One could write comments easily about any part of this chapter. I will focus in on a couple of points.
First we learn a bit more here about Timothy who later becomes a great preacher in the Lord. Read Paul’s letters to this young preacher in the Epistles to Timothy for more of that. Note that he was already a disciple…..
Act 16:1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
Act 16:2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
Act 16:3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
BTW he is mention frequently in the texts: G5095 (KJC)
Τιμόθεος Timotheos Total KJV Occurrences: 24
timotheus, 17 Act 16:1, Act 17:14-15 (2), Act 18:5, Act 19:22, Act 20:4, Rom 16:21, 1Co 4:17, 1Co 16:10, 2Co 1:19, Php 1:1, Php 2:19, Col 1:1, 1Th 3:1-2 (2), 1Th 3:6, 2Th 1:1
timothy, 7 2Co 1:1, 1Ti 1:2, 1Ti 1:18, 1Ti 6:20, 2Ti 1:2, Phm 1:1, Heb 13:23
Notice also the same decrees sent to the gentle Christians in Antioch were take here:
Acts 16:4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
Note also that Lydia was called of God and she had her whole household baptized. We have seen this before with Cornelius. She offered hospitality. These principles are a model even until this day. We have been studying the section of the WCF on baptism and it seems that text is consistent with these passages. There is no reason to think children were not present or excluded from baptism.
Act 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Act 16:15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
The same can be said of the Jail Keeper. We don’t have explicit words of his calling, but we have the response: “What must I do?” Which also is a repetition of what we observed earlier.
Act 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
Act 16:29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
Act 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Act 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Act 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
Act 16:34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Before closing note that they were put in prison after their act of healing the demon possessed woman who was bringing great gain to her keepers. Also note Paul was grieved by her continued following them and proclaiming they had the way of salvation. On the surface one might have thought he would be thankful for this insight, which was in fact true, but inappropriately given by the demon in her. So just as Jesus rebuked the demons in people he encountered, Paul here does likewise. Old John Gill says: Acts 16:18
And this she did many days,…. As the apostle and his company passed to and from the oratory, being for that time at Lydia’s house; she followed them, and repeated the above words. This she was suffered to do, time after time; not that the apostle and his friends wanted such a testimony, or that it was of any use to them; but that the expulsion of the evil spirit might be more manliest, and more taken notice of:
but Paul being grieved; at the unhappy condition the maid was in, being possessed with such a spirit: and that the people were so imposed upon and deluded by it; and that it should be thought that there was any combination and agreement between that and him:
Act 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
Act 16:17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
Act 16:18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
Act 16:19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
Rainbow Trout 