Paul And Silas In Prison
One day we were going to the place of prayer. On the way we were met by a female slave. She had a spirit that helped her to tell ahead of time what was going to happen. She earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. The woman followed Paul and the rest of us around. She shouted, These men serve the Most High God. They are telling you how to be saved. She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became upset. Turning around, he spoke to the spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ, he said, I command you to come out of her! At that very moment the spirit left her. – Acts 16:16-18
Her owners were using this slave girl as a fortune teller. People would pay money, and she would tell them what was going to happen in their lives.
I cant imagine how good this must have felt for the girl. What a relief! She was finally FREE from the demon! It is very sad that this girl lived so many years of her life controlled by evil, and it is terrible that her greedy owners made money from her awful condition. Her owners were glad that she was controlled by an evil spirit! They cared more about money than about this poor girl.
Certainly, the slave owners and the judges were sinning. They lied about these good men, and punished them without a trial. But we are about to see that God had it all under control God allowed this for a reason. God was about to take this terrible event, and make it into something WONDERFUL .
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The Story Of Paul And Silas In Prison
The Story of Paul and Silas in Prison is worth reading by every christian. It is even more important for those who want to grow their faith and start walking in higher spiritual dimensions. Paul and Silas story is a pure reflection of how far Gods tremendous power can be manifested in favor of his servants. The story has lots of christian moral teachings and also reveals what it takes to move Gods hand into action.
What God did to Paul and Silas can still be done these days because God has not changed. Hebrews 13:8 clearly tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This implies that what he did in the past can still be done today and even in the future. In other words, Jesus Christ is still moving the streets to heal the sick, raise the dead, open the eyes of the blind, and heal all types of sicknesses.
What we need in order to invite divine intervention in our lives is the type of faith that we perceive when reading the story of Paul and Silas. They refused to be discouraged by their physical situations. Paul and Silas denied to look at their situation from the human point of view. They rather used their eyes of faith to see possibilities were men were seeing impossibilities.
See The List Of Books In The Bible Written By Paul
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What Is The Significance Of Paul On Damascus Road
Paul recognized Jesus as Lord, admitted his own wrongdoing, surrendered his life to Jesus, and made plans to obey. Genuine change comes from an individual experience with Jesus Christ and prompts another life in relationship with him.
- 20214 Aug
This is the story of Pauls conversion on the road to Damascus.
Saul represents the world. Saul was so passionate about his Jewish convictions that he started a mistreatment crusade against any individual who had faith in Jesus. For what reason would the Jews need to oppress Christians to the extent that Saul was sent to Damascus?
There are a few prospects: to hold onto the Christians who had escaped, to contain and forestall the spread of Christianity to other significant urban communities, to hold the Christians back from inciting any issues in Rome, to propel Sauls vocation and fabricate his standing as a genuine Pharisee who was enthusiastic for the law, and to bind together the groups of Judaism by giving them a shared adversary.
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison .
As Paul headed out to Damascus, seeking after Christians, he was stopped by the risen Christ and witnessed the reality of the gospel. Occasionally God breaks into an individuals life in a fantastic way, and now and then transformation is a calm encounter.
He Learned How To Work With His Hands
Despite being educated as a Pharisee, Paul also learned a trade, which served him throughout his life. According to 1 Corinthians 4:12, Paul mastered how to “work with own hands” making tents . Carrying a simple bag of tools for working leather, he could travel practicing this trade throughout the Roman world, which would come in handy during his missionary work.
That said, establishing a traditional tent-making business with a steady clientele would’ve evaded Paul because he couldn’t carry all the needed supplies on his many travels. What’s more, establishing a storefront would’ve required staying in one geographic location for an extended period. He would’ve needed time to network with local guilds and city leaders.
According to The Gospel Coalition, rare instances did occur where he stayed in one place for a longer time. For example, while living in Corinth, an established business employed him. This business would’ve had all the necessary relationships with local leaders and guilds to maintain a steady clientele. Overall, though, while Paul and his workers might have done jobs for food and a place to sleep, they, like most travelers, would have mainly depended on patrons and the hospitality of others in general.
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The Apostles Agree With Paul
Paul constantly wrote to Gentile Christians to tell them not to worry about circumcision , and in Acts 15, the apostles met with Paul and Barnabas to officially settle the matter, because pockets of Jewish Christians were continuing to tell Gentiles to get circumcised.
