In the above focus, Peter recounts to the Jerusalem believers his reasons for going to Cornelius’ house. Six Jewish men accompanied Peter to Cornelius’ house in Caesarea. These six men would verify Peter's account of the happenings there. This experience of Peter was hard for the Jews to accept. Gentiles for generations had been considered by the Jews to be outside of knowing the God of creation. For the Jews they were God's chosen people; they had the law; they had the light of God. This light was given to them on Mount Sinai. The law was specifically for them and their households. To them, the Gentiles lived in darkness. Before the Israelites entered Canaan, Moses and Joshua warned the Israelites not to associate with the Canaanites when they entered the Promised Land. They were instructed through war and violence to cleanse Canaan of the wicked six tribes that existed there. This did not happen, and what followed was the contamination of the Jewish people by the wicked influences of these six tribes. The corruption of God’s chosen people was so complete that God finally dispersed the Israelites to the surrounding countries; once again they became slaves to foreign people. This history of the Jews falling from the grace of God by associating with the Gentiles was ingrained in the Jewish Christians. Consequently, they needed real proof that God was opening salvation to the uncircumcised. After hearing Peter’s account of what happened at Cornelius’ house, they had to conclude: even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life. This battle of acceptance of the Gentiles into the household of the redeemed of God was not easily won. Not even in Peter’s heart, for Paul had to confront Peter directly in Antioch when Peter chose only to eat with the Jerusalem Jews and not with the Gentiles of Antioch. When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. (Galatians 2:11-13) Even Barnabas was led astray whose primary mission was to preach to the Gentiles. However, for centuries Jews were considered to be a separate people from all others on the face of the Earth. In the Old Testament, Ezra, a head priest in Israel, lamented over the wickedness of the remnant of Israel who were allowed to occupy Judea again. He observed that the remnant were contaminating themselves by marrying the Gentile women of the land. Because of this wickedness, he feared God would disperse again even the remnant from the land. But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’ (Ezra 9:10-12) This condition of not associating with the Gentiles had held for many centuries. Now Peter is telling the Jews that God has opened the door of salvation to all people, very hard tor the chosen to conceptualize.
The gift of God, the infilling of the Gentiles with the Spirit of God with evidence of tongues, was the convincing element that the grace and mercy of God had come to the uncircumcised. As with them on Pentecost, all of the disciples of Jesus were filled with the Spirit, no exceptions. Now they hear that all the household of Cornelius and all of the others in his house were filled with the Spirit of God, no exceptions. The gift of the Spirit was given to all of them as was true on Pentecost. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ALL of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4) Therefore, as with the Jews, all the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house who believed that Jesus is Lord received the gift of the Holy Spirit with no exceptions. This infilling verified what Peter saw in his trance: Do not call anything impure that God has made clean. As Peter was explaining the way of salvation to the Gentiles, the Spirit filled them, indicating they believed that Jesus is the Son of God. Their faith in Jesus as the Son of God made them right with God. For part of knowing Jesus is to accept his work on the cross, the cleansing of the soul through his sacrificial blood. The Spirit of God abides in a cleansed soul. The evidence of the purity of their souls is the infilling of the Spirit. A pure soul allows the Spirit of God to come and change the very nature of a person. As the Christians heard this news of God’s favor on the Gentiles, they realized God shows no special favor to just the Jewish people. All people are open to God’s love and mercy; all are open to eternal life with him. The blood of Jesus has paid the price for sin, for all people. The Jews who are listening to Peter’s account of what has happened at Cornelius' house realized that a place of being right with God does not come from being a chosen people or from having the law of God directing their society. Being right with God comes through accepting the gracious work of Christ through faith. They could not deny this fact, for the Cornelius household received the infilling of the Spirit. How could they hold out that only the circumcised can know God. No longer would salvation come only to the circumcised. The cross broke down all separation between people: all can know God. The truth of the promise given to Abraham has come to fruition through the work of the cross. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:2-3) Abraham’s name is great because he carried the Seed of redemption: Jesus Christ. Through Abraham's lineage Jesus would come to earth. This lineage would be called The Chosen, those who carry the Seed of eternal salvation to all people, everywhere: all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Now, the early Christians understood this promise had been realized. The story of Cornelius and his household being filled with the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment that all nations will be blessed by THE PROMISE given to Abraham. Abraham was a man of faith. Now all those who receive THE PROMISE, Jesus Christ, by faith will be blessed as Abraham was blessed with eternal life. As with the infilling of the Holy Spirit, there will be no exceptions.
What is the key to knowing God, to being right with God, and to experiencing eternal life? Why was the whole household of Cornelius infilled with the Holy Spirit? Their faith in Christ’ work and not their own works brought salvation to them, causing them to be filled with the Spirit of God. In Luke 16, we see Jesus warning the disciples about the leaven of the priests. The Pharisees and the Sadducees had seen and heard of Jesus’ marvelous acts: his healing of people, delivering people from demons, and performing many wonders. Yet, they would not believe in his divinity or that He was sent to them from God. In this chapter, we see the disciples arguing amongst themselves about not having bread on their journey across the lake. Jesus hears them and warns them of the yeast of the priests: unbelief. He asked them, why are you arguing, have you forgotten already that I am with you. Did you not see me provide 4,000 and 5,000 with bread? Do you not believe in my divinity, that I am in this boat? Your faith is like the Pharisees and Sadducees, ignoring the works I have done that no man from the beginning of time has done. In today’s focus, the Jerusalem Jews cannot ignore the work of the Holy Spirit baptizing the Gentiles with the Spirit of God. The baptism reveals the door of salvation has been swung open to the uncircumcised. The truth is that Jesus is in the boat of the Gentiles and the Jews. There can be no arguing of that now after the Gentiles are infilled with the Holy Spirit. The truth is that Jesus is accepted by the Cornelius household as the Son of God. They accepted what Peter said about Jesus: You are the Anointed One, the Son of God. Jesus tells Peter the Spirit of God has said these words through you. Yes, your proclamation is true and upon this proclamation I will build my church. This proclamation will be called, Peter, the rock. I will bind or release people based on the truth that I am the SON OF GOD. I can do anything God asks me to do. In today's focus we see Jesus releasing a whole group of people from darkness: the Gentiles. They will know him as the Son of God through faith in his works and not their own works. As with the believing Jews, the Gentiles will be filled with the Holy Spirit. Their abiding faith in Christ will sustain them through every vicissitude of life. The yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the doubting of God’s work in Jesus Christ, will not be their inheritance, for that leads to eternal death; instead, their inheritance will be eternal life through the works of Jesus on the cross. Forever, the redeemed Gentile and the redeemed Jew will abide with God. The door to eternal life has been forever opened up to all people, everywhere. Today, praise God that you have entered that door, that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and that your inheritance is secure.
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