Day 257: Acts 16:16–24

They said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews, and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice” (vv. 20–21).

You may be wondering why four men preached the gospel in Philippi but only two of them were punished. Where were Luke and Timothy when the sparks started flying? The Roman world had recently experienced a fresh surge of anti-Semitism, and Emperor Claudius had expelled all Jews from Rome. Because few things are more contagious than prejudice, Philippi (a Roman colony) quickly caught the virus. Timothy and Luke may have been considered Gentiles by the Roman authorities. Since the governors of Philippi knew virtually nothing about Christianity, Paul and Silas were dragged before a strongly anti-Semitic magistrate and persecuted because of their Jewish heritage.

Imagine how the foursome felt: divided over their backgrounds, two were freed, and two were carried away maliciously. I’m not at all sure which two had the easier sentence. The book of Hebrews acknowledges the kinds of roles both pairs played: “Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way (Heb. 10:32–33 hcsb).

God is very aware that standing close to someone who is hurting hurts! He does it every day. But whether we are the ones suffering or we’re alongside another, His grace is sufficient for our need. So you can cry out for help, even when you’re hurting for someone else. He’ll hear you and acknowledge your need!

Luke and Timothy deeply needed God’s comfort as they watched the severe flogging of their partners. First, Paul and Silas were stripped—an incomprehensible humiliation to anyone with a Jewish background. Then they were mercilessly beaten with rods.

Paul probably suffered in both ways. He suffered his own blows, but he also stood by Silas as he was stripped and severely whipped. Can you imagine how Paul ached for his new assistant? Did he wonder if Silas could take it? If so, he found that no one needed to underestimate Silas. Luke and Timothy strained for a last look at their partners as the authorities dragged them to prison, wondering if they would ever see them again. In some ways, Luke and Timothy’s night may have been longer than Silas and Paul’s.