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Acts 16:16-34
Seventh Sunday of Easter C (First Lesson) May 24, 1998
Acts 16:16-34
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a
spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners
by fortune-telling. [17] 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." [18]
She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around 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.
[19] When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone,
they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.
[20] They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are
throwing our city into an uproar [21] by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to
accept or practice."
[22] The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered
them to be stripped and beaten. [23] After they had been severely flogged, they were
thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. [24] Upon
receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the
stocks.
[25] About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other
prisoners were listening to them. [26] Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that
the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and
everybody's chains came loose. [27] The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors
open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had
escaped. [28] But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
[29] The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
[30] He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
[31] They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your
household." [32] Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in
his house. [33] At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds;
then immediately he and all his family were baptized. [34] The jailer brought them into
his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to
believe in God--he and his whole family.
(NIV)
Acts 16:16-24 (An evil spirit cast out, Paul and Silas scourged and imprisoned)
Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Those who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled as troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live godly lives, they will be accused of teaching bad customs.
Acts 16:25-34 (The conversion of the jailer at Philippi)
The consolations of God to his suffering servants are neither few nor small. How much more happy are true Christians than their prosperous enemies! As in the dark, so out of the depths, we may cry unto God. No place, no time is amiss for prayer, if the heart be lifted up to God. No trouble, however grievous, should hinder us from praise. Christianity proves itself to be of God, in that it obliges us to be just to our own lives. Paul cried aloud to make the jailer hear, and to make him heed, saying, Do thyself no harm. All the cautions of the word of God against sin, and all appearances of it, and approaches to it, have this tendency. Man, woman, do not ruin thyself; hurt not thyself, and then none else can hurt thee; do not sin, for nothing but that can hurt thee. Even as to the body, we are cautioned against the sins which do harm to that. Converting grace changes people’s language of and to good people and good ministers. How serious the jailer’s inquiry! His salvation becomes his great concern; that lies nearest his heart, which before was furthest from his thoughts. It is his own precious soul that he is concerned about. Those who are thoroughly convinced of sin, and truly concerned about their salvation, will give themselves up to Christ. Here is the sum of the whole gospel, the covenant of grace in a few words; Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. The Lord so blessed the word, that the jailer was at once softened and humbled. He treated them with kindness and compassion, and, professing faith in Christ, was baptized in that name, with his family. The Spirit of grace worked such a strong faith in them, as did away further doubt; and Paul and Silas knew by the Spirit, that a work of God was wrought in them. When sinners are thus converted, they will love and honour those whom they before despised and hated, and will seek to lessen the suffering they before desired to increase. When the fruits of faith begin to appear, terrors will be followed by confidence and joy in God.
(Matthew Henry Concise Commentary)