“Will you tell me how to get out of this mess?”

THE CONTEXT

Paul and Silas are in the city of Philippi. Everything seemingly goes well until Paul casts an evil spirit out of a slave girl and her owners get upset (16:16-20).

Her owners seize Paul and Silas, set them before city officials, and accuse them of disturbing the peace. In response to the unruly crowd, the officials ordered to have Paul and Silas beaten with rods and thrown into prison (16:21-24).

At midnight, Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners are miraculously freed from confinement. The jailer on watch was asleep. Supposing the prisoners had escaped, the jailer drew his sword to kill himself. Paul stopped him (16:25-29).

THE QUESTION

The jailer asked the most profound and important question in life, “What must I do to be saved?” Salvation means to be rescued, delivered, or made well (Lk. 8:48). What exactly is he asking to be delivered from?

It was a lot responsibility to keep all the prisoners together; failure to do so would cost him his life. The jailer may be asking, “Gentlemen, will you tell me how to get out of this mess?”

Paul and Silas had been praying and singing. Is it possible the jailer heard what they were saying before he fell asleep? He may be asking, “Sirs, what must I do to escape the judgment of God?”

THE RESPONSE

Belief in Jesus leads us to a place where we can escape the judgment of God (Jn. 3:16-17). The jailer washed and was washed (Ac. 16:33; 22:16).

Belief in Jesus leads us to a place where we can have renewed hope and purpose in life (Lk. 19:1-10). The jailer washed and shared (Ac. 16:34a; cp. 16:15).

Belief in Jesus leads us to a place where we can have deep spiritual joy in Christ and in Christ alone (Mt. 5:12; Lk. 10:20-21; Jn. 8:56). The jailers belief in Jesus was manifested in life-change that occurred internally (Ac. 16:34b; cp. 1 Pet. 4:13).

So ‘saved’ meant, simply, ‘rescued’, ‘delivered’—from whatever problem, be it sickness, financial disaster, personal catastrophe, or anything else, might be threatening.