SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/30/2018 8:00 AM
My Worship Time Focus: “Protection”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts
16:35-40
Message of the
verses: “35 Now when day came, the
chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men."
36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The chief
magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace."
37 But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and
have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No
indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out." 38 The policemen
reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they
kept begging them to leave the city. 40 They went out of the prison and entered
the house of Lydia, and when
they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.”
Paul had a great love for the little flock that began in
Philippi when Lydia had first become a believer, and because of that love he
wanted to do something to protect them.
The opportunity came about when on the next day “the chief magistrates
sent their policemen to the jailer telling him to release Paul and Silas.” Now one may have a bit of a problem
understanding what we see here as being a protection to the little flock at
Philippi. The answer to that question
comes in verse 37 where we read that Paul said to these policemen “They have
beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans.” This won’t be the last time that Paul will
use his Roman citizenship to his advantage.
What they did to Paul and Silas as Roman citizens was completely against
the Roman law. There had to be a trial
before anything like this could happen and even then Roman citizens were not to
be beaten. This was a total miscarriage
of justice and Paul did not want to leave this town without getting this
straightened out. The rulers in this
town would have to think twice about doing this kind of thing to any
missionaries who would come there in the future.
Paul was not doing this as much for himself as for this
little flock and because of his love for them he wanted to do something to
protect them.
John MacArthur writes about the consequences to those who
had allowed this injustice to happen:
The consequences, both for the magistrates and for the city, were
potentially very serious. The
magistrates could have been removed from office, and the emperor could have
rescinded Philippi’s privileges as a Roman colony.” These were some serious things that could
have happened to these men and they had good reason to be fearful.
Paul wanted those in control, those who had allowed this
beating to take place to come and talk to him and Silas, and as stated earlier
this would help protect this little band of believers and any other
missionaries who would come later on.
When these men came to the prison they continued begging
Paul and Silas to leave their town, as we know that these magistrates were in
an awkward position as MacArthur adds “On the one hand, they had no legal
grounds for expelling two Roman citizens who were guilty of no crime. On the other hand, Paul and Silas’s continued
presence in Philippi could have provoked further violence. Their self-exaltation of the day before suitably
deflated; the humbled magistrates could only resort to begging.”
Paul and Silas would leave the city, but they would leave
on their own terms, and that would mean that they would take some time to go to
where this little flock would be and that would be at Lydia’s house, and so
they went there and we read “and
when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.” Notice the word “brethren” and this means that
there were more believers who have been added, making this a church.
Since this is the last SD for this 16th
chapter of Acts I want to quote John MacArthur’s last paragraph. “Once again Satan’s plans were frustrated and
overruled by God’s sovereign control of events.
The persecution Satan unleashed to destroy the Philippians church merely
added another household to it and gained it protection from the city’s rulers. For those who boldly preach the gospel and
praise Him no matter what the circumstances, God stands ready to turn
persecution into production.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I look at what
MacArthur says about boldly preaching the gospel and praising the Lord no
matter what the circumstances, and pray that this will always be what I desire
to do when the Lord gives me opportunity.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To continue to trust the Lord to guide may
wife and I as we deal with her father’s circumstances.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Rebekah” (Genesis 24:67).
Today’s Bible
question: “Which two men are considered
to have authored the first sixteen chapters of Judges?” (I have to admit that I have never heard the
answer to this question which will be revealed in our next SD.)
Answer in our next SD.
4/30/2018 8:38 AM
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