Unit 7: Paul the Apostle NT7.8 Paul and Silas in Prison€¦ · They didn’t know a miracle was about to happen! Suddenly there was a massive earthquake and the prison was shaken

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NT7.8 Paul and Silas in Prison © Beverly Wilson 2018

Unit 7: Paul the Apostle

NT7.8 Paul and Silas in Prison

Scripture: Acts 16:16-40

Lesson Goal: Paul was an Apostle chosen by God to take the gospel to the world. He was the first missionary and the greatest preacher of all time. God called Paul to be the one who would bring the gospel to the Gentiles and to suffer much for His name. This lesson is about Paul’s Second Missionary Journey and how he and Silas were in prison at Philippi.

Introduction: This is the eighth lesson in Unit 7: Paul the Apostle. Paul was an Apostle chosen by God to take the gospel to the world. He was the first missionary and the greatest preacher of all time. This lesson is about Paul’s Second Missionary Journey and how he and Silas were in prison at Philippi. This lesson comes from the book of Acts. Acts is the fifth book in the New Testament. This book was written by Luke. The first four books of the New Testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John-- tell about the life of Christ. The fifth book--Acts--tells about the beginning of the church. Let's say the first five books of the New Testament together--Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts.

Attention Getter: “Hard Times” What do you do when you are faced with a difficult or hard time? Do you get angry or cry? Do you lash out and say unkind things? Do you pout and feel sorry for yourselves? Some people even complain and question whether God knows what He is doing or whether He even knows what is happening to us.

Some people let the bad situation take control of them! They begin to worry and fear the future. They begin to allow their thoughts to go wildly in all different directions. They become so distraught and upset they begin to blame everything and everyone!

Did you know that as a Christian we don’t have to act that way? Instead when we are going through hard times we can ask God to help us take control of our thoughts. He promises to give us peace in the midst of a troubled time. We have to remember that God always knows what is happening to us. He loves and cares for us and will not allow us to go through anything that is too difficult to handle.

In this lesson we will learn about a time that seemed hopeless to Paul and Silas but they never stopped praising the Lord.

Opening Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, I pray that we will learn to trust and rely on You and the power of the Holy Spirit to help us in every difficult situation. We ask You to give us an attitude like that of Paul and Silas. Help us to have peace and joy in the midst of our trials so that someone may come to know You as Savior. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

Memory Verse: Our memory verse is Acts 16:31 “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/6xT5P0iABEg Paul was an Apostle chosen by God to take the gospel to the world. Jesus had appeared to him on the Road to Damascus and revealed that He was really the Son of God. Paul believed in Jesus that day and he was a changed man. He became the first missionary and the greatest preacher of all time. God called Paul to be the one who would bring the gospel to the Gentiles and to suffer much for His name.

https://youtu.be/6xT5P0iABEg

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On his first Missionary Journey Paul and his companion Barnabas visited the major cities in Cyprus and Galatia. Despite much opposition they continued to preach the gospel and several new churches were established in Antioch of Psidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. The gospel was spreading throughout the region and many Gentiles believed in Jesus as their Savior.

Paul often thought about the new believers in Galatia that had come to Christ. He wrote them a letter. This letter is the book of Galatians in our Bible. He knew that they would need encouragement and instruction in how to live the new Christian life.

One day Paul said, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” After a big discussion Paul and Barnabas decided that each of them would go different ways. Paul would take Silas as his partner and Barnabas would take John Mark and go to Cyprus.

Paul and Silas began the Second Missionary Journey by traveling over land through Syria and into the region of Cilicia. Both men taught God’s Word to help the churches grow stronger in faith. They then moved onto Derbe and the other nearby places that Paul had visited on his first trip. Paul preached to the churches and encouraged everyone to keep living for God.

At Lystra they met a young Christian called Timothy who loved the Lord. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. From his birth Timothy was a young man who had been faithfully taught the Scriptures by his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois. Paul thought that he would be a wonderful helper on this missionary journey so Paul invited Timothy to join them.

From Lystra Paul, Silas and Timothy traveled to Iconium then to Antioch and ended up in Troas. They had visited all the churches that Paul and Barnabas had started in the area of Phrygia and Galatia on the First Missionary Journey so where would they go now?

One night Paul had a vision from the Holy Spirit. A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When Paul told Silas and Timothy about this vision, they concluded that God was calling them to Macedonia in Greece to preach the Good News there. They packed up at once. They boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day they landed at Neapolis. From there they reached Philippi, a major city of the district of Macedonia which was a Roman colony.

On the Sabbath they went outside the city to a riverbank, where they thought people would be meeting for prayer. They sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshipped God. As she listed to Paul share the good news about Jesus, the Lord opened her heart, and she became a Christian and was the first believer in that city. She was baptized along with other members of her household. She invited Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke to stay as guests in her home while they were in Philippi. Her home became the meeting place of the church in Philippi.

One day as Paul and his companions were going to the place of prayer, they were followed by a slave girl who was possessed by a demon. This evil spirit gave her powers as a fortune teller and she earned a lot of money for her masters by telling people their fortunes.

She chased after Paul and the others shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” Even though she was telling the truth, she was mocking and making fun of Paul and Silas. This went on day after day.

Paul did not want the truth of God to be confused with fortune telling. Finally Paul got so exasperated with this harassing that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” Instantly the demon left her.

Now that the slave girl has lost her power to tell fortunes, her masters’ hopes of making money were dashed. So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials! “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”

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A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas and the city officials ordered them to be stripped and beaten with wooden rods. After a severe beating, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison. How easy it would have been for them to grumble and complain about a situation like this!

