Harp workshop

Part 33 of 35 Songs at midnight

The good news kept spreading. The apostle Paul traveled from city to city, telling people about Jesus. In Philippi, he and his friend Silas were beaten and locked in prison, with their feet fastened in wooden stocks.

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16:25). Suddenly an earthquake shook the prison, the doors flew open and everyone's chains came loose. The jailer thought the prisoners had escaped, but Paul called out: "Do not harm yourself! We are all here!"

Trembling, the jailer asked: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered: "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:30–31). That same night he and his whole family were baptized, full of joy.

Imagined The workshop

Makers here build harps, trumpets and drums, and every instrument is finished by playing a song of praise.

Real world Philippi today

The ruins of Philippi, in northern Greece, include its Roman forum, its theater and some of the earliest churches in Europe. In 2016 they became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Real world The oldest hymn with music

The oldest known Christian hymn written down with its music was found on a scrap of papyrus at Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. It was copied around AD 300, and singers can still perform it today.

Think about it

1. Why do you think Paul and Silas sang in prison?
2. What did they tell the jailer he must do to be saved?
3. How does music change the way you feel?

Key words

Hymn

A song of praise to God.

Stocks

A wooden frame that held a prisoner's feet.

Jailer

The person in charge of a prison.