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Articles
The Philippian Jailer
In Acts 16:27-34 we read about the conversion of Philippian jailer. Let us study this case for a few moments today.
After the earthquake the jailer was about ready to kill himself vs.27. It was then that Paul said, "Do thyself no harm: for we are all here." vs.28. In vs.30 we read about the jailer bringing them out and asking that great question, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Notice what they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." vs.31. Now a lot of folks want to stop right there and close their Bibles, and say, "That’s all you have to do to be saved, just believe in Jesus, faith only." But that is not where the story ends beloved. How would the jailer and his family know what to believe about Christ? How could they have known about death, burial and resurrection of Jesus from that statement of vs.31? Notice vs.32 "And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house." They had more to say in teaching them, than what is stated in vs.31. Let’s continue in vs.33, "And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway." Washing their stripes was a manifestion of the fruits of repentance in their lives. Take note that they were baptized the same hour of the night, (sometime after midnight vs.25, approximately 1-3 AM in the morning). How did they know about being baptized? They had "spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house." Why would they be baptized in the middle of the night? They wanted to be saved from their sin. Baptism is a condition of salvation that is to be preached to every creature, Mark 16:15-16 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." {Have you ever noticed how that in man made churches they wait sometimes weeks to baptize people? It’s because they deny the necessity of baptism in salvation.} But the story concludes in vs.34, "And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." Yes, saving faith moves one to obey all that God says to be saved, then one can rejoice in the Lord!
