Acts 16

Paul and Silas meet Timothy on their trip. Everyone knows Timothy had a Greek father and Jewish mother (therefore was not circumcised.) In a strange twist, Paul has Timothy circumcised (in opposition to the intent of the Jerusalem Council) maybe to give him credibility. This is further made strange since their message to the locals was that the Jerusalem church accepted them (Gentiles) fully without Jewish customs.

The Holy Spirit leads Paul, even to the point of discouraging his own thoughts of where to go. Paul has a vision to go over to Greece. He had been in Asia Minor (Turkey.)  Notice the word "we" crops up. Could it be that Luke (Acts' author) was actually present for this trip?

Paul does not go to the local synagogue this time but goes to where people pray on the Sabbath. They wind up at a river and meet some women in prayer. Here, we should note, that men did not interact with women. Paul is doing some new and radical stuff. If letting in Gentiles was big, interacting with women was also big.  Lydia, a business woman, and her household are baptized. Paul and his team stay with her.

Paul casts out a spirit from a woman who follows (bugs?) them. This was a problem because the girl made a lot of money for her owner by predicting the future. Now she couldn't. Paul and Silas are arrested and charged with treason (going against Roman rule.) They are beaten and jailed.

While praying and singing (remember Peter?,) an earthquake comes and their chains fall off and the prison doors open. The jailer gets ready to commit suicide (did he know of the executions for Peter's jailor?) Paul tells him that he is still there in jail and preaches the Gospel to the jailer!

 In the morning, Paul and Silas are ordered to be released. Paul makes a fuss since he is a Roman citizen (by birth) and has certain rights others do not have. The local leaders are afraid because they should not have imprisoned Roman citizens without a trial.  The leaders beg Paula and Silas to leave town.