said, that is, he did not get excited, but insistently demanded not to take Mark. So what? Were Paul and Barnabas separated as enemies? It won't happen! In Paul's letters you find that Barnabas had much praise from Paul after this. It even seems to me that they separated by mutual consent, saying to each other: since you don’t want what I want, and vice versa; So, in order not to argue, we will choose different areas for preaching. So they did, completely yielding to each other. And this was written for our edification, to warn us from falling; because we, as people, cannot do without strife, but in strife we ​​should make mutual concessions. But for Mark this feud could not have been more useful. Pavlov's severity corrected him, and Varnavin's condescension encouraged him not to abandon his calling. So Paul and Barnabas argue; but one consequence emerges from the dispute - benefit. Looking at Paul, deciding to separate from Barnabas, Mark was greatly frightened and blamed himself; and looking at Barnabas, who defended him so much, Mark fell deeply in love with the latter. And the student is corrected by the discord of the teachers; so far was this discord from serving as a temptation. He passed through Syria and Cilicia, establishing churches. Before going to other cities, he visits those that have already accepted the word of God. This is what we do: we instruct the first people first, so that they do not serve as an obstacle to the instruction of those who follow. And behold a certain disciple, the son of a Greek. It is remarkable that the Jews disregarded the law so much that they gave their daughters as Greeks and married Greeks. And accept his circumcision, for Jew's sake. Paul's wisdom is worthy of great surprise. He, who so opposed the circumcision of the pagans and who gave impetus to everything until the issue was resolved, circumcised his disciple. Not only did he not forbid others to do this, but he even does it himself. In every undertaking he had the benefit in mind and did nothing without a purpose. And one must be surprised how else Paul disposed him to circumcision. The Jews, for the sake of those who were in the place, did not dare to listen to the word of God from the uncircumcised. And what? Pay attention to the justification for this action. Paul circumcised Timothy in order to destroy circumcision; he did not support circumcision, but wanted to fulfill the greatest and most pleasant task for all the apostles; because if Timothy had not been circumcised and at the same time been a teacher of the Jews, then everyone would have recoiled from him. If the Jews already accused Paul so much for Trophimus of Ephesus, because they thought that Paul brought him into the temple (and he was from the Greeks); What would Paul himself have had to endure if an uncircumcised man had been with him as a teacher? But look: he is justified in the opinion of the apostles, and he speaks in the temple about the fulfillment of this justification. He did everything for the salvation of the Jews. Perhaps it can be pointed out that Peter also hid behind the guise of Judaism... And this did not harm the apostles at all; but on the contrary, the fact that the Jews had teachers who, in their opinion, kept the law, served as the reason for their conversion and the beginning of their faith in Christ.

And as I passed through cities, I committed them to keep the statutes ordained by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. The Church is strengthened by faith, and continues to increase in number all the days. Having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, the Holy Spirit was forbidden to speak a word in Asia. Having passed through Mysia, I tried to go to Bithynia: and the Spirit did not leave them. Having passed through Mysia, it descended into Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain Macedonian man stood, praying to him and saying: come to Macedonia, help us. He was taken from Troas on his way to Samothrace, and on his way to Naples: From there to Philippi, which is the first city of the Colonia part of Macedonia, and stayed in that city for some days.

You entrust them with keeping the statutes. Keep, they say, the statutes - not the secrets of the incarnation, but the instructions to rakes off sacrifices to idols and blood and strangulation and fornication; regarding the arrangement of a correct life. It was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak a word in Asia. Why they were forbidden to preach in Asia is not mentioned; but he said that this was forbidden to them, teaching us to obey and not demand an account, and showing that they often acted humanly. The Spirit forbids the apostles to preach in Asia and Bithynia; because he foresaw that the heresy of the Doukhobors would take possession of the local inhabitants. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain Macedonian husband, etc. Not through an angel, like Philip and Cornelius, but in a vision Paul received a revelation, in a more human way. Where it is easy to convince, there it is, in a more human way; and where great effort is required, revelation comes in a more divine form. It should be noted that Luke was also in these cities with Paul. This is evident from the fact that the latter unites his personality with the former when he says: vzyska, pridokh, izdokh.

