Act 10:44 | KingComments | STEP | Even during the speech, the Holy Spirit suddenly falls upon all those who hear the word of salvation. The gift of the Holy Spirit, the seal of Christian blessing among the Jews and the fruit of the work of salvation accomplished by the Lord Jesus, is given to the nations as much as to the Jews. The order we find here is: 1. hearing and believing the Word, 2. then receiving the Holy Spirit 3. and then being baptized ( ). The Spirit is given here after the testimony of the raising up of the Lord Jesus, of which they apparently had not heard. They did know about His life and His death. Without first being baptized – as with the conversion of the Jews in Acts 2 – and without the laying on of hands – as with the conversion of the Samaritans in Acts 8 – the Holy Spirit falls upon all those who hear the words spoken by Peter. Here we see how Gentiles are added to the church of God through the gospel. This is still God’s way of doing things ( ). The believing Jews, here emphatically called “the circumcised believers”, are perplexed. They cannot understand what is happening. It is difficult for Jews to accept that the nations will be in the same relationship to God as they, the chosen people, in an even simpler way, because they, Jews, had to be baptized first. God is tearing down the borders around Israel. He proves that He accepts the nations. He emphasizes that by linking the wonder of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the sign of speaking in languages, just like in Acts 2. Here too this is the sign that God is addressing all nations. This is a sign for believing Jews who are non-believers in a certain respect because they cannot believe that the Gentiles are also accepted by God (cf. ). The Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit without first becoming Jews. God does not require them to confess that they are unclean because they belong to the nations, but accepts them without condition. They must not even be led into Judaism. They belong to the new herd outside the fold of Judaism ( ). They now belong to the church. For receiving the Holy Spirit, faith alone is sufficient. If God does not attach any further conditions to it, people are not allowed to do so by commanding them to keep the law or something of it. If God then adds them to the body solely on the basis of faith through the gift of the Holy Spirit, people cannot deny them access to the circle of believers on earth that takes place through baptism with water. Baptism used to mean that someone was baptized to join the Jewish people, the proselyte baptism. Here baptism means entering Christendom. Thus Cornelius and his people are baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. After Cornelius and his family are baptized, the service of Peter is over. They want him to stay a few more days, eager as they are for more teaching. This request will no doubt have been met by Peter.

‏ Acts 10:44

Consequences of the Speech

Even during the speech, the Holy Spirit suddenly falls upon all those who hear the word of salvation. The gift of the Holy Spirit, the seal of Christian blessing among the Jews and the fruit of the work of salvation accomplished by the Lord Jesus, is given to the nations as much as to the Jews. The order we find here is:

1. hearing and believing the Word,

2. then receiving the Holy Spirit

3. and then being baptized (Acts 10:48).

The Spirit is given here after the testimony of the raising up of the Lord Jesus, of which they apparently had not heard. They did know about His life and His death. Without first being baptized – as with the conversion of the Jews in Acts 2 – and without the laying on of hands – as with the conversion of the Samaritans in Acts 8 – the Holy Spirit falls upon all those who hear the words spoken by Peter. Here we see how Gentiles are added to the church of God through the gospel. This is still God’s way of doing things (Eph 1:13).

The believing Jews, here emphatically called “the circumcised believers”, are perplexed. They cannot understand what is happening. It is difficult for Jews to accept that the nations will be in the same relationship to God as they, the chosen people, in an even simpler way, because they, Jews, had to be baptized first.

God is tearing down the borders around Israel. He proves that He accepts the nations. He emphasizes that by linking the wonder of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the sign of speaking in languages, just like in Acts 2. Here too this is the sign that God is addressing all nations. This is a sign for believing Jews who are non-believers in a certain respect because they cannot believe that the Gentiles are also accepted by God (cf. 1Cor 14:21-22).

The Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit without first becoming Jews. God does not require them to confess that they are unclean because they belong to the nations, but accepts them without condition. They must not even be led into Judaism. They belong to the new herd outside the fold of Judaism (Jn 10:16). They now belong to the church. For receiving the Holy Spirit, faith alone is sufficient. If God does not attach any further conditions to it, people are not allowed to do so by commanding them to keep the law or something of it.

If God then adds them to the body solely on the basis of faith through the gift of the Holy Spirit, people cannot deny them access to the circle of believers on earth that takes place through baptism with water. Baptism used to mean that someone was baptized to join the Jewish people, the proselyte baptism. Here baptism means entering Christendom. Thus Cornelius and his people are baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ.

After Cornelius and his family are baptized, the service of Peter is over. They want him to stay a few more days, eager as they are for more teaching. This request will no doubt have been met by Peter.