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The Macedonian Vision

¹ Now Paul also came to ^(C1)Derbe and to ^(C1)Lystra. And a disciple was there, named ^(C2)Timothy, the son of a ^(C3)Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek,² and he was well spoken of by ^(C1)the brothers and sisters who were in ^(C2)Lystra and ^(C3)Iconium.³ Paul wanted this man to leave with him; and he ^(C1)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.⁴ Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering ^(C1)the ordinances for them to follow which had been determined by ^(C2)the apostles and ^(C3)elders in Jerusalem.⁵ So ^(C1)the churches were being strengthened ^(F1)in the faith, and were ^(C2)increasing in number daily.

⁶ They passed through the ^(F1)(C1)Phrygian and ^(C2)Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in ^(F2)(C3)Asia;⁷ and after they came to ^(C1)Mysia, they were trying to go into ^(C2)Bithynia, and the ^(C3)Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;⁸ and passing by ^(C1)Mysia, they went down to ^(C2)Troas.^9 (C1)And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of ^(C2)Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."¹⁰ When he had seen ^(C1)the vision, ^(C2)we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to ^(C3)preach the gospel to them.

¹¹ So after setting sail from ^(C1)Troas, we ran ^(C2)a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis;¹² and from there to ^(C1)Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of ^(C2)Macedonia, ^(C3)a Roman colony; and we were spending some days in this city.¹³ And on ^(C1)the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were thinking that there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

First Convert in Europe

¹⁶ It happened that as we were going to ^(C1)the place of prayer, a slave woman who had ^(C2)a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing great profit to her masters by fortune-telling.¹⁷ She followed Paul and us and cried out repeatedly, saying, "These men are bond-servants of ^(C1)the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation."¹⁸ Now she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and he turned and said to the spirit, "I command you ^(C1)in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very ^(F1)moment.

¹⁹ But when her masters saw that their hope of ^(C1)profit was suddenly gone, they seized ^(C2)Paul and Silas and ^(C3)dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities,²⁰ and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men, Jews as they are, are causing our city trouble,²¹ and they ^(C1)are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are ^(C2)Romans."

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

²⁵ Now about midnight ^(C1)Paul and Silas were praying and ^(C2)singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;²⁶ and suddenly ^(C1)there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately ^(C2)all the doors were opened, and everyone's ^(C3)chains were unfastened.²⁷ When ^(C1)the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about ^(C2)to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped.²⁸ But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!"²⁹ And the jailer asked for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before ^(C1)Paul and Silas;³⁰ and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, ^(C1)what must I do to be saved?"

The Jailer Converted

³⁵ Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their officers, saying, "Release those men."³⁶ And ^(C1)the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The chief magistrates have sent word that you be released. So come out now and go ^(C2)in peace."³⁷ But Paul said to them, "After beating us in public without due process—^(C1)men who are Romans—they threw us into prison; and now they are releasing us secretly? No indeed! On the contrary, let them come ^(F1)in person and lead us out."³⁸ The officers reported these words to the chief magistrates. ^(C1)And they became fearful when they heard that they were Romans,³⁹ and they came and pleaded with them, and when they had led them out, they repeatedly asked them ^(C1)to leave the city.⁴⁰ They left the prison and entered the house of ^(C1)Lydia, and when they saw ^(C2)the brothers and sisters, they ^(F1)encouraged them and departed.