January 28, 2024
Paul and Silas continued to preach the Gospel in Philippi. While preaching in the streets, Paul exorcised a fortune-telling demon from a slave girl. The slave girl’s owners dragged Paul and Silas before the City Magistrates, who had them beaten with rods and thrown in jail. That night, God caused an earthquake, which opened the jail doors, and freed all the prisoners. The jailer was about to kill himself, thinking the prisoners had escaped, but Paul stopped him. Paul and Silas shared the Gospel message, and the jailer and his entire family listened, believed in Jesus, were saved, and were baptized. Paul rebuked the Magistrates for beating him and Silas (who were Roman citizens) without a trial, a serious violation of Roman law. Paul and Silas gathered the new Christians in Philippi, prayed and encouraged them, and then departed to preach the Gospel elsewhere.
Acts 16:6-40