23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
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.
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.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, 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.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. Acts 16:23-33.
The magistrates that ordered the jailor to keep the two preachers safely, were not concerned with their wellbeing. The term safely is from a Greek word which signifies, so as to prevent escape. These two were an evil element which had to be dealt with in the morning. So to discourage any more malfeasance they were beaten to a pulp, cast into the prison section farthest away from the gate, and immobilized by the stocks. Had it been me I would not have been too happy. You either.
Seems they were in this state some time before the clock struck 12. Sleep was not easy, hunger was probably gnawing at their mid-section, their backs were bloody, and the Roman guards eyed them fiercely.
In everything give thanks were words from Paul’s pen. He preached what he practiced. It was time to start the service.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God. Prayer and praise, the earthshaking dynamic duo. These were not expressed in a whisper. The prisoners heard them. And the power thereof destabilized the foundation, swung open hitherto locked doors, and every prisoner was suddenly unchained.
Paul did not miss a beat. In the same loud voice he announced to the jailer that no one had escaped. The magistrates’ worries had been unnecessary. The jailer’s fears were assuaged. Paul’s Macedonian vision was being fulfilled. Another church would be planted.
A family had been divinely designated to be saved. Praise works.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, 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.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
What is your silence keeping from happening?-PJF-
Purpose! Ministries
A Praying Church - A Healing Church - A Holy Spirit Church - A Preaching Church
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