Act 16:34, 18:8 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 34. He set meat before them . Food. Gr., He placed a table . The word meat formerly meant food of all kinds. And rejoiced . This was the effect of believing. Religion produces joy. . He was free from danger and alarm; he had evidence that his sins were forgiven, and that he was the friend of God. The agitating and alarming scenes of the night had passed away, the prisoners were safe; and religion, with its peace, and pardon, and rejoicings, had visited his family. What a change to be produced in one night! What a difference between the family when Paul was thrust into prison, and when he was brought out and received as an honoured guest at the very table of the renovated jailer! Such a change would Christianity produce in every family, and such joy would it diffuse through every household. With all his house . With all his family. Whether they believed before they were baptized, or after , is not declared. But the whole narrative would lead us to suppose, that as soon as the jailer believed, he and all his family were baptized. It is subsequently added, that they believed also. The joy arose from the fact that they all believed the gospel; the baptism appears to have been performed on account of the faith of the head of the family. (b) "meat before them" (c) "rejoiced, believing"

Acts 16:34

Verse 34. He set meat before them. Food. Gr., He placed a table. The word meat formerly meant food of all kinds.

And rejoiced. This was the effect of believing. Religion produces joy. Acts 8:8. He was free from danger and alarm; he had evidence that his sins were forgiven, and that he was the friend of God. The agitating and alarming scenes of the night had passed away, the prisoners were safe; and religion, with its peace, and pardon, and rejoicings, had visited his family. What a change to be produced in one night! What a difference between the family when Paul was thrust into prison, and when he was brought out and received as an honoured guest at the very table of the renovated jailer! Such a change would Christianity produce in every family, and such joy would it diffuse through every household.

With all his house. With all his family. Whether they believed before they were baptized, or after, is not declared. But the whole narrative would lead us to suppose, that as soon as the jailer believed, he and all his family were baptized. It is subsequently added, that they believed also. The joy arose from the fact that they all believed the gospel; the baptism appears to have been performed on account of the faith of the head of the family.

(b) "meat before them" Lk 5:29 (c) "rejoiced, believing" Rom 5:11

Acts 18:8

Verse 8. And Crispus. He is mentioned, in 1Cor 1:14, as having been one of the few whom Paul baptized with his own hands. The conversion of such a man must have tended greatly to exasperate the other Jews, and to further the progress of the Christian faith among the Corinthians.

With all his house. With all his family, Acts 10:2.

And many of the Corinthians. Many even in this voluptuous and wicked city. Perhaps the power of the gospel was never more signal than in converting sinners in Corinth, and rearing a Christian church in a place so dissolute and abandoned. If it was adapted to such a place as Corinth --if a church, under the power of Christian truth, could be organized there--it is adapted to any city; and there is none so corrupt that the gospel cannot change and purify it.

(f) "Crispus" 1Cor 1:14 (+) "with all his house" "with his hold household"