And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
While Peter was preaching Christ his life, death, resurrection and heavenly ministry, the Holy Spirit fell on his Gentile hearers with the same power as on Jewish believers, and they spoke in other tongues and magnified God. After that outpouring Peter commanded Cornelius, his household and the other Gentile believers to be baptized in the name of the Lord, that is Jesus Christ. The new believers then asked him to remain certain days, and he stayed with them for a time preaching Jesus to them and to others nearby. Their reception of the Holy Spirit did not take the place of baptism or remove the call to be baptized, for conversion requires faith, repentance and baptism. That baptism confirmed that the believing Gentiles were accepted by God, cleansed by faith in Christ, and welcomed into the church as fellow citizens on perfect equality with Jewish disciples.
What Happened At Caesarea
While Peter was preaching Jesus — his life, ministry, miracles, betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and his work in heaven as man’s Representative and Advocate pleading for sinners — the Holy Spirit fell on all the Gentile hearers. The Spirit was poured out on them as on Jewish believers, with equal power as at the beginning, taking possession of Cornelius and his hearers and shining upon them with the same light and glory. They received the gift of the Holy Ghost, spoke with tongues in other tongues and magnified and glorified God. This astonished those of the circumcision who came with Peter, so that Peter asked who could forbid water to them and water could not be refused them.
After that outpouring Peter commanded Cornelius, his household, and the other Gentile hearers with him to be baptized in the name of the Lord, that is in the name of Jesus Christ. Their reception of the Spirit and baptism helped convince the apostles and leading believers that God had granted Gentiles repentance unto life. Their conversion was the first-fruits of a wider work of grace to be gathered from the world.
The new Gentile believers then asked Peter to tarry certain days, to stay with them for several days and for a time. He remained with them and preached Jesus to them and to other Gentiles and others nearby. After the baptism he remained with them for some days at their request.
Why Baptism Was Commanded
Even after the Gentile hearers had believed and received the Holy Spirit, Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, which is Jesus Christ, because that reception did not take the place of baptism and did not remove the call to be baptized. The Spirit's descent upon Cornelius, his household, and the other Gentile hearers still left them to be baptized in the Lord's name.
Faith, repentance, and baptism are requisite, required steps in conversion. Baptized believers are joined together in one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, with sanctifying grace bringing their different temperaments under the same principles.
That baptism confirmed that the believing Gentiles were accepted by God and had a place among believers. They were to be baptized and welcomed into the church after receiving the gospel and the Spirit, and not to be treated as unclean or excluded. Their baptism followed their reception of the gospel and confirmed their place among believers as the first-fruits of a wider work of grace among the Gentiles.
Gentiles Received As Equals
The command to baptize belongs to God's bringing of the gospel to the Gentiles through Peter and Cornelius, by which those who had been strangers and foreigners were made fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household across national lines to belief in His Son. It marks the first major conversion among the Gentiles and the opening to them of the privileges of the gospel to be shared equally with the Jews, for Christ's death had broken down the barrier that still remained in the apostles' minds and threw open the door many Jewish converts had closed. The Holy Spirit fell upon uncircumcised Gentiles with equal power as upon circumcised Jews, taking possession of Cornelius and his hearers and shining upon them with the same light and glory, so that God is no respecter of persons but accepts in every nation those who fear Him and work righteousness. He puts no difference between Jew and Gentile, purifies Gentile hearts by faith, and cleanses from all uncleanness by the blood of Jesus Christ, so the Gentile is not to be regarded as inferior.
Gentile believers who accepted the gospel were to be regarded as on perfect equality with Jewish disciples, to stand on equal terms without the necessity of circumcision. After the Holy Spirit was poured out on them as on Jewish believers, with speaking in tongues and magnifying God to the astonishment of those of the circumcision who came with Peter, Peter commanded Cornelius and the Gentiles with him to be baptized in the name of the Lord as evidence that he was to be a messenger to the Gentiles. That baptism proves the ceremonial distinction of circumcision and uncircumcision is ended and Gentiles are no longer to be looked upon as unclean, for God was tearing down the middle wall of partition so the gospel would be carried to all the world. Prosperity and even existence of the Christian church required receiving Gentile converts into fellowship and baptism without imposing circumcision and the ceremonial law as a yoke which neither the fathers nor the apostles could bear, that yoke being the law of ceremonies made null by the crucifixion and not the law of ten commandments.
