"Reception of Holy Spirt" by Gorder Wise, Gurukul

Text: Acts 10: 44 ff

The reading from Acts relates the Gentiles’ reception of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues after Peter’s preaching in the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius. It illustrates not only the action of the Holy Spirit in spreading the Christian mission to “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) but also the theme of equal footing for all who receive baptism. The Gentiles, baptized by the Holy Spirit as were the Jewish Christians at Pentecost, are in no way eminent from those initial believers who were sharing secret knowledge to God’s revelation to Israel.

The significance of the event is not exhausted on the Jewish believers who went with Peter. They were "surprised", because the Spirit came on the Gentiles in exactly the same way as He had come on the apostles at Pentecost; they "heard them speaking in tongues and praising God", (2:11). The phrase "praising God" literally means "magnifying God", which probably support with the description given on the day of Pentecost, "speaking.... the mighty acts of God." The Spirit's coming on the Gentiles in exactly the same way as on the apostles, removes any doubt that the doors of the kingdom are now open for Gentiles as well as Jews. In fact, this sign further proof the presence of the kingdom.  Again, we are unsure what "speaking in tongues" was like. Clearly there is language content to the experience, in that the onlookers heard them "glorifying God". In fact, the experience probably paralleled Pentecost where "each one heard them speaking in their own language."

Now, the Holy Spirit comes, as a “gift” on all present, “even on the Gentiles”: to the surprise of the Jewish Christians “who had come with Peter”. “Speaking in tongues” is a sign of the presence of the Spirit. The pouring out of the Spirit and baptism are closely associated in Acts; here baptism follows the coming of the Spirit. Peter’s question amounts to: we Jewish Christians received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2: 14; now these Gentiles have received it, so surely they can be baptized. During his stay, Peter presumably ate with these non-Jews. God has given the Gentiles “the same gift that he gave us when we believed” so who was I to stand in God’s way? As we see in Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus, Jesus tells him that ‘… the wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit”. The Holy Spirit is poured on whom God wishes. It is not a human effort to receive Holy Spirit. It is a free gift of God for to bring glory to God. Jesus explained that we cannot control the work of the Holy Spirit. He works in ways we cannot predict or understand.

What makes this biblical account noteworthy in the studies of Baptism and Salvation is that neither Cornelius, nor his household have been baptized; yet, they are guaranteed their heavenly inheritance by, and have received gifts of, the Holy Spirit. We know they have not been baptized from Acts 10:47-48,

- - " Can anyone forbid water that these, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we, should not be baptized? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord."

Acts 10, Cornelius & his household, and Luke 23, the crucified thief, disprove the assertions, and teachings, of some Churches & Denominations, that to be saved you must be baptized.

Although salvation is not obtained through baptism, the Bible clearly teaches, that in the normal course of events, if you are saved, you are required to be baptized as a matter of obedience to Our Lord & Savior Jesus, Christ. Amen.

  [ W.Gorder Wise, the preacher of this sermon is a third year BD student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College ans Research Institute, Chennai, India.]