On the Sabbath day, I breathed my last out of the city at the river, where the prayer book was supposed to be and sat with the verb to the gathered women. And a certain woman named Lydia, a purple merchant from the city of Thyatira, honoring God, obeyed: the Lord opened her heart, giving heed to the words of Paul. As she and her house were baptized, we prayed, saying: If you see that I will return to the Lord, come into my house, remain: and compel us.

When speaking. This happened more because there, due to the small number of Jews, there was no synagogue, and especially the devout of them secretly gathered outside the city by the river. As a more carnal people, the Jews, where there was no synagogue, prayed outside it, designating some place for this - they also prayed on Saturdays, when the people usually gathered. If you provide, I will return me to the Lord. Look how wise the wife is: first she herself testified that God called her. Pay attention also to her modesty. This is a simple woman, and, according to her craft, they say, she is a porphyry seller, that is, she sold fabrics dyed purple. And the writer is not ashamed to mention her craft. He did not say: if you have seen that I am a great woman, or that I am a pious woman, but he says: if you provide, I will return me to the Lord. If the Lord, then how much more to you. She didn’t just ask them to come to her house, but left the matter to their will, although she strongly insisted on her desire.

When you come to us to pray, a certain young woman with an inquisitive spirit meets us, having given us much to gain by our Lord, enchanting us. She followed Paul and us, crying out to you: these men are the servants of the most high God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation. Behold, she did it for many days: and when Paul was cold, he turned and said in the Spirit: I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ, come out of her. And left at that hour. Having seen her lordship, as if the hope of acquiring them was gone, she seized Paul and Silas, dragging her to bargain with the prince. And he brought them to the governors, deciding: these people are disturbing our city, the Jews that exist: And they bequeathed customs that are not worthy for us to adopt or create, to the existing Romans.

Having a spirit... What kind of demon is this? He is called, according to the place, the god Python. He wanted to lead the apostles into temptation. Otherwise, this is the woman - Pythia, about whom they say that she sat on Apollo's tripod, spreading her legs, and that an evil spirit, rising from a recess under the tripod, penetrated her and drove her into a frenzy; then she would become furious, foam at the mouth, and in a state of such frenzy utter incoherent words. These people are servants of the Most High God. O unclean spirit! if you know that they proclaim the way of salvation, then why don’t you move away from them? Pavel was cold, that is, he was excited and agitated. Having blocked her lips, although she spoke the truth, he teaches us not to allow demons to come to us, even if they pretend to defend the truth, but to block them from any reason for temptation and not to listen to anything they say. If Paul had paid attention to the testimony of this spirit, it would have deceived many of the believers. Therefore, Paul did not accept the first time, but rejected his testimony, not wanting to increase the number of his signs. But when the spirit persisted, then Paul commanded him to come out of the damsel. So the spirit acted cunningly, but Paul acted intelligently. Having seen her lordship, the hope of acquiring them was gone. Everywhere the cause of evil is money. In order to enrich themselves, the masters of the young woman wanted her to be possessed by a demon. Look: they don’t even want to know the demon, but are absorbed in their one passion - the love of money. The demon said that these people are servants of the Most High God, but they say that these people are disturbing our city; the demon said that they proclaim to us the way of salvation, and the gentlemen of the maiden say that they bequeath customs that are not worthy for us to adopt.

And the people descended on them: and the commanders, having torn their vestments, ordered them to beat them with clubs. Having given them many wounds, you put them in prison, and bequeathed to the prison guard to firmly crush them. If this is the will, put them in the inner prison, and lock their feet in the treasure. At midnight, Paul and Silas prayed to God: and their captives listened. Suddenly the coward became a great coward, as if the foundations of the prison were shaken: all the doors were opened, and the bonds of all were weakened. The prison guard was excited, and seeing the prison doors open, he pulled out a knife, wanting to kill himself, and the prisoners escaped me. Exclaim with a great voice Paul, saying: Do no harm to yourself: for we are all here. Having asked for a candle, he jumped up and was trembling, and fell towards Paul and Silas. And he brought them out, saying: Lord, what should I do, that I may be saved? This is the prayer: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved. And the word of the Lord spoke unto him, and unto all that were in his house. And I ate at the same hour of the night, exhausted from my wounds, and was baptized myself and all my abies to him. I brought him into my house, set a table, and rejoiced with all my house, believing God.

