Luke the beloved physician shared how Paul and Silas were thrown into prison and experienced an earthquake when the sergeants came to them and said, “The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out secretly? no verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city”, and in chapter sixteen and verse forty of the book of Acts Luke shared how Paul and Silas, “went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia” where we read:
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.
The verse begins, “And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia:” Luke began with the words, “and they went out of the prison” which means “and Paul and Silas departed and left the place where captives are kept, the sentinel or jail”, “and entered into the house” or “and went and came into the dwelling place, habitation and abode” “of Lydia” which means “belonging to Lydia whose name means travail who was a woman of Thyatira, a seller of purple, the first European convert of Paul, and afterward his hostess during his first stay at Philippi”. Luke shared how “Paul and Silas” left the “prison” and returned to the house of “Lydia”.
The verse goes on to say, “and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.” Luke continued with the words, “and when they had seen the brethren” or “and at the time and moment Paul and Silas observed, noticed and beheld the fellow believers in Jesus who were united to each other by the bond of affection”, “they comforted them” which means “Paul and Silas admonished, exhorted, entreated and beseeched the brothers in Christ”, “and departed” or “and left and went forth from the city”. Luke shared how “Paul and Silas” saw all the fellow believers in Jesus, entreated and exhorted them and left the city of Philippi.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Paul and Silas” left the “prison” after the “magistrates” released them, and they went to “Lydia's” home where they previously stayed. They met with the fellow believers there, and afterward left the city of Philippi. “Paul and Silas” accomplished their desire to share the “good news of Jesus Christ” with a few additional unexpected turns of events, and now it was time to continue sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with other people. God loves everyone, everywhere, and even as He employed “Paul and Silas” to share His “good news” in “Philippi”, He continues to offer forgiveness of sins and life everlasting to anyone who believes and trusts in His Son Jesus. Let all who read these words yield themselves to Him and become another one who has been reached with the “gospel” of Jesus Christ.
Next time we begin a new chapter and see Luke share how Paul and Silas, “passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment