Acts 16:36-40: a reflection

36The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!” 38The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city. 40They went out of the prison and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, then departed.

Paul and Silas have been beaten and imprisoned in Philippi without a proper trial, though they are Roman citizens, which made such treatment unlawful. Now the magistrates, wanting to be rid of them quietly, send word that they may go free. But Paul does not simply slip away. He insists that the magistrates who wronged them come themselves and acknowledge what they have done: They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, though we are Romans, and thrown us into prison; and now they would send us away secretly? No; let them come themselves.

Notice that Paul does not passively accept the wrong, but stands on what is just. He was willing to suffer for the gospel, and had done so; but here he insists that the unlawful treatment be acknowledged, not for the sake of his own pride, but for the sake of justice and, likely, the protection and standing of the young church he would leave behind. There is a place for rightly standing on justice, using one's rights and standing for good, not always quietly accepting every wrong.

That is a balance worth learning. Sometimes faithfulness means quietly enduring wrong, as Paul often did; but sometimes it means standing on what is just, insisting that wrong be acknowledged, using our rights and standing rightly, for the sake of justice and of others. This is not about defending our pride, but about rightly upholding what is just. There are times to endure quietly, and times to stand up; wisdom knows the difference. Do not always assume that faithfulness means passively accepting every wrong; there is a place, as Paul showed, for standing on justice, for the good of others and the upholding of what is right. And notice that, having made his point, Paul went to encourage the believers before he left; his standing on justice served the church he loved.

Lord, when Paul and Silas had been beaten and imprisoned unlawfully, Paul did not simply slip away, but insisted that the magistrates acknowledge the wrong they had done, not for his own pride, but for the sake of justice and the standing of the young church. Teach me that balance. Sometimes faithfulness means quietly enduring wrong, as Paul often did; but sometimes it means standing on what is just, insisting that wrong be acknowledged, using my rights and standing rightly, for the sake of justice and of others. Keep me from confusing the defense of my own pride with the upholding of what is just. There are times to endure quietly, and times to stand up; give me the wisdom to know the difference. Keep me from always assuming that faithfulness means passively accepting every wrong; help me see, as Paul showed, that there is a place for standing on justice, for the good of others and the upholding of what is right. And like Paul, let whatever I do serve the people you have given me to love.