Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
The conversion of the Philippian jailor is recorded in Acts chapter 16. The jailor inquired of Paul and Silas: “Sirs what must I do to be saved?” In response to the man’s question, Paul and Silas responded: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:30-31).
The statement—“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”—is a very popular line of Scripture. It is quite common to see this reference on the sides of church vans, on bill-boards in the vicinity of church buildings, or in religious tracts. It is, indeed, a beautiful and powerful declaration of the Bible.
Yet, I am persuaded that many good, religious folk misunderstand what this line of Scripture teaches. In order to understand the meaning of this statement, it will help to consider the context. The context of the scriptural reference is as follows: When Paul and Silas were in the city of Troas, Paul saw a vision, in which, there was a man of Macedonia saying, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (verse 9). Immediately Paul and Silas went into Macedonia, and after a couple of stops along the way they came to Philippi (verse 12). As far as we know, this was the first time the gospel was preached on the continent of Europe. It was in Philippi that Paul and Silas were beaten with many stripes and thrown into prison (verse 23). At midnight, there was a frightening earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison, and it also opened the prison doors, providing the prisoners with an opportunity to escape. Believing the prisoners had escaped, the hapless jailor drew his sword and was about to end his life. “But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do thyself no harm: for we are all here’” (verse 28). It was then that the jailor asked what to do to be saved, and Paul and Silas told him to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Then, Paul and Silas spoke “unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house” (verse 32). After hearing the gospel message, the jailor washed the wounds Paul and Silas had sustained during the brutal beating they endured just hours earlier. Having washed the bloody backs of God’s messengers, the jail-keeper was baptized…immediately (verse 33). It was then that the jailor “rejoiced, believing in God with all his house” (verse 34).
Here are some lessons learned from this account: (1) The jailor had to hear God’s Word in order to believe. After Paul and Silas instructed the jailor to believe, they then taught the man the Word of God. It would not have been possible for the jailor to believe without hearing God’s Word (Roman 10:17). Remember, this is the first biblical account of the gospel being preached on the continent of Europe. Consequently, the jailor did not know what to believe about “the Lord Jesus Christ.” He had to be taught about Jesus. (2) The jailor regretted that he had persecuted Paul and Silas. This is indicated in that he “washed their stripes” (verse 33). He realized that he was wrong and wanted to make amends for his wrongdoing. In other words, he was penitent. (3) The jailor was baptized “immediately.” The jailor did not wait for a more convenient time. Rather, he was baptized during the hours just past midnight. This shows that baptism is not optional for the one desiring salvation. This is because baptism is “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38; 22:16). (4) The jailor did not rejoice until he heard God’s Word, believed on Christ, repented of his sins (indicated by washing the wounds of Paul and Silas), and was baptized (verse 34).
After examining the details of this conversion account, we can safely conclude that, in order to be saved, one must be a penitent-believer who is baptized for the remission of sins. All of these things are involved in the statement: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Only by keeping passages in context, can we understand the truth of God’s Word.
