They were in jail. This was after they had their clothes torn off and were beaten by the crowd.
There they were, Paul and Silas, in the Philippi jailhouse, praying and singing. Exemplifying the steadfast resolve of a faithful believer. Giving thanks to God for being worthy to suffer for the gospel, and to encourage themselves through it.
The Great Commission demands a toll from those who are willing to pursue it. Paul and Silas had paid their fair share in the past, and here they were—paying up again.
Paul & Silas in Philippi
Acts 16:16-18a
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days.
Many days. Paul put up with this for a while.
Was he enjoying the attention?
Did it take him some time to discern the spirit?
Was he waiting to see what the slave girl’s owners, or the spirit, would do next?
Were the slave girl’s announcements actually helpful?
All of these might’ve been true, but I suspect the real reason for Paul’s delay was his focus on ministry.
Mindful of The Assignment
First and foremost, Paul was there to minister. Nearly eberywhere that Paul travel, his effort to preach the gospel was met wiht resitance. He was wise enough to know that the work of ministry is challenging enough without adding anymore friction. Since he knew that the slave oweners were profiting off of her fortune-telling, he would’ve surely known that they enraged if that were to come to an end. Even Jesus evaded confrontations when he discerned that it was not worth the trouble.
Matthew 12:14-15
But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there.
So Paul may have resolved to just grit and bear it for a few days while he went forth preaching and teaching, taking advantage of those many days to sow fresh seeds of righteousness. As my pastor always says, “he kept the main thing, the main thing,” and that was to share the gospel.
Acts 16:18b-24
Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Mindful of the Costs
Inevitably, though, Paul had to put an end to the meddling of this unclean spirit. He could not allow it to go on oppressing this slave girl, or for her owners to profit from it. Despite the trouble it might bring on his and Silas heads, duty must be fulfilled.
If Paul did indeed anticipate retaliation from the slave girl’s owners, he was proven right. He and Silas were brought before the magistrates and a hostile crowd. These slave owners, who were more than fine with Paul and Silas’ activities when they were profiting from it, suddenly found offense.
If Paul also anticipated a lack of fairness and due process, he was right there as well. Not only were he and Silas found guilty (of what exactly?), but they were summarily beaten and thrown into prison.
Acts 16:25-26
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to 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 everyone’s bonds were unfastened.
Mindful of Praise
So there they were in prison.
I started us here because I think this is the most compelling part of the story. Paul and Silas are caught up in a genuine moment of praise, and a supernatural move of the spirit literally breaks strongholds.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
In his writings, Paul often exhorted the saints to “rejoice in sufferings,” and here we have a testimony of him living it out. No doubt this was a time of deep, personal devotion, the kind that casts off physical hardships and replaces it with spiritual joy—but it was also an opportunity to minister. Even in jail, we can be living epistles.
So effective was their praise that, perhaps without even desiring it, they were able to bring forth a mighty move of God that liberated them from their imprisonment—and they had an opportunity to escape, but it seems that they had another outcome in mind.
Acts 16:27-34
When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
Mindful of the Lost
Why didn’t they leave? They could’ve run into the night, never to be seen again. So could have the other prisoners that were with them.
But they didn’t.
Whether they knew for certain that the jailer’s life stood in the balance, or just resolved to see the whole matter through to the end, your guess is as good as mine (I believe toward the former). There is no doubt, though, that by staying, they were able to win more souls for Christ. Not only did they win the jailer and his entire household, but they must’ve made quite an impression on those other prisoners as well. Why else would they haved stayed?
Mindful Throughout
Consider all of the things that Paul had to be mindful of throughout this story, how many things he had to discern, evaluate, and process:
The opportunities to share the gospel
The presence of a spirit
The intent of the slave owners
The potential repercussions of exorcising the spirit
The self-serving benefits of fleeing the jail versus…
The larger benefits of continuing to minister where they were, no matter the cost
This story in Acts 16 is one of many stories in the book of the apostles enduring trials and tribulations in the service of the Lord:
The apostles beaten by the Sadducees in Jerusalem—Acts 5.
Stephen stoned to death—Acts 7
The Jews plot to kill Paul—Acts 9
Paul and Barnabas persecuted in Pisidian, Antioch & Iconium—Acts 13 & 14
Paul stoned at Lystra—Acts 14
Paul beaten and nearly killed in Jerusalem—Acts 21
Throughout these stories, we find the apostles girding themselves up, enduring social and physical testing, all while making sure they were conducting themselves properly in front of those they were called to serve.
When we talk about mindfulness, this is it.
Saints, what situations in your life are demanding more mindfulness? Is God calling you into new places of ministry? Are you being challenged to remain steadfast amidst trials and tribulations? In all these things, let the mindfulness of Christ be in you richly, for the glory of God and your good.
I shared more insights on Christian mindfulness in this week’s episode of Tuesday Teachings. Watch it on YouTube, or listen to the podcast on Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.
