{"id":1820,"date":"2019-09-18T10:31:16","date_gmt":"2019-09-18T18:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1820"},"modified":"2019-09-18T10:31:16","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T18:31:16","slug":"devotion-acts-1619-24-falsely-accused-beaten-flogged-and-imprisoned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1820","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Acts 16:19-24 Falsely Accused, Beaten, Flogged And Imprisoned"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 16:19-24\u00a0<\/b>\u2013<\/i>\u00a0<\/i><\/span>\u00a0<\/sup><\/b>When her owners realized that their hope of making money\u00a0was gone, they seized Paul and Silas\u00a0and dragged\u00a0them into the marketplace to face the authorities.\u00a020\u00a0They brought them before the magistrates and said, \u201cThese men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar\u00a021\u00a0by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans\u00a0to accept or practice.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/i>22\u00a0The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.\u00a023\u00a0After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer\u00a0was commanded to guard them carefully.\u00a024\u00a0When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen her owners realized that their hope of making money\u00a0was gone, they seized Paul and Silas\u00a0and dragged\u00a0them into the marketplace to face the authorities.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0These \u201cowners\u201d were contemptible.\u00a0\u00a0The fact that having slaves was permissible and was accepted in those days, does not make it any less reprehensible.\u00a0\u00a0We may also deduce that these men were not only taking advantage of a girl possessed by a demon, but they were doing so because they could not make a living on their own as \u201ctheir hope of making money was gone<\/i>\u201d makes clear. They were contemptible persons who made money off the misfortune of another.<\/p>\n

They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace where civil matters were brought to recognized authorities.\u00a0\u00a0What was the clear reason?\u00a0\u00a0Obviously it was because when the demon was cast out of the girl they could no longer make money off of her.\u00a0\u00a0However, what would they say was the reason they had seized Paul and Silas?<\/p>\n

\u201cThey brought them before the magistrates and said, \u201cThese men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar\u00a021\u00a0by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans\u00a0to accept or practice.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0How pathetic a charge it would have been if the men had honestly aired their grievance that they were enraged because their money making device (the demon possession of the girl) had been healed. So they lied.\u00a0\u00a0The most effective lies usually have an element of truth, just as the devil twisted truth to Eve (Genesis 3:1-<\/b>5) and also as He tried to deceive Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11<\/b>).\u00a0\u00a0Yes, these men were Jews.\u00a0\u00a0Some reason that Paul and Silas were the ones singled out from the missionaries because they were the only full Jews among them.\u00a0\u00a0This was important because at this time the Jews were not trusted in Rome and had been expelled from the city by Claudius about AD 49-50.\u00a0\u00a0The Jews were not then endeared by the Romans.\u00a0\u00a0So these men may have been contributing to the abuse of the girl, maybe they were unemployable or unable to find another occupation, but they were not unintelligent.\u00a0\u00a0They knew how to weave a lie that would work.\u00a0\u00a0Proclaiming that Paul and Silas were Jews put them in an immediate bad situation. How hypocritical because they likewise were Jews.<\/p>\n

How hypocritical for these men to say that Paul and Silas were causing an uproar.\u00a0\u00a0Causing an uproar was precisely their intent in accusing Paul and Silas.\u00a0\u00a0They knew the political climate and they knew how to ignite a fire.<\/p>\n

As the truth was twisted against Jesus (Matthew 26:60-61<\/b>) so these accusers twisted the truth against Paul and Silas. The missionaries were not causing a riot as was claimed, but were causing a peaceful commotion as the Gospel was preached, and they intended to.\u00a0\u00a0When they preached the Word then previously held beliefs were shattered and that would cause the Word to spread more and for souls to be saved.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus even said that He would be the cause of division (Luke 12:51-53<\/b>).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When people hear the Word of God they either have hearts ready to respond or they do not.\u00a0\u00a0If not, they become divided with the ones who are ready to call Jesus Savior and Lord.\u00a0\u00a0Yet, the truth was that the missionaries were not causing a dangerous riot, it was the accusers who were riling up a dangerous mob.<\/p>\n

