Question about Acts 16:31-34?

Question

Here are the verses:

31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

According to Scripture, universal salvation is a false teaching. When Paul made this statement about the guard's entire household being saved, do you think this applied to this man only in this particular situation or to all of us who believe as well?

Salvation is not hereditary....and just because we get saved doesn't guarantee it for the members of our immediate family.

Fellow believers.........What are your thoughts?

Eternal security for the true believer is very real....I believe in once saved always saved.....you're speaking as if a person can lose a perfect gift from God...impossible. It's not ours to lose....we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise at the point of salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14)

But that was not my question.....and this does NOT prove infant baptism.

Answer 1

Look at the scripture carefully. What Paul was declaring was not doctrine (else he would have made this clear in his epistles). What was taking place was a Word of Knowledge, or a prophecy.
This jailor had an instant death sentence put over his head if the prisoners escaped. Since Paul and the others stayed put, he realized that he was not going to die. Coming that close to death makes you worry about two things--your eternal destination, and your family. The jailor immediately asked regarding number one, but the Spirit quickened Paul to number two... thus giving added confirmation that what Paul was saying was of the Lord.
Verse 24 was the fulfillment of the prophecy. If only the jailor being saved saved his household, then there would be no point of verse 24. Why would the household need to believe if they were saved already?

So you see, Paul was giving a Word from the Lord. And since the Lord exists outside of time, sometimes He can't help but give away the plotpoints for His joy. :)

Answer 2

It is in this passage that so-called "household salvation" is refuted. Children cannot be saved simply because their parents are saved, nor are infants or unbelieving children to be baptized. The promise of salvation was to all of the jailer's household (v. 31); the preaching was heard by the household (v. 32); all the household was baptized (v. 33); but it was because all the household believed (v. 34)! By no stretch of the imagination can we conceive of infants understanding the Word and believing! The jailer proved he had truly been converted by washing the apostles' wounds and feeding them in his own house. When a man opens his heart to Christ, his home should be opened as well.

Answer 3

To me those verses means that those people heard the word of God, were pricked in their hearts, believe and confessed in Jesus Christ, and were saved. And then they were all baptized. I'm not sure what your trying to ask out of this? Probably the whole house got saved, because people in families are sometimes a lot alike, and if they were all listening to the preaching, then they all could have actually been pricked in their hearts and that's why they ALL got saved. I don't think it nessecairly applies to everyone, I think people only get saved when they are drawn by God, all these people were just drawn by God at the same time. That's how I take it, and no I don't believe in infant baptizing either. I think in order to be saved or baptized, you have to be old enough to know what your doing, otherwise, it doesn't work that way.

Answer 4

I'm pretty sure it's saying the whole household chose to accept Christ, not just the guard. They were all baptized. I imagine where the confusion comes in is that in the first line it seems like they're only speaking to the man and not his family also but I think that's because at the time the man was the head of the household and would have a strong influence on the others.

Answer 5

It applies to us in that we hear and believe and are baptized and hence are saved.

The context dictates that it is talking about the man and those of his family that were there, heard, believed and were baptized.

Salvation isn't inherited and infant bpatism isn't supported here or elsewhere in scripture. Notice how belief was also a part of it in v31. My 18 month old cannot believe. If I said my household was saved, I would be speaking of those who had the ability to believe, repent, confess and be baptized.

Oh, you're getting at once saved always saved-no, the Bible doesn't support it.

1 Cor 9:27 lest I should become disqualified

Gal 5:4 example of falling away

Answer 6

I spent some time doing a bit of research on this...according to the commentary...(The Expositor's Bible Commentary) and it talked about Paul & Silas spending time with the Jailer and his family as he washed their wounds and had a meal with them...At that time. There were no microwaves or stoves so your average meal took a couple hours to fix...After all that time in jail for preaching the gospel I doubt they stopped just by being let out of jail. It also mentions his family was baptized and they received the Holy Spirit which we know is an individual personal thing. I think the Bible puts it generically as his (the jailer's family) was saved rather than pointing out....Paul preached to them, they accepted Jesus and were baptized and received the Holy Spirit. Acts was written by Luke....having heard the story from Paul he probably wrote the condensed version rather than writing it all out as was a familiar happening...Paul shared the gospel and people got saved.

Answer 7

Its clear that the Jailor heard the gospel together with his family members. They all accepted Jesus as thier personal saviour and were saved. Yes, salvation is not hereditory. Everyone has to confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and accept by faith into his heart. Salvation is gained through faith. Infant baptism has no meaning. It is just for the certificate that is required when the child goes to school etc. Nothing connected to salvation.

Answer 8

Verse 32 is the key here.All of his house heard the words of the Lord.His Name is an ointment that bring forth a healing,His words to those who will hear them brings salvation.His family received this word and were all baptized because they had received the word of God.Look at Mark 16:16 and you will see that baptism is only for those who believe.Lack of evidence does not mean that it did not happen.Brother I know that you know this but that is why it is so very important not to take scripture out of context.I know thats not what your doing here but there are some who use this verse to justify baptizing an infant.But verse 32 says that they spake unto all of his house the word of God.I know that you could speak to an infant but you can speak to a deaf man to.

Salvation is not hereditary,the only thing that runs in our blood is sin.It is through His blood that we are saved.To receive Him we must first be called by Him.We hear Him by listening to Him.

Answer 9

Good question----Here Paul is stating a truth that could and is said to all who hear the Gospel of Christ, Believe and you will be saved. Now when he mentions his family he is merely stating the same truth is true for them as for the jailer, that if they believe they will be saved. Its as if he said--Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and if your family believes they also will be saved.
2 reasons he stated it this way---first-God works through family lines most of the time even as he promised to Abraham that the line would continue through his descendants through their successive generations, and so today God most often works through family lines. Second Paul (and the other Apostles) had a hard time even themselves and certainly with others bringing the truth that now God had included the Gentiles and had now in Christ taken away the wall of division so I think Paul is making clear now not only to this man but this is scripture so to others as well that the promise of God of salvation in Christ is to all peoples, not just one race. When ones parents belong to Christ, their children receive the benefit of the outworking of the covenant, not a free ticket but they receive the external blessings.

Answer 10

v32 they spoke the word of the Lord to him and ( all who were in his house)
The whole household heard the word at the same time,,
No you don't inherit salvation,, But if the head of the house as in those day.. came to believe the house hold followed,,,
in today's time the family members are all going in difference ways and doing their own thing,,
in the past a family came together,, worked together,, ate together,, believed in the same things..
today the family unit has fallen apart,, most families don't pray together,, like they use to..
parent don't take the time now a days to focus on the family,, and their values,, and moral upbringing,,