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G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Morgan - Come and Help Us - Acts 16:9 One incident helped change Western civilization—Paul’s vision of a man from northern Greece led him to take the gospel westward into Europe instead of eastward into Asia—with far-reaching results. Nearly 400 years later, a remarkably similar dream changed all of Irish history. Patrick, a teenager in England, was kidnapped by pirates and scuttled away to Ireland where he was enslaved as a herdsman of swine. There he labored six years before escaping and returning to his relatives. Back in England, he resumed his education and prepared for his career. But one evening—“in the depth of the night,” he later said—he dreamed a man from Ireland appeared to him, saying, “Holy boy, we are asking you to come home and walk among us again.” Patrick awoke “struck to the heart.” To his family’s dismay, he began making plans to return to Ireland, land of his captivity, this time as a slave of Christ. He felt God calling him there as a missionary. Arriving in Ireland in A.D. 432, Patrick went to work on the west and northern sides of the island, seeking to evangelize the Celts. These were tribal peoples who lived in clans rather than towns, and who raised cattle and occasionally engaged in tribal warfare. Their religion consisted of Druid superstitions involving magic, and animal (even human) sacrifice. Patrick traveled from village to village, preaching and evangelizing. In his Confessions, the first personal missionary accounts in history, he writes that he faced death twelve times; nevertheless, he continued for more than 30 years, planting some 200 churches and baptizing an estimated 100,000 people. He gave credit to God, calling himself, “Patrick the sinner, an unlearned man to be sure, that none should ever say that it was my ignorance that accomplished any small thing; but judge ye and let it be most truly believed, that it was the gift of God.” (From this Verse) Related Resource: Who was Saint Patrick and why do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day? The Man of Macedonia - Robert Neighbour "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us" (Acts 16:9). In the 6th verse we read concerning Paul and Timotheus, that, they "were forbidden * * to preach the Word in Asia". In verse 7 we read that "after they were come to Mysia, they assayed (were attempting) to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not". Perhaps Paul found it somewhat difficult at first to understand the reason for the blocking of his way. However he was not long in doubt. For Paul had a vision in the night, and there stood before him a man of Macedonia beseeching him, and saying, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us". Then Paul, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel unto them, "Immediately * * endeavoured to go into Macedonia". Thus did the Holy Spirit direct the feet of His servants. God saw not only the man of Macedonia, but he saw in Europe, lying beyond, a soil that would prove fertile to the Truth; and beyond Europe he saw our own land, America, in the coming days, the land of the Puritans and the land of the open heart and of freedom in worship. Thus it was that through Paul, the Gospel first traveled westward and not eastward. How thankful we should be for the man of Macedonia, and for the purposes of God which sent the Gospel out from Jerusalem, westward toward Italy and afterwards on to the British Isles, and afterward across the seas. What a debt we owe to others. Now God is calling us to girdle the whole world, east and west and north and south with the story of salvation. "Have you had a kindness shown, pass it on, 'Twas not given thee alone, pass it on; Let it travel down the years, Let it help another's fears, Till in Heaven the deed appears, Pass it on." James Smith - THE CRY OF THE HELPLESS Acts 16:9-15 Paul and Silas had been "forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia," and when they assayed to go into Bithynia, the "Spirit suffered them not." These are facts full of deep significance to every servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. They reveal how completely the Holy Spirit has control over their lives. It is the mission of this Great Teacher come from God to guide us into all truth, and to carry on the work of God through the lives of those who are wholly yielded up to Him. Our subject may be divided into three parts— 1. The New Call. "Come over into Macedonia, and help us" (v. 9). It now became plain to Paul why the Holy Spirit had been closing other doors in his face. Macedonia needed the help that Paul and Silas, apostles of the Cross of Christ, were able to give. What help could they have given if they had not been possessors of the grace of God and the knowledge of His saving power, through the death and resurrection of His beloved Son. The best help anyone can get is to be lifted out of a life of sin and hopelessness into a life of holiness and victory. How the vision came to Paul we need not stop to inquire, it was simply the Lord's way of revealing His will to His servant (Rom. 10:14-15). May we not hear this cry for help, in a muffled fashion, rising in one torm or another from every grade of social life to-day? 2. The Immediate Response. They at once obeyed, "assuredly gathering that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel unto them" (v. 10). Paul and the Gospel were so vitally joined together that an open door to him meant an open door for the Gospel of Christ. When Paul said, "To me to live is Christ," he was stating not an article in his creed, but the all-absorbing principle of his heaven-born existence. Let us beware of being disobedient to any heavenly vision that may be beckoning us into new spheres of service, or into higher and fuller experiences of the deep things of the Spirit of God. It is only those who, like Paul and Silas, have had their lives enriched with the grace and power of Jesus Christ that can render the help that is needed to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death and despair. 3. The Blessed Results (v. 13-15). They were not long in finding out the place of prayer. It may have been a spot by the river-side, set apart as a public oratory, because of its natural adaptations. In this roofless "house of prayer" Paul and Silas sat and spake the wonderful words of life to the women which resorted thither. The interest centres in a "certain woman named Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened." She had been a worshipper of God, but now the door of her heart was opened to receive the message of the Gospel, sent to her by the Lord, through His servants. Take note that the "Word of Salvation" sent from God to man is not so much for the head as for the heart. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness. The open heart will always be "attentive unto the things" spoken by the servant of God, and God is sure to open hearts for the reception of the message that He hath sent. Another evidence of the open heart is a willingness to confess Christ and a love for the fellowship of the people of God (v. 15). We can never work out our own salvation until God hath worked it in us. Some hearts are opened as with the gentle kiss of light (2 Cor. 4:6), others have been broken open as with a rod of iron. To open the heart to the Lord is to give Him the control of all the springs of the life. Son, give Me thine heart. Closed Doors Acts 16:5–10 - Charles Stanley I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. - Rev 3:8 You have heard the cliché, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” However, many times this does not hold true. God may close a door to something we desire greatly because He has something better in mind. And His best is much greater than an open window. Still, when you confront a closed door, the natural response is to ask, “Why, Lord?” Yet in Acts 16 when God closed a door of ministry, the apostle Paul never questioned God’s reasoning or timing. He might have wondered what was happening, but he never expressed anything but total trust in God’s wisdom (Acts 16:7–8). Paul and his party of missionaries responded in obedience to Christ. When you confront a closed door, turn to the Lord, and ask for His guidance and blessing. No matter how difficult it seems, surrender your personal desires concerning the entire matter. God had a plan in mind for Paul’s ministry, but at that moment it did not include Bithynia. A few days later the spiritual door was opened for him to go into Macedonia, which was an even greater field of service. God’s delays are often preludes to great blessing. His denials are sent for our protection, and the times He requires us to wait are moments He uses to build our faith. Be willing to wait for His timing in your life and ministry, and you will not be disappointed. When the apostle Paul saw in a vision the man from Macedonia, it changed the history of the world. Heeding the man's plea to "come over to Macedonia," Paul altered his plans. It was in Macedonia he led Lydia to the Lord, and it was there that the evangelization of the Western world began. All Christians should be on the lookout for "the man from Macedonia." That man or woman may be well-educated, or have no education at all. He may drive an expensive car, or he may be poor and eke out a living ransacking garbage cans. He may live next door, down the street, or across the sea. He may speak a different language. But wherever you find him, and whatever his situation, he has one pressing need -- to know Jesus Christ as his Savior. Sometimes that need is expressed as a cry for help. At other times it is veiled in bitter hostility to the Savior and the gospel. Many times his sins and errors and crimes announce this desperate condition. Yet despite the thousand different ways he voices that need, the plea is always the same: "Come over… and help us" (Acts 16:9). O stir me, O stir me, Lord, till all my heart Is filled with compassion for those who are lost, Until Your compelling love drives me to pray And follow Your leading, not counting the cost. -- Anon If you've accepted Christ's invitation to COME, have you obeyed his commission to GO? Acts 16:10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. KJV Acts 16:10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. NET Acts 16:10 After Paul saw the vision, we attempted immediately to go over to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. GNT Acts 16:10 ὡς δὲ τὸ ὅραμα εἶδεν, εὐθέως ἐζητήσαμεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς Μακεδονίαν συμβιβάζοντες ὅτι προσκέκληται ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς εὐαγγελίσασθαι αὐτούς. NLT Acts 16:10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. ESV Acts 16:10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. CSB Acts 16:10 After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them. NIV Acts 16:10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. NJB Acts 16:10 Once he had seen this vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the good news. GWN Acts 16:10 As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia. We concluded that God had called us to tell the people of Macedonia about the Good News. NRS Acts 16:10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. YLT Acts 16:10 and when he saw the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go forth to Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord hath called us to preach good news to them, immediately : Ac 10:29 26:13 Ps 119:60 Pr 3:27,28 2Co 2:12,13 Acts 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A PHYSICIAN JOINS THE TEAM As a retired physician, this is one of my favorite sections. Luke is not just writing Acts, but now he is living out Acts! I cannot wait to accost him in Heaven. O, the many wonderful things he must have seen but was not inspired to record! With a flourish of alliteration John
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Morgan writes "Oh, to go, not where I may choose, even by my love of the Lord, but where I am driven by the Lord's command. Circumstances of difficulty are opportunities for faith, and the measure of our perplexity in service and in Christian life is the measure of our opportunity. Let us follow the gleam, though the darkness threaten to envelop. Let us be true to the inward monitor, and if in being true, suddenly illness prevent, and we cannot follow, then rest in the Lord in the darkness, and know that God's shortest way to Troas may be athwart our inclinations and purposes. It is better to go to Troas with God, than anywhere else without Him." John
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Morgan - The revelation of supreme value to us in the story is that first of the power of Christ to overcome the bitterness of difficult circumstances. It was not a song of deliverance that these men were singing, but the song of perfect content in bondage. That is the supreme marvel of the Christian consciousness and the Christian triumph. Any man can sing when the prison doors are open, and he is set free. The Christian soul sings in prison. (Acts of the Apostles) F. Whitfield - While your salvation depends on Jesus and His finished work, and on that alone, your enjoyment of that salvation depends very much on yourself—on your holy walk with God, on your living a life within the veil—living daily by faith on Him Who loved you and gave Himself for you. Without this you may be a Christian, but you will never be a peaceful, praising, happy Christian. Lord teach me to praise instead of complain! Here are Paul and Silas beaten half to death with “many stripes” on their bare backs with wooden rods, and they had a prayer service! What's our excuse? These missionaries were relying on God's sufficiency. As Vance Havner said, “Our efficiency turns out to be a deficiency unless we have God’s sufficiency.” Praying and singing - Beloved if I were unjustly treated like Paul and Silas, I am afraid that too often my first reaction would be to murmur or dispute the charges (see notes Php 2:14; 2:15). However instead of complaining to God or even calling on Him to avenge their unjust treatment (see notes Ro 12:17; 18;19; 20; 21; 1Th 5:15, 1 Pe 3:9) Paul and Silas prayed and praised God (see notes 1Th 5:16; 17; 18) And one other point that could be easily overlooked. The word Luke uses for praying (proseuchomai) has no suggestion of petition ("Let us loose Lord") but to the contrary indicates their attitudes of adoration and worship! This is truly supernatural grace on display, not asking petitions (which most of us would be doing) but praising God! O, how powerful is the energizing effect of the Spirit on a heart surrendered to Jesus as these men willingly accept His cross and deny self. They were in a dark, dismal, deadly, dreary dungeon and yet they flooded the cell with Gospel glories and exuberant joy! O, to be imitators of such men (cf Heb 6:12). THOUGHT - Are you in some spiritual "night?" Trying singing and praying! Notice also that the KJV gives a misconception ("prayed and sang") as if they did it once and no more. To the contrary the present tense and praying (and imperfect for singing) indicates this was their continual activity! Amazing grace indeed! Praying (4336)(proseuchomai from pros = toward, facing, before [emphasizing the direct approach of the one who prays in seeking God’s face] + euchomai = originally to speak out, utter aloud, express a wish, then to pray or to vow. Greek technical term for invoking a deity) in the NT is always used of prayer addressed to God (to Him as the object of faith and the One who will answer one’s prayer) and means to speak consciously (with or without vocalization) to Him, with a definite aim (See study of noun proseuche). Proseuchomai encompasses all the aspects of prayer -- submission, confession, petition, supplication (may concern one's own need), intercession (concerned with the needs of others), praise, and thanksgiving. I sing praises to Your Name, oh Lord Praises to Your Name, oh Lord For Your Name is great And greatly to be praised Tertullian - “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven” (To the Martyrs 2; cf. Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 5:6). Brian Bell - What a contrast in the gospels where king Herod frets while sitting on his throne; while here, prisoners rejoice because their minds are at ease! 2.25.1. Spurgeon, “A crust of bread from one heart brings a song, from another a thousand acres of ripening grain can produce no thanksgiving.”
