Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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begins a new chapter in the spread of the Gospel
it started in Jerusalem, then spread into Judea, then Samaria and then out into the uttermost parts of the earth
it is now moving into Europe, making its way towards the capital of the Roman Empire
Jesus in :
“I will build my church, and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it”
in our text today the gates of a prison cannot hold back the gospel
Summary:
Jesus, by his HS, restrained Paul and his team from speaking the Word in Asia, what is now western Turkey
knowing they had been called to preach they kept travelling until God opened a door for them
that opportunity to preach was finally opened at Troas when the Lord directed them to Macedonia
so they sailed across the Aegean Sea into Europe to Philippi
because there was no synagogue they went outside of the city to the temporary meeting place where they preached to a group consisting largely of women
as Paul preached the Word God God opened the heart of a business woman named Lydia so that she was willing and able to understand
he gave her grace so that she was able to exercise her saving faith along with some from her household
all who heard, believed and repented of their sins were baptized
at the same time that God was working through Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke to save sinners Satan was working against them through a slave girl in order to keep those sinners under his power and control
he directed a demon possessed fortune telling slave girl to attach herself to Paul’s team and to cry out that they were servants of the Most High God and were proclaiming the way of salvation
imagine Satan doing that!!
Paul wisely recognized Satan’s subtle attack and cast the demon out of the girl
when the owners of the girl realized their source of income had been destroyed by Paul they turned their outrage against them
when the owners of the girl realized their source of income had been destroyed by Paul they turned their outrage against them
Satan changed his tactics from subtlety to an outright attack on them
Paul recognized Satan’s subtle attack and cast the demon out of the girl
this in turn brought the wrath of her owners down upon the team
Paul’s teaching on the power of the devil:
resulted in great suffering and pain which the Lord turned around for their good and the salvation of the Philippian jailer
the battle of the Christian is not against flesh and blood but against th
contrast the power of the devil to Jesus’ promise in :
Satan turned from subtlety to an outright attack on them
resulted in great suffering and pain which the Lord used to bring the Gospel to the Philippian jailer
describes Paul’s attitude toward the sufferings he had to endure in order to preach the Gospel
the sad thing was that even those who had accepted the Gospel closed their hearts toward him!!!
“I will build my church, and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it”
in light of this Paul called the Corinthians to separation from unbelievers
it was their love of the world and the things of the world which set them against Paul and by extension God himself!
in our text today the gates of a prison cannot hold back the gospel from those whom God has chosen to save
Vicious Opposition to the Gospel
Satan’s subtle but devious effort to corrupt the gospel through the fortune telling slave girl was foiled when Paul cast his demon out by the power of the HS
Paul had assaulted Satan’s gates and the Devil fought back
Acts 16:
“they seized … and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers”
seized: to take hold of; grab
the owners haul Paul and Silas before the rulers on trumped up charges:
dragged: to seize away ⇔ haul v. — to lead someone away by force against their will; conceived of as drawing a heavy object out of something with great effort.
to seize (grab) v. — to take hold of; grab.
to seize away ⇔ haul v. — to lead someone away by force against their will; conceived of as drawing a heavy object out of something with great effort.
dragged: to seize away ⇔ haul v. — to lead someone away by force against their will; conceived of as drawing a heavy object out of something with great effort.
they were manhandled, dragged and shoved into the marketplace before the rulers
the trumped up charges:
they are Jews - true
The Jews always have been and always will be hated by the world because they are God’s chosen people.
having been separated by God as his chosen people they are Satan’s target
The same is true for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
about this time Emperor Claudius ordered all the Jews to leave Rome
they are disturbing our city - false
this anti-semitism may explain why only Paul and Silas were apprehended, Luke being a Gentile and Timothy a half-Gentile
they are disturbing our city - false
disturb: to throw into great confusion or disorder
this was of course false
up to this point their ministry in Philippi had been relatively quiet
they advocate unlawful customs - true
there was no significant Jewish presence to stir up opposition as they did in other cities like Lystra where Paul was stoned
uprising as in other cities where Paul usually began his preaching ministry in a synagogue
this anti-semitism may explain why only Paul and Silas were apprehended, Luke being a Gentile and Timothy a half-Gentile
they advocate unlawful customs - partially true
there was a Roman law forbidding its citizens from practicing any foreign religion which had not been approved by the State, however it was rarely enforced
If Paul and his team were to obey the calling of the Holy Spirit they would have to disobey Roman law and accept the consequences.
example of Peter and John before the Sanhedrin
Acts 4:18-19
Acts 5:40-
“the crowd joined in attacking them”
“attacking” is supplied - lit. “the crowd joined against them”
there was no Jewish uprising as in other cities where Paul usually began his preaching ministry in a synagogue
the crowd joined the slave owners in their attack on Paul and Silas
like the cities where the Jews stirred up oppossition
remember the response of the Roman Centurion when the Jewish crowd wanted to destroy Paul
he ordered Paul to be examined by flogging
“the magistrates tore the garments off them … beat them with rods”
having been stirred into a mob like frenzy Paul and Silas were physically attacked
the great confusion and disorder was actually instigated by the slave owners, then the crowd and then the magistrates
all of their outer clothing was ripped off them, they were stripped down to their underwear
reveals how stirred up they were
they were subjected to the lowest form of Roman beatings
they were beaten over and over again with a rod or a cane
this was the first of 3 that Paul would endure for the Gospel ()
Paul’s testimony of his treatment
Paul and Silas were publicly humiliated in this unjust act of brutality, a strong warning to any who would follow them
When Satan’s subtle attack failed he made a direct physical attack on Paul and Silas.
remember the progression in the level of persecution when the church was first planted in Jerusalem:
- verbal warning - prayed for boldness - the place was shaken, they were filled with the HS and they continued to speak with boldness
- physical beating - rejoiced in their suffering counting it a privilege to suffer for Christ - did not cease teaching and preaching
- Stephen was martyred - great persecution - the gospel was spread as they scattered
the Jews limited their beatings to 40 less 1 in order to protect the person’s honour
the goal under God’s OT law was not the destruction of the person’s standing but to restrain evil and cause others to fear
there were no restraints like this on these Romans who brutally beat Paul and Silas
Paul says they were shamefully treated
after the vicious beating Paul and Silas were cast into prison where their feet were fastened in stocks
some of you may be wondering where Timothy and Luke were
Luke was a gentile and Timothy half gentile
Paul and Silas were the main speakers
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