Peter argued that God hadnt discriminated between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians because hed given them both the Holy Spirit, and if in the entire history of Judaism no one had been able to keep the Law , then why would they put that burden on the Gentiles ?
After listening to everyone, the Apostle James concluded:
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath. Acts 15:1921
If youll notice, the apostles didnt decide that Gentiles should follow the most important commandments, or the Big Ten, or anything like that. Instead, they essentially instructed Gentiles be culturally sensitive to their Jewish brothers and sisters, because the Law was respected and observed by Jews everywhere.
Paul wasnt going to let that slide.
What Did Paul Do After He Converted
Saul continued his mission to siege Christians, traveling to Damascus. On the way, a bright light appeared, and he fell to the ground. A voice resounded, questioning why Saul persecuted him. After asking who it was, God answered I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Jesus told him to get up and follow his instructions. Saul stood, but could not see anything. He was blind for three days going without food and water.
In Damascus, God instructed one of his disciples, Ananias, to place his hands on Sauls eyes. Ananias obeyed, restoring Sauls sight. After regaining his strength, Saul was ready to walk in his new life with Christ. Instead of prosecuting the disciples, he spent time with them. Instead of dragging church-going men and women to prison, he preached the word of God. Instead of plotting to kill others, he was the one being prosecuted.
Acts 13:9 mentions Sauls other name, Paul. Barnabas and Paul were traveling together to complete Gods work. When they arrived in Paphos, they met a false prophet and sorcerer named Bar-Jesus. He tried to stop their work but was blinded by the power of the Holy Spirit for his trickery and deceit. Barnabas and Paul continued on their journey, teaching and proclaiming the name of Jesus.
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Did Saul Become Paul
Its a common misconception that Paul used to be Saul, and that when Jesus called him, he renamed him Paul. You may have heard something like Saul the persecutor became Paul the persecuted.
But theres no verse that says that. And Paul and Saul are actually two versions of the same name.
Shortly after Saul converts to Christianity, Luke tells us hes also called Paul , and for the most part the rest of the Bible refers to him as Paul. But Jesus doesnt refer to him as Paul, and he was still called Saul 11 more times after his conversion.
Its true that in the Old Testament, God occasionally changed peoples names to represent significant changes in their identity. But thats not what happened here.
The reality is that Saul was a Hebrew name and Paul was a Greek version of the same name. As Paul began to evangelize Greek communities , it makes sense that we see the Greek version of his name most after his conversion.
Read More About The Apostle Paul In This Article:
- James R GrahamMay 26, 2016 at 2:00 pm
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Ive been pondering Pauls thorn in the flesh. This is a very simplistic line of thinking and probably fraught with errors, but there are two words used in the context of Pauls thorn.
The two words are thorn and grace. Simplistically, it looks like Paul is by example, expounding upon why Gods free gift of grace is so important. It is because that he understood that he received a free gift and that there was nothing that he did or could do to _earn_ this free gift of grace. Weve all read Pauls discourse concerning sin in the book of Romans. He flat out tells us that even though he is now a child of God, as a human being he is and will continue to be a sinner. At this point, my simplistic conclusion is that Pauls thorn is his knowledge that he will continue in some form of sin and this is why he emphasizes that Gods grace is sufficient for him, because without this unearned, free gift of grace, Paul would, as we all would be, devoid of hope and of all men most miserable. It is the grace that saves us.Let the darts begin
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Pauls Appeal To Caesar
When Paul was first imprisoned in Caesarea, he made his appeal to Governor Felix, then waited two years in prison with no progress.
Porcius Festus succeeded Felix and after hearing Paul defend himself, he asked Paul if would be willing to stand trial in Jerusalem.
Tired of his case dragging on to appease his Jewish accusers, Paul claimed his right as a Roman to appeal to Caesar:
I am now standing before Caesars court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!
After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go! Acts 25:1012
Unfortunately, the Book of Acts ends before Pauls trial before Caesar. But before he leaves Caesarea, another rulerKing Herod Agrippa IIhears his case, and tells Festus:
This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. Acts 26:32
Perhaps Paul hoped appealing to Caesar would finally put an end to his case, but unfortunately, it dragged them out even further.
Or . . . perhaps it was a strategic move on Pauls part to testify about Christ to the leaders of the Roman empire. Having Caesars court and the Roman justice system as his captive audience might have been Pauls play all along.
