In the context of the ancient world, prisons were often used as holding places for individuals awaiting trial or punishment. The authority to release prisoners typically rested with the governing officials or magistrates, who wielded significant power in judicial matters. This practice is evident in several accounts within the New Testament, where Roman magistrates and other officials exercised their authority to release individuals from custody.

One notable instance is found in the account of the Apostle Paul and Silas in Philippi. After being unjustly beaten and imprisoned, Paul and Silas experienced a miraculous event where an earthquake opened the prison doors and loosened their chains. Despite this divine intervention, they did not escape but remained in their cell. The magistrates, upon realizing their error in punishing Roman citizens without a trial, ordered their release. Acts 16:35-39 states: "When daylight came, the magistrates sent their officers with the order: 'Release those men.' The jailer reported these words to Paul: 'The magistrates have sent orders to release you. Now you may go on your way in peace.' But Paul said to the officers, 'They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves and escort us out.' The officers reported this to the magistrates, who were alarmed to hear that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. They came to appease them and escorted them out, requesting them to leave the city."

This passage highlights the magistrates' authority to release prisoners and the legal implications of their actions, especially concerning Roman citizenship. The magistrates' decision to personally escort Paul and Silas out of prison underscores their recognition of the legal oversight and their attempt to rectify the situation.

Another example is found in the trial of Jesus Christ before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Pilate, as the presiding magistrate, had the authority to release Jesus, whom he found to be innocent of any crime deserving death. Despite his initial inclination to release Jesus, Pilate ultimately succumbed to the pressure of the crowd demanding crucifixion. In John 19:12 , it is recorded: "From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, 'If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.'"

Pilate's struggle to release Jesus illustrates the complex interplay between judicial authority and political pressure. Although he possessed the power to free Jesus, external influences and fear of political repercussions swayed his decision.

In the case of Barabbas, a prisoner involved in insurrection and murder, the power of release was exercised in a different manner. During the Passover festival, it was customary for the Roman governor to release a prisoner chosen by the people. The crowd, influenced by the chief priests, chose Barabbas over Jesus. Mark 15:6-15 recounts this event: "Now it was Pilate’s custom at the feast to release to the people a prisoner of their choosing. And a man named Barabbas was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd went up and began asking Pilate to keep his custom. 'Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?' Pilate asked. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead. So Pilate asked them again, 'What then do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?' And they shouted back, 'Crucify Him!' 'Why?' asked Pilate. 'What evil has He done?' But they shouted all the louder, 'Crucify Him!' And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified."

These biblical accounts demonstrate the significant role magistrates played in the release of prisoners, reflecting the legal and political dynamics of the time. The authority to release was not only a matter of legal procedure but also one that could be influenced by public opinion, political pressure, and personal conviction.Acts 16:35,36
And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Abrogation of the Saybrook Platform
... For six years the magistrates wrestled with the Deacon ... decrees and laws, by whips,
fines, prisons, fire and ... York, New Jersey, and Connecticut had met together ...
/.../chapter xi the abrogation of.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... are the merriest of all devils"they deny all obedience to magistrates.'[69 ... he consider
that they were addressed to the apostles, who had the power to work ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... there is in the Godhead, power, knowledge, love, and righteousness; so a likeness
of these is in the soul of man, especially of man before he had sinned: And ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

[Endnotes]
... It appears from it that the magistrates of Thessalonica ... all the Pastoral Epistles
after Paul's release from his ... the ground that the Gnostics had no existence ...
//christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/endnotes.htm

Period I: the Imperial State Church of the Undivided Empire, or ...
... the locust and the caterpillar are called not only a power but a great power [Joel
2 ... by anticipation to Him that glory, which as a man He afterward had from His ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period i the imperial state.htm

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