The conversion and baptism of Cornelius and his household was the first-fruits of a wider work of grace among the Gentiles and of a harvest to be gathered from the world, confirming their place among believers after their reception of the Holy Spirit. From that home in a heathen city a widespread work of grace was carried on. It marks the gospel's extension beyond the chosen people to the world after its rejection by the Jewish nation, through Peter divinely guided in opening the gospel to Cornelius, a God-fearing Gentile centurion, in a pioneering breakthrough of long-standing barriers to the heathen world. Their reception of the Spirit and baptism helped convince the apostles and leading believers in Jerusalem that God had granted Gentiles repentance leading to life, preparing the way for Paul's mission.
The act caused contention in the church at Jerusalem over the course Peter was pursuing, for the brethren in Judea were surprised and offended, fearing the course looked presumptuous and contradicted his own teaching, and censured him for going in to uncircumcised men and eating with them. Peter had to go to Jerusalem and rehearse his experience before the leaders could believe the Lord would send His Holy Spirit to the uncircumcised, laying before them the vision, the command to go to the Gentiles, the coming of the messengers, the journey to Caesarea, the interview with Cornelius, and the fall of the Holy Spirit on them even as on Jewish believers at the beginning when they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. That rehearsal proved God gave Gentiles the like gift as Jewish believers and granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life. So prejudice and exclusiveness were destroyed, controversy was silenced, and the way was opened for work to be carried on among the Gentiles.
How God Arranged Meeting
Heaven and earth were united in the work at Caesarea through the ministration of angels, yet God did not have an angel give the gospel to Cornelius but appointed Peter as the human instrument. The angel could have told Cornelius the whole message directly, but that is not God's way of working. Instead Cornelius was directed to seek further light from chosen human messengers and to become acquainted with Peter in gospel missionary work, so that the light God had given Peter would be given by Peter to Cornelius and to all his family, ending in their baptism. By this God joined His church together to give the gospel and established the pattern that believers must unify and love one another and work together in closest connection with God and with each other rather than working alone or against one another. The chapter therefore teaches that those who need instruction should accept the help of appointed human agents rather than insist on being taught directly by God, and that each person should treat his fellow man as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for accomplishing His work in the earth.
God in heaven arranged the train of circumstances in every particular to bring Peter into connection with Cornelius so that Cornelius might learn the truth and receive advanced light. He knew Cornelius by name, just where he lived, the spirit he possessed, and every act of his life, and because Cornelius had received and improved all the light given him, He sent His angel to bring him into connection with Peter. He knew just where Peter was lodging with Simon the tanner and told Cornelius exactly where to send to find him, working out every particular of the meeting by angel ministration and by messengers sent to set circumstances in operation. Ministering angels pass through the churches noting faithfulness in individual duty.
Peter undertook the duty laid on him by divine command with reluctance at every step, and the result was a great surprise to him. Afterward he treated his baptizing of Cornelius and his household not on general principles but as an exception done because of divine revelation. The vision given to prepare him to preach to the Gentiles corrected his error in line with Bible truth and served to comfort God's people. Visions serve to correct those who stray from Bible truth, not to establish a new rule of faith nor to replace Scripture as the rule of faith.
The Lord's plans for advancing His work are simple, with the agencies of heaven ever ready to cooperate with human agencies.
Who Cornelius Represents
Cornelius was a Roman centurion, an officer of high position, a God-fearing and devout man who lived according to the light he had received and followed principles of righteousness. He was a sincere seeker who longed and prayed for light from heaven, living up to the little light and few privileges he had. God knew him by such a life of pure testimony for truth and righteousness, and sent him a message from heaven and directed Peter to visit him to bring further light. That visit completed God's work for him by placing him in connection with men of superior knowledge of the Word that he might obtain advanced light.
