Introducing Philippians (Acts 16) -- 8/30/09

Sunday, August 30, 2009

INTRODUCING PHILIPPIANS
Acts 16

Last week I shared with you that we will be studying the letter to the Philippians. We have just completed a study of Genesis. Our study wasn’t just a survey, but neither was it an in-depth study. In my Bible Genesis covers 86 pages, while Philippians just a little over 5 pages. Genesis is well over 15 times as long as Philippians. One of the advantages of studying Philippians is that you will be able to get a solid grasp on the entire letter. Most anyone can sit down and read the entire letter in 15 minutes. I encourage you to do that. No doubt, when the Philippian Christians received the letter, they read the whole thing. They were eager to hear what their beloved Paul had to say to them. You will catch more of the flavor of this letter, if you will sit down from time to time and read the whole thing.

I know of no better way to introduce this letter than to look at the events that led up to the founding of the church at Philippi. And where should we go to look for those events? Yes, in the Bible. Yes, in the New Testament. And yes, in the book of Acts. Remember that Acts is the second part of a two-part book. Who wrote it? By the guidance of the Spirit of God, Luke wrote this two-volume work. A comparison of the first few verses of Luke and of Acts tells us that both were written to Theophilus. Listen to the beginning of Acts… (Acts 1:1-2)
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2. Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Luke makes it clear that he has already written one treatise to Theophilus. That first volume was about what Jesus began both to do and to teach. It covered Jesus’ life and work up until the time He had given commandments to His chosen apostles and then was taken up. Let’s read it in the last three verses of Luke’s gospel (Luke 24:49-53)…
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 50. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52. And theyworshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53. And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Clearly Acts takes up where the gospel of Luke leaves off. Let’s read the next two verses in chapter 1 (Acts 1:3-4)…
To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4. And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

Here we see Luke reviewing again the command Jesus had given them to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Now come down to Acts 1:9-13…
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 12. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. 13. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

So we see that while Luke’s gospel tells about what Jesus did and taught while He was on the earth, the book of Acts takes up the story from there, telling what Jesus would accomplish from heaven through the work of His Holy Spirit. Some have aptly titled it “The Acts of the Holy Spirit.” While Acts focuses on the work of the apostles, especially that of Peter and Paul, those men were but tools of the Spirit of God. And the primary function of these apostles was to bear testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (as we are told in Acts 1:22).

In Acts 9 we have the conversion of a man named Saul. We actually learn some things about Saul from Philippians itself. Let’s read it in Phil. 3:3-7…
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5. Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

Saul zealously opposed the church of Jesus Christ with everything within him. But there came a day when Jesus confronted Saul personally, even while he was on a campaign to round up Christians in the city of Damascus. It was then that the greatest enemy of the church Saul of Tarsus became its greatest missionary. We know him as Paul. It is this same Paul who wrote the letter to the Philippians. Let’s read it in Phil, 1:1, "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons."

After spending the better part of three years being instructed by the Lord Himself out in the Arabian desert and becoming acquainted with the apostles at Jerusalem, Paul spent some time in his home town of Tarsus. From there, he was called on by Barnabas to help him minister at Antioch. There at Antioch, at the direction of the Holy Spirit, the church sent Paul and Barnabas out to uncharted territories to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know it as “the first missionary journey,” and it is recorded in Acts 13 and 14. After the Jerusalem Conference, which is recorded in chapter 15, Paul undertook a second journey. This time his partner was Silas. This morning we are going to look at Acts 16 in order to review the events that led up to the establishment of the church at Philippi during this second missionary journey.

Let’s begin by reading about the beginning of this second missionary journey in Acts 15:40-16:12…
And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. 41. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. 16:1. Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2. Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3. Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. 4. And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. 5. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. 6. Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7. After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 8. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

This missionary endeavor begins with Paul and Silas. The primary purpose for this trip was stated in Acts 15:36, "And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do." During the first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas had established churches at Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Derbe, and Lystra. So when we read in verse 4, “And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily,” he is talking about the churches in these cities.

What we don’t want overlook is the fact that Paul and picked up a junior partner in Lystra. His name was Timotheus. Sometimes he is referred to as Timothy, and most of us prefer the shorter form. He must have been converted during Paul’s earlier visit there. We know from Paul’s second letter to Timothy that he had a godly mother and grandmother. We see here that his fellow-Christians respected him highly. His godly character was known not only in Lystra, but in neighboring Iconium as well. Timothy, of course, is the co-worker that Paul mentions in his opening words to the Philippians.

