Pietisten

Vol. VII, No. 4 Herald of Awakening and Spiritual Upbuilding Winter 1992

Waldenstrom's Commentary

Acts 16:25-34 and Waldenström's Commentary

translated by Tommy Carlson

Epistle Lesson for New Year’s Day

Dr. Paul Peter Waldenström based his comments on a Greek New Testament text which he translated into Swedish. Tommy Carlson has translated both the Biblical text and Waldenstrom' s comments from the Swedish text, Second Edition, 1892.

Verse 25 — — At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and praised God with song,1 while the prisoners listened to them. (Matthew 5:12 and Acts 4:31)

  1. “The leg does not feel anything when it is in the stock, when the heart is in heaven.” (Tertullian)

Verse 26 — But suddenly there was a strong earthquake so that the foundation of the prison shook, and immediately all the doors1 opened and everyone’s shackles2 came loose. (Acts 5:19, 12:7)

  1. All the doors all the way into the innermost room where Paul and Silas were confined.
  2. Not just Paul’s and Silas’ shackles but all the prisoners’.

Verse 27 — But the guard woke up from his sleep and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew a sword1 and planned to kill himself, believing that the prisoners had fled away.

  1. It was dangerous for a prison guard to allow prisoners to escape. See chapter 12:19.

Verse 28 — But Paul1 called with a loud voice saying: “Do not harm yourself because we are all here.2

  1. So sure that the guard’s desperate cry meant that the guard planned to kill himself.
  2. Not one had escaped, however easy it was for them to do so. The miracle that happened filled their hearts with such holy fear that they did not flee.

Verse 29 — He asked1 for a light2 and ran in and started trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas;

  1. He ran into his house and asked for one from his servants.
  2. The word in the original text says many, many lanterns were lit. The guard’s servants followed along (v. 32), each carrying their own lamp so they could thoroughly search the whole prison.

Verse 30 — and after he had led them out, he said: “Sirs, what must I do that I may be saved?"1 (Acts 2:37 and Luke 3:10)

  1. He had heard them preach before about salvation through Jesus, and now he asks them what he must do to win that salvation.

Verse 31 — — And they said: “Believe on the Lord Jesus1 and you shall be saved, you and your house."2 (Acts 2:38, 15:11; John 3:16f., 36, 20:31)

  1. About whom you have heard us preach.
  2. Believe and you shall be saved — that applies to both you and your household. No promise is implied in the apostles’ word that the jailer’s servants and others in his house would be saved through his faith.

Verse 32 — And they spoke the Lord's words to him and all the others who were in his house.1

  1. They had also followed him into the prison (v. 29).

Verse 33 — And he took them to himself this hour of the night and washed their wounds1 and he was presently baptised2 with everybody who belonged to him.

  1. Verbatim: washed their blows. That is to say, he washed away the blood that had flowed from their wounds after the beating.
  2. In the same place where he washed their wounds. Since it was midnight, it is unthinkable that they went to the river which flowed by the city (v. 13). This is evident even by the words in the text where it says that HE TOOK THEM TO HIMSELF, but not that he went out with them. Without a doubt, everything happened in the prison yard with some available water by the light from the lamps that they brought with them. Not how it happened in the older times to make disciples. There was no long, previous pre-baptism instruction. See comment to Chapter 2:41.*

Verse 34 — And he led them up to his house1 and set the table2 and rejoiced with his whole household, believing3 in God.4

  1. Probably his residence was in the same building in the floor above the prison cells.
  2. To give them food.
  3. The words in the original text imply that someone has become a believer and is still a believer.
  4. The true God. Belief in Christ is ultimately a belief in the true God. See John 12:44, 14:1; Romans 4:24; I Peter 1:21. In addition, it must be noted that the words, WITH HIS WHOLE HOUSEHOLD, could have reference either to the previous or to the subsequent, so that the meaning could be either: With his whole house he rejoiced, believing in God. Or: He rejoiced, believing with his whole household in God. "Comment to chapter 2:41. They who also accepted his word were baptised. No extensive pre-baptism instruction is ever mentioned in Acts or the other apostolic writings. As soon as a Jew or a heathen changed his heart and acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, the Apostles baptised them. The careful Christian instruction followed (v. 42). Only much later did a fundamental (solid, thorough) instruction precede baptism.

*Comment to chapter 2:41. They who also accepted his word were baptised. No extensive pre-baptism instruction is ever mentioned in Acts or the other apostolic writings. As soon as a Jew or a heathen changed his heart and acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, the Apostles baptised them. The careful Christian instruction followed (v. 42). Only much later did a fundamental (solid, thorough) instruction precede baptism.