His devout piety was accepted of God and commended, and his prayers and almsgiving were acceptable as far as his knowledge went. Yet they could not take the place of Christ Jesus, for in Him all fullness dwells. Having believed the Word promising a Messiah, he had to advance in faith and obtain a new experience to do his work intelligently through Christ. When Christ was revealed to him he received Him with gladness, receiving the fulfillment of the promise and becoming complete in Him.
He stands for many in the world who have not yet identified themselves with the church but are walking in all the light they have received and serving God with sincere, earnest purpose though not having received the whole truth. Such Gentiles serve God as acceptably as Jews, and there are many such men in the world and souls in the churches who are much nearer the kingdom of heaven than is supposed. Among them are stewards in trust bearing responsibilities in the higher classes and influential circles, with sympathies toward truth, yet held by threads binding them to the world and lacking the moral courage to take their position, facing special temptations in their positions of stewardship. When truth is presented as the Spirit of God leads, those who live up to the light they have will receive the light and advance with it to full light.
He responded to the instruction he received by joining the church, and he became a useful and influential worker for God. His conversion and baptism with his household was only the first-fruits of a harvest to be gathered from the world, and from that home in a heathen city a widespread work of grace was carried on. His example shows that people who fear God and seek truth can be brought into connection with Christ's disciples to learn the truth and receive advanced light. So God prepares true standard-bearers to stand in true integrity and testify by purity and nobility of character, to take the place of those who were given a knowledge of Bible truth but disappointed the Saviour by turning away.
What It Requires Today
In every age God brings honest hearts seeking light into connection with those servants best fitted by special knowledge and training to reach their individual needs, some workers being adapted to help one class of inquirers and others trained differently to help another class. Earnest, devoted, determined efforts are to be made for the associations to which such seekers belong, such as temperance associations like the W.C.T.U. and the higher classes, so that light may shine forth to souls as honest as Cornelius. God's design in this is to gather out honest souls seeking light from among those bitterly opposed to the message being given to the world.
Believers must unify and love one another and work together in closest connection with God rather than working alone or against one another. God wished to bring about a connection between Peter and Cornelius, so that the light He had given Peter would be given by Peter to Cornelius and his family, leading to their baptism, though an angel could have given the message directly. That divinely arranged human connection is the pattern for dealing honestly, justly and truly with one another, for coming into close connection with Christ, for manifesting love instead of hatred, and for giving God room among His people.
Every true believer must stand ready to be taught by God and have prejudice broken down rather than cling to his own ideas lest God pass him by, for the door that many Jewish converts had closed against the Gentiles was thrown open into an entirely new phase in which Gentile believers were to stand on perfect equality without circumcision. God shows regard for every human being, and each should treat his fellow man as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for accomplishing His work in the earth. Heaven is much nearer to the Christian engaged in soul-saving than many suppose, and the agencies of heaven are ever ready to cooperate with human agencies and guide servants to those He has prepared. God's servants are therefore to take courage in readiness and personal effort for precious jewels in this dark world of sin, for there are many in the world and souls in the churches walking in all the light received and serving God with sincere, earnest purpose who are much nearer the kingdom than is supposed, and Gentiles like Cornelius serve God as acceptably as Jews like Peter. So God works in every age for devout men whose lives are a pure testimony for truth and righteousness, preparing true standard-bearers of integrity, purity and nobility to stand for truth and righteousness and to take the place of those given Bible truth who disappointed the Saviour.
Cornelius is the kind of man God calls for now, a man taught by Him, true and sanctified and ennobled through the truth with spiritual discernment, unlike those who merely profess religion all their lives while losing discernment and proving foolish. Such men not yet identified with the church are stewards in trust bearing responsibilities in the higher classes, with sympathies toward the truth yet held by threads binding them to the world and lacking moral courage to take their position with the lowly ones. They face special temptations in their positions of stewardship and need special care and more determined, earnest effort and special labor to reach them, because if converted they will give strength and solidity to the cause.
