Help Me Out Here

[LearningToLetGo]

Acts 16:31 (ESV)

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Is this a relic of a bygone social order or can one person vicariously cause another's salvation?

 

[synthplayer]

My father pastored six churches, and in all of those congregations, I never saw a husband who attended and served the Lord while his wife did not. There were dozens of women who attended and served while their husbands refused, but not the opposite. And, sadly, the children never attended once they reached an age where they could refuse.

 

[Major]

Acts 16:31 (ESV)

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Is this a relic of a bygone social order or can one person vicariously cause another's salvation?

I am afraid that this is one of those Scriptures that when taken out of context has caused a lot of grief and pain.

Some wish to prove from this text that when the head of a family comes to faith, he can be assured that his whole family will follow him in faith however......there is no such promise here.!!!

When we read all of the verses carefully we will see that the offer of salvation by faith in Jesus was offered to the jailer, and to his whole household. The message of salvation was proclaimed to the jailer, and his whole household. The message of salvation was believed by the jailer, and his whole household. And as the jailer professed his faith by being baptized, so did the others in his household. The offer was to the jailer and all of his household. The acceptance of this offer was by the jailer and his whole household, but there is no guarantee that this will always be so.

We are all saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ONE AT A TIME. There is NO such thing as household salvation!

 

[Major]

My father pastored six churches, and in all of those congregations, I never saw a husband who attended and served the Lord while his wife did not. There were dozens of women who attended and served while their husbands refused, but not the opposite. And, sadly, the children never attended once they reached an age where they could refuse.

I can not tell you how many times I heard a woman say to me...........
"My husband promised me that when we are married he will get saved and come to church with me"!

It jsut does not happen which proves that we only get saved when God calls us to be saved and not when we want to be saved.

 

[YeshuaFan]

I am afraid that this is one of those Scriptures that when taken out of context has caused a lot of grief and pain.

Some wish to prove from this text that when the head of a family comes to faith, he can be assured that his whole family will follow him in faith however......there is no such promise here.!!!

When we read all of the verses carefully we will see that the offer of salvation by faith in Jesus was offered to the jailer, and to his whole household. The message of salvation was proclaimed to the jailer, and his whole household. The message of salvation was believed by the jailer, and his whole household. And as the jailer professed his faith by being baptized, so did the others in his household. The offer was to the jailer and all of his household. The acceptance of this offer was by the jailer and his whole household, but there is no guarantee that this will always be so.

We are all saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ONE AT A TIME. There is NO such thing as household salvation!

Think another abused passage refers to 1 Corinthians 7:14, 15: For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
As it does NOT mean unsaved husband and children now right with god, but that the saved spouse can be used by God to influence and help them to now getting saved.

 

[YeshuaFan]

I can not tell you how many times I heard a woman say to me...........
"My husband promised me that when we are married he will get saved and come to church with me"!

It jsut does not happen which proves that we only get saved when God calls us to be saved and not when we want to be saved.

Think that at times the wife especially will think that somehow her and new husband will have their 'Holy Kiss" at the wedding, and that is when God zaps him into being now saved

 

[LearningToLetGo]

Some wish to prove from this text that when the head of a family comes to faith, he can be assured that his whole family will follow him in faith however......there is no such promise here.!!!

This is a linguistic shorthand then? Perhaps translators should be more clear in its meaning.

 

[Major]

This is a linguistic shorthand then? Perhaps translators should be more clear in its meaning.

NO sir I do not think so. Those people who believe in "household" salvation do so because that is what they want to believe.

IF and WHEN we read all of the Scriptures or we listen to a qualified Christian teacher, we will understand and know that the command to believe is directed to individuals and the act of believing is a personal action.

That being said, we can know that salvation can only come to an individual who personally believes in Christ one person at a time. Believing in Christ is not something that a father can do for a son or daughter. The fact that one member of a family or household believes does not guarantee that the rest will also believe.

 

[YeshuaFan]

NO sir I do not think so. Those people who believe in "household" salvation do so because that is what they want to believe.

IF and WHEN we read all of the Scriptures or we listen to a qualified Christian teacher, we will understand and know that the command to believe is directed to individuals and the act of believing is a personal action.

That being said, we can know that salvation can only come to an individual who personally believes in Christ one person at a time. Believing in Christ is not something that a father can do for a son or daughter. The fact that one member of a family or household believes does not guarantee that the rest will also believe.

Same as the proverbs about raising the child up in the ways of the lord and he shall not depart from it in old age, but sadly, some of the most departing from that pathway were pastors kids, so see it as being a general and godly admonition. but not absolute promise

 

[faither]

Acts 16:31 (ESV)

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Is this a relic of a bygone social order or can one person vicariously cause another's salvation?

The first problem with Acts 16:31 in the word "believe" is a mistranslation. "Believing only in the Lord Jesus will avail nothing.

The mistranslated words believe, believer, and believing come from the Greek word Pisteuo. The word pisteuo used 148 times in the NT could not be correctly translated into the English language because the English language has no verb form of the the Greek word Pisteuo.

The definition of the Greek word Pisteuo is "A personal surrender to Him,(our lives) and a life inspired by such surrender". Which means, what saves you and your household is when a called out one responds to the unmerited favor of Grace with Pisteuo (Faith), You would be continually surrendering your life to Him each day, all day if necessary, and live a live inspired by this surrender. Which is making all the little daily decisions with the understanding that your life is no longer yours anymore but His now. If this life of Pisteuo {faith} is genuine, you can expect (not desire) the Grace deposit to be put in you. This begins an entirely new discussion, but i hope and understand that in this state of being the Scripture reads correct, "you, and your household will be saved."

I also understand there are very few in this state of being due to the misunderstanding of the word Pisteuo.

 

[LearningToLetGo]

The definition of the Greek word Pisteuo is "A personal surrender to Him,(our lives) and a life inspired by such surrender". Which means, what saves you and your household is when a called out one responds to the unmerited favor of Grace with Pisteuo (Faith), You would be continually surrendering your life to Him each day, all day if necessary, and live a live inspired by this surrender. Which is making all the little daily decisions with the understanding that your life is no longer yours anymore but His now.

Thank you for this excellent response.

 

[bobinfaith]

The first problem with Acts 16:31 in the word "believe" is a mistranslation. "Believing only in the Lord Jesus will avail nothing. The mistranslated words believe, believer, and believing come from the Greek word Pisteuo. The word pisteuo used 148 times in the NT could not be correctly translated into the English language because the English language has no verb form of the the Greek word Pisteuo. The definition of the Greek word Pisteuo is "A personal surrender to Him,(our lives) and a life inspired by such surrender". Which means, what saves you and your household is when a called out one responds to the unmerited favor of Grace with Pisteuo (Faith), You would be continually surrendering your life to Him each day, all day if necessary, and live a live inspired by this surrender. Which is making all the little daily decisions with the understanding that your life is no longer yours anymore but His now. If this life of Pisteuo {faith} is genuine, you can expect (not desire) the Grace deposit to be put in you. This begins an entirely new discussion, but i hope and understand that in this state of being the Scripture reads correct, "you, and your household will be saved." I also understand there are very few in this state of being due to the misunderstanding of the word Pisteuo.

Hello faither;

Welcome back! I'd like to add my thoughts to your good post.

In Acts 16 Paul and Silas had begun their second missionary in Syria and Cilicia. They would encounter many lands, peoples, customs and the jailer who was hardened toward Paul and Silas. He would later ask them, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” - NKJV

When I first read "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" to me, seemed too easy, like "instant fix" faith. It's like when someone is in an extreme circumstance and we respond to them with, "just pray to the Lord", or, "we'll pray for that person" is like putting the prayer request on the shelf. Both can lack spiritual insensitivity of the heart.

John 3:16, 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - RSV

John 3:16 is a good example of the Biblical teaching of Believe; knowing without a doubt Jesus is real, to trust, rely on, and embrace Him. These words may sound poetic on the surface but on a deeper personal level.

Pisteuo (verb) for "to believe" complement pistis (noun) for faith, trust, belief. Both are related more in a deep and reverential time with Christ.

You feel Believe is a mistranslation. Please elaborate. I personally feel the Biblical Believe, as it is read in the translations is still misunderstood and needs further study in the believer's disciplined walk with Christ.

God bless everyone.

Bob

 

[forgiven61]

My father pastored six churches, and in all of those congregations, I never saw a husband who attended and served the Lord while his wife did not. There were dozens of women who attended and served while their husbands refused, but not the opposite. And, sadly, the children never attended once they reached an age where they could refuse.

i use to be one of those men ..my wife son went but i didn't.. men are stubborn and prideful by the worlds standards church is not man hood stuff .salvation is a individual choice . you train the child up so that he has something to go by when he gets older. its like a seed sown they may reject it but the truth they will always know