The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So he put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Surrounded by darkness Paul and Silas began to rejoice in the Lord! That means they began to think about the Lord instead of themselves and they were filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Paul and Silas were really preaching through their actions! They thought they were going to die yet they continued to praise the Lord! They didn’t know a miracle was about to happen!

Suddenly there was a massive earthquake and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped so he drew his sword to kill himself. He knew that the punishment for letting a prisoner escape was death.

But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. He realized that God had done a miracle. It was God who had brought the earthquake, opened the prison gates, and loosed the prisoners’ chains.

Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The jailer had heard Paul and Silas rejoicing and now he wanted to know God in the same way.

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” Paul simply told the jailer the good news about what Jesus did for us.

Then they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Paul and Silas told the jailer that he and anyone else in his family who wanted to, could believe in Jesus to save them from sin! The jailer cared for Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. He gave them a meal in his house. The jailer and his family showed a real change in their hearts toward Paul and Silas because they now had a changed heart! His entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.

The next morning the city officials told the jailer, “Let those men go!” When they learned that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens they came to the jail to apologize to them for their treatment. When Paul and Silas refused to leave and made the city officials come to apologize they were really protecting the other new believers in Philippi from persecution especially if they were Roman citizens.

Paul and Silas left the prison and returned to the home of Lydia. They met with the believers and encouraged them before leaving the city.

Our memory verse is Acts 16:31 “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” The good news of salvation is simply expressed in the phrase “believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” When we recognize Jesus as Lord and trust in him with our entire life salvation is assured to us. Let’s say our verse again together. Acts 16:31 “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Just like the Philippian jailer we need to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. We need to put our faith and trust in Him as the only way to go to heaven. When Jesus died on the cross He paid the price for our sins and provided a place for us to be with Him. Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel. He wants us to share our faith with everyone.

God let Paul and Silas go through this difficult time so the jailer and his family would be saved. Often when we are going through a hard time we don’t understand what God’s purpose is. We just need to learn to trust His wisdom.

The next time you are facing a problem, stop thinking about your problem and think about the two “R’s.” The first R is remember. Remember what God has done for you. We can remember how He has saved us, how He has supplied our needs; how He is in control of everything; how He wants what is best for us; and how He is all powerful.

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The second R is Rejoice in the Lord. We can thank Him for what we remember about Him or sing a praise song to Him! When we thank the Lord we are focusing on Him not the difficulty we are facing.

Remember to rejoice in the Lord always!

Review Questions: “Hidden Treasure” Preparation: You will need sticky notes and a white magnetic board. Arrange the sticky notes on the white board in a rectangular array. On the back of four sticky notes draw a picture of a treasure chest and write a point value of 25, 50, 75, and 100. On the remaining sticky note backs write a point value of 0, 1, 2, and 3. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God wants us to share the gospel with others. The gospel is like a great treasure that is hidden. Many do not know the way to heaven. Finding faith in Christ brings great joy like that of discovering a hidden treasure. Our review game will help us find that treasure!” Procedure: Divide the children into teams or they may play as individuals if your class size is small. As children correctly answer the following review questions they may choose a sticky note from the array. Each student will receive the total number of points they receive on the back of the sticky notes. The ones who choose the hidden treasure have a bonus number of points! Say: “God’s Word is like a treasure. God wants us to share its words with others to tell them about Jesus. Today we are going to play a game and try to discover four treasure notes on the board. Each note has a point value but there are four special treasure notes on the board! If you correctly answer the review question you may choose a sticky note point value.”

1. What special mission did God give to the Apostle Paul? (God chose him to be the first missionary to the world and to be the one who would bring the gospel to the Gentiles and to suffer much for His name.)

2. On the first Missionary Journey what churches did Paul and Barnabas establish? (They led Gentiles to believe in Cyprus and Galatia and churches were established in Antioch of Psidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.)

3. Who traveled with Paul on the Second Missionary Journey and to what places did they first go to visit? (Silas traveled with Paul to the churches that were first established in Galatia on the First Missionary Journey.)

4. Who were all the men who traveled with Paul on the Second Missionary Journey? (Paul traveled with Silas, Timothy, and Luke.)

5. How did Paul know to go into Macedonia to preach the gospel? (The Holy Spirit gave him a vision of a man from Macedonia calling to him to come and preach to them.)

6. Who was the first convert to Christ in Macedonia? (Paul and his friends went to Ephesus and preached to Lydia and she believed.)

7. Why was Lydia important to the spread of the gospel? (She lived in Philippi and opened her house to Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke for them to be as guests. They led people to the Lord and then the church met in her house.)

8. Why was the slave girl that followed Paul and Silas able to tell fortunes? (She had an evil spirit of Satan in her; she was possessed.)

9. What did the slave girl do for her masters? (She told fortunes and made them a lot of money.) 10. Why did Paul and Silas get so annoyed with the slave girl if she was actually telling the truth

about them? (She was probably calling out in a mocking tone of voice, making fun of Paul and Silas. Paul didn’t want the truth of God to be confused with fortune telling.)

11. What did Paul do to the evil spirit in the slave girl? (Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of the girl in the name of Jesus Christ.)

12. By whose power did the evil spirit come out of the slave girl? (The power of the Holy Spirit caused the demon to leave the slave girl.)

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13. What happened to Paul and Silas when the slave girl’s master realized his business was ruined? (He seized them and took them to the authorities to have them beaten and whipped and sent into prison.)

14. What did Paul and Silas do while they were in prison with their backs bleeding and their feet clamped painfully to the wall? (They rejoiced in the Lord.)

15. Why did the jailer almost kill himself? (He thought that Paul and Silas escaped and he knew the punishment for letting a prisoner escape was certain death.)

16. When the jailer realized that God had done a mighty miracle what did he ask Paul and Silas? (What must I do to be saved?)

