Paul Witnesses in Philippi (Acts 16:11–40) The Gospel Is for Everyone!

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Paul Witnesses in Philippi (Acts 16:11–40)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, July 20, 2025

Tim Keller shares:

There is an ancient prayer Jewish men prayed in the morning. It’s a very controversial prayer. You can go on the websites and see all the different debates about it. I’m not here to defend it or criticize it either, but we do know Paul would have used it. It’s a very famous prayer Jewish men often prayed first thing in the morning.

“Oh Lord God, I thank thee that you did not make me …” What? “… a woman, a slave, or a Gentile,” which means, here is Paul who, as a Pharisee, would have gotten up for days and days and years and years every morning, saying, “Oh Lord, I’m so grateful I’m not like those women. I’m not like those slaves. I’m not like those Gentiles.” The first three conversions of his new church in Philippi are a woman, a slave, and a Gentile. Now they’re his family. What changed Paul? What power could bring people like that together?[1]

This passage begins and ends with a prominent woman. The bulk of this passage is about the gospel going to women.

Additionally, we see people from different cultural backgrounds saved.

My Theme:

The Gospel is for everyone.

The conversions at Philippi. The gospel team wins two key people to Jesus and frees one person from a demon.[2]

[My outline, and only the outline, is adapted from: The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999), H. L. Willmington.]

  1. A businesswoman is saved. (Acts 16:11-15).
    1. Context, let’s start with the context.
    2. In the previous few verses, Timothy joined Paul’s team, and then Paul received a vision telling him to come to Macedonia.
    3. Macedonia was a vast region that encompassed numerous cities, including Philippi.
    4. Acts 16:11–15 (ESV)
    5. 11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
    6. This passage begins with a travel log.
    7. Notice in verse 11, Luke writes, “We made a direct voyage…”
    8. Notice Paul is with Silas now.
    9. Luke is now with the Apostle Paul. The “we” section began in verse 10.
    10. The total distance from Troas to Neapolis was some 156 miles, and while this trip took only two days, the return trip mentioned in 20:5 took five.[3]
    11. In verse 11 we see the travel log.
    12. It would be easy to gloss over these, but they demonstrate the authenticity of the Book of Acts.
    13. Verse 12 gives us some interesting details about Philippi.
    14. Philippi is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
    15. Luke writes that they remained there some days.
    16. In verses 13-14, they meet this businesswoman. They go down and they talk with women by the river. They are talking about the gospel.
    17. She is Lydia, a merchant of expensive purple cloth.
    18. By the way, Keller shares: [The gospel is for everyone] Lydia was from Thyatira. She was probably Middle Eastern. To our eyes, she would have looked Middle Eastern or Indian. The slave girl could have been anybody, because she was a slave. She could have been from anywhere. The jailer was a Roman. [we will get to him in a moment] He would have been European.[4]
    19. Additionally, they are sharing the gospel with women.
    20. Notice Luke tells us that she was a worshipper of God.
    21. The Lord opened her heart and notice it says that she paid attention.
    22. Salvation always comes from the conviction of the Holy Spirit (Jonah 2:9; John 6:44, 16:8).
    23. The proof (16:15): Lydia is baptized as a testimony of her newfound faith.[5]
    24. I like what Tim Keller shares: You know, the way C.S. Lewis puts it in his famous place in Reflections on the Psalms is when you hear a piece of music or you see a beautiful sight, you feel like you have to grab somebody else and praise it with them. You grab your friend, and you say, “Look at this. Isn’t this great?” Why are you praising it? Because it’s beautiful. The more you praise it, the more you enjoy it. Isn’t that right? The more you praise it, the more you enjoy it.
    25. You say, “Look at this. Isn’t this great? Look at the lines. Look at the colors. Look at this and that.” The more you praise it, the more you’re enjoying it, the more the other person is enjoying it. Right? Why are you praising it? Does it need it? It doesn’t. It’s beautiful. It’s an end in itself. Lydia had a God who was useful, but that day, she received a God who was beautiful. Before that, she was not bearing false witness, not committing adultery, honoring her father and mother, observing the Sabbath.[6]
    26. Notice that her family is also baptized. Notice also her hospitality. She invited them to stay with her.
    27. This does not mean that they were saved because she was saved. I believe that in Middle Eastern culture, the family unit holds more significance. This may be a testament to Lydia’s spiritual leadership.
    28. Tim Keller shares:
    29. What we have in the book of Acts are more case studies of conversion than you really have anywhere else in the Bible.[7]
  2. A slave girl is delivered from a demon (Acts 16:16-21).
    1. Acts 16:16–18 (ESV)
    2. 16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
    3. The demon in this girl (16:16-17): Notice that they are going to a place of prayer, and they are meeting this demonized slave girl.
    4. She brought her owners great gain by fortune-telling.
    5. Do demons know the future?
    6. No, they do not.
    7. However, the demons may be able to use deductive reasoning and figure things out better than we can.
    8. The message it proclaims through her (16:17): The demon pretends to agree with the message preached by Paul.
    9. The deliverance of this girl (16:18–23)
    10. The girl is set free (16:18): Paul commands the demon to leave her.
  3. The apostles are set upon (16:19–23): Paul and Silas are arrested, beaten, and imprisoned.[8]
    1. Acts 16:19-23: 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
    2. It was all about money.
    3. Tony Evans writes:
    4. On a hot summer day, here in Dallas, Texas, what good does a flashlight do? At high noon when the sun is at its peak, it is shining bright. To turn on a flashlight when you have sunlight is to depend on the inferior rather than the superior.
    5. To go to a palm reader when you’ve got access to the heavenly Father is to go to the inferior rather than the superior. To call the psychic network, or to have a tarot card reading, is to turn on a flashlight when you’re under the sunlight. It is to pay money for something you can have for free.650,[9]
    6. Paul and Silas are dragged before the rulers in the marketplace. They are accused, stripped, and beaten.
    7. Sproul shares: We do not know to what degree they were stripped. They may have been stripped completely naked; such was part of prisoners’ punishment in the ancient world in order to impose utter humiliation. This was also often done in combat. When one force defeated another and took prisoners, the victors would march the prisoners naked to humiliate them. Perhaps Paul and Silas were stripped only to the waist. The main desire here was to bare skin for a beating, which was administered with sticks or rods, like caning. Here, no limit was set for how many blows could be applied, such as there was in Jewish law, so we have no idea how many stripes were inflicted upon Paul and Silas. In any case, they were badly beaten.[10]
    8. They are in stocks.
    9. Luke is making it clear that they are securely in prison.
  4. A prison guard is saved.
    1. Acts 16:25–34 (ESV)
    2. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
    3. Do we notice this? It is about midnight, they have been beaten and yet they are singing hymns.
    4. They likely can hardly move, but they are singing hymns.
    5. What do we do when we are in pain or anxious?
    6. I believe there is an indirect application here. It is indirect, but can we learn from the example of Paul and Silas? Go to the Lord.
    7. Sing to the Lord (Col. 3:16-17).
    8. Notice that other prisoners are listening to them.
    9. God sends an earthquake that frees all the inmates. Notice that all of the prisoners are freed.
    10. Believing the prisoners have escaped, the guard prepares to kill himself.
    11. Being assured by Paul that no one has left the prison, the guard asks how to be saved!
    12. Responding to Paul’s answer, the jailer and his family are saved and baptized.
    13. Again, we see a whole family saved.
    14. Rydelnic shares:
    15. The influence of the jailer led to the family to want to be saved. In some cultures, people believe based on the tribal leader, a core leader, or a family leader. In the US, it is not usually that way. That is why in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul says the unbelieving spouse is sanctified by the believing spouse. God has no grandchildren: just because you are born in a bakery does not make you a bagel. So, you believe that “if your family believes, your household will be saved.” There is no such thing as household salvation. Sometimes a tribe will follow a tribal chief, but everyone has to make their own decision. [11]
    16. His celebration (16:34): With great joy the new convert washes the wounds of the disciples and feeds them.[12]
  5. The aftermath (Acts 16:35-40).
    1. Acts 16:35–40 (ESV)
    2. 35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.
    3. The authorities’ fear (16:35–39): Upon learning that the men they have beaten and imprisoned are Roman citizens, the city officials apologize to Paul and Silas and beg them to leave the city.
    4. Notice that this is a time in which Paul and Silas appeal to their citizenship.
    5. The Julian law forbade binding or beating Roman citizens without trial. Falsely claiming citizenship was a capital offense.[13]
    6. Cicero and Quintilian tell of a Roman citizen who cried out that he was a citizen during a scourging, thereby humiliating his oppressors, who had not properly recognized his high status. By waiting until after the beating (cf. 22:29) to inform the authorities that they were citizens, the missionaries had placed the magistrates themselves in an awkward legal position: now the magistrates, not the missionaries, are forced to negotiate. Reports of their deed could even disqualify them from office and (in theory, at least) deprive Philippi of its status as a Roman colony. This strategy would help secure the future safety of the fledgling Christian community.[14]
    7. The apostles’ freedom (16:40): Paul and Silas return to the home of Lydia to meet with other believers before leaving town.[15]

