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ROMAN
PRISONS
By
Mark Moore
I.
General Facts
1.
Three Divisions of a Roman Prison
a.
Communiora
= Low Security
b.
Ulteriora
= Maximum Security (Paul and Silas, Acts 16:23–24)
c.
Tullianum
= Dungeon—the place of execution (Perhaps Paul's final Roman imprisonment, 2
Tim 4:9–12).
2.
Punishment
a.
Whipping and prison may be part of
the interrogation but not part of punishment.
b.
The equivalent of prison was exile.
c.
Various kinds of punishment:
i. Financial: fines, sold into slavery
(an indentured servant).
ii. Cast
Out: condemned to work in the mines for life, exile.
iii. Beatings: rods, flogged (which
preceded most capital punishment).
iv. Execution: Condemned to fight in the
gladiatorial arena, beheaded, crucified.
II.
Imprisonments in Acts
ACTS
|
IMPRISONED BY
|
CITY
|
PRISON
|
4–5
|
Sanhedrin
|
Jerusalem
|
Gazith
|
12
|
Herod
|
Jerusalem
|
Praetorium
|
16
|
Magistrates
(praetors)
|
Philippi
|
City Jail
|
22–23
|
Roman
Commander
|
Jerusalem
|
Tower of Antonia
|
28:16,
30
|
Festus/Paul's
Appeal to Caesar
|
Rome
|
House Arrest
|
Bibliography:
Conybeare & Howsen, St. Paul, I.304.
Eusebius, Ecc. Hist., 5.1.27; Pass.
Perp., 3.5–6; & Martyr Pionii,
11.
Hastings, J. A Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 1:525.
Meeks, W. (Ed.) The NT in its Social Environment. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986.
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Things That
Make You Go Hmmm (Acts 16:25–40)
By Mark Scott & Mark Moore
There are a lot of peculiar things taking place in this
story that simply defy any naturalistic explanation. Either Luke made up a
whale of a fish-story or God's hand really does manipulate human events.
1.
Singing in jail (v. 16)—You expect to hear many sounds in a
prison, clanging bars, angry shouts, footsteps of guards falling heavy on
concrete, but the melodious praise of God just doesn't seem to fit.
2.
"Captive" audience (v. 25)—These inmates can't
help but hear the Psalms of these preachers reverberate off the cold stone
walls. This was undoubtedly a breath of fresh air in an otherwise dank and dark
place.
3.
"Timing" of the earthquake (v.26)—It is likely
that Paul and Silas are laying face down in these stocks trying to raise their
praise to God by bouncing these songs off the ground. How strange, indeed, that
the tremor strikes precisely during the third verse of How Great Thou Art. It
is almost as if God is joining in the refrain.
4.
A sleeping jailer (v. 27)—The Code of Justinian declared
that Roman guards who failed to keep their prisoners were to receive the
prisoner's sentence in themselves. That was enough incentive to keep most awake
at their posts. Perhaps Paul and Silas' Psalms were lullabies that put this
rough-and-tumble jailer to sleep. Or maybe he trusted in the tempered steel
doors. Or could it be that God caused the slumber? Nevertheless, the earthquake
shook him awake. Naturally, seeing the open doors and loosed chains, he would
take the honorable way out, at least for a Roman, and kill himself, sparing the
magistrates this painful duty.
5.
No prisoner escaped (v. 28)—Now we go from odd to downright
weird. These men with sentences on their heads and open doors before them sat
spell-bound. It is almost as if they felt the hand of God on their shoulders
staying their escape.
6.
Trembling before Paul and Silas (v. 29)—Suddenly the
prisoners become judges.
7.
What must I do to be saved? (v. 30)—This is a strange
questions since he had just been saved from certain death by his own hand
and/or that of his commanding officer. He realizes that there is a fate worse
than death and that these two men whom he and his ilk had beaten and chained
were representatives of the living God! Talk about being on the wrong side of
the fence!
8.
Release from prison (v. 30)—Paul and Silas are treated as
honored guests at this man's home in the middle of the night. For a pair of
Jewish prisoners, that was certainly unprecedented.
9.
Back in prison (v. 35)—How ironic that the preachers who set
this man free must now be bound by him again! How that must have hurt his
heart.
10.
Refused to be released (v. 37)—When most of us would scamper
off, considering ourselves lucky with the narrow escape from injustice, Paul
refuses to allow God's name to be slandered by leaving without a public
apology. He is convinced that God orchestrated these events not the magnates of
Philippi.
