THAT VERY HOUR OF THE NIGHT

          The book of Acts documents a visit that Paul, Silas, Luke and Timothy made to Philippi, an important Roman colony located in the district of Macedonia (Acts 16:1-40).  Philippi was a strategic seaport that served as a springboard for taking the gospel into Europe.  This missionary excur-sion covered a span of several days.  First, they met Lydia down by the riverside -- the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoke by Paul, resulting in the baptism of Lydia and her household (vss.14-15).  Next, they encountered a slave-girl recognized for having a spirit of divination.  Al-though she vocalized words of truth:  These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation (vs.17,  she dogged Paul and his cohorts with her daily declarations to the point that she became an annoyance.  With her non-stop proclamations, it might have been that Paul could not get a word in edgewise.  Paul exorcised her “demon".  This act was tantamount to “killing the golden goose”, as her fortune-telling "talents" garnered considerable profit for her masters (vss.16-18).  The result created quite a stir and the slave-masters seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities (vs.19).  The city’s chief magistrates indiscriminately heeded their call for

retribution and had Paul and Silas beaten with rods, incarcerated and put in stocks, with a jailer appointed to guard them securely (vss.20-24).

          About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, a great earthquake rocked the prison, opening doors and loosing everyone’s chains.  The jailor drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped, (vs.27).  Paul in-tervened, saying, don't harm yourself, we’re all here! (vs.28).  The jailer fell down pleading, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? (vs.30).  This was a reasonable question, especially in light of the fact that Paul and his companions had been preaching the way of salvation.  Paul instructed the jailer to believe in the Lord Jesus (vs.31).  They spoke the word of the Lord to him, with all who were in his house, and he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and IMMEDIATELY HE WAS BAPTIZED, he and all his household (vs.33).    Couldn’t these baptisms have waited until the next day?  What is noteworthy here is the obvious connection between baptism and salvation.  If their baptisms were not for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), why did they need to act promptly?.  The text conveys a sense of urgency that many today seem to ignore.  One might argue that baptizing others that very hour of the night defies common sense.  Couldn't they have waited until things calmed down?  The only plausible expla-nation is that they viewed baptism to be URGENT because it is in baptism that one becomes clothed with Christ Jesus (Gal.3:27).      

                                                                                                                Terry Siverd / Cortland Church of Christ