Peter relates Cornelius’ words to him, which were that “he
had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon
Simon, who is called Peter, who will speak a message to you by which you and
your entire household will be saved.’” (11:13-14) Peter emphasizes that
it would be the message that would bring salvation---a message that would bring
these Gentiles into covenant and so begin the process of transformation (the
working out of their salvation, if you will), rooted in belief (like Abraham)
in the Gospel that generates an unswerving loyalty to the faithful God revealed
in Jesus, that will conform these believers into the image of God in Christ and
so cause them to more accurately bear the divine image as truly human beings,
reflecting the glory of God into the world and articulating the praises of all
creation back to God. Inherently then, it is belief in this message that
grafts these Gentiles into the tree of God’s covenant people (to borrow some
terminology from Paul, as he reflects on what God has done and is doing in and
for the world via His kingdom people). The belief that Jesus is Lord
generates salvation. The adoption of covenant markers (works of the law)
as that which brings salvation, continues the process of salvation, or
indicates salvation, here goes un-contemplated.
Peter will go on to build on the fact that it is the
message, with its content and the power of that content, that generates
salvation (justification, right-standing, covenant inclusion). Being
reminded of that, we get to hear Peter say “as I began to speak, the Holy
Spirit fell on them just as He did on us at the beginning” (11:15).
Though it is not reiterated, we know from the story of chapter ten that these
Gentiles were said to have spoken in tongues and praised God, with this
following his reminding them of cross and Resurrection of Jesus. The
actions, said to be indicative of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, are the
indication of belief in Jesus as Lord, with all of this occurring independent
of the exercise, application, adherence to, or mention of any of the works of
the law. When Peter tells the story in Jerusalem, he does not make
mention of this occurrence, instead forcing the recollection of what happened
to them at “the beginning,” at Pentecost, when they too enjoyed this
experience.
God indeed shows no partiality (Acts 10:34). The Holy
Spirit is poured out on all who believe the Gospel, adopting people into Abraham’s
family (God’s household) without discrimination. He continues to make his
case and to contemplate what all of this means, adding “I remembered the word
of the Lord, as He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit’” (11:16), as the stories of Israel’s defining
water-crossings resonate and come to be shared by these newly adopted sons and
daughters through the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit and its work to
produce a believing trust in the message of the Gospel (which is the evidence
of the activity of the Spirit). Continuing, Peter says “Therefore if God
gave them the same gift as He also gave us after believing in the Lord Jesus
Christ,” with that gift being the inclusion in God’s kingdom project that was
begun in the Resurrection and is carried on through the announcement and
conscientious enactment of the Gospel, “who was I to hinder God?” (11:17)
The question is informative and enlightening, while also being a damning
verdict on those that wanted to maintain certain boundaries and covenantal delineations.
With these words on the lips of Peter, we are not left to wonder why Paul would
eventually accuse Peter of hypocrisy.
With Peter having voiced his position and his question, a
collective verdict is rendered. We read that “When they heard this, they
ceased their objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, God has granted the
repentance that leads to life even to the Gentiles.’” (11:18) With this
statement, as we realize the covenant and story-of-Israel language that it
conveys, this group of early church elders realized that Gentiles, without
restriction and without the need to adhere to the traditional covenant markers
(as evidenced by the fact of their belief in Jesus, their speaking in tongues,
and their praising of God that made them equal to themselves as those that had experienced
Pentecost, which also aligned them with the story of Abraham and belief that
preceded circumcision or any other requirement), now share in the story and
covenant and inheritance of Israel, standing with them in exile and joining
with them in the experience of exodus that was the life of the resurrection of
the body.
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