Acts 16:36Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Therefore," he says, "come out now and go in peace," that is, safely and fearing nothing. On the other hand, they also wished him to remain safe, so that afterward he would not be subjected to accusation.

But Paul said to them: ... Even after the magistrates had given the order, Paul does not leave the prison. For the edification of Lydia the seller of purple and of others, he frightens the magistrates, so that they should not think they were released at someone’s request. He even accuses the magistrates of having beaten them publicly, though they had been charged with nothing and were Roman citizens besides. Do you see that they often acted as ordinary men do? Paul said this, that they were Roman citizens and had been charged with nothing, so that it would not seem he was being released as a harmful man or as one accused of anything. As for the jailer, he is Stephanas, whom Paul mentions in the First Epistle to the Corinthians when he says, “I also baptized the household of Stephanas” (1 Cor 1:16).

Meanwhile the city authorities sent an order to the jailer to release the apostles. They may have been frightened by the night’s occurrence, informed by the jailer about the extraordinary event in the prison, or moved by other reasons. Paul and Silas, having suffered torment for the name of Christ, now wished to turn the present disposition of the city authorities toward them to the benefit of the Gospel. “No,” Paul answered, “we were publicly insulted, punished without trial, and beaten with rods, though we are Roman citizens, contrary to the laws.

Yet even here divine help did not forsake the apostles. A miraculous earthquake shook the foundation of the prison building, opened all its doors, and loosened the bonds of all the prisoners. It converted to Christ the jailer with his whole household. On the next day the city authorities wished to release Christ’s prisoners without trial, just as they had cast them into prison without trial. Then the Apostle Paul made use of the rights of Roman citizenship, so that the arbitrariness of civil authorities might in future place fewer obstacles before the word of God. He compelled the city authorities publicly to apologize before him and Silas for the dishonor inflicted without trial upon them, Roman citizens.

This turn of events greatly troubled the city magistrates. Fearing some retaliation for yesterday's cruelties, they sent the lictors with orders to send the apostles out of the city as quickly as possible.

"And when it was day," and so forth. During the night the magistrates probably came to their senses. They saw that they had acted rashly by punishing Paul and Silas without trial and imprisoning them. Perhaps they had also already received news of the events that night in the city prison (cf. Chrysostom). Therefore they decided to end the matter quietly and release these two prisoners from prison. In this sense, through the lictors (v. 22), they sent the jailer an order to release those men.

The bringing forth of the holy apostles from prison was filled with great significance. Only now did they say that they possessed the dignity of Roman citizens, who by the Valerian and Porcian laws, mentioned by Livy 10.9, could not be subjected to dishonorable punishments with rods. As a kind of recompense, and also to strengthen other unfortunate sufferers, the apostles demanded that the magistrates, who had treated them so indiscriminately, should now at least treat them as they ought. Therefore they themselves should release them and thereby restore the justice and honor that had been so publicly humiliated. According to blessed Theophylact, “The apostles did not leave the prison for the edification of Lydia the seller of purple and of others.