Acts

10:44-48

4. The gospel reaches the Gentiles, 9:32-12:25

iv] The Holy Spirit came upon them

Acts 9:32-12:25 covers the beginning of Gentile Christianity and focuses mainly on the ministry of Peter. The story of Cornelius, 10:1-11:18, illustrates the movement of the gospel from Israel to the Gentiles. The gospel had already touched the Samaritans and a eunuch who was possibly a proselyte, and now it moves to god-fearers (Gentiles associated with the Jewish faith), to Cornelius and his Gentile family and friends. For Luke, this is a highly significant theological move demonstrating the fulfilment of God's promised blessing to the world, not just Israel. In this particular passage Luke recounts the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his extended family, a sign that demonstrates, beyond all doubt, that the "seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord" are for Gentiles as well as Jews, 3:19.

The importance that Luke places on the conversion of Cornelius is demonstrated by the fact that he later restates the events in detail, cf. chapter 11.

lalountoV (lalew) pres. gen. part. "While [Peter] was [still] speaking" - speaking. The genitive absolute participle forms a temporal clause, as NIV.

epepesen (epipiptw) aor. "came on" - fell down upon, pressed upon. Luke describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the terms of the outpouring upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost. The importance of the event lies in the fact that a Gentile receives the Holy Spirit in exactly the same way as the apostles received the Spirit, thus completing the movement of the gospel from the Jews, to Samaritans, God-fearers/Gentiles ..... and thus to all people. Note, we are not told whether those who received the Holy Spirit had believed. It is, of course, implied in v43 and in Peter's report in 11:17. "The Holy Spirit took control of everyone who was listening", CEV. touV akouontaV (akouw) pres. part. "[all] who heard" - the ones hearing. The participle as a substantive. "All those who were listening to the message", TEV.

ek peritomhV (h) "the circumcised believers" - of circumcision. Possibly referring to the circumcision party, although probably here just "Jewish believers."

exesthsan (existhmi) aor. "were astonished" - were amazed, mad, out of mind, astonished / to remove from a standing position. The outpouring of God's blessing upon the Gentiles was totally unexpected. "Absolutely amazed", Phillips.

ekkecutai (ekcew) perf. pas. "had been poured out" - has been poured out. The perfect tense indicating a past action with ongoing consequences. "The gift of the Spirit had been given so freely and generously to people who were not Jews", Barclay.

hkouon (akouw) imperf. "they heard" - they were hearing. The imperfect expressing continued action.

lalountwn (lalew) pres. gen. part. "speaking" - The participle is possibly a genitive absolute forming a temporal clause; "they heard them as/while/when they were speaking in toungues", but it is more properly an object complement, complement of the genitive object autwn "them", taking the genitive after the verbhkoun.

glwssaiV (a) "tongues" - tongue, language. In the New Testament, in the plural, it refers to the utterance of those caught up in spiritual ecstasy. As at Pentecost, the utterance has language content such that it can be understood, although its ecstatic nature does confuse. The onlookers at least understood that Cornelius and his friends were "praising God", or as noted below, "proclaimed the mighty works of God." The Western text adds "other" tongues, cf. 2:4. This is, in itself, an interesting phrase in that it may imply a possible difference in the Pentecost form of tongues from the form recorded by Paul in Corinthians. Do the editors of the Western text understand such a difference and want to align Cornelius' experience with that of the apostles at Pentecost? "They heard them prophesying ecstatically."

megalunontwn ton qeon "praising God" - enlarging, magnifying increasing, exalting. The participle is functioning in apposition to the participle "speaking", defining what they were speaking. The word is probably too general to carry the specific meaning of "praising." The word "magnify" is far better, so "glorify". In 2:11 those speaking in tongues proclaimed the mighty works of God. They "enlarged" the information concerning God, albeit in an ecstatic form. So, the phrase here is likely to carry a similar meaning, rather than just "praising God." "Glorifying God", Phillips.

apekriqh (apokrinomai) aor. pas. "[Peter] said" - answered. Peter is "answering" the situation. "At this Peter asked", Moffatt.

mhti "-" - not. Used in a question which expects a negative answer.

kwlusai (kuluw) aor. inf. "keep" - [is anyone able] to forbid, hinder, refuse. A infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of "is able", "is able to refuse.". It is unlikely that the believing Jews were unwilling to accept Gentiles into their fellowship, but they would expect normal procedure to be followed: instruction, circumcision, water baptism, followed by the gift of the Spirit through the laying on of hands (prayer). All this was turned on its head. So, who could refuse water baptism, the sign of repentance, for those already baptized with Spirit?

tou mh baptisqhnai (baptizw) inf. "from being baptized" - [the water] not to dip, immerse. The articular infinitive forms a purpose clause. "Can anyone refuse water for (the purpose of) the baptism of these people", Moffatt.

oiJtineV "they" - who. "Men (people) such as have received", Moule.

wJV kai hJmeiV "just as we have" - as also we. This is an important statement. The Gentiles' reception of the Spirit, in exactly the same way as the apostles' reception, authorizes the full right of access of Gentiles into the new Israel. It is likely that Peter's desire to baptize these new believers serves as an apostolic confirmation of this divine initiative. It should be noted that the incident can't really be used to support the argument that water baptism is essential to salvation, or that it is a sign of the giving of the Holy Spirit (water baptism is a sign of repentance for the forgiveness of sins).

prosetaxen (prostassw) aor. "he ordered" - he commanded. The action is punctiliar. "He gave orders for them to be baptized", Barclay

baptisqhnai (baptizw) pas. inf. "that they be baptized" - to be immersed, dipped in water. The infinitive forms a dependent statement of commanding, as NIV, giving the content of the order. "That they should be baptized", Barrett.

en tw/ onomati Ihsou Cristou "in the name of Jesus Christ" - It is possibly, Peter "ordered them, in the name of Jesus Christ, that they be baptized", although the NIV is the accepted way to form the sentence. The formula used in 2:38 is repeated. Although a water baptism is implied by the preceding question "can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water?", the term "baptized in the name" may well carry a different sense. It can be argued that it is a catechismal term such that Peter immerses them into the person ("name") of Jesus, immerses them into the teachings of Jesus, and does this prior to, or subsequent to, water baptism. "He ordered that they be immersed into the teachings of Jesus."

hrwthsan (erwtaw) aor. "they asked" - they asked, requested

epimeinai (epimenw) aor. inf. "to stay" - to remain, stay, continue. The infinitive forms a dependent statement of entreating, "they asked that he remain some day". "They asked him to stay on for a few days", CEV.

Acts Introduction

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