Acts 16:25 says, And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. Though beaten and imprisoned, at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God. We would likely be bitter and crying out to God, “Why me?” Verse twenty-six adds, 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. Paul and Silas were freed. After being beaten and falsely imprisoned, God had set them free. That would probably be my understanding in that situation, and I would be out the door. Verse twenty-seven continues, 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. The keeper of the prison thought they were gone and was ready to kill himself. He was responsible for keeping them in prison and there was no allowance for failure. He thought they were gone. Verse twenty-eight says, But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Just before he killed himself, Paul spoke. Paul told the keeper of the prison not to harm himself, for they were all there. Sometimes what would seem the best course of action, in this case fleeing to freedom, is not God's plan. Paul and Silas still had someone to witness to there and the next day. Verse twenty-nine adds, Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, The keeper of the prison called for a light, and finding Paul was telling the truth, he fell down before Paul and Silas and had them brought out. Verse thirty continues, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Then, we get the good news of the earthquake. It was not that Paul and Silas were set free, but that the keeper of the prison asked what he must do to be saved. We need to always look past what is seemingly best for us and see what is best for lost people around us. Verse thirty-one states, And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Paul said that the man and his house would be saved if he believed, but as the next verse states, they had to hear and believe themselves. We cannot be saved for others but can only be saved for ourself. Paul shared the gospel with the man, and he and all his household were saved. Verse thirty-two adds, And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. In order for all the man’s household to be saved, they had to hear and accept the gospel, and Paul and Silas preached it to them, and they believed and were saved. Verse thirty-three continues, And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. Having been ready to kill himself shortly before, after accepting Christ as his Savior, the keeper of the prison washed their wounds and then was baptized. Verse thirty-four says, And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. He then took them to his house and feed them, rejoicing and believing in God with all his house. Paul and Silas looked beyond what seemed to be the answer to prayers, freedom, and saw the real answer, another opportunity to witness. We need to always make sure that we look beyond what may seem to be God's answer to prayers and ensure that we are not missing the real answer. What seems best for us may not be best for the spreading of the gospel. After Paul and Silas had their wounds treated and had been fed, the keeper of the prison rejoiced and praised God. He had been ready to kill himself shortly before, and now he was rejoicing. Having our sins forgiven and becoming a part of the family or God should always take us from despair to hope. We should rejoice every day at the love and mercy that God has shown us. Verse thirty-five adds, And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. The next morning, the magistrates sent the sergeants with word to let them go. Verse thirty-six continues, And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. When the keeper of the prison told Paul the magistrates had set them free and told them to go in peace, we might think Paul and Silas would have gone immediately. Verse thirty-seven states, But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. Instead of immediately leaving, Paul said that they, as Roman citizens had been beaten without cause and said let the magistrates come themselves and free them. The way that seems to reward most quickly, freedom from prison in this case, may not be the best way. Paul and Silas could have gone quietly on their way, but they had been treated unjustly and wanted that publicly acknowledged. Verse thirty-eight adds, And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. When the magistrates heard that Paul and Silas were Romans, they were afraid. They may have been in charge of the beating and imprisoning of Paul and Silas, but now they did what Paul told them to do. Verse thirty-nine continues, And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. They came and entreated with them, and brought them out, and desired them to leave the city. I don't see where they ordered them out. Even if it might be easier to just go quietly, we must always stand firm for what is right. Verse forty concludes, And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. Paul and Silas went to the house of Lydia, saw the brethren and comforted them, then departed the city. People had seen them beaten and thrown in prison, so Paul and Silas wanted to assure them that they were all right. When something bad happens to a Christian, it should affect all the Christians who know them. When the situation is resolved that Christian should first make sure his fellow Christians know.
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