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Scripture Story Sketch Notes · Acts 16:16–40

Paul and Silas
in the Philippian Jail

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” Acts 16:25

Beaten and locked in the stocks, two missionaries sing at midnight. An earthquake opens every door, no one runs, and a jailer asks the biggest question of his life.

Into the night ↓ Read Acts 16:16–40 first
Hand-drawn doodle map of Acts 16 in Philippi: a busy market by the river, two men in blue and yellow with their feet in stocks, the pair singing at night as prisoners listen, the prison shaking and doors opening, a jailer rushing in with a lamp and kneeling, the family washing their wounds, and a baptism and a shared meal.

Before you begin

The story in brief

In Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia, Paul cast an evil spirit out of a slave girl whose masters made money from her fortune-telling. Her angry masters dragged Paul and Silas to the magistrates, who had them beaten and thrown into the inner prison with their feet in the stocks.

At midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God, and the other prisoners listened. A great earthquake shook the prison, every door opened and every chain came loose. The jailer, thinking everyone had escaped, drew his sword to kill himself, but Paul called out, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.” Trembling, the jailer asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They told him to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and taught his whole household. That same night he washed their wounds, and he and his family were baptized and rejoiced together.

Who’s who

  • Paul: an Apostle and missionary
  • Silas: Paul’s missionary companion
  • The jailer: a Roman jailer in Philippi
  • His household: the jailer’s family

Where and when

Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia, on Paul’s second missionary journey.

Watch for the Savior

Watch how praise in the dark leads to open doors, and how the jailer’s question is answered with Jesus Christ.

Read it yourself: Acts 16:16–40

Part 1 of 7

The night, mapped

Eight stops from the marketplace to the jailer’s table. Scroll, or tap a number on the map.

    Part 2 of 7

    The story, plainly

    Four scenes: the song, the earthquake, the question and the table. Look for the Savior in each one.

    Read it plainly

    The words that trip people up

    Tap any dotted word for its meaning. The scripture stays exactly as written.1

    1. Acts 16:16 “a spirit of ”
    2. Acts 16:22 “the ”
    3. Acts 16:23 “laid many upon them”
    4. Acts 16:24 “fast in the ”
    5. Acts 16:26 “every one’s were loosed”

    Part 3 of 7

    Look closer

    Small details tell the story. Some cards are details in the text; others share insights from Church resources. Each card says which.

    0 of 9 turned

    Part 4 of 7

    Where are you?

    In a dark place, singing anyway, asking the big question, or setting an example. Which feels most like you right now?

    Try it

    A midnight hymn

    It is midnight in the inner prison. Begin a quiet minute and let the cell fill with light as the words of the story appear. Breathe slowly. Pause any time.

    “At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God.” Acts 16:25

    Part 5 of 7

    Their world, their words

    A little background helps us see Philippi and its jail. Outside sources are labeled.

    Church resource · Bible Dictionary

    A Roman colony

    The Bible Dictionary: Philippi was a Roman “colony”; “it contained a body of Roman citizens, placed there for military purposes.”6

    Roman law and Roman soldiers were everywhere.

    Church resource · Student manual

    Roman citizens

    The student manual: Paul and Silas “were Roman citizens and had been beaten without first receiving a trial, which was contrary to Roman law.”4

    The magistrates came to apologize in the morning.

    Church resource · Student manual

    More than one step

    The student manual notes that Paul “continued to teach the jailer and his household … and then baptized them.”4

    Believing led to learning and covenants.

    Church resource · Student manual

    A strong branch

    “The branch of the Church in Philippi grew to become one of the strongest branches of the early Church.”4

    It began with a jailer’s family.

