As they were in the region, they came across a girl who was a fortune-teller (16:16a). Her “skill” apparently brought great financial gain to a group of men whom Luke refers to as her masters. When this girl encountered Paul, she began following him around saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation” (16:17). This went on for many days until Paul became “greatly annoyed” so he turned to the girl and commanded that the unclean spirit come out of her (16:18). The demon spirit immediately left the girl. Although this girl was now freed from the demon who had possessed her for so long, the men who depended on her fortune-telling for income did not appreciate Paul’s actions. So when they saw that the spirit was gone out of the girl, they became very angry and had Paul and Silas thrown into jail (16:19-24). Luke is very careful to mention that Paul and Silas were placed into the most secure place within the jail and their feet were fastened in the stocks (16:24).
While they were in the prison, Paul and Silas were “praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (16:25). There was joy in their hearts in spite of their imprisonment because their faith was in God, not in circumstances. We have much to learn from this. As this singing and praying was going on around midnight, a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison so that the doors swung wide open and all the chains fell off of the prisoners (16:26). The ruckus caused the prison guard to awake and when he saw that the doors were opened, he assumed the prisoners had also escaped so he was going to kill himself (16:27). If the prisoners had escaped, his punishment would have been death anyway so he decided to take his life into his own hands; however, before the prison guard could commit suicide, Paul called out saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here” (16:28).
The guard, who had earlier heard them singing and praying, fell before Paul and asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul then gives one of the clearest answers written in the Bible as to how a person is saved from sin and death when he says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (16:31). Belief in God or a god does not bring saving faith, but only faith in Jesus Christ alone brings salvation from the power of sin and death. What must a person believe about Jesus Christ in order to be saved? Jesus Christ came to earth to pay the penalty needed to satisfy the wrath of God on sin, which was death. Instead of demanding the death of the sinner, God the Father loved mankind so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for us (John 3:16). Therefore, those who will accept by faith Jesus’ sacrifice on their behalf will be made righteous and avoid paying for their sin for all of eternity in hell (John 3:36). Paul writes to the church at Corinth, “For He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us [mankind], that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We then find Paul preaching to the Philippian jailer and his household, who express faith in Jesus Christ, and they are baptized (16:33-34).
As morning dawns, the city officials (not knowing what had happened the night before) call for the prisoners to be let go (16:35). We can safely assume that the prison guard brought Paul and Silas back to the jail, but when he told Paul and Silas that they were free and to depart in peace, Paul refused to go quietly (16:36). He boldly spoke saying, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out” (16:37). It was illegal for the city officials to punish and imprison a Roman citizen, so they became fearful “when they heard they were Romans” (16:38). To cover up their wrongdoing, the city magistrates begged Paul and Silas to depart from Philippi so they went to the house of Lydia (16:39-40).
This is an amazing story of the power of God to protect those who belong to Him. May we never forget that we serve the same God who delivered Paul and Silas in their time of trial and He is also able to deliver us. Although God does not always bring deliverance in the ways we expect, He will provide the strength to endure. As Paul and Silas had joy in the midst of their trial, we must find joy in God, not circumstances.
Dear God, give me joy in the midst of circumstances because my eyes are on You.
