Think about this: an earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison YET left it standing BUT loosening the bands of every prisoner in it! Only the dead can be oblivious of the mighty yet gentle hand of God in the whole incident.
Acts 16
25 ¶ And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Some questions:
1. Verse 25 noted, 'the prisoners heard them'. Heard them in what sense? Were any of them converted that night?
2. What explains why the prisoners did not escape when everyone's bands had been loosened, and all the prison doors had been opened?
3. When the prison keeper called for a light, who brought the light? One of his family members or one of the fellow prison keepers?
4. What is the connection between the prison keeper wanting to commit suicide and his supposition that the prisoners had escaped?
5. What salvation was in the mind of the prison keeper when he asked, "what must I do to be saved?" From what did he want to be saved?
6. When apostle Paul said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house' is he teaching salvation by proxy, i.e. the jailor believes, and all his house shalt be saved? What salvation is Paul speaking of?
7. Who are the 'all' that were in the prison keeper's house? His family members, or the other prison keepers?
Who made up the people in the house of the Philippian jail keeper?
- His family members?
- His fellow prison keepers?
8. Is the term 'his house' the same as the term 'his family'? Could 'his house' refer to his fellow prison keepers?
9. What does 'and all his' in verse 33 consist of?
10. Were any unbeliever baptized that night?
Put on your thinking cap, and give me some light.
Thanks.
Thanks.