After encouraging and strengthening the churches in these four cities, they found themselves about 350 miles from their home base, but there is no indication that they considered going back home at this time. There were vast lands full of unevangelized people. They were eager to continue sharing the gospel. However, the Spirit of God refused to let them preach in Asia (map). When they turned north to go into Bythinia, the Spirit wouldn’t allow them to go their either. So they made their way to Troas. It was there in a vision that Paul heard a Macedonian man saying, “Come over and help us.” Macedonia (what is now northern Greece) is the region to which they are now going.

So they left Troas and came to Samothracia. This was a very distinctive island, as it had mountains rising 5,000 feet. The next day they set sail and came to Neapolis, which was the port city of Philippi. The winds must have been favorable. Later, Paul would sail the opposite direction and the trip from Neapolis to Troas would require five days (Acts 20:6).

Macedonia was a Roman province. We read here that Philippi was the chief city of that part of Macedonia. We also read that Philippi was a Roman colony. By this time, it had been a Roman colony for almost 100 years, having received this status in 42 B.C. The original purpose of Roman colonies was military. The Romans would bring a significant number of its Roman citizens to live in the colony. From a military standpoint, it made sense to have these strategic Roman settlements throughout the empire. A Roman colony went by Roman law, regardless of the laws of the people of that region.

I. The Conversion of Lydia and Her Household (13-18)

13. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

As we begin to read of Paul’s work in Philippi, we find that there is something missing. What is it? There is no mention of Paul going to the synagogue, as he had in Pisidian Antioch and Iconium. Because this was Paul’s prevailing custom, we have to assume that there was no synagogue in Philippi. And that means that there were few Jews there, as the presence of just ten Jewish men was sufficient to constitute a synagogue.

So if there was no synagogue in which to preach, where would Paul begin his work? We are told that he and his companions went out by a river side, “where prayer was wont to be made.” In other words, it was customary for prayer to be made in this place. The key is that there were some women who met there on the sabbath to pray. How Paul and Silas found out about this meeting is unknown to us, except that the Lord found a way to make it known to them.

14. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

It is generally assumed that Lydia was a widow, since there is no mention of a husband, though it is possible that she had never been married. We are told that she was from the city of Thyatira, which was a city of Asia. Isn’t it interesting that the Spirit wouldn’t let Paul preach in Asia, but his first convert in Europe was from the province of Asia! This lady named Lydia was “a seller of purple.” The people in the area of Thyatira were famous for their ability to manufacture and use a purple dye. Lydia either sold the purple dye itself, or clothing which was colored by the dye.

We are also told that Lydia worshipped God (literally, she was a worshipper of God). She was not a Jew, but she worshipped the true and living God. It reminds us of Cornelius, whose story is told back in chapter 10. She knew that Yahweh was the true and living God and she worshipped Him.

So Lydia was among those women who came down to the riverside on the sabbath to pray together. We are told in the previous verse that Paul and his company sat down and spoke to the women. The willingness to do so was not something Paul received from his Jewish heritage. Nevertheless, he saw this as a launching pad for the ministry in Philippi. Here was a group of ladies who were eager to worship God.

So when Paul and Silas spoke to these women, what do you think they talked about? It is no mystery. We are given no details, but it is clear from the context that they preached the same message they preached everywhere else—Jesus Christ, and Him crucified! When Paul spoke, the Lord opened her heart to attend to the things that he said. We must not pass over the fact that the Lord opened her heart, causing her to pay attention to what Paul said. Why is it that Lydia is the one woman that is singled out? Is it because she was the wisest of the women present? Is it because she had more common sense than the others? No, it is because the Lord opened her heart. If the Lord didn’t open the heart, there would be no hope for spiritually dead men and women to respond to the gospel.

15. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

It seems a bit abrupt, when Luke immediately records that Lydia was baptized, along with her household. Why was she baptized? We are not told that she believed. Why not? We must understand this in the context of the book of Acts as a whole. The pattern of Acts is along these lines…

… "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (2:41)
… "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" (8:12)
… "And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized" (18:8)

It is interesting to note that the word translated “attend unto” (prosecw) in verse 14 has several shades of meaning. While it can certainly mean “attend to, pay attention to,” it is also used to mean “to cling to, to cleave to a person or thing; to be given to or addicted to” (Thayer). Lydia not only paid attention to what Paul said, but she received what he said and clung to it. In short, she believed.

Not only was Lydia baptized, but also her household. That raises a question: Who was in the household of Lydia? We are not told. It seems best to assume that she had children or other relatives for whom she was responsible. It is also very possible that she had servants, depending upon the extent of her business. Concerning the baptizing of the whole household, we will take that up in a few minutes, when we come to the Philippian jailer.

Now listen to what she said to Paul after she was baptized. “If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there.” This is strong evidence of the genuineness of her conversion. Remember that Paul and his companions are new in this town. The missionaries had been there for “certain days.” As was the case with Jesus’ apostles when they were sent out to preach, these men needed a place to stay. Lydia was volunteering her home. Whether she was aware of it or not, hosting the apostle Paul was not always a safe venture, but she was willing to identify herself with these who were giving their lives to proclaim the gospel of the Christ who had saved her. Her invitation was so simple and genuine that they couldn’t refuse.

We don’t know what happened to the rest of the women. The fact that they were not converted at this time in no way means that they rejected the Lord Jesus. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how Lydia interacted with them in the days ahead. I suspect that the Lord gave her a burden for these women with whom she was accustomed to pray. But if every such story were included in our sacred pages, we wouldn’t be able to carry our Bible in one volume. We will have eternity to learn the rest of the story.

II. The Delivering of a Certain Slave Girl from a Spirit of Divination (16-18)

16. And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

The word translated “damsel” is best understood to mean “a young female slave” (“slave girl” in NASV, NIV, Amplified). The idea of servanthood or slavery is also suggested by the fact that she brought “her masters” much gain. You get the idea that this young girl was being used by a bunch of greedy businessmen. Her value was in the fact that she had “a spirit of divination.” The Greek literally says that she had “a spirit of Python.” That is, she was inspired by Apollo, the god who was worshipped at Pytho (Delphi). I think it would be safe to say that this young girl was possessed by a demon. As a result, she had supernatural power to tell the future. The same Greek word is used in the LXX to speak of the witch of Endor, who had “a familiar spirit.” It was this supernatural ability that made her valuable to her masters, who no doubt charged a fee for her services.

17. The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.

Doesn’t this remind you of the demon-possessed people with whom Jesus dealt? In Mark 3:11 we read of unclean spirits who fell down before Jesus and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” Listen to these words about the Gadarene demoniac… Mark 5:5-7
And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7. And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

Mark says that he worshipped Jesus and then referred to Him as “Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God.” So it is here, as this young lady points to Paul and his companions as “servants of the Most High God, who are showing the way of salvation.” We want to say, “What could possibly be wrong with that?” The main problem with it is the fact that it was spoken by this unclean spirit within the lady. Jesus did not accept worship and confession from demons, and neither did Paul. There is evidence to support the idea of a belief in that day that “the use of the precise name of an individual or spirit would secure mastery over him” (Mark, William Lane, p. 74). The proclamations of these demons was not a confession of faith, but a defiant challenge.

18. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

These words make it very clear that what this young lady was saying and doing was not a good thing. Paul was grieved (some translations say “annoyed”). Paul was fully aware that it was a spirit within the girl making these statements, as we are told that he spoke not to the girl, but to the spirit. And Paul didn’t mince any words, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”

Then we read, “And he came out the same hour.” “Same hour” seems to be an expression that means “at once.” Don’t get the idea that it took an hour for the spirit to leave the girl. The idea is that there was no delay at all.

We are told nothing more about the girl. I would certainly like to think that this girl was a saved that day, but the text does not tell us that. Perhaps Luke intended us to assume as much, but we cannot know that for sure. Jesus’ teaching indicates that it is possible for a person who is ridded of a demon to end up even worse. Luke 11:24-26…
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Again, wouldn’t we like to know the rest of the story. We will have to wait a while for that.

III. The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer (19-34)

Now we come to the portion of Acts 16 that is best known, the account of the Philippian jailer. Let’s consider it again. First of all, let’s take a look at how Paul came into contact with the jailer.

