Acts 16:35-40·~1 min

An Official Apology

When daylight comes, the magistrates send officers to release the prisoners, but Paul answers that men beaten publicly and imprisoned without trial despite being Roman citizens will not leave secretly. The officers report this, the magistrates are alarmed, and they come to appease and escort Paul and Silas out.

W³⁵hen daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶The jailer informed Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.” ³⁷But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!” ³⁸So the officers relayed this message to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. ³⁹They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.

After leaving the prison, Paul and Silas go to Lydia's house, see the brothers, encourage them, and then depart.

⁴⁰After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house to see the brothers and encourage them. Then they left the city.

Section summaryAt daylight the magistrates send orders to release Paul and Silas, but Paul refuses a quiet dismissal after a public beating and imprisonment without trial, insisting that the officials come themselves because they are Roman citizens. Alarmed, the magistrates appease them, escort them out, and after encouraging the believers at Lydia's house Paul and Silas depart the city.

Role in the chapterThis closing movement forces the city to acknowledge what it had tried to do in secret. The chapter ends not with apology from the missionaries but with a public correction of injustice and one more act of strengthening the church.