Free Bible Commentary
“Acts 10:34-48”
Categories: Acts“Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)—you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.’ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.”
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Acts 10:34-35 – “Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.’” Peter began speaking the words of salvation to this predominantly Gentile audience by telling them that even HIS understanding of the truth had been incomplete. God showed Peter in a vision that Christ successfully tore down the dividing wall of partition that kept Jew and Gentile separated (verses 9-16; Ephesians 2:14). In God’s eyes there is no difference. People are just people and they all sin. Any person who has reverence for God and is willing to turn from his unrighteousness and obediently follow Jesus (verse 36), that person is welcome to God. God does not show partiality to people based on any physical basis, including Jewish people. Only spiritual qualifications must be met.
Acts 10:44 – “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.” If it seems odd to you that the Holy Spirit “fell” on people who had yet to become Christians, there is a very good reason for that. This was most definitely not the norm. The standard procedure was for the Apostles to lay their hands on some converts to impart certain miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit after they believed and obeyed the Gospel (Acts 8:14-17; 19:1-7). But Acts 10 was a very peculiar situation that served a very particular purpose. God was showing Peter and his Jewish companions that the Gentiles were acceptable to Him, and that they should not be excluded from the kingdom of Christ.
Holy Spirit baptism was not an every day occurrence and it is not used by God to accomplish His will today. Unless you include the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus when He was baptized by John (Matthew 3:13-17), it is only recorded in the Bible as having happened one other time. The 12 Apostles were baptized by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost around ten years earlier, and that also was for a very unique purpose (Acts 2:1-4). This is why the Jews assembled at Cornelius’ house were so amazed (verse 45). Because the same thing that happened to the Apostles all those years ago had now been done to some Gentiles right before their very eyes (Acts 11:15-17). It is interesting to me that Peter mentioned in his sermon of Jesus that, “God had anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power” (verse 38). And then a little later the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentile listeners as well. What an impression this must have made on the Gentile recipients and on the Jewish witnesses! Mission accomplished!
Acts 10:46-47 – “Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’” With these words Peter stated the purpose for the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles who had gathered around him that day. This extraordinary event took place to remove all doubts from the minds of the Jewish witnesses that the Gentiles should be baptized into Christ in order to receive salvation. “And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (verse 48). The unique Holy Spirit baptism was administered to demonstrate that the typical water baptism should be administered. The first was impermanent, unusual and involuntary. The second is continual, common and compulsory (Ephesians 4:5).
Please read Acts 11:1-18 for tomorrow.
Have a blessed day!
-Louie Taylor
