Gospel Transformation
Do you like transformations? I do! I’m not talking about Transformers, which those are cool too, but something changing from dilapidated to beautiful. The first fixer upper show I remember was a huge it. It was Extreme Home Makeover. They would come in a completely remodel a house for a family in need. To reveal the big transformation everyone would yell “Move that bus!” And everyone would be in awe and tears would be flowing because of the transformation that has taken place.
In Acts 16:11-40, we see three life-transforming encounters…three completely different people and situations but the same gospel that brings about the transformation.
Recognize and follow God’s direction. (Acts 16:11-15)
In Acts 16:11-15, Paul's obedience to God's direction in his vision led him to Macedonia, a region ripe for the spread of the Gospel. And God was propelling them, with winds pushing them from behind, and they sailed the 156 miles in just two days, where when they returned, it took them five days.[1] They then made their way to Philippi.
Where did they always go first to share the gospel when they arrived to a new location? They would always go to the synagogue. We don’t see them do that here. This is likely because there wasn’t enough Jews, people seeking to worship God, to form a synagogue. A minimum of ten Jewish men was necessary to constitute a regular synagogue. When there was no synagogue, people would gather by a ritually pure place near water for their times of prayer and worship.[2]
That’s where they encountered Lydia. She was a wealthy businesswoman known for dealing in purple cloth. Purple was a symbol of luxury and status in the ancient world. Lydia's position as a seller of purple indicates her affluence and influence in society. The rich and poor alike need the transforming salvation of Jesus.
Since the reason she was at a prayer meeting at the waterside was likely because there wasn’t enough Jews to gather as a synagogue, and verse 14 calls her a “worshiper of God,” this shows us that she was seeking God. So, she was receptive to the gospel. She was seeking God, and God led Paul to her.
Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
What's truly remarkable about Lydia's conversion is not just the event itself, but the way it reveals God's sovereign hand at work. Before Paul and his team even set foot in Philippi, God had orchestrated it, both calling Paul there and drawing the heart of Lydia to himself. This challenges us to recognize and follow God's direction in our own lives. Just as He guided Paul and Silas to Philippi, He continues to lead and direct us today.
Who are you seeking out? Who is God placing in your path? Who in here has God been drawing your heart to believe?
We take a turn now from a wealthy woman who was seeking God to a demon-possessed slave girl. Here’s the thing. Both needed the same salvation in Jesus.
Respond to trials with faithful prayer and joyful praise. (Acts 16:16-25)
Paul and Silas end up being beaten and thrown into prison, and we will see their response, but it started first with an encounter with a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination, which was a stark contrast to Lydia's life of wealth. Yet, both are in need of the same salvation found in Jesus Christ. It's a powerful reminder that the Gospel is for everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances.
In Acts 16:16-25, the encounter with the slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination delves into profound spiritual and cultural dimensions. The term "spirit of divination" is significant, as it echoes the mythological background of the region. The phrase literally reads, “spirit python.”[3] In Greek mythology, Pythia was the priestess of Apollo at Delphi and believed to possess prophetic powers. Over time the word python, for them, came to mean a demon possessed person through whom the Python spoke.[4]
The slave girl's situation reflects the pervasive influence of pagan beliefs in the ancient world, where people often sought guidance and insight from oracles and mediums. The owners of this slave girl capitalized on the pervasiveness of this belief and made a business out of it.
You might be wondering why they would stop the demon-possesses girl from saying true things about God. The girl was possessed by a demon. In the gospels, demon-possessed people say true things about Jesus, but Jesus rebukes them every time and tells them to come out. I want you to hear some of them.
Mark 1:24-25 – 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
Mark 5:7-8 – 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
Luke 4:34-35 – 34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.
I wonder how many are led astray by demons, thinking they are on the right path, even speaking some true things about God.
This is what Paul does, and the demon came out of her that very hour. Though we are slowly transformed into the likeness of Christ, there is a life transformation that happens immediately when we experience the salvation of Jesus. This life transformation often causes problems with those who don’t believe. Because the old person is gone. This is what we see here and what led to Paul and Silas being beaten and thrown into prison.
