Who Is the Captive? - Sunday 8 AM

Continuing with Luke’s narratives on the inclusion of Gentiles in the faith, we encounter another “we” passage. The apostles in this account are Paul and his chosen companion Silas, who is a leader in the Jerusalem church (15:40). The evangelization takes place in Philippi, a prominent Roman city. While Roman law tolerated Judaism, it did not accept Christianity until the fourth century. However, Romans could not convert to Judaism without legal penalty, which serves as the basis of the slave-owners’ complaint. The story suggests that God caused the earthquake that sundered the prisoners’ chains. Paul and Silas’s obedience to Roman law—a theme that undergirds much of Luke’s writings—prevents them from escaping, helping with the conversion of the jailer.

Dig Deeper:

How does knowing that you have an abundance of God’s grace help you when struggling with a difficult situation?