Acts 16:33 kjv
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
Acts 16:33 nkjv
And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
Acts 16:33 niv
At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.
Acts 16:33 esv
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.
Acts 16:33 nlt
Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.
Acts 16 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 16:33 | "he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes; and immediately he and all his family were baptized." | Jesus’ cleansing power, personal application |
| Acts 2:38 | "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." | Baptism and forgiveness of sins |
| Acts 16:14-15 | "One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, from Thyatira, a dealer in purple cloth, who was a merchant, respected. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message." | Divine initiative in opening hearts |
| Acts 18:8 | "Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his whole household. Many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized." | Whole households believing and baptized |
| Acts 11:14 | "he will bring you messages through which you and all your family will be saved.”" | Salvation for entire households |
| Romans 10:9 | "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." | Confession and belief for salvation |
| 1 Corinthians 1:16 | "(He also baptized the household of Stephanus. Besides that, he probably baptized some other people. I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)" | Baptism of households by Paul |
| Ephesians 2:8-9 | "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." | Salvation by grace through faith |
| Titus 3:5 | "he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit," | Washing of regeneration and renewal |
| Matthew 28:19 | "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," | The Great Commission, baptismal mandate |
| Mark 16:16 | "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." | Belief and baptism linked to salvation |
| Acts 16:25 | "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." | Prayer and praise in suffering |
| Acts 16:26 | "Suddenly a great earthquake occurred so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open and every prisoner’s chains came loosed." | Divine intervention, liberation |
| John 3:16 | "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." | God’s love, belief for eternal life |
| Isaiah 43:1 | "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." | God’s redemption and personal calling |
| Philippians 2:12 | "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling," | Working out salvation |
| Acts 2:41 | "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." | Immediate response to preaching, baptism |
| Acts 16:32 | "And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house." | Proclaiming the Word to all |
| Acts 9:18 | "Suddenly bolts of lightning flashed from the sky andilluminated the entire road, when behold, there was a bright light from heaven, flashing all around him. " | Divine revelation on the road |
| Romans 6:3-4 | "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." | Baptism signifies identification with Christ's death and resurrection |
| Acts 16:23-24 | "After they had been severely beaten, they were thrown into prison, with strict orders to keep them securely locked up. Following these instructions, the jailer put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks." | The suffering of Paul and Silas |
Acts 16 verses
Acts 16 33 Meaning
The jailer, recognizing the divine power demonstrated in the earthquake and the apostles' unwavering faith, confesses faith in Jesus Christ. This confession is followed immediately by his baptism and the baptism of his entire household, signifying a profound spiritual transformation and incorporation into the Christian community.
Acts 16 33 Context
This verse occurs in Acts chapter 16, a pivotal moment in Paul’s missionary journey. Paul and Silas are unjustly imprisoned in Philippi after casting out a demon from a slave girl. Despite their suffering, they are found praying and singing hymns at midnight, leading to a miraculous earthquake that breaks open the prison doors and loosens everyone's chains. The jailer, fearing repercussions, is about to commit suicide when Paul intervenes. This immediate intervention, coupled with the displayed divine power, causes the jailer to realize the truth of the Gospel message Paul and Silas had been proclaiming. The Philippian jailer's conversion, along with that of his household, marks a significant expansion of the Gospel into Europe.
Acts 16 33 Word analysis
- He (αὐτός - autos): Refers back to the jailer, emphasizing his personal action.
- took (παραλαβών - paralabōn): From παραλαμβάνω (paralambanō), meaning to take to oneself, receive, bring with. It signifies a deliberate and personal action of bringing Paul and Silas.
- them (αὐτούς - autous): Refers to Paul and Silas.
- the same hour (αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ - autē tē hōra): Literally "in that very hour," highlighting the immediacy of the action following his realization.
- of the night (τῆς νυκτός - tēs nyktos): Specifies the time, emphasizing the dramatic and supernatural nature of the events.
- and washed (καὶ ἔπλυνεν - kai eplynen): From πλύνω (plynō), to wash. Here, it implies cleansing from their stripes or wounds sustained from the scourging.
- their stripes (τὰ πληγὰς αὐτῶν - ta plēgas autōn): Refers to the wounds and welts from the severe beatings they endured.
- and immediately (εὐθέως - eutheōs): A strong adverb indicating immediate, without delay, highlighting the swiftness of his spiritual and physical actions.
- he (αὐτός - autos): Again, the jailer, emphasizing his direct involvement.
- and all his family (καὶ πᾶς ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ - kai pas ho oikos autou): Refers to his entire household – including his wife, children, and any servants or slaves living in the home. This underscores the communal nature of early Christian conversions.
- were baptized (ἐβαπτίσθη - ebaptisthe): The aorist passive indicative of βαπτίζω (baptizō), meaning to immerse or dip. This signifies their public identification with Christ through the rite of baptism.
Acts 16 33 Bonus section
The jailer's profound change from fear-driven brutality to devoted service is striking. His attempt to commit suicide stems from the Roman legal framework, where jailers were often held personally responsible for escapes, sometimes facing death penalties. Paul’s intervention (“Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!”) stops him, drawing his attention to the source of true security and freedom. The inclusion of the entire household in baptism reflects the Jewish understanding of a household being represented by its head, and the early Church's practice of baptizing believing families, as seen with Lydia and Cornelius. This event is the first recorded conversion of an entire European household to Christianity.
Acts 16 33 Commentary
The jailer's prompt action of washing the apostles’ stripes demonstrates a profound remorse and immediate desire to make amends for their unjust treatment. This act of kindness precedes his, and his household's, baptism. The baptism signifies their cleansing from sin and their incorporation into the body of Christ. The immediate conversion and baptism of the entire household are a testament to the power of the Gospel and the Lord’s sovereign work in opening hearts, as seen in Lydia’s prior conversion. This event exemplifies the Great Commission’s mandate to make disciples and baptize believers, showing the Gospel's transformative power extending beyond individuals to entire families in the early Church.