Paul and Silas get beaten and jailed because of the assumptions of prejudice. The two men had not broken any laws but simply used the name of Jesus to command an evil spirit to leave a slave girl.
Acts 16: 19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison.[1]
Anti-Semitism in the Roman Empire
The heartless owners of the slave girls didn’t care that she had been freed from evil. They only cared that they had lost their source of income. Exorcism was not illegal in the empire, but the owners wanted to find a way to punish Paul and Silas. Thus, they appealed to the prejudices of the day and the thought that these two men were disloyal to Rome.
Anti-Semitism was pervasive in the Roman Empire. While Judaism was a legal religion, Jews were not popular in the empire. Christianity was seen as a sect of Judaism, and its message unsettled people. Few Jews were Roman citizens, and the authorities didn’t bother to investigate. They just acted on the assumptions of prejudice. It was illegal for any authority to beat a Roman citizen and imprison them without trial.
This may explain why only Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed. They were full Jews. Timothy and Luke would also have been part of the mission team but were only part Jewish. So they seem to be kept safe from the mob action. Why didn’t Paul and Silas tell the authorities they were citizens until the next day? The mob probably didn’t let them explain anything.
God Shows No Favoritism
Jews and Gentiles had separate cultures which did not mix for generations. Peter had learned that faith in God was for all in a vision. Acts 10: 34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. 35 In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.[2]
We also need to understand that no matter the race or ethnicity, we are all God’s creation, and He desires that we come to faith. We must be careful not to discriminate but ask God for His wisdom as we tell the Good News of Jesus to other cultures.
Galatians 3: 26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. [3] To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/singing-in-jail
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.