When they claim that Paul and Silas were advocating customs that were unlawful for Romans to accept, that was true.\u00a0\u00a0But then again, these accusers were also Jews and so also claimed a religion that was against Roman beliefs.\u00a0\u00a0Roman religion was polytheistic.\u00a0\u00a0True and loyal Jews worship only God.\u00a0\u00a0Christians worship the same one God who is more clearly revealed in the New Testament as the Triune God.\u00a0\u00a0So, though the missionaries were not advocating any violence, they were teaching what the Romans would oppose.\u00a0\u00a0This is no different in our day when Christians hold to the eternal truths of the Bible that run against what the governments of the world now confess as their beliefs.\u00a0\u00a0The exclusivity that only the Gospel of Jesus will get one to heaven makes people mad.\u00a0\u00a0Not erasing scriptures to bend to the sin of modern culture is considered wrong by all world governments and that angers the people who have placed government on a higher pedestal then one True God.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.\u00a023\u00a0After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer\u00a0was commanded to guard them carefully.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0So the accusers successfully riled up the crowd with their false charges.\u00a0\u00a0Yet, it is doubtful that the false charges were the only reason the crowd was worked into a frenzy.\u00a0\u00a0It was the same as it is today.\u00a0\u00a0Those who are either rich, physically attractive, charismatic, eloquent or passionate, or all of the preceding, deceive masses of people.\u00a0\u00a0People who have these qualities tell lies that are not supported by truth.\u00a0\u00a0People believe them.\u00a0\u00a0It happened then and it happens now.<\/p>\n

The magistrates ordered that Paul and Silas be beaten.\u00a0\u00a0They likely ordered this to appease the crowd, but we may suppose that they also may have been influenced by the passionate appeal to punish, or kill, Paul and Silas.\u00a0\u00a0Now beating, flogging and imprisoning Paul and Silas should not have been done even by their order of law.\u00a0\u00a0These authorities had the power to hold them and bring them before the proconsul, but they should not have inflicted the punishment that they did.\u00a0\u00a0Romans were proud of their brand of justice, in fact justice was one of their prized virtues.\u00a0\u00a0Yet justice was denied to Paul and Silas as they were: 1) not given the opportunity to dispute the charges.\u00a0\u00a02) No witnesses were called to substantiate or disprove the charges.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03) No cross-examination of the accusers was performed.\u00a0\u00a04) They never allowed Paul and Silas to defend themselves and so the authorities did not know they were Roman citizens and had all the rights of being Roman citizens.<\/p>\n

The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.\u00a0\u00a0Why?\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps because they feared a jailbreak?\u00a0\u00a0Or maybe because supernatural miracles had been being performed through these two and it was feared that they may supernaturally be freed?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The jailer knew that his life depended on explicitly guarding these prisoners from being stolen from his guard or from them escaping.\u00a0\u00a0He put them in a center, innermost cell and had them bound hand and foot.\u00a0\u00a0He did all a person could do to make sure that these two did not escape.<\/p>\n

Paul and Silas, wrongly accused, beaten, flogged and falsely imprisoned were now in prison.\u00a0\u00a0They likely had open and bleeding wounds.\u00a0\u00a0Their bodies aching.\u00a0\u00a0What was their emotional and spiritual status?\u00a0\u00a0What would ours be?\u00a0\u00a0We hope that our faith would not falter.\u00a0\u00a0A lot of that depends on how we are yielding to God and clinging to Him before some immense trial happens.\u00a0\u00a0Sure we want Jesus to come and take us all away with to heaven.\u00a0\u00a0But are preparing for that.\u00a0\u00a0But are we preparing for future hardships?\u00a0\u00a0Jesus is coming back and we yearn for Him.\u00a0\u00a0But part of our prize is to be proven, to ourselves and to each other, that we consider it an honor to suffer in His name (Acts 5:41<\/b>).\u00a0\u00a0We do, don\u2019t we?<\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Acts 16:19-24\u00a0\u2013\u00a0\u00a0When her owners realized that their hope of making money\u00a0was gone, they seized Paul and Silas\u00a0and dragged\u00a0them into the marketplace to face the authorities.\u00a020\u00a0They brought them before the magistrates and said, \u201cThese men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar\u00a021\u00a0by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans\u00a0to accept or practice.\u201d\u00a0\u00a022\u00a0The crowd joined…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,1865,106,101,94,1874,17],"class_list":["post-1820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-genesis","tag-luke","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1820"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1821,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1820\/revisions\/1821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}