Where In The Bible Is The Story Of Paul
Paul located Mount Sinai in Arabia in Galatians4:2425. Paul asserted that he received theGospel not from man, but directly by “the revelation ofJesus Christ”.
Thereof, where does Paul story begin in the Bible?
Where do I find the whole story or Saulturning into Paul in the bible? Saul was born in thecity of Tarsus in Cilicia . His parents were Jews, butthey were Roman citizens . He grew up in Jerusalemwhere he studied the Hebrew Scriptures under Gamaliel a notedteacher of the Law.
Secondly, what happened to Paul in the Bible? The exact details of St. Paul’s death areunknown, but tradition holds that he was beheaded in Rome and thusdied as a martyr for his faith. His death was perhaps part of theexecutions of Christians ordered by the Roman emperor Nerofollowing the great fire in the city in 64 CE.
Accordingly, what book of the Bible is Paul in?
The Pauline epistles, also called Epistles ofPaul or Letters of Paul, are the thirteenbooks of the New Testament attributed to Paul theApostle, although authorship of some is in dispute.
Did the Apostle Paul know Jesus?
The conversion of Paul the Apostle, was,according to the New Testament, an event in the life of Paulthe Apostle that led him to cease persecuting earlyChristians and to become a follower of Jesus. It is normallydated to AD 3336.
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Paul And Silas Are Accused For Teaching Strange Customs Against The Law
The accusers told the Roman Officials that Paul and Silas were Jews who moved around teaching strange customers that are against their laws. They further pressed their accusations with the fact that they were Roman citizens and could not welcome or join in the forbidden practices brought by Paul and his companion. As if these accusations were not enough, the crowd joined them in accusing Paul and Silas.
Upon hearing all these accusations, the officials tore their cloths and had them thoroughly whipped. Apostle Paul and Silas upon receiving a severe beating of the year were thrown into jail. The jailer was ordered to lock them up tight and take serious measures to prevent them from escaping. In obedience to these instructions, the jailer threw them into the inner cell where he had their feet fastened between heavy blocks of wood with heavy chains. Upon completing this, the jailer was certain that nothing could break the chains. Little did he know that Gods wisdom and strength begins were mans own end.
God sends an Angel of Liberation
Upon hearing the voice of Paul, the jailer requested for a lamp and rushed in to meet with him. Immediately he arrived before Paul and Silas, he fell trembling before them. Paul helped the jailer up who in turn led them out and asked what he must do to be saved. They answered telling him to believe in Jesus Christ in order to obtain salvation.
The Jailer and his Family receive Christ
Paul Never Converted To Christianity
Despite joining the “tribe of the Christians” , Paul never converted to Christianity, per PBS. Throughout his life, Paul observed his Jewish faith and saw no contradictions in keeping Torah and spreading the Gospel message.
It’s important to remember that Christianity as a separate religious sect didn’t come into being until A.D. 325, as reported by Patheos. And despite the commonality of phrases such as “winning converts” in Christian-speak, Paul didn’t convert anyone else, either. After all, conversion implies transitioning from one established group to another. Instead, the people Paul taught in Corinth and Thessalonika learned about an “innovation” in Judaism. Since he often disseminated the “good news” or “Gospel” to fellow Hebrews, they could adopt this innovation without changing religions.
So, why do so many people talk about conversion? According to Patheos, “our look at such ‘conversions’ is anachronistically psychological. It is also ethnocentric, presuming a similar experience to what happens when people today ‘accept Jesus’ and are ‘saved.'” In other words, if we can’t put ourselves into the mindset of first-century Jews, it’s difficult to understand what the Gospel message meant to them.
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What Happened When Paul Was Called Back To Jerusalem
There are many different accounts of what happened when Paul was called back to Jerusalem. But it seems that there was a very strong movement amongt the followers of Jesus to convert Gentiles into Jews. Following Christ was a Jewish movement he was a Jewish Messiah. But Paul believed that the Gentiles were alive with the new life of forgiveness, acceptance and transformation and that that they didn’t need to be circumcised. So he brought this idea to the leaders in Jerusalem and the Jerusalem council agreed that Gentiles could become Christians without becoming Jews first.
Dr Mark Goodacre, Senior Lecturer in New Testament, University of Birmingham and Professor John Barclay, Professor in New Testament and Christian Origins, University of Divinity