Acts 16: 26+27?

Question

why did paul and the rest of the prisoners stay in the jail when the earthquake opened the doors?

Paul didnt believe he was being held in prison for a just reason.
i dont get it.

i read the rest of the story thank you ,the jailer didnt show up for a while after

im just saying if i was in prison unjustly and God caused an earthquake that opened the doors, i would say praise God and do a cartwheel out of there.

Answer 1

Greetings,

If they left it would have meant the death of the guard. So they stayed to save his life. They were willing to sacrifice their own lives for the life of the guard. God ordered the doors opened and also put it in their hearts to stay. In doing this his justice was revealed and the guard came to realize through repentance that his name was written in the Lambs book of life from the foundation of the world.

Great question,

Peace to you and your home,

Bondservant

Answer 2

In biblical times jailers where responsible for the prisoners, and if even 1 prisoner escape, the jailer had to pay with his life, what Paul did was an act of faith and humanity, because he cared about the jailer he did not scape, even though he knew he did not do anything to deserve to be in jail, Paul put his trust in the Lord and he knew that the Lord had the power to set him free if he wanted to, but he knew that not necessarily by putting some body's Else's life at stake, he knew that is not the way God operates. Plus one more thing Paul was a true witness of the Lord for the jailer, Paul knew if he would have escape prison the jailer would have killed himself, and that doesn't not sound to christian. Does it?

Answer 3

Paul used it as an oppurtunity to be a witness to the jailer. Paul may have been in jail unjustly but God had a reason for it. The reason was to win the jailer and his family to the Lord. If Paul had just up and left the jailer and his family probably wouldn't have gotten saved.

Answer 4

gabersjg2000 was right. The jailer would have been in major trouble. Also they would have kept tracking them down. They were also beat pretty severely, they may not have had the strength.
Really I do not know if I would have the wisdom to stay put. If I felt God had sent the earthquake to let me out of prison. I probably would have run.

Answer 5

Paul and Silas were singing in prison. They knew that one way or another (in this life or the next) God would take care of them.

The jailer was about to kill himself. (verse 27) There was an opportunity to teach someone, and Paul stayed to take that opportunity. Later the Jailer and his household were saved.

Besides, Paul was a Roman citizen, so he shouldn't have been treated that way. Maybe he was trying to make a point. When they tried to release him, he refused to go secretly, but demanded that the magistrates come and get them out. Maybe that made them more careful who they beat and imprisoned afterward.

Answer 6

The punishment for a guard to lose a prisoner was severe, sometime even being death. Knowing this, the guard would have killed himself if Paul had left. Instead, Paul was able to give a Witness and the guard and his family became Christians. So, you could say that Paul was thinking of others instead of himself!

(Acts 16:27-34) . . .The jailer, being awakened out of sleep and seeing the prison doors were open, drew his sword and was about to do away with himself, imagining that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying: “Do not hurt yourself, for we are all here!” 29 So he asked for lights and leaped in and, seized with trembling, he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them outside and said: “Sirs, what must I do to get saved?” 31 They said: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will get saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of Jehovah to him together with all those in his house. 33 And he took them along in that hour of the night and bathed their stripes; and, one and all, he and his were baptized without delay. 34 And he brought them into his house and set a table before them, and he rejoiced greatly with all his household now that he had believed God.

Answer 7

If Paul left the Guard would die because he failed to keep the prisoneers in jail. If Paul stayed the guard would live. God is a God of life so God used paul to give life. subsequently the guard accepted Christ as Savior and gainned eternal life.

Answer 8

Paul ,out of true honesty, did not want the jailer to get in trouble.The jailer was tempted to commit suicide. If the jailer had not kept the prisoners there he would of been killed under laws of that day.

Answer 9

He wanted the City Leaders to come escort him out publicly. He was a Roman citizen, and they had beaten and imprisoned him publicly, and without a proper trial. He also did not want the Christians there to have any reason to believe that he had done anything wrong. And he cared about the jailer's life.

Answer 10

He knew God's voice and he knew he was in there for a reason. And it would have been illegal to leave.
Added: Do you remember the story (in the Bible) of some guy waiting to hear the voice of God? He sat down and witnessed an earthquake, and some other stuff, but he knew that it was not God's voice. God ended up whispering in his ear. He knew God's voice.
Am I making sense?