Acts 16
1 Now they attained to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold a certain disciple was there by name Timothy, son of a Jewish woman of [the] faith but [a] Greek father, 2 who was [well] testified by the brothers in Lystra and Oconia. 3 Paul wanted this [one] to come with him, and having received [him] we circumcised him because of the Jews being in those places, for they all knew that his father was [a] Greek. 4 Now as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to be guarding, judged by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5 Indeed therefore the assemblie1 were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.6 Now they went through Phrygia and Galaticia regions, having been forbidden2 by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 So having come by way of Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, and the spirit of Jesus did not let them, 8 so having passed through Mysia they went down to Troada. 9 And [a] vision was seen by Paul in the night, a certain Macedonian man was standing and calling upon him and saying: Having come over to Macedonia, help us. 10 Now as he saw the vision, straightway we sought to go to Macedonia, having inferred that God had summoned us to be good-newsing them. 11 So having departed from Troades, we ran straight to Samothraka, and next to [the] city Nea, 12 and from there to Phillipi, which is first of the Macedonian district, [a] colony. Now we were staying in this city several days. 13 And on the day of the Sabbaths we went out of the gate beside the river, where we were thinking to be [in] prayer; and having sat, we were speaking to the women having come together. 14 And a certain woman by name Lydia, [a] dealer in purple cloth of the city of Thyatira, worshipping God, heard, whose heart the Lord opened to be heeding the [things] spoken by Paul. 15 Now as she was baptized and her house, she called upon [us] saying: If you have judged me to be trustworthy to the Lord, having gone into my house, be abiding; and she strongly urged us. 16 Now it came to pass while we were going to pray, a certain maid-servant having [a] spirit of divination met us, who, giving oracles, was causing much profit to her Lords. 17 This [one], following Paul and us, was crying out saying: These men are slaves of the most high God, who proclaim to you [the] way of salvation. 18 Now she was doing this for many days. So Paul having become annoyed and having turned to the spirit he said: I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out from her. And it came out in that hour. 19 So her lords having seen that their hope of profit went out, having taken Paul and Silas, they dragged3 them to the marketplace to the rulers. 20 And having brought them to the soldiers they said: These men agitate our city, being Jews, 21 and they proclaim customs which it is not permissible for us to be receiving or doing, [we] being Romans. 22 And the crowd rose up against them, and the soldiers having torn off their garments, they ordered to be beating them. 23 So having placed on them many blows, they threw them into prison, having ordered the jailer to securely keep them, 24 who having received such [an] order, he threw them into the innermost prison, and secured their feet in the stocks. 25 Now around midnight Paul and Silas praying were singing praise to God, and the guards listened to them. 26 Now suddenly [a] great earthquake came to pass, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and all the bonds were unfastened. 27 So the jailer having become awake, and having drawn his sword he was [about] to do away with himself, thinking the prisoners to be escaped.4 28 But Paul called out with [a] great voice saying: You should do nothing evil to yourself, for we are all here. 29 So having asked5 lights he ran in, and having become trembling, he fell before Paul and Silas, 30 and having brought them out he said: Lords, what must I be doing in order that I be saved? 31 So they said: Believe upon the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your house. 32 And they spoke the word of the lord with all those in his house. 33 So having taken them in that hour of the night, he washed [their] wounds, and immediately he was baptized and all his [house]. 34 And having led them up to his house he set [a] table before them, and all his household having believed in God rejoiced. 35 Now when day came to pass, the soldiers sent the policemen saying: Release those men. 36 Now the jailer reported these words to Paul, that: The soldiers have sent that you be released. Now therefore having come out, be going in peace. 37 But Paul said to them: Having publicly beat us without trial, [we] being Romans, they threw us in prison; and now secretly they put us out? But no, rather having come they should lead us out. 38 So the policemen reported these words to the soldiers. Now they feared having heard that they are Romans, 39 and having come they called upon them, and having led them out they were asking6 [them] to depart from the city. 40 So having come out from the prison they went to Lydia, and having seen the brothers they exhorted [them] and went out.
1EKKLESIA (εκκλησια) from "called out". Appears 114 times in the N.T., but only in two places in the Gospels ( Matt.16:18 (twice) and Matt.18:17 (twice)). It's worth noting that when Jesus uses the term EKKLESIA, Christian community as we know it didn't yet exist—there were only the disciples. EKKLESIA is apparently different from 'synagogue' (SYNAGOGE (συναγωγη) which occurs 56 times in the N.T.) EKKLESIA is used in secular Greek literature of a popular assembly 'called to assemble', and also of those 'called' to a cult. EKKLESIA is used frequently in the N.T. outside of the Gospels to refer to Christian communities, but in Acts.7:38 it is used of the people of Israel led through the desert by Moses, and in Acts.19:32 ff. of a secular assembly. Thus, all told, the common translation of EKKLESIA as 'church' doesn't really reflect 1st century usage—it seems to mean more like 'a group of people assembled for some specific purpose'.
2or "hindered", "prevented"
3ELKUO (ελκυω) `Tug', `draw'; of persons it can mean `compel'. It is used of a magnet (by Eubulos). It is a powerful impulse. It occurs in John.6:44, John.12:32, John.18:10, John.21:11, Acts.16:19
4Roman guards on duty when a prisoner escaped were put to death.
5AITEO "ay-TEH-oh" (αιτεω) "request", "demand", "beg" something for oneself. Far from humbly requesting—it's more like 'demanding'. Jesus uses AITEO only of the prayer of others, not of His own (cf. John.16:26)—and not requesting things for Himself, only for others. AITEO seems to suppose a lesser degree of intimacy than EROTAO (ερωταω), hence AITEO is used of the requests of the disciples to God, but EROTAO of the requests of the disciples to Jesus, and of those of Jesus to the Father ( John.14:16). AITEO is demanding/begging/pleading, EROTAO is polite and friendlier. Both AITEO and EROTAO occur in John.16:26.
6EROTAO (ερωταω) "Ask", but more polite, not demanding/begging as is AITEO. Both AITEO and EROTAO occur in John.16:26.