But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
At Philippi in Macedonia the keeper woke to open doors after the earthquake and drew his sword to kill himself supposing the prisoners had fled and expecting death for their escape. Paul called out loudly and cheerfully to stop him from harming himself because no one had escaped but all remained in place restrained by God's power. The cry showed no malice or revenge toward the man who had treated them cruelly with beating and stocks, but Christlike love and kindness that repaid harshness with care for his life. That intervention convicted the jailer as he saw divine support and forgiveness in their suffering, so he dropped his sword, asked forgiveness and what he must do to be saved, then believed, washed their wounds, was baptized with his household and rejoiced in God. God allowed the imprisonment so the light of truth could reach inside the prison, making the dungeon His church flooded with heavenly light and turning apparent failure into the salvation of the jailer and his whole house.
Setting and Prison Deliverance
The cry belongs to the advance of the gospel beyond the confines of Asia Minor into Europe. At Troas on the borders of the Mediterranean Sea preparation was made by the night vision of the man of Macedonia calling for help. In answer to that call Paul with Silas, Timothy and Luke crossed from Troas to Macedonia to preach there. They came to Philippi, the chief city of that part of Macedonia.
After Paul and Silas were beaten and put in prison with their feet in the stocks, angels were with them and ministered to them. Though pain-racked in body they broke the midnight silence with prayer and songs of praise to God. Then suddenly a great earthquake shook the foundations, opened all the doors and loosed every band. The angel of God loosed the bands.
The keeper awoke from sleep and saw the doors open. He supposed the prisoners had fled. Affrighted at the open doors, he drew his sword to kill himself. He expected to be punished with death, for he thought escape would bring his death sentence.
Paul cried with a loud voice, urgently and with cheer, telling him to do himself no harm. He assured him that all were still there and none had escaped. Paul knew they had not fled. Every prisoner remained in his place, restrained by God's power working through Paul and by the presence of one fellow prisoner holding them back.
Christlike Love and Conversion
The loud call to do no harm was care for the life of the very man who had inflicted wounds and fastened feet in stocks, and it carried no malice, resentment, or desire for revenge. Though pain-racked and cruelly treated, Paul and Silas acted with presence of mind, courage, and faithfulness under opposition and persecution, repaying cruelty with kindness from love like Christ's. That cheerful restraint in the dungeon, with every prisoner held in place by God's power working through Paul and by the presence of one fellow prisoner, revealed the reality of the faith that sustained them.
By keeping the freed prisoners from fleeing, Paul's control spared the keeper the death penalty that escape would have brought upon him. It also kept flight from making the apostles look guilty as criminals. So shown to the Philippians was the spirit, nobility, and generosity of Christ's religion.
The kindness struck the keeper with conviction, for he saw divine support, joy amid suffering, fearlessness in the earthquake, and Christlike forgiveness, tranquillity, and cheerfulness under abuse. He dropped his sword and asked forgiveness, recognizing God's power in the men he had abused. From despair he turned to the cry for salvation, asking what he must do to be saved.
That assurance brought full conversion in the same night, as he called for a light, sprang in trembling, fell before Paul and Silas, and brought them out. He heard that he must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he and his house, heard the word of the Lord, washed their stripes in that same hour, was baptized at once with all his household, brought them into his house, set food before them, and rejoiced believing in God. What had looked like failure in jail ended in the jailer and his whole household uniting with the persecuted band of Christ's disciples, welcoming the Spirit of God into heart and home, receiving pardon, and choosing life as a child of God and heir of heaven. Unlike Felix, who was convicted yet dismissed it and refused to repent, the jailer humbly sought the way and chose to serve God.
The call belongs to God's direct providence in permitting the imprisonment so the light of truth could enter within prison walls. Christ presided there so that the prison became His church, and the glory of God flooded the darkest dungeon with heavenly light. It is the pattern of obeying God rather than man when laws oppose God, of bearing the message and letting light shine wherever placed even in prison, and of being brought into strait places with reproach and persecution for stemming prevailing iniquity when the message goes with a loud cry. The steadfast soul that trusts fully in God is not shaken by the bitterest opposition. There in the Macedonian dungeon among convicted sinners Paul lifted up Christ as the One who hates sin and loves the sinner, who bore our sins and imparts His righteousness, and suffering like the apostles of old spreads faith, wins souls, and glorifies His name.
