Intimidation and Peace

Paul and Silas interacting with the jailer/prison warden. (Acts 16)

When they arrived at the prison in a swirl of angry passions and evil lies about them, their own spirit remained untainted of the dust of resentment or self-pity. Satan had used his weapon of force and cruelty both physically and emotionally on them but they insisted on remaining in the peace of God and maintaining an atmosphere of ever-present forgiveness and grace to everyone around them.

The warden was trained to be uncaring and inconsiderate of pain both physical and emotional. Even so, Paul and Silas immediately offered him an opportunity to discover his own freedom which he instantly scoffed at and rejected out of hand at first. Instead, he perpetrated the pattern of cruelty and intimidation by increasing their pain and sneering at their integrity. To protect his own reputation and life the roughly secured them with the harshest confinement at his disposal, the stocks.

The other prisoners as well, at first accepted the dark judgment that society had heaped on Paul and Silas and assumed they must be very deceitful con men to receive such stigma and treatment. But all this social darkness only served to more clearly couch the stark contrast of the inner light that burst forth in prayers of forgiveness and intercession for their enemies and joyful songs of praise for a faithful and wonderful God Who transcended their own circumstances and more than compensated their pain with His presence.