Acts 16:31

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
847
488
63
#1
I want to make sure I am interpresting this right. For in Acts 16:31 (NKJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Does this mean, "my faith" will lead Christ to open their hearts and to be saved?
 

Aaron56

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2021
2,760
1,584
113
#2
I want to make sure I am interpresting this right. For in Acts 16:31 (NKJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Does this mean, "my faith" will lead Christ to open their hearts and to be saved?
No. The offer to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” was offered to the jailor and his household.

This is the scripture in context. Notice how the word of the Lord was spoken to the jailor and his household and then he and his family believed:

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.
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
847
488
63
#3
Ok, now I’m sad
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
847
488
63
#4
Actually I still think they will be saved because I prayed for it with faith.
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
13,007
4,317
113
#6
I want to make sure I am interpresting this right. For in Acts 16:31 (NKJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Does this mean, "my faith" will lead Christ to open their hearts and to be saved?
amen trust God and pray for your household
 

SaysWhat

Active member
Jan 17, 2024
206
38
28
#7
Maybe it would be better is you helped them grasp that they are sinners who need a Saviour
Hmm that could be tricky, opening the wine before it's time.

Romans 2:12
If you sin without knowing what you're doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you're doing, that's a different story entirely.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,670
6,860
113
#8
Actually I still think they will be saved because I prayed for it with faith.
All believers long for those of their family who are not saved will be. One way to realize their hopes is how the believer lives their lives. Greatest "witness" we have is how we live our lives. Both the world and the Church will know we are one of Gods children through our daily walk in this life.

I am reminded of the Scripture that says:

Proverbs 22:6) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,670
6,860
113
#9

SaysWhat

Active member
Jan 17, 2024
206
38
28
#10
 

SaysWhat

Active member
Jan 17, 2024
206
38
28
#11
A manifested seed doesn't blossom upon be created. It has to be watered to grow though may lay dormant for years in droughts.
 

glf

Active member
Mar 18, 2023
263
114
43
70
#12
I want to make sure I am interpresting this right. For in Acts 16:31 (NKJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Does this mean, "my faith" will lead Christ to open their hearts and to be saved?

Deut 30: 19:
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Our kids grow up watching us, their parents and when they see us choosing life or blessing, they are drawn toward those kind of choices. They also see us when we choose death and a curse...
 

HealthAndHappiness

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2022
10,225
4,283
113
Almost Heaven West Virginia
#13
I want to make sure I am interpresting this right. For in Acts 16:31 (NKJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Does this mean, "my faith" will lead Christ to open their hearts and to be saved?

Good morning Jacko,

This is a good question. The thing that often runs through a person's mind when they realize they are about to die is their family. Often a parent will focus on intense concern for how their children will get along when they are dead. I can only speculate here why the apostle referred to the jailor's household. I don't want to read into the passage what is not there, but I can think of reasons why they would have said this. The take away is that not only did this jailor get saved, but his entire family. That's a good reason for him to invite the preachers home. They needed to hear the following and get that free gift too.

The salvation that the jailor heard about when he was about to kill himself was about Jesus dying for their sins and going to hell for 3 days so they won't have to go there forever. He heard how Jesus took His life back on the third day and offers that same everlasting life to he and to his family. At that he decided to quit trusting in his own morality or whoever it was he was trusting and instead believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That was for his family too. If I were in his shoes at the time, I would want my family to get saved as well, wouldn't you?
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
16,447
452
83
#14
I want to make sure I am interpresting this right. For in Acts 16:31 (NKJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Does this mean, "my faith" will lead Christ to open their hearts and to be saved?
To me, I see to stand in Faith, (Belief) and love all as are loved first by God through the Son Jesus on that cross.
To not be legalistic and tear each other apart, to not join in on sin either