17. What did Paul tell the jailer to do to be saved? (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.)

18. What does it mean to believe on Jesus? (To believe on Jesus means to trust that when He was crucified on the cross, He took the full punishment for your sins.)

19. Why did God allow Paul and Silas to go through such a horrible trial? (God allowed this imprisonment so the jailer and his family would be saved.)

20. When you are in the midst of a trial, what can you do to get your mind off all your troubles? (Remember something good God has done for you and Rejoice in the Lord by thanking Him.)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Life Preserver” Our memory verse is Acts 16:31 “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Have students locate verse in scripture and read orally together several times. Say: “The good news of salvation is simply expressed in the phrase “believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” When we recognize Jesus as Lord and trust in him with our entire life salvation is assured to us. Jesus’ gift of eternal life is like a life preserver. It saves us from eternal punishment and gives us life with Jesus forever in heaven.” Preparation: You will need a white floral ring, rope, and colored electrical tape to make a life preserver. Secure the rope on the side of the ring at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock position with the electrical tape. See picture at right. Create and display a poster of the words and reference for Acts 16:31. Procedure: Call attention to the poster. Select a child to read the verse aloud. Discuss the meaning of the verse as God’s life preserver to us. Guide the children to form a circle. Give the life preserver to a child in the circle. Say: “When you hold the preserver, say the first word of the verse. Pass the preserver to the next person in the circle and they will say the next word of the verse. We will increase our speed each time we say the verse.” Pass the preserver around the circle. Repeat as many times as needed to allow children an opportunity to memorize the verse.

Group Learning Activity: “Drama of Paul and Silas in Prison” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need to build a jail cell and have a very gruff jailer. You will also need swag chains or paper towel handcuffs to put on all the students. This allows the jailer to accuse the students of all sorts of things and adds to the excitement of the lesson. How to Build the Jail: Pick a 9x12 corner of a room. Most drop cloths are 9x12. It will hold 3 adults and about 10 kids. Cover two of the four jail walls with brown paper drop cloths. You can add painted mortar lines. Trim certain parts of the walls with grey duct tape which looks like mortar. Put a canvas on the floor with some straw. The other two walls can be made with 8 ft. long folding tables. Stand the tables up on end with the tabletop pointing inward to the cell. The tables will lean back a bit and were more than sturdy. Cover the tables with more paper drop cloth. The paper and tables are easy to "shake" for the earthquake too. Use thumbtacks to hold the paper to the wall. Duct tape prison bars to the paper

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covering any windows and then cut out paper in-between the tape. The tape acts to reinforce the thin paper bars. How to make a prison door: Duct tape black plastic pipes together to form a door. Duct tape the bar door to one of the tables. You can add a black ornamental chain for effect. How to make paper towel hand cuffs: Cut a cardboard paper towel roll into 2” sections. Cut the sections vertically to make cuff. Use a hole puncher to make a hole in each cuff. Thread an 24” piece of brown twine through the holes and attach the two hand cuffs together. The hand cuffs will easily slide over the wrists of the children while they are in prison and will come off during the “earthquake.” Say: “God helped Paul and Silas spread the good news about Jesus to new places, even places where it was dangerous to talk about Jesus and were unwelcome. We too should be prepared to help others know about Jesus. Paul and Silas’ message about Jesus was for everyone, even the jailer and prisoners. We are called to share the gospel, and encourage people to believe in Jesus and be baptized. Today we are going to reenact the Bible lesson.” Procedure: As the students arrive they are chained. Paul and Silas start singing. While kids are being chained, the Soldier/Jailer tells them this story: Say: “In the town of Philippi: Paul and Silas were beaten thrown into prison. They were accused of teaching strange ideas about a man who was crucified and then resurrected, and they say he is God and we must worship only him. Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns and the prisoners were listening. (Invite students to join in singing.) Paul and Silas argue with the other prisoner. They try to explain their message for a few minutes, and ask the kids if they can explain it to the prisoner. “After a while an earthquake shook the prison, doors were opened and chains fell off the prisoners. The Jailer awoke and went to check the prisoners. Seeing the door open and thinking they had escaped he thought to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him we are all here.” (Our jailer shook the outer walls of the jail and shouted. It was very surprising and convincing.) The jailer rushed in and said, “What must I do to be a follower of Jesus and be saved?” Paul said, “Believe in Jesus and you and your whole family can be his followers.” The jailer washed their wounds and was baptized and gave them food. (Paul and Silas can celebrate communion with the children and jailer). The jailer leaves and then comes back and tells Paul: "The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace." (This should happen at end of lesson time.) (Unchain the students and Paul and Silas head back to Lydia’s house.) Note: Whoever is Paul has to know the story and have plenty of questions to ask the students. The soldier must be very convincing. He and Paul can banter/spar/argue about why Christians must be put in jail. He tries to keep Paul from singing. The soldier is quite gruff about Paul's "love" message. Occasionally Paul or Silas can ask the students to respond to the jailer. You can also have a prisoner in the jail who gives the guards trouble. He or she can try to put down the "Jesus message" as "weird and unbelievable." The prisoner can ask the kids why they believed in Jesus. For added interest, just before the earthquake and baptisms you can serve some pita bread and grapes. Paul and Silas can keep asking the students what kind of place they worship and ask them what it is like. If students want their chains off Paul can warned them not to take them off lest the guard see. Paul can ask them what it was like to be a Christian where they lived. He was quite astounded that they worship in safety. Of course, he hadn't

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heard of the modern countries. He asked them how they spread the good news in their country. Their responses helped create new discussion possibilities. Paul and Silas have to be very alert and creative with their answers for this lesson style to be effective. Optional: Perform a more formal drama with the script printed below.

