Acts
10-11:18
The
“Gentile ‘Pentecost’”
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.
2 He and
all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave
generously to those in need and prayed to God frequently.
3 One
day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel
of God, who came to him saying, "Cornelius!"
4 Cornelius
stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel
replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial
offering before God.
5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man
named Simon who is called Peter.
6 He is staying with Simon the tanner,
whose house is by the sea."
7 When
the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a
devoted soldier who was one of his attendants.
8 He told them everything that had happened
and sent them to Joppa.
9 About
noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city,
Peter went up on the roof to pray.
10 He
became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being
prepared, he fell into a trance.
11 He saw
heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its
four corners.
12 It
contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as birds of the air and
reptiles of the earth.
13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter.
Kill and eat."
14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter
replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."
15 The
voice spoke to him a second time- "Do not call anything impure that God
has made clean."
16 This happened three times and immediately
the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While
Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius
found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate.
18 They called out, asking if Simon, known as
Peter was staying there.
19 While
Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon,
three men are looking for you.
20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not
hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."
21 Peter
went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have
you come?"
22 The men replied, "We have come from
Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is
respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to
his house so that he could hear what you have to say."
23 Then
Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter
started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along.
24 The
following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had
called together his close friends and relatives.
25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met
him and fell at his feet in reverence.
26 But Peter made him get up. "Stand
up," he said, "I am only a man myself."
27 Talking with him, Peter went inside and
found a large gathering of people.
28 He
said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to
associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not
call any man impure or unclean.
29 So when
I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent
for me?"
30 Cornelius
answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three
in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me
31 and
said, `Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the
poor.
32 Send to
Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the
tanner, who lives by the sea.'
33 So I
sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here
in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to
tell us."
34 Then
Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show
favoritism
35 but accepts men from every nation who fear
him and do what is right.
36 You
know the message God sent to the people of Israel,
telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
37 You
know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached--
38 how
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went
around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil,
because God was with him.
39 "We
are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They killed him by hanging him on a tree,
40 but God raised him from the dead on the
third day and caused him to be seen.
41 He
was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already
chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 He
commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God
appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
43 All
the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name."
44 While
Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the
message.
45 The circumcised believers who had come with
Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even
on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues
and praising God. Then Peter said,
47 "Can
anyone keep these people from being baptized with
water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
48 So
he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few
days.
1 The
apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had
received the word of God.
3 and said, "You
went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."
4 Peter began and explained everything to
them precisely as it had happened:
5 "I
was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw
something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners,
and it came down to where I was.
6 I
looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles,
and birds of the air.
7 Then I heard a voice telling me, `Get up,
Peter. Kill and eat.'
8 "I replied, `Surely not, Lord!
Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
9 "The
voice spoke from heaven a second time, `Do not call anything impure that God
has made clean.'
10 This happened three times, and then it was
all pulled up to heaven again.
11 "Right
then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where
I was staying.
12 The
Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers
also went with me, and we entered the man's house.
13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, `Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter.
14 He will bring you a message through which
you and all your household will be saved.'
15 "As
I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as
he had come on us at the beginning.
16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: `John baptized with water,
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
17 So if
God gave them the same gift as he gave us,
who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose
God?"
18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
This
passage is often referred to as the “Gentile ‘Pentecost’”. As of this time the
Gospel had been preached only to Jews. And from the vision God gave Peter, God
was telling Peter the Gospel was for the whole world to hear, that is, for the
Gentiles as well. Notice the same thing happened to these Gentiles as
happened to the Jews in Acts 2. We see the
exact same pattern, which was intended to fulfill Christ’s
prophesy and confirm that God was indeed the one at work and which He
confirmed by this miracle
Cornelius
is a very interesting character. Here is what the Bible tells us about him:
Cornelius
was a Gentile.
Cornelius
worshipped the Jewish God.
Cornelius
was devout and God fearing.
Cornelius
prayed regularly.
Cornelius
gave to the poor and did good deeds.
God
heard and answered Cornelius’ prayers. God even sent an angel to him.
Although
Cornelius had a very strong faith and it could be argued he had a
“relationship” with God, he was still not yet saved. (Acts 11:14 confirms this)
Cornelius
is like many people today.
Cornelius
still needed further instruction.
Notice Cornelius did not argue with Peter about the need to be baptized.
Cornelius (and his household) responded by being obedient and by being
baptized.
And
in so doing, God blessed them and they became the first group of Gentiles to
inherit eternal life.
See also this page: What About Cornelius And His Household?
This
page updated: Sept 29, 2005