Convinced or Convicted?
'Convicted' implies a formal legal judgement of guilt
It is the work of the Holy Spirit that makes us aware of our sin and our need for repentance. The Holy Spirit does convince men of righteousness. Even greater, it is he who gives us the inner and unshakable "conviction" that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Acts 16:22-34
John 16:5-11
Looking at today's Gospel reading, the word "convict" is used in verse 18; some translations use "convince.” So, what is the difference? Both come from the Latin root word "convincere," but they have distinct meanings. "Convinced" describes someone who is persuaded or has a firm belief, while "convicted" implies a formal legal judgement of guilt.
In a Religious context convicted refers to a profound and internal transformation, a sense of moral responsibility, or a strong belief. It can also refer to being persuaded by the Holy Spirit, as we see in this Gospel passage—a making aware of our sin and need for repentance.
When the Jews crucified Jesus, they did not believe that they were sinning; they thought they were serving God. However, when Jesus rose from the dead, his teachings took on new meaning for his followers. It was realized that he was the unblemished Lamb of God, the sin offering for all sins, once and for all. But it was at Pentecost that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicted them!
Look at verses 8-11. "And when he comes (the Holy Spirit) he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."
I like the Navarre bible commentary: "The word ‘world’ here means all those who have not believed in Christ and have rejected him. These the Holy Spirit will accuse of sin because of their unbelief. He will accuse them of unrighteousness because he will show that Jesus was the Just One who was never guilty of sin and therefore is in glory beside his Father. And finally, he will indict them by demonstrating that the devil, the prince of this world, has been overthrown through the death and resurrection of Christ, which saves man from the power of the Evil One and gives him grace to avoid the snares he lays."
Here, we see "convict" means "a formal legal judgement of guilt."
Why does the sight of Jesus crucified two thousand years ago still tear the hearts of people open today? It is the work of the Holy Spirit that makes us aware of our sin and our need for repentance. The Holy Spirit does convince men of righteousness. Even greater, it is he who gives us the inner and unshakable "conviction" that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Next, looking at the 1st reading, we need to go back a few verses in Acts chapter 16 to understand why Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison. It is written, "As we (Paul and Silas) were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who used to bring a large profit to her owners through her fortune-telling. She began to follow Paul and us, shouting, ‘These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.’ She did this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ Then it came out at that moment. When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the public square before the local authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, ‘These men are Jews and are disturbing our city and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.’”
Even though what the slave girl was saying could be interpreted favorably, Paul became irritated by her possession and exorcised the evil spirit from her. She immediately lost her psychic powers and, as a result, could no longer earn money for her masters. The owners were understandably not very happy about this and hauled Paul and Silas off to court. They accused them of being Jews who were disturbing the peace and breaking Roman laws. Basically, they were accused of proselytizing, which was indeed against Roman law.
This is where today's reading starts. Paul and his companion, Silas, are beaten with rods, thrown into prison, and fastened securely with chains, so they could be watched closely and could not escape or be rescued by their friends.
What happens next displays their "conviction.” Instead of praying to be rescued and making plans of their own, they prayed and sang praises to God. Although not specifically stated here, "they rejoiced to suffer for the name of Christ,” told in four other scripture accounts—Acts 5:41, Rom 5:3-4, 1Pt 4:13, and Col 1:24. All the while, the other prisoners listened. That influenced them, as we later read. The prayers and singing had a huge impact on the Jailer in charge of guarding them. After an earthquake and all the turmoil, Paul reassured the Jailer that no one escaped. The Jailer "fell down trembling before Paul and Silas."
He realized that the people he was treating as dangerous criminals were, in fact, messengers of God. In deep gratitude, the jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
He very likely had heard that these men were preachers of salvation through Jesus. With the earthquake and his own near-death experience, he wanted to know about their message. Paul and Silas shared with him how salvation was possible: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved."
The jailer and all his household were instructed in the word of the Lord. The jailer, “… took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized at once. He brought them up into his house and provided a meal, and with his entire household rejoiced at having come to faith in God."
Whatever food he offered Paul and Silas, it was truly a Eucharistic meal, a meal of thanksgiving for all—just as every Mass is a Todah, the Hebrew word for "a thank offering praising God.”
Was the Jailer "convinced" or "convicted?" I would say "convicted." He had to be an experienced jailer to be trusted in guarding Paul and Silas. He knew you couldn't trust inmates, yet he recognized them as different. He brought them into his house, bathed their wounds, and shared a meal with them. This took conviction.
I recall a homily where the priest concluded by asking us a question. "If you were arrested and brought before a judge for being a ‘faithful Catholic,’ would the judge find enough evidence to convict you?”