Group Learning Activity Game: “Toss and Tell” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need slips of paper, marker, paper cups, and pennies. Print the following situations and places on separate slips of paper: birthday party, school, sports practice, hike, beach, eating dinner, Christmas, library, hospital, park, and gym. Place one prepared slip of paper into each cup. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Paul and Silas reacted to a very difficult situation by praising and thanking God. They sang praises at midnight when they were shackled and chained in a prison at midnight after being severely beaten with rods. They praised God even when it was not easy. Today we are going to play a game that will help us think about different situations that we may encounter and how we can use them as a way to praise and thank God.” Procedure: Students stand 2 to 3 feet from the cups and take turns tossing pennies into the cups. When a student gets a penny into a cup, the student removes paper from the cup and tells why a student can say “thank you” or “praise God” in that place or situation that is written on the paper. Example: Park—playing a ball game and your team loses (You should not get angry and say mean things to the other team. Instead you could have a good attitude and encourage your teammates by saying that perhaps next time they will do better. Or, you can suggest that God can help them do their best by praying for His strength.) (Encourage a variety of answers). Say: “Why do you think it is important to say thank-you or praise God in these different situations and places? (God has commanded us to praise Him at all times. We show others by our response to different situation how much God means to us. We can use these different times and opportunities to share our faith in Christ with others.) “God doesn’t promise that nothing bad will ever happen to us, but He does promise to always care for us and be with us. When have you praised God in a difficult situation? (Tell your own answer before asking students to respond.) “What are some other situations in which you could thank for praise God? When do students your age usually praise or thank God? Why would it be hard to thank God sometimes? (We forget about God’s love for us or His promise of help and courage.) What can help us to praise God during hard times? (Remembering things we have learned about God. Remembering God always hears and answers our prayers.)”

Group Learning Activity: Object Lesson: “Powerful Pressure” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need Bible, drinking glass, pitcher of water, large bowl or basin, construction paper. Practice the experiment several times over a sink. Be sure to use glass jars not Styrofoam cups as they will hold the seal more tightly. Say: “How did Paul and Silas experience God’s power when they were imprisoned in the Philippian jail? (God caused an earthquake to make their chains fall off and the prison doors open.) Earthquakes happen then there is so much pressure in the ground that the ground just has to move. God has created another kind of pressure that helps us every day. It is called air pressure. Let’s try an experiment to learn more about God’s great power and reasons to praise Him!” Procedure: Fill the glass to the top with water. Holding the glass over the bowl or basin, place construction paper on top of the glass. Hold the paper tightly in place

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with the palm of your hand and quickly turn the glass upside down. Once the water has settled, take your hand off the paper. The paper will stay in place for a short time. (Water may break though when the paper becomes saturated.) Say: “The paper didn’t immediately fall off because of air pressure. Air pressure is constantly pushing against everything in every direction. The water in the glass pushed down on the paper, but the air outside the glass pushed up against the paper. The air pressure was stronger, so the paper stayed up. God made air pressure so we can breathe and live. Air pressure keeps oxygen around us to that our lungs can take it in. Air pressure also keeps our bike ad car tires inflated so we can go places.” “Did you know that God gives to His children another kind of powerful pressure that will keep us inflated for Him? That is the power of the Holy Spirit. God loves His children and wants us to boldly tell others about His salvation. God gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him as their Savior. His Holy Spirit will guide us, preserve us, and enable us to resist against the desires of the flesh. When we face difficult situations we might easily complain and murmur. Instead God has commanded us to praise and thank Him in all situations even those that are unpleasant. That is why He has given us the Holy Spirit to strengthen and enable us to remember to praise Him during the hard as well as the easy times.” (Review the key elements in the lesson to show that Paul and Silas reacted to difficult situations with the power of the Holy Spirit.) “In this lesson we saw the Paul and Silas were filled the Holy Spirit. Look at the reactions they had to difficult situations: (harassed by demon filled girl—cast out the evil spirit and healed her; beaten and imprisoned—they say songs of praise at midnight; earthquake broke chains—did not run off but stayed and kept the jailer from killing himself and told him about the gospel). We took can have a positive witness for Christ when we react to difficult situations with the power of the Holy Spirit.” “What are some reasons we can praise God? (He has forgiven our sins. He has given us eternal life. He has promised to always be with us. He promises to meet our needs. He forgives our sins. He loves us no matter how others treat us. He knows what is best for us. He will not give us more than we can endure.)

Group Learning Game Activity: “Actions vs. Reactions” Discussion (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need to print a copy of the Actions template below. Say: “What would happen if I pushed a person really hard? Would the person move? Why? What if I inflated a balloon too much, would it pop? Why? For every action, there is a reaction. Sometimes the reactions are natural and usually cannot be avoided, like a tree moving in the wind. Sometimes we can choose the reaction. For example, if someone does something wrong to us, we can choose if we get angry or not. Let’s discover some other reactions.” Procedure: Guide the children to discuss each of the “Actions” on the template. Say: “How do we react when things happen to us? What do our actions say to people around us? Do our reactions ever get us in trouble? Why?” (Review the Bible Lesson emphasizing the actions/ reactions)

When Paul and Silas were followed by the girl with the demon, how did they react or respond when she constantly harassed them? (They did not pay back evil for evil. They instead turned and healed her from the demon that was possessing her. They returned good for evil.)

When the girl’s owners saw that she was no longer able to tell people’s fortunes and make them money, how did they react? (They were angry and repaid evil for good by seizing Paul and Silas and causing a mob riot against them. They told lies about Paul and Silas to the legal authorities.)

When Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and put in prison, what was their reaction to a difficult situation? (They were not angry or rebelling against God. Instead they began a praise and prayer

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service right in the cell. Even though they were facing death, the men were trusting in God’s divine plan and power.)

When the earthquake occurred, and the chains fell of the prisoners and the doors of the prison were opened, what reaction did the jailer have? (The jailer thought the situation was hopeless and he started to kill himself by a sword.)

When Paul called out to the jailer and told him that they were all there, what reaction did the jailer have? (The jailer fell down at Paul and Silas’ feet trembling because he recognized that the power of their God was greater than any he had ever encountered.)

What was Paul and Silas’ reaction when the earthquake occurred and their chains were broken? (They did not run away but were willing to stay and lead the jailer to the Lord.)

What reaction did the jailer’s family have when they heard the good news of the gospel and the miracle of the prison earthquake? (They believed and were baptized.)

What reaction did the jailer and his family have to show that they had a changed heart? (They demonstrated their faith in God by washing Paul and Silas’ wounds and giving them a meal in their home.)

“How did Paul and Silas react to the situations around them? (They responded in a way that showed they were controlled by the Holy Spirit.) What did their actions tell people about Jesus? (Their reactions showed the power of God to change lives.) What do our actions say about what we believe regarding Jesus? God wants us to tell people about Jesus. Our actions can tell people a lot about our beliefs about Jesus. Let’s ask God to help us have positive actions.” Conclude with prayer for asking God to help us control our reactions so we will have a positive testimony for Christ.

Group Learning Activity: “Seismograph” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need a cardboard box, a box cutter, scissors, string, plastic cup, felt-tip marker, tape, filler such as rocks, marbles, bolts, or dried beans, and paper. Print the “Earthquake Information” sheet below. The teacher should make a seismograph before the session as a sample using the following directions:

1. Cut the flaps off one end of the box. 2. Puncture two holes about 2 inches apart in the top panel.

Cut a 4 ½ inch opening across the lower back of the box. 3. Puncture one hole in the bottom of the cup and two parallel

holes in top of cup. Push marker through the hole in the bottom of the cup. Wrap the hole with tape so the marker stays in place. Cut length of string to thread through the rim holes in cup and box allowing marker point to touch bottom of cup. (This will vary according to box size.)

4. Fill the cup ¾ full of rocks, marbles, bolts, or dried beans. Thread string through cup and holes in box. The string length should be even on both sides of the cup. The marker point should barely touch the bottom of the box. Leave room for paper to go between the marker and the box. Tie the ends of string on top of the box.) Cut recycled copy paper into halves (lengthwise) and place through opening in back of the box. Remove cap from marker.

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Say: “Paul and Silas told the about Jesus. They even told the people in prison with them about Jesus. What happened the night the chains fell off Paul and Silas? (God caused an earthquake to destroy the jail, open the jail doors, and the chains to fall off Paul and Silas.) An earthquake shook the land. All of the stocks or wooden frames holding Paul and Silas’ arms and feet fell off and the doors in the prison opened. This was a special miracle that God caused to free Paul and Silas. God used them to tell the jailer and his family about salvation. Earthquakes also happen today.” Procedure: Display and read aloud the “Earthquake Information” sheet. Say “Does anyone know what is used to measure earthquakes?” (Encourage response.) “A seismograph is used to measure earthquakes. Let’s make a seismograph and measure our movement.” Lead the students to make the seismograph. Invite the students to stomp on the floor beside or shake the table holding the seismograph as you pull the paper through the box. Let groups take turns making movement by the seismograph. Compare the groups’ marker lines. The longer the lines are, the stronger the earthquakes. Earthquakes can be minor and do little damage or they can be extreme and cause a lot of damage. Say: “What happened because of the earthquake in this lesson? (The chains on Paul and Silas were loosened and fell off. The doors to the prison were opened.) How did Paul and Silas show they trusted God during difficult times? (They worshipped God and sang songs of praise.) Some of us may never experience the things Paul and Silas experienced but we will all have difficult times. We can trust God during difficult times.” Say: “What can we learn from Paul and Silas? Do you think Paul and Silas were scared? If you were in a difficult situation, so you think you would praise and worship God? What if you were put in jail for what you believe about Jesus? Would you be afraid then?” “What situations can you think of that would be fearful? How could God help you in these situations? Talk about the Bible story as students make the movements. Emphasize that God used the earthquake as a way to tell the jailer and his family about salvation. Have students recite the memory verse Acts 16:31 and tell what it means to believe on Jesus Christ. (To believe on Jesus means to trust that when He was crucified on the cross, He took the full punishment for your sins.) Conclude activity with prayer for people who need to hear about Jesus and His plan of salvation. Pray for courage to trust God during difficult times.

Group Learning Activity: “Who is Jesus?” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Each student will need a pencil and Bible and their spiritual notebook. Say: “We learned we can tell people about Jesus. First we need to know things about Jesus. Let’s say what we know about Jesus. Today we are going to locate and read some important scriptures that tell us important facts about who Jesus is. We can use these facts to tell others about Jesus.” Procedure: Have students locate the following scriptures and then summarize the facts presented. Key concepts are highlighted. Students can then write the facts in their spiritual journals.

1 John 5:20 “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” Jesus is God’s Son Jesus is the clear picture of God. Jesus is the God-man, fully God and fully human at the same time. Through faith in Him He has given us eternal life and the power to do His will.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus loves all the people in the world. Believing

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is more than intellectual agreement. It is putting Christ in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny. Believing is trusting his words as reliable, and relying on Him for the power to change.

Matthew 12:15 “Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.” Jesus healed people. Jesus healed many people during his earthly ministry. These miracles were proof of Who He was. He demonstrated that He was the Son of God and had power over all disease. His healing was instantaneous and complete.

1 Corinthians 15:2-4 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” Jesus died on a cross and is alive. Paul outlines the core issues of the gospel. Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. He died on the cross for our sins. He rose again victorious over death. These key elements are the basic tenants of the gospel and must be believed to be saved.

