No Indeed!

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.” So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.” And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
Acts 16:35-40

When I first read this passage, Paul seemed a bit out of character. After all, he’s the apostle who wrote, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” (Col 3:12-13) Was Paul holding a grudge here? Was he stubbornly demanding an apology before he would yield? Where was that spirit of kindness, humility, and meekness? We must remember that this account in Acts follows immediately after a selfless act of love by Paul and Silas. They had refused to consider their own lives when God opened the prison doors, but instead, out of love and care for the soul of a jailer who had shown them no kindness, they remained captive in the prison when they could have been free (see the previous post if you missed it). Paul hasn’t somehow become bitter in this short period of time. There was more at stake here than what may at first be apparent.

In 2Co 4:12, 15, Paul explained to the Corinthian church that “death is working in us, but life in you…For all things are for your sakes…” He acknowledged that His life was being continually given for the benefit of the church. He lived what he taught in Gal 6:10: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” It is this burden for the brethren, present and future, that prompted Paul’s actions in our text. He knew he would soon be leaving Philippi, but believers like Lydia and the recently-saved jailer would remain. They would share the word of God with others, and the church in Philippi would grow as more souls were saved. Paul was doing all he could within the confines of the law to insure the safety of the brethren there. These leaders would think twice before treating Christians unlawfully in the future. The apostle’s actions once again showed a concern that went beyond himself.

I can’t help but see a parallel between this account and the present circumstances in which believers may find themselves today in a society that is growing increasingly hostile toward Christianity. We should likewise have a view towards the brethren that may come after us as we live out our faith before men. When Paul refused to leave initially, he was risking personal injury. The easy thing to do would have been to quietly sneak away from his cell when released. After all, they had already ignored the law, beating Paul and Silas and throwing them in prison! What if the leaders had decided to secretly put him to death rather than risk the Roman authorities ever finding out about their mistreatment of this Roman citizen? But, instead of fearing what they might do, the apostle took a bold stance by pointing out their wrongdoing in the hopes of preventing such actions against fellow believers in the future.

In speaking out, Paul lived what he instructed the Ephesians to do in Eph 5:11 : “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” By exposing their crime, he did what was best for the souls of these leaders. They needed salvation, and salvation begins with repentance from sin. The first step to recovery for any lost man is to recognize his sin and understand he is in danger of judgment. That’s exactly what they had become aware of when Paul challenged their sinful practices. As we have opportunity, may we also through lawful actions use the influence we have to expose error and protect future Christian generations. We find this same care for future believers in Christ’s intercessory prayer to the Father in Joh 17. Certainly, His heart was toward the disciples that were presently with him, but He added in Joh 17:20, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word…” Thank God that he also cared for us–those who would believe the gospel hundreds of years later! May we like our Lord be burdened for the church, both present and future, above ourselves.

Jamie

 

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