Acts 16

ACTS 16 BIBLE STUDY

Acts 16:1-5 Bible Study Questions

Where are "Derbe and Lystra" (Acts 16:1)?

How did Paul and Silas travel to Derbe and Lystra?

Who is "he" (Acts 16:1)? How old was "Timothy" (Acts 16:1)?

Jew and Gentile marriage: Deuteronomy 7:3.  Timothy 1:5

Why did Paul want Timothy "go on with him" (Acts 16:3)?

Were they a successful pair? Philippians 19:22.  Acts 16:5

Which "decrees" (Acts 16:4) did they deliver to the "churches" (Acts 16:5) in the region?  

See Acts 15:28-29

How had Paul previously reacted to those who erroneously claimed that circumcision was necessary to become a Christian? See Acts 15:2

Why was Timothy "circumcised" (Acts 16:3) by Paul?

Jewish from mother.  Apostate as uncircumcised?

Acts 16:6-10 Bible Study Questions

Where are "Phrygia," "Galatia" (Acts 16:6), "Mysia," and "Bithynia" (Acts 16:7)?

From Mysia, in which direction did they try to go?

Who stopped them?

How? Dreams/signs/advice/messages/feelings/closed doors?

What else were they stopped from doing? Preaching/Bithinia

Did they get to Phrygia, Galatia?  

Acts 18:23  1 Peter 1:1

Where is "Macedonia" (Acts 16:9)?

So why did He forbid the Gospel being preached in Asia as they traversed it?

Who came to Mysia, and then "down to Troas" (Acts 16:8)?

Who "sought to go to Macedonia" (Acts 16:9) from Troas? 

Add Luke who joined them

Why did they go to Macedonia? V9-10

Acts 16:11-15 Bible Study Questions

Where is "Samothrace" (Acts 16:11)? Did they deviate?

Where are "Neapolis" (Acts 16:11) and "Philippi" (Acts 16:12)?

Why would "prayer" be "customarily made" at "riverside ... outside” Philippi? (Acts 16:13)  

Takes 10 men for a synagogue.  No synagogue? - here only women.

What is meant by "a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira" (in central Turkey) (Acts 16:14)?  

See Revelations 2:18-24

What enabled Lydia "to heed the things spoken by Paul" (Acts 16:14)?

Ephesians 1:17-18   Luke 24:45   2 Corinthians 3:14-16

Is this still true today?

John 6:44. Household as well, see Genesis 17:27  Acts 16:33

Acts 16:16-18 Bible Study Questions

What is a "spirit of divination" (Acts 16:16)?

Leviticus 19:31  2 Corinthians 3:14-16  Galatians 5:20  

See Saul in 1 Samuel 28:7

Can a demonic spirit really have the power of divination?

Mark 5:7  Mark 16:17

What did the "slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination" (Acts 16:16) cry out?

Was she right?

Why did Paul become "greatly annoyed" (Acts 16:18)?

See Acts 14:13-15  Luke 9:49-50  Ephesians 6:12

How is she different from the psychics, witches and other who engage in fortune telling today?

What did God say about His people seeking advice from psychics, witches and fortune tellers (see Deuteronomy 18:9-14)?

What about things like daily horoscopes and fortune cookies?

Acts 16:19-29 Bible Study Questions

Who weren't "seized" along with "Paul and Silas" (Acts 16:19)?

Why not?

What other possible reasons are there for them not having been seized along with Paul and Silas?

Timothy and Luke.  Because they were Gentiles not Jews?

What errors are found in the accusations against Paul and Silas?

Didn’t trouble anyone/teaching not unlawful/Roman citizens

What was the real reason for Paul and Silas getting "dragged into the marketplace" (Acts 16:19)?

See Acts 8:9-11  The profit motive

Who are "the magistrates" (Acts 16:22)?

Civilian officers, Romans

What should the magistrates have done?

Heard the charges before sentencing

What was the punishment?

Beating, jailed.  See 2 Corinthians 11:23-25  Hebrews 11 nb V36

How did they react to being falsely accused, unjustly beaten and jailed?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  Acts 12:6-7  1 Peter 1:6-8   Matthew 5:10-12

Why would they listen to Paul and Silas instead of telling to shut up for making noise at midnight?

Why would "the keeper of the prison" try to "kill himself" (Acts 16:27)?

See Acts 12:19

Why did he run and fall "down trembling before Paul and Silas" (Acts 16:29)?

He has seen and heard wonders

What would you expect him to have done at this point?

Lock the doors!!

Acts 16:30-34 Bible Study Questions

What did the jailer ask Paul and Silas?

See Acts 2:37

Was the jailer asking what he must do for that to happen in the physical realm?

If he wanted to save his neck why bring them out?

According to Paul and Silas, what did the jailer have to do?

Romans 5:8-9  Acts 2:38-39  Romans 10:9-10

Did the jailer then lock Paul and Silas back in their prison cell?

What risk was he taking? Went to his household, cleaned them up.

Did he “count the cost”?

Acts 16:35-40 Bible Study Questions

What was the magistrate’s order? (Acts 16:35-36)

Where was Paul and Silas when the order arrived? What was their response? Why? What alternatives did they have?

Why were the magistrates "afraid" (Acts 16:38)? What drove them to apologise?

About what may the magistrates have "pleaded" (Acts 16:39) with Paul and Silas?

After bringing Paul and Silas outside, why did the magistrates ask them to "depart from the city" (Acts 16:39)?

Did Paul and Silas heed the magistrates' request to leave the city? Why?

Why does Luke write that "they ... departed" (Acts 16:40)?

When was the next visit by Paul?

Acts 18:11 plus Acts 20:31 indicates 6 years later.

Did Timothy stay with Paul and Silas?

Acts 17:14