John 18:20 ““I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.” Jesus read the Bible. Jesus not only knew the scripture He was the Author of scripture. He clearly taught the Old Testament scripture in the synagogues and proclaimed that He was the fulfillment of those prophecies.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus loves you. No greater love has a man than to lay down his life for his friends. That is what Christ did for us. He was the perfect holy Lamb of God who willing gave His life and take the punishment for our sins so that we might be free from condemnation.

Conclude with prayer for God’s guidance in sharing the facts of Jesus with others.

Group Learning Activity: “Bondage” (Grades K-5) Purpose: To explain the bondage of sin, understand the events of the Paul and Silas in prison, and to discuss the power of God and the gospel. Preparation: You will need a thick chain approximately two feet long. You can also make paper towel hand cuffs to put on children. How to make paper towel hand cuffs: Cut a cardboard paper towel roll into 2” sections. Cut the sections vertically to make cuff. Use a hole puncher to make a hole in each cuff. Thread an 24” piece of brown twine through the holes and attach the two hand cuffs together. The hand cuffs will easily slide over the wrists of the children while they are in prison and will come off during the “earthquake.” Procedure: Show the thick chain to the class. Say: “What do we use chains for? (Answers will vary; told hold items down; to keep things from moving; to make things heavy; etc.) In this lesson we are going to see how people can be in chains or bondage three different ways.” Bondage #1: Chains of a Demon Say: “Paul and the other men went to prayer. Where would that have been? (the river) While they were traveling, a slave girl followed them. This was not a normal slave girl. This girl was possessed by a demon which allowed her to tell futures and she made a lot of money for her masters. (Hold up the chains.) The girl was in bondage to this demon. She could not free herself. “ “For days, this slave girl would follow Paul around and yell out, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They tell about salvation!” Was the girl telling the truth? (Yes) Paul became irritated with her. Why would he get frustrated with her? (She was harassing and making fun of Paul’s message about God.) Paul knew there was an evil spirit in her. Demons know the Truth about Jesus and they try to confuse people about the Truth. If someone, who had a demon, was declaring the Truth about Jesus, then

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people would not need to listen to Paul. This would cause confusion. Therefore, Paul told the spirit to leave the girl. The girl was freed from the bondage of a demon.”

Bondage #2 Physical chains of Prison Say: “After Paul cast out the demon, the girl was no longer in bondage! But her masters recognized that the girl would no longer make money for them. They seized Paul and Silas, drug them to the marketplace, created a mob of angry people, and commanded them to be beaten. Once Paul and Silas had been beaten, they were placed in jail in the stocks. And they probably wore chains similar to these. (Hold up the chains.)”

Paul and Silas were in physical bondage. They were held down. They did not have freedom. At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing and the other prisoners were listening to them. There were probably some jailors there as well. Music is a wonderful way to declare the glory of God and encourage people. Then the earthquake hit. The foundation of the prison was shaken and the doors flew open and all of the chains of the prisoners fell off!”

Bondage #3 Spiritual Bondage of the Jailer Say: “The jailer of the Prison ran into the jail and was ready to fall on his sword because he knew that if prisoners escaped, then he would be killed by his superiors. Paul told him to stop and that all of the prisoners were still there. The jailor asked for a light and saw the Truth. He fell at the feet of Paul and Silas and asked what he needed to do to be saved. “ The Keeper of the Jail, who kept prisoners in chains, knew that his soul was in chains, in spiritual bondage. (Hold up the chain.) Paul told the man to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved, he and his household. And the man did. Paul and Silas preached the gospel to the man’s family. The jailor washed Paul and Silas’ wounds from the beating and then the man and his family were baptized. They were free from the bondage of sin.” Learning Game Activity: “Bible Book Limbo” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need Bibles, large sheet of paper, markers, tape, and a broomstick. Print the names of the New Testament history and letters on a large sheet of paper (Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude.) Tape the paper to the wall so it is visible to the group. Procedure: Students read the names of the books of the Bible written on the paper. Say: “What is the name of the division of the Bible that only Acts is in? (History) What are the other books in the New Testament called? (Gospels, Letters, and Prophecy) The Gospels tell about the life and ministry of Christ. The Letters were the books that the apostles wrote to churches and other early church leaders and tell about the meaning of the gospel and how to live the Christian life. Revelation the book of prophecy tells about the return of Christ to earth. All of these books tell us about God’s love and power. How did God show His power in our lesson today? Have a student from the class help the leader hold a broomstick. Students will line up near the broomstick. As you play background music, the first student in line moves under the stick as in the game of Limbo, and says, “Acts” and goes to the end of the line. Second student then takes a turn to go under the stick and says “Romans.” Continue through the line with each student saying the name of the next book. When all the books have been named in order, lower the stick and challenge the students to do the Limbo again. Continue as time permits, lowering the stick each time.

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Optional: Instead of playing this Limbo game, students can say the book names while jumping rope or jumping over a stack of books (add a book to the pile each round.)

Craft Learning Activity: “Cup Shakers” (Grades K-2) Preparation: You will need shaker items, bowls, spoons, paper cups, foam shapes or markers, and masking tape. Place some shaker items such as dried beans, rice, jingle bells, etc. into separate bowls. Place a spoon in each bowl. Say: “In our Bible story, two men, Paul and Silas, sang songs when they were put in jail for something they didn’t do. Other people heard about Jesus because of the songs they sang. Let’s make shakers to use when we sing about Jesus!” Procedure: Have students use foam shapes to decorate Styrofoam cups. You can also use markers to decorate cups. Children can spoon the shaker items into one of their cups. Assist children in taping a second cup on top of the first cup. Have children use the shakers to accompany CD or DVD music.

