Bible Reading:
Acts 16:16-34
16And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Devotional:
Despite the placing of these prisoners in maximum security, they were escaping. The jailor was grasping his sword to take his own life rather than submit to execution for failure to fulfil his duty. But the prisoners assured him that they were not running away, so he must not take his life.
This jailor had seen enough of Paul and Silas to believe that they had something he needed. 'What must I do to be saved?' he asked them. He was given the message that would bring salvation not only for time but for eternity.
He brought Paul and Silas into his home, and he and all in his house listened to the gospel story. 'He was baptized, he and all his household' (16:33). He 'set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household' (16:34 NASB).
This section has been bandied about by Christians. Some assume from it that each member believed, so was entitled to baptism because of his personal faith. Some claim that it sets forth the right of the children of believers to baptism because of the covenant which God had made with Abraham to be a God to His people and to their children.
With no information concerning the ages of the members of the household we would not use this incident by itself to substantiate infant baptism. But it is one of several instances of household baptism. And it is consonant with God's dealing with men through the ages. He has worked in families in the past and He does so today! He includes our families in the covenant. Our young children enjoy the fellowship of God and His larger family. They experience the love and concern as well as the training and discipline of the church.
In the Old Testament, the sign of the covenant was circumcision, and male children were entitled to it. In the New Testament the sign is changed. Now it does not involve the shedding of blood. The Supreme Sacrifice has been made! Now it involves water, which is used in Scripture to typify cleansing by the Holy Spirit. Children of believers today are not less favored by God. They are included in His covenant and have a right to baptism, the outward sign of this inclusion. And now, in keeping with the enlarged privileges of the New Testament era, the covenant sign is one adapted to little girls as well as boys.
The whole family of the Philippian jailor rejoiced! Not only had God spared the father's life, He had provided eternal life for the father and all the household as well.
We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."
Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.
Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.
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