Paul's Conversions At Philip Acts 16:12-24Acts records yet another illustration of God's turning bad circumstances into spiritual victory. Falsely accused, savagely beaten, and unjustly imprisoned, Paul and Silas saw God use those circumstances to bring salvation to an entire household of a businesswoman named Lydia.The results of Paul's miraculous deliverance of the demon-possessed girl v. 16-18. Paul's ministry had made its first beachhead in Europe at the important city of Philippi. Along with his fellow missionaries (Silas, Timothy, and Luke) he evangelized a group of women, both Jews and proselytes. One of the proselytes, Lydia, was converted along with her household v. 14-15, and the Philippian church was born.Satan was quick to react, first attempting to infiltrate the young fellowship with a demon-possessed medium. When Paul's miraculous power thwarted that attempt, Satan tried to destroy the church through persecution. Those are always his two avenues of attack: infiltration—attacking the church from within; and persecution, attacking it from without.They commanded the demon to come out of her in Jesus's name. It did! This, however, angered her master, who began speaking out against the Apostle Paul and his team. This master got them thrown into the inner dungeon of a prison with their feet in stocks. But Paul and Silas didn't lose their courage. They kept singing hymns to their God, even from prison! God's marvelous turning of persecution into triumph unfolds in five sequential stages: persecution, praise, preaching, provision, and protection. |