19-20... And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20. And brought them to the magistrates…

The casting out of this demon hit her masters right where it hurts, in the pocketbook. We don’t know all the details of how their business operated, but it is obvious that the supernatural demonic power within this girl is what made it work. Now they were out of business, and they were not happy about it. Their response was to blame Paul and Silas. They grabbed them and hauled them before the authorities.

20-21… And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21. And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

We can see immediately that these men were not honest. Their real motive was revenge because Paul and Silas had ended their shady business, but in order to have a case against them, they trumped up some other charges. These men took advantage of the fact that there was much anti-Jewish sentiment among the Gentiles of that day. We have talked before about the mutual hatred between Jew and Gentile. They portrayed Paul and Silas as Jews who were bringing their superstitions before the Romans. After all, there were laws against bringing foreign religious propaganda into a Roman colony.

We might ask why Timothy and Luke were not included in this action. Perhaps it was because Paul and Silas were the leaders and the most vocal. Also, Paul and Silas were the most Jewish, as Luke was a Gentile and Timothy was half Gentile.

22-24… And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Now we get a glimpse at the people in general, here referred to as “the multitude.” Like the multitude which cried out for the crucifixion of Jesus, this crowd seemed easily influenced by these angry men. Perhaps there were quite a number of others who were suspicious of these “wandering Jews.”

It is not to the credit of the Roman magistrates that they did not investigate the charges at all. They were either very sympathetic with the angry businessmen or were swayed by the voice of the people. At any rate, they stripped Paul and Silas and commanded that they be beaten. Notice, “when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison.”

When they took Paul and Silas to the jail, they instructed a specific jailer to guard them securely. And this is where we meet that man that is commonly referred to as “the Philippian jailer.” His job was to guard these two men, making sure that they did not escape. He took them deep within the prison and put them in stocks. Such stocks were not made for comfort, but for security. They were instruments which had holes into which the legs were inserted.

25-26… And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

We all know about this. Even though Paul and Silas were in jail, and wrongfully at that, they prayed and sang praises to God, and the prisoners heard them. But let’s not get the wrong idea about what was happening. Paul and Silas weren’t putting on a show for the prisoners. Their actions came out of a heart of praise and thanksgiving. Remember that they had been severely beaten before they were imprisoned. They had every reason to be moaning and complaining, but they were praying and singing.

I don’t get the impression that God brought the earthquake because Paul and Silas started praying and singing at midnight. No. Rather, verse 25 is a description of what was happening when the earthquake struck. The emphasis here is on continuous action – as they were praying and singing praises to God, and as the prisoners were listening to them. Paul would later write to the church at this same city of Philippi, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). Paul and Silas were continuously praying and praising God. No wonder the prisoners were listening to them. How could these men have such joy and confidence under such trying circumstances?

The sudden earthquake shook the prison to its foundations. Notice that all the doors were open and everyone’s bands were loosed. This was an unusual earthquake. It freed the prisoners, but it didn’t collapse the roof and injure them in any way. This was a God-directed earthquake which was sent for a very specific purpose.

27… And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

When the jailer was aroused from his sleep, he discovered the worst. The doors were all open and the prisoners had surely escaped. It was common that if a prisoner escaped, the jailor would receive the punishment due the prisoner. So if there was at least one prisoner who was on death row and had escaped, the jailor would be executed. But even if not, as a proud Roman (probably a retired soldier), with a deep sense of duty and discipline, he saw only one option – suicide. He would take his life before he had to face his superiors.

28-31… But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Before the jailer could do anything, Paul yelled at him, “Don’t do it; we’re all here.” It is obvious from Paul’s statement that the other prisoners had not run off, even though they had the opportunity. Why didn’t they escape? Surely it was because of what they had heard from these two unusual prisoners. They must have recognized the hand of God in the earthquake. Apparently they wanted to stay around long enough to see what was going to happen.

The words of verse 29 are very graphic. Notice that the jailer sprang in (“rushed in,” NASV; NIV; Amplified). And he came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas. He was terrified. This man must have also recognized the hand of God in all of this.

