Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles
9 - Riot, Prison, Miracle and Encouragement
We are following the Apostle Paul and his companions, Silas and Doctor Luke on Paul’s second missionary journey. They have come to the city of Philippi and are staying at the home of Lydia, a business woman who as a result of Paul’s witness had, along with other members of her family, became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We take up the story in Acts chapter 16 verse 16 where we read: “Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who was possessed by a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.’ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned round and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her. Once again in this story of the great Apostle we see the power there is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. His is the power over sickness and over demons like the one that possessed this sad girl. When the owners of the slave girl realised that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place to face the authorities.” The result of this was that after a series of false accusations and the fermenting of a riot, Paul and Silas were stripped and beaten and thrown into prison. The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully, so he fastened their feet in the stocks and they were left there with their terrible wounds unwashed and undressed.
The behaviour of these disciples of Christ in the prison beautifully illustrates the correct response to unjust suffering. Far from bemoaning their situation, as we so often are prone to do, these faithful servants of God accept the circumstances in which they are placed and they REJOICE! We read that at about midnight Paul and Silas were found praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them. What a testimony to the faith of these men of God! They were putting into practice a principle that James writes about in his letter, in chapter 1 verses 2 to 4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James follows this up with a word of encouragement for those who are suffering for Christ. He says in verse 12: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
Suddenly God intervened on behalf of his imprisoned servants. There was a great earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. The prison doors flew open and all the prisoner’s chains came loose. The jailer awakened by the shock saw the prison doors open and concluded that the prisoners had escaped. Since his life was the guarantee of the prisoners being held securely, he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” It is an exciting story, but it has an even more exciting outcome. The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He brought them out of the prison and asked them the most important question that anyone can ask: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Perhaps he feared for his own life or perhaps he had heard the cries of the demon possessed girl when she said, “These men are servants of the Most high God who are telling you the way to be saved.” Whatever the motive behind his question, he probably did not expect the kind of answer he got from Paul and Silas. In one brief sentence they preached the gospel to him. They said to the jailer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household.” Then we are told that they “spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.” That would have been a detailed explanation of what it means to be saved from the penalty of sin through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who has by his death on the cross paid that penalty for us all.
It is evident from all that follows in Luke’s account of these events that this hardened man responded to the message; recognising that he was a sinner in need of salvation he placed his trust in Christ as his saviour. Luke records in verse 33, “At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds.” He brought them into his house and set a meal before them. We are told that “he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole family.” Listening friend, have you experienced the real joy of knowing that your sins are forgiven and that you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ?
There was real evidence of the grace of God in the life of this man and his family members. And just as Lydia and her household had believed and were baptised, so the Philippian jailer and his household were immediately baptised in confession of their new found faith in the Lord Jesus. Throughout the book of Acts we note that all who believed were prepared to give witness to the fact that they had begun a new life in Christ. They were turning their backs on their old ways by giving public testimony in baptism.
This account of the Apostle’s visit to Philippi has one more remarkable turn (verse 35). “When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: ‘Release those men.’ The jailer told Paul, ‘The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.’ But Paul said to the officers,’ They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out. On hearing Paul’s statement that they were Roman citizens the authorities were alarmed and they came to the prison to appease them and they escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.”
We note that Paul and Silas did not immediately get out of Philippi where they had been made so unwelcome. Luke records that before they left “they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.” Here was a small, new group of Christian believers who were going to be left for the time being in the care of their new found Lord, but Paul, ever concerned for the welfare of those whom he led to Christ, takes time to give them a word of encouragement. The care of the churches was something that was always on the mind of this great Apostle. Sometime later when the church had been established with its own elders and deacons, he would write them a wonderful letter thanking God for every remembrance of them and assuring them of his prayers. The Lord had begun a good work in Philippi through the faithful witness of Paul and Silas and the Lord would carry it on to completion until Christ returned.