While Peter was preaching Christ his life, death, resurrection and heavenly ministry, the Holy Spirit fell on his Gentile hearers with the same power as on Jewish believers, and they spoke in other tongues and magnified God. After that outpouring Peter commanded Cornelius, his household and the other Gentile believers to be baptized in the name of the Lord, that is Jesus Christ. The new believers then asked him to remain certain days, and he stayed with them for a time preaching Jesus to them and to others nearby. Their reception of the Holy Spirit did not take the place of baptism or remove the call to be baptized, for conversion requires faith, repentance and baptism. That baptism confirmed that the believing Gentiles were accepted by God, cleansed by faith in Christ, and welcomed into the church as fellow citizens on perfect equality with Jewish disciples.
What Happened At Caesarea
While Peter was preaching Jesus — his life, ministry, miracles, betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and his work in heaven as man’s Representative and Advocate pleading for sinners — the Holy Spirit fell on all the Gentile hearers. The Spirit was poured out on them as on Jewish believers, with equal power as at the beginning, taking possession of Cornelius and his hearers and shining upon them with the same light and glory. They received the gift of the Holy Ghost, spoke with tongues in other tongues and magnified and glorified God. This astonished those of the circumcision who came with Peter, so that Peter asked who could forbid water to them and water could not be refused them.
After that outpouring Peter commanded Cornelius, his household, and the other Gentile hearers with him to be baptized in the name of the Lord, that is in the name of Jesus Christ. Their reception of the Spirit and baptism helped convince the apostles and leading believers that God had granted Gentiles repentance unto life. Their conversion was the first-fruits of a wider work of grace to be gathered from the world.
The new Gentile believers then asked Peter to tarry certain days, to stay with them for several days and for a time. He remained with them and preached Jesus to them and to other Gentiles and others nearby. After the baptism he remained with them for some days at their request.
Why Baptism Was Commanded
Even after the Gentile hearers had believed and received the Holy Spirit, Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, which is Jesus Christ, because that reception did not take the place of baptism and did not remove the call to be baptized. The Spirit's descent upon Cornelius, his household, and the other Gentile hearers still left them to be baptized in the Lord's name.
Faith, repentance, and baptism are requisite, required steps in conversion. Baptized believers are joined together in one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, with sanctifying grace bringing their different temperaments under the same principles.
That baptism confirmed that the believing Gentiles were accepted by God and had a place among believers. They were to be baptized and welcomed into the church after receiving the gospel and the Spirit, and not to be treated as unclean or excluded. Their baptism followed their reception of the gospel and confirmed their place among believers as the first-fruits of a wider work of grace among the Gentiles.
Gentiles Received As Equals
The command to baptize belongs to God's bringing of the gospel to the Gentiles through Peter and Cornelius, by which those who had been strangers and foreigners were made fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household across national lines to belief in His Son. It marks the first major conversion among the Gentiles and the opening to them of the privileges of the gospel to be shared equally with the Jews, for Christ's death had broken down the barrier that still remained in the apostles' minds and threw open the door many Jewish converts had closed. The Holy Spirit fell upon uncircumcised Gentiles with equal power as upon circumcised Jews, taking possession of Cornelius and his hearers and shining upon them with the same light and glory, so that God is no respecter of persons but accepts in every nation those who fear Him and work righteousness. He puts no difference between Jew and Gentile, purifies Gentile hearts by faith, and cleanses from all uncleanness by the blood of Jesus Christ, so the Gentile is not to be regarded as inferior.
Gentile believers who accepted the gospel were to be regarded as on perfect equality with Jewish disciples, to stand on equal terms without the necessity of circumcision. After the Holy Spirit was poured out on them as on Jewish believers, with speaking in tongues and magnifying God to the astonishment of those of the circumcision who came with Peter, Peter commanded Cornelius and the Gentiles with him to be baptized in the name of the Lord as evidence that he was to be a messenger to the Gentiles. That baptism proves the ceremonial distinction of circumcision and uncircumcision is ended and Gentiles are no longer to be looked upon as unclean, for God was tearing down the middle wall of partition so the gospel would be carried to all the world. Prosperity and even existence of the Christian church required receiving Gentile converts into fellowship and baptism without imposing circumcision and the ceremonial law as a yoke which neither the fathers nor the apostles could bear, that yoke being the law of ceremonies made null by the crucifixion and not the law of ten commandments.
