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"CONVERSIONS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS"
Two Households At Philippi (Acts 16:6-34)
INTRODUCTION
1. With "The Conversion Of Cornelius", we were introduced to an event
that was not uncommon in the early church...
a. A situation where an entire family, or household, was converted
b. We have three similar cases recorded in Acts
1) The conversion of Lydia and her household - Acts 16:15
2) The conversion of the Philippian jailer and his household
- Acts 16:33-34
3) The conversion of Crispus and his household - Acts 18:8
2. Such households likely consisted of both family and servants...
a. Cornelius sent two of his household servants to Peter - Acts 10:7
b. He had gathered his family as well as friends to hear Peter
- Acts 10:24; Acts 16:33
-- Some wonder whether such families included infants as well, and
if so, were they were baptized too
3. As the gospel spread to Europe, the first two examples of conversion
involved "Two Households At Philippi"
a. With the conversion of Lydia - Acts 16:11-15
b. With the conversion of the Philippian Jailer - Acts 16:25-40
[As we continue our study in the book of Acts, we shall examine both of
these examples in this lesson, to glean whatever we can about
conversion, including the issue of "infant baptism".
Let's first consider...]
I. THE CONVERSION OF LYDIA AND HER HOUSEHOLD
A. PRECIPITATED BY "THE MACEDONIAN CALL"...
1. Paul and his travel companions had been making their way
through modern day Turkey, with the Spirit limiting their
options - Acts 16:6-8
2. Paul has a vision of a man of Macedonian pleading, "Come over
to Macedonia and help us" - Acts 16:9
3. Taking the vision as a sign that the Lord wanted them to go
there, they travel to Philippi (a chief city of Macedonia)
- Acts 16:10-12
B. LYDIA AND HER HOUSEHOLD ARE BAPTIZED...
1. Paul and his companions go down to the riverside on the
Sabbath - Acts 16:13
a. It was Paul's custom to find a synagogue and on the Sabbath
to reason with Jews about Christ - cf. Acts 17:1-3
b. Evidently there were not that many Jews in Philippi, and no
synagogue
c. But at least there were some women who met at the river to
pray
2. Paul speaks to them, and Lydia heeded his word - Acts 16:14
a. She was evidently a successful business woman, yet one who
worshipped God
1) Her name is Greek, perhaps a convert to Judaism
2) From Thyatira, she was seller of purple dye
b. The Lord "opened her heart" to heed the things spoken by
Paul
1) In what way the Lord opened her heart is not stated
2) But she had "heard" what Paul was speaking (cf. Acts 16:13c-14a),
and we know that "faith comes by hearing the
word of God" - Ro 10:17
3) Through the gospel, then, one's heart can be opened to
be receptive
c. She was willing "to heed the things spoken by Paul"
1) I.e., to do or obey whatever Paul had said
2) We can infer from what follows that it included baptism
3. Lydia and her household are baptized - Acts 16:15
C. SOME OBSERVATIONS...
1. Once again we see things gleaned from earlier examples of
conversion
a) Very religious people are being receptive to the gospel
- Acts, chapters 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10
b) Baptism occurs immediately, after hearing just one lesson
- Acts, chapters 2 (the 3000), 8 (the Ethiopian eunuch)
and 10 (Cornelius and his household)
2. In begging Paul and his companions to stay with her, she asks
"If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord..."
a) What evidence was there to determine whether she was
faithful?
b) At the very least, there was her willingness to be
baptized!
3. Did her "household" include infants?
a. Proponents of infant baptism often appeal to the example of
a "household" being baptized as evidence of infant baptism
in the early church
b. They say it is plausible to assume infants were present,
but is that the case here?
1) Lydia was a businesswoman, with no mention of a husband
2) She was from Thyatira, possibly in Philippi only on
business (though she did have a home)
c. We can just as easily assume that her household was made up
of servants, or at the least, children old enough to travel
-- The burden of proof rests upon those seeking to support
infant baptism, and the evidence in this case simply isn't
there
[From the example of one who was evidently a truth-seeker, we now turn
to the conversion of one who appears to have "stumbled" onto the
gospel...]
