Champions of Truth - Champions of Falsehood: Part 2
Acts 16:24-40
Acts Series Part 32
By Dave Redick

What a great confidence to know that God is with you – that heaven is on our side! What a great weapon to wield against falsehood.  David had it when he fought the giant. Joshua had it when he took Jericho. Nehemiah had it when he built the wall. Moses had it when he marched into Pharaoh’s court. God supports promoters of truth when their hearts are aligned with Him. 

Introduction 

The absent minded professor strode into his freshman zoology class with a brown bag in his hand and a twinkle in his eye. His broad grin projected the delight he felt in knowing he was about to initiate his rather squeamish students in the methods of animal dissection. In his typical stilted English and professorial style he proudly announced, “For you I have brought, fresh from the pond, a frog, that we might together study its outer appearance and later dissect it.” With that he opened the bag and carefully unwrapped the contents. To his complete puzzlement, there was a ham on rye sandwich in the bag, but no frog. “That’s strange,” he said. “Quite distinctly do I remember eating my lunch.”  

While most of us appreciate the truth and desire it in our lives, perhaps in a case like the professor’s we might prefer that it not dawn on us so soon after lunch! 

I want to talk to you about truth in this message. More specifically I want to talk about promoting truth. You and I represent the message of God to people around us. It is important that we do it wisely. Pay attention to the things I’m about to say. I believe they will help you be wise.  

In last week’s message I brought you the first of a two part sermon called Champions of Truth – Champions of Falsehood, based on the sixteenth chapter of Acts. In it was the first half of a contrast between the ways people who promote falsehood do business as compared to the ways of those promoting truth. I called each a “champion” because that is what champions do: they advance or defend a cause. Representing the champions of falsehood in the first sermon were two owners of a demon possessed slave girl who told fortunes.

To get us back up to speed, please join me in Acts 16:16-23 while I reread the verses we dealt with last time.   

16 And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." 18 And she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans." 22 And the crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them, and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;  

From inferences in these verses I pointed out five ways the champions of falsehood (represented by the masters of the slave girl) promote their cause. 

I suggested to you that: 

 In this message I want to continue the contrast between the champions of falsehood and the champions of truth, looking this time at the truth guys, represented by Paul and Silas who are, as we pick up the story, a couple of very bruised, very lacerated men, locked by their feet in wooden stocks, in a dark Philippian dungeon.

24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.  

The “inner prison” mentioned here is significant. In a typical Roman jail there were three distinct sections: (1) the Communiora, a room where prisoners had light and fresh air; (2) the Interiora, a room where the prisoners were restrained by iron gates, bars, and locks, and (3) the Tullianium, or dungeon, where there was little light or fresh air. Often this third area was underground. Apparently this is where the jailer secured Paul and Silas that night, taking extra care to eliminate the possibility of their escape. I can see them in my imagination being roughly shoved into the dark, damp, stale smelling dungeon, then forcibly locked into the confines of the stocks. This was no modern, air conditioned cell with cable TV and magazine subscriptions! 

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

Let me ask you a question: How can you champion the cause of Christ in a place like that? It would seem that their effectiveness would now be muzzled, at least temporarily. But if you think that, you don’t understand how the truth works. These guys were just getting under way! 

That is the nature of truth. You cannot lock it up. You cannot hold it in chains. You may suppress it for a time, but wherever there are people and the possibility of communication, the truth moves freely about. 

Question: What do you do when you are a preacher who can’t see because it is dark, you can’t walk because your feet are locked in stocks, and you can’t preach to the multitudes because you’re in jail? Answer: You pray and rejoice! What else would a champion of truth do?  You sing hymns of praise to God! Sound strange and ineffective? Yes – if you’re thinking the way the champions of falsehood think, it certainly is. It’s about like fighting giants with a slingshot. Look just beyond Paul and Silas there in the darkness. Who is there? The prisoners are listening! It was probably the first hymns of praise to God those prisoners ever heard. It was probably the first singing the walls of this old dungeon had ever witnessed, too! 

