At Philippi — Roman colony of Macedonia, the first European city Paul evangelized — a slave-girl with a spirit of divination followed Paul and Silas for many days, crying: 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.' Paul, distressed, turned and commanded the spirit: 'I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' The spirit left her at that hour.
Her owners, seeing their profit gone, dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates: 'These men are Jews and disturb our city.' The crowd joined in; the magistrates ordered them stripped, beaten with many blows, and thrown into the inner prison with their feet fastened in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. The other prisoners listened.
Suddenly a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison; immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's fetters were unfastened. The jailer woke, saw the doors open, drew his sword to kill himself (he would have been executed by Rome for losing prisoners). Paul cried with a loud voice: 'Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!' The jailer called for lights, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas: 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They told him; he and all his household were baptized that very night.