An Outline Of Acts 16:25-40

Introduction: Paul and Silas had been beaten, and then taken to the inner part of Philippi’s prison. The jailer had placed their feet in stocks and left them—Luke says nothing about a trial, examination, or anything Paul and Silas could do. These men did the best thing possible, by praying and praising God! These men had been delivered to bondage, now God was going to deliver them back to freedom!

1 Paul and Silas are released from prison

A The earthquake

Text: Acts 16:25-28, KJV: 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.

Thoughts:

--One question is how they knew it was midnight? The Jews divided the 12 hours of night into three four-hour periods. Sometimes these were called the first watch, second watch, and so forth (e.g., “fourth watch”, Mark 6:48 and Luke 12:38 for other such watches).

--Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises. What a concert that must have been! Many years ago, a preacher made a comment on this text, saying Paul sang lead; Silas, tenor; then God Himself joined in and sang bass! He went on to say those low notes brought down the house!

--Earthquakes are mentioned eight times in Scripture, this being the last. Nave’s Topical Bible lists the other occasions in a simple table. Two quakes took place just a few days apart, when Jesus was crucified and also when He rose from the dead (compare Matthew 27:51 and 28:2). The last quake mentioned before this took place in Uzziah’s reign (Amos 1:1), over 600 years before this one.

--This earthquake was called a “great earthquake”, so much that the foundations were shaken, the doors flung open, and all the prisoners’ bonds “were loosed”. One wonders how this quake would have measured on the Richter ™ scale.

--As a result, the jailer was terrified. As several Bible teachers and other resources have explained, if a prisoner escaped, the jailer paid with his life. He would rather have killed himself rather than suffer any punishment from the government.

--And just as we often read in the OT, “a prophet of the LORD was there”, Paul was there, and he exclaimed, “We’re all here, so don’t hurt yourself (paraphrased).”

--The earthquake had opened doors in more ways than one!

B The evangelism

Text, Acts 16:29-34, KJV: 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. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Thoughts:

A His concern

--The jailer called for a light, probably a hand-held torch of some kind. According to the Bible Study Tools website, “light” comes from a Greek word meaning anything emitting light; torches and lamps are included (https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/phos.html). Contrast this search for the preachers, asking for a “light”, with the group who came to arrest Jesus carrying “lanterns and torches and weapons (John 18:3)”!

--The jailer was trembling (terrified, see https://www.biblestudytools.com/interlinear-bible/passage/?q=acts+16:29&t=kjv).This is not the same word James used of demons who “tremble” before God). He then fell down before Paul and Silas. What a change from just a short time before, when he had taken them to “the inner prison”, locking their feet in stocks and leaving them. Something or Someone had changed his mind, and now he’s concerned.

--Several things, in summary, seem to have led this jailer to ask “What must I do to be saved?” Some, incredibly, have taught he simply meant “How can I be saved from Roman punishment or judgment” but that hardly seems the case here. It’s possible that some of the women who had become believers, plus others, and the demon-possessed slave girl who had been delivered, plus the singing, praise and the earthquake itself, all combined to make this man ask the question.