Limitless Word
and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Acts 16:30 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB brought them out, and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
  • KJV And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
  • BSB Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
  • NKJV And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
  • NLT Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

He brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'

Overview

His question reaches beyond escaping legal trouble to the deeper need of his soul. It is the central question of Acts and of every awakened sinner. The events of that night, under God's hand, had pressed the jailer to seek the salvation that only Christ can give.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • John 6:27–29Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”
  • Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
  • Acts 22:10I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’
  • Luke 3:10The multitudes asked him, “What then must we do?”
  • Jas 2:13For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
  • Acts 14:15“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
  • Isa 58:9Then you will call, and Yahweh will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away from among you the yoke, finger pointing, and speaking wickedly;
  • Matt 3:8Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!
  • Job 25:4How then can man be just with God? Or how can he who is born of a woman be clean?
  • Acts 9:6But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
  • Acts 16:17Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”
  • Acts 16:24who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.
  • Isa 58:6“Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
  • Job 34:32Teach me that which I don’t see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
  • Isa 1:16–17Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil.
  • Matt 5:7Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (10)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 16:30YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 16:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.