使徒行傳 16:25-40 監獄中的拯救
- 馬克牧師
- Jun 17, 2024
- 6 min read
25約在半夜，保羅和西拉禱告，唱詩讚美神，眾囚犯也側耳而聽。 26忽然，地大震動，甚至監牢的地基都搖動了，監門立刻全開，眾囚犯的鎖鍊也都鬆開了。 27禁卒一醒，看見監門全開，以為囚犯已經逃走，就拔刀要自殺。 28保羅大聲呼叫說：「不要傷害自己！我們都在這裏。」 29禁卒叫人拿燈來，就跳進去，戰戰兢兢地俯伏在保羅、西拉面前； 30又領他們出來，說：「二位先生，我當怎樣行才可以得救？」 31他們說：「當信主耶穌，你和你一家都必得救。」 32他們就把主的道講給他和他全家的人聽。 33當夜，就在那時候，禁卒把他們帶去，洗他們的傷；他和屬乎他的人立時都受了洗。 34於是禁卒領他們上自己家裏去，給他們擺上飯。他和全家，因為信了神，都很喜樂。
35到了天亮，官長打發差役來，說：「釋放那兩個人吧。」 36禁卒就把這話告訴保羅說：「官長打發人來叫釋放你們，如今可以出監，平平安安地去吧。」 37保羅卻說：「我們是羅馬人，並沒有定罪，他們就在眾人面前打了我們，又把我們下在監裏，現在要私下攆我們出去嗎？這是不行的。叫他們自己來領我們出去吧！」 38差役把這話回稟官長。官長聽見他們是羅馬人，就害怕了， 39於是來勸他們，領他們出來，請他們離開那城。 40二人出了監，往呂底亞家裏去， 見了弟兄們，勸慰他們一番，就走了。
我們今天讀的是《使徒行傳》第16章下半段的故事。昨天我們看到，保羅和西拉被帶入監牢，並且遭受了一頓鞭打，他們的處境非常艱難。然而，在第25節，我們看到一個奇妙的場景：半夜，保羅和西拉在禱告並唱詩讚美神，而其他囚犯都側耳傾聽。
在如此困難的情況下，保羅和西拉居然能夠坦然無懼地唱歌讚美神。這樣的行為只有真正了解福音大能和真正了解盼望的人才能做到。只有在這種情況下依然保持喜樂，才能夠唱出讚美的詩歌。
而這個時候，上帝施行了大能的拯救，發生了地震，使所有監牢的門都打開，並且所有囚犯的鎖也都解開了。
當時，負責看守監獄的禁卒看到這一幕，以為自己完蛋了，因為只要有囚犯逃脫，他就會被判死罪。他乾脆覺得一了百了，打算自殺算了。這時，保羅對他說：“別自殺，我們都沒有走，我們都在這裡。”
禁卒看到所有囚犯竟然都還在，他驚訝不已，立刻失去了任何脾氣。他問保羅：“我該怎麼辦？我該怎樣才能得救？”保羅抓住這個機會，把福音傳給了禁卒和監獄裡的其他人。就這樣，原本被困在監牢裡的保羅和西拉被上帝拯救出來，不僅如此，他們還拯救了那些聽到福音的禁卒們。禁卒們因聽到福音而得救，內心充滿了喜樂。
隔天早上，官長派人來釋放保羅和西拉，因為猶太人已經散去了，官長打算把他們放掉。這時，保羅提到他有羅馬公民的身份。
在當時，羅馬公民的身份非常重要，代表著受到羅馬政府的保護。任何膽敢欺負羅馬公民的人就等同於與羅馬帝國為敵，會受到重罰。官長發現自己犯了一個很嚴重的錯誤，因為他沒有好好問清楚保羅的身份，就把他們打了一頓並關押在監獄裡。這件事足以讓他丟掉官位，甚至可能使他自己成為階下囚。官長非常害怕，親自來向保羅和西拉道歉，並懇求他們離開這裡。
就這樣，保羅度過了一次牢獄之災，由上帝大能的手拯救了他。他不僅脫離了困境，還成功地在歐洲的希臘建立了基督徒的教會。呂迪亞的家成為了初代基督徒聚集的地方。
接下來的故事還有更多關於保羅和西拉的經歷，他們繼續以生命為代價傳揚福音。讓我們一起來看看他們接下來發生的更多事蹟。
感謝各位的聆聽。
Acts 16:25-40
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.
35When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”
37But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.
Today, we are reading the second half of Acts 16. Yesterday, we saw Paul and Silas being taken to prison and severely beaten. Their situation was very difficult. However, in verse 25, we see a miraculous scene: at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening intently.
In such a challenging situation, Paul and Silas were able to sing praises to God without fear. Such actions can only be done by those who truly understand the power of the Gospel and the hope it brings. Only those who maintain joy in such circumstances can sing songs of praise.
At this moment, God performed a mighty act of salvation. An earthquake occurred, opening all the prison doors and loosening the chains of all the prisoners.
The jailer, responsible for watching over the prison, saw this and thought he was doomed, as the escape of any prisoner would mean a death sentence for him. He decided to end it all by committing suicide. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
The jailer saw that all the prisoners were still there and was astonished. He immediately lost all his anger and asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul seized this opportunity to share the Gospel with the jailer and the others in the prison.
Thus, Paul and Silas, originally trapped in prison, were saved by God’s mighty hand. Not only were they freed, but they also saved the jailer and others who heard the Gospel. The jailer and his household were filled with joy because they had come to believe in God.
The next morning, the magistrates sent their officers to release Paul and Silas, as the crowds had dispersed. The magistrates intended to let them go. At this point, Paul revealed that he was a Roman citizen.
In those times, Roman citizenship was very important and provided protection under Roman law. Anyone who dared to mistreat a Roman citizen would be considered an enemy of the Roman Empire and face severe punishment. The magistrates realized they had made a grave mistake by not properly investigating Paul’s status and by beating and imprisoning him. This oversight could cost them their positions and possibly their own freedom. The magistrates were terrified and came personally to apologize to Paul and Silas, pleading with them to leave the city.
Thus, Paul survived a prison ordeal by the mighty hand of God and successfully established a Christian church in Europe, at Lydia’s house. Lydia became one of the first Christians in Europe.
The story continues with more of Paul and Silas’s experiences, as they continued to spread the Gospel with their lives on the line. Let us look forward to learning more about their journey in the next part.
Thank you all for listening.
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