The jailer believes
Early Church · Draft · BSB
Content revision: 713487fbec83be66 · No editorial review date recorded
Date: c. AD 49–52. Paul's appearance before Gallio, proconsul of Achaia c. AD 51–52 according to an inscription at Delphi, anchors this journey.
At midnight, as Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns, an earthquake opens the prison doors. The jailer, about to kill himself, asks what he must do to be saved; he and his household believe and are baptized.
Primary Scripture
16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
16:26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.
16:27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, presuming that the prisoners had escaped.
16:28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”
16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
16:30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
16:31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
16:32 Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
16:33 At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.
16:34 Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.
Location evidence
Event map marker: Identified site; [longitude, latitude] = [24.28619, 41.01196]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.
Philippi: Identified site. Coordinates [longitude, latitude]: [24.28619, 41.01196]. Classification source: rule.
Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
Interpretation and reuse
Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.
Record source: theographic (355)
Record source: editorial
Events and places adapted from Theographic Bible Metadata (github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata), CC BY-SA 4.0. This adapted data is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm