Paul and Silas were to be released secretly, but Paul insisted on being released openly.

Acts 16:35-39

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“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.” Acts 16:35-36

In the previous post of Acts 16:27-34, an earthquake opened the prison doors, and the chains fell off the prisoners. However, they did not try to flee. The prison keeper was terrified to see the prison doors open, and thinking everyone had escaped. Paul and Silas led him to Salvation through Jesus Christ. When morning came, the magistrates decided it would be OK to let Paul and Silas go. Magistrates were community officials and judges responsible for maintaining law and order. The warden of the prison was sent by the magistrates to release Paul and Silas and to let them go in peace.

On the surface, we would assume that this was an act of goodwill on the part of the city officials to release Paul and Silas and let them go in peace. However, as the next verses reveal, this was far from an act of goodwill towards those who follow the way of Jesus Christ. Worldly freedom and peace are far from the peace and freedom given to us in the Spirit through Jesus Christ. As our Lord Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

“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.” Acts 16:37

Whenever government officials do something publicly to someone it sets an example for the whole population of people to follow. Paul was not enthused whatsoever about being told to “go in peace” secretly so that the residents of the community would not see. That’s because the city officials made a public show of punishing Paul and Silas to make an example of them about what would happen to anyone who brings people to Jesus Christ and away from the social/economic system. In today’s atheistic culture, people are well aware of the consequences of living for Jesus Christ instead of living for atheistic community values. Social disapproval and scrutiny are upon anyone who lives in the presence of the Holy Spirit instead of living for the entity giving them what to speak, do, think, and feel.

The city officials were releasing Paul and Silas into a population of people that saw them as being cursed and deserving of punishment [approved publicly by the governing authorities]. This was the community leaders’ idea of “going in peace”, but was far from the peace that Jesus Christ gives to us. Paul demanded that they not be sent away in secret, meaning not to be sent away without the city officials acknowledging to the community population that they were not deserving of punishment. As followers of Jesus Christ, we know there is a huge difference between the flattery and smooth words wishing us peace and the reality of what exists in the atheistic culture of today [which is global]. Christianity is met with social disapproval and scrutiny, regardless of deceitful flatteries and pats on the back. Paul said, like all of us Christians are saying within our heart, “No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out”.

We know Paul was a Roman citizen [Acts 22:25-29], and Paul speaks for Silas also when he said, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison.” Roman citizens were not subject to the same brutal beatings and other such punishments as non-Romans. Paul used every resource within his reach to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As followers of Jesus, whatever influence we have in this world, if any, must be used to the glory of God in the name of Jesus Christ.

“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.” Acts 16:38-39

Because Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, the city officials pleaded for forgiveness for beating them and then brought them out in public and released them. The officials were not asking forgiveness for their unbelief and rejection of Jesus Christ, but worldly forgiveness for not recognizing the elite status of Paul and Silas as Roman citizens. The public already knew Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned for bringing people to Jesus and away from the atheistic values of the social/economic system. So when the city authorities released them in public, it was somewhat of a public apology to Paul and Silas and a victory for the way of Jesus Christ. Even then, Paul and Silas were asked to depart from the city.

People will ask for our forgiveness but at the same time want us to depart from Jesus Christ, or to depart from their “city”. Forgiveness is not to bond us with the atheistic culture but to keep our heart free of bitterness so that we are always willing to share our born again testimony, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ written on our heart. “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

In today’s atheistic culture, the despise that governing authorities have for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not being publicly acknowledged. Even so, we are asked to depart from the social network. Today’s churches have abandoned the message of the Cross, government lawmakers no longer integrate the values of the Bible in laws, policies, and executive orders, the educational system prohibits the teaching of the Bible in classrooms, and Christianity is not wanted in any sector of society. Click here for a post on the extinction of Christian births from Revelations 12.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1