Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (NIV)

We know what they said, but what did they mean? They said, “…you and your house.” “House” is easy; it means “household,” “everyone in your house” or “family.” It is harder for us to agree on what “you and your household” means.

It could mean, “…you will be saved—and you will save everyone in your household.” This is the way that for many years scholars understood the meaning. The problem they had was that they could find nowhere else in the scriptures that implied or stated that one person’s belief can save another person. It is contrary to the understanding of salvation as being a personal  relationship with God, to believe that the head of the household can establish righteousness for everyone in his house just by establishing his own relationship with God.

Another attempt to explain the meaning of this passage is to look at it as wisdom. As an added-on piece of wisdom, it is telling the hearer what is probable. It would mean that when the head of a house believes upon Jesus, it is probable that his example will lead the others in his household to believe as well, and therefore God will save them as well. As a piece of wisdom or proverb, this understanding of the phrase is appropriate. However, there is a problem with this exclamation; Paul and Silas are answering a direct question, and an added-on proverb does not fit Paul’s normal way of speaking.

I believe this phrase means, “… salvation by faith is for you and is for your household.” Paul wants the jailer to know that God does not limit salvation to heads of households or people with power and influence. God offers salvation from the highest to the lowest. Paul explained the gospel to everyone in the house, and they all believed.

Faith in our Lord Jesus saves us; and salvation is for all who believe. Christians share the gospel because we know; the world cannot believe what it has not heard.