15.0 Elsewhere: Thyatira

There is an example which took place at the Greek city of Thyatira, in which a man became saved.  This particular example is commonly misused by many who say that water baptism is unnecessary.  It reads:

ACTS 16:29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
ACTS 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
ACTS 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Believe what about Jesus Christ??  That He was a Jew? a Greek?  Perhaps that he was tall? that He was a farmer? a carpenter? a plumber?  Believe what?

Nevertheless, all to many people slap their Bibles shut at this point and say "See there—Believe only!"  In doing so, they ignore Christ's commandment of baptism completely.  Nevertheless, at the very next verse, the jailor was told what to believe about Jesus Christ:

ACTS 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
ACTS 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

The pattern that this incident follows has already been seen in earlier precedents, and does not present anything new.  Compare this incident with what we have already read:

• From section 9, above:
  ACTS 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
  ACTS 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
  

  Philip "preached Christ."  The Samaritans were told what to believe about Jesus Christ.  When they believed, they acted according to that belief and were baptized.  Therefore, water baptism was among the things that Philip preached, when he "preached Christ."  For more details, see section 9.

• Likewise, from section 10, above:
  ACTS 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
  ACTS 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
  ACTS 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
  ACTS 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
  

  Philip "preached unto [the eunuch] Jesus."  He was told what to believe about Jesus.  When he believed, he was baptized (it was the eunuch who implored "why can't I be baptized?"). For more details, see section 10.

Just as in either of these two preceding examples, the jailor was first told that he must believe in Jesus Christ at Acts 16:31.  Then, at Acts 16:32, he was told what to believe about Jesus Christ.  In accordance with this belief, he was baptized at Acts 16:33!

15.1 Other observations on the baptism of the jailor at Thyatira

15.1.1 Baptism was part of the word of the Lord that was taught at Acts 16:32.

15.1.2 The jailor and his household were baptized in the name of "Jesus Christ."  The jailor was specifically told that he must "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" at Acts 16:31.  In the next verse, he was taught "the word of the Lord," (whose name is Jesus Christ, per Acts 16:31).  "The Lord Jesus Christ," is the only name mentioned or referred to in this incident.  Furthermore, it has been previously established (in section 6.1) that the phrase "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" is never mentioned in the book of Acts.  With this in mind, along with the precedent stated at Acts 2:38, the only reasonable and honest conclusion that can be made is that the jailor and his house were baptized in the name of "The Lord Jesus Christ."

15.1.3 The scriptures do not specifically say that this jailor believed.  There are those who point out that the book of Acts does not always specifically mention baptism at each example in which men are saved.  It should be noted that at Acts 16, the Bible likewise does not say that the jailor believed either.

So the question remains: did the jailor believe?  He did.  How do we know this?  It doesn't actually say that he believed.  It is understood that the jailor believed, because of the precedent (section 7) of earlier examples (Acts 2:41, Acts 4:4, etc.), and because of what is plainly written elsewhere, at Mark 16:16, and Hebrews 11:6, etc.