From guarding a prison, to guarding a faith

Acts 16 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

There’s so much going on in this text. Paul and Silas were in prison, preaching Christ and singing hymns. No doubt the jailer was well aware of who the prisoners were, as well as had no doubt heard of who Christ was. At this point in history, none of this was a secret. Jesus had been crucified, and resurrected again, and whether you believed in him or not, you couldn’t deny the events that transpired a little bit ago.

|However, the Romans were still very much in power, and ruled over the Jews. Every Roman had to claim Caesar as Lord. Even though he wasn’t really a lord, in their nation, he was the emperor. And to not count him as lord, there were consequences

In ancient Rome, specifically during the time of Julius Caesar, addressing someone as "lord" might not have been a common practice as it was not a traditional Roman title. However, there were certainly consequences for not showing proper respect or allegiance to Caesar and other powerful figures during his time.

Julius Caesar was a prominent military and political figure who played a crucial role in the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. He amassed significant power and influence, which eventually led to his assassination in 44 BCE. During his rise to power, Caesar's authority was challenged by various political opponents and rival factions within the Roman Senate.

Consequences for not aligning with or showing respect to Caesar could have included:

1. Political Isolation: Those who did not support Caesar's political ambitions might have found themselves marginalized or excluded from important decision-making processes within the Roman government.

2. Loss of Favor and Patronage: Caesar had a network of supporters and allies who benefited from his patronage. Those who openly opposed him or did not show allegiance could lose access to these advantages.

3. Legal Action: Caesar, like other powerful Roman leaders, could have used his influence to bring legal charges against those who were seen as threats to his power or authority.

4. Potential Violence or Exile: In some cases, individuals who posed a significant challenge to Caesar's rule might have faced more extreme consequences, including physical harm or even exile from Rome.

5. Social and Economic Impact: In Roman society, social connections and reputation were essential for personal advancement. Not aligning with Caesar could have hindered one's social standing and economic opportunities. This could have also led to public humiliation for the one that refused to call Caesar lord, but not only for that person, but also the entire family. Many would have chosen death over this humiliation.

6. Loss of Citizenship: In more extreme cases, opposition to Caesar might have resulted in the loss of Roman citizenship, which carried with it various rights and privileges.

It's important to note that the exact consequences would have varied depending on the specific circumstances, the individuals involved, and the political climate at the time. Julius Caesar's rise to power and the events surrounding his assassination were complex and dynamic, involving a range of political, military, and social factors.

So now that we have a bit of context and background to this story. The jailor, in those days was usually ex-military in some capacity. Someone very proud to have worked for Caesar (directly or indirectly). Someone with enough brute and strength to handle a prisoner or two on his own. And usually still a sworn allegiance to Caesar. 

He could have thought this was going to be a cakewalk to have an overwatch over Paul and Silas. 

Then the unthinkable happened. He fell asleep and an earthquake happened. At this point, when he woke up, the bars, gates and doors were opened. I doubt they were built to today’s code. What’s his first instinct? The prisoners have escaped under his watch, and he’s going to be publicly humiliated. Possibly, executed. The Romans (Caesar) didn’t mess around back then. 

If you had a job to do, you did it. There were no “human rights” or “Canadian Rights” or “Worker’s rights” like we have today. If you were responsible (especially his job), you were responsible and an example was possibly going to be made of you. At the mildest, humiliation, at the worse, humiliation, and public execution for the citizens to see and the family humiliated.

But then, when Peter shouts “do yourself no harm, we’re all here”. There’s a huge turn of heart. He now recognizes that Caesar isn’t lord. God is. The fact that all the prisoners could have escaped, at a great cost to him, and they didn’t? He recognized there was something much bigger at play. Especially since Peter and Silas’s reputation for proclaiming the gospel was no doubt in effect in the prison cells, singing and preaching.

It’s at this point, he recognizes that even at the point of public humiliation and possible execution, he wants what Peter has. Everything he’s heard about Christ, Peter and the rest is now very real.

Even at the cost of a new threat of treason. Now he can be publicly humiliated or executed for another reason. Bowing down to a foreign god. Christ. Lord of Lord and King of Kings. But at this point, he doesn’t care. He knows he needs salvation.

I have no doubt, that being a prison guard, he has done some very, very nasty things. Brutality, murder, violence, bribes and the list goes on. Being a guard back then was not for the faint of heart. And at this point, he’s convicted. His sin has found him out and he has a greater fear of God and Christ, than he does of Caesar. 

As I mentioned at the start of the article, if we knew the cultures and backgrounds to the stories, they would be much, much more impactful. 

Praying that if you’re reading this article, that you too, will see Christ on the cross for who he is.