(མཛད་པ། 16:25-34)

 

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. (Acts16:25-34)

 

Beating with a bundle of rods was a severe Roman punishment. Afterwards Paul’s and Silas’s backs would have been gashed and bruised. With their feet also held tight they did not sleep, but prayed; and in their faith praised God who had thought them worthy to suffer in this way. What to say? Jesus Christ had also suffered for them on the cross.

And God showed his power. The earthquake broke the prison doors all the way to the inner part, and the ropes or chains of the prisoners were unfastened.

The terrified jailer expected bodily death from the Roman authorities. But Paul answered his question, ‘Believe; if you and your family believe in Jesus Christ, you will be liberated from future suffering.’

(མཛད་པ། 16:35-40)

 

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “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.” The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed. (Acts16:35-40)

 

The accusation of ‘unlawful customs’ (verse 21) was a small matter. But the violent beating of Roman Citizens by the magistrates had been like a very public humiliation of Party Members, who in the case of any really serious charge had a right to fair trial.

So speedily coming to the prison, they said ‘Be gone, please!’ humbly requesting Paul and Silas to leave Roman Philippi before they themselves, the magistrates, got punished by even higher Roman authorities!

(མཛད་པ། 17:1-9)

 

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia, and its Greek city authorities had been granted autonomy by the Romans.

Paul stayed with Jason, and preached in the synagogue so successfully that many non-Jewish believers in Almighty God were convinced that Jesus was God’s Messiah. But the local Jews became jealous of his success.

The charge brought against him and Silas that they were preaching rebellion against Rome had to be viewed seriously by the city authorities; so they took measures to keep a close watch on their helpers.

Read on to find how these brothers helped Paul and Silas to escape.