Atos 16

The jailer converts

25 Well about midnight Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God in prayer; and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, enough to shake the foundations of the prison; immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.*A proper earthquake could shake the doors open, but not unlock chains (unless it was their anchors that came loose from the walls). 27 But the jailer, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew sword, intending to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.*Better a quick death than the humiliation that would follow (culminating in a slow death).

28 But Paul shouted out, "Don’t harm yourself, because we are all here!"*For the prisoners to be free and not run was really supernatural! The jailor understands that he is in the presence of a higher power. 29 So calling for a light he ran in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"*Philippi was not all that large, and the members of his household would be information gatherers. He was doubtless aware of the slave girl’s ‘advertising’, etc. 31 So they said, "Believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ*Perhaps 3% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, omit ‘Christ’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the Word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 In that same hour of the night he took them aside and washed their wounds, and thereupon he and all his family were baptized.*Very appropriate—he washed their wounds and restored their dignity, so they could baptize him. Note again that baptism followed immediately. (Would there have been enough water there to dunk them? Probably not.) Note that everyone in the family was baptized, which would put them under Christ’s protection, but that procedure was imposed by the head of the household, whether or not there was personal commitment to Jesus on the part of each one. 34 Then he brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he was really rejoicing, having believed in God with his whole family.