Paul and Silas in Prison
Summary of the Passage
Paul’s first imprisonment is recorded in Acts 16. When Paul healed a slave girl who had a spirit of divination, depriving her owners of the profit afforded them by her fortune-telling (Acts 16:16-18), the owners dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates, saying, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing the city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice” (Acts 16:20-21).
The magistrates ordered them to be beaten and put in prison. However, before the night was over, while Paul and Silas prayed and worshiped God, an earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, opening the prison doors and breaking all the prisoners’ shackles. When the jailer woke up and saw the open doors, assuming the prisoners had escaped and fearing the punishment he would surely face, he prepared to kill himself. But Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners had remained, despite the opportunity for freedom. This behavior baffled the jailer, and he consequently believed the message they had been proclaiming. He and his family were immediately baptized, and he began to treat his prisoners better. The next morning, the magistrates sent word that Paul and Silas could be released, but Paul refused:
They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out” (Acts 16:37).
And they did because they feared any recourse for their unjust treatment of Roman citizens.
This story differs from other New Testament stories of disciples in prison. Both when the apostles were imprisoned (Acts 5) and when Peter was imprisoned (Acts 12), they escaped with the help of an angel. But in this passage, Paul does not escape when he is provided the opportunity by divine intervention. His willingness to remain in prison reveals both the attitude and chief desire of one who has been freed from sin, and the result of his patient waiting evidences God’s power and ability to orchestrate all things for his glory and for the good of those who love him.
He recognizes that men are always enslaved to something, whether to sin or to righteousness. He writes in Romans 6, “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness” (Romans 6:20). But he also writes in the same chapter, “Having been set free from sin, [you] have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). Of course, slavery to righteousness is not regrettable because “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Therefore, Paul, and likewise every Christian, need not worry about physical circumstances because slavery to God transcends all things. He recognizes the darkness and death from which he has been saved and rejoices in the privilege of serving his savior. Because Paul has received the Spirit, and because “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17), Paul is truly free no matter his physical circumstances.
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13, italics added).
While this explains why Paul was able to rejoice even in prison, it does not answer why Paul would choose specifically to remain in prison when given the seemingly God-ordained chance to escape. Even when an earthquake broke his shackles and opened his prison door, Paul did not try to escape the prison. Why? Perhaps he was simply trusting and following the Spirit, perhaps he felt for the jailer and did not wish for him to be punished, or perhaps he himself saw a ministry opportunity.
Regardless of the pragmatic reason, his ultimate motive is clear: to serve and glorify God. If he was following the Spirit, he was obeying and trusting God, which brings him glory. If he felt for the jailer, he was showing the same compassion God shows, which brings him glory. And if he was pursuing a ministry opportunity himself, he was also seeking to bring glory to God. In his own words, Paul was seeking to “do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31), to, “in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).
Furthermore, the final outcome of Paul’s imprisonment and willingness to remain in prison despite the chance to escape demonstrates “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). Despite being unjustly imprisoned, Paul and Silas remain faithful, and the results are great. Presumably, Paul’s fellow prisoners who witness his behavior accept the gospel. In addition, Luke explicitly states that the jailer and his family believe and are baptized. As a result, he begins to treat his prisoners well and likely continues to share the gospel with all of his future prisoners.
And all works out well for Paul and Silas – they are released the next day, in a manner that lent credence to Christianity. Had Paul and Silas escaped from prison, their flight would have appeared to be an admission of guilt, confirming the accusation that the gospel advocates practices unfit for Romans. Had Paul not refused to leave the prison secretly when the magistrates sent word, it may not have detracted from their credibility, but it would not have added to it either. However, the public manner in which they were released lent credence to the gospel. It showed people that they had been wrongfully imprisoned and that the slave owners’ accusation was false. Thus, through their imprisonment, God accomplished much good. At least one family was “added to their number,” and the gospel’s reputation improved and probably gained traction in Philippi.
Conclusion
In summary, the story of Paul’s imprisonment encapsulates the attitude and greatest desire of new creatures in Christ, who have been made servants of God and live to glorify him, and it is one of many instances of God’s sovereignty and providence displayed. When one realizes and strives to internalize these truths, he frees himself to live absolutely for Christ. If he remembers the sin from which he has been saved, he will consider it his joy and his responsibility to serve and glorify God. And if he remembers that God is in control and works all things for the good of those who love him, he will learn to fear nothing and to be content in all circumstances.