Authorized (King James) Version
Gal. 6:1-8


Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Evil is taken out by good, and God is the one and only one good. Therefore stand in God, no matter what troubles happen, and be seen through it all. Those seeing God (good) work done through you, will choose to believe God too or not.
Paul, who was in Jail, held there, continued to glory in God in spite of being put in jail. Said even the jail help was coming to beleif too, seeing Paul not complaining, came to believe in God through Son Jesus too.
Therefore our families will see it too and either come to beleif too, or not. Yet by any forcing or manipulation to believe God, one will only say and act as if believe and do not, yet only God and the person know the truth in this, no matter what another does or not.
it is the Love that overcame evil, Jesus conquered death fro us in God's spirit and Truth to us, all flesh still dies, might see to reckon self dead too presently, daily Romans 6:1-12
 

JohnRH

Junior Member
Mar 5, 2018
672
321
63
#15
I want to make sure I am interpresting this right. For in Acts 16:31 (NKJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Does this mean, "my faith" will lead Christ to open their hearts and to be saved?
No. Each member must individually believe on the lord Jesus Christ to be saved.
(Do pray for them, though).
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
16,447
452
83
#17
I want to make sure I am interpresting this right. For in Acts 16:31 (NKJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Does this mean, "my faith" will lead Christ to open their hearts and to be saved?
Absolutely! Col. 1:21-23, John 19:30, Hebrews 9:14-17
believe God by Son took away sin, at the cross once for everyone. Believe he is risen for you, then see you get made new by God, never by any flesh work ever. By God’s done work of son
John 1:29 on that cross Son took all sinnupon himself for us the people to be saved in his risen life given us to stand in thanksgiving and praise. All sin taken away as far as the east is from the west, psalm 103:12 fulfilled from our Daddy’s view, thanks to Son, teaching us new
at least me I am learning, have learned, still learning, trusting God loves us all
stand in that thankfully and ask God to teach you new and you will be amazed in humility as you have already been seeing
 

Beckworth

Active member
May 15, 2019
612
207
43
#18
I want to make sure I am interpresting this right. For in Acts 16:31 (NKJV) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Does this mean, "my faith" will lead Christ to open their hearts and to be saved?
No. While your faith may influence others, this verse is simply showing that faith is necessary for you to be saved AND faith is necessary for your household to be saved. Pure and simple. Don’t read more into the verse than what is there. These people were Ronan gentiles. They likely had never heard of Jesus and certainly not His gospel. The first thing they had to do was believe in Him as the Son of God. This is why they had to be TAUGHT ( verse 32) before they could believe. Baptism is a vital part of the gospel of Christ (see Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch) and was part of what he was taught by Paul; this is proven by the fact that as soon as they were “TAUGHT”. They were all baptized immediately. (Verse 33).
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
25,464
13,409
113
58
#19
No. While your faith may influence others, this verse is simply showing that faith is necessary for you to be saved AND faith is necessary for your household to be saved. Pure and simple. Don’t read more into the verse than what is there. These people were Ronan gentiles. They likely had never heard of Jesus and certainly not His gospel. The first thing they had to do was believe in Him as the Son of God. This is why they had to be TAUGHT ( verse 32) before they could believe. Baptism is a vital part of the gospel of Christ (see Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch) and was part of what he was taught by Paul; this is proven by the fact that as soon as they were “TAUGHT”. They were all baptized immediately. (Verse 33).
In Acts 16:31, they were all baptized (verse 33) AFTER they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and were saved. Baptism is not a vital part of the gospel of Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:17) Upon the enuch's profession of faith in Acts 8:37, which saved him (compare with John 20:31) he was then AFTERWARDS baptized (verse 38). The gospel is the "good news" of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that BELIEVES.. (Romans 1:16) To "believe" the gospel is to trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation.
 

jacko

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2024
847
488
63
#20
In Acts 16:31, they were all baptized (verse 33) AFTER they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and were saved. Baptism is not a vital part of the gospel of Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:17) Upon the enuch's profession of faith in Acts 8:37, which saved him (compare with John 20:31) he was then AFTERWARDS baptized (verse 38). The gospel is the "good news" of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that BELIEVES.. (Romans 1:16) To "believe" the gospel is to trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation.
Amen