18 Turning Persecution into Production

A very reassuring aspect of God’s sovereign rule over the universe is His ability to bring good results out of bad circumstances. That is especially true when His people undergo persecution. God “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28), often by making “the wrath of man … praise [Him]” (Ps. 76:10).

Sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers, Joseph rose to prominence in Pharaoh’s court. In that exalted position he was able to provide for his father and brothers during the ensuing famine:

And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.… And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. (Gen. 45:5–8; 50:20)

God used Joseph to preserve the ancestors of the nation of Israel.

Israel’s apostasy led to her captivity at the hands of cruel foreign nations. But from the trauma and tragedy of that period emerged such shining lights as Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

The most heinous crime ever committed was the murder of God’s Son, yet out of that evil act God brought salvation. In his sermon on the Day of Pentecost Peter declared:

Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. (Acts 2:22–24; cf. Heb. 2:10)

Acts chapters 4, 5, 7, 8, and 12 record the persecution of the early church. Yet all those instances only resulted in the strengthening of the church and an increase in its numbers (4:4). Verse 1 of chapter 8 notes that “on that day [of Stephen’s martyrdom] a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” Acts 11:19–21 describes the results of that persecution:

So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

The sixteenth chapter of Acts records yet another illustration of God’s turning bad circumstances into spiritual victory. Falsely accused, savagely beaten, and unjustly imprisoned, Paul and Silas saw God use those circumstances to bring salvation to an entire household.

This section moves to the results of Paul’s miraculous deliverance of the demon-possessed girl (vv. 16–18). Paul’s ministry had made its first beachhead in Europe at the important city of Philippi. Along with his fellow missionaries (Silas, Timothy, and Luke) he evangelized a group of women, both Jews and proselytes. One of the proselytes, Lydia, was converted along with her household (vv. 14–15), and the Philippian church was born.

Satan was quick to react, first attempting to infiltrate the young fellowship with a demon-possessed medium. When Paul’s miraculous power thwarted that attempt, Satan tried to destroy the church through persecution. Those are always his two avenues of attack: infiltration—attacking the church from within; and persecution, attacking it from without. Verses 19–40 record the failure of Satan’s attack through persecution, as God used that persecution to expand the Philippian church. God’s marvelous turning of persecution into triumph unfolds in five sequential stages: persecution, praise, preaching, provision, and protection.

PERSECUTION (16:19-24)

English Standard Version Chapter 16

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The reaction of the demon-possessed girl’s masters reveals the inhumane cruelty of the institution of slavery. Instead of rejoicing in her deliverance, they became enraged when they saw that their hope of profit was gone. Their attitude is reminiscent of the Gerasenes in Mark 5. Instead of rejoicing over Jesus’ deliverance of the demon-possessed maniac, they were angered over the loss of a herd of swine (v. 16). So upset were they that they “began to entreat [Jesus] to depart from their region” (v. 17). Later, in Ephesus, the craftsmen who made shrines of the goddess Artemis became violently hostile to Christianity. They feared the spread of the gospel would put them out of business, and the uproar was immense (Acts 19:23ff.).

Such reactions illustrate a sad spiritual reality: love of money blurs spiritual perception. “Those who want to get rich,” Paul wrote to Timothy, “fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction” (1 Tim. 6:9). That is true because “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang” (v. 10).

Enraged at the loss of the income she provided, the girl’s masters seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities. That was an interesting turn of events for Paul, who before his conversion had made a career of “dragging off men and women” to “put them in prison” (Acts 8:3). The agora (market place) was the central public square. According to Simon J Kistemaker in his New Testament Commentary, it functioned not only as a marketplace, but also

“as the social center of the city. Here the unemployed waited for suitable work, the sick were healed, and the magistrates judged court cases. In those days, a plaintiff could drag a defendant into court and ask the judge to pass a verdict (James 2:6). The owners of the slave girl were acting according to Roman law when they laid their hands on Paul and Silas and put their grievance before the city authorities.”

Luke further describes the authorities as the chief magistrates (stratēgos; praetor in Latin). Every Roman colony was governed by two of these men, as was the case at Philippi.

Having dragged Paul and Silas before these authorities, their accusers opened the proceedings by declaring, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews.” Anti-Semitism is not a modern phenomenon but has its origins in antiquity. At about this time, Emperor Claudius issued an order expelling the Jews from Rome (Acts 18:2). This anti-Semitism may explain why only Paul and Silas were apprehended, since Luke was a Gentile and Timothy a half-Gentile.

The charge that Paul and Silas were proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans was technically true. There was a law forbidding Roman citizens to practice any foreign religion that had not been sanctioned by the state, although this law was rarely enforced. But the charge that the missionaries were creating mass confusion in the city was false. It had its basis not in fact but in anger over lost profits.

The charges against Paul and Silas, although false, were enough to manipulate a reaction and stir up the crowd in the marketplace. Mob mentality took over, and the crowd mindlessly rose up together against the two missionaries. Caught up in the mob’s anti-Semitic frenzy, the chief magistrates failed miserably to uphold the highly prized standards of Roman justice. They did not bother to investigate the charges, conduct a proper hearing, or give Paul and Silas a chance to defend themselves (which would have revealed, first of all, that they were Roman citizens). Instead, the chief magistrates tore their robes off them, and proceeded to order them to be beaten (illegally, cf. v. 37) with rods. Any semblance of just legal procedure was nonexistent. The beating was administered by the lictors (the “policemen” of vv. 35, 38), who were under the command of the magistrates (v. 35). Each lictor carried a bundle of rods tied together—ironically, as a symbol of Roman law and justice. With those rods they brutally beat the men, a punishment Paul endured three times (2 Cor. 11:25).

After Paul and Silas had received many blows from the lictors’ rods, the magistrates ordered them to be thrown into prison. To the illegal beating they added an unjust imprisonment. They ordered Paul and Silas to be placed in maximum security, commanding the jailer to guard them securely. He, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. Taking no chances with such important prisoners, the jailer threw the two battered and bleeding men into the inner, most secure, part of the prison. He then took the further precaution of fastening their feet in the stocks. All those safeguards were to prove futile, however. Like Herod (Acts 12:6–11) and the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:19–25) before them, the authorities at Philippi were to learn that no prison can hold those whom God wants released.

Nor did this satanically inspired persecution intimidate Paul and Silas; it encouraged them to even further boldness. Writing of this incident to the Thessalonians, Paul said, “After we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition” (1 Thess. 2:2). Paul’s indomitable spirit, and joyous anticipation of being with Christ in heaven, gave him an almost reckless boldness in proclaiming the gospel. No amount of opposition could keep him from fulfilling his calling. Writing to the Philippians from prison in Rome, Paul rejoiced that his “circumstances [had] turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” (Phil. 1:12). Far from ending his ministry, that imprisonment saw it spread even to “those of Caesar’s household” (Phil. 4:22). Paul could accept whatever suffering resulted from his ministry because he viewed himself as expendable. To the Philippians he wrote, “But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all” (Phil. 2:17). Paul and Silas manifested that same attitude of joy amid suffering while in prison at Philippi, turning persecution into praise.

Praise (16:25-29)

English Standard Version Chapter 16

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to 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 everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.

Paul and Barnabas were understandably unable to sleep due to their appalling circumstances. After having been severely beaten, they found themselves in a filthy dungeon. Their feet were fastened in stocks designed to induce painful cramping by spreading their legs as wide as possible. In spite of it all, they maintained a joyful attitude. As midnight arrived, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. Their attitude astounded the other prisoners, who were listening to them, and provided a powerful testimony of God’s transforming grace.

How could the two missionaries praise God under such conditions? They understood what many Christians seem to forget—praising God does not depend on circumstances. “Rejoice in the Lord always,” wrote Paul to the Philippian church (Phil. 4:4; cf. 1 Thess. 5:16, 18). Christians do not rejoice in their circumstances; not even Paul did that. He knew what it was to experience affliction so severe that he was “burdened excessively” and “despaired even of life” (2 Cor. 1:8). Christians rejoice in the glorious truth that the sovereign God controls every circumstance of life. They “know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). When trials come, believers can take comfort in the truth expressed by Peter in 1 Peter 5:10: “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” Like Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16–17 they can say:

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”

He adds in 2 Corinthians 12:9–10:

“He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

The key to having joy in every circumstance of life is to be filled with the Spirit. Joy is a part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), and yielding to His control produces songs of joy (Eph. 5:18–19). The problem with sad, miserable Christians is not their circumstances but the lack of living a Spirit-controlled life.

Paul and Silas’s reaction underscores another vitally important truth in living the Christian life: How Christians live is directly related to their concept of God. No one expressed that truth more clearly than A. W. Tozer in his book The Knowledge of the Holy:

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.…

Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, “What comes into your mind when you think about God?” we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.…

A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well. It is to worship what the foundation is to the temple; where it is inadequate or out of plumb the whole structure must sooner or later collapse. I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.”

Paul and Silas did not base their theology on their circumstances. Instead, they evaluated those circumstances in light of what they knew to be true about God. Their songs expressed confident trust that God would use their circumstances for their good and His glory. They did not have long to wait until He did.

Suddenly the chorus of praises was interrupted by a great earthquake, as God intervened on behalf of his saints. So powerful was the earthquake that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened from the walls. God had sent an angel to release Peter from prison (Acts 12:7ff.); here He used the natural means of an earthquake. Both the supernatural and the natural realms are under His sovereign control.

The earthquake also rocked the jailer’s house, probably located next to the prison. Having been roused out of his sleep, and seeing that the prison doors had been opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, naturally supposing that the prisoners had escaped. He knew all too well that a Roman soldier who allowed a prisoner to escape, no matter what the cause, paid with his own life (cf. Acts 12:19; 27:42). Rather than anticipate facing the humiliating and painful execution that would surely follow, the jailer chose to kill himself immediately.

Before he could do that, a voice out of the darkness stopped him. From inside the prison, Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!” Not only Paul and Silas, but all the rest of the prisoners also had remained (they were probably all in the same dungeon). Why the other prisoners did not attempt to escape is not noted. Perhaps they were still stunned by the earthquake and fearful of aftershocks. Possibly they feared the consequences if they tried to escape and were recaptured. Or it may have been that their respect for Paul and Silas allowed the two missionaries to restrain them. In any case, they remained inside the prison.

Astonished at this unbelievable turn of events, the jailer called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. The tables were turned, and the jailer fell to his knees before his prisoners. He was no doubt aware of the message Paul and Silas had preached, and he regarded the earthquake as supernatural confirmation that they spoke the truth. That supernatural confirmation of the preachers and their message led the jailer to view them as speaking divine truth and to seek the salvation they offered. As in the case of Paul (cf. Acts 9:1ff.), it took a striking manifestation of God’s power to bring the jailer to his knees. His defenses had been stripped away, and his heart was now opened to respond to the preaching of the gospel.

Preaching (16:30-32)

English Standard Version Chapter 16

30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

No doubt having first made sure the other prisoners were secure, the jailer brought Paul and Silas out into the courtyard. There he asked the question that was burning in his heart, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Some have interpreted his question in terms of being saved from punishment, but that is not the case. Since no prisoners had escaped, he faced no punishment from his superiors. And why ask two prisoners such a question? The jailer’s question expressed the deep longing of his heart to be right with God. Having undoubtedly heard the testimony of the demon-possessed girl (v. 17), either in person or from others, he believed Paul and Silas had the answer.

To the jailer’s simple and direct question the missionaries gave an equally simple and direct answer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.” Unlike the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18–23), his heart was ready; nothing stood in his way.

The truth that salvation is wholly by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ permeates the Scriptures. “There is salvation in no one else,” according to Acts 4:12, “for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” That glorious truth was at the heart of apostolic preaching (see also Acts 2:38–39; 5:14; 8:12; 10:43; 11:17, 21; 13:12, 38–39, 48; 14:1; 15:11; 17:12; 18:8). Jesus Himself declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). It is also the constant theme of the epistles (cf. Rom. 3:20–25; 5:1; 1 Cor. 6:11; Gal. 2:16; 3:24; Eph. 2:8–9; 2 Tim. 3:15; Titus 3:7).

To believe in the Lord Jesus means first to believe He is who He claimed to be. The apostle John wrote, “These have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). Second, it means to believe in what He did. Paul succinctly summarized the work of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:3–4:

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

To the Romans he wrote:

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Rom. 10:9–10)”

The message of salvation was preached not to the jailer alone but also to the rest of his household. Accordingly, the two missionaries spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. His family, servants, and perhaps relatives or guests who were staying with him all heard the gospel (cf. v. 15; Acts 11:14; 18:8). That the others in the jailer’s household individually believed the gospel becomes clear in v. 34 (cf. Acts 10:44).

Provision (16:33-34)

English Standard Version Chapter 16

33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

When the gospel is preached to hearts prepared by God, results are inevitable. The jailer and each member of his household were saved. That his salvation was genuine is evident from four considerations. First, he expressed genuine love for Paul and Silas when he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds. Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Second, immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. By that act they publicly identified themselves with Jesus Christ. Though the hour was late, other people were no doubt still outdoors because of the earthquake. Even if there were no others to witness the baptisms, word of them would surely get around. Third, he showed hospitality, as had Lydia before him (v. 15), by bringing Paul and Silas into the house and setting food before them. James 2:14–17 shows the importance of hospitality in relation to faith. Finally, he rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. A short time earlier he was ready to commit suicide. Now he radiated the joy that comes from knowing one’s sins are forgiven (cf. Ps. 32:1; Rom. 4:7). Only the grace of God could effect such an instantaneous transformation.

Protection (16:35-40)

English Standard Version Chapter 16

35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. 39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Ever the faithful shepherd concerned for his flock, Paul knew he had to take steps to protect the newborn Philippian church from official government harassment. The opportunity presented itself when day came, and the chief magistrates sent their policemen (the same individuals who had beaten Paul and Silas), saying, “Release those men.” They no doubt hoped that the chastened missionaries would quietly limp out of town. Paul, however, had other ideas.

No doubt pleased at the good news he brought, the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Now therefore, come out and go in peace.” But Paul refused to be disposed of so flippantly. He did not seek revenge, but He did not want his and Silas’s ill-treatment to become a precedent for the mistreatment of other Christians. For Paul and Silas to have departed quietly could have set a dangerous precedent for the future treatment of missionaries and exposed the believers to arbitrary and abusive action from the magistrates.

The magistrates had made a serious error, as Paul pointed out: “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison.” To inflict corporal punishment on a citizen was a grave violation of Roman law, all the more so since it had been done without trial. The consequences, both for the magistrates and for the city, were potentially very serious. The magistrates could have been removed from office, and the emperor could have rescinded Philippi’s privileges as a Roman colony.

Paul refused to allow the magistrates to compound their injustice by sending him and Silas away secretly. “No indeed!” he responded, “but let them come themselves and bring us out.” If the magistrates want us to leave, Paul declares, let them show us the respect due to Roman citizens.

When the policemen reported Paul’s words to the chief magistrates the latter were afraid when they heard that the two men were Romans. They knew the consequences of their actions could be devastating for them and their city. Trying to defuse the situation and placate Paul and Silas, the magistrates came in person to the prison in a conciliatory manner and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, as Paul had demanded, they kept begging them to leave the city. The magistrates were in an awkward position. On the one hand, they had no legal grounds for expelling two Roman citizens who were guilty of no crime. On the other hand, Paul and Silas’s continued presence in Philippi could have provoked further violence. Their self-exaltation of the day before suitably deflated, the humbled magistrates could only resort to begging Paul and Silas to leave the city. This they did, but on their own terms. First they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, where they saw the brethren and encouraged them and only then departed.

Once again Satan’s plans were frustrated and overruled by God’s sovereign control of events. The persecution Satan unleashed to destroy the Philippian church merely added another household to it and gained it protection from the city’s rulers. For those who boldly preach the gospel and praise Him no matter what the circumstances, God stands ready to turn persecution into production.