The Conversion of the Jailor
A. USED TO TEACH FAITH ONLY SALVATION.
1. What was the answer to the jailor's question?
2. Only faith is mentioned, faith alone must be okay.
B. WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT CONVERSION FROM THIS?
A. Acts 16:31. ONLY FAITH MENTIONED.
B. Acts 22:16. ONLY BAPTISM MENTIONED.
C. Acts 2:38. REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM.
D. THUS WE HAVE 3 DISTINCT THEORIES.
E. THIS PASSAGE IS OFTEN LINKED WITH Eph. 2:8-9 TO SHOW
MAN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS OWN SALVATION; THAT
THERE IS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN SALVATION AND WORKS.
BUT IN THIS PASSAGE, FAITH IS A WORK ( John 6:39 ).
A. "WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?"
B. IN ANSWERING, PAUL GAVE AN ANSWER CONSISTENT WITH
THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF THE JAILOR.
1. He'd never heard about Jesus, or what to believe about him.
2. So Paul started where he was.
3. Illustrations:
a. How do you bake a pie? In an oven, from a recipe, carefully?
b. Different people give differing directions when asked.
C. CONSIDER WHAT PAUL SAID MORE CLOSELY.
1. He didn't say faith only, before he could do anything else.
2. He also spoke unto him the word of the Lord. Why?
A. HE OBVIOUSLY BELIEVED.
B. HE REPENTED - SHOWN BY KINDNESS AND HOSPITALITY.
C. HE WAS BAPTIZED IMMEDIATELY. WHY?
1. They had spoken the word of the Lord to him.
2. What is the word of the Lord( Mat. 28:19-20; Mark 16:16 ).
A. WHO SAID THERE WERE BABIES IN HIS HOUSE?
B. BABIES DON'T NEED IT( Ez. 18 ).
C. IF BABIES DID, IT WOULD DO THEM NO GOOD.
1. Can't repent( Acts 17:30 ).
2. Can't confess( Matt. 10:32-33 ).
3. Can't believe( Mark 16:15-16 ).
D. THOSE WHO WERE BAPTIZED INCLUDED ALL WHO COULD
RESPOND ( Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16 ).
