Bible Folks

PAUL AND SILAS Paul opened his eyes slowly in the darkness, as his mind came back to consciousness. His eyes strained for a glimpse of his friend, Silas. Every fiber of Paul’s body screamed with pain. They had both been beaten with a cat-of-nine-tails, the scourge used by the Romans. They had been charged with unlawful teaching by the Romans whose slave girl had been possessed by an evil spirit. The spirit had given her the power of divination, a practice long forbidden by God to His children. The girl had followed Paul and Silas about crying, “These men are servants of the most high God.” (Acts 16:17) It was maddening to be followed about by a servant of Satan and finally Paul had turned about and commanded the spirit in the name of Jesus to come out of the girl. The spirit had come out of her and with it had gone the power of divination. In anger at losing a valuable source of income, (the girl’s master had charged for her services,) the Romans had hauled Paul and Silas before the local magistrate, falsely accusing them and publicly scourged them. Paul had awakened in the stinking blackness, not even sure of where he was or how much time had passed. “Paul,” It was the voice of Silas. Paul said a silent prayer of thanks and praise to God at the sound of his companion’s voice. “I am here, Silas, wherever here is,” Paul replied. “I think we are in the Philippian prison,” Silas said. “I came to consciousness a little while ago as we were being put into the stocks.” As Paul’s eyes became accustomed to the darkness, he could make out the shadowy outline of the stock that enclosed his hands, feet, and head. He could also see, not far away, another stock that enclosed Silas. “Paul, what are we to do?” Silas asked. “Has God abandoned us?” “Indeed no,” Paul replied. “We should count it a joy to suffer for the cause of Christ. Let us not cry out for mercy. Let us sing praises in the name of Christ our King. He recalled a Psalm of David that had been a particular favorite of his as a child and he began to chant the words, sometimes singing them in his raspy, guttural voice. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-3) Silas, enthralled by his companion’s song of praise of God, began chanting one of his own from the Psalms of David. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from which cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which hath made Heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2) “Shut up,” an angry voice sounded in the darkness. “It must be about the midnight hour and you’re keeping us awake.” “Shut up yourself,” another voice answered the first. “And let them sing if they wish.” Suddenly the ground began shaking. “An earthquake,” someone said. “We’re doomed. We’ll be buried under a pile of rubble.” There was a clanking of steel as the vibrations of the earthquake began loosening the cell doors and bursting them open. Chains began falling away as the locks gave way under the vibrations. The stocks that enclosed Paul and Silas began crumbling as the stocks were being literally shaken to pieces. “Nobody move,” Paul shouted. “Any sudden movement could be disaster. Not a single prisoner stirred a muscle. The vibrations stopped as suddenly as they had begun. There was a sudden cry of anguish and surprise as the jailer awake from a deep slumber. He looked about him at the open cell doors and thought everyone had escaped. He drew his sword, apparently ready to take his own life rather than die by the Romans. “Do yourself no harm,” Paul cried out. “We are all still here.” (Acts 16:28) There was a sudden flash of light as the jailer lifted a lantern and thrusting it about, found Paul’s statement to be true. He made his way to the cell where Paul and Silas stood, now free from the stocks. He set the lantern on the ground and dropped to his knees before them. Paul could see that he was trembling in every limb. “Sirs, what must I do to be saved:” he asked. (Acts 16:30) “Believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and your house,” Paul replied. (Acts 16:31) An hour later, Paul and Silas sat at the jailer’s table, while the jailer and his wife gently sponged their wounded backs with cold water. In the meantime, their eldest daughter was baking cakes of unleavened bread. She sat these on the table with some fruit, new wine (unfermented grape juice), and cheese. There was also some fresh spring water. After Paul had given thanks to God for the food, they ate. The jailer and his family listened, enthralled, as Paul told them of his own salvation experience, how he had been struck down by a great Light while on his way to Damascus and had heard the voice of Jesus saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” (Acts 9:4) “Jesus of Nazareth was sent as the Saviour of all men,” Paul said. “He gave His life so that we could have eternal life. All we must do is accept Him as Lord and Saviour and receive God’s precious gift of grace through the sacrifice of Jesus. We’re not serving a dead Saviour. He rose again on the third day and now sits at the right hand of the Father.” The jailer and his family were all saved that day and were baptized by Paul and Silas. Thus did God bring salvation to the jailer’s house that day. Paul went on to travel and preach to nearly all of the known world, as well as writing nearly half of our New Testament. The rest of the book of Acts records the rest of his amazing life.