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Morgan adds that "Any man can sing when the prison doors are open, and he is set free. The Christian soul sings in prison. I think that Paul would probably have sung a solo had I been Silas: but I nevertheless see the glory and grandeur of the Spirit that rises superior to all the things of difficulty and limitation. Dear downcast believer, please remember that the Word of God teaches that prayer and praise are powerful weapons (Read and be encouraged by the illustration of this principle in 2 Chr 20:1-22) THOUGHT - One of the most important times to sing praise to God is when we feel imprisoned by the circumstances of life. Of course that is the time when we least likely "feel" like it! That's when we need to lean hard into the everlasting arms of our God, asking His Holy Spirit to place a song in our heart. Then like the experience of Paul and Silas in the Roman prison, it is often uncanny how prayer and praise open the doors of our lives to new dimensions of opportunity and spiritual power, including the power to persevere under whatever "prison" we find ourselves in! Singing (5214)(humneo from húmnos = hymn; English = hymn) means to celebrate or praise with a hymn, to sing a song of praise. Gilbrant - In classical Greek humneō first refers to singing a song or hymn. By extension it means to extol, praise, or affirm solemnly the nature of another. The general use of humneō in classical Greek is to sing a hymn of praise to the gods (Delling, “humnos,” Kittel, 8:490). Humneō is found in the Septuagint with abundant occurrences in the third chapter of Daniel (36 times). The basic meaning is similar to that of its classical Greek use “sing the praise of” or “magnifying through songs or hymns of praise.” Humneō in the vocabulary of the New Testament refers both to the singing of hymns of praise as well as praise to God which is not necessarily to be sung. (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) Humnos (hymnos) is a song or hymn in honor of God. The word humnos also came to mean praise to men. Whereas a psalm is the story of man's deliverance or a commemoration of mercies received, a hymn is a magnificat, a declaration of how great someone or something is (Lu 1:46-55, 67-79; Acts 4:24; 16:25). A hymn is a direct address of praise and glory to God. According to Augustine a hymn has three characteristics: It must be sung; it must be praise; it must be to God. The word "hymn" nowhere occurs in the writings of the apostolic fathers because it was used as a praise to heathen deities and thus the early Christians instinctively shrank from it. Here are the 3 other NT uses of humneo and all have Jesus singing a hymn. Won't that be incredible day when we hear Him sing a hymn? Matthew 26:30 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Mark 14:26 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Hebrews 2:12 saying, “I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.” (quoting Ps 22:22 which uses humneo) Humneo in the Septuagint - Jdg. 16:24; 1 Chr. 16:9; 2 Chr. 23:13; 2 Chr. 29:30; Neh. 12:24; Est. 4:17; Ps. 22:22; Ps. 65:13; Ps. 71:8; Prov. 1:20; Prov. 8:3; Isa. 12:4; Isa. 12:5; Isa. 25:1; Isa. 42:10; Dan. 3:24; 1 Chronicles 16:9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. 2 Chronicles 29:30 Moreover, King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with joy, and bowed down and worshiped. Isaiah 12:4+ And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted. 5 Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things; Let this be known throughout the earth. The prisoners and the guards undoubtedly heard much about Christ and His saving gospel through the hymns of Paul and Silas, as well as through their testimony of rejoicing in the midst of suffering. THOUGHT - This is another reason, we need to be very careful and very intentional in choosing the words we sing. I will never forget the story by Ira Sankey (D L Moody's worship leader) who wrote "I have a record, said a Wesleyan missionary laboring in the West Indies, of two hundred persons, young and old, who received the most direct evidence of the forgiveness of their sins while singing Arise, my soul (written by Charles Wesley). The conversion of the greater number of these persons took place while I was a missionary abroad." UPSHOT - If your church does not sing some of the doctrinally rich hymns of old, than you are missing a golden opportunity to edify and encourage the saints and even see some conversions! Catchy Christian songs with cute lyrics don't hold a candle to hymns like "And Can It Be," etc. John Stott quips that "Instead of cursing men, they blessed God." During Paul's second missionary journey, the apostle and his compatriot, Silas, found their ministry causing a riot, and they felt the brunt of it. Their clothes were torn from them, and they were beaten and thrown into prison. Stress? Yes! Anxiety? Every legitimate reason for it! How did Paul and Silas handle it? What kept them from breaking? Acts 16:25 gives us the answer, "But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God." They turned their focus from the present pressures of their lives to the throne of their sovereign Abba Father -- and the tension was relieved. When sheep become tense, edgy, and restless, the shepherd will quietly move through the flock, and his very presence will release the tension of the sheep and quiet their anxieties. Their shepherd is there! And this is what happens when we begin to worship our God and our Lord in song. We move into a consciousness of His presence, and the tension begins to unravel, the tautness of the pressure eases, anxieties become meaningless, for we are reminded that He is there -- our Jehovah Shamah, our all-sufficient sovereign God. He inhabits the praises of His people. Songs that stir your soul to worship…songs that bring tears of gratitude to your eyes…spiritual songs and making melody in your heart is God's way of delivering you from the stresses of the world. John