How long were Paul and Silas in prison?

Answer 1

Acts chapter 16 says that Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi and that while praying that night, an earthquake freed them, although as honourable men they refused to escape. The next morning they were taken again to the magistrate. However, it is not as simple as that. An important, well disguised theme of Acts of the Apostles is the primacy of Peter over Paul during the period of their respective ministries. Paul was released from prison by a timely earthquake that arguably need not have been of divine origin, but Peter was released from prison twice by angels, who in one case accompanied Peter from the prison. Both this and the story of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus appear to have been inspired by the ancient play known as the Bacchae,by Euripides (d. 406 BCE).


Paul himself says that he was imprisoned but never mentions this episode, so we should really assume that the passage was probably created for theological purposes alone. Even if Paul was imprisoned in Philippi, it was not for the reason stated in Acts, and certainly Paul and Silas were never freed by an earthquake while in prison.