Daily Scripture Reading Acts 16:16-40
Jesus taught people to turn the other cheek. Some Christians interpret that to mean believers should never stand up for themselves, nor demand their rights and what is due to them. They essentially believe Christians should be doormats and allow anyone and everyone to trample all over us.
The 16th chapter of Acts contains a story, which we will read shortly, about Paul and Silas being beaten in violation of their rights as Roman citizens. In a way they turned the other cheek, and in a way they did not. Their response to having their citizenship rights violated helps us navigate the complexities of what it means to turn the other cheek.
Yesterday, we read about Paul and his companions traveling through Asia, being forbidden by the Spirit from going into Bithynia, crossing the sea from Asia to Macedonia after Paul saw a vision summoning him there, and then arriving at the city of Philippi. In Philippi, a woman named Lydia and her entire household believed and was baptized.
Acts 16:16 ¶ Now it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a servant-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
Don’t miss the words “spirit of divination” and “much profit”.
Acts 16:17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”
The spirit of divination knew exactly who Paul and his companions were. The spirit of divination used the word “slaves” to describe Paul, which means it used the word “slaves” to describe Christians in general. Christians are slaves of Jesus.
Acts 16:18 And she continued doing this for many days. But being greatly annoyed, Paul turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to leave her!” And it left at that very moment.
Acts 16:19 ¶ But when her masters saw that their hope of profit had left, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities,
Pay attention to the true reason her masters seized Paul and Silas. It was because they lost their hope of profit. Money is a powerful motivator.
Acts 16:20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,
The men who seized Paul and Silas were not honest with the magistrates. The problem was not that Paul and Silas were causing confusion, the men were upset because they were losing money.
Acts 16:21 and are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”
This statement was true. Paul and Silas were proclaiming truths that went against the Roman religion.
Acts 16:22 And the crowd joined together to attack them, and the chief magistrates, tearing their garments off of them, proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.
Note the word “crowd”. This quickly turned into a riot.
Acts 16:23 And when they had inflicted them with many wounds, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely,
Acts 16:24 who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Acts 16:25 ¶ But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Paul and Silas did not merely pray and sing, they sang hymns of praise. They had been beaten earlier in the day, but they still praised God. The normal human response to their predicament would have been self-pity and bitterness against God, but they did the opposite.
Every Christian encounters obstacles and problems in life. Many Christians endure persecutions, whether mild or severe. The normal response is to be bitter, angry, and full of self-pity.
However, as Christians we are slaves of Jesus. We should not expect an easy life. We should be pleased and willing to suffer for Jesus.
Acts 16:26 And suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the jailhouse were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
Acts 16:27 And when the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
Acts 16:28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”
Acts 16:29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,
Acts 16:30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
We are not told how, but somehow the jailer knew to ask how to be saved.
Acts 16:31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house.”
Look at Paul and Silas’s answer. They told the jailer that in order to be saved he needed to believe in Jesus. They did not tell him to ask Jesus into his heart. They said he needed to believe in Jesus.
Believing in Jesus means believing what the Bible tells us about Jesus. Jesus is God and Lord. Jesus died on the cross, paying the price for our sins. Jesus taught, performed miracles, and rose from the dead.
Acts 16:32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his household.
Note the phrase “spoke the word of the Lord”. Paul and Silas explained Jesus to the jailer and his household.
Acts 16:33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.
Note how quickly the man and his household were baptized. It did not happen weeks or months later, it was immediate.
Acts 16:34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with his whole household, because he had believed in God.
We see again the word “believed”.
Acts 16:35 ¶ Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.”
Acts 16:36 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.”
Acts 16:37 But Paul said to them, “Having beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, they have thrown us into prison. And now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.”
Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. It was unlawful to beat Roman citizens without a trial, meaning the magistrates had violated Paul and Silas’s rights as Roman citizens.
Jesus taught people to turn the other cheek. Some people interpret that to mean Christians should never stand up for themselves and insist on their rights. In some ways Paul and Silas turned the other cheek when they allowed themselves to be beaten because they didn’t immediately announce they were Roman citizens. And yet at the same time, when offered release, they didn’t immediately run for safety, they stood up for their rights and made it known their rights had been violated.
As I said, Jesus said to turn the other cheek, and we need to incorporate that into our mindset and behavior. At the same time, there is a time and place to insist on our rights as employees and/or citizens, just as Paul and Silas did.
Acts 16:38 And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
Acts 16:39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept requesting them to leave the city.
The magistrates knew they had made a big mistake and wanted Paul and Silas to quietly leave.
Acts 16:40 And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and left.
Paul and Silas were beaten in violation of their rights as Roman citizens. After the fact, they made it known their rights had been violated.
What are some rights you have as a citizen?
What are some ways that being a Christian might cause your rights to be violated?
When is it appropriate to demand your rights?
What are some occasions you as a Christian should allow your rights to be trampled upon?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”