And skipping over that, we want
to look at verse 34. He is preaching to Gentiles at
the house of Cornelius. Look at verse 34 through verse
48. I believe I said 38. It's verse 48. 34 and following.
Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God
is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that fears
God and works righteousness is accepted with him. The word which
God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus
Christ, he is Lord of all. That word I say you know which
was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee
after the baptism which John preached. How God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about
doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil for
God was with him. We are witnesses of these things
which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem,
whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the
third day and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but unto
witnesses chosen before of God, even unto us who did eat and
drink with Him, after he rose from the dead. And he commanded
us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he which
is ordained of God to judge the quick and the dead. To him give
all the prophets witness through his name, whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sin. Now watch verse 44 and
following. While Peter yet spake these words,
the Holy Ghost fell on all of them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision,
which believe, were astonished, as many of them as came with
Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift
of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with
tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any
man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which
have received the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized
in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry
a certain day. Now verse 44 again, please. While
Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on them
which heard the word. Now, to enter in, let's remember
a couple of things from the earlier part of the book of Acts. In chapter 1 and verse 8, the
Lord said, The Spirit of God Having come upon you, you will
receive power and you will be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem,
in Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. When we look at the divisions
of the book of Acts, we see again the divine order. We mentioned
it last week. to the Jew first. And we also see the fulfillment
of verse 8 of chapter 1. In Jerusalem, in Judea, over
to Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth. Now the second
thing that we notice is in Acts chapter 2 and verse 17. The reference there is to Joel
chapter 2 and verse 28 through verse 32 that says basically
this, In the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. That is, upon all people, upon
all mankind, upon all of the nation. Spirit poured out, but
not confined unto Israel only. And then in studying the book
of Acts we see to the end of chapter 7, all the way to the
end of the 7th chapter, it concerns basically the work of God among
the Jews there in Jerusalem. with Peter as the leading or
the dominant apostle among the Jew. You see that in Galatians
2 and verse 7. He is used of God to guide the
worship of God in Jure, having experienced the baptism of the
Holy Spirit. Then coming to Acts chapter 8,
the gospel then is carried over into Samaria and that by one
of the disciples by the name of Philip. And Philip went over
into Samaria under the persecution that came and he preached Christ
unto them and there in Samaria great wonders and great works
were done among them. Now we need to understand something
about the Samaritans, perhaps we know, and let's refresh our
memory. The Samaritans were a sort of
what we might call today Hagreeds, and you can see their origin
in 2 Kings chapter 17. We'll not go there, but if you
read 2 Kings 17, you'll find out a lot about the Samaritan. Now they sort of broke away from
the worship of Israel. They erected them a temple in
Mount Gerizim. And they held only to the five
books of Moses as to the canon of the scripture. They still
practiced circumcision, but they were religiously corrupt for
all intents and purposes. And the Jews had no dealings
with them, John chapter 4 and verse 9. And the Jews hated them
and they put them in the same class with the Gentiles, though
they were Gentiles or had priests. And yet Peter and John then went
down into Samaria when the word of the Lord had success there,
and they laid their hands upon the disciple there in Samaria,
and they received the Holy Spirit of God, and they gave heed unto
the preaching of Philip. Also in chapter 8, you remember,
the Ethiopian eunuch, having been to Jerusalem for to worship,
and was converted on his way back to Ethiopia. Then in chapter
9, as I mentioned, you have the conversion of Saul. This is a
great and important event in the building up of the New Testament
church and particularly the Gentile section of it. Then in Acts chapter
