25. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
The darkest part of the night found voices raised to God in praise and thanksgiving. What does this poor, dark world today hear from us? They who are without Christ are prisoners. How beautiful to note that Paul and Silas are not referred to as prisoners, for the Son had made them free. What liberty we have in Christ—liberty to sing in the darkest, most painful and depressing circumstances of life.
26. “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”
All of man’s monumental efforts to impede and thwart the gospel of the grace of God are quickly proven worthless against His infinite power. Not only was the prison shaken, but Paul’s and Silas’s songs of praise triggered events leading to the prisoners’ freedom. Are we singing in this dark prison—the world (Col. 3:16)? The Lord Jesus commanded those around the now living Lazarus to “loose him, and let him go.” Let us also loose prisoners into the liberty “wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Gal. 5:1).
27. “And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.”
This poor world knows nothing of the liberating power and grace of God. We live in a world whose only answer to seeming failure is hopeless death. May our lights, as those possessing eternal life, shine brightly in this poor, dark scene of failure and death!
28. “But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.”
What a beautiful example of grace and truth—grace to give hope and help to the guilty, and truth to reveal the true condition of things in a world blinded by the lies of the devil. As long as we are still here, dear believer, there is hope—salvation—for the lost.
29. “Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas.”
Light is so desperately needed in this morally dark world. We are “children of light” (1 Thess. 5:5). Let us be found walking in that glorious light, letting it shine for those still trapped in the darkness of sin.
30. “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
The jailor turns to God, doing “works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:20). His first act is to set at liberty God’s truth, as represented by Paul and Silas. May we strive for that happy condition in souls—repentance which accepts (rather than imprisons) the truth of God presented to them.
Where there is true heart repentance, there will, of necessity, follow the earnest question, “What must I do to be saved?”
31. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Here is the simple and yet profound answer upon which eternal issues of life hang! How simple, beautiful and full of hope is the gospel message. The jailor knew death awaited him at the hands of the Roman government for failing in his duty to keep the prisoners; instead, the trembling jailor hears words of life both for himself and his family.
32. “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.”
This is more than the gospel—it is the revelation of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. May we not be content with only seeing souls saved (vital and wonderful as that is), but also with seeing them grounded in the truth of God.
The question is not, Does God desire to bless our families (households)? Rather, it is, Do we want the truth of God (pictured by Paul and Silas) in our homes and lives? Is the truth not only welcome, but do we desire to live it? Oh! may we willingly listen to the living, life-changing Word of the Lord.
33. “And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.”
The reality of the jailor’s conversion is plainly proven. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” He uses water to give public testimony of the change in his heart—repentance (washing their stripes) and identification (he was baptized and all his).
34. “And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”
Having identified with Christ through repentance and baptism, the jailor now identifies with the Lord’s servants by showing them Christian hospitality and love. Real faith evidenced by the jailor’s actions was rewarded with real joy in his heart and home.
35. “And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go.”
The magistrates perhaps realized that they had gone “too far” in allowing innocent men to be so beaten. But they were not repentant towards God for their wicked actions, proven by their haughty dispatching of underlings to release those they had so wrongly and cruelly treated.
36-37. “And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.”
Yes, they could go in peace, but would that leave a proper testimony to the glory, honor and majesty of the One they preached at Philippi? Were they to steal away as though they were simply common criminals, thus casting dishonor on the Lord’s name?
They would bear, without complaint, personal insult and injury, but the Lord’s name must be cleared if their preaching was to remain effective.
38. “And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.”
Foolish men! They fear what the Roman government would do to them for their treatment of two of its citizens, but they display no fear of what God will require of them for their wicked treatment of His beloved servants.
39. “And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.”
A clear testimony is rendered to the purity of the gospel and the person of Christ. Those who publicly beat innocent servants of Christ now give public testimony that they were wrong and the gospel right. “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).
40. “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.”
Having passed through such a fiery trial of unjust treatment, these dear servants of Christ are now fit vessels to be a comfort to the new believers in Philippi. May we use the trials we are allowed to pass through in life as a means to encourage others.
Ed.