23 many blows also having laid upon them, they cast them to prison, having given charge to the jailor to keep them safely, 24 who such a charge having received, did put them to the inner prison, and their feet made fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas praying, were singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were hearing them, 26 and suddenly a great earthquake came, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, opened also presently were all the doors, and of all—the bands were loosed; 27 and the jailor having come out of sleep, and having seen the doors of the prison open, having drawn a sword, was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to be fled, 28 and Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Thou mayest not do thyself any harm, for we are all here.' 29 And, having asked for a light, he sprang in, and trembling he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and having brought them forth, said, 'Sirs, what must I do—that I may be saved?' 31 and they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved—thou and thy house;' 32 and they spake to him the word of the Lord, and to all those in his household; 33 and having taken them, in that hour of the night, he did bathe 'them' from the blows, and was baptized, himself and all his presently, 34 having brought them also into his house, he set food before 'them', and was glad with all the household, he having believed in God.
35 And day having come, the magistrates sent the rod-bearers, saying, 'Let those men go;' 36 and the jailor told these words unto Paul—'The magistrates have sent, that ye may be let go; now, therefore, having gone forth go on in peace;' 37 and Paul said to them, 'Having beaten us publicly uncondemned—men, Romans being—they did cast 'us' to prison, and now privately do they cast us forth! why no! but having come themselves, let them bring us forth.' 38 And the rod-bearers told to the magistrates these sayings, and they were afraid, having heard that they are Romans, 39 and having come, they besought them, and having brought 'them' forth, they were asking 'them' to go forth from the city; 40 and they, having gone forth out of the prison, entered into 'the house of' Lydia, and having seen the brethren, they comforted them, and went forth.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 16:23-40
Commentary on Acts 16:16-24
(Read Acts 16:16-24)
Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Those who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled as troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live godly lives, they will be accused of teaching bad customs.
Commentary on Acts 16:25-34
(Read Acts 16:25-34)
The consolations of God to his suffering servants are neither few nor small. How much more happy are true Christians than their prosperous enemies! As in the dark, so out of the depths, we may cry unto God. No place, no time is amiss for prayer, if the heart be lifted up to God. No trouble, however grievous, should hinder us from praise. Christianity proves itself to be of God, in that it obliges us to be just to our own lives. Paul cried aloud to make the jailer hear, and to make him heed, saying, Do thyself no harm. All the cautions of the word of God against sin, and all appearances of it, and approaches to it, have this tendency. Man, woman, do not ruin thyself; hurt not thyself, and then none else can hurt thee; do not sin, for nothing but that can hurt thee. Even as to the body, we are cautioned against the sins which do harm to that. Converting grace changes people's language of and to good people and good ministers. How serious the jailer's inquiry! His salvation becomes his great concern; that lies nearest his heart, which before was furthest from his thoughts. It is his own precious soul that he is concerned about. Those who are thoroughly convinced of sin, and truly concerned about their salvation, will give themselves up to Christ. Here is the sum of the whole gospel, the covenant of grace in a few words; Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. The Lord so blessed the word, that the jailer was at once softened and humbled. He treated them with kindness and compassion, and, professing faith in Christ, was baptized in that name, with his family. The Spirit of grace worked such a strong faith in them, as did away further doubt; and Paul and Silas knew by the Spirit, that a work of God was wrought in them. When sinners are thus converted, they will love and honour those whom they before despised and hated, and will seek to lessen the suffering they before desired to increase. When the fruits of faith begin to appear, terrors will be followed by confidence and joy in God.
Commentary on Acts 16:35-40
(Read Acts 16:35-40)
Paul, though willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, and without any desire to avenge himself, did not choose to depart under the charge of having deserved wrongful punishment, and therefore required to be dismissed in an honourable manner. It was not a mere point of honour that the apostle stood upon, but justice, and not to himself so much as to his cause. And when proper apology is made, Christians should never express personal anger, nor insist too strictly upon personal amends. The Lord will make them more than conquerors in every conflict; instead of being cast down by their sufferings, they will become comforters of their brethren.