And the people descended on them. It was Paul's business to perform miracles and teach, and Silas also took part with him in dangers. Take note that the demons also know that the crucified Jesus is the highest God, and Paul is His servant; which he himself affirmed, saying: Paul is the servant of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:1). Suddenly the coward became great, so that the prison guard woke up; and the doors opened, so that what happened amazed him. But the prisoners did not see this; otherwise they would all have fled. And so that the watchman would not think that this happened by itself, the earthquake was followed by the fact that the doors opened, testifying to him the extraordinary nature of this phenomenon. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved. And in prison Paul gave himself no rest; and then he attracted the prison guard to himself and accomplished this wonderful captivity. And I eat at the same hour of the night, exhausted from my wounds. With it the guard washed his wounds, and he himself was washed from sins, and he rejoiced with his whole house, believing God, although he received nothing but good words and good hopes.

The day came to pass, when the governor sent the sticks, saying: Let the man go. The prison guard said this word to Paul: for the commanders have sent, let them be released: now that you have passed away, go in peace. Paul spoke to them: having beaten us before the people, the uncondemned men of the Romans, they put us into prison: and now they are destroying us? no matter: but let them come and destroy us. The stick-woman spoke these words to the commanders: and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. And he came and begged them, and asked them to leave the city. Having left the prison, he came to Lydia: and seeing the brethren, he comforted them, and went away.

Paul spoke to them: ... And after the commanders ordered, Paul did not leave prison; but, for the edification of Lydia, the porphyry seller, and others, she intimidates the governor so that they do not think that they were released at someone else’s request. He even accuses the governor of publicly beating them - them, who were not accused of anything and, moreover, Roman citizens. Do you see: they often acted as ordinary people do? Paul said this (that is, that they are Roman citizens and are not accused of anything) so that it would not seem that he was being released as a harmful person and accused of anything. As for the prison guard, this is Stephen, whom Paul mentions in the first letter to the Corinthians when he says: And the house of the baptizers is Stephen’s (1 Cor. 1:16). Having left the prison, he came to Lydia: and seeing the brethren, he comforted them, and went away. The wife who had shown them hospitality should not have been left in a state of anxiety and concern; and they, despite the promptings of the governor, did not want to leave without visiting the simple woman and other persons whom they called brothers. Oh, how great is their humility and love!

Interpretation of Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria

. He reached Derbe and Lystra. And behold, there was a certain disciple named Timothy, whose mother was a Jew and whose father was a Greek, and to whom the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium testified. Paul wanted to take him with him; and he took it and circumcised it for the sake of the Jews who were in those places; for everyone knew about his father that he was a Greek.

It is remarkable that the Jews disregarded the law so much that they married their daughters to Hellenes and married Hellenes.

“Taking him, he circumcised him for the sake of the Jews.”. Paul's wisdom is worthy of great surprise. He, who so opposed the circumcision of the pagans and who gave impetus to everything until the issue was resolved, circumcised his disciple. Not only did he not forbid others to do this, but he even does it himself. In every undertaking he had the benefit in mind and did nothing without a purpose. And one must be surprised how else Paul disposed him to circumcision.

"For the sake of the Jews who were in those places". Because they would not dare to listen to the word of God from the uncircumcised. And what?

Pay attention to the justification for this action. Paul circumcised Timothy in order to destroy circumcision; he did not support circumcision, but wanted to fulfill the greatest and most pleasant task for all the apostles, because if Timothy had not been circumcised and at the same time been a teacher of the Jews, then everyone would have recoiled from him. If the Jews already blamed Paul so much for Trophimus of Ephesus, because they thought that Paul led him into the temple (and he was from the Greeks), then what would Paul himself have had to endure if an uncircumcised man had been with him as a teacher? But look: he is justified in the opinion of the apostles, and he speaks in the temple about the fulfillment of this justification. He did everything for the salvation of the Jews. Perhaps it can be pointed out that Peter also hid behind the guise of Judaism... And this did not harm the apostles at all, but on the contrary, the fact that the Jews had such teachers who, in their opinion, kept the law, served as the reason for their conversion and the beginning of their faith in Christ .

