Acts 16:25-40
Believe in the Lord Jesus
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25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.
27When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.
28But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”
29Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
33At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.
34Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.
35When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.”
36The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.”
37But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”
38So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
39They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.
40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Paul and Silas are praying and singing in prison when an earthquake opens the doors and loosens the chains. The jailer assumes everyone has escaped and prepares to kill himself. Paul calls out that they are all still there. Before asking for anything himself, he acts to protect this man's life.
The trembling jailer asks what he must do to be saved. The answer is direct:
Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.
Paul and Silas then speak the Lord's word to everyone in the house. The promise includes the household, and the household hears the gospel. The account ends with their joy at having come to believe in God; it does not present one person's faith as a substitute for everyone else's.
The jailer washes the prisoners' wounds and feeds them, and he and his household are baptized. The person guarding them has become someone caring for them. Salvation through Jesus produces a change we can see in these ordinary acts.
In the morning Paul refuses a quiet dismissal. The magistrates publicly beat Roman citizens without a trial, and he insists they come themselves. Compassion for the jailer has not required silence about injustice. Before leaving the city, Paul and Silas also visit Lydia's house and encourage the believers.
Questions
1 What were Paul and Silas doing before the earthquake?
AnswerThey were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
2 How did Paul protect the jailer?
AnswerHe called out before the jailer harmed himself, telling him that all the prisoners were still there.
3 How did Paul and Silas answer the jailer's question about salvation?
AnswerThey told him to believe in the Lord Jesus. They then spoke the Lord's word to him and everyone in his house.
4 What showed the change in the jailer's household?
AnswerThey were baptized and rejoiced that they had come to believe in God. The jailer washed Paul and Silas's wounds and brought them home for a meal.
What This Means for Us
The gospel belongs in our homes, where each person needs to hear about Jesus. We can explain what it means to trust him, make room for questions, and pray for one another. The jailer's care also reminds us that faith reaches our treatment of people: someone we once saw as an inconvenience or an enemy may be the person whose wounds we need to tend.
Prayer
Lord, meet us in difficult places and make our trust visible. Help us protect those in danger, speak the good news clearly, and welcome new believers with joy. Amen.