Phillipian Jailer

[LionHeart777]

What is the Catholic answer to the Phillipian jailers ? “…what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) King James Version Study Bible (Red Letter Edition.)

 

[Fidelis]

What is the Catholic answer to the Phillipian jailers ? “…what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) King James Version Study Bible (Red Letter Edition.)

The same answer Paul and Barnabas gave him:

31
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.”
32
So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
33
He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once.

So they instructed him, he repented of his sins, he believed in the Lord Jesus (placed his **faith **in him and accepted him as Lord, which means he pledged his obedience to Jesus [The obedience of faith – Romans 1:5, 16:26]), and was baptized for the forgiveness of his sins:

36
[Peter said] “Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?”
38
Peter (said) to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.
39
For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:36-39)

Believe, repent, be baptized, obey. In the context of the whole Scripture, it’s quite simple. Hope that helps!

 

[VociMike]

It’s a very Catholic passage.

 

[LionHeart777]

thanks, not even all Protestants agree on this ? In case you couldn’t tell, this was kind of a bait, it was a bait, but I want to know b/c this is the big ? I need to know the Catholic position on the Gospel b/c I hear a lot of Protestants say that keeping the Sacrements is what Catholics teach.

My historic answer was/is, one recognizes that they are a sinner and that they can’t save themselves, realize that Christ is God’s only provsion and that He bore their sin on the cross, died, and rose again, and trust in Him for salvation. I believe that if one believes,they will produce fruit, eventually and inevitably.

Although, now I’m open to learning what catholicism teaches and then I will let God guide me if that’s what He wants me to embrace.

Peace,

Nick

 

[Fidelis]

thanks, not even all Protestants agree on this ? In case you couldn’t tell, this was kind of a bait, it was a bait, but I want to know b/c this is the big ? I need to know the Catholic position on the Gospel b/c I hear a lot of Protestants say that keeping the Sacrements is what Catholics teach.

My historic answer was/is, one recognizes that they are a sinner and that they can’t save themselves, realize that Christ is God’s only provsion and that He bore their sin on the cross, died, and rose again, and trust in Him for salvation. I believe that if one believes,they will produce fruit, eventually and inevitably.

Although, now I’m open to learning what catholicism teaches and then I will let God guide me if that’s what He wants me to embrace.

Peace,

Nick

Glad to be of service. Welcome to the forums. :tiphat:

 

[VociMike]

thanks, not even all Protestants agree on this ? In case you couldn’t tell, this was kind of a bait, it was a bait, but I want to know b/c this is the big ? I need to know the Catholic position on the Gospel b/c I hear a lot of Protestants say that keeping the Sacrements is what Catholics teach.

My historic answer was/is, one recognizes that they are a sinner and that they can’t save themselves, realize that Christ is God’s only provsion and that He bore their sin on the cross, died, and rose again, and trust in Him for salvation. I believe that if one believes,they will produce fruit, eventually and inevitably.

Although, now I’m open to learning what catholicism teaches and then I will let God guide me if that’s what He wants me to embrace.

We certainly welcome you here, and hope we will be on our best manners.

You will perhaps find in Catholic teaching more of an emphasis on our making an effort of the will (only possible by God’s grace, certainly) to obey God (and his Church, since he who hears his Church hears him). It’s not the infamous “works salvation” but it is an active free-will cooperation with God’s grace, which each person can always choose to engage in or ignore - and with most of us, it’s a combination of the two, since we are weak and fallen. So Catholics “keep the Sacraments” because God has ordained them (they are, in fact, great gifts of love to his people), and we seek to be obedient to his will.

And it is through this freely willed obedience, among other things, that we advance in sanctification, moving along that path that must result, if we are to enter heaven, in our complete sanctification. The process of purgatory, God’s final mercy to those who are saved, enters the picture if we have not completed our sanctification upon our death.

I’ll stop now and let you digest the answers you have received.

 

[Pax]

Nick,

Welcome to CAF…I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversations.

 

[LionHeart777]

Thanks,

you guys can see some of my other posts here too! I’ve been asking a lot of ?'s and have lots more

I’ve even called into the live show twice since I’ve been exploring Catholicism and Orthodoxy more deeply

 

[Teflon93]

Read Matthew 25 as well—Christ lays out the standard by which we shall be judged therein.

Of course, Christ’s teaching on salvation reached its apogee with the Eucharist as John 6 demonstrates. An inquiry into the ECFs will find that the Eucharist was considered the most essential sacrament, being as it is Christ himself.

Much of the writings of the ECFs may be found online here:

newadvent.org/fathers/

 

[Randy_Carson]

What is the Catholic answer to the Phillipian jailers ? “…what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) King James Version Study Bible (Red Letter Edition.)

The Philippian Jailer blew it. He missed a great chance to witness to Jesus. Well, here…let’s review the passage first:Acts 16:25-3425About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family. As the scriptures clearly indicate, the Philippian jailer and the adult members of his household who were old enough to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and savior were already saved by their faith alone. (Regrettfully, Luke was sloppy in his recounting of this incident and was not more careful to avoid giving the impression that minors had been baptized, also.)

Getting baptized “immediately”, “at that hour of the night”, that is, “about midnight”, was a missed opportunity. The jailer should have waited a few weeks or until the next meeting of the local assembly when he could have been baptized in front of the entire congregation as a symbol of his salvation. This ceremony would have been more edifying for those who were already members of the Church.

I mean, why the rush? No time to witness to his friends with the exact date that he “got saved” or to invite them to attend the ceremony, no time to have his name printed in the bulletin, no party afterward…just a quick slam-dunk and it was over.

This whole, distasteful episode is at odds with how things would be done in the typical Bible church today. Why, the conversion of such an important official as the administrator of the local correctional facility would be quite a feather in the cap of any modern evangelist…

What was Paul thinking?

 

[Teflon93]

We were also not told whether or not the jailer’s family TITHED.

THAT’s the true sign of faith, isn’t it?

 

[Fidelis]

We were also not told whether or not the jailer’s family TITHED.

THAT’s the true sign of faith, isn’t it?

Nah – it’s speaking in tongues or lively and entertaining praise and worship songs. If you don’t get into that, something must be wrong with your faith.

Or so some seem to think…

 

[Teflon93]

Nah – it’s speaking in tongues or lively and entertaining praise and worship songs. If you don’t get into that, something must be wrong with your faith.

Or so some seem to think…

Well, SOMEBODY’s got to pay for the pastor’s Italian suit and shoes!

State of the art audio and video presentation systems don’t come cheap either.

 

[ryanoneil]

The faith asked of the jailer is a faith that embraces Jesus as Lord and Savior and leads directly to Baptism. The spiritual transormation that takes place in this sacrament is found in

Peter (said) to them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

and is immediately evident as the jailer no longer views the missionaries as prisoners but as fellow brothers in need of hospitality, food, and first aid.