Of all the stories in Acts, this one is probably the most exciting and entrancing. It pictures such a variety of human reactions: Lydia's warm hospitality, Paul's deep indignation at the slave girl's words, the slave owners' selfish anger, the magistrate's cold indifference, Paul and Silas's courageous spirit, the jailer's despair---and then his eager acceptance of the good news. Through it all the Holy Spirit is powerfully at work.

While traveling in Asia Minor, Paul saw a vision of a man begging him to cross the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. Paul immediately made arrangements to cross over, having concluded that "God had called us to preach the gospel to them."

Paul and Silas's first stop was the Roman colony at Philippi. There was no synagogue in Philippi, but a number of women gathered regularly for Sabbath prayers at the riverbank. One of these women was Lydia, described as a "worshiper of God," though probably not fully converted to Judaism. In Luke's typical way of describing the conversion, "the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message." As a well-to-do businesswoman, she was able to provide a place for the missionaries to stay, and her entire household, including family members, servants, slaves, and business associates were baptized. (The baptism of households was also a common practice in Acts.)

As Paul continued his stay, he came across a young female slave who had an evil spirit that allowed her to predict the future. She made a great deal of money for her owners as a fortune-teller. She loudly proclaimed that Paul and Silas were "servants of the Most High God." Though what the girl said was certainly true, this deeply irritated Paul, probably because it was hindering his work in some way. So Paul drove out the girl's evil spirit.

The girl's owners were outraged. They took advantage of the local prejudice against Jews, causing an uproar in which Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into jail. The tough jailer, probably an old Roman soldier, showed them no mercy. But that night his life changed forever.

Living with his family in the jail compound, he must have heard the missionaries praying and singing hymns to the Lord instead of the typical groaning and complaining he usually heard from prisoners. Then came the earthquake that burst open the doors of the prison, and the jailer assumed the prisoners would all escape. He decided to kill himself instead of facing his brutal superiors. Paul's firm voice of assurance saved his life: "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

After what must have been some time of conversation, the jailer finally asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas's reply: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved---you and your household," beautifully states the gospel of salvation by grace through faith.

Like Lydia, the jailer was baptized along with his entire household that very day, and the former prisoners became welcome houseguests as they all enjoyed a meal together.

The next day the magistrates ordered the prisoners to be released. But instead of slipping quietly away, Paul challenged them on the treatment they had received: "And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out" (v. 37). Why did Paul do this? For one thing, it was probably just a part of his personality. But no doubt he also wanted to make the authorities think carefully about the way they treated his fellow Christians in the future.