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Household
Baptisms in Acts Did They Include Infants?
Text:
|
Household
of:
|
Activity:
|
10:44–48
|
Cornelius
|
Speaking in tongues
|
16:14,15
|
Lydia
|
—————————
|
16:30–33
|
Philippian Jailer
|
Belief in Jesus A response to the spoken word
|
1
Corinthians
1:16;
16:15
|
Stephanas
|
Devoted themselves to ministry
|
In the previous section Lyda and her household were baptized. When she gave heed to what Paul said, she obeyed his charge to be baptized for the remission of her sins. Not only was she baptized, but all her household.
Some have sought to use this as proof of infant baptism. There is no infant baptism in this verse. She heard and obeyed which implies she believed and was baptized. Her household did the same thing. There is no mention of any infants in the household, and to assert that there were would be to add to the word of God. There are four households mentioned in the New Testament as being baptized (Cornelius - Acts 10:46; 15:9; the Philippian jailer - Acts 16:34; and Stephanas - I Corinthians 1:16; 16:15). It is clear in all four cases that no infants were included. There is no record of any infant baptism in the first century. Since it is clear that only those who were accountable people were baptized after they believed, repented, and confessed, it is logical to assume that infants were not baptized because they were not proper subjects. Infant baptism came in the apostasy after the doctrine of total hereditary depravity was accepted by many in the fifth century. Believing that infants were born in sin, they began the practice of baptizing infants believing that one could only be saved by baptism for remission of sins. Their understanding of the purpose of baptism was correct; however, baptizing infants was wrong as it was based upon the erroneous doctrine of original sin (total hereditary depravity).
History shows that the first mention of infant baptism was by Irenaeus around A.D. 185. Tertullian spoke of infant baptism in A.D. 200, but discouraged it. It did not become common until around the sixth century A.D. after the doctrine of original sin had been accepted by many. The reason for this was stated in the previous paragraph.
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Free Press for the Gospel?
Acts 16:17–18
Mark Scott
1. As the gospel spreads to Europe, Satan tries to stop its growth. Already Lydia has been converted (16:15) and others seem to be following her example (16:16). Satan uses an abused girl (at least others were making profit by her) to hinder the progress of the gospel.
2. The slave girl (paidisken) had a "python spirit" by which she predicted the future:
a. In Greek mythology this referred to the snake that guarded the Delphic Oracle and was slain by Apollo.
b. Later the word came to refer to any spirit of divination.
c. Finally, it was used by Plutarch to refer to a ventriloquist.
Probably some O.T. concept is intended by Luke. The O.T. condemns fortunetelling, soothsaying, familiar spirits, etc., and that's most likely the meaning here.
3. The problem with this text comes in vs. 17–18. What is so wrong with what she says in vs. 17? And, why does Paul put up with such antagonism when he evidently could have exorcised this spirit earlier than he did?
4. I have little to offer as a reason for the latter question. Maybe Paul delayed his exorcism so as to frame up a more dramatic power encounter. Perhaps he worked patiently (after all he was more sad than mad) hoping the girl would be converted by natural means. We should note that Luke never actually tells if she was converted. We might assume so, but Luke hastens to the arrest and imprisonment of Paul and Silas and the dramatic conversion of the jailer.
5. But what's the problem with vs. 17? Isn't what she says true? Why not get a little free press for the gospel? Maybe deep down in her heart she wants to believe. Let me suggest four reasons as to why Paul is threatened by what she says:
a. Wrong Content: The text literally says, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you 'a' way to be saved." We have to be careful how much we press the presence or absence of the definite article. But, is she syncretistic in looking at Christianity as one of the many ways to be saved.
b. Wrong Tone: We can't critique this because we were not there. Perhaps she said it sarcastically in such a way as to make light of the content of the preaching.
c. Wrong Source: Maybe Paul does what he does because he doesn't want any free press for the enemy. Like Jesus, the best thing Paul could do with a demon is to hush it immediately. Having Satan say good things about the missionaries would be like the
Democratic Party asking Rush Limbaugh to be their key-note speaker at their
convention. "Perhaps the ulterior motive was to discredit the gospel by associating it in the people's minds with the occult" (Stott, 264).
d. Wrong Audience: Would a Gentile crowd understand the significance of "Most High God?" They may have written off this terminology as nonsense. Maybe it opened the possibility of too much misunderstanding given their polytheistic background.
Regardless of our understanding we do know that Paul released her from her oppression, and that the owners and the authorities were upset. The fallen nature of man is indicated in not rejoicing when others are helped.
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