The apostles Paul and Silas have cast a demon out of a girl whose occultic skills had made much money for her handlers by forecasting the future.

Verses nineteen through thirty-four: Angered that she could no longer make money for them, her handlers had the apostles arrested, beaten and thrown into jail. At around midnight as they sang hymns and praised God an earthquake hit the prison, causing the doors to open. Having been awakened, the jailer rushed in with a light and saw the cell doors standing open. Assuming that the prisoners had escaped, and knowing that the penalty for allowing a prisoner to escape was death, he pull out his sword and prepared to kill himself. Paul assured him that all prisoners were present. Realizing that he was dealing with something beyond his comprehension, the warden came into the cell and fell before the apostles, asking what he must do to be saved. Paul told him to believe on the Lord Jesus and he would be saved, along with his household. Note that Paul did not tell him that believing on Jesus saved him, but that “you SHALL BE (future) saved.” There is no doubt that Paul and Silas later explained to him and his household how they had to live for the rest of their lives (1 Jn. 2:6/ Mat. 10:22) in order to qualify for salvation. See Hope and Salvation. James chapters 1 & 2 tell us that faith alone cannot save us, that faith in Jesus Christ without the works He commands (obeying God’s Word) results in dead faith which cannot produce eternal life. The next day Paul and Silas were allowed to leave the prison. Once freed, they went to Lydia’s house where they met with the local disciples. After comforting them Paul departed, leaving silas and Timotheus behind.

Chapter 17

Verses one through fifteen: Leaving Lydia’s house Paul traveled to Thessalonica where he entered “a synagogue of the Jews” where for three (Biblical) Sabbaths he “reasoned with them out of the (Old Testament) Scriptures”–the only Scriptures in existence at that time. He taught the Jews about the Christ, proving to them that He was the man that had suffered and died in Jerusalem–Jesus of Nazareth. Some Jews believed while others did not. Those who rejected Paul’s message plotted how they might capture him. But he slipped out of their hands and traveled to Berea where, as was his custom, he entered the Jewish synagogue where he found a much more receptive audience. Paul found the men of Berea “more noble than those of Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the (Old Testament) Scriptures daily to see if those things (that Paul taught) were true.” Here we find a notable lesson which all who would attain eternal life must emulate–the men of Berea SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY in order to find God’s Truth. They did not take Paul’s word for it, they PROVED ALL THINGS TAUGHT BY HIM (1 Thes. 5:21) by studying the Scriptures. For this reason Paul called them “noble.” Would that we were all noble. Upon hearing that the Bereans had accepted Paul’s message, unbelievers in Thessalonica traveled to Berea to stir up the people against him. Hearing of this, Paul escaped and traveled to Athens.

Note that the life of a Truth-teller is never dull. There are always those who come against him/her. Note also that it was the religious leaders who came against Paul, which was the case with Jesus, the prophets and the other apostles. Nothing has changed. L. J.