A very important characteristic of those who champion truth is: 

1. They Realize the Strength of Witnessing while Suffering.

 Your presence in church today is a testimony for Christ, for sure. But it probably doesn’t impress your non-believing neighbors or classmates or friends. They see people all around them going to church on Sunday. Many of those they see don’t live out the demands of their faith on other occasions, so they aren’t impressed in the least. In many situations, it’s easy to go to church. There’s nothing impressive about it. But when you’re suffering in the hospital bed next to your skeptical neighbor, yet are praising God and rejoicing in the midst of your hurting, that gets attention. When you’re going through a sudden financial reversal, a serious illness, an unwanted divorce, the rebellion of children, and all the way through it, rather than exhibiting bitterness, you display a joyous confidence in God, that’s something that gets attention. I dare say that many, if not most, of your neighbors have never seen anything like it. 

I’m not suggesting that you or I look for ways to suffer – but when we do have to suffer, we need to see it as an opportunity, not a hindrance. That was the mind set of Paul and Silas, as we are about to see. 

Have you ever wondered why the times of the church’s greatest suffering have also been the times of the church’s greatest growth? It’s because the best chance to witness powerfully is often when suffering begins. 

Don’t think that if events in your life take a downturn, you’re suddenly on the sideline of the battle. The truth is you may have just been thrust into the center of the battle. The opportunity to promote truth may be just getting started.                    

Remember, I told you that the characteristics and methods of the champions of truth were different from those of the champions of falsehood.  

Paul and Silas, rough-handled, locked in stocks in a dark, foul-smelling dungeon, were singing praise to God in the middle of the night and the prisoners were listening. What was God doing in all this? Where was He? (Don’t we ask that question when things don’t seem to be going well for us?  

26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains were unfastened.  

If it weren’t for the phrase, “All the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened,” we might get the idea that this earthquake was a handy coincidence. But clearly, that was not the case. God was in this earthquake. 

This passage reminds me of a similar one we saw back in Acts 4:31. There Peter and John had healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate. The Sanhedrin arrested them and sternly warned them about preaching Jesus. Their response was, “Sorry, we can’t stop preaching.” The council further threatened them then released them. They returned to their companions and were praying when suddenly the whole place began to shake – an earthquake! It was an affirmation of God’s presence then just as it was here in Acts 16. 

That brings up another characteristic of those who champion truth:  

2. They Know that Heaven Supports them in their Cause. 

Years ago a military officer and his wife were aboard a ship that was caught in a raging ocean storm. Seeing the frantic look in her eyes, the man tried unsuccessfully to calm her fears. Suddenly she grasped his sleeve and cried, “How can you be so calm?” He stepped back a few feet and drew his sword. Pointing it right at her heart, he said, “Are you afraid of this?” Without hesitation she answered, “Of course not!” “Why not?” he inquired. “Because it’s in your hand, and I know you love me.” To this he replied, “I know the One who holds the winds and the waters in the hollow of His hand, and He will surely take care for us!” He knew that heaven was on his side! 

Paul and Silas knew the One who held the wind and water and elements in His hand, and indeed, the one who held the earthquakes, too!  

What a great confidence to know that God is with you – that heaven is on our side! What a great weapon to wield against falsehood.  David had it when he fought the giant. Joshua had it when he took Jericho. Nehemiah had it when he built the wall. Moses had it when he marched into Pharaoh’s court. God supports promoters of truth when their hearts are aligned with Him. 

2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” 

Let’s move on. It’s the middle of the night. There’s been an earthquake. All the prisoners are loose from their bonds.  

27 And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 

Jailers in that day were held accountable for the prisoners under their charge. If they allowed an escape, they had failed. If they were under military rule, it brought the death penalty. It was also considered an honorable thing to do among the Romans and Greeks, for a man to commit suicide when he was surrounded with dangers he could not escape or he failed in his responsibility. That was the case with this jailer. It appeared the prisoners had escaped, so he pulled out his sword to do what seemed to be his only good option.

After the rough treatment they received the evening before, we might expect men in Paul and Silas’ position to think, “Well, it serves him right! What goes around comes around! Let him kill himself. We don’t care after the way he treated us!” But notice what they did. 

