What is the Bible's Biggest Question?

Was the biggest question in the Bible asked by the biggest being: “Is anything to hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14). Maybe the biggest question was asked by the biggest ruler in Egypt at the time, Pharaoh: “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?” (Exodus 5:2). Perhaps the biggest question in the Bible is the one asked by the biggest giant: “Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?” (1 Samuel 17:43). It wasn’t asked under a tree, in Egypt, on a battlefield, but in a Philippian jail.

It is 12:00 a.m. and you are given authority over some of the prisoners condemned in a Philippian jail. You cannot fall asleep otherwise you would be put to death for your negligence. Unfortunately, you do (Acts 16:27) and it is after you awake from slumber that you find the prisoners have escaped. Believing yourself to have been liable to the death penalty, you draw your sword attempting to take your life, which would be an honorable action seeing that you are a Roman.[1] As you nearly plunge your sword into your heart, you hear a voice cry, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here” (Acts 16:28). You stop only to realize the prisoners you were set in charge over are still here. What a relief! You then fall before the men you recognize as different and ask “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).

All of this happened in a Philippian jail just under 2,000 years ago. While this jailor’s question may have seemed common, it still rings important centuries later. The biggest question was asked by one of the smallest of men, in one of the basest of places, and at the oddest of times. It was asked by a nobody, who became a somebody, because He obeyed the Gospel that was given to everybody.

The Bible is filled with questions. Children ask questions, students ask questions, researchers ask questions, and God asks questions. There are many reasons why questions are asked:

• Information (Acts 8:36).

• Confirmation (Genesis 3:9).

• Attention (Genesis 18:25).

• Salvation (Acts 16:30).

Some scholars assume there are over 3,000 questions in the Bible[2]; which would place about two questions per page in some Bibles. While the Bible is filled with many important questions, this question asked by the jailor is the most important. While this question has been numerously asked (Matthew 19:16; Acts 2:37; 9:6), it is often not numerously accepted (Matthew 19:22; Acts 7:54; 13:46). Contrary to modern belief, life’s BIGGEST questions are not “whom will I marry,” “where will I go to school,” or “what will I do for a living.” The BIGGEST question one will ever ask is “What Must I Do to Be Saved?” Let us examine the question in its parts.

WHAT.

Some think they know answers to questions they have never thought about, but not this jailor. He asks a question; he doesn’t give an answer. Here the jailor sought the way to save his soul. While some believe he was seeking how to be saved from punishment, he most assuredly was asking about salvation, for the death penalty was of no danger to him (Acts 16:28). The only quibble he had to face was the state of his spiritual condition. Instead of asking “what,” some do other things:

Some refuse to ask. Charles P. Steinmetz said, “No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.” Some are set in their ways for all of their days. Only prideful people hear messages and never ask for the way to respond. It is sad when people stop asking questions (cf. Matthew 22:46) because it manifests a heart that thinks it has all the answers. The jailor did no such thing.

Some ask the wrong questions. The Pharisees and Sadducees asked the wrong questions many times, often with wrong motives. Instead of asking Jesus sincere questions regarding salvation, they attempted to destroy Him with their interrogations (Matthew 22:15; Mark 12:13; Luke 20:19-22). Jesus always answered rightly, but their hearts were hardened continuously by His answers to their questions. Many today seek satisfaction of spiritual information instead of information for spiritual satisfaction. Edward Hodnett said, “If you do not ask the right questions, you do not get the right answers.” “A friend once asked Isidor I. Rabi, a Nobel prize winner in science, how he became a scientist. Rabi replied that every day after school his mother would talk to him about his school day. She wasn't so much interested in what he had learned that day, but she always inquired, ‘Did you ask a good question today?’ ‘Asking good questions,’ Rabi said, ‘made me become a scientist.’”[3] Pertinently, the jailor asked the right question and was given the right answer.

