1Paul[1] came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. (徒17:14; 徒18:5; 徒19:22; 徒20:4; 羅16:21; 林前4:17; 腓2:19; 西1:1; 帖前3:2; 帖后1:1; 提前1:2; 提前1:18; 提后1:2; 提后1:5; 提后3:15)2He was well spoken of by the brothers[2] at Lystra and Iconium. (约21:23)3Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. (加2:3)4As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. (徒15:2; 徒15:28; 徒17:7)5So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. (徒2:47; 徒6:7; 徒9:31)
The Macedonian Call
6And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. (徒18:23; 加4:13)7And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. (徒8:29; 徒16:6; 羅8:9; 加4:6; 腓1:19; 彼前1:11)8So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. (徒20:5; 林后2:12; 提后4:13)9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”10And when Paul[3] had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (徒16:11; 徒20:5; 徒20:13; 徒21:1; 徒27:1)
The Conversion of Lydia
11So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, (徒21:1)12and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the[4] district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. (徒16:21; 腓1:1; 帖前2:2)13And 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. (拉8:15; 拉8:21; 诗137:1; 太5:1; 徒13:14)14One 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. (路24:45; 徒18:7)15And 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. (创19:3; 路24:29; 徒11:14)
Paul and Silas in Prison
16As 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. (利19:31; 路13:11; 徒16:13; 徒16:19)17She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” (但3:26; 太7:14; 可5:7; 徒9:2; 雅2:19)18And 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. (太17:18; 可1:25; 可1:34; 可9:38)19But 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. (太10:18; 徒8:3; 徒16:16; 徒17:6; 徒18:12; 徒19:25; 徒21:30; 雅2:6)20And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.21They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” (斯3:8; 徒16:12)22The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. (林后6:5; 林后11:23; 帖前2:2)23And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.24Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. (伯13:27; 伯33:11; 耶20:2; 耶29:26; 路21:12)
The Philippian Jailer Converted
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, (伯35:10; 诗42:8; 诗77:6; 诗119:62)26and 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. (徒4:31; 徒5:19; 徒12:7; 徒12:10)27When 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. (王上20:39; 徒12:19; 徒27:42)28But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”29And the jailer[5] called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. (徒10:25)30Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (路3:10; 路3:12; 路3:14; 约6:28; 徒2:37; 徒16:17; 徒22:10)31And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (可16:16; 徒11:14)32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.33And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. (徒8:12; 徒16:25)34Then 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. (诗9:14; 诗13:5; 赛25:9; 路1:47; 徒2:46; 彼前1:6; 彼前1:8)35But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.”36And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.”37But 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.” (徒22:25; 徒22:29)38The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. (徒16:37)39So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. (太8:34)40So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed. (约21:23; 徒16:14)