Peripheral People

 “Minor” Characters?

I’ve been a Christian most of my life, and I’ve done a lot of Bible reading.  I’ve read through the entire Bible numerous times in various translations, and I’ve benefitted from Bible studies taught by excellent pastors.  The Word of God is very familiar to me.

Many of us know about what might be called the “major” people in the Bible, and the “major” stories such as those taught in Sunday School.  The Garden of Eden, Noah’s Ark, David conquering Goliath, Jonah and the whale (oops– I mean “a great fish,” of course)– we know these and many other Old Testament accounts.  We’re also well acquainted with the life of Jesus in the New Testament.

But as you read and reread and re-reread these accounts, you may begin to notice other people in the stories– unnamed individuals standing on the edges.  These might be called “minor” characters;  I like to call them the peripheral people.  They may seem unimportant to the story– and yet, nothing in the Bible is inconsequential.  In 2 Timothy 3:16 we are told that all scripture is God-breathed, so God has a reason for every detail He includes.

Let’s take a look at an example of some peripheral people.

Paul and Silas and the Philippian Jailer

In Acts 16, we find Paul and Silas preaching the gospel in the city of Philippi.  After a run-in with a fortuneteller possessed by a spirit, they are dragged before the magistrates and falsely accused.  

“After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.  When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks” (Acts 16:23-24).

Note the special instructions given to the jailer.  It is apparent that Paul and Silas are not regarded as ordinary prisoners; they warrant special treatment.  So he locks them in the most secure cell, and as an added precaution he puts them in the stocks, rendering them immobile.  He is determined to make escape impossible.

But Paul and Silas weren’t alone.  There were other prisoners in the cells adjoining theirs.  Perhaps realizing that they had a captive audience (pardon the pun), Paul and Silas decide to take advantage of another opportunity to share the gospel:  “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).

There’s no indication that the other prisoners sought to silence them, nor did the jailer.  We’re specifically told that the other prisoners were listening to them.  Apparently they had some interest in what they were hearing.  

A Whole Lot Of Shaking Going On

“Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.  At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” (Acts 16:26).  Talk about a prisoner’s dream come true!  All of the cell doors were opened, all of the chains came loose!  This was the perfect opportunity for the prisoners to escape.

But…that’s not what happened.  

“The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped” (Acts 16:27).  You might think he was overreacting, but the jailer knew that according to Roman law, if any of his prisoners escaped, he would pay with his life.  He was familiar with Roman executions and had no desire to face such torture.

Now comes the amazing part.  “But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself!  We are all here!” (Acts 16:28).

We are all here?!  Yes, incredible as it may seem, not only did Paul and Silas remain, but not one of the other prisoners left.  They continued to sit in their cells, every one.

We often speed over this verse because the rest of the story is so interesting.  The jailer asks, “What must I do to be saved?”  Paul and Silas reply, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved– you and your household.”  And that’s exactly what happens.  It’s truly an awe-inspiring account.

But Wait, There’s More

But let’s back up a bit.  Let’s take a look at those peripheral people, the other prisoners.  Did you ever stop to wonder, “Why?  Why didn’t they escape when they had the chance?”  It doesn’t seem to make sense.

There are a few possibilities.  Perhaps the violent earthquake left them in a state of shock.  They were frozen in fear, unable to move.

But is that plausible?  If it were you in that cell and you saw the door open, wouldn’t you find a way to leave?  I probably would have crawled if I had to.

But they didn’t.  

Maybe another possibility is that they wanted to hear more from Paul and Silas.  Perhaps their words had made such an impression on them that they, too,  were wondering as the jailer did, “What must I do to be saved?”

We’re told that the jailer brought Paul and Silas to his house.  He washed their wounds, fed them a meal, and he and his entire family were baptized.  The jailer “was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God– he and his whole household” (Acts 16:34).

But what of the other prisoners?  Did the jailer bring them to his home as well?  Did they also believe in God, as he and his family had?

We don’t know.  The Bible doesn’t tell us.  These peripheral people remain on the edge of the story.  The rest of their story is a mystery.

So What’s The Point?

Maybe the reason they’re included in this account is because it’s not just about Paul and Silas and the Philippian jailer.  They were there, too, and they also have a story.  Everyone does.  And maybe that’s the point.

Think about it.  Every day there are peripheral people in our own lives, people we know nothing about and barely notice.  The tired cashier who never smiles, the mailman who comes daily yet we’ve never spoken to him, the neighbor who never leaves her house, the disheveled man with the crudely lettered cardboard sign who is always at the same corner– the list could go on and on.

Every day we’re surrounded by people who are part of our story, people on the edge of our lives who have their own story.  Maybe God just wants us to notice that, to be more aware that it’s not “all about me.”  It’s about them, too.

Perhaps it’s time to notice the peripheral people.  Perhaps, like Paul and Silas, we can share the Good News with them as the opportunity arises.  Perhaps they will be impacted as much as the Philippian jailer.  

Perhaps they’ll leave their cells, because of you. 

It’s something to think about.

Did you enjoy this post?  Leave a comment, and subscribe for more!

Related Posts:

“Didn’t You Know?  You’re An Influencer”

“Plant Those Gospel Seeds!”