Craft Learning Activity: “Jesus Books” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need scissors, 3 blank white sheets of copy paper or construction paper, markers and crayons, stapler, and glue sticks. Print one copy of the “Jesus Book” per child. The teacher may wish to fold and staple the pages of the book into the covers before the session. Say: “In this lesson we learned that we can tell people about Jesus. Paul and Silas were very bold to preach in the city of Philippi. Before we can tell people about Jesus we need to know some basic things about Him. Today we are going to make a book of facts about Jesus. We can use this book to help us remember what information we can share about Jesus with others.” Procedure: Fold the Jesus picture in half to make the front and back of the book. Fold the three papers in half to fit inside the cover. Staple down the center fold to hold the pages together. Cut apart the facts. Glue each one to a different page in the book. Assist students in assembling their books. Suggest that students illustrate some of the facts. Say: “Paul and Silas told the Philippian jailer about Jesus. We can use our books to tell people about Jesus. From what book do we learn about Jesus? The Bible tells us about Jesus. Tell someone this week about Jesus.” Conclude with prayer for people who do not know Jesus as their Savior.

Craft Learning Activity: “Behind Bars” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need strips of cloth 1 yard long and stones. You will also need drawing paper, crayons or markers, ½” strips of black or brown construction paper, and glue. Procedure: Divide the children into pairs. Ask them to sit on the floor and tie their ankles together. Place a stone just beyond their reach. Say: “You are in prison. The stone is the key to your cell. If you can reach it, you can escape. Your legs are in stocks. This means that you cannot bend them or stand up.” Let the children try to find a way to get the key. Then untie the children. Say: “How did you feel when you were tied up and unable to move? What would it be like if you had been beaten and then tied up? In this lesson Paul and Silas were beaten and put in prison. Their feet were put

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into stocks, and they were unable to move. After all that they were still able to sing praises and worship God.” Procedure: Ask the children to draw a picture of a place they would like to go. When they have finished, admire the pictures. Then ask them to glue bars of black or brown construction paper strips over the picture like the bars of prison. Say: “When do the bars do to the picture? (Spoil it. It is not nice to look at.) What do you think about looking at the picture through bars? How would you like to be inside a prison and have to see the world through bars? In this lesson Paul and Silas were put into prison even though they had done anything wrong. In spite of their circumstances they still praised and worshipped God. Remember that we can worship and praise God no matter what happens to us,

Craft Learning Activity: “Prayer Chains” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need 11"x1" strips of paper to make a long paper chain. You will also need 12"x2" construction paper strips. You can also make the chains out of TYVEK plastic paper...the kind that won't tear. Cut up a tyvek shipping envelope into strips. Write on them with sharpies. Procedure: Students are to write prayers on the strips of paper. Older students can write their own prayers. Younger students can use pre-printed ones with blanks that said "Dear God, ______ needs our prayers because _____." Glue the prayers to the construction paper strips. They can be decorated also. Hook the ends of the strips together to make a paper chain. Encourage students to make prayer requests and add to a big chain that is left in the classroom from week to week. Two ways the prayer chain would be symbolic of your lesson are (1) the chains Paul wore in prison and (2) the way prayer connects us to each other and God. You could use 4 different colors of paper for the 4 types of prayer, also known as THE A.C.T.S. prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Students can write a prayer for one of each of these types of prayer. Say: “This lesson is about a time when Paul and Silas prayed and praised God while they were in prison.” Today we’re going to talk about 4 different kinds of prayers. It is always OK to talk to God and ask for help and say little one-sentence, or even one-word, prayers throughout your day. When you pray at church, before going to bed or in the morning or whenever you want to say a prayer to God, you can practice using the 4 parts.” It’s called an “ACTS” prayer:

A- Adoration (telling God how wonderful He is!) C – Confession (telling God we’re sorry for the things we do wrong) T – Thanksgiving (telling God thank you for things) S – Supplication or "send help" (asking God for help for someone else or yourself) At the end of a prayer we say what? Amen! It means “So be it!”

Tell them that God always answers our prayers! Sometimes the answer is not what we expect or want! God answers our prayers in different ways. God answers either: Yes! No! Wait, not yet! Or I have a better way!

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Life Application Challenge: “Rejoice Always” Procedure: Read Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Emphasize to the students that God wants us to always rejoice in Him, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. Say: “After everything I say, I want you to say: Rejoice!

When you have a great supper, you can…Students: Rejoice! When the dog eats your supper, you can…Students: Rejoice! When, because the dog at your supper, you had to eat a Big Mac at McDonalds, you can…Students: Rejoice! When you loose everything you own, you can…Students: Rejoice! When your mom picks her nose and your friends all see her, you can…Students: Rejoice! When someone steals from you, you can…Students: Rejoice! When a tornado is heading for your house, you can…Students: Rejoice! When you get an A on a test, you can…Students: Rejoice! When you’re watching TV, you can…Students: Rejoice! When you’re TV blows-up because you watched it too much, you can…Students: Rejoice!

Every moment of everyday, you can…Students: Rejoice! SAY: You can always rejoice because if you’ve given your life to Christ, God will never leave you.”

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Paul and Silas in Prison

Acts 16:31 “They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—

you and your household.”

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A Drama Workshop Script: Paul and Silas in Prison

Begin Act I Setting: Silas is on one side of the room, sitting at a desk, writing. On the other side of the room stands a

woman who is a fortune teller (she pretends to be talking). A small group is sitting around her, listening intently to everything she has to say. Her master is standing nearby, watching very carefully.

