Salvation Is Jesus

Acts 16 - Part b

Trouble in Macedonia

In the second half of Acts 16 we find Paul and company being harassed by a demon possessed slave girl.

Verses 16-18:

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

It’s interesting to note that even demons recognize the way to be saved.  The problem with this demon possesed girl shouting the truth while following Paul wherever he went is probably in the way she was saying it. Demons are God’s enemies, and while they may recognize that Jesus is the way to be saved, in this case it was most likely being said in a sarcastic and/or annoying fashion that would only turn people away from the truth.

Once Paul cast out the demon, the slave girl’s owners became very upset, because they lost a source of income from the divination abilities it gave the girl. These owners managed to get the whole city in an uproar against Paul and his fellow missionaries by telling the crowds they were advocating customs that were against Roman law. This of course was a lie, and in fact, in Paul’s writings to various churches he tells Christians that they should obey the laws of whatever government they’re under.

Worship in Hardship

Next we see another act of physical abuse to Paul and his friends. No matter how many times they are faced with physical harm for the gospel, they continue to praise God for salvation through Jesus Christ.

Verses 22-28:

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

We see here that Paul and Silas, though beaten and imprisoned had not lost their joy in the Lord. They were singing hymns with all the prison listening to them.  Then a miraculous earth quake frees them from their chains, yet instead of running, they take the opportunity to share Christ with the Jail guard. As a result he and his entire family believe in Jesus and are saved. We also see the very clear and consistent answer the Bible gives for the question of how to be saved: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”

By reading the rest of the chapter you can see how the officials that arrested Paul and Silas became fearful when they found out that they beat and arrested men who were Roman citizens. They were humilated, apologized, then let them go.