10, our study today, you have what I call the Gentile Pentecost. And this is when the Spirit of
God was poured out upon a gathering of Gentiles in the city of Caesarea. Now, not on Jews, but on the
Gentiles. Not in Jerusalem, but in Caesarea. And not in the temple of God,
but in a private house in the city of Caesarea. And they were
confirming manifestations that the Gentiles had received the
Spirit. And in Acts chapter 10 and verse
46, these Gentiles, like the Jews, spoke with tongues and
they magnified God. And Peter, recognizing the magnitude
of it, recommended that they be baptized with water. And you
will notice that this closely paralleled the experience of
the Jew on Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. But before we consider
this great work, let's look, if we might, at the larger or
the overall context. Now we see that all of chapter
10, every bit of it, is taken up with an account of the providential
dealing of God in bringing about the pouring out of the Spirit
on the Gentile in Caesarea. Now in chapter 10 there are two
great acts of God's providence, wonderful acts without which
this would not have occurred as a way of giving the Spirit
unto the Gentile. And there are two visions that
we read about in chapter 10. And there are two prominent men
that are the instruments of God. Now, the two men were, of course,
the Apostle Peter and the Italian or Gentile Cornelius. Peter was at Joppa, the city
of Joppa, at this particular time. The Gentile Cornelius was
in the city of Caesarea. Now, Simon Peter we know, and
we know well from the Scripture, an apostle of the Lord, chosen
instrument of Christ, who guided the Jews, as it were, through
the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost. And Peter had accompanied with
the Lord Jesus some three years upon the earth, and had been
especially commissioned by the Lord to a great work. You see
that in Matthew 16, and verse 13 through 19 but the other man
is not as familiar with us and he is carnelius probably an italian
Therefore, a Gentile, he was a centurion in the Roman army,
stationed at that time in the city of Caesarea. Now, Cornelius
was an exception to the stereotypical Roman soldier that we usually
meet with in the scripture and that we think about. who were
cruel and hard and violent sorts of men. Cornelius was a devout
man, as the scripture calls him in the second verse of Acts chapter
10, as were the Jews that witnessed Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 and
verse 5. God would have this done in the
hearing and the sight of devout or devoted men. Though a Gentile,
Cornelius feared God and he was a praying man. Often he prayed
and he included his family in his devotions as well. Much more we read in chapter
10 here that he was indeed a charitable man. He gave much to the people
that were in need and he was of good reputation among the
Jews of that city and had a good rapport with the Jews that lived
in that place. Now Cornelius had turned from
Gentile idols and become a worshipper of the true God of Israel. As such, he read from the Old
Testament Scripture and no doubt attended the Jewish synagogue
on the Sabbath day where he worshipped in their midst. And as such,
he, like they, lived in expectation of the Messiah. John Gill said
about this man, He did not yet know Messiah was Jesus of Nazareth."
Therefore, Gil said, his faith was the same, to the same degree,
made the same progress as the saints before the coming of Christ
into the world. Now, this man, however, would
be greatly used of God in giving the Spirit upon the Gentile that
congregated at his house. God did not select an infidel
to be the man to experience this. He was a devout man, as the Scriptures
are telling us. Now, the vision. An angel of
God appears unto Carnelius. He was fasting and praying at
the time. Acts 10, verse 30. And he says
to him, look, send down to Joppa and fetch one who is surnamed
Simon Peter, and he will instruct you in what you ought to do. Meanwhile, in Joppa, the Lord
is preparing the apostle Peter. For being a Jew, he knew that
the Jew had no contact with foreigners. Yea, Acts 10 28, that it is an
unlawful thing, he said, for me to keep company or to associate
with one that is of another nation. So God prepared the apostle Peter
by a vision. You remember the vision, a sheet
let down, as it were, out of heaven. and that she contained
all manner of clean and unclean beast in it. Remember the command,
Peter, arise, slay, and eat. This brings that famous protest
from Peter, not so, Lord, nothing common or unclean have I ever
eaten. Or as Calvin said, there appeared
to Peter to be a contradiction between the vision that he is
seeing and the law that God had given. And his prejudice was
strong against eating things unclean under the law, just as
his prejudice was strong against having spiritual intercourse
with the Gentiles of that time. He is told, do not call common
or unclean what I have cleansed. Now as his vision ends, just
as Peter is finishing receiving the vision, There stand men at
the gate of the house who have come from Cornelius to speak
with him. So let us understand something.