We would like to say, “That jailer was moved by the praying and singing of Paul and Silas at midnight.” However, we must take note that when the earthquake struck, the jailer was asleep (vs. 27). He hadn’t been listening to Paul and Silas. Of course, the jailer certainly knew something of what had taken place. He could see their wounds, as a result of the severe beating. No doubt, he heard stories of why they were in jail. He saw their attitude. And remember that Paul and Silas didn’t begin singing at midnight. I suspect the jailer had plenty of opportunity to hear them and observe their attitudes. Judging from his response here, I would say it is very likely that he had heard some of Paul’s conversations with the other prisoners. While he may have been able to reject the message of these two criminals, it was a different story when he was confronted with the earthquake and his present desperation.

The jailer brought Paul and Silas outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” This man knew who to ask about salvation. In my mind’s eye, I can see him earlier laughing under his breath at the message they proclaimed, but it was different now. Please hear me. When people make light of the truth of the gospel, let’s not be discouraged. We are planting seeds, just as Paul and Silas did. If we continue to plant the seeds and don’t grow weary, things will change when the shaking comes. There are people who can reject the gospel now, but what will they do when they are about to drown in the storms of life? What will they do, when the economy crashes, when there is severe threat of a nuclear attack, or when they come face to face with death? Some will continue to shake their fist at God, but surely there will be some Philippian jailers among them.

Wouldn’t you like to have someone say to you, “What must I do to be saved?” It does still happen, but we don’t seem to see much of it in our American culture. Why not? I don’t have all the answers, but I believe the primary reason is because in America there is little fear of God and knowledge of His law. In other words, people don’t see any need to be saved. 21st century Americans subscribe to the bumper sticker philosophy that says, “No fear.” They read Matt. 10:28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" and regard it as a fairytale. Why should they fear a God like that, when they can believe in a God of pure love, who will never hold anyone accountable?

I don’t know if revival will ever sweep this land again. I’m quite sure it won’t, if God’s people don’t pray for it. The great revivals in this country began with prayer. But whether or not we ever see sweeping revival, God will give us the privilege of rescuing people here and there, people who are like the Philippian jailer.

Notice how the scripture rings true. I Pet. 3:15 is familiar to some of you. It reads: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" What we forget is the context of this verse. Listen to the words just before it in verse 14, "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled." We see this truth played out in the experience of Paul and Silas. It was in the context of their suffering (and his own suffering) that the Philippian jailer asked them for a reason of the hope that was in them. When things are going well for us and we rejoice, the world shrugs its shoulders; “big deal.” But when we suffer wrongfully and rejoice in the Lord, there are some who will take notice. Are we willing to suffer in order that men and women might be brought to Christ? This is the cross, the dying to self, that Jesus speaks of when He says, “If any man will come after me, let deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24).

When the jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved,” Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” Put your faith in the Jesus who died on the cross for your sins, and you will be saved. Throw yourself on this Jesus, and you will be saved. Simply trust Him.

You may be thinking, “Then why don’t you proclaim that message more consistently? Why do you always add a bunch more to it?” Because I don’t find people coming as the Philippian jailer came. When is the last time you saw someone come trembling with fear and fall on his face before God, saying, “What must I do to be saved?” We can proclaim “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,” but it will have no effect until the hearers tremble before an Almighty God whose law they have broken and whose authority they have despised. This man who said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved” was a broken man, and “the Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart, and saves such as be of a contrite spirit” (Ps. 34:18).

32-33… And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

You probably noticed those words at the end of verse 31, “and thy house.” What does that mean? Some have taken it to mean that if the jailer believed, then all his house would be saved. However, we are given some clarification here in verse 32, “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.” Apparently, Paul gave further explanation to the jailer. They had already said to him, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” but now they speak to him the Word of the Lord. It seems that they went to his house, because they also spoke to all that were in his house. That would have included his family and perhaps servants.

I find here no magic formula that tells a man his whole family can be saved on the basis of his own faith. While it is true that a man’s influence in his home is great, each individual must exercise faith in Christ in order to be saved. The promise of verse 31 is basically this: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved; and that goes for your whole family.” In other words, this isn’t just good news for you, but for your whole family. Praise God that his family responded to the good news in the same way that he responded, for we read that the jailer was baptized, along with all his (family).

