Feb 01, 2015
Acts 16:25-34
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As Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke minister in Philippi we were given a stark reminder of the incredible costs often associated with following Jesus. We’re told for the high crime of faithfulness to God and a willingness to demonstrate His love for people (Acts 16:22-24) “the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.”
Don’t forget… If God is working through your life in such a way that it is a threat to the clutches of darkness, the enemy will not sit passively by and allow your advance to proceed unimpeded. If you’re doing good expect a counter offensives to ensue!
Luke tells us that after being stripped naked (“the magistrates tore off their clothes”) Paul and Silas are then “beaten with rods” in the public square. While the Hebrews limited such beatings to 40 minus 1 (Deuteronomy 25:3), the Romans had no such restrictions.
Luke (an eyewitness to this beating) simply tells us “they laid many stripes on them.” Note: This is the first of three such beatings Paul would endure (2 Corinthians 11:25).
Before we continue on we should address an obvious question… Why were Paul and Silas arrested while Luke and Timothy allowed to remain free? Many speculate that since Luke was a Gentile believer and Timothy was only half-Jewish it’s likely these men weren’t automatically seen as associates of Paul and Silas. In Acts 16:20 part of the accusation against them was that “being Jews” they “exceedingly trouble our city.”
Following this beating these men, bruised and bloody, are then “thrown into the inner prison.” In the ancient world, prisons existed for a much different purpose than they do today. You see Roman judges would not sentence a guilty offender to serve time incarcerated. Prisons only existed to be holding cells for either the accused awaiting trial or the condemned awaiting punishment.
Even the Mosaic law prescribed no penalty that included imprisonment. A guilty person was either required to make immediate restitution to the victim or if the crime was so severe that restitution was impossible they’d simply be put to death or banished.
It should also be pointed out that Roman prisons were often subterranean pits making them cold, dark, filthy, and poorly ventilated. While some prisoners would be chained in such a way that would allow a certain level of mobility within their cell, since the “jailer was command to keep them securely” not only are Paul and Silas’ hands fastened to the wall but their feet were “fastened in the stocks” forcing them (with painful, open back sores) to sit in the same filthy spot unable to tend to their wounds. Look at their reaction…
Acts 16:25, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”
“But…” In a literary sense Luke is placing the reaction of Paul and Silas in context to everything that had just happened to them. His point is to illustrate how abnormal it was that following a violent arrest without provocation, false accusations without reason, an unmerciful beating, and an unjust imprisonment as if they were criminals of the worst order these men responded to their circumstances by “praying and singing hymns to God!”
It’s as though Luke is telling us that “A” happened which one would always expect to lead to “B” - the natural result, “but” in an amazing twist “B” doesn’t occur and instead something out of the norm and in many ways unexpected takes place!
In their suffering Paul and Silas resist the natural, human reaction to doubt their purpose (what did we do wrong), take pity on themselves (woe is me), complain about their plight (this is not fair), or even grow angry over their current state of affairs (a desire for vindication). Instead Paul and Silas made a decision to rely on the God behind their circumstances by coming to Him in “prayer and the signing of hymns.”
The first thing we see Paul and Silas doing in the darkness of their suffering is coming to God in prayer. In the moment of suffering prayer is of vital importance for it is the mechanism by which Jesus is able to effect my mind and therefore influence my will!
Never forget prayer is not about convincing God He needs to do something, but is instead all about aligning my heart with what God is presently doing. It’s not about getting God on my side, it’s about surrendering my will to His!
Prayer affords me an opportunity to allow what I know to be true to override what I might feel in the moment! It helps me place my present situation in context of greater realities… God loves me, is in control, and has a plan! Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Prayer helps me shift my focus off of the circumstances in front of me and onto the God behind my circumstances. And when this happens your perspective concerning your present situation will begin to change… Instead of escape my desire becomes endurance.
And you know when this takes place (when I can recognize and trust the sovereignty of God over my circumstances) a great peace fills my life. Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Which leads to the other component… If you’re suffering I hope you realize Jesus wants to do more than simply effect the mind and the will. In Luke 4:18 Jesus said that He had been sent to “heal the brokenhearted” and “set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
It shouldn’t be understated that though Paul and Silas were able to gain a heavenly perspective on their earthly circumstances their wounds were still very real and their physical pain extremely palpable. It’s true a change in perspective didn’t change their present discomfort. This is why aside from praying Paul and Silas “sing hymns to God.”
In the moment of suffering worship is also of vital importance for it’s the mechanism by which Jesus is able to minister to my heart and thereby ease my pain! Hebrews 4:16 exhorts us to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” While worship intends to exalt the name of God, the very act of singing praises to Him is the avenue by which Jesus is able to minister to the worshipper’s heart.