. Passing through the cities, they instructed the faithful to observe the regulations established by the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem. And the churches were established by faith and increased in number daily. Having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, they were not allowed by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. Having reached Mysia, they decided to go to Bithynia; but the Spirit did not allow them. Having passed Mysia, they descended into Troas. And Paul had a vision at night: a certain man, a Macedonian, appeared asking him and saying: come to Macedonia and help us. After this vision, we immediately decided to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord was calling us to preach the gospel there. So, starting from Troas, we arrived straight to Samothrace, and the next day to Naples, and from there to Philippi: this is the first city in that part of Macedonia, a colony. We stayed in this city for several days.

It is said that “they betrayed the faithful to observe the definitions”, conveyed not the secrets of the incarnation, but instructions “to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and blood, and things strangled, and fornication”(), - everything that concerns the structure of a correct life.

"They were not permitted by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia". Why they were forbidden to preach in Asia, he does not say about this, but he said that they were forbidden to do so, teaching us to obey and not demand an account and showing that they often acted like human beings. The Spirit forbids the apostles to preach in Asia and Bithynia, since he foresaw that the heresy of the Doukhobors would take possession of the inhabitants there.

“There was a vision to Paul at night: a certain man, a Macedonian, appeared, asking him and saying”. No longer through an Angel, like Philip and Cornelius, but in a vision, Paul receives revelation - in a more human way. Where it is easy to convince, there it is in a more human way, and where great effort is required, there revelation comes in a more Divine form. It should be noted that Luke was also in these cities with Paul. This is evident from the fact that the latter unites his personality with the former when he says: “we decided to leave... we arrived straight away... we stayed.

. On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the river, where, as usual, there was a house of prayer, and, sitting down, we talked with the women who had gathered there. And a certain woman from the city of Thyatira, named Lydia, a merchant of purple, who worshiped God, listened; and the Lord opened her heart to listen to what Paul said. When she and her household were baptized, she asked us, saying: if you have recognized me as faithful to the Lord, then enter my house and live with me. And convinced us.

There, due to the small number of Jews, there was no synagogue, and the especially devout of them secretly gathered outside the city “by the river.” As a more carnal people, the Jews, where there was no synagogue, prayed outside it, designating a place for this - they also prayed on Saturdays, when the people usually gathered.

Look how wise the wife is: first she herself testified that he called her. Pay attention also to her modesty. This is a simple woman, she sold fabrics dyed purple. And Luke is not ashamed to mention her craft. She did not say, “If you have seen that I am a great woman,” or “I am a godly woman,” but she says: "If you have declared me faithful to the Lord". If to the Lord, then much more to you. She didn’t just ask them to come to her house, but left the matter to their will, although she strongly insisted on her desire.

. It happened that when we were going to the house of prayer, we met a servant girl possessed by a spirit of divination, who through divination brought great income to her masters. Walking after Paul and after us, she shouted, saying: these men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation. She did this for many days. Paul, indignant, turned and said to the spirit: in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her. And the spirit left at that same hour. Then her masters, seeing that the hope of their income had disappeared, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the square to the leaders. And they brought it to the commanders and said: These people, being Jews, are disturbing our city and preaching customs that we Romans should neither accept nor practice..

What spirit was the maid possessed by? He is called, according to the place, the god Python. He wanted to lead the apostles into temptation. Otherwise, this is the woman, Pythia, about whom they say that she sat on Apollo’s tripod, spreading her legs, and that an evil spirit, rising from a recess under the tripod, penetrated her and drove her into a frenzy; then she would fly into a rage, foam at the mouth and, in a state of such frenzy, utter incoherent words. “As she followed Paul and us, she cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God.”. O unclean spirit! If you know what they are “proclaim... the way of salvation”, then why don’t you move away from them?

