Acts 11:14

Context

Early in Acts 11, Peter goes up to Jerusalem and is criticized by the circumcised believers for having entered the house of uncircumcised men and eaten with them (Acts 11:2-3). Peter recounts in order the vision he saw in Joppa and what happened in Caesarea. This verse is the part of his account that relays the angel's words heard by the Roman centurion Cornelius: "Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved."

In chapter 10, the angel's message is reported only as an instruction to send for Peter and hear what he had to say (Acts 10:22, 10:33). This verse in chapter 11 states explicitly that these are "words, whereby thou … shall be saved." The Greek text uses the plural for "words" and a future passive form for "shall be saved." Peter goes on to testify that as he began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them (Acts 11:15). The Jerusalem church concludes, "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18).

Interpretation

• As evidence of the necessity of gospel proclamation: Reformed and evangelical commentators often read the verse this way. Although Cornelius was devout and a man of prayer (Acts 10:2), he still had to hear the gospel Peter would proclaim in order to attain salvation. This view treats the passage, together with Romans 10:14-15, as showing the necessity of hearing the preached word.
• Views that assess Cornelius's prior state differently: Some interpreters read this verse together with "in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10:35). They hold that Cornelius had already been accepted by God and that his faith was brought to completion when he came to know Christ. Others counter that because this verse speaks of salvation in the future tense, Cornelius was not yet saved before that point.
• Views focusing on "all thy house": This reading takes the verse as a promise that salvation extends not only to the individual but also to family members and the rest of the household. Paired with the account of the jailer in Acts 16:30-34, it is used as a basis for family evangelism.

Debates and Issues

• Household baptism and infant baptism: Denominations that practice infant baptism, such as Presbyterians, Methodists, and Anglicans, cite the so-called "household" passages as one line of support. These passages include this verse, Acts 16:14-15, Acts 16:31-33, and 1 Corinthians 1:16. These traditions hold that the entire household is included in the covenant community. Baptists and other denominations that hold to believer's baptism point out that the members of Cornelius's household heard the word, received the Holy Spirit, and spoke in tongues (Acts 10:44-46). They argue that "all thy house" here refers to those capable of believing for themselves and that nothing is said about the inclusion of infants. For further detail, see the articles Infant Baptism Controversy and Baptism and Immersion.
• The order of salvation and reception of the Spirit: Pentecostal traditions emphasize the Cornelius episode as an instance in which baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues occurred. Some non-Pentecostal interpreters note that conversion and the reception of the Spirit occurred simultaneously in this episode and use it as an argument against the view that Spirit baptism is a distinct experience subsequent to conversion.
• Use out of context: Voices in a number of denominations caution against citing this verse as a promise that when one person believes, his or her family is automatically saved. They point out that, in context, the members of Cornelius's household each heard the word for themselves (Acts 10:24, 10:44).

In the Korean Church

In Korean churches, the expression "whole household" salvation is widely known chiefly through Acts 16:31 ("thou shalt be saved, and thy house"). Acts 11:14 is read alongside that verse in sermons on the Cornelius narrative or on family salvation.

Related Passages

• Acts 10:44-46
• Acts 16:30-34
• Acts 16:14-15
• Romans 10:14-15
• 1 Corinthians 1:16