Acts 10 - "You Can't Put the Holy Spirit in a Box!"

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Cornelius Calls for Peter

Cornelius was a centurion in charge of a regiment in the Roman Army. As such a Jewish person would generally speaking dislike him. But Cornelius honored what he knew of God and did good works for the poor, so much so that God's angel visited him. The angel told him that God had seen his gifts offered to the poor and to send men to Joppa to bring a man named Peter back to him. So Cornelius sent his men to Joppa.

Peter’s Vision

Meanwhile, Peter went up to his rooftop to pray and fell into a trance where he saw a sheet lowered down by all four corners. He was very hungry, and on the sheet were four-footed animals, birds, and reptiles. A voice heaven told Peter to "kill and eat". 

Because there were "unkosher" animals on the sheet Peter said, "I have never eaten anything impure." But the voice told Peter that what God had made pure let no one call impure. When this happened a third time, hopefully Peter saw what was going on. Peter had denied Jesus three times, Jesus reinstated him three times, and now God was telling Peter three times to not consider these animals impure.

Meanwhile, the men sent to Peter finally made it to his home. While Peter was contemplating the message sent by the angel, the Spirit also told him that three men were at his home and to go downstairs to meet them so he did so.

Peter at Cornelius’s House

The next day Peter went with the men and also some other believers to Cornelius' house. Cornelius also called together his friends and relatives. Cornelius bowed in reverence to Peter when he came in, but Peter said, "I am only a man!"

Cornelius recounted the story to Peter and told him that he invited all of his friends and family to hear what Peter had to say. 

What a moment for Peter? God had clearly orchestrated this moment for him to be in this place at this time in history. What would he say? 

Peter started by saying he now knew that God does not show favoritism but accepts everyone from every nation that fears him and does what is right. You might say those who truly seek God will find him. Peter recounted the basic events of the Jesus' coming to earth to announce God's news of peace to the nation of Israel through Jesus. And how God anointed Jesus to do good works and heal all those who were under the power of the devil as a sign that God was with him. 

Peter then gave his testimony that he and the other apostles were witnesses to these events both in Galilee and in Jerusalem. Jesus was killed on a cross but then rose again after three days. Not only did they witness this, but they also personally had the opportunity to meet with the Risen Lord. They also ate and drank with him, a confirmation that he really had risen from the dead. 

After this, they were commissioned to preach Jesus to the world, as the One who would judge the living and the dead.  While Peter was preaching the Holy Spirit came upon all who were listening, which was evidenced by them speaking in tongues. Those who came with Peter were amazed that the Holy Spirit had even been given to the Gentiles. This was a huge moment in the church. 

After seeing the people of Cornelius' house filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter said nothing should stand in the way of these people being baptized. So, he ordered they be baptized in Jesus' name. They asked Peter to stay with him.

There are several very interesting this to note about this story. 

1. The Holy Spirit fell on ALL the people gathered. Cornelius had called all of his friends and relatives to meet Peter, so surely there were both men and women who all got baptized, possibly even children. 

2. Peter did not ask each one of them to give a profession of faith. Each one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit, and Peter assumed they had come to faith in Christ. 

3. Peter did not ask them if they wanted to be baptized but "ordered" them to be baptized. \

4. The passage does not say the people came to "faith in Jesus" though it is implied. 

Why do I bring up all of these points? It doesn't change the fact that we are saved by grace through faith based on faith in Jesus. But it does show that God works in many ways with people who seek Him. 

Also, there is not a specific or ordinary way people receive the Holy Spirit. Notice they received the Holy Spirit, and then were baptized by water in Jesus' name. 

Bottom line we cannot put the Holy Spirit in a box. As the scriptures say, 

"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.” - John 3:8

We need to be careful not to make normative our own experiences of the Holy Spirit and/or coming to faith in Jesus. Throughout history the church has tried to do this. Some churches even said if you didn't "speak in tongues", you did not have the Holy Spirit. 

We love to be in control and dictate how God should do things, but when we are obedient to preach the Word of God to those who God calls us to do, God does the work of saving them in the way he wants to. Thanks be to God!