PAUL NOT DISCOURAGED BY OPPOSITION

16. How did the trials of Paul and Silas in Philippi turn into a blessing?

¹⁶ At Philippi, on his second missionary tour, Paul had the pleasure of bringing the truth to a business woman named Lydia, who opened her heart wide to the things spoken by Paul and showed great hospitality to these brothers. Here in Philippi too, Paul encountered problems, this time from the owners of a servant girl with the power of divination. Day after day she kept calling out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who are publishing to you the way of salvation.” (Acts 16:17) Finally Paul got tired of it and, in Jesus’ name, ordered the demon to leave the girl. When her owners who had profited by her predictions saw that she had lost this supernatural ability, they took Paul and Silas before the magistrates to have them beaten and imprisoned. Again this would have been enough to discourage many, first being beaten and then being thrown into jail, but not so with Paul and Silas. The account tells us that in the middle of the night, as they were praying and praising God with song, suddenly a great earthquake occurred, breaking open the jail doors and loosing the prisoners. Rather than trying to escape, Paul stayed to reassure the jailer, who was about to kill himself, and took the opportunity to share the word of Jehovah with him and his family. As a result, they were baptized that very night.

20. To whom was Paul privileged to give a witness, and how did he use the time during his imprisonment?

²⁰ As foretold, in Jerusalem Paul was falsely accused at the temple and dragged outside. Only the quick intervention of the Roman military commander prevented his death. Paul was thereafter privileged to give his defense before the Jewish supreme court called the Sanhedrin. But here, too, dissension arose over the message he spoke. That night an angel stood by him and told him to be of good courage. Just as he had given a thorough witness in Jerusalem so he would bear witness in Rome. (Acts 23:11) Thereafter Paul’s case was heard by Governor Felix, then by his successor, Porcius Festus, and finally by King Agrippa II, before he was sent to Rome. Two years he remained in custody, preaching to all who came to visit him. Apparently he was pronounced innocent and released by Caesar Nero.​—2 Tim. 4:16, 17.

21, 22. (a) What evidence do we have that Paul expected to die as a result of his second imprisonment? (b) Why did Paul have such strong faith?

²¹ However, Paul was imprisoned again at Rome about 65 C.E. It was during this imprisonment that he wrote his second letter to Timothy and implied that his death was near. (2 Tim. 4:6-8) Likely he suffered martyrdom at the hands of Nero in 66 C.E.