Paul and Silas sing hymns in prison, and the other inmates listen. Suddenly, an earthquake strikes, causing all the prison doors to open and the prisoners' chains to come off (16:26). The event is a miracle from God. Surprisingly, the prisoners do not flee through the open doors. The jailer assumes they will escape and decides to take his own life before the authorities punish him (v. 27). However, Paul intervenes and prevents him from doing so (v. 28). The jailer asks how he can be saved. He believes that the Jewish prisoners may have the solution. The gospel quickly impacts the jailer. He takes care of Paul and Silas's injuries, which were likely severe and gets baptized. Gentile jailer's day started like any other day but ended with faith and new life through Jesus. By law, a Roman citizen had a right to a trial before being condemned. After being informed of their error, the magistrates arrive in person, as Paul demands, to release the prisoners. They express their remorse and request that the prisoners leave Philippi. Although Paul has the right to seek further action against the magistrates for their mistreatment of him and Silas, he chooses not to. The group departs and stops to assist believers at Lydia's before continuing their journey through Macedonia.

Less than 100 miles from Philippi, Thessalonica was Macedonia's capital city. Paul and his companions visit a synagogue as their first stop, and they stay there for three weeks. Jews who didn't believe became jealous and incited a mob to cause chaos to reach Paul and Silas. The Jews could not find the leaders, so they brought Jason and other believers to the city authorities. They accused them of disobeying Caesar's laws and proclaiming Jesus as another king, a charge that would concern any Roman. The Thessalonica authorities were "disturbed" by this, but they only imposed a fine on Jason and his companions and did not punish them further. Visiting Thessalonica may not be an easy experience, but 1 Thessalonians clearly shows the powerful effect of the gospel.

The missionaries arrived at Berea and followed their usual practice of attending a synagogue. The Jewish people in Berea listened eagerly to Paul and Silas and checked their message against the Scriptures. After scrutinizing the Scriptures, many concluded that the gospel message was correct and became believers. The peace in Berea is short-lived as Jews from Thessalonica learn about the missionaries' activities and come to Berea to end it (17:13). The group of missionaries then divides, with Silas and Timothy staying in Berea, while Paul boards a ship bound for Athens, the intellectual and cultural hub of the Greco-Roman world.

In Athens, Paul is troubled by the excessive worship of idols everywhere he looks. In verse 16, "his spirit was provoked," which refers to his conscience and not the Holy Spirit. Paul is not upset by the mere existence of numerous idols as he believes "an idol has no real existence" (1 Cor. 8:4). Instead, he is disturbed by idolatry's strong influence on the people. Paul is quick to get to work, as usual. The Epicureans aimed for a fulfilling life by seeking peace and contentment. The Stoics, however, advocated for taking responsibility for one's actions and avoiding extremes, believing in fate. Both groups disregarded the daily involvement of gods. Although Paul's audience may not firmly believe in the myths and traditions, it is evident that respecting the gods and these customs remains a significant aspect of life in Athens. They are described as being "very religious" in verse 22. Paul is seen as inexperienced and inadequate by some and as a preacher of an unfamiliar religion by others due to his preaching about the resurrection as part of the gospel. Although Paul's ideas are interesting, he was brought to the Areopagus by the people in verse 19. In verse 21, the Athenians and foreigners living in Athens constantly sought out new topics to hear or talk about, suggesting a genuine interest or curiosity in Paul's ideas.