Acts 16:34Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Truly this is the work of grace. Let us also always remember this prisoner, and not only the miracle.

What is remarkable, the Greeks will say, if he, being a prisoner, instructed the prison guard? Whom, they will say, could he persuade except a crude, wretched man?

They will say he was not distinguished by understanding, was filled with vices, and was easily persuaded. To this they add: who believed at all except a tanner, a seller of purple, a eunuch, a prison guard, slaves, and women?

But what will they say if we point to dignitaries, to the centurion, to the proconsul, and to others from that time until now, even to rulers and kings?

Yet I will say something else, greater than this. Let us look at those very simple people.

What, they will say, is marvelous here? This itself is marvelous. If someone were persuaded about ordinary matters, it would be nothing wonderful.

But when simple people are taught about the resurrection, the kingdom of heaven, and a life of philosophy, and are persuaded, this is far more wonderful than persuading wise men.

If there is no danger and someone persuades others, they point to the irrationality of the believers. But consider when someone says to a slave: if you believe me, you will be in danger.

All will be your enemies. You will have to die and endure countless evils. If, even then, they catch his soul, this is no longer from madness.

If the Christian teaching served pleasure, then one could rightly say this. But if a slave learns what philosophers would not wish to accept, this is the highest miracle.

Let us suppose that they accepted the teaching more from lack of understanding. But can adopting such a philosophical life come from lack of understanding?

Thus, the less intelligent the one persuaded is, and yet he is persuaded of what philosophers could not persuade philosophers, the greater the miracle becomes.

This is especially so when women and slaves are persuaded and show by deeds what Platos and all the other philosophers could not persuade anyone to do.

Why do I say anyone? They could not persuade even themselves.

Plato taught that wealth should not be despised. He taught this by gathering so much property, so much money, and golden rings and cups.

Socrates himself taught that worldly glory should not be despised, although he philosophized much about it. He taught this by doing everything out of vainglory.

If you were acquainted with his teaching, I would speak at greater length about this. I would show how much hypocrisy is in them.

I would also show how, in Socrates himself, if we trust what his disciple says, the whole teaching is permeated with vainglory.

1. The holy preachers of the faith in Philippi, serving God, forgot themselves. They did not wish to be praised, and, having power from above, they even forbade those who praised them.

Indeed, praise irritates a man's self-love. It awakens in him proud thoughts, dangerous to the heart. Sometimes it provokes a man to vainglorious actions and to self-praise.

At the same time, peace in the soul, the foundation of piety, is disturbed, sometimes for a long time. A man begins to ascribe virtues to himself, and not to God.

Therefore, when we hear praise of ourselves from others, we must never trust it. Rather, we should regard it as the offspring of that same spirit of flattery which the holy Apostle Paul cast out of the unfortunate maidservant's heart.

2. The holy Apostle Paul and his companions even suffered slander for their honorable service to the true God. And from whom? From masters who, it would seem, should have been grateful for the healing of their sick servant girl.

So we also must not expect gratitude for some good deeds of ours. Rather, let us pray that slander and ingratitude from those whom we have benefited may not come upon us.

3. Enraged pagans seized the holy apostle and his companions, tore their clothing from them, inflicted grievous wounds on them, and put them in prison without investigation or trial.

And the disciples of Christ endured everything without complaint. They did not speak a single word of reproach.

They believed that God sees and knows their life, and therefore they remained of good courage.

4. The Lord glorified them even in prison. After their prayer, He caused a terrible earthquake beneath the prison building. The doors of the prison were opened, and everyone's chains were loosened.

Yet in all this, the apostle, innocently imprisoned, did not wish to use the occasion for freedom without the permission of the laws and the authorities.

The opportunity had presented itself not apart from the will of Providence, through the earthquake. Here is a model of obedience to civil laws.

The holy apostle remained obedient to the rash orders of the unjust Philippian authorities. Therefore one must not break the laws even when they are in the hands of an evil, unreasonable, and self-interested judge.

5. After the earthquake, the prison guard felt that everything had occurred by the will of God, for the sake of the righteous prisoners. And he believed in the true God.

We also must relate attentively and reverently to the phenomena of nature, and in them see the right hand of the just or merciful God.

For His invisible things, His eternal power and Godhead, are seen from the creation of the world through the consideration of the things that are made (Rom 1:20).

For this reason visible nature is called a second Bible.

6. The prison guard was baptized with his family. In what did he express his gratitude to God and to the preachers of truth? In beneficence toward the apostles.

So also, on the joyful days of our life, we must show the disposition of our soul not in feasting or drunkenness, but first of all in works of mercy, which increase the soul's joy.

Believe, then, every Christian, in the Lord Jesus Christ from a pure heart. Do good without self-love, sincerely and constantly, with gratitude to God. Then you and your whole house will be saved.

After apologizing to the apostles, the authorities asked them to leave the city, and the preachers of Christ departed from Philippi. Further on, in Acts 16:40–17:1, the writer says, “they departed.” This gives grounds for thinking that the Evangelist Luke did not leave Philippi with Paul and Silas. Rather, he was left there for a time to order the newly founded Church.

And he rejoiced, though he had received nothing except converse and a good hope. The proof of his faith is that he left all evil. What is worse than a jailer, and what is harsher than he? Yet he received them with great honor. He rejoiced not because he had escaped danger, but because he believed in God.” “When Christians were already standing around the Apostle Paul and Silas, the head of the family asked the apostles to come up to his room, which was above the place where the prisoners were confined. Filled with gratitude, he felt the need to repay the apostles in some way. He did what he could and set a meal before them in return for spiritual food. That he could now sit at one table with the true servants of the Great God gladdened him with a new joy, one he had not yet known. All his household rejoiced with him, because they had come to know the light of faith. After showing brief zeal in carrying out the inhuman sentence of the duumvirs, he now did not fear having allowed the prisoners to be freed, though they had been entrusted to him for the strictest custody. He looked toward the future with the eyes of a believer. Therefore, despite everything, he could calmly rejoice in his true happiness. When the meal was finished, the apostles Paul and Silas again deemed it necessary to withdraw to the prison. As soon as it grew light, the duumvirs sent the lictors to release the prisoners. In the sixth-century Codex Bezae there is an addition saying that the magistrates feared the earthquake. Certainly, the miracle Paul had performed in casting the spirit out of the maidservant was also known to them. But the apostle demanded that they be brought out with honor, and not secretly.”