Over the last few years researchers have conducted several studies in the attempts of trying to understand the biological benefits of singing. One article I read concluded that researches “are beginning to discover that singing is like an infusion of the perfect tranquilizer, the kind that both soothes your nerves and elevates your spirits.”
While studies show that all singing has a biological effect it would seem that group singing yields the greatest impact. As one researcher wrote, “Group singing, for those who have done it, is the most exhilarating and transformative of all. It takes something incredibly intimate, a sound that begins inside you, then shared with a roomful of people, only for it to come back as something even more thrilling: harmony.”
Now for those of you concerned with the harmony component… According to a study conducted in 2005, group singing “can produce satisfying and therapeutic sensations even when the sound produced by the vocal instrument is of mediocre quality.” It’s a good thing the only prerequisite for our worship is that it be “a joyful noise unto the Lord.”
Studies reveal that when you sing (and in this instance worship) your brain experiences a surge of two different neurochemicals that yield two different results.
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Known as the “bonding or love hormone” oxytocin boosts a person’s sense of trust and togetherness, reduces anxiety and stress, and promotes a feeling of happiness. Note: MDMA or Ecstasy is a street drug that artificially floods the brain with oxytocin.
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Known scientifically as “endogenous morphine or opioid” endorphins serve to inhibit the transmission of pain signals which produce a feeling of pleasure. Note: Strenuous exercise produces a surge of endorphins which is why you feel good after a work out.
Biologically speaking, the act of worshipping God by singing praises to Him will not only boost your spirit by releasing oxytocin into your brain, but as a result of this surge of endorphins the suffering soul will physically and emotionally feel better. And you wonder why many Christians feel “high” following a worship service?
Once again (and in line with a train of thought introduced last Sunday in our discussion of Lydia) this is another reason a spiritual life based primarily on the activity of worshipping God can be a dangerous and misleading reality.
Not only is it possible for a person to worship God without knowing God, but the basic biological effects of worship are also independent of this same reality. Sadly, because of our misguided emphases of the worship experience apart from the teaching of God’s Word we have created a Christian culture filled with “worship junkies” more interested in the hit of oxytocin and surge of endorphins than they are in the genuine exaltation of God.
While Paul and Silas had been ministering for Jesus (which had led to their suffering), it was now time for Jesus to minister to them. By coming before the Lord in prayer these men afforded Jesus the opportunity to influence their will, but it was by spending time in worship that Jesus was able to minister to these men in a very practical and tangible way.
As they sang to God Paul and Silas experienced a boost of endorphins (which eased their pain) and a surge of oxytocin (which helped them trust, reduced their stress, and feel the love of God in a real way). Please understand… The reason we gather to worship God through the singing of songs is that we want to afford you the same opportunity to allow Jesus to minister to your heart in addition to speaking to your mind when we study His Word.
This detail that “the prisoners were listening to them” is not an accident. I can imagine the sound coming from the cell of Paul and Silas during that midnight hour was the strangest noise any of them had ever heard. You see the reaction of Paul and Silas caught their attention because all the men in that prison shared the similar plight of suffering.
I know many of you are into the “essential oils” craze, and while I have no interest in discussing the merits for or against alternative medicine (that’s a pie I have no desire to step in) there is a truth concerning oils relevant to the topic at hand.
It’s an inescapable reality that if you want “lavender oil” to reduce stress or inflammation you’ll first have to crush a lavender flower. If you want “peppermint oil” for digestive purposes you’ll first have to crush a peppermint leaf. If you want “rosemary oil” to relieve your headache you’ll first have to crush down rosemary needles. In the natural world that which oozes from a item when it’s crushed reveals the fundamental nature of the item!
And you know the same reality exists in the spiritual world… Because the reaction of Paul and Silas to their suffering (or what oozed from their lives) was not normal and in many ways un-expected it spawned a curiosity that demanded further explanation. How could these men praise God when the normal reaction would be to curse Him?
I hope you understand your life demonstrates a greater manifestation of the supernatural power of God when your circumstances are difficult as opposed to when everything is hunky dory. The reason the world listens with greater attention when a Christian suffers is because they want to see if your reaction will be any different from their own.
You see if your reaction to suffering is like that of Paul and Silas the world around you is forced to consider why! Paul and Silas are crushed, but what oozed out and was then diffused throughout that prison was the indwelling Spirit of Living God! The aroma was otherworldly! And this would seem consistent for in Galatians 2:20 Paul would declare, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in Me.”
This morning it would be wise for you to consider… When you’re thrown into the prison of despair… When you’re surrounded by darkness… When you find yourself wounded, bleeding and bruised… When you’re crushed… What aroma comes forth?
In his famous sermon “Songs in the Night” Charles Spurgeon said in a way that only he could, “Any fool can sing in the day. It's easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight. But the skillful singer is the one who can sing when there is not a ray of light to read by. Songs in the night come only from God. They are not in the power of man.”
