Acts 16:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do you see how the miracle struck him? The guard fell at the feet of the prisoner.

Then, Scripture says, the guard fell down before them in fear and trembling, with a cry, anxiety, and tears. What happened? Did you not bind them yourself? Did you not keep them under guard in prison?

But is it amazing that this power opened the prison, when it has the ability to open the heavens? "Whatever you bind on earth," the Lord said, "will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven"; Mt 18:18.

It looses the bonds of sins. Is it amazing that it loosed iron bonds? It looses demonic bonds and frees souls bound by them. Is it amazing that it loosed the prisoners' chains?

The prison guard called for light, ran into the prison, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. Passing from despair to hope, a perfectly natural thing in an intense state of soul, he brought them out into a freer place. He asked them, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Again, from this one may draw a conclusion about the freedom of human faith. After such fear, only the jailer believed, though the prisoners above all should have come to faith.

They themselves witnessed an even greater miracle, seeing their iron hand-bonds broken apart. But being senseless, they were frightened when the foundations of the prison were shaken and the doors opened.

Despising God, after what had happened they forgot it. They told neither the jailer nor anyone else about the fearful event that had occurred.

They ought to have heard from the jailer, or from Paul's companions, the reason for the miracle and been inclined toward the worship of God.

When the jailer heard Paul's words, he took courage. To make certain that the prisoners had not fled, he asked for a lamp and went with it into the prison.

"And he was trembling," writes the divine historian, because that shaking had struck him so deeply that he trembled with terror.

But why did he suddenly conceive such reverence for Paul and Silas that he fell down before them? "He fell down before Paul and Silas."

Why is he now unafraid of his magistrates, but leads out of the prison those whom he had recently put there? For what reason, I ask, does he place all hope of his salvation in these holy teachers?

Why does he ask their counsel concerning what he must do to be saved? "And bringing them out, he said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

The jailer was awakened by it. In terror, when he found the doors of the prison open, he wanted to kill himself. But he was stopped by the Apostle Paul.

He asked for a light and learned by his own experience that truly none of the prisoners had left the prison. Attributing this miracle to the Jewish strangers, the jailer fell at the feet of Paul and Silas.

Probably knowing already about their preaching, he asked them what he must do to be saved. The Apostles required him to believe in Jesus Christ and be baptized.

The jailer did not delay in fulfilling their demand. After brief instruction, he was baptized with his whole household.

With gratitude toward his benefactors, he took them from the prison into his house, washed their wounds, and set a meal before them. Thus the following morning was met with joy.

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.

All these circumstances melted this man's heart. There was the earthquake, the sudden terror, the rush of joy that turned him from suicide, and the prisoners' modest patience and calm forgiveness. Asking for light, he rushed into the inner prison. Trembling with emotion, he fell at the feet of Paul and Silas. Then he freed their feet from the stocks and brought them out from the inner confinement. He cried out, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" The very tone of his speech showed deep reverence in him.

He called for light, more precisely, for lights, many lamps, so that he could see more clearly what had happened. He also wished to verify the truth of Paul's words, that all the prisoners were there. In trembling he fell at the feet of Paul and Silas. Struck by the miracle, he no longer regarded them as criminals, but as beloved of the gods. The awareness of the dishonor done to them cast him into fear.

The conversion of the jailer to Christ was as astonishing as the earthquake was living and powerful. It deeply shook not only the outer supports of the prison, but also its inner stronghold, the firm and resolute soul of the jailer.

As an honest man, he inspected the prison and was convinced that all the prisoners were intact. He at once understood in whom that great power rested, by which even mountains are moved.

So he humbly fell down before Paul and Silas, who apparently were in the dark pit, a deep stone well. Then, leading them out from there, he asked them for instruction concerning salvation.

"Believe," they said, "and you will be saved, you and your whole household."