Some give an answer themselves. Instead of seeking an answer, some give answers before they even know the question. [4] Such is “folly and shame” (Proverbs 18:13). Honest inquirers seek answers to questions they know little about so that they can be right in heart, not in ego. Fools have more hope than a man who thinks he has all the answers (Proverbs 26:12). The jailor knew he could not save himself so he sought Another who could. Voltaire said, “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”

Did this jailor hear about Christ through others day prior? Did he listen to the singing in the night (Acts 16:25)? While we do not know what he knew prior to Pauline confrontation, he did know enough to ask about his soul. Like this jailor, inquirers seek a way to go; they do not already know the way to go. Only those who ASK, receive (Matthew 7:7-8) and the jailor quickly received an answer. Have you asked the BIGGEST question?

MUST.

The jailor did not ask “what should I do,” “what do you think is the best way to do,” or “what does the majority do?” The word “must” is an imperative. The word is found 132 times in the Bible. Salvation is found in an objective standard, not in subjective opinions. The jailor sought the truth. It was the truth that could save him (John 8:32). The word must implies that:

There is specification. You can use butter as an alternative for cooking spray, rent a car as an alternate to your own, and use the back up as an alternative to the starter, but there are no alternatives for salvation (John 6:68; 14:6; Acts 4:12). No doctor, theologian, preacher, or friend could be the substitute, for they do not meet the qualifications (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). When Paul met Jesus on the way to Damascus he asked Jesus for His opinion, not the others around him (Acts 22:10). Jesus’ authority qualifies Him to bless man with His approving touch (Matthew 28:18) because it is His words that will stand to judge man on the final day (John 12:48).

There is no persuasion. God doesn’t take salvation bargains; He is set on His price. God will not be duped into feeling bad for mankind on judgement because they failed to obey His will; the plan is set and the outcome forewarned (Romans 2:7-11). Jesus welcomes no arguments and allows for no skipping. You MUST be saved the way that Jesus said to and in the way that He said to do it (Mark 16:16).

There is obligation. The word “must” is used in three senses in Scripture. Wayne Jackson points out that there is (1) the Irresistible must (gravity, 2 Corinthians 5:10), (2) the Compelling must (Luke 2:49), and (3) the Obligatory must.[5] The jailor’s question regards the latter. He knew what is was like to obey law, for he was a Roman soldier. No man is MADE to obey, but all men are OBLIGATED to obey if they want to be saved. While they are given a choice (Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15), they must handle the consequences of whatever choice they make. Each choice leads to ONE different path (Matthew 7:13-14), not one more and not one less.

The jailor would not have asked what he should do if there was no objective standard. Providentially, the right men answered his right question. Will you submit to the right standard?

I.

Since every man bears his own sin (Ezekiel 18:20), every man must bear his own responsibility of becoming saved (cf. Galatians 6:5). The jailor did not wonder as Peter did “what shall this man do?” (John 21:21). Instead, he wondered “what shall I do?” Peter told the Jews to “save” themselves (Acts 2:40) and it were the Philippians that were called to “work out your own salvation” (Philippians 2:12). While no man can contrive the right saving plan (Jeremiah 10:23), every man can obey the plan divinely initiated. No person can be saved for another.

• The refugee knows this. Lot escaped Sodom, but some family members stayed (Genesis 19:12-15, 24-25).

• The sick understand this. Every person had to look upon the serpent with their OWN eyes (Numbers 21:8).

• The injured observe this. Naaman himself had to dip in the water so that his leprosy could be cleansed (2 Kings 5).

• The sinner recognizes this. The thief on the cross said, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds” (Luke 23:40-41).

While seeking to help someone else be saved is vital, both lives are at stake when one does not first put on his own oxygen mask. Isn’t it interesting that the jailor seeks the welfare of his soul before his wife or children? He was selfish about his soul!

It is important that one does not hold parental principles, outsiders’ opinions, or preachers’ positions in high esteem. The jailor did not ask his boss for permission, call his wife for an extra hour out, or write to Caesar for authoritative acceptance. The question at hand had to be answered, no time was to be spared. He spent no time wondering about his deceased ancestors, family, or friends. Every person must be fully persuaded in his OWN mind. Judgement Day is for individuals (Romans 2:6; 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10), not sects, businesses, or parties. Paul told Timothy to “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16) (Emp. mine, NO). Truly, salvation is a personal decision with personal conditions.

Daniel Webster the politician said, “My greatest thought is my accountability to God.” Will YOU obey the Gospel?

