Singing at midnight

In Philippi the first convert in Europe is a businesswoman, Lydia, who sells purple cloth and opens her house. Then Paul frees a slave girl from a spirit that made money for her owners, and the owners have him and Silas beaten and jailed for damaging their income. At midnight, backs raw and feet in stocks, they are praying and singing hymns, and the other prisoners are listening. An earthquake opens every door. The jailer, assuming escape, draws his sword to kill himself — and Paul shouts, do not harm yourself, we are all here. Nobody ran. The man who locked them up washes their wounds and is baptised with his whole household the same night. Three converts in one chapter: a wealthy merchant, a trafficked girl, and a Roman official.