16:40 {22} And they went out of the prison, and entered into [the house of] Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
(22) We may avoid dangers in such a way that we never neglect our duty.
16:40 When they had seen the brethren. Who now met at the house of Lydia. The church thus planted grew and was afterwards honored with an apostolic letter.
Departed. To another field of labor. The reader should pause to reflect that Philippi had been the first place, so far as we know, where the gospel was preached in Europe (Ac 16:12,13), that a woman was the first convert (Ac 16:14,15), that the messengers of the cross were met with blows, torture, and the dungeon (Ac 16:22-24), but through grace and the power of God triumphed gloriously (Ac 16:40). While Paul was in his next field of labor, Thessalonica, this young church of Philippi twice sent contributions to sustain him (Php 4:15,16).
16:40 When they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed - Though many circumstances now invited their stay, yet they wisely complied with the request of the magistrates, that they might not seem to express any degree of obstinacy or revenge, or give any suspicion of a design to stir up the people.
16:35-40 Paul, though willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, and without any desire to avenge himself, did not choose to depart under the charge of having deserved wrongful punishment, and therefore required to be dismissed in an honourable manner. It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle stood upon, but justice, and not to himself so much as to his cause. And when proper apology is made, Christians should never express personal anger, nor insist too strictly upon personal amends. The Lord will make them more than conquerors in every conflict; instead of being cast down by their sufferings, they will become comforters of their brethren.
