Acts 16 Commentary
Whatever Paul is doing! He circumcises Timothy because of the Judaizers. He would later criticize Peter for behaving similarly diplomatic with his own Judaizers. Paul is human, after all! It should even be worse because Paul is freshly armed with the decision of the apostles and the elders from HQ on circumcision!
Regardless, a matter of minimal consequences need not bother anyone. Circumcision isn’t a factor. Paul does it to protect the gospel from unnecessary distraction.
Paul is an entrepreneur. He identifies Timothy; he must be discipled. Ministry isn’t a blind drive into the future. It is a continuous space of succession that involves identifying and nurturing potential.
Verse 10. Luke blows his cover. He is now part of Paul’s team. It’s no longer about ‘them’; it’s about ‘we’. We, therefore, have a team consisting of Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke (the human author of this volume), and possibly other believers.
See how the Holy Spirit guides the process. Even a perfect and well-intentioned mission can be disapproved. It’s not always funds that decide on outreach trips!
The Spirit of the LORD is called the Holy Spirit in verse 6 and the Spirit of Jesus in verse 7. The latter emphasizes the continuing work of the LORD Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Jesus is directing the operation from “the ground” – on the ground via the ever-present Holy Spirit.
Yes, the Holy Spirit, but other spirits are on the ground. One of them rested on one female slave. She could predict the future and consequently earned her owners a “great deal of money”. Spirits (spirits) can do things! Strangely, they can also, disturbingly, say good things or things that appear good. Paul won’t be fooled. Eventually, the spirit is cast out of the woman, and the ‘industry’ shuts down – an economic disaster for the owners.
We can pick up some lessons from this incident. The spirit won’t come out until it is commanded to come out. It is possible to have spirits as travel-mates, bedmates, roommates… They could be a source of annoyance, noise, trouble, disturbance, retardation, retrogression… Unless you cast them out, they remain enjoying the ride.
In the process, Paul and Silas find themselves in jail. There was no secret CIA-like operation like Peter’s rescue earlier in the Book. The LORD shook the earth in response to “praise”. The jail doors threw open and the chains gave way. It was for the jailer. He needed freedom from his sins. Paul and Silas were always free men – “When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.”
Lydia and the jailer are saved; mission accomplished, but not without beatings!
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