Acts 16:31Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

By immediately entering into conversation with him, they showed their love for mankind toward him. "Believe," he says, "on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and all your household." It greatly affects people to hear that their household too will be saved. See also Paul's zeal. He did not delay and did not leave him unattended. Though he was in bonds, in the stocks, and covered with wounds, he immediately administered the mysteries to him and to all his household. After spiritual cleansing and the spiritual table, he also accepted a bodily table.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and all your household." Even in prison Paul gave himself no rest. There too he drew the jailer to himself and accomplished this beautiful captivity.

He who believed in the Lord Jesus at the exhortation of the apostles, as one who had believed God, “rejoiced with all his house, having believed.” But if the Son were truly a creature and a thing made, according to the impious words of the heretics, why was the jailer not directed by the apostles to true knowledge? Why did he not hear from them, “You have not believed in God, O man, but in something among creatures and things made”? Yet we do not see them saying this. Rather, he was most pleasing to them, as one excellently disposed and possessing a true judgment concerning the faith. How, then, is it not already clear to all that the Son is God by nature? And being such, how can He be a creature and a thing made?

The innocent prisoners gave him a consoling answer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and all your household."

The Apostles of Christ first answered the jailer briefly. "Believe," they said, "in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your whole household."

Yet these few words contain everything that the pious believe. Faith in Christ has no other foundation than Jesus Christ Himself.

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ"; 1 Cor 3:11. Everything we believe is related to Jesus Christ, belongs to Him, and has Him as its foundation and confirmation.

Whoever believes in Him inherits eternal life. "He who believes in the Son," says Scripture, "has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life"; Jn 3:36.

The jailer, awakened by him and terrified when he found the prison doors open, wished to kill himself, but he was stopped by the Apostle Paul. Calling for a light, he learned by his own experience that no prisoner had in fact left the prison. Attributing this miracle to the Jewish strangers, the jailer fell at the feet of Paul and Silas. Probably already knowing something of their preaching, he asked what he must do to be saved. The apostles required him to believe in Jesus Christ and be baptized. The jailer did not delay in fulfilling their demand. After brief instruction he was baptized with all his household. In gratitude toward his benefactors, he took them from the prison into his house, washed their wounds, and set a meal before them. Thus the following morning was met with joy.

Yet even here divine help did not abandon the Apostles. A miraculous earthquake shook the foundation of the prison building, opened all its doors, and loosed the bonds of all the prisoners. It converted the jailer to Christ with his whole household.

The next day the city authorities wanted to release Christ's prisoners without trial, just as they had cast them into prison without trial. Then the Apostle Paul made use of his rights as a Roman citizen.

He did this so that, in the future, the arbitrary conduct of civil authorities would place fewer obstacles before the word of God. He compelled the city authorities publicly to apologize to him and Silas for the dishonor inflicted on them without trial, though they were Roman citizens.

Clearly, he asks only about himself and his own salvation. Yet the apostles answer him concerning the salvation both of himself and of his whole house, although they require faith only from him. They say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and all your house.” This is like the case of Zacchaeus. Because of his faith and repentance, the Lord proclaims salvation to his whole house: “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham” (Lk 19:9). It is evident that in both cases the faith of the head of the house is, in a certain measure, imputed to his household and serves for their salvation. Through this the teaching of the Holy Church concerning the baptism of children becomes still clearer. They become partakers of saving grace and are numbered among the chosen flock through the faith of their sponsors and of the parents who bring them to the baptismal font.

The apostles require faith in the Lord Jesus the Messiah as the necessary condition. There and then they briefly instruct all of them in the teaching of Christ.

The conversion of the jailer to Christ was as astonishing as the earthquake was living and powerful. It deeply shook not only the outer supports of the prison, but also its inner stronghold, the firm and resolute soul of the jailer.

As an honest man, he inspected the prison and was convinced that all the prisoners were intact. He at once understood in whom that great power rested, by which even mountains are moved.

So he humbly fell down before Paul and Silas, who apparently were in the dark pit, a deep stone well. Then, leading them out from there, he asked them for instruction concerning salvation.

"Believe," they said, "and you will be saved, you and your whole household."