List of characters: 1. Paul 2. Silas 3. Crowd (primary aged children) 4. Fortune Teller 5. Master Props: 1. Desk, paper, pencil 2. Several coins 3. Small, empty money bag 4. Large, full money bag Paul walks in, and begins speaking to Silas. Paul: Ah, my good friend Silas! (Silas looks up and greets Paul). Silas: Hello Paul! I was just writing down some of my thoughts about our trip so far. God has been so

wonderful to us on this journey! Paul: Yes, indeed He has! And we must thank Him for that, in our prayers. In fact, it is time for us to go to

the place of prayer right now. Are you ready? Silas: I sure am! (Silas closes his book, and stands up. Paul and Silas “travel” toward the fortune teller

together.) Fortune Teller: …and so I predict that this time tomorrow we will have a large rain storm! ByStander: (impressed) Ohhhh… Camilla, you always know what is going to happen next! Here are 10

coins, to thank you for my good fortune. Camilla puts one coin in her bag, and gives 9 others to her master. Her bag is small, and sounds empty

when she puts in the coin. The master has a large coin bag which makes lots of noise. The master laughs heartily, almost sinisterly.

Paul and Silas walk past the crowd, but they do not say anything. Suddenly, the fortune teller looks

directly at the men, points and says: Fortune Teller: These men are servants of the Most High God. They will tell you the way to be saved. Paul: Camilla, it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved. (Acts 15:11) (Paul and Silas

start to walk away. The Fortune Teller follows them). Fortune Teller: (addresses the crowd) Listen to these men… They are servants of the Most High God.

They will tell you the way to be saved. Silas: Camilla, every day we tell you: Salvation is found in no one else than in Jesus Christ; there is no

other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

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Master: (speaks angrily) Go on! Pay the woman for her fortune! What she says is true! (Paul and Silas turn their backs and walk away. Fortune Teller still follows them).

Fortune Teller: (anxiously looks around) These men are servants of the Most High God. They will tell you

the way to be saved. Silas: (speaking to the master) You should be ashamed of yourself! This woman makes a lot of money,

but it is all for you! You do not take good care of her. You would be a poor man if she did not have this evil spirit within her!

Paul: (exasperated) In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her! (immediately the

fortune teller faints. Her master becomes angry and points at Paul and Silas) Master: Why you miserable, no good for nothing… I’ll get you for this! Arrest those men! (Crowd grabs a hold of Peter and Silas.). End of Act I Begin Act II Setting: Silas and Paul sit on the floor of the jail. Their feet are bound with chains. They are bandaged up,

obviously hurt. A Roman Soldier is talking to the jailor nearby. List of characters: 1. Paul 2. Silas 3. Roman Soldier 4. Jailor Props: 1. Jailhouse 2. Bandages and wraps for Paul & Silas 3. Chains for their feet 4. Boxes around, to make the earthquake 5. Sword Roman Soldier: … and be extra careful to guard those two new prisoners, Paul and Silas. If they get

away – then you will be executed in their place! Understand? Jailor: (does not speak. Nods head “yes,” and looks very scared.) Roman Soldier: This will show those people from Jerusalem… they come here all high and mighty… think

they can turn our city upside down with their unlawful customs and practices. Thank goodness we Romans are a civilized society!

(Roman soldier and jailor walk away. Paul and Silas begin to moan and rub their wounds). Silas: They beat us and flogged us badly. My entire body hurts. Everywhere! (makes a point to rub the

chains on his feet and hands). Do you suppose Jesus suffered this much when he was crucified? Paul: Yes (thoughtfully). This badly and even more. (Lowers his head) Silas: This is a very bad situation for us, but I know that God is still watching over us. I wish I could think

of some way to make myself feel better right now. Paul begins to sing _______. Silas and the audience join him. Immediately after the song is finished, Paul

and Silas bow their heads to pray silently.

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After about 15 seconds, the Primary aged children begin to stomp their feet. Softer than louder. Paul and Silas look around, surprised, trying to figure out what is happening.

Primary aged children go up and tear down the boxes (the walls of the jail falling down). As they do this,

Paul and Silas slip off their chains. They stand up, showing that they are obviously unbound. The lights are turned off.

The jailor enters with a sword. He falls to his knees. Jailor: Oh, woe is me! All of the prisoners have surely escaped! My life is worth nothing now. (Draws his

sword toward his stomach to kill himself) Paul: Don't harm yourself! We are all here! Jailor: What? You’re still here? (shouts off stage): Quickly! Turn up the lights! (lights come on) Jailor: (looking at Paul with amazement. Trembling he holds on to Paul and Silas and asks: Sirs, what

must I do to be saved? Silas: Believe in the Lord Jesus… Paul: … and you will be saved—you and your household. Paul, Silas and the jailor kneel together, bow heads in prayer. End Act II Begin Epilogue Reader #1: The jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were

baptized. Reader #2: The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy

because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family. Reader #3: In the morning, the Roman officials sent soldiers to the jailer with the order: "Release those

men." The jailer was glad, and he told Paul. Jailor: Now you can leave. Go in peace! Reader #3 But Paul replied, Paul: No, we will not go quietly. We are Roman citizens… These men beat us, and it is illegal to whip a

Roman citizen! These men did not give us a trial, like a Roman citizen should have. No… if they want us to leave, let them come here themselves and escort us out.

Reader #4: The Roman officials were very worried when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman

citizens. Immediately they went to the jailer’s house and apologized. They personally escorted Paul and Silas out of the city.

Reader #5: Paul and Silas went to Lydia’s house. They met with other Christians, and told them

everything that had happened. This story encouraged their Christian friends because they knew that God had worked for the good of those who love Him. Romans 8:28

End Epilogue

Unit 7: Paul the Apostle NT7.8 Paul and Silas in Prison€¦ · They didn’t know a miracle was about to happen! Suddenly there was a massive earthquake and the prison was shaken

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