Acts 10:44-48 (NIV)
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 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. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 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.
Peter believed that it would take a long time to bring the gentiles into the kingdom. After all, they were largely ignorant of the Scriptures (meaning the Old Testament; the New Testament had not yet been written), and all the traditions that lay behind the reality of Jesus, who He was and what He had done. But these gentiles, at least, were much further along than he realized.
As God-fearers, these gentiles were already familiar with some of the Scriptures, and with God’s moral requirements for His people, and they were complying with them. They had heard of Jesus and some of what He had done and taught. And God had already been at work in their hearts, preparing the soil for the seed of the gospel. So, when Peter told them (verse 43) that believing in Jesus would result in forgiveness of sins, they believed and were saved!
Filling these new believers instantly with the Holy Spirit, including their demonstrating some of the same external signs that the first believers had experienced (Acts 2:1-4), was done as a sign to Peter and those who had come with him in order to remove any doubt in their minds as to what was going on. It was clear, both from Jesus’ teachings and from their own experience, that God only poured His Spirit out on believers. Therefore, if these people, men, women, and even children, had been filled with the Holy Spirit, that was a clear sign that they had believed and had received salvation.
Peter deduced exactly this. But he didn’t want to skip any steps. Jesus had ordered that new believers be baptized in water (Matthew 28:19), and the fact that these believers had seemingly moved on to being filled with the Holy Spirit didn’t remove that requirement. So, Peter ordered that these people be baptized immediately. Thus, everything was done in order, and these new believers were accepted by Peter and company no longer as gentiles and foreigners, but as brothers and sisters in Christ. And Peter stayed with them a few days to teach them more about Jesus and to hep them get a good start as disciples.
Father, Peter was sometimes reluctant to step into new territory, but once he understood what was happening, he stepped up in full cooperation with Your plans. And, as a result, miraculous things happened, like the sweeping salvation of a whole house-full of gentiles, opening a new chapter in the history of the Church. Thank You for continually moving us out to the edges, into the new territories You are working, so that we can be part of what You are doing! Amen.
If you are enjoying my blog, I invite you to check out my book, When We Listen, A Devotional Commentary on the Gospel of Mark. Just follow this url: http://eagerpress.webstarts.com/ Thanks, and God bless you all!