Acts 16:26-28, “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 chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
As Paul and Silas are singing to the Lord during the midnight hour, we’re told “suddenly” or literally without forewarning “there was a great earthquake” that so shook the prison that not only were “all the doors opened” but “everyone’s chains were loosed.”
And “awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open” the “keeper of the prison… supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword to kill himself.” According to Roman law the penalty for allowing a prisoner to escape custody was that the soldier responsible would assume the escapee’ sentence. Realizing the severity of the situation this Philippian Jailer decides it would be better to kill himself than suffer the humiliating death that awaited him.
Consider the scene… Paul and Silas have been thrown into prison unjustly… They have maintained their Godly character by praying and worshipping the Lord… In the midst of their worship an earthquake supernaturally opens their door and looses their chains…
And yet, while it would have been easy to see this as the providence of God making way for their escape, recognizing what would befall this Jailer, “Paul called with a loud voice” pleading with the man to “do himself no harm, for they were all there.”
If you or I had been in Paul’s sandals I think it’s safe to say we would have thanked Jesus for deliverance and bolted, but this is not what happened! Though I don’t believe Paul and Silas anticipated an earthquake, what this tells me is that during their time of prayer God had impressed upon their hearts the understanding that there was a divine reason for their imprisonment. Their suffering had a purpose and was all part of God’s plan!
I’m convinced as Paul saw the scene unfold he couldn’t help but realize this earthquake was not intended to be a means of escape, but instead was designed to create an opportunity whereby they could minister to this Philippian Jailer who was in desperate need of salvation!
Acts 16:29-30, “Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Well if there had been any doubt in Paul’s mind as to the larger purpose behind his present situation it was dispelled rather quickly by this Jailer’s question… “What must I do to be saved?” Talk about an open door! The man wants Paul to tell him how to be saved!
It would be wise for us to define what this man desired “to be saved” from. When man sinned against God two results naturally ensued: Man was immediately separated from God, and he was condemned to death eternally. Romans 6:23, “The wages (penalty) of sin is death.”
What this Philippian Jailer desired was “to be saved” from the penalty his sin required of him so that he might be reconciled to God and experience life eternally with God. As such his question revealed a profound understanding of his own inability to satisfy the penalty of sin on his own. Salvation fundamentally demands we recognize the need “to be saved.” The man acknowledged his own condemnation, inability to save himself, and need of a Savior!
Now before we look at Paul’s response I can’t help but notice the factors that precipitated the man’s question. What was it about Paul and Silas that drew him? Surely you can assume the way in which Paul and Silas had handled their beating spoke volumes… I can also reckon their prayer meeting / worship service had also peaked his interest… And yet, aside from these things it is undeniable the driving factor had been grace!
Don’t forget this Philippian Jailer had been personally responsible for so much of Paul and Silas’ suffering! But, not only had Paul and Silas refuse to curse him as the instigator of their pain, in his moment of greatest need they demonstrated incredible, undeserved kindness. Instead of escaping to freedom, they selflessly stayed preferring his life above their own.
Imagine if Paul and Silas had handled this man with the legalistic tendencies of religion or for that matter the law… Imagine if they treated him as the world would have… The result in either scenario would have been his death, judgment, and torment. But, since they demonstrated great grace, the man saw in them the key to salvation! Paul would declare in Romans 2:4 that it is “the goodness of God that lead a man to repentance!”
Acts 16:31-34, “So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then 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 stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”
The man asks a simple question, “What must I do to be saved?” and Paul responds with the most profound of answers… “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”
In essence, Paul affirms that it is not what a man “does” that saves him, but rather what he “believes.” Sadly, it’s in the simplicity of Paul’s answer that many are left with a fundamental misunderstanding as to the true nature of salvation.
In English when I say, “I believe you” I’m affirming an intellectual belief in what you’re saying. However when I say, “I believe in you” I’m not only affirming the same intellectual belief, but I’m going one step further by placing my confidence in you!
Understand… Salvation is not solely found in a set of intellectual beliefs that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. Salvation demands we carry these beliefs one step further by placing our confidence, faith, and trust in the fact that Jesus as the Son of God died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. It’s not just “believing Jesus,” but it’s having a “belief in Jesus” that saves a man from his sins!
This man understood his need for salvation. He understood the only way he would ever be able to find reconciliation with God would be for these “wages” required by sin to first be satisfied. In pointing him to Jesus Paul was pointing him to a Savior. Because Jesus was sinless His death on the cross (payment for sin not of His own making) could satisfy the debt this Philippian Jailer was unable to pay on his own. All that was required of him was to accept Jesus’ payment on his behalf and “believe” by placing his confidence in this reality!
John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”