The crowd’s response
to Peter’s sermon at Cornelius’s house, 44-48
Verse 44: Peter’s sermon remains unfinished – in human terms – because God finished it. While Peter was still speaking, “the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” The gift did not come through laying on of hands as at other times (Acts 8:17-19; 9:17; 19:6; I Timothy 4:14) but “as on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15; cf. Acts 2).
Verse 45: “And they of the circumcision
which believed [Peter and the men who came with him] were astonished” (εξιστημι,
astonished, amazed, astounded). Compare to the similar reaction in a similar
circumstance recorded in Acts 2:7, 12. For more on tongues, see HERE.
Verse 46: For they heard them speak
with tongues, and magnify God. The tongues at Cornelius house were like the
tongues on the day of Pentecost – human languages not previously learned by the
speakers. Cf. “also” in v. 45 and “for” in v. 46; and also see Acts 15:15 “as
on us at the beginning” and 15:17 “the like gift.”
Verses 47-48: The Spirit acted
independently upon the Gentiles, and the actions of the church are dependent on
the act of God. After seeking the thoughts of the six fellow brethren who
accompanied him (“Can any man forbid water,” etc.), and no objections
forthcoming, he commands the new believers at Cæsarea to obey their first duty
to their Lord – “be baptized in the name of the Lord.” Baptism is not optional.
It is a commandment, and “a divinely appointed token of our believing in
Christ.”[i]
Peter invoked the baptism of John in his preaching (v. 37), and remembered the
baptism of John in the Lord’s promise (11:16).
“Water” here, the element, stands for
the rite of baptism. John Gill writes:
“…then the sense is, who can forbid these persons the ordinance of
baptism, or deny the administration of it to them? for such who have the Spirit
of Christ, are openly Christ’s, and therefore have a right to his ordinances;
such, being enlightened by him, are able to see to the end of the ordinance;
and to such only can it be of use, and they only can please God in it: nor
should it be forbidden them; this is to withstand God, act contrary to the
commission of Christ, and resist the Holy Ghost; no, not though Gentiles: converted
Gentiles, have as good a right as any to this ordinance…”[ii]
For more on baptism, see HERE.
“Then prayed they him to tarry certain
days.” Prior to God’s revelation to Peter, recorded in verses 9-16, he could
not have tarried with these Gentiles. This tarrying with them implies not only
spiritual fellowship, but also table fellowship – eating with the
Gentiles. Compare Galatians 2:11-13.
Of this event, Bock recaps:
In sum, God directs an epoch-making event in which Gentiles are accepted
in fellowship and receive the gospel. Their faith leads them to the gift of the
Spirit, the sign that the new era has arrived.[iii]
Acts chapter 10 exhibits the divine work of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. God the Father initiates the ingathering of the Gentiles. The preaching of Jesus Christ, God the Son, gathers in the Gentiles. God the Holy Ghost confirms the work on the Gentiles.
2 comments:
Some thoughts... I think one of the important thing out of Acts 10 is that it happened because of the actions set forth in Acts 9 - a vessel was chosen to bear the Lord's name before the Gentiles - and Acts 15 was coming up, which needed Acts 10 to take place and Peter's involvement.
The falling of the Holy Ghost falling on the Gentiles, with no water baptism, and them speaking in tongues was not to benefit the Gentiles but to show the Jews, Peter and his Jewish brethren, that changes were happening - the Jews require a sign, and tongues are for a sign (1 Cor 1:22; 14:22).
Nice closing paragraph.
Nitpicking: you have a footnote at the end with no note to its foot, iv
Good thoughts on the end of Chapter 10. Thanks. I may have something in my original about the sign -- what I am including on my blog is a slightly condensed version of what I have. If not, though, I need to take note of it. It is an important point. Tongues operate as a sign -- as Paul clearly states in writing to the Corinthians. Here in the context and in reference to upcoming events, tongues act as important evidence needed for the Jewish believers and other Jews struggling to accept or understand the inclusion of the Gentiles without mediation through becoming a Jew first.
I am not sure what happened with the footnote. I do not have one there in my original. Pasting material from Word with footnotes into Blogger always gives me fits, with always something that has to fixed. Apparently here I "fixed" something that did not need fixing!
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