Having looked at Peter’s miraculous deliverance from prison last week (Acts 12:1-19), this morning we looked at how Paul and Silas were delivered from prison in Philipp in Acts 16:16-40 by means of an earthquake which caused the prison foundations to tremble and the chains on all prisoners to fall off.
Their imprisonment in the first place came about because of a miracle: Paul’s words to the slave woman whose fortune-telling abilities caused her to make much money for her owners but which left her under demonic oppression. Paul recognised the source of her apparently praising words (through the gift of discernment of spirits) and commanded the evil spirit to leave. Her owners were not impressed at the loss of revenue which happened as a result of this miracle and they incited the crowd and authorities to flog and imprison Paul for preaching the gospel. Some miracles might be unwelcome to us personally, but Paul and Silas, like all in the early church, were not put off by opposition and persecution. They remembered Jesus’s words (Matt 5:10-11) and understood that God’s purposes are worked out even in challenging situations. (Rom 8:28)
In actual fact, the miracle of their deliverance from prison was more for the benefit of the salvation of the Philippian jailer and his family than it was for Paul and Silas. Paul would later spend much time in prison, writing his letter to the Philippians from there. He knew that whatever circumstances he faced, God was with him for good (see Phil 1:12-18). Whether we see the miraculous deliverance of God as Paul did on this occasion or have to learn to find God in our suffering and pain, as was the case for Paul subsequently, God is able to bless us and help us. Every circumstance we face in life is meant to refine us and sharpen us so that we are more equipped to preach the gospel to others. God’s extravagant love meant He was prepared to go to miraculous lengths to save one man and his family. One man was worth a miracle – one man matters. We need to be bold and giving in our outreach, because we cannot outgive God (see 2 Cor 9:6-8). God is able to move in miraculous ways to bring people to a knowledge of HImself; we can, like Paul and SIlas, be privileged to answer the question ‘What must I do to be saved’ as they were: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31)
