And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia: and having seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed.
εξελθοντες δε εκ της φυλακης εισηλθον προς την λυδιαν και ιδοντες τους αδελφους παρεκαλεσαν αυτους και εξηλθον
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
But they came to Lydia and comforted her, and only then "departed." It was not fitting to leave a hospitable woman in grief and perplexity. They "departed" not because they obeyed the authorities, but because they hastened to the preaching. This city had already received sufficient benefit from the miracle. It was not fitting to remain there longer. The miracle appears greater when those who performed it depart. Then the miracle itself cries out more loudly.
It was not fitting to leave in anxiety and care the woman who had shown them hospitality. Despite the urging of the magistrates, they did not wish to depart without visiting the simple woman and the others whom they called brethren. How great were their humility and love!
How great were their modesty and love! They did not wish to leave, though the magistrates were hurrying them, without first going to the simple woman and to the rest, whom they called brethren, and saying farewell to them.
Meanwhile the city authorities sent an order to the jailer to release the apostles. They may have been frightened by the night’s occurrence, informed by the jailer about the extraordinary event in the prison, or moved by other reasons. Paul and Silas, having suffered torment for the name of Christ, now wished to turn the present disposition of the city authorities toward them to the benefit of the Gospel. “No,” Paul answered, “we were publicly insulted, punished without trial, and beaten with rods, though we are Roman citizens, contrary to the laws.
Let the authorities themselves come to the prison to release us from our bonds and thereby make amends for their fault.” Without doubt, this was bound to produce a strong effect on the city authorities and make them pay greater attention to their preaching. Fear of retribution for the insult could dispose them favorably toward the newly formed society of Christians. But if the apostles had left the prison merely by order of the authorities, the city might have retained the unjust opinion of them and their followers that greed and malice had suggested. Thus Paul did not wish to neglect any means for the benefit of the Gospel. The authorities fulfilled his wish and thereby showed what impression the deeds of Paul and Silas had made on them. Yet, probably in order not to stir up unrest among the people, they required them to leave the city. Paul and Silas did not resist. They only went into Lydia’s house and gave the believers a farewell consolation and instruction. But they left Timothy and Luke in their place to continue the work that had begun. Timothy is mentioned already in Berea (Acts 17:14). Since Timothy was not personally known to the Thessalonians, Paul commends him to them in 1 Thess 3:2. As for Luke, from the time of the Apostle Paul’s departure from Troas (Acts 16:10) he had spoken of Paul in the first-person plural. Now he narrates about the apostle in the third person. Five or six years later Luke is again found in Philippi (Acts 20:6). It is unknown whether he spent all that time there. The Philippian Christians were so devoted to Paul that they repeatedly sent him monetary aid, even to Thessalonica (Phil 4:15–16). During his stay in Rome they also sent brethren to him to share in his afflictions (v. 14).
Yet even here divine help did not forsake the apostles. A miraculous earthquake shook the foundation of the prison building, opened all its doors, and loosened the bonds of all the prisoners. It converted to Christ the jailer with his whole household. On the next day the city authorities wished to release Christ’s prisoners without trial, just as they had cast them into prison without trial. Then the Apostle Paul made use of the rights of Roman citizenship, so that the arbitrariness of civil authorities might in future place fewer obstacles before the word of God. He compelled the city authorities publicly to apologize before him and Silas for the dishonor inflicted without trial upon them, Roman citizens.
After apologizing to the apostles, the authorities asked them to leave the city, and the preachers of Christ departed from Philippi. Further on, in Acts 16:40–17:1, the writer says, “they departed.” This gives grounds for thinking that the Evangelist Luke did not leave Philippi with Paul and Silas. Rather, he was left there for a time to order the newly founded Church.
But the apostles, conscious of the great right of Roman citizenship behind them, did not immediately fulfill the request of the base magistrates. They went instead to Lydia's hospitable house, instructed the Christians gathered there, and then left the city in peace.
The apostles agreed to this request. But before departing, they came to Lydia (Acts 16:14–15) and saw the brethren gathered there, both Luke and Timothy, and probably some of the newly converted. They instructed them to remain firm in the faith of Christ despite persecution from unbelievers; compare Acts 14:22. Then they departed. From the connection of the narrative, only Paul and Silas departed, while Luke and Timothy probably remained there for a time. They stayed to order and increase the young Christian community in Philippi. That Luke at least remained there is evident from the change of tone in the further narrative (Acts 17:1 and following): “they,” not “we.” Timothy soon appears again with the apostle in Berea (Acts 17:14). But he could have come there from Philippi somewhat after Paul and Silas had departed from there.
The magistrates’ apology before the apostles took place at the very hour when they learned of Paul and Silas’s Roman citizenship. They were greatly frightened because they had violated the laws forbidding the beating of Roman citizens with rods, and this was punished severely. After the apology the apostles insisted on nothing more. When they were asked to leave the city, they soon fulfilled the authorities’ wish, yet they still managed to visit Lydia and give the believers the instruction that was due. “See how variously grace acts,” exclaims Saint John Chrysostom, “how Peter came out, and how Paul! ‘They were afraid,’ says the writer. They are afraid because they are Romans, not because they had unjustly imprisoned them. And they asked them to depart.
They asked this as a favor, like the Gadarenes. But they came to Lydia, comforted her, and then departed. For it was not right to leave the hospitable woman in perplexity and sorrow. They departed not because they obeyed the authorities, but because they hastened to the preaching. This city had already received sufficient benefit from the miracle. It was not fitting to remain there longer, for a miracle appears greater when those who performed it depart. Then the miracle itself cries out more loudly. The faith of the jailer served here in place of preaching. If someone were persuaded about ordinary things, that would not be astonishing. But when simple people hear philosophical teaching about the resurrection, the Kingdom of Heaven, and life, and are persuaded, this is far more astonishing than persuading the wise. Therefore let us think of that night, of the chains, and of the hymn-singing, and let us strive to act likewise. Then we too shall open for ourselves not a prison, but heaven, if we pray.” It must be thought that during Saint Paul’s present stay in Philippi, he received many lofty spiritual consolations from his new children. This is clearly reflected in the epistle he later wrote to them, which breathes a spirit of joy, love, and gratitude; see Phil 1:5, Phil 2:12, Phil 4:6. “I thank my God,” the apostle writes, “at every remembrance of you, always making prayer for you all with joy, and I am confident of you, my beloved. You have always been obedient, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence.... In the midst of a crooked generation you shine as lights, holding the word of life to my praise in the day of Christ.”
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 16 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS