Paul and Silas Seized and Dragged to the MagistratesBible World
16:23Acts 16:23
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
After freeing the divining woman from satanic influence, Paul and Silas were accused before the magistrates as troublers of the city, torn, severely beaten with many stripes and rods, and cast into prison. The magistrates charged the jailer to keep them safely as serious criminals, and he put them in the cold inner dungeon with lacerated backs and feet raised and fastened in stocks. Though in great pain they did not complain but prayed and sang songs of praise to God at midnight so the other prisoners heard them, counting it an honor to suffer for Christ. Angels were with them, and God showed His presence by an earthquake that shook open the prison, bringing glory to Him. Their imprisonment was in the direct providence of God so the light of truth could enter those walls, turning apparent failure into the conversion of the jailer and all his household.
Arrest and Imprisonment at Philippi
This laying of many stripes and casting into prison belongs to the advance of the gospel beyond the confines of Asia Minor into Europe, when the way was prepared for Paul and his fellow workers to cross over at Troas on the borders of the Mediterranean Sea by the night vision of a man of Macedonia pleading for help. The arrest at Philippi followed Paul's freeing of the divining fortune-telling woman from satanic influence, after which her masters saw that their hope of gain from her soothsaying was gone and brought Paul and Silas before the rulers.
Before the magistrates they were accused as Jews troubling the city and teaching customs unlawful for Romans to receive or observe. A mob spirit sanctioned by the authorities rose against them, and public accusation with mob pressure led the authorities to use their official power against them. They tore off the outer garments of Paul and Silas and ordered them scourged, as a prompt and decisive way to quell the tumult. They were then severely beaten with many stripes and blows, including beating with rods, and cast into prison.
The magistrates charged the jailer to keep them safely and securely, a severe Roman penalty normally imposed on serious criminals and the worst criminals. The jailer carried out the strict charge by putting them in the inner prison, in a cold dungeon in a painful position with feet raised and fastened in stocks. Their injuries left their backs lacerated and bleeding, and their wounds and confinement brought great physical pain.
The magistrates went home congratulating themselves on having quelled the tumult. After learning more about the character and work of the men and seeing the woman freed from satanic influence quiet and peaceable in countenance and demeanor after having caused the city much trouble, they realized they had in all probability punished two innocent men with the rigorous penalty of Roman law. Indignant with themselves, they decided in the morning to have the apostles privately released and escorted safely beyond the city out of danger of violence from the mob.
Faithful Suffering and Its Fruit
Though their backs were lacerated and bleeding and their feet were raised and fastened in stocks in the cold inner dungeon, Paul and Silas endured great physical pain without complaint, encouraging one another and counting it an honor to suffer for Christ. Strengthened by love for Christ and their Redeemer and for His cause, they prayed and at midnight sang songs of joy and praise to God, so that the other prisoners heard them. Angels of God were with them in that prison, sent from heaven to be beside them. God showed He was with His servants when an earthquake shook the prison, its doors were opened, and by His power prison walls could be shaken and iron bars opened, bringing glory to God and showing the people that God was with them.
What looked very discouraging, as if their effort had ended in failure, was in the direct providence of God, for the light of truth would never have reached within those prison walls if they had not been put there. Their imprisonment there resulted in the conversion of the jailer and all his household. When they came to Thessalonica their appearance still bore evidence of the shameful public beating and imprisonment they had suffered at Philippi. They explained what they had endured without exalting themselves, instead magnifying God's grace which had brought them deliverance.
Beating with rods, imprisonment, reproach, persecution, and strait places came because they carried aggressive truth, obeyed God rather than man instead of submitting to laws and powers opposed to God, stemmed the current of prevailing iniquity, and faithfully carried the gospel to the Gentiles. Such suffering comes especially when the message goes with a loud cry, and it proves that closeness to God does not guarantee prosperity or freedom from affliction. Yet faith can remain steadfast through persecution, suffering for Christ can be borne as an honor, and those who obey the truth must constantly let their light shine and bear the message wherever they are. In this Paul in the Macedonian dungeon gives ministers and gospel workers an example of proclaiming Christ even to convicted sinners, lifting Him up as the One who hates sin and loves the sinner, who bore human sins and has authority to give and impart His righteousness.
After freeing the divining woman from satanic influence, Paul and Silas were accused before the magistrates as troublers of the city, torn, severely beaten with many stripes and rods, and cast into prison. The magistrates charged the jailer to keep them safely as serious criminals, and he put them in the cold inner dungeon with lacerated backs and feet raised and fastened in stocks. Though in great pain they did not complain but prayed and sang songs of praise to God at midnight so the other prisoners heard them, counting it an honor to suffer for Christ. Angels were with them, and God showed His presence by an earthquake that shook open the prison, bringing glory to Him. Their imprisonment was in the direct providence of God so the light of truth could enter those walls, turning apparent failure into the conversion of the jailer and all his household.
Arrest and Imprisonment at Philippi
This laying of many stripes and casting into prison belongs to the advance of the gospel beyond the confines of Asia Minor into Europe, when the way was prepared for Paul and his fellow workers to cross over at Troas on the borders of the Mediterranean Sea by the night vision of a man of Macedonia pleading for help. The arrest at Philippi followed Paul's freeing of the divining fortune-telling woman from satanic influence, after which her masters saw that their hope of gain from her soothsaying was gone and brought Paul and Silas before the rulers.
Before the magistrates they were accused as Jews troubling the city and teaching customs unlawful for Romans to receive or observe. A mob spirit sanctioned by the authorities rose against them, and public accusation with mob pressure led the authorities to use their official power against them. They tore off the outer garments of Paul and Silas and ordered them scourged, as a prompt and decisive way to quell the tumult. They were then severely beaten with many stripes and blows, including beating with rods, and cast into prison.
The magistrates charged the jailer to keep them safely and securely, a severe Roman penalty normally imposed on serious criminals and the worst criminals. The jailer carried out the strict charge by putting them in the inner prison, in a cold dungeon in a painful position with feet raised and fastened in stocks. Their injuries left their backs lacerated and bleeding, and their wounds and confinement brought great physical pain.
The magistrates went home congratulating themselves on having quelled the tumult. After learning more about the character and work of the men and seeing the woman freed from satanic influence quiet and peaceable in countenance and demeanor after having caused the city much trouble, they realized they had in all probability punished two innocent men with the rigorous penalty of Roman law. Indignant with themselves, they decided in the morning to have the apostles privately released and escorted safely beyond the city out of danger of violence from the mob.
Faithful Suffering and Its Fruit
Though their backs were lacerated and bleeding and their feet were raised and fastened in stocks in the cold inner dungeon, Paul and Silas endured great physical pain without complaint, encouraging one another and counting it an honor to suffer for Christ. Strengthened by love for Christ and their Redeemer and for His cause, they prayed and at midnight sang songs of joy and praise to God, so that the other prisoners heard them. Angels of God were with them in that prison, sent from heaven to be beside them. God showed He was with His servants when an earthquake shook the prison, its doors were opened, and by His power prison walls could be shaken and iron bars opened, bringing glory to God and showing the people that God was with them.
What looked very discouraging, as if their effort had ended in failure, was in the direct providence of God, for the light of truth would never have reached within those prison walls if they had not been put there. Their imprisonment there resulted in the conversion of the jailer and all his household. When they came to Thessalonica their appearance still bore evidence of the shameful public beating and imprisonment they had suffered at Philippi. They explained what they had endured without exalting themselves, instead magnifying God's grace which had brought them deliverance.
Beating with rods, imprisonment, reproach, persecution, and strait places came because they carried aggressive truth, obeyed God rather than man instead of submitting to laws and powers opposed to God, stemmed the current of prevailing iniquity, and faithfully carried the gospel to the Gentiles. Such suffering comes especially when the message goes with a loud cry, and it proves that closeness to God does not guarantee prosperity or freedom from affliction. Yet faith can remain steadfast through persecution, suffering for Christ can be borne as an honor, and those who obey the truth must constantly let their light shine and bear the message wherever they are. In this Paul in the Macedonian dungeon gives ministers and gospel workers an example of proclaiming Christ even to convicted sinners, lifting Him up as the One who hates sin and loves the sinner, who bore human sins and has authority to give and impart His righteousness.