28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!" 

Paul and Silas didn’t want to see this man go out into a Christless eternity. That brings us to another characteristic of the champions of truth: 

3. They are Genuinely Concerned for People’s Souls. 

The natural thing to do would have been to allow the jailer to kill himself, then attempt an escape along with the other prisoners. Who would fault them for that? They could even say that it was God’s will because of the earthquake. But they didn’t cut and run. They stayed.  

The Associated Press carried an article in January of 1991 about an instructor from a dog training workshop in Salt Lake City. The trainer noted that a dog’s disposition can be tested by its owner. If the owner will fall down and pretend to be hurt, a dog with a bad temper will tend to bite him. A good dog will show concern, and may lick the fallen owner’s face. Susan Matice attended the class and then decided to test her two dogs. While eating pizza in her living room, she stood up, clutched her heart, screamed and fell to the floor. Her two dogs looked at her, and then they looked at each other, and then they raced to the coffee table and gobbled up her pizza![1]   

The champions of falsehood are like those dogs, taking advantage of any opportunity that promises to benefit them. For such people as that compassion is out of style. Hang the person in need. They don’t care about him. Like looters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this is their big chance! But the champions of truth are different. They are genuinely concerned for the souls of people, often at the expense of their own opportunities. 

Abraham Lincoln once said, “I am sorry for the man who can’t feel the whip when it is laid on the other man’s back.” A champion of truth can feel the whip on another’s back. He especially feels for the person who is lost. 

Some of you are here today because someone cared that way about you. That person went out of his or her way, perhaps at some expense, to see that you heard the gospel. Champions of truth are genuinely concerned for lost people.

I suspect that there is a little more to our story here in Acts than what Luke has recorded. I say that because of the seemingly sudden response of the jailer to all this. Having heard the words of Paul telling him not to harm himself,  

29 …he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"  

How did the Jailer know enough to ask what to do to be saved? There are several possibilities. It could be that he had heard Paul and Silas preaching the day before and, with the miracle of the earthquake, suddenly realized that their message was true. It is also possible that there was some instruction given between the events described in verse 29 and 30. If so, it might have gone something like this: The jailer rushed in and fell down before Paul and Silas, impressed by the miracle and knowing that in some way they had something to do with it. Paul took the opportunity to relate the earthquake to the power of God, and then proceeded to preach Jesus to him. The Jailer, recognizing the truth of the message, brought them out of the dungeon and, once they were clear of it, asked the question: “What must I do to be saved?

 However it was that it happened, Paul was only too happy to share more of the gospel with the man. 

31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household." 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.  

There is another characteristic of the champions of truth in these verses. 

4. They Teach People the Ultimate Truth: What to do to be saved. 

 Over the years, much has been made of the answer Paul and Silas gave the jailer to his question. Some have said that verse 31 proves the “faith only” doctrine – i.e., the teaching that says all you have to do to be saved is believe. But let me challenge that. In the wake of verse 31, there is verse 32. Verse 32 states that Paul said some additional things in response to the jailer’s question about salvation. “And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.” As a result of that further instruction, the man was baptized. 

Over in Mark 16:16, Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” It is alleged by some that here Paul said only “believe” and left off the baptism, indicating that all you need to do is believe, but did he? I don’t think so – for two reasons: (1) According to verse 32, he spoke more to the jailer than what he said in verse 31 and (2) The man was baptized immediately. Obviously Paul taught him of the necessity of baptism or he would not have complied so quickly. 

There are many sincere believers around us today who have been told that once they believe in Jesus, they are saved, that there is nothing else involved. Yet we have seen over and over in Acts that those who came to the point of belief in Jesus repented and were immediately baptized to have their sins forgiven. The issue raised by the jailer here, “What must I do to be saved?” is the most important issue raised by the Bible. The answer to the question is the most important answer in the Bible. It is important that it be answered correctly. It is important that we teach it just as the Bible teaches it. 