The conversion and baptism of Cornelius and his household was the first-fruits of a wider work of grace among the Gentiles and of a harvest to be gathered from the world, confirming their place among believers after their reception of the Holy Spirit. From that home in a heathen city a widespread work of grace was carried on. It marks the gospel's extension beyond the chosen people to the world after its rejection by the Jewish nation, through Peter divinely guided in opening the gospel to Cornelius, a God-fearing Gentile centurion, in a pioneering breakthrough of long-standing barriers to the heathen world. Their reception of the Spirit and baptism helped convince the apostles and leading believers in Jerusalem that God had granted Gentiles repentance leading to life, preparing the way for Paul's mission.
The act caused contention in the church at Jerusalem over the course Peter was pursuing, for the brethren in Judea were surprised and offended, fearing the course looked presumptuous and contradicted his own teaching, and censured him for going in to uncircumcised men and eating with them. Peter had to go to Jerusalem and rehearse his experience before the leaders could believe the Lord would send His Holy Spirit to the uncircumcised, laying before them the vision, the command to go to the Gentiles, the coming of the messengers, the journey to Caesarea, the interview with Cornelius, and the fall of the Holy Spirit on them even as on Jewish believers at the beginning when they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. That rehearsal proved God gave Gentiles the like gift as Jewish believers and granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life. So prejudice and exclusiveness were destroyed, controversy was silenced, and the way was opened for work to be carried on among the Gentiles.
How God Arranged Meeting
Heaven and earth were united in the work at Caesarea through the ministration of angels, yet God did not have an angel give the gospel to Cornelius but appointed Peter as the human instrument. The angel could have told Cornelius the whole message directly, but that is not God's way of working. Instead Cornelius was directed to seek further light from chosen human messengers and to become acquainted with Peter in gospel missionary work, so that the light God had given Peter would be given by Peter to Cornelius and to all his family, ending in their baptism. By this God joined His church together to give the gospel and established the pattern that believers must unify and love one another and work together in closest connection with God and with each other rather than working alone or against one another. The chapter therefore teaches that those who need instruction should accept the help of appointed human agents rather than insist on being taught directly by God, and that each person should treat his fellow man as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for accomplishing His work in the earth.
God in heaven arranged the train of circumstances in every particular to bring Peter into connection with Cornelius so that Cornelius might learn the truth and receive advanced light. He knew Cornelius by name, just where he lived, the spirit he possessed, and every act of his life, and because Cornelius had received and improved all the light given him, He sent His angel to bring him into connection with Peter. He knew just where Peter was lodging with Simon the tanner and told Cornelius exactly where to send to find him, working out every particular of the meeting by angel ministration and by messengers sent to set circumstances in operation. Ministering angels pass through the churches noting faithfulness in individual duty.
Peter undertook the duty laid on him by divine command with reluctance at every step, and the result was a great surprise to him. Afterward he treated his baptizing of Cornelius and his household not on general principles but as an exception done because of divine revelation. The vision given to prepare him to preach to the Gentiles corrected his error in line with Bible truth and served to comfort God's people. Visions serve to correct those who stray from Bible truth, not to establish a new rule of faith nor to replace Scripture as the rule of faith.
The Lord's plans for advancing His work are simple, with the agencies of heaven ever ready to cooperate with human agencies.
Who Cornelius Represents
Cornelius was a Roman centurion, an officer of high position, a God-fearing and devout man who lived according to the light he had received and followed principles of righteousness. He was a sincere seeker who longed and prayed for light from heaven, living up to the little light and few privileges he had. God knew him by such a life of pure testimony for truth and righteousness, and sent him a message from heaven and directed Peter to visit him to bring further light. That visit completed God's work for him by placing him in connection with men of superior knowledge of the Word that he might obtain advanced light.