    Word study · Greek

    humneō ὑμνέω · “sang praises” (Acts 16:25)

    Bible Hub: “To sing a hymn, to praise.”8 Outside · lexicon

    Our word hymn comes from it. They sang hymns at midnight.1

    Word study · Greek

    sōzō σῴζω · “saved” (Acts 16:30)

    Bible Hub: “To save, to rescue, to deliver, to heal, to preserve.”9 Outside · lexicon

    The jailer was rescued twice that night: from his sword, and through Jesus Christ.1

    What the text does not say

    The story does not say belief is the only step. The student manual points out that Paul taught the family and baptized them the same night.4

    Part 6 of 7

    Look to Him

    The jailer’s question had one answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

    The jailer’s question: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

    Acts 16:301
    “Some of the greatest sermons that have ever been preached were preached by the singing of a song.”
    President Spencer W. Kimball, quoted by Elder Stephen D. Nadauld3
    “Perhaps they sang something in two-part harmony they had learned together while on their missions.”
    Elder Stephen D. Nadauld3
    “Being instructed and baptized were inseparably connected with believing in Christ.”
    New Testament Student Manual4

    The Lord

    The song of the heart

    “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me.” Doctrine and Covenants 25:12

    Paul and Silas

    Believe

    “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31

    Part 7 of 7

    Seek Him today

    A question to ask yourself

    What do I do at midnight? Acts 16:25

    When things go wrong, what is your first response? Choose a hymn you can turn to, and try it the next time a day feels dark.

    Try it today

    One step each day. It saves on this device, one day at a time.

    0 of 7 today

    This week:0 of 7 days

    A quiet moment

    “And sang praises unto God.”

    Read Acts 16:22–34 slowly. Then sing or hum a hymn you love, and ask Heavenly Father to help you trust Him at midnight. Acts 16:22–34

    A verse to hold

    Talk about it

    1. Why do you think Paul and Silas sang instead of complaining?
    2. Why didn’t the prisoners run when the doors opened?
    3. What did the jailer ask, and what did they tell him?
    4. What hymn helps you when you feel sad or afraid?
    Open

    For adults and deeper study

    Go deeper

    Longer readings, harder questions, and where to study next. Each one says what it is before you click.
    Church leader

    Elder Stephen D. Nadauld, “The Gift and Power of Music” (2025)

    How sacred music teaches, prepares the soul and comforts, from Paul and Silas to missionaries singing before they teach.3

    Read the article →
    Church resource

    New Testament Student Manual: Acts 16–20

    Background on the slave girl, the Philippian jail, Roman citizenship and the branch in Philippi.4

    Read the chapter →
    Church resource

    Seminary manual: Acts 16

    Following the Spirit to Macedonia and the conversions in Philippi.5

    Read the lesson →
    Scripture

    Philippians 4

    Paul’s later letter to the branch that began here: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”

    Read Philippians 4 →
    To ponder

    Harder questions

    • The doors opened and no one ran. What does that say about the power of Paul and Silas’s example?
    • How did the jailer’s actions change after he believed?
    • What makes a hymn a prayer?

    Sources

    Every quotation, gloss, and piece of background on this page is listed here: scripture first, then Church sources, then outside scholarship (labeled).

    Scripture

    1. Acts 16:16–40: “At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God.”
    2. Doctrine and Covenants 25:12: “The song of the righteous is a prayer unto me.”

    Church leaders and Church resources

    1. Elder Stephen D. Nadauld, “The Gift and Power of Music”, Liahona, March 2025, United States and Canada Section.
    2. New Testament Student Manual, “Acts 16–20”, Gospel Library.
    3. New Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2027), Acts 16, Gospel Library.
    4. Bible Dictionary, “Philippi”, Gospel Library.
    5. Bible Dictionary, “Silas”, Gospel Library.

    Outside sources (labeled on the page)

    1. Strong’s 5214, humneō, Bible Hub lexicon.
    2. Strong’s 4982, sōzō, Bible Hub lexicon.

    Quotations checked against the linked pages on October 10, 2026. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version as published in the Gospel Library.

    “Sang praises unto God”

    He hears the song of the heart, even at midnight. Acts 16:25

    Back to this week: July 19–25 Earlier: Peter Freed from Prison Next story: Paul’s Missionary Journeys All New Testament Story Sketch Notes
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    Independent study notes from Weak Things, not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version. The story is told in Acts 16:16–40; the insights in “Look closer” are labeled by source.