Who said only a woman can multitask? We have all heard this saying and often it is true because many woman are able to cook, watch television, talk and control the children all at the same time. Yet, have you seen a captain of the prison, becoming a nurse, then a baptizer followed by a hospitality provider? That is what confronts us in the next passage in Acts 16:
Ac 16:33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family. 35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” 38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.
1) It is well after midnight. The earthquake was around midnight … so this must have been an hour or more later. Luke records the approximate time because he wants us to see the urgency involved. Far too often we struggle with lethargy when it comes to God’s business. Beloved … this is a mistake. We ought to make haste! We used to have a saying years ago … “redeem the time”. By it we meant that when it comes to serving the Lord, whatever needs to be done we do immediately … “lest the Lord comes”!
2) It is in the jailer’s house. When we couple:
Ac 16:30 He then brought them out
And
Ac 16:32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house
We understand the jailer took them to his house.
3) He washed their wounds. The cuts from the flogging were severe. We do not know how many lashes they received but we do know that such beatings cut deep, bled profusely and many hours had past causing the blood to dry. The problem was that by this time infection was setting in. The jailer acting as a nurse assisted them and most likely prevented the wounds from becoming seriously infected. By washing we would also understand that he put salve on the wounds and covered them with bandages. Remember that by this time the jailer and his household (family and staff) had already been saved. Saved people respond with kindness. He had taken them away from the jail, likely leaving the other prisoners under the eye of his subordinates. His nursing skills learned as a military soldier came in handy. We too need to use our gifts and abilities learned to be a blessing to those believers who are in need.
4) He and his family were baptized. When one reads the words “were baptized”, so would immediately sway to believer’s baptism. I would suggest that the word “family” always included the full spectrum of ages much the same as Peter words to the Jews who heard his Pentecost Preaching:
Ac 2:39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.
This incorporated adults, teens, children and likely toddlers or babies. Their baptism must have happened outside the house because the next verse says:
Ac 16:34 The jailer brought them into his house.
5) He set a meal before them. Everyone must have been hungry by this time, especially Paul and Silas because the last time they would have eaten was before (maybe long before) they were dragged before the magistrates. This is the second mark of a true conversion. The first was practical medical care and now there is hospitality inside the walls of a warm comfortable house. One of the greatest signs of demonstrating the Christian Faith in the First Century was by providing hospitality in the shape of food and lodging to traveling Christian missionaries and evangelists, In this case lodging did not happen … but food did. Many Christians share meals with each other and enjoy fellowship. In this case, it was new converts sharing their meal with missionaries they did not know and who were prisoners. The whole experience of taking them out of prison, cleaning their wounds, believing in Jesus and being baptized followed by a home cooked meal in the jailer’s house was dangerous and could have cost the jailer his career and life … but new born faith is risky. I remember the risk I took telling the managing director of the fishing company I worked for that unless he repented he was going to hell. He was the head of the Sufi religion in South Africa. He could have fired me on the spot … but new born faith is risky. At the same time we need always to be available to assist and support missionaries and Christians in general going through hard times … to the point of opening our homes and tables to them.
6) There was rejoicing as a family. What a happy moment where salvation and fellowship are appreciated. Speaking of the jailer and his household we read … he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family. The absolute joy of experiencing pardon for sin and incorporation into God’s everlasting family by adoption through the New Birth caused this new born family to experience exceeding rejoicing … enjoyed in each heart. This is another mark of the new birth … filled with joy (Greek: exceeding rejoicing). When God the Holy Spirit works His divine surgical skill in your heart, cutting off (circumcising) the old life with its sin and guilt and grafting you into Jesus’ Kingdom and giving you new life … nothing can ever compare to the ecstasy of the soul … that now has rest from all the frustration of sin, guilt and lacking peace with the Triune God. What happens after this must wait for tomorrow … but come let us meditate upon this work of forgiveness, justification, sanctification and adoption. This is like the four leg table. Remove one leg and the table collapses at that point. The moment God forgives you because you believe in Jesus’ meritorious work on the Cross, He justifies you as one who is seen as sinless and guiltless because of what Jesus has done. Because of justification, God sanctifies you in two ways:
(i) He separates you for himself and
(ii) He classes you as positionally holy.
This means you are twice holy … holy unto the Lord as in His, and holy unto the Lord as seen by Him as sinless because when He gazes your way He sees His perfect Son, Jesus. Being His requires another process … that of adoption. You are now His, legally removed from the home of satan and placed into His Home because He adopted you. Each one of these four steps are irreversible. Meditate upon these things … and be filled with joy … with exceeding rejoicing! This is glorious and so comforting to your soul.
Our gracious God and Father, we bless and praise You for the wonderful and amazing, underserved grace we enjoy because You chose us before the creation of this world to be holy and blameless in Your sight. Amen and Amen!