Receiving the Holy Spirit, Being Saved, Rejoicing, Believing…An Exercise in Common Sense

NOTE: Update below re: the household of Stephanas

Instead of calling the events in the NT where groups of people are baptized together as household ‘baptisms’, which is what many brothers and sisters exclusively refer to them as, I think they should also be called household ‘conversions’, and I think the ones which contain any details at all give us a pretty clear picture that the ‘households’ were not only baptized, but were also converted to Christ. This will be a very quick look at the events in the NT where households were involved.

First, we will look at the ones with no information as to what took place to those in the household prior to their baptism.

1. Lydia

And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. And she prevailed upon us. – Acts 16:13-15

NOTE: There is no information as to what transpired with the members of Lydia’s household before they were baptized. To say that nothing happened at all is to assume way too much and reads far too much into what is not recorded.

2. Stephanus

I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) – 1 Cor. 1:14-16

NOTE: Again, there is no information at all regarding what transpired with respect to the household of Stephanus prior to their baptism. And, for that matter, there is no information regarding what transpired with respect to Stephanus himself as well.

UPDATE: Thanks to a dear brother of mine, I need to revise this portion concerning the household of Stephanas and make it clearly known that the Scripture actually states that his household WAS converted, and not just baptized. In 1 Cor. 16:15, Paul says, “Now I urge you, brothers, you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints“. So, not only were they baptized, but they were also converted!

Next, we will briefly look at the NT events surrounding household baptisms which contain more information concerning what took place with the households themselves.

3. Cornelius

Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. – Acts 10:47-48

And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household. – Acts 11:12-14

NOTE: Not only did all those along with Cornelius in his household receive the Holy Spirit, but Cornelius was told ahead of time (as recounted by Peter to those in Jeruslaem) by the angel that what Peter would proclaim to them would result in his whole household being saved. So, you have the household of Cornelius being saved and baptized.

4. Jailer

Then he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And 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 and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. – Acts 16:3-34

NOTE: The jailer’s household heard the same gospel message that he did, they were baptized at the same time as he was, and they rejoiced with him (the Greek for ‘rejoice’ actually means to exult, to be exceedingly joyful – picture people jumping for joy).

5. Crispus

Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. – Acts 18:8

NOTE: The text is clear that the entire household of Crispus believed.

So, of the household events in the NT that contain any information at all about the members of the households themselves, we have overwhelming evidence from the texts that they 1) were converted, 2) received the Holy Spirit, 3) were saved, 4) rejoiced with exceeding joy, and 5) had faith. These are not descriptions of the main characters of each event, but specifically of those within the households. These don’t sound like people who were not changed by the gospel that flowed into their ears. Oh, and yes, they were baptized too. But I think the emphasis should not be on the fact that they were baptized, but rather on the truth that they were converted to Christ! These households were regenerated! Praise God!

I pray my entire household likewise will one day be wholly converted to the living Christ.