We have examined a passage in which we see the gospel spreading to various cultures. They share the gospel with women in Philippi. Lydia is saved. They deliver a servant girl from a demon. They share the gospel with a Philippian jailer.

We see examples of the gospel crossing cultural barriers.

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

This is what is happening, the gospel is spreading out.

Meagan and I were raised in Dayton. However, our first pastoral position was in Cincinnati. We quickly learned that Cincinnati has a strong German heritage. I have my Flying Pig marathon T-shirt here. Why is it called “Flying Pig”? That is because, with their German heritage, came a tradition of hog farming. They have some food called Goette, look it up. It is a German-American breakfast sausage. Eventually, our family made it to Youngstown. Here we have people with an Italian heritage. Not just that. We have met people from many different cultural backgrounds. I think it is because people migrated here for work at the steel mills. So, we can have people in one church from many different cultural backgrounds. How awesome is that?

The gospel is for everyone.

Be encouraged by that.

Tim Keller shares:

Christianity is the only religion, friends (listen carefully), that has never been dominated by one part of the world. Islam’s demographic and geographic center has always been the Middle East and Arabia. Hinduism’s demographic and geographic center has always been India. Confucianism … China. Buddhism … Asia. Christianity started as a Middle Eastern religion. That was its center. Jerusalem … the Jews.

Then it migrated, and its demographic and geographic center was the Mediterranean Hellenistic world. Then it migrated to Northern Europe as the center of it. Then North America. Now as we know, I hope, there are more African Christians, there are more Latin American and Asian Christians, Korean and Chinese Christians, for example, then there are in all of Western Europe and North America put together, even if you count the people who just say they’re Christians, even the ones who are just nominal Christians. Why?

Because Christianity is one religion there is no type. There is no culture it’s native to. There is no type of person. There is no personality. It’s not for the rich. It’s not for the poor. It’s not for men. It’s not for women. It’s not for wimps. It’s not for the ambitious. It’s not for the moral types. It’s not for the immoral types. Because it’s not based on any one human factor, it mustn’t be based on a human factor.[16]

The gospel is about Jesus saving us by grace!

Worship King Jesus!

Prayer

[1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[2] H. L. Willmington, The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999), Ac 16:11–34.

[3] Ben Witherington III, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998).

[4] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[5] Ibid., Ac 16:11–15.

[6] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[7] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[8] Ibid., Ac 16:16–23.

[9] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 215.

[10] R. C. Sproul, Acts, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 295.

[11] Open Line on Moody Radio: 07.16.2022

[12] Ibid., Ac 16:24–34.

[13] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 16:37.

[14] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 16:38.

[15] Ibid., Ac 16:35–40.

[16] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

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