Acts and Mission 40

Oct 8, 2009 @ 11:57 By 2 Comments

ApPeter.jpgPeter’s gospel, inspired as it was by God’s revelation that all humans are on the same plane, results in a Spirit-inspired response:

10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the message. 10:45 The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said,10:47 ”No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for several days.

The encounter with the work of God in the lives of those whom we have previously shunned or excluded is one of the most potent accusations of our own theologies. That’s what the Jewish believers experienced.
Cornelius and crowd got the Holy Spirit; they spoke in tongues. 
The Jewish believer said as a result of what they saw: “if they’ve got the Spirit, they should be baptized.”
Notice the order: Gentile believers receive Spirit; Jewish believers astonined; Peter speaks for the Jewish believers in urging baptism. 
Let us not minimize the significance of leaders in breaking boundaries.
I love how the text ends: OK Peter, if you think we’ve got the Spirit and are now part of God’s people, stay with a few days, eat with us and show to the world that Gentiles are part of the Church!
Filed Under: Acts of the Apostles 2 Comments
About Scot McKnight

Scot McKnight is a recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. McKnight, author of more than thirty books, is the Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, IL.

  • http://authenticmission.blogspot.com/ Andrew Kenny

    In the 1970′s when the Charismatic movement was at its height in Northern Ireland, the act of Catholic Priests and Nuns being ‘baptized in the Spirit’ as well as speaking of tongues proved to be very significant for many mainline Protestant Christians (Presbyterian, Anglican and Methodist) to recognise that God was working within the Roman Catholic Church.
    There were some however some who rejected this as being of the devil. Strangely, these included many Pentecostal churches and hard line evangelicals and fundamentalists who totally rejected Roman Catholic teaching.
    This could be likened (from the Protestant perspective) to the Gentiles (Catholics) receiving the Spirit which was a hard thing for the Jews ( Prods ) to swallow.

  • Elizabeth

    You know, before I became a Christian everyone spoke in English to me of God’s word, but it was all tongues. I didn’t understand the plain words they used, they were talking to someone who didn’t understand the language. It wasn’t until I sought out the truth with faith that the Holy Spirit revealed the words so that I could understand. That is what this scripture means to me. Someone speaking plain English and I couldn’t understand their “tongue” until the Holy Spirit opened my eyes, ears, heart and mind.
    There are people now in my church that speak words as if they are chanting and making strange sounds and I do not understand what they say, but what I see is joy for the Lord and good intentions, what I don’t understand coming from their mouth I see displayed in their excitement and happiness and I don’t see how that can be wrong or of the devil. :o )