The girl's owners, realizing that their source of income had been taken away, seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities. They were falsely accused of disturbing the peace and promoting unlawful customs, leading to their beating and unjust imprisonment.
Hear what R. Kent Hughes says about this:
“The officials who punished Paul and Silas were called lictors in Latin. This is where the expression “getting your licks” came from. The evangelists’ backs were reduced to a sticky, swollen mass of lacerated skin and dried blood. The jailer perhaps went a step further than necessary, brutally putting them in the stocks. They could not lie down without tearing up their backs even worse. If that had been us, we might have wallowed in self-pity or plotted revenge or cursed our enemies. But victorious gospel power resounded in that inner cell!”
He then quotes verses 25: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” This was more powerful than the earthquake that would soon follow! They knew that whatever situation they were in, God was with them in it. God had led them there, even to that prison. So, they could pray and praise!
But God doesn't stop there. He orchestrates a divine rescue mission, not just for Paul and Silas, but for the jailer and his household as well.
Share the transformative power of the Gospel in all circumstances. (Acts 16:26-34)
The jailer, initially shaken by the earthquake and the fear of consequences, is moved by the response of Paul and Silas. Instead of escaping when given the chance, they remain in their cells, assuring the jailer that all the prisoners are still present. This act of integrity and compassion speaks volumes to the jailer, prompting him to cry out about salvation.
As the jailer, fearing for his life upon discovering the prison doors open, prepares to take his own life, Paul intervenes with a life-changing proclamation: "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!" This simple yet profound act of compassion opens the door for the jailer to encounter the life-transforming message of the Gospel.
This hardened Roman jailer, accustomed to inflicting pain and enforcing order, was suddenly confronted with the reality of his own mortality. What do you do when you’re confronted with your own mortality? Trembling with fear, he falls before Paul and Silas, desperately pleading, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" In this moment, we witness the power of God's grace to penetrate even the hardest of hearts and bring about a radical transformation.
In a moment of desperation, the jailer cries out, "What must I do to be saved?" And Paul's response is simple yet profound: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." It's a message that still rings true today, offering salvation to all who believe.
In an act of radical obedience, the jailer and his household respond in faith, immediately receiving baptism and publicly declaring their allegiance to Jesus Christ. It's a powerful testament to the transformative power of the Gospel! And we are to proclaim the gospel in all circumstances.
Pursue hospitality for the sake of the gospel. (Acts 16:34-40)
Following their liberation, Paul and Silas find themselves in the unexpected position of advocating for their rights as Roman citizens, challenging the authorities and asserting their innocence. This might seem out of place, as you have never seen Paul do something like that before. Paul was protecting the newly formed church there. “A public escort from jail by the ruling magistrates would publish their innocence, and that would bring protection to Lydia and her house church as well.”[5] They were serving the church in Philippi. In a way they were showing hospitality to those who have shown hospitality to them.
Both Lydia and the jailer had demonstrated hospitality towards Paul and Silas. Lydia opened her home to them immediately after her conversion, urging them to stay with her. Later, her house would become the gathering place for the entire church in Philippi (40).[6] Similarly, the jailer, after experiencing a radical transformation through the Gospel, invited Paul and Silas into his home, offering them food and care.
When God opens our hearts, He also opens our homes. The gospel comes with a house key.[7]
As we reflect on these life-transforming encounters, let's ask ourselves: Who is God placing in our path? How are we responding to trials and adversity? And are we extending hospitality and grace to those around us, sharing the hope and transformation found in Jesus? May we be bold and faithful witnesses, proclaiming the Gospel message no matter the circumstance.
[1] R. Kent Hughes, Acts, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1996), 211.
[2] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014), 369.
[3] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2017), 226.
[4] Hughes, Acts, 214.
[5] Hughes, Acts, 219.
[6] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2017), 225.
[7] https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Comes-House-Key-Post-Christian/dp/143355786X
