Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
Read it in contextThe jailer and the release
Start reading at Acts 16:25 (Acts 16:25 to Acts 16:40).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
The prison events lead the jailer to ask about salvation; the word is spoken to his household and baptism follows before the missionaries' departure.
16:25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
16:26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
16:27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
16:28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
16:29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
16:30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
16:31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
16:32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
16:33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
16:34And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
16:35And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
16:36And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
16:37But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.
16:38And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
16:39And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
16:40And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
Study content, not yet reviewed.
Who
Who wrote the book? Luke, the physician and companion of Paul, is the traditional author of Acts and the Gospel of Luke. Biblical references: Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3; Colossians 4:14. Historical source: Anchor Bible Dictionary, Luke–Acts. traditionally held
Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Acts 16:1–16:40): Paul and his companions, including Timothy and then the first-person narrator, travel to Macedonia. Lydia's household, a possessed slave girl, officials, and the Philippian jailer's household feature in Philippi. stated in the text
Who was the book written to? Theophilus, the same named recipient as Luke's Gospel, with the account also serving the wider Christian readership. Biblical references: Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3. stated in the text
What
What is the topic of this reading unit? The jailer and the release. Read Acts 16:25 through Acts 16:40 as a connected unit. interpretation
How does it contribute to the book? The prison events lead the jailer to ask about salvation; the word is spoken to his household and baptism follows before the missionaries' departure. interpretation
When
When are the events or message set? Acts begins after Jesus' resurrection and follows the witness through Pentecost, expansion among peoples, and Paul's arrival in Rome. It does not give a final publication date. book background
Where
What is the book’s geographic setting? The movement extends from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria toward wider regions and Rome, as announced in Acts 1:8. book background
Where does the context start?
This passage sits in The jailer and the release (Acts 16:25 to Acts 16:40).
Start reading at Acts 16:25. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The risen Jesus commissions the witnesses, and their preaching centers on Him. The accounts include repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and reception of the Holy Ghost; keep the details and order stated for each event. See Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:44, Acts 10:48, Acts 19:5, Acts 19:6. interpretation
How should this book guide our response? Compare conversion accounts carefully, preserving what each one actually narrates. Do not invent an omitted detail or flatten every episode into an identical sequence. interpretation
What Scripture saysThe book opens by referring to the author's former treatise to Theophilus, tying it to Luke, and shifts into first-person plural in the travel accounts. Acts 1:1Acts 16:10
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Time covered by Acts
About 30 years
AD 30 or 33Approximate beginning · Acts 1
The risen Jesus instructs His apostles
Acts begins after Jesus’ resurrection and describes His ascension.
About AD 62Approximate ending · Acts 28
Paul teaches while confined in Rome
The account closes with Paul receiving visitors and teaching during two full years in his rented lodging.
The narrative moves from Jerusalem to Rome over roughly three decades. Chapters do not represent equal amounts of time.
View historical notes and sources
Using a beginning in AD 30 or 33 and an ending around AD 62 gives approximately 29–32 years. These are reconstructed dates for the events, not a date for the writing of Acts. The book does not explicitly total its elapsed years.
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Acts 16
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Acts addresses Theophilus as a continuation of the earlier account and follows the witnesses empowered by the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 supplies an important geographical frame: Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.
Connection to the wholeThe churches are strengthened while the Spirit's direction and the Macedonian vision turn the team's journey toward a new field.
Connection to the wholeThe prison events lead the jailer to ask about salvation; the word is spoken to his household and baptism follows before the missionaries' departure.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Acts
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Acts addresses Theophilus as a continuation of the earlier account and follows the witnesses empowered by the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 supplies an important geographical frame: Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.
Connection to the wholeJesus' promise, the coming of the Holy Ghost, Peter's preaching, and the hearers' response establish the beginning of the church's witness.
Connection to the wholePersecution scatters believers; new fields open, Saul is called, and the reception of Gentiles becomes a matter publicly explained to the church.
Connection to the wholeThe first missionary journey and the Jerusalem deliberation address the place of Gentile believers without making circumcision the entrance requirement.
Connection to the wholePaul and his companions travel through new regions and revisit churches, moving toward the journey to Jerusalem despite coming danger.
Connection to the wholePaul's custody becomes a setting for witness before authorities and brings him to Rome, where the account closes with continued proclamation.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.