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Acts 16

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:

Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

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.

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.

And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

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,

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

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.

And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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,

And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

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

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

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

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.

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.

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

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

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

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

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

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

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.

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.

And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

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.

What does Acts 16:27 mean?

Explanation

Acts 16:27 describes a scene where the keeper of the prison wakes up to find the prison doors open. Fearing that the prisoners had escaped, he considered suicide by drawing his sword.

This verse is part of a story that began in Acts 16:25, where Paul and Silas were imprisoned for casting out a spirit from a slave girl and were singing hymns at midnight when an earthquake occurred, shaking the foundations of the prison and opening the doors.

The jailer's reaction reflects his assumption that the prisoners had taken the opportunity to flee, which would have led to severe punishment for him, likely including execution, hence his suicidal contemplation.

The deeper meaning here touches on themes of despair and the assumption of the worst in dire circumstances. It also sets the scene for the transformative encounter the jailer is about to have with Paul and Silas, which ultimately leads to a radical change in his life.

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Historical Context

This event takes place in a Macedonian city called Philippi around AD 50-51.

Philippi was a Roman colony with a significant military presence, and as a result, Roman law was strictly enforced.

The jailer, as a Roman official, would have been responsible for the security of the prisoners.

The societal norm was that failure in official duties could be met with severe penalties, including death.

This was a significant motivator for the jailer's drastic response.

Theological Insights

Different theological perspectives can be garnered from this verse:

Divine Providence: Some theologians might see the open prison doors as an act of divine intervention meant not just for the escape of Paul and Silas, but for the salvation of the jailer.
Justice and Mercy: This event allows us to contrast human justice, which would punish the jailer for the escape of prisoners, with divine mercy, which uses the situation to bring him and his family to faith.
Desperation and Hope: This verse also explores the theme of how despair can lead to thoughts of suicide while subtly introducing the hope that will materialize through Paul’s response in the subsequent verses.

Practical Applications

Dealing with Failure: This story encourages individuals not to succumb to despair when they face failure or crisis, but to seek solutions and await possible positive outcomes.
Impact of Assumptions: It teaches the importance of verifying facts before taking drastic actions based on assumptions.
Responsibility: Those in positions of responsibility are reminded of the consequences of their duties but also encouraged to seek redemptive outcomes in difficult situations.

Cross-References

Acts 12:6-10: The miraculous escape of Peter from prison.
Acts 16:25-34: The context of this story, including Paul and Silas's imprisonment, the earthquake, and the subsequent baptism of the jailer and his family.
Philippians 1:12-14: Paul writes about his imprisonment and the advance of the gospel.

Language Study

The original Greek text uses the word egeiren (ἐγείρων), which means "waking" or "awakening," emphasizing the suddenness of the jailer’s arousal from sleep. Enthysin dirkên (ἔνθυσιν δίρκην) refers to him "drawing a sword," indicating the intention behind the action was immediate and desperate.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In Roman culture, military and governmental officials were expected to take their own lives rather than face public disgrace following failure. This can be compared to practices like seppuku in Japanese samurai culture.

Additionally, there are stories in many cultures where miraculous or divine interventions lead to the conversion or saving of individuals, such as the story of Saul's conversion to Paul (also in the Acts of the Apostles).

Scientific Perspectives

There is no direct scientific discussion related to this verse, but the earthquake reported in the passage may be of interest.

Earthquakes happened regularly in the region and may have contributed to historical accounts; however, the timing and effects described in this story are presented as miraculous rather than natural occurrences.

commentaries

Commentators vary in their interpretation of this verse:

John Calvin: Emphasizes the providence of God in using this moment to bring about the jailer's salvation.
Matthew Henry: Highlights the distress of the jailer in thinking his prisoners had fled and his reflection on the misery which unconverted sinners endure.
William Barclay: Notes the dramatic nature of the scene and the instant change from suicide to salvation offered by the presence of Paul and Silas.

Acts 16

Acts 16

What does Acts 16:27 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 16:27 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?