35 “But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, 36 saying, Let those men go. And the jailer reported the words to Paul, saying, The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come forth, and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and do they now cast us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out. And the sergeants reported these words unto the magistrates; and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans; and they came and besought them; and when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from the city. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
1 “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 opening and alleging, that it behoved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ. 4 And some of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. 5 But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people. 6 And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7 whom Jason hath received: and these all act contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. 8 And they troubled the multitude and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea; who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and of men, not a few. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the Word of God was proclaimed of Paul at Beroea also, they came thither likewise, stirring up and troubling the multitudes. 14 And then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as to the sea; and Silas and Timothy abode there still. 15 But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him with all speed, they departed.”
QUESTIONS.
1. Give an account of Paul’s imprisonment at Philippi.
2. Give a detailed account of the occurrences in the night.
4. Who brought the message to Paul and Silas? Verse 36.
5. What did Paul reply? Verse 37.
6. How did this reply affect the magistrates? Verse 38.
7. What did they do? Verse 39.
8. What did Paul and Silas first do when they left the prison? Verse 40.
9. On departing from Philippi, where did they go? To what place did they come? What did they find there? Chapter 17:1.
10. What custom had Paul which he here followed? Out of what did he reason with the people? Verse 2.
11. What did he affirm from the Scriptures? V. 3.
12. What was the effect of his teaching? Verse 4.
13. How were the unbelieving Jews affected? With whom did they associate themselves? How much disturbance did they make? Verse 5.
14. When they did not find Paul and Silas, what did they do? What did the mob say that the newcomers had done? Verse 6.
15. What charge did they lay against them before the magistrates? Verse 7.
16. What did the rulers do with the brethren? Verse 9.
17. What did the brethren do with Paul and Silas? To what place did they send them? What did Paul and Silas do on arriving at Beroea? Verse 10.
18. How did the Jews in this place compare with those in Thessalonica? In what way did they show their nobility? Verse 11.
19. What was the result of this investigation? Verse 12.
20. How was the work interrupted at Beroea? Verse 13.13
21. What precautions did the brethren take against the persecution of Paul? Who remained behind in Beroea? Verse 14.
22. To what place did the brethren bring Paul? What message did Paul send back by them, as they left him alone at Athens? Verse 15.
NOTES AND QUESTIONS.
1. Who received the stripes and imprisonment at Philippi? Had any of the other brethren been assaulted by the mob? Yet what did Paul and Silas do as soon as they got out of prison? What words written by Paul did he thus experience? 2 Cor. 1:3–6.
2. “Saying that there is another king, one Jesus.” See how they tried to fasten the charge of treason upon the disciples. Show how those who are loyal to Jesus may in these days be accused of treason to the state.
3. Compare Acts 17:14, 15 with 1 Thess. 2:17, 18; 3:1–6. From this it will be seen that Paul desired to go back to Thessalonica, and that such was his interest for the brethren in that place, that, much as he needed the help and company of Timothy, he sent him back to Thessalonica, and he remained for a time in Athens alone.