That is that neither Peter nor Cornelius understood what was
about to occur in Caesarea, even after their respective visions they
do not yet fully perceive or understand the impact that is
about to be made upon their lives. Peter asks these men in verse
21, Why have you come? What are you doing here? Why
have you come here? And he asks in verse 29 the same
thing of Cornelius when he came. Why have you sent for me? to come down here. Nor does Carnelius
fully understand what is about to occur. For he's told in verse
6 of chapter 10, he, that is Simon Peter, will tell you what
you ought to do. See also chapter 11 and verse
14. Then look at the 32nd verse of
chapter 10. He shall speak unto you when
he comes. Then look at verse 33. We are
here in the presence of the Lord to hear all things that God has
commanded you to tell us, Carnegie said. Now, what a blessing. What a blessing to the Apostle
Peter, an audience ready made to be instructed, sitting and
saying, speak, for we are ready to hear. To give the Apostle
free reign, to speak the message of God unto them. Tell us what
God has for us, they say to him. Now in verse 34, through verse
43, it contains what is recorded or what Peter was allowed to
finish of the message of the apostle to Cornelius and the
guests that are gathered in his house. Mostly Gentiles with a
sprinkling of Jews, for remember that Peter brought six believing
Jews with him from the city of Joppa. Acts 11 and verse 12. Now let's look at what Peter
said to them. Let's look at the message that
the Holy Spirit gave him for them. We look at it quickly,
not reading it all, but in verse 34 and 35, We notice Peter's
opening words, the preamble to his sermon, and it is very important. And let's read it one more time
for our edification. Peter opened his mouth and said,
of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of person, for
in every nation Him that feareth God and worketh righteousness
is accepted of him." We know this had not long been the sentiment
of Peter. This was not the natural sentiment
of the Apostle Peter. It took that vision on the housetop
at Joppa to persuade him that God's favor would be shed upon
the Gentile as well as upon the Jew. It took a special revelation. Three times it was done to convince
Peter. His words and his act would soon
be used against him, however, by some of the Jewish critics
when they heard about Peter's behavior at Caesarea. So he says to this gathering
of Gentiles, I now realize I'm convinced, I'm persuaded. Let's expand upon it. I see,
I grasp, I understand, I comprehend that God does not respect person. That national distinctions are
now abolished and are to be regarded in God bestowing His grace. that what is acceptable in one
race is acceptable in another. And this is a formidable confession
from the Apostle Peter, renouncing his former prejudices, saying
in every nation God-fearers are accepted with God. Now we can't
spend much time on the sermon itself, but we can notice three
parts of the message that Peter has given. We've seen verse 34
and 35, the introduction, the opening premise. Here's the premise
on which he is speaking unto them. Secondly, we notice in
verse 36, through verse 42, there is a short but powerful summation
of the ministry of Christ upon the earth, including His death
and resurrection. He tells what Jesus did, that
He died, that He rose again. Then in verse 43 we notice the
fact that the prophets, the Old Testament prophets, gave witness
that through Jesus is their remission of sin. Then, coming to verse
44, and the Gentile Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit for the
first time in this fashion, and I emphasize, in this fashion
was shed upon the Gentile. We notice as with Pentecost in
Acts chapter 2, that it came suddenly and unexpectedly and
unprayed for and unasked for. Verse 44, while Peter yet spoke
these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard
the words. Now, this is now the second time
that the Apostle Peter has witnessed such a thing in his life and
ministry. First in Jerusalem in Acts chapter
2, on Pentecost among the Jew, and now on the Gentile, but without
regard to a particular day, as was Pentecost. It is important
that we notice. It happened not when the apostle
had closed his message. It happened while the apostle
was yet speaking unto them the things of God. Before he was
done speaking, before he closed his message, words were still
proceeding or coming out of his mouth and, no doubt, He would
have continued on speaking concerning the things of God, but like Pentecost,
it happened suddenly and unexpectedly. In fact, let's press the point
again, neither Cornelius nor Peter expected this, nor did
the people gathered there in the house. I want to emphasize
this. I hope you get it. Peter was
not giving an, quote, invitation, unquote, at the time that this
occurred. He had not exhorted the people,
bow your heads and close your eyes and cleanse your heart and
confess every known sin and invite the Holy Spirit to come into
your heart. He had not said to them, seek
ye sincerely the filling of the Holy Spirit. He did not say to
them like preachers today say, let go. and let God have his
way. Pray that you might be filled
with the Spirit of God and that you might speak in tongues as
evidence of that feeling. No, Peter was not doing that. But as was the case with the
Jew, the Holy Spirit came on these Gentiles unexpectedly,
