Paul and Silas In Prison; Acts 16: 12 – 40 – Part 3

Church History: Date: A.D. 49-52
The magistrates were frightened when they were told (though it may be they knew it before) that Paul was a Roman. They feared when they heard it, that some of his friends might inform the government of what they had done. The proceedings of persecutors have often been illegal, even by the law of nations, and often inhuman, against the law of nature, but always sinful, and against God's law. They came and pleaded with them; not to take advantage of the law against them, but to overlook the illegality of what they had done and say no more of it: they brought them out of the prison, owning to the fact that they were wrongfully put into it, and requested them to peaceably and quietly depart out of the city. This is like the story of Pharaoh and his servants, who had set God and Moses at defiance, came to Moses, and bowed down themselves to him, saying, Get thee out, (Exodus 11:8).

They left the prison when they were legally discharged, and not until then. They left their friends and went to the house of Lydia, where probably the disciples had met to pray for them, and there they saw the brethren, or visited them at their respective habitations (which was soon done, they were so few); and they comforted them, by telling them (saith an ancient Greek commentary) what God had done for them, and how he had owned them in the prison. They encouraged them to keep close to Christ, and hold fast the profession of their faith, whatever difficulties they might meet with, assuring them that all would then end well, everlastingly well. Young converts should have a great deal said to them to comfort them, for the joy of the Lord will be very much their strength. Then they left Philippi and traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica.7