DO.

The jailor does not ask “what should I think,” “what should I feel,” or “what should I believe?” He looked for a “hands on” religion. He knew his mere belief in deity[7] was not enough. He was better than:

• The atheist because he believed.

• The skeptic because he was assured.

• The Calvinist because he was willing to take action.

The blessed are the doers, not mere hearers (Matthew 7:24-27; Romans 2:13; James 1:22-25). Doers are members of the Lord’s family (Matthew 12:50). They abide forever (1 John 2:17).

While action is good, it are the right actions that save (Matthew 7:21-23; James 2:21). So what did the jailor do?

He heard a sermon. Muslims tell you to pray five times a day, Mormons tell you to work, and Baptists tell you to utter a prayer, but Paul preached a different sermon. He brought the jailor to Jesus (John 12:23), the man who could save His soul (Acts 4:12). Those who believe in Him are close to salvation (John 3:18; 8:24).

He turned 180 degrees. The jailor’s actions toward Paul and Silas are fruit of an inward seed (cf. Matthew 3:8). Repentance is a mindful choice to change (Matthew 21:29; 2 Corinthians 7:10). Without repentance, one should not expect to enter heaven (Luke 13:3, 5).

He was baptized. One preacher said that upon reading this passage some leave the prison to early. Some may attempt to pass over the jailor’s baptism, but Luke doesn’t. Instead, baptism followed belief which corresponds to Jesus’ words in Mark 16:16. He also must have been taught about the one church, for true baptism requires knowledge about such as a prerequisite (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:47). He must have been taught about confession, for it always precedes baptism (cf. Acts 8:37). Also, baptism could not wait; he was baptized the same hour of the night! Baptism should be an immediate action because it is a saving action (1 Peter 3:21). Thomas A. Kempis noted, “Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience.”

“Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with him. That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His faithful friend understood, for that’s exactly what he did. A fire started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been left. But he didn’t move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect obedience to his master’s word. With tearful eyes, the dog’s owner said, “I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it.”[8] Do you know what to DO but have not done so yet (James 4:17)?

TO BE SAVED.

The greatest epitaph is not “I did it my way.” It is not “hear lies the richest man in history.” It is not, “Here lies Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, and of the Statutes establishing religious toleration in the Commonwealth of Virginia.” The best epitaph could be confined in one word “SAVED.” The jailor did not ask what he ought to do to be rich, leave the country, or buy a house. Instead, the question revolved around the welfare of his soul. Without this part of the question, the question has no spiritual significance. He thought about salvation, was taught about salvation, and was brought salvation.

The greatest need when hungry is food. The greatest need when alone is a friend. The greatest need when lost is to be saved. Although many don’t know it, no desire than to be saved from Hell is of equal importance. The jailor recognized this need and decided to do something about it. After the jailor obeyed the Gospel, from what was he saved?

• From Hell (Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 21:8).

• From sin (Ephesians 1:7, 2:1-3).

• From wrath (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10).

• From an afflicting conscience (Hebrews 9:14).

The jailor knew he was saved for he “rejoiced” (Acts 16:34). Salvation only brings joy (Acts 2:47a; 8:39), lostness brings sorrow (Matthew 19:22). Are you saved?

No question trumps the jailor’s for it had to do with his soul. While no man today is in the same physical situation, all men are in the same spiritual situation (Romans 3:23). Will you ask and answer correctly like the jailor? The challenge is given, the choice is yours, but the chances are dwindling. What will YOU do with YOUR soul today?

ENDNOTES

[1]Wayne Jackson, The Acts of the Apostles from Jerusalem to Rome, Christian Courrier Publications, 2005, p. 196.

[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/questions-in-the-Bible.html

[3]https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/q/questions.htm

[4]E.C. McKENZIE, 14,000 Quips & Quotes for Writers and Speakers, Greenwich House, 1984, p. 436.

[5]Wayne Jackson, https://christiancourier.com/articles/a-simple-study-of-the-word-must

[6]Daniel Webster was a part of a denomination.

[7]Romans were paganistic and he probably worshipped false gods.

[8]https://www.family-times.net/illustration/Obedience/200321/