Think back over what we’ve seen in Acts. The believers on Pentecost were told to “repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.” The Samaritans taught by Philip believed and were baptized. Simon in Acts 8 believed and was baptized. The eunuch was baptized immediately upon his belief. Saul of Tarsus, once he believed, was told to “arise and be baptized and wash away” his sins. Cornelius and his household, upon evidence of their faith were ordered by Peter to be baptized immediately. After the Lord opened Lydia’s heart to believe, she and her household were immediately baptized.  And now we see the same thing with this jailer. 

The modern “faith only” doctrine that excludes baptism is an error that needs to be corrected. Champions of truth today will be concerned that they give the right answer to the question: “What must I do to be saved?” 

Let’s finish the chapter... 

35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men." 

Why the sudden change of heart with these magistrates who had, just the night before, cruelly ordered them locked up?  

Paul and Silas had been accused, beaten, and jailed without a trial or hearing. But it went even further than that. 

36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Now therefore, come out and go in peace." 37 But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out." 

The point here is that the authorities had broken Roman law by arresting Paul and Silas and mistreating them without due process. That issue became even more serious when it was learned that Paul and Silas were true Roman citizens and as such were guaranteed such due process. The magistrates had broken the law. If this became known to anyone in authority, the magistrates would lose their authority to rule and would face stiff penalties. 

38 And the policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. And they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. 40 And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.  

Apparently Paul and Silas dropped the charges, but not before using the situation to put a bit of fear into the magistrates – a wise step that would probably work in favor of the fledgling church in Philippi and prevent this sort of thing from happening quite so easily again. 

We see here in the actions of Paul and Silas another characteristic of the champions of truth: 

5. They Know When to Assert their Rights and When to Forego Them. 

Paul and Silas asserting their rights for the good of the gospel and it’s continued preaching. Yet, in several other places we find them foregoing their rights. For instance, in the first verses of this chapter, we saw Paul circumcise Timothy, even though circumcision was unnecessary under the New Testament, the fact that was established in Acts 15. Why did Timothy submit to something he didn’t have to do? He did it so it wouldn’t be a hindrance when they preached among the Jews in those parts. Timothy had a right to forego circumcision, but he set aside that right for the sake of the gospel. Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 6:7 that, rather than take your Christian brother to court before unbelievers (and bring reproach on the cause of Christ), it was better to forego your rights and be wronged. “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?” he said. 

Asserting rights – foregoing rights – which is it to be? Champions of truth are concerned about this issue. The governing principle behind their decision is the furtherance of the gospel. It was the best thing for the gospel for Timothy to be circumcised, though it wasn’t required. It was the best thing for the gospel to demand their rights as citizens and put some fear into these magistrates at Philippi. 

What is the difference between those who promote falsehood and those who promote truth on this matter of rights? Those who promote falsehood have one thing in mind: themselves – their rights. If it will benefit them, then they will assert their rights accordingly. Those who really want to promote truth look at self secondarily. Their first concern, as with Paul and Silas here, is the advancement of the message. 

This could be an important point for us to understand in the near future. Are you listening? The Constitutional rights of Christians as citizens in the United States of America today are being increasingly challenged. It is important for us to understand when it is appropriate to stand and demand our rights (even in court if necessary) and when it is important for us to forego them. We must be able to determine this issue wisely. The appropriate answer in a situation like that will be determined by the thing that is our chief motivation - that is, whether we are promoting ourselves or the message of Christ. I believe that the trends happening today are going to force the Christian message further and further into the background if we are not wise and careful. Pay attention to lessons like this from the Bible. In times like these we need to know God’s mind on the subject. It can be seen and understood in passages like this. 

Conclusion 

It was a tragic mistake. On July 3, 1988, the navy cruiser USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner with 290 people aboard. All were lost. The ship’s captain mistakenly thought they were under attack by an F-14 Iranian fighter. 

Public opinion polls showed that most Americans opposed paying compensation to the victims’ families.  The cruel treatment of American hostages in Iran was still fresh in many minds. But then President Reagan approved compensation.  Asked by reporters if such payment would send the wrong signal, he replied, “I don’t ever find compassion a bad precedent.” 

For the champions of truth, compassion, like that extended to this ancient jailer, along with these other characteristics is not a bad precedent, either. 

Here are some things we can do about this sermon. We can: