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