II. THE CONVERSION OF THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER AND HIS HOUSEHOLD
A. PRECIPITATED BY THE ARREST OF PAUL AND SILAS...
1. Paul exorcises a spirit of divination from a slave girl
- Acts 16:16-18
2. Her masters have Paul and Silas beaten and imprisoned
- Acts 16:19-24
B. THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER AND HIS HOUSEHOLD ARE BAPTIZED...
1. Events leading to the jailer's conversion - Acts 16:25-29
a. Paul and Silas are singing in prison at midnight, with
others listening
b. An earthquake shakes loose the doors and everyone's chains
c. The jailer, fearing the prisoners escaped, is about to
commit suicide
d. He is stopped by Paul, who reassures him that all the
prisoners are present
e. Trembling, he falls down before Paul and Silas
2. The conversion of the jailer and his household - Acts 16:30-34
a. He asks, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved"
b. Paul responds, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you
will be saved, you and your household"
c. Paul then proceeds to speak the word of the Lord to him and
those in his house
d. In the same hour of the night, the jailer washes the
stripes of Paul and Silas, and is baptized along with all
his family
e. He then brings Paul and Silas into his home, feeds them,
and rejoices that he and his family have believed in God
C. SOME OBSERVATIONS...
1. This example of conversion does not teach salvation by "faith
only"
a. It is common for some people to simply note verses 30-31
1) They offer this verse as containing the whole plan of
salvation
2) Denying therefore the necessity of baptism
b. Of course, this verse says nothing about repentance,
confessing Jesus, etc., which the Bible requires elsewhere
- cf. Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30; Ro 10:9-10
c. The context must be taken into consideration
1) Salvation requires faith, so it is natural that would be
the first thing to tell someone who asks "What must I do
to be saved?"
2) Without faith, one is not a suitable subject for baptism
- cf. Acts 8:36-37
3) Having established the necessity of faith, Paul
proceeded to speak "the word of the Lord to him and to
all who were in his house." - Acts 16:32
a) Though not mentioned, would this not have included
the need to repent?
b) What is mentioned, though, is that they were baptized
immediately!
-- Clearly the "word of the Lord" included baptism
- Mk 16:16
4) It is not until after he and his family were baptized,
that Luke describes them as "having believed in God with
all his household" - Acts 16:34
d. Taken out of context, one might use verses 30-31 to teach
salvation does not involve baptism, but in the context it
certainly appears to play a significant role!
2. This example of conversion reveals something about the
"purpose" of baptism
a. Contrary to the doctrine of many churches, the purpose of
baptism is not to make a public profession of one's faith
b. As we saw in the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch,
baptism can occur when there is only the baptizer and the
baptizee - Acts 8:36-38
c. In this case, a family is baptized in the wee hours of the
morning (after midnight, in the same hour) - Acts 16:25; Acts 16:33
d. The purpose of baptism is hinted at by the fact...
1) It was done immediately, even in the pre-dawn hour
2) It was done whether in private or public
e. This example of conversion is consistent with the purpose
expressed...
1) By Peter ("for the remission of sins") - Acts 2:38
2) By Ananias ("wash away your sins") - Acts 22:16
-- As such, you don't delay, and it doesn't matter if done
in private!
3. This example of conversion provides no evidence of infant
baptism
a. Again, some appeal to the mention of "household" to infer
infants were included in the baptism
b. Yet the text states that:
1) Paul "spoke the word of the Lord...to all who were in
his house", implying that all were able to listen and
understand what was said - Acts 16:32
2) The jailer rejoiced, "having believed in God with all
his household"; i.e., everyone believed, implying the
ability of all to believe what they heard - Acts 16:34
c. There is nothing here to preclude what we have already
concluded as necessary requirements to be a subject
qualified for baptism:
1) Repentance - Acts 2:38
2) Whole-hearted faith - Acts 8:37
-- Both of which infants are incapable
CONCLUSION
1. With the conversion of "Two Households At Philippi", a wonderful
church was born...
a. The church at Philippi, to which the epistle to the Philippians
was written
b. A congregation that supported the apostle Paul and the preaching
of the gospel throughout Macedonia and into Achaia -
Philippians 1:3-5; Chap. 4:15-16
c. A congregation that was mindful of Paul even toward the end of
his life, as he awaited trial in Rome -
Philippians 4:10; verse 14; verses 17-18
-- Never underestimate the effect of the gospel in the life of a
family!
2. The conversion of "Two Households At Philippi" are illustrative of
what Jesus taught in two parables...
a. "The Hidden Treasure" (Mt 13:44) depicts one who stumbles onto
the truth; the Philippian jailer was such a person
b. "The Pearl Of Great Price" (Mt 13:45-46) depicts one who is
searching for the truth; Lydia of Thyatira was certainly seeking
to please God
-- What is important to note is that the Lord knew such people
existed at Philippi (cf. the "Macedonian Call"), and saw to it
that they had an opportunity to hear the gospel
What kind of person are you? Whether you are one who has been on a
life-long search for truth, or have simply stumbled across the gospel,
are you willing to allow God to open your heart through the gospel and
heed the word of the Lord?
Only God knows, but perhaps you will save not only yourself, but your
whole family as well...
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