Passage Read: Acts 16-17
Meditation Verses: 16:30-34
Thought
The testimony of the Philippian jailer is interesting. There was a huge demonstration of God's power, clearly on behalf of Paul and Silas. The jailer doubtless had heard their singing and praying, and when he found none of the prisoners escaped when the doors came open and the chains fell off, he had to be completely overwhelmed. Paul's God was clearly like no other. And his question to Paul was, "What must I do to be saved?" It wasn't, "How do I adopt your mighty god?" He wasn't merely impressed with God's power; he understood there to be a question about salvation, and he lacked it. How did he make that connection? Did the hymns and prayers Paul and Silas sang and prayed speak of God and His righteousness and coming judgment? Were they also preaching to the other prisoners about their sin and need to repent and believe in Jesus? What did the jailer want to be saved from? He understood he was a debtor before Paul's God and in danger from Him. He knew he needed to be saved from something of vital importance. Then Paul and Silas explained everything, and the jailer and his household all believed and were baptized. So quickly, so simply. And they rejoiced. Just like that, they were saved and embraced as believers. And no word about any of the other prisoners!
Application
There's no telling who God has called to believe until we preach the Gospel. None of the other prisoners escaped when the jail fell open, but neither is there any record that any of them believed and were baptized. Only the jailer and his whole household. And he believed on the basis of a significant miracle, at least in his life, and the Gospel explained. It didn't take weeks; it didn't take classes. It took one conversation and they all believed. And Paul didn't hesitate to baptize them. Such was Paul's confidence in God and in the Gospel as the power to save all who believe. Those are not idle words, but words of power and truth. I can and should expect God's Gospel to produce saving faith, even at the first hearing of it. It is not repetition that breaks through to the heart of an unbeliever, but the Spirit of God through the Gospel. It may take someone hearing the Gospel multiple times before they believe, but that doesn't mean I need to be the one who repeats it over and over again to the same people. There is no mention of a single prisoner believing. All the attention is on the jailer. All my attention should be on the ones who believe; God will take care of the ones who do not believe. And when one accepts the Gospel of Jesus, there should be joy, there should be some clear indication of their faith, and I don't need to hesitate to baptize even one who clearly believes at their first hearing.