And right in the midst of this glorious account of salvation, we read that the jailer took them and washed their stripes. Most likely, he took them to his own house, and there he cared for their wounds. While this is a simple statement, it speaks volumes. The jailer didn’t just receive a commodity called salvation from these men. They became his brothers in the Lord. As Lydia’s hospitality to Paul and Silas was a demonstration of the genuine salvation she received, so the jailer’s tender caring for them shows that he received that same salvation. What a change – from adversaries to brothers overnight!

IV. The Release of Paul and Silas (35-40)

35-40… And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38. And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 40. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Let’s just note a couple of things here. Paul claims his right as a Roman citizen. Roman citizens were exempted by law from degrading forms of punishment such as Paul and Silas had suffered. The big question is this: Why hadn’t they claimed their citizenship rights the day before? Wouldn’t that have saved them a beating? We see here that the magistrates were quite alarmed when they learned the fact of their citizenship. We read that they feared.
Some would say that Paul and Silas did protest, but that the authorities turned a deaf ear. However, it is doubtful that Luke, the careful historian, would have failed to mention that fact. Notice that while Paul claims his citizenship rights here, he apparently did not do so earlier in order that he might escape punishment. In other words, he didn’t make his appeal in order to save himself. So why does he do so now? Was it to teach them a lesson? Let’s consider the possibility that it may have involved the church at Philippi. We see here in this passage that before Paul and Silas left town, they went to Lydia’s house and they comforted (exhorted) the brethren. The value of Paul’s action may be in that it would discourage the authorities from hassling the church, which was founded by these two Roman citizens. If that was the case, Paul was not acting on his own behalf, but on behalf of the brothers and sisters he loved.

The Roman authorities could not legally force Paul and Silas to leave town. When they came personally to the prison, they didn’t come to give commands, but “they besought (entreated) them.” Rather than order them out of town, they begged them to leave town. No doubt, they were hoping to avoid any more trouble. Paul and Silas graciously left town, but not before visiting those who had believed the gospel message. It was as if they were marking that home, warning the authorities not to bother the Christians there. Someone has said they were practicing “holy blackmail.”

Conclusion

Let’s move forward just a little bit. From Philippi, Paul and his missionary band would go and preach in Thessalonica. Their preaching was not without opposition. In the heat of that opposition, their accusers make this statement in Acts 17:6, “These that have turned the world upside down have come here also.” The last place they had been was Philippi. The only place they had ministered in Macedonia was Philippi. When they said that these missionaries had turned the world upside down, they were speaking primarily of the work in Philippi.

Let’s think about that for a moment. Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke certainly turned things upside down at Philippi. A business woman was converted. A young girl was set free from bondage, and with her freedom came the collapse of a corrupt business. Out of this, a whole multitude of people were drawn into the proceedings. And these things were not confined to the lower classes; the leading authorities of the city gave the command to beat Paul and Silas and lock them up. A prison was literally turned upside down and one of its employees was forever changed, along with his entire household. Yes, the Lord turned Philippi upside down through these men.

So how did it all begin? Let’s read it again in 16:12-13 "And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. 13. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Notice especially those words that describe the beginning of their stay in Philippi: “And we were in that city abiding certain days.” When we think of the work in this city, we might just skip over those words, but that would not be wise. We might get the idea that they were just sitting around, because there weren’t yet any opportunities. Surely that wasn’t the case. I want to suggest to you that those certain days were vital in the ministry to Philippi.

What do you think they were doing during those days? I believe they were praying. They were waiting on God. They were allowing the Lord to prepare them for what was to come. They were doing the same thing Paul and Silas would be doing in prison; they were praying and singing praises to God.

From there, they just went to a little prayer meeting down by the river. And what did they do there? They sat down and talked to the women which were meeting there. Nothing spectacular. It was a one-step-at-a-time ministry. Any believer could have done it.

The abiding certain days follows the pattern we see throughout the scriptures. Before Jesus began His public ministry, He waited for thirty years. Before that great ingathering on the Day of Pentecost, the disciples waited before the Lord in the upper room. Before Paul began his ministry, he spent the better part of three years in Arabia.

Brothers and sisters, let’s not waste “these certain days.” Let’s be on our knees before the Lord. Let’s be asking Him to speak to us through His Word. Let’s be praising Him for all things. You know, the Lord could use us to turn this part of His world upside down. Let’s not waste any of these certain days that are ours.