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Question: "I hear that the conversion of Cornelius proves that some people in the book of Acts were saved before and without baptism. Is this true?"
The Lord wanted Peter to go and preach to Cornelius (and the Gentiles). He would have had great difficulty complying with such a command (due to his understanding that the Gentiles were "unclean" and thus not eligible for the gospel message), so the Lord first sent him a vision of the sheet filled with animals, including the unclean, and commanded him to eat. He refused, until God told him that what He had cleansed was no longer to be considered common and unclean. The MEANING of the Lord's vision to Peter, was not just that there is no longer any distinction to be made between clean and unclean animals, but that there is no longer to be any distinction to be made between clean and unclean people. Next, Peter is told to go with the men who would take him to preach to Cornelius (whom Peter previously considered unclean). But, Peter is now convinced that it is o.k. to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised without first circumcising them (as the Judaizers did). As he went to Cornelius's home, he took witnesses with him from among the circumcised (Jewish) Christians. They had not had the experience that Peter had, and thus would have been equally resistant to having the Gentiles taught without first circumcising them. In Acts 10:28, Peter admitted the understanding that it was unlawful for Jews to associate with Gentiles and to eat with them, but added that God had showed him differently by means of the vision. He now believes that God is not partial, but that "in every nation, he who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him" (v.34). He then proceeds to preach to this Gentile audience. And "While speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on them as He did on us in the beginning" (10:44). (This raises the question of why the HS had fallen on them in the beginning. To save them? Or to teach the audience something about God's approval of what was being done, i.e. the preaching of the gospel message on Pentecost (Acts 2) or the preaching of the gospel to Gentiles (Acts 10)?). We learn the reason for the Holy Spirit falling on them by the reaction of the Jewish companions of Peter and by Peter's reaction, as well. "All of the circumcised believers were amazed BECAUSE the gift of the Holy Spirit had been POURED OUT ON GENTILES ALSO" (10:45). They heard them speaking in tongues (10:46). (This also raises the question of the purpose of speaking in tongues. Was it proof of salvation? Or was it to show God's approval for what was taking place, i.e. the preaching of the gospel to Gentiles without first circumcising them?) Peter then asked if anyone could object to these uncircumcised Gentile believers being baptized in water who had received the Holy Spirit the same as they. No one could object. God had already proven He accepted Peter's decision to offer them the gospel without first becoming Jews. Then he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. We already learned in Acts 2:38 that "baptism in the name of Jesus" is "for the remission of sins." Why would Peter command them to receive the baptism that brings forgiveness of sins, if they already had it earlier in the story? We find further evidence of the correctness of what I am arguing, by going on to the next chapter, