Basic HTML Version
200
Early Writings
At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God,
and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of
the prison were shaken; and I saw that immediately the angel of God
loosed everyone’s bands. The keeper of the prison, upon awaking
and seeing the prison doors open, was affrighted. He thought that
the prisoners had escaped, and that he must be punished with death.
But as he was about to kill himself, Paul cried with a loud voice,
saying, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.”
[205]
The power of God there convicted the jailer. He called for a
light, and springing in, came trembling and 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
thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The keeper of the prison then
assembled his whole household, and Paul preached unto them Jesus.
Thus the jailer’s heart was united to those of his brethren, and he
washed their stripes, and he and all his house were baptized that
night. He then set food before them, and rejoiced, believing in God
with all his house.
The wonderful news of the manifestation of the power of God
in opening the prison doors, and in the conversion of the keeper
and his family, was soon spread abroad. The rulers heard of these
things, and were afraid, and sent to the jailer, requesting him to let
Paul and Silas go. But Paul would not leave the prison in a private
manner; he was not willing that the manifestation of the power of
God should be concealed. He said unto them, “They have beaten us
openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison;
and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come
themselves and fetch us out.” When these words were told to the
magistrates, and it was known that the apostles were Roman citizens,
the rulers were alarmed for fear they would make complaint to the
emperor of their unlawful treatment. And they came and besought
them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the
city.
[206]