At Philippi in Macedonia the keeper woke to open doors after the earthquake and drew his sword to kill himself supposing the prisoners had fled and expecting death for their escape. Paul called out loudly and cheerfully to stop him from harming himself because no one had escaped but all remained in place restrained by God's power. The cry showed no malice or revenge toward the man who had treated them cruelly with beating and stocks, but Christlike love and kindness that repaid harshness with care for his life. That intervention convicted the jailer as he saw divine support and forgiveness in their suffering, so he dropped his sword, asked forgiveness and what he must do to be saved, then believed, washed their wounds, was baptized with his household and rejoiced in God. God allowed the imprisonment so the light of truth could reach inside the prison, making the dungeon His church flooded with heavenly light and turning apparent failure into the salvation of the jailer and his whole house.
Setting and Prison Deliverance
The cry belongs to the advance of the gospel beyond the confines of Asia Minor into Europe. At Troas on the borders of the Mediterranean Sea preparation was made by the night vision of the man of Macedonia calling for help. In answer to that call Paul with Silas, Timothy and Luke crossed from Troas to Macedonia to preach there. They came to Philippi, the chief city of that part of Macedonia.
After Paul and Silas were beaten and put in prison with their feet in the stocks, angels were with them and ministered to them. Though pain-racked in body they broke the midnight silence with prayer and songs of praise to God. Then suddenly a great earthquake shook the foundations, opened all the doors and loosed every band. The angel of God loosed the bands.
The keeper awoke from sleep and saw the doors open. He supposed the prisoners had fled. Affrighted at the open doors, he drew his sword to kill himself. He expected to be punished with death, for he thought escape would bring his death sentence.
Paul cried with a loud voice, urgently and with cheer, telling him to do himself no harm. He assured him that all were still there and none had escaped. Paul knew they had not fled. Every prisoner remained in his place, restrained by God's power working through Paul and by the presence of one fellow prisoner holding them back.
Christlike Love and Conversion
The loud call to do no harm was care for the life of the very man who had inflicted wounds and fastened feet in stocks, and it carried no malice, resentment, or desire for revenge. Though pain-racked and cruelly treated, Paul and Silas acted with presence of mind, courage, and faithfulness under opposition and persecution, repaying cruelty with kindness from love like Christ's. That cheerful restraint in the dungeon, with every prisoner held in place by God's power working through Paul and by the presence of one fellow prisoner, revealed the reality of the faith that sustained them.
By keeping the freed prisoners from fleeing, Paul's control spared the keeper the death penalty that escape would have brought upon him. It also kept flight from making the apostles look guilty as criminals. So shown to the Philippians was the spirit, nobility, and generosity of Christ's religion.
The kindness struck the keeper with conviction, for he saw divine support, joy amid suffering, fearlessness in the earthquake, and Christlike forgiveness, tranquillity, and cheerfulness under abuse. He dropped his sword and asked forgiveness, recognizing God's power in the men he had abused. From despair he turned to the cry for salvation, asking what he must do to be saved.
That assurance brought full conversion in the same night, as he called for a light, sprang in trembling, fell before Paul and Silas, and brought them out. He heard that he must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he and his house, heard the word of the Lord, washed their stripes in that same hour, was baptized at once with all his household, brought them into his house, set food before them, and rejoiced believing in God. What had looked like failure in jail ended in the jailer and his whole household uniting with the persecuted band of Christ's disciples, welcoming the Spirit of God into heart and home, receiving pardon, and choosing life as a child of God and heir of heaven. Unlike Felix, who was convicted yet dismissed it and refused to repent, the jailer humbly sought the way and chose to serve God.
The call belongs to God's direct providence in permitting the imprisonment so the light of truth could enter within prison walls. Christ presided there so that the prison became His church, and the glory of God flooded the darkest dungeon with heavenly light. It is the pattern of obeying God rather than man when laws oppose God, of bearing the message and letting light shine wherever placed even in prison, and of being brought into strait places with reproach and persecution for stemming prevailing iniquity when the message goes with a loud cry. The steadfast soul that trusts fully in God is not shaken by the bitterest opposition. There in the Macedonian dungeon among convicted sinners Paul lifted up Christ as the One who hates sin and loves the sinner, who bore our sins and imparts His righteousness, and suffering like the apostles of old spreads faith, wins souls, and glorifies His name.