Written by Betty B. Robertson
Acts 16:16-40
Instructions: Assign reading parts (1 judge; 2 soldiers; Paul; Silas; jailer). The rest of the class is the crowd. Every time the teacher holds up her/his hand, the crowd says: "Arrest these men!"
Teacher (holds up hand): Arrest these men! Arrest these men!
Judge: Order! Order!
Teacher (holds up hand): Arrest these men! Arrest these men!
Judge: What is the charge?
Teacher (holds up hand) Arrest these men! Arrest these men!
Judge: What have they done?
Teacher (holds up hand): Arrest these men! Arrest these men!
Person 1: They are teaching people about Jesus.
Teacher (holds up hand): Arrest these men! Arrest these men!
Person 2: They are doing things that are against our Roman law.
Teacher (holds up hand): Arrest these men! Arrest these men!
Judge: Hummmmmmmm...
Teacher (holds up hand): Arrest these men! Arrest these men!
Judge: Throw them in jail!
Teacher (holds up hand): Arrest these men! Arrest these men!
(Soldiers take Paul and Silas to jail.)
Jailer: Who do we have here?
Soldier 1: Prisoners.
Soldier 2: Lock them up and see they don't escape. If they do escape, you're apt to lose your head.
Jailer: I'll keep them safe.
Teacher: So the jailer unlocked the big door of the jail, put Saul and Silas in the dark, smelly inner dungeon. He put their feet in big wooden frames called stocks that locked by putting big bars in the slots. Paul and Silas were left alone in the dark. Hours went by. Then it was almost midnight.
Paul: Silas, are you asleep?
Silas: Are you kidding?
Paul: I can't sleep either.
Silas: Are you scared?
Paul: No. God never sleeps. I know He's watching over us. I know what might help.
Silas: What?
Paul: Let's sing.
Silas: I don't sing very well.
Paul: That's okay. God doesn't care how it sounds. He just likes us to sing praises to Him.
Teacher: So, Paul and Silas began to sing songs. Maybe they sang, "God is So Good." Let's sing it together: "God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He's so good to me."
Silas: What's that?
Paul: I don't know. Sounds like thunder!
Silas: Yeah! And the ground is shaking!
Paul: And look at the prison walls!
Silas: They're shaking!
Paul: It's an earthquake!
Teacher: The stocks that were holding Paul and Silas' feet jiggled until they came undone. The prison doors flew open wide. The jailer thought all the prisoners had escaped. He drew his sword to kill himself.
Paul: Hold it! Don't kill yourself. We're all here.
Jailer: What must I do to be saved?
Paul: Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. And that goes for your whole family, too."
Teacher: And Paul and Silas told everyone about Jesus.
