Acts 16:26Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The earthquake was such that the guard awoke. The doors were opened in such a way that one could not help marveling at what had happened.

But the prisoners did not see this; otherwise they all would have fled. Why was this sign given, and not some other?

Because it was especially able to instruct and persuade him. Had it not happened, he would have been in danger. Miracles do not instruct us so much as what concerns our salvation.

And so that the earthquake might not seem to have happened by itself, what followed occurred as a testimony to the miracle. It took place at night, because the Apostles did nothing out of vainglory, but everything for salvation.

"And suddenly there was a great earthquake," so that the jailer awoke. The doors were opened, so that what had happened amazed him. But the prisoners did not see this, otherwise they all would have fled. And lest the jailer think this had happened by itself, the opening of the doors followed the earthquake. It bore witness to him that this event was extraordinary.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken. At once all the prison doors were opened, and the bonds of all the prisoners were loosened.

Behold the miracle God wrought while the Apostles were under guard. Suddenly there was a shaking so great and strong that the foundation of the prison was shaken. All its doors were opened, and the bonds fell from the feet of all the prisoners.

The jailer awoke and saw the prison doors open. He thought the prisoners had escaped. Therefore, to escape the punishment he would inevitably suffer for their flight, he drew his sword from its sheath and wanted to kill himself.

Let us suppose that the violent movement shook the prison foundation and opened its doors. But who loosed the bonds by which the prisoners had been bound?

This was already the work not of the power of that movement, but of divine power. From this it is clear that there was then not one miracle, but two: the sudden shaking and the breaking of the bonds.

The Apostles accepted all this with good courage for the name of Christ. Nothing cast them into despondency.

Not the prison where they were bound in chains. Not the disgrace to which they were subjected before their followers. Not the pain from the wounds inflicted on them.

Not the expectation of new tortures on the following day. Not the failure of the hopes that the vision of the Macedonian at Troas might have given them, when he invited them to come.

They glorified God and, in the hearing of those imprisoned with them, sang hymns of praise to Him. Suddenly, at midnight, an earthquake shook their prison, opened all its doors, and broke all the prisoners' bonds.

An ordinary earthquake could not have done this. They would sooner all have been buried under the ruins of the building than have received complete freedom from an earthquake.

Yet even here divine help did not abandon the Apostles. A miraculous earthquake shook the foundation of the prison building, opened all its doors, and loosed the bonds of all the prisoners. It converted the jailer to Christ with his whole household.

The next day the city authorities wanted to release Christ's prisoners without trial, just as they had cast them into prison without trial. Then the Apostle Paul made use of his rights as a Roman citizen.

He did this so that, in the future, the arbitrary conduct of civil authorities would place fewer obstacles before the word of God. He compelled the city authorities publicly to apologize to him and Silas for the dishonor inflicted on them without trial, though they were Roman citizens.

And at midnight there suddenly came a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison was shaken. From the terrible shaking the prison doors opened, and the prisoners' chains came loose from the rings in the wall.

But "the stricter the imprisonment, the more glorious the miracle"; Chrysostom. Amid their grievous condition, yet with joyful feeling in their sufferings for Christ, the prisoners prayed in complete stillness and sang hymns to God.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake. It was plainly a miracle wrought by the Lord to glorify His name and to deliver His faithful servants, the preachers, from their afflictions.

The walls of the prison were miraculously shaken. All the doors, both inner and outer, were miraculously opened.

The chains of all were loosened, not only those of Paul and Silas. The same happened to all the prisoners held in the prison, who had listened to the Apostles' singing. They had full opportunity to leave the prison.

The stay of the Apostles Paul and Silas in prison was painful for the body, but consoling for the spirit. They had been imprisoned there for preaching Christ the Savior.

And so, praying to the Lord, they glorified the Lord at midnight. The other prisoners were comforted as they listened to them.

What wondrous prayer this was. Nature herself trembled at the prisoners' rejoicing. The foundations of the prison shook, and everything in it was moved.

The doors came off their hinges. Even every kind of fastening was loosened, by which the prison compartments and the prisoners themselves had been bound in many ways.

Thus wondrously does God strengthen those who glorify Him in bonds, suffering for the good tidings concerning Him.

There is in Christianity a power that enables even the condemned, the imprisoned, and those journeying into exile or captivity to discover a capacity for blessedness. Prison will not darken it, and it will not be left behind on the road into exile.

The source of this victorious and beneficent power is the grace of God. The treasuries of grace are the Word of God, the Church, and her mysteries.

The means of drawing and acquiring it are heartfelt prayer, instruction in the Word of God, reverent participation in the Church's worship, and communion in the mysteries according to the appointed order, with faith and love.