The Case of the Philippian Jailor
by Terry Wane Benton
He wanted to know, “What shall I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). The simple answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ…and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). The details of why believe in Jesus, what to believe about Jesus, and how to express faith in Jesus followed. In other words, explanations of what is involved in believing in Jesus to be saved were given (Acts 16:32). “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him” (Acts 16:30-32).
You mean they had not spoken the complete word of the Lord to him about how to be saved? No! They have stated a summary word, faith, but not the details of what is involved with faith in Jesus, so they explained it, giving him the details of how to be saved and what is involved under the umbrella of faith in Jesus. He showed godly sorrow and repentance by washing the stripes of those he had earlier beaten and was baptized at the same hour of the night (Acts 16:33).
Why the urgency in baptism? It was one of the details of how to be saved (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16). It was one of the details of how to express faith in Jesus. After baptism, he “rejoiced, having believed in God” (Acts 16:34). When Jesus placed faith and baptism before salvation (“he that believes and is baptized shall be saved” - Mark 16:16), the Philippian jailor believed Jesus enough to express faith properly by not just having a claimed “faith only” but showing an active faith in Jesus. In other words, if he had refused the baptism part of being saved, he would be showing unbelief, not faith in Jesus and what Jesus said. So, since salvation is after baptism, not before, he was baptized after midnight, the same hour of the night. Unlike today, where people deny the urgency and put baptism off for days and weeks, the truth is that baptism is part of having sins remitted (Acts 2:38), having sins washed away (Acts 22:16), entering into the death of Jesus for those blessings (Romans 6:3-6), uniting together with Christ (Romans 6:5-6), and being able to “rise up for newness of life" (Romans 6:5-6; Colossians 2:12). Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved because true believers have faith enough in Jesus to be baptized in His name.
Do you truly believe?
Follow-Up
Despite the evidence presented above, some have been so blinded by traditional “faith-only doctrine” that they will defend their doctrine at any cost. They will not be faithful to the text over tradition. Peter discusses people who “twist the scriptures to their own destruction” (II Peter 3:16).
One responded to the above by ignoring the textual evidence presented and the supporting verses and just asserting, “Acts 16:30-31 clearly states that faith alone is required for salvation.”
But “faith alone” is not what Paul said to the jailer. He said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Is it enough to believe Jesus is just a man, maybe an earthly governor? That would be "believing on the Lord Jesus Christ," but with insufficient information about what to believe about this man. Is it enough to believe that Jesus Christ is a mere good man who is a Lord, like other earthly kings? Will that bit of insufficient information magically wipe my sins away and transport me out of darkness into His kingdom?
Why did they follow that general statement, "Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him?” Clearly, they had to explain what to believe about Jesus and tell Jesus’ words about “he that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:15-16). Isn’t that what believing in Jesus requires? After stating the general requirement of faith and then speaking the word of the Lord to him, it is clear that they had not yet spoken the word of the Lord to him. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). This man had not heard the word of the Lord with just that introductory statement: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” The word of the Lord details what to believe about this man, Jesus Christ, at what level of “Lordship” (human or divine level?), and about Jesus’ death on the cross. Can the jailer be saved without this information? Does the jailer have to believe Jesus was born of a virgin, was God in human flesh, was raised from the dead and showed His power even over death?
Would he need to know how faith is expressed in repentance, confession of Jesus, and baptism in the name of Jesus? Apparently so, because after they spoke the word of the Lord to him, he showed his faith by washing their stripes and being baptized the same out of the night. How did he know he needed to do these things? Because the general statement of “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” was further explained when they then spoke the word of the Lord to him. They explained what to believe about Jesus, why it was necessary, and how faith must be expressed. Otherwise, the man would not know what to believe about Jesus, why he needed to believe and obey Jesus, and how to express faith in Jesus. That was all further explained to him.
To say “faith alone is required for salvation” is to say what the text does not say. Further, the text shows he hadn’t heard the word of the Lord yet and further indicates he repented and was baptized the same hour of the night, and that is when the text says he "believed in God." In other words, had he not repented and been baptized, the evidence would show that he did not believe in the Lord.
Further, James clearly says we are not saved by faith alone (James 2:14-24). Why would someone contradict James and say what Paul did not say? I hope the one making the assertion will give this more honest thought and consideration because to teach salvation by “faith alone” is to teach what no Scripture ever says and flat-out contradicts the scriptures that say, “not by faith alone.”
When you contradict God’s word you are doing exactly what the serpent did in the Garden (Gen.3). That is a doctrine that brings death, not life. So, never listen to someone who uses Acts 16:30-34 to teach salvation by faith alone. It is not in that text, is contrary to the text and other clear statements of God in scriptures. That is a doctrine of demons, that want people to feel a false sense of security. Jesus warned about this in Matthew 7:21-24. Calling Jesus “Lord” will not save you if you do not DO what He says. The jailer is an example of faith leading to his repentance and baptism, not stopping short of salvation. Do not be deceived!
