Paul and Silas in Prison

Paul and Silas in Prison - including the stories of Lydia and the Slave Girl
Acts 16

Now there came a time when Paul went to a city called Phillippi, and on the sabbath day, he went down to the river to pray, and there was a woman named Lydia there. She was from a city called Thyatira, and she heard Paul praying, and the Lord opened her heart and she believed the things Paul was speaking of. And when she was baptized, and her household also, she asked Paul to stay in her house, if he knew that she was faithful to the Lord. And so Paul stayed there.

But one day a certain young woman possessed with an evil spirit started following Paul, and finally one day Paul said to the spirit "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her" And when her masters saw that they could not make any more money from her, they caught Paul and Silas and took them to the rulers and said "These men, being Jews, are causing a lot of trouble in this city, and they are teaching things which are not lawful for us to receive or observe, because we are Romans."

And all the people rose up against them, and the rulers tore off their clothes and had them beaten. And when they had been struck many times, they were thrown into prison, and the jailor was told to keep them secure, and so he put them in the innermost part of the prison and put their feet in stocks. (those are wooden blocks which went around their feet).

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, and the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone was set free. And the keeper of the prison, waking up, and seeing the prison doors open, was going to kill himself with his own sword, because he thought that all the prisoners had ran away.

But Paul cried with a loud voice saying "Don't hurt yourself, we are all here." And so the keeper called for a light, and ran in, and shaking, he fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house." And they spoke to him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

And that very same hour, he took them and washed their wounds, and was baptized, he and all his house right away. And then he gave them meat to eat, and rejoiced, believing in God with everyone in his house.

And when it was daytime, the rulers told the keeper of the prison to let Paul and Silas go. And so Paul and Silas went back to the house of Lydia and when they saw the people who were in the house, they comforted them and left.

Memory Verse: Acts 16:31 "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved...."

Questions:
1. What happened to Lydia when she heard Paul praying?
2. Why were Paul and Silas put in prison?
3. What were Paul and Silas doing when the earthquake came?
4. Why was the keeper going to kill himself?
5. How did Paul say that the keeper could be saved?
6. What did the keeper do after he was saved?

Answers:
1. God opened her heart and she believed the things Paul was saying.
2. Because the people said they were causing trouble in the city.
3. They were praying and singing praises to God.
4. Because he thought that everyone had fled.
5. Paul said "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved."
6. He was baptized and then he gave Paul and Silas something to eat.

Are you saved? Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ?

Vicki C. Gross/Jan'03