By Rev. Ron Purkey
Guest Columnist

Read Acts 16:16-40

Rev. Ron Purkey

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..” (Acts 16:31)

It takes little imagination to see that this Roman jailer was a typical calloused official with no sympathy for man and no interest in Christ. Even though Paul and Silas had been humiliated and beaten, the jailer added to their sufferings by thrusting them into the inner prison and putting their feet in the stocks. Then he went about his business and finally went to sleep for the night.

But in prison Paul and Silas sang hymns and praised God instead of complaining! At midnight, God went to work and shook the prison so that all the prisoners were released. If a Roman jailer lost a prisoner, it meant his own life would be taken; so it is no wonder that the jailer, on awakening, tried to commit suicide. This is Satan the murderer at work again; for had Paul not called out and stopped him, that jailer would have died without Jesus Christ as Savior! As it was, Paul’s love and God’s grace reached the man’s heart, and he was converted (see Acts 16:30-34).

It is in this passage that so-called “household salvation” is refuted. Children cannot be saved simply because their parents are saved. The promise of salvation was to all of the jailer’s household (Acts 16:31); the preaching was heard by the household (verse 32); all the household was baptized (verse 33); but it was because all the household believed (verse 34)! By no stretch of the imagination can we conceive of infants understanding the Word of God and believing! The jailer proved that he had truly been converted by washing the apostles’ wounds and feeding them in his own house. When a man opens his heart to Jesus Christ, his home should be opened as well.

Some Christians are puzzled by Paul’s actions in Acts 16:35-40. Why did Paul humiliate the Roman officials by making them settle the case openly? Paul was simply making use of his Roman citizenship and legal rights to give proper respect to the Gospel and the new church he had just established. Had Paul quietly moved out of town, the citizens would have thought he had been guilty; and this would have hindered the work of the church. No, it is not wrong for Christians to use their legal rights, so long as it promotes the cause of Christ. This official apology and open settlement of the case (for Paul had been deprived of his legal rights) gave dignity to the Gospel and to the church. The church at Philippi was always a favorite with the Apostle Paul, as you can see by reading his letter to the Philippians. The nucleus of that church was made up of a wealthy woman, a slave girl, and a Roman jailer! But such is the grace of God: Christ takes the weak things of the world and confounds the mighty.

Read Ron Purkey’s Bible study outlines at www.rtcol.com/purkey free on the website. Purkey has been an ordained Baptist minister for 50 years.