Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:19

‘But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers,’ Her masters, who were no doubt already wealthy and influential, were angry when they realised that the source of their profits had been removed, and they had Paul and Silas dragged into the market place before the authorities, the ‘archontes’, the chief men. The marketplace was often the place where justice was carried out, because the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:19-34

Arrest and Imprisonment Lead To Additions To The Church In Philippi (16:19-34). But the problem was that what he had done would hit at men’s pockets. They did not care about the girl herself, they had not cared that she was making a nuisance of herself, they were not too concerned about what it meant to the gods, but they were concerned about one thing , and that was Mammon. What had happened would lose them a great deal of money and the result was that they were angry. They were a picture of... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:20-21

‘And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans.” ’ This being a Roman colony the men before whom they were brought are correctly called the strategoi (Latin - praetores), the two chief magistrates. The charge being brought was that these Jews were forcing their beliefs and customs on those who were Romans, and thereby causing... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:22

‘And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes off them, and commanded to beat them with rods.’ These men clearly took pains to incite the crowds in the market place, who responded to the charge and expressed their disapproval of ‘these Jews’. The danger of an uproar probably persuaded the magistrates to act. They therefore had them stripped and beaten with rods. This would be done by the ‘lictors’ (a kind of police who were the magistrates’... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:23-24

‘And when they had laid many stripes on them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely, who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.’ The beating that they were given was not a mild one (‘many stripes’) and then, in view of the serious nature of the charge, that they had been seeking to lead Romans astray from their worship of Roma and of the other gods of Rome, they cast them into prison, charging the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:25-26

‘But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.’ However, being deprived of their opportunity of worship at the riverside, Paul and Silas, in spite of the pain that they must have been suffering, took the opportunity provided by their situation to pray,... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:27

‘And the jailor, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.’ The jailer, aroused by the earthquake, came from his room (his family living quarters would be a part of the prison), and no doubt carrying a small lamp, went down into the prison, and taking one look at the conditions caused by the earthquake, and fearing the worst, decided that there was only one thing to do. It appeared to him... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:16-18

Acts 16:16-Job : . Exorcism of a Possessed Girl.— The walk to the place of prayer is made frequently, and the party comes to be known. A girl who carried on a trade in the fortune-telling of these days notes them; a girl believed to be possessed by a python, a spirit which could on being consulted foretell or warn, possibly a ventriloquist. She attaches herself to the party and gives her version, to be taken as inspired, of what they are. The treatment for possession is applied to her... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 16:19-34

Acts 16:19-Nahum : . Imprisonment of Paul and Silas. The Prison Broken.— The “ rulers” ( Acts 16:19) are the heads of police; they are afterwards called Strategi, which answers to the Roman Prœ tores. Philippi was a colony, its magistrates were Roman, duoviri, and had the fasces, the Roman rods, showing their power to order a beating. The missionaries are accused of making a disturbance in the city, being Jews (Jews are generally unpopular, and at Philippi they are not strong), and of... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Acts 16:18

St. Paul was grieved, either for the maid’s sake, who suffered so much by her being possessed with this spirit, or, for their sakes who were seduced by him. St. Paul (as our Saviour had done, Mark 1:25) refuseth the testimony of the devil; for he being the father of lies, John 8:44, makes every thing he says to be suspected; as it is a usual punishment of liars, that they are not believed when they speak the truth; and the devil never speaks any truth but with an intention to deceive. In the... read more

Grupo de marcas