His devout piety was accepted of God and commended, and his prayers and almsgiving were acceptable as far as his knowledge went. Yet they could not take the place of Christ Jesus, for in Him all fullness dwells. Having believed the Word promising a Messiah, he had to advance in faith and obtain a new experience to do his work intelligently through Christ. When Christ was revealed to him he received Him with gladness, receiving the fulfillment of the promise and becoming complete in Him.
He stands for many in the world who have not yet identified themselves with the church but are walking in all the light they have received and serving God with sincere, earnest purpose though not having received the whole truth. Such Gentiles serve God as acceptably as Jews, and there are many such men in the world and souls in the churches who are much nearer the kingdom of heaven than is supposed. Among them are stewards in trust bearing responsibilities in the higher classes and influential circles, with sympathies toward truth, yet held by threads binding them to the world and lacking the moral courage to take their position, facing special temptations in their positions of stewardship. When truth is presented as the Spirit of God leads, those who live up to the light they have will receive the light and advance with it to full light.
He responded to the instruction he received by joining the church, and he became a useful and influential worker for God. His conversion and baptism with his household was only the first-fruits of a harvest to be gathered from the world, and from that home in a heathen city a widespread work of grace was carried on. His example shows that people who fear God and seek truth can be brought into connection with Christ's disciples to learn the truth and receive advanced light. So God prepares true standard-bearers to stand in true integrity and testify by purity and nobility of character, to take the place of those who were given a knowledge of Bible truth but disappointed the Saviour by turning away.
What It Requires Today
In every age God brings honest hearts seeking light into connection with those servants best fitted by special knowledge and training to reach their individual needs, some workers being adapted to help one class of inquirers and others trained differently to help another class. Earnest, devoted, determined efforts are to be made for the associations to which such seekers belong, such as temperance associations like the W.C.T.U. and the higher classes, so that light may shine forth to souls as honest as Cornelius. God's design in this is to gather out honest souls seeking light from among those bitterly opposed to the message being given to the world.
Believers must unify and love one another and work together in closest connection with God rather than working alone or against one another. God wished to bring about a connection between Peter and Cornelius, so that the light He had given Peter would be given by Peter to Cornelius and his family, leading to their baptism, though an angel could have given the message directly. That divinely arranged human connection is the pattern for dealing honestly, justly and truly with one another, for coming into close connection with Christ, for manifesting love instead of hatred, and for giving God room among His people.
Every true believer must stand ready to be taught by God and have prejudice broken down rather than cling to his own ideas lest God pass him by, for the door that many Jewish converts had closed against the Gentiles was thrown open into an entirely new phase in which Gentile believers were to stand on perfect equality without circumcision. God shows regard for every human being, and each should treat his fellow man as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for accomplishing His work in the earth. Heaven is much nearer to the Christian engaged in soul-saving than many suppose, and the agencies of heaven are ever ready to cooperate with human agencies and guide servants to those He has prepared. God's servants are therefore to take courage in readiness and personal effort for precious jewels in this dark world of sin, for there are many in the world and souls in the churches walking in all the light received and serving God with sincere, earnest purpose who are much nearer the kingdom than is supposed, and Gentiles like Cornelius serve God as acceptably as Jews like Peter. So God works in every age for devout men whose lives are a pure testimony for truth and righteousness, preparing true standard-bearers of integrity, purity and nobility to stand for truth and righteousness and to take the place of those given Bible truth who disappointed the Saviour.
Cornelius is the kind of man God calls for now, a man taught by Him, true and sanctified and ennobled through the truth with spiritual discernment, unlike those who merely profess religion all their lives while losing discernment and proving foolish. Such men not yet identified with the church are stewards in trust bearing responsibilities in the higher classes, with sympathies toward the truth yet held by threads binding them to the world and lacking moral courage to take their position with the lowly ones. They face special temptations in their positions of stewardship and need special care and more determined, earnest effort and special labor to reach them, because if converted they will give strength and solidity to the cause.