unasked for, unmerited, and listen, apart from any fulfilled conditions
on their part. I'll say it again, apart from
any fulfilled conditions on their part. It is not that they met
certain conditions and God in response poured out the Holy
Spirit, nor was this what some call a second work of grace. It was not a subsequent blessing. It was not an experience subsequent
to the initial salvation experience that one may be a Christian for
a period of time, then seek and experience this baptism of the
Holy Spirit. And if you look at verse 45,
I believe it confirms this. The believing Jews which came
with Peter were astonished. They were amazed. Now, I want
to look at it because this is a rather expressive word that
is used by the author Luke here in this place. Astonished. And I counted about 17 times
that it is used in our New Testament and is the word Existemic, and
is translated in the King James Version, that is, by such words
as the following. I've traced it out. Amazed. And again, it is translated,
we're sore amazed. We find it translated beside
himself. That's in Mark 3.21. was spoken
with regard to Jesus as some of the Pharisees said he is out
of his mind literally he is beside himself that's what the meaning
of the word is in 2nd Corinthians 5 and 13 if we be beside our
It is the same word in Acts chapter 2 and verse 12 and verse 7 translated
amazed in the second chapter of Acts concerning those on Pentecost. And listen to this. This is the
very same word that is translated by the word bewitched in Acts
8 verse 9 and verse 11. And it is translated wondered
in Acts 8 and verse 13. We might say today, in modern
vernacular, it blew their mind. As if to say they stood outside
of themselves, they knew not what to make of it, they knew
not what to think of it. And what was it that made such
an impression upon these people? Well, verse 45 is the answer. What amazed them was that the
Spirit was also poured out upon the Gentiles, that they received
the gift of the Holy Spirit. This the consecrated Jew could
or would never have imagined, that the uncircumcised Gentile,
counted as unclean by the Jew for century after century, left
out of covenant blessing and having not the revelation of
God. Paul describes them in Ephesians
chapter 2 and verse 12, in time past, quote, without Christ,
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the
covenants of promise and having no hope and without God in the
world, unquote. In time past, Ephesians 2 verse
11 and 12. Now, can such as that ever have
the favor of God? Can we expect people like that
to all of a sudden be blessed and brought into the favor, the
grace, and the covenant of God? Who can bring a clean thing out
of an unclean? only our God. And yet two things
astonished the six Jewish believers that had come with Peter. A,
that the Spirit came on the Gentiles. That astonished them. And B,
that they heard these Gentiles speaking in tongues just like
the Jews had done on Pentecost and magnifying God. Now this
means something to them. This means that there was such
a similarity to Pentecost. Let me say it again. There was
such a similarity unto Pentecost that they recognized what had
occurred in their midst. There was no doubt in their mind
what had occurred, and that was that the Gentile had received
the outpouring of the Spirit of God as well as the Jew. Or, as we have it in Acts 11,
And verse 18, the conclusion is inescapable. There you read
this, quote, God also to the Gentiles has granted repentance
unto life, unquote. Acts 11, verse 18, by God's wise
providence, by his great power, there were credible witnesses
to the event in Caesarea, including the Apostle Peter. You'll see that in Acts 11 later
on. Now, what is the meaning? What
are the ramifications and the extent of the Gentile Pentecost? That is, what relation now will
this have to and upon the Jew? Well, it means that the Gentiles
are saved. They are saved apart from passing
through Judaism. They are saved without passing
through Judaism and without being placed under the ceremonial law
and without submitting unto fleshly circumcision, and yet standing
before God on the same or equal footing as the Jew. Judaism is
at an end. The ceremonial law has been nailed
to Christ's cross, as Paul said in Colossians 2 and verse 14. The enmity between Jew and Gentile
which stood in decree and ordinances has been broken down by the death
of Christ and God has reconciled both Jew and Gentile in one body
by the blood of his cross. That's what Paul said in Ephesians
2, 11 through 16. And Pentecost was the astonishing
event that consummated The union formally, Gentile Pentecost consummated
formally this union. It had not likely occurred without
the Gentile Pentecost that Jew and Gentile be in the same body
and through Christ at peace and brethren one with another. as
children of God, had it not been for what occurred here in Caesarea
and the people gathered at that house and the witness of God
unto them. Let's notice the emphasis put
upon this in Acts chapter 10, chapter 11, and chapter 15, that
the Gentiles have been blessed with the same blessing that the
Jews were blessed with, and that is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10.45, on the Gentiles also
poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now look at the word
also, kai. And it has a threefold meaning. It could be also, and, or even. Any of those words might fit.
