As Peter preached the gospel message to the household of Cornelius, the Holy Spirit fell upon them. Luke’s account in Acts described the surprise of the circumcised believers that the Gentiles also received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-45). Later when Peter explained it to the apostles and circumcised brothers in Jerusalem, he reminded them of the words of Jesus promising that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:1-18). Within the story of the conversion of Gentiles, Peter explained that the Holy Spirit who fell upon them was Jesus baptizing them with the same gift of the Holy Spirit that Jewish believers had received. Peter’s message on Pentecost had anticipated this time, when the promise of the Holy Spirit would be received by all who are far off, as many as the Lord God would call to Himself (Acts 2:39).
The Apostle Peter more fully understood the purpose of the Lord at the time the Holy Spirit fell upon the household of Cornelius, because in the presence of six other Jewish witnesses, Peter made a formative statement: “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (See Acts 10:47). In Acts 11 when Peter explained God’s purpose to circumcised believers in Jerusalem, he does contrast the water baptism of John the Baptist with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Peter is not sheepishly backtracking and admitting he made a mistake by commanding that the Gentiles receive water baptism in the name of Jesus. Water baptism in the name of Jesus, received in response to Jesus as the Messiah, is distinctive from the water baptism of John the Baptist, commanded to prepare the hearts of the Jews in anticipation of their Messiah arrival (Luke 3:1-22, 7:29-30; and Acts 19:1-10).
Several conversion examples in Acts shows the command and practice of water baptism in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38-41; 8:12-17; 8:35-39; 9:17-19; 10:44-48; 16:14-15; 16:30-34; 18:8; 19:1-7; and Acts 22:16). Although distinctive, water baptism in the name of Jesus corresponds to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is why in Acts 2 Peter proclaims that believers would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when they responded in repentance and baptism. It’s why the scripture explains the reason the apostles went to Samaria to lay their hands upon Samaritan believers, “for he [the Holy Spirit] had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16 within Acts 8:4-25). It’s also why when the Apostle Paul learned the twelve disciples of John in Ephesus had not heard of the Holy Spirit, he inquired what baptism they had received. None of these scriptures show any conflict against water baptism in the name of Jesus. Rather, the conflict is with the water baptism of John the Baptist, because it served its purpose since Jesus had already come (Acts 19:1-10). In contrast, in the examples of Acts, water baptism in the name of Jesus is commanded with conversion to Jesus as Messiah, just as the baptism of the Holy Spirit is received with conversion to Jesus as Messiah.
Therefore, let the testimony of Luke in Acts stand as it is, showing both the correspondence and the distinctiveness of water baptism in the name of Jesus and the baptism of the Holy Spirit by Jesus. Do not think that human arrangements of systematic doctrines will nail down the sovereign grace of Christ. For some sectarian views teach Holy Spirit only baptism to the exclusion of water baptism in the name of Jesus; and others teach water only baptism in the name of Jesus, limiting Holy Spirit baptism just to the apostles and select Christian in the first century church. Neither view honors the evidence in Acts and the Epistles of the essence of the one baptism of the one Christian faith (Ephesians 4:1-7).
Jesus however anticipated one baptism in his explanation of the new birth to Nicodemus. Jesus first related water and Spirit together in the new birth; and then distinguished the priority of the Spirit. Thus, he explained that everyone born of the Spirit is like the wind, blowing where it wishes; and although you hear its sound, you do not know where it comes from or where it goes (John 3:1-8). Is this not what Peter and six other circumcised believers witnessed when Cornelius was given new birth by the Holy Spirit? God’s Spirit was the unseen wind of God’s regenerating power, under His sovereign control rather than the control of the circumcised believers. The administration of water, however, was at the time under the control of the circumcised believers. Yet the lesson of Cornelius is that the water must not be forbidden of those whom God accepts. Since God showed His acceptance of the Gentiles on the basis of their faith in Jesus, Peter commanded water baptism, because he understood he should not forbid it.
Therefore, Peter’s new understanding of God’s acceptance from God’s own leading is why Peter brought up the issue of water baptism. Peter learned if God accepts anyone, then the church, represented by Peter and the six circumcised believers, should not withhold acceptance. The story of Cornelius does not minimize water baptism, nor distorts the practice of water by minimizing the priority of the Holy Spirit in conversion. By baptizing Cornelius with the Holy Spirit apart from examination and approval by an apostle and the Jewish membership of the church, Jesus demonstrates that his sovereign grace controls acceptance, salvation and membership. Otherwise, the church could forbid or reject the water baptism of anyone who truly believed in Jesus, falsely and frightfully causing God’s salvation to hinge upon flesh and sectarian bias (Acts 15).
3 Comments
October 16, 2008 at Thursday, October 16, 2008
I’m sorry, I don’t have a response I just need Bryan’s email.
Thank you Rachel.
February 18, 2009 at Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The following comments were made by Sid on the topic of the Holy Spirit:
Comment made on Holy Spirit and the Winds of Change:
In my life time the Johnny-come-lately Bible translators have changed literally hundreds of words that were right in the KJV to new wrong words. I was irritated to see “born again” constantly changed to “born from above.” But I finally researched it, and found that “anwthen” is properly translated “from above.” Jn 3.8, “the wind blows” is a terrible error, and should read, “the Spirit(pneuma) breathes (pnei).” Alexander Campbell, in his Millennial Harbinger magazines printed this article several times, and included it in his New Testament.
Comment made on Waiting for the Holy Spirit:
As God chose Israel to preserve the word of God (although they did not believe it), now the Living God chose the Churches of Christ to enlighten the world (although they do not believe it).
Comment made on Formative Statement Two on the Holy Spirit:
Paul predicted, “Prophecies will fail, tongues will cease, knowledge will vanish away” – 1Cor 13.8-10.
Campbell and associates wrote, “The gift of the Holy Spirit ended in the First Century.” Many others have published similar statements. So then, the Majority agree your assessment is wrong.
Comment made on Formative Statement Three on the Holy Spirit:
You have misread Acts 2, saying it was to twelve disciples of John at Ephesus.
It was at Jerusalem to all nations of the Roman Empire.
Comment made on Formative Statement Four on the Holy Spirit:
“water baptism in Jesus’ name = baptism of Holy Spirit.”
This is not true. Paul Dipped in Jesus’ name, and they received the Spirit by the “laying on of hands.”
This is great condemnation of the Pope’s First Century Only Religion.
Who can impart the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands today? The Pope’s religion is folly.
February 19, 2009 at Thursday, February 19, 2009
Sid, the most insightful comment you made is: “But I finally researched it.” This research applies to Bible Study and obedience. The Holy Spirit is God’s promise and you can only know the reality of the promise through experience from the obedience of faith. The proof of the pudding is in the eating of it. In John 7:17 (ESV) Jesus said: “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”