“And the Prisoners Heard Them”

Acts 16:16-34

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:

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

We see here that sometimes speaking the truth can be done

in a manner that is ungodly.

God says that we are to “speak the truth in love”.

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.

19 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, 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.

God tells us that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (I Timothy 6:10).

22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

There was no justice in this. It was simply mob rule.

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.

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.

Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”

(James 5:13)

At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee

because of thy righteous judgments.”

(Psalms 119:62)

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.

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.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves;

if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;”

(II Timothy 2:25)

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.

32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

A great need resulted in great plainness of speech.

God’s salvation is “by grace through faith”.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;

he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,

to preach deliverance to the captives,

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

(Luke 4:18-19)

Are you a prisoner of sin?

Jesus came to deliver you.

For those of us who have been delivered from sin,

there are prisoners all around us.

Let them hear our prayer and our praise.