Beaten and Jailed for the Gospel
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- Sep 18
- 3 min read
Rev. Charles Oppong-Poku | September 18 2025 | Acts 16:22-34
KEY VERSE: “. . . . After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.” Acts 16:22-24. (NIV)
MESSAGE:
Some who preach have misled believers into thinking that if they do the right things, then God will never allow difficulty and pain to touch them. Jesus is the most obvious example that this dangerous teaching is untrue. He lived God's will fully, yet many rejected, reviled, and then abused and crucified him. Paul and Silas are clear examples that prosperity and protection do not necessarily come to us because we are good and do the right things. Paul and Silas discovered that proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ could bring hostility instead of honour. They were beaten, humiliated, and locked in the inner cell of a Philippian prison. Yet their suffering was not a sign of failure but of faithfulness. Their story reminds us that following Jesus Christ may lead to pain, but God uses even our trials for His glory.
Let us glean some important lessons from the passage: 1. The gospel attracts opposition. The crowd’s hostility and the leaders’ injustice show how the world resists the truth of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself warned that His disciples would face persecution (John 15:20). To be beaten or opposed for the sake of the gospel is not strange - it is part of sharing in Christ’s sufferings. 2. Faithfulness may lead to unjust suffering. Paul and Silas were punished not for wrongdoing, but for freeing a slave girl and proclaiming Jesus Christ. In the same way, believers today may face rejection, ridicule, or persecution simply for living faithfully. Yet suffering for righteousness is a badge of honour before God (1 Peter 3:14). 3. God’s mission continues, even through chains. Though Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed, the gospel was not bound. Their imprisonment set the stage for a greater miracle—the salvation of the Philippian jailer and his household (Acts 16:25–34). What seems like a setback can become God’s setup for His glory.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Being beaten and jailed for the gospel reminds us that the path of discipleship is costly, but Christ is worth it all. Opposition cannot silence God’s truth, and even in the darkest prison, His power is at work. Our wounds and chains can become testimonies of His grace and instruments for the spread of His Kingdom.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the example of Paul and Silas, who remained faithful even when they were beaten and jailed for Your name. Help me to stand firm when my faith is tested, to endure hardship without fear, and to see trials as opportunities for Your glory. For Your dear Name’s sake. Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 261: Isaiah 9–12 — A Child Is Born and Songs of Salvation
DAILY word study: STOCKS The word stocks in Acts 16:24 translates the Greek word ξυλον (xylon), which literally means “wood” or “wooden frame.”
In Roman prisons, stocks were heavy wooden beams with holes cut out to secure the prisoner’s feet, sometimes stretching them painfully. Paul and Silas were not only confined but deliberately humiliated and made to suffer. The detail of the stocks shows how harshly they were treated. Yet even in this painful restraint, they turned the prison into a place of prayer and praise.
Reflect on this:
Maybe you feel locked in today — by pain, opposition, or things you can’t change. Remember, even in those “stocks,” you can still pray and praise. And God’s presence will meet you there.
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