Acts 16:30
Acts 16:22-34
The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.
The Jailor likely heard the Gospel through the hymns being sung by Paul and Silas, if not also by hearing Paul’s own testimony. Otherwise, where would the Jailor have gotten the idea of salvation? He likely also had scoffed. But when he saw a tremendous miracle take place, and the fact that that miracle certainly meant his imminent execution (because of the escape of the prisoners), he instantly saw his life come to a close, and drew his sword to commit suicide. However, when the prisoners called out that they were still there, he found hope. When he saw their integrity for having not fled, and for their care and concern that he not harm himself, he begged of them: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
John Goodwin writes: “Again, neither can God, nor any minister of the gospel, say with truth to every particular man, if thou believest thou shalt be saved, unless it be supposed that there is salvation purchased or in being for them all.” (Redemption Redeemed, p.74, emphasis mine)
In other words, how could Paul tell this man that he could be saved, if he was not also 100% sure that Jesus died for him? However, to the Calvinist, “if thou believest” is key, because if he does, then it must be a sign that he is among the secret, Calvinistically elect:
George Bryson explains: “Calvinists would have us believe that this suicidal jailer, by asking this question, was manifesting the new birth. This is because Calvinists teach that no one will (or even can) want Christ until after they have been born again. If so, the proper Calvinist rendering should be something like: Since you are asking the question you must already be born again. Since you are already born again, you already have faith in Christ. Since you already have faith, which is the result of regeneration and necessary to justification, you need not do anything. You do not even need to be saved. Your very question, assuming you are sincere, makes clear that you are already saved.” (The Dark Side of Calvinism, p. 366, emphasis mine)
It should be noted, however, that not all Calvinists believe in pre-emptive New Birth, most especially Calvinist, D. James Kennedy:
Calvinist, D. James Kennedy, writes: “Our faith and our repentance are the work of God’s grace in our hearts. Our contribution is simply the sin for which Jesus Christ suffered and died. Would you be born anew? There has never been a person who sought for that who did not find it. Even the seeking is created by the Spirit of God. Would you know that new life? Are you tired of the emptiness and purposelessness of your life? Are you tired of the filthy rags of your own righteousness? Would you trust in someone else other than yourself? Then look to the cross of Christ. Place your trust in him. Ask him to come in and be born in you today. For Jesus came into the world from glory to give us second birth because we must--we MUST--be born again.” (Why I Believe, p.140, emphasis mine)
Clearly, D. James Kennedy is not advocating a doctrine whereby man is already Born Again before he prays to be made Born Again. Rather, he indicates that one is to pray to receive Christ in order to be made Born Again by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, what would be the point of asking Christ to come in and make you Born Again if you are already Born Again? Thus, he’s not advocating Preemptive New Birth.
Concerning the Jailor, if he believed in Jesus, then he would certainly take the Gospel to them. But if he rejected Christ, then they might never get to hear the Gospel, and thus perish. Therefore, the salvation of his family, as well as himself, was in his hands. If he rejects Christ, then it’s not just his own blood on his hands, but that of his own family as well. Consider Lot, in terms of how his choices ultimately effected his lineage, which turned out to be Moab. Thus, father’s have a great responsibility.
Calvinist, Erwin Lutzer, writes: “God’s choice of those who will be saved appears to be neither random nor arbitrary. He planned the context in which they would be converted. That is why I have never wondered whether my children are among the elect. Since they were born into a Christian home, we can believe that the means of their salvation will be the faithful teaching of God’s Word. God’s decision to save us involved planning where we would be born and the circumstances that would leads us to Christ. Election is part of a total picture.” (The Doctrines That Divide, p.217, emphasis mine)
How does being “born into a Christian home” provide assurance that the children of such a home are going to be one of Calvinism’s “elect”? How could physical birth be the “means” of their salvation when yet instead, according to Calvinism, a unilateral, irresistible, preemptive spiritual new birth (i.e. Regeneration) is the means of belief?
Luke Liechty comments: “What stood out to me most was Lutzer’s comments. It reeks heavily of the philosophy of the Jewish people who claimed salvation in Jesus’ day simply because they were children of Abraham. Physical birth has no implication as to salvific assurance. Influence in a positive sense, yes. Assurance, no. This also raises another question. If God is going to posit children in Christian homes so that they can be saved, we can essentially stop ALL evangelism because those not born in Christian homes must obviously not be objects of His love. And since they are not objects of His love, let them die in their sins for after all, God put them where they would not hear the Gospel.”
Question: How could Paul indiscriminately invite people to salvation, without knowing whether or not Jesus died for them? What if they weren’t one of Calvinism’s elect?
Answer: You cannot offer salvation to anyone, indiscriminately, unless Jesus died for all men, indiscriminately. When Paul adds that “you and your household” would be saved by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, without knowing who, or even how many people were in the jailors household, it follows that anyone can be saved, and that salvation is available to all, since salvation has been procured for all, by means of Calvary. That’s why there has to be an Unlimited Atonement. Without it, you cannot make a bona fide, indiscriminate offer of salvation.
Question: How did Paul even know that the Jailor had a household?
Answer: Although some may argue that he had a special revelation of the jailor’s family, or perhaps even had an opportunity to meet them while it prison, what if he didn’t? If he didn’t, could his statement still be true? In other words, can I truthfully walk up to any father on the street and bid him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household,” without knowing exactly how many children might be in his household? Yes, only if there was an Unlimited Atonement, to cover the sins of any in his family who might repent and believe. The bottom line is this: You cannot offer Jesus to those for whom Jesus allegedly never died.
Question: In the Calvinist system, what does faith accomplish, if a person is already Born Again, as a means to believe?
Answer: A Calvinist is forced by the Bible to answer that faith results in salvation. However, such a statement, must also require that being Born Again is not (yet) salvation. Worse yet, since being Born Again is an element of being “in Christ,” the Calvinist must also conclude that the new creature in Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:17), is not yet saved. Still worse, the Calvinist must conclude that a person who is no longer under condemnation via being “in Christ” (Romans 8:1), also must not (yet) be saved.
