Paul’s Imprisonment at Philippi – JSS3 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note (Second Term)

Paul’s imprisonment at Philippi is the story, told in Acts 16, of how Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed in the Roman colony of Philippi in Macedonia after Paul cast an evil spirit out of a slave girl.

• Setting: Philippi was an important Roman city in Macedonia, which is in modern-day Greece.
• Main events: an earthquake opened the prison at midnight, the jailer and his family believed in Jesus, and the missionaries were released.
• Main point: God used the missionaries’ suffering to bring more people to believe in Jesus.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Describe how Paul and Silas came to Philippi and met Lydia.
2. Narrate how Paul cast the spirit out of the slave girl and what followed.
3. State why Paul and Silas were arrested and put in prison.
4. Describe the midnight earthquake and how the jailer and his household responded.
5. Explain why Paul refused to leave the prison quietly.
6. State lessons from the story of Paul and Silas in Philippi.

Who are the people in the story?

Seven persons or groups appear in the story of Paul and Silas at Philippi.

How did Paul and Silas come to Philippi?

Paul and Silas came to Philippi because God showed Paul a vision calling missionaries to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-15).

1. Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia asking for help.
2. Paul believed this was God’s way of telling him to preach in Macedonia.
3. Paul, Silas and their companions travelled to Philippi, a leading city of that district.
4. They stayed in Philippi for several days.
5. On the Sabbath they went outside the city gate to the river, where they expected to find a place of prayer.
6. There they met Lydia, a seller of purple cloth.
7. Lydia believed their message about Jesus and was baptised with her household.
8. She invited the missionaries to stay at her house.

What happened with the slave girl?

A slave girl with an evil spirit followed Paul and Silas for many days until Paul cast the spirit out in the name of Jesus (Acts 16:16-18).

Who was the slave girl?

• Her work: her owners used her as a fortune teller to make money.
• Her condition: an evil spirit controlled her.
• Her shouting: the spirit identified Paul and Silas as servants of the Most High God who proclaim the way of salvation.
• The problem: her constant following and shouting disturbed the missionaries’ work.

She followed them for many days, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”

How did Paul cast out the spirit?

• Paul’s feeling: after many days he became greatly annoyed.
• Paul’s command: he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!”
• The result: the spirit left her at once.

What were the results?

• For the girl: she was freed from the spirit that controlled her.
• For her fortune-telling: she could no longer tell fortunes.
• For her owners: they lost their source of income.
• Against Paul and Silas: the owners became very angry.

Why were Paul and Silas arrested and imprisoned?

Paul and Silas were arrested because the slave girl’s owners lost their money and charged them before the magistrates (Acts 16:19-24).

What accusations were made?

• Disturbing the city: the owners said the missionaries were causing trouble in Philippi.
• Unlawful customs: they said the missionaries taught customs that Romans should not accept or practise.
• Stirring the crowd: the crowd joined the attack on Paul and Silas.

Philippi was a Roman colony, so these charges were taken seriously.

What was the punishment?

1. The magistrates ordered Paul and Silas to be stripped and beaten.
2. They were severely flogged.
3. They were thrown into prison.
4. The jailer was told to guard them carefully.
5. He put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in stocks, which was very painful.

What happened at midnight?

At midnight an earthquake shook the prison and opened all the doors while Paul and Silas prayed and sang (Acts 16:25-26).

• Their attitude: Paul and Silas did not complain or lose hope.
• Their worship: they were praying and singing hymns to God.
• Their audience: the other prisoners were listening.
• The earthquake: a powerful earthquake shook the foundations of the prison.
• The effect: all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.

This was a miracle from God.

How did the jailer come to believe?

The jailer came to believe after Paul stopped him from killing himself and told him about Jesus (Acts 16:27-34).

Why did the jailer want to kill himself?

• He woke up and saw the prison doors open.
• He thought all the prisoners had escaped.
• Under Roman law, a guard whose prisoners escaped could receive the punishment meant for them.
• He drew his sword to kill himself.
• Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

How did the jailer respond?

1. He called for lights and rushed in.
2. He fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
3. He brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
4. They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
5. They spoke the word of the Lord to him and everyone in his house.
6. The jailer washed their wounds.
7. He and all his household were baptised immediately.
8. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them.
9. He was filled with joy because he and his household now believed in God.

How did Paul and Silas leave Philippi?

Paul and Silas left Philippi only after the magistrates came to the prison themselves and escorted them out (Acts 16:35-40).

Why did Paul refuse to leave quietly?

1. The next morning the magistrates sent officers with orders to release Paul and Silas.
2. Paul refused to go. He said, “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to send us away secretly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
3. The magistrates were alarmed when they heard that the two men were Roman citizens.
4. They came to the prison, apologised, and escorted Paul and Silas out.
5. They asked the missionaries to leave the city.

• The law: it was illegal to beat Roman citizens without a trial.
• The new believers: Paul wanted to protect the Christians left in Philippi.
• Their reputation: he wanted the missionaries’ good name cleared in the city.

Where did they go next?

• Lydia’s house: they met the believers there and encouraged them.
• Next stops: they then travelled to Apollonia and Thessalonica (Acts 17:1).

What lessons does the story teach?

The story teaches that God works through suffering and that faith can stay strong in hard times.

• Difficulty: God can use difficult situations to spread the good news about Jesus.
• Prayer and praise: they are powerful even in the worst circumstances.
• Surprising conversions: people can come to believe in Jesus in unexpected ways.
• Courage: standing up for what is right is important.
• God’s plan: human opposition cannot stop it.
• Love for enemies: Paul saved the jailer’s life instead of escaping.

Evaluation

1. Narrate the story of Paul’s encounter with the slave girl at Philippi.
2. Why were Paul and Silas put in prison?
3. Describe what happened at midnight while Paul and Silas were in prison.
4. How did the jailer and his family respond to Paul’s message?
5. Why did Paul refuse to leave the prison quietly the next day?

Assignment

Write a short account of how the jailer and his household came to believe in Jesus. Then state two lessons from the story of Paul and Silas in Philippi.