"Paul, indignant", that is, being excited and excited. Having blocked her lips, although she spoke the truth, he teaches us not to allow demons to come to us, even if they pretend to defend the truth, but to block them from any reason for temptation and not to listen to anything they say. If Paul had paid attention to the testimony of this spirit, it would have deceived many of the believers. Therefore, Paul at first not only did not accept, but rejected his testimony, not wanting to increase the number of his signs. But when the spirit persisted, then Paul commanded him to come out of the woman. So, the spirit acted cunningly, but Paul acted intelligently.

“Her masters, seeing that the hope of their income had disappeared”. Everywhere the cause of evil is money. In order to enrich themselves, the gentlemen of the woman wanted her to be possessed by a demon. Look: they don’t even want to know the demon, but are absorbed in their one passion - the love of money. The demon said: “These men are the servants of the Most High God” and they say that “these people... are disturbing our city”, the demon said that they “they proclaim to us the way of salvation”, and the gentlemen maids say that they "they preach customs that... should not... be accepted".

. The people also rebelled against them, and the commanders, tearing off their clothes, ordered them to be beaten with sticks. And, having given them many blows, they threw them into prison, ordering the prison guard to guard them tightly. Having received such an order, he threw them into the inner prison and hammered their feet into a block. Around midnight, Paul and Silas, praying, sang praises to God; the prisoners listened to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison shook; immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened. The prison guard, waking up and seeing that the doors of the prison were open, drew a sword and wanted to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, Do not do yourself any harm, for we are all here. He called for fire, ran into the prison and fell in trepidation to Paul and Silas. And, leading them out, he said: my lords! what should I do to be saved? They said: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved. And they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And, taking them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds and immediately was baptized himself and all his household. And, having brought them to his house, he offered a meal and rejoiced with all his house that he had believed in God.

It was Paul's business to perform miracles and teach, and Silas also took part with him in dangers. Take into account that the demons also know that the crucified Jesus is the Highest God, and Paul is His servant, which he himself affirmed, saying: "Paul the servant of Jesus Christ" ().

“Suddenly there was a great earthquake”.

The doors opened, the prison guard woke up. What happened amazed him. But the prisoners did not see this, otherwise they would all have fled. And so that the guard would not think that this happened by itself, the doors opened after the earthquake.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your whole house will be saved.”. And in prison Paul gave himself no rest, and then he attracted the prison guard to himself and accomplished this wonderful captivity.

“Taking them at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds.”. The guard washed his wounds with it, and he himself was washed from his sins.

“And he rejoiced with all his house because he had believed in God.”, although he received nothing but good words and good hopes.

. When the day came, the governors sent city servants to say: let those people go. The prison guard announced this to Paul: the commanders have sent to release you; So come out now and go in peace. But Paul said to them: We, Roman citizens, were publicly beaten without trial and thrown into prison, and now we are being secretly released? no, let them come and take us out themselves. The city servants retold these words to the governors, and they were frightened when they heard that these were Roman citizens. And, having arrived, they apologized to them and, taking them out, asked them to leave the city. They, leaving the prison, came to Lydia and, seeing the brothers, taught them, and went.

And after the governors ordered, Paul does not leave the prison, but, for the edification of Lydia, who sold scarlet, and others, he intimidates the governors, so that they would not think that they were released at someone else’s request. He even accuses the governors of publicly beating them - them, who were not accused of anything and, moreover, Roman citizens. You see: they often acted as is typical of ordinary people. Paul said this (that they were Roman citizens and were not accused of anything) so that it would not seem that he was being released as a harmful person and accused of anything. As for the jailer, this is Stephen, whom Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Corinthians: “baptized... also Stephen’s house” ().

“Coming out of prison, they came to Lydia and, seeing the brothers, taught them, and set off.”. The woman who had shown them hospitality should not have been left in a state of anxiety and concern; and they, despite the promptings of the governor, did not want to leave without visiting the simple woman and other persons whom they called brothers. Oh, how great is their humility and love!