That is, even, also, and on the nations is poured out the Holy
Spirit of God. Now over in chapter 11, in verses
1 through 18 of chapter 11, Peter is caught on the carpet
by some of the Judaizers and he is forced by their accusation
and by their criticism to defend his action. Verse 3, that he
went under the Gentiles and did eat with them. A cardinal sin
in the eyes of a Jew. Now beginning at verse 4, In
chapter 11, the apostle explained how it was that he went into
the Gentiles. Verse 5 through 10, he tells
them of his vision at Joppa about the great sheetlet down. and
the command of God. In verse 11 he said, so soon
as the vision ended, three men stood at the door to fetch me
to Caesarea. And in verse 12, the first part,
the Spirit told him to go. The Spirit bade me to go. In verse 12, the last part, through
verse 14, when he arrived, Cornelius rehearsed how the angel of God
had visited him to tell him to send for a man who would tell
him the way of salvation whereby you might be saved. And that
was through Christ. Then in verse 15 through 18,
how the Spirit came upon the Gentile even as he was speaking,
then the wonderful works of God, how Christ was hanged on a tree,
that he was raised from the dead, that he was seen after his resurrection,
that he's the one the prophets spoke about, and whosoever believeth
on him shall have remission of sin. And keep in mind that the
Spirit came sovereignly. I want to say that again. The
Spirit came sovereignly, both in Acts 2 and in Acts chapter
10, without being sought, without being asked for, without being
prayed for. There's not one single record
of any of that or of any conditions met and fulfilled. And note what
is emphasized multiple times in this account. Acts 11 and
verse 15. The Holy Ghost fell on them as
on us at the beginning. Acts 11 and 17. God gave them
the same gift as he gave unto the Jews, and with the same manifestation,
the gift of tongues. And when it occurred, Peter remembered
the promise of Christ of a baptism in the Holy Spirit. Now, having
received the Spirit, Peter considered them legitimate candidates for
water baptism. not circumcision, but baptism,
and not sprinkling, brethren, but baptism. Remember in Acts
2 in verse 41 on Pentecost, quote, they that gladly, they that welcomed,
they that accepted the word, those who heard in faith after
Pentecost were baptized, that is, in water. So the Gentiles,
and the argument of Peter is, Chapter 10 and verse 47. Who is there that can forbid
water that these might be baptized which have received the Spirit
in the same way as we? These having received the Spirit
in the like manner as the Jew removed all scruples against
their being baptized in water also. And by the way, the same
formula is found in Acts 2 and verse 38. In the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving them the Spirit in the same fashion as the Jews
meant that God had accepted them, that they had received remission
of sin through Jesus Christ. that God had granted them repentance
to life, Acts 11 and verse 18. Listen to this in Acts 14 and
verse 27, that God had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. Acts 14, 27. Listen to Acts 10,
35, that in every nation who so fears God is accepted with
Him. This, however, was not the end
of the controversy. Some in the, quote, Jewish community,
unquote, I hate that word community, the way it's used today, all
kinds of community, but they did not stop at criticizing Peter
for his dealings with the Gentile. They went even further and insisted
in Acts 15 that the Gentiles that believe also be forced to
submit under circumcision and put under the ceremonial law
or they could not be saved. Acts 15, 1 and 5 is very clear. Because of that, A special council
was convened in Jerusalem to consider this question, that
is, whether faith in the Gentiles must be supplemented by circumcision
and the ceremonial law, or whether Faith and faith alone saves the
Gentile. And we're running short of time,
but let us hear the testimony of Peter in Acts 15 and verse
6. If you turn there with me or
listen, whichever you prefer to do. In Acts verse 15, I'm
going to read verse 6 through 11. This is Simon Peter's part
in that council in Jerusalem. And the apostles and elders came
together for to consider of this matter. When there had been much
disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren,
you know that God made choice a great while ago that the Gentiles
by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe, and
God which knoweth the hearts bear them witness. giving them
the Holy Ghost even as unto us, and put no difference between
us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore,
why tempt you God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples
which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? Listen to
verse 11, Peter's conclusion. But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they. Jew and Gentile stand on equal
ground, saved in the same way, God bearing them witness. So Acts 10 and Acts 15 are two
very important chapters having to do with this matter, the admission
of the Gentiles in large numbers into the covenant and into the
church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm saying this to quit. I always
wondered why Paul was not the vessel to be used in Acts chapter
10. He's the apostle to the Gentiles
and I always wondered why. The only thing I can think of
is the commission from the Lord to Peter. I give you the keys
to the kingdom and such like. But Paul takes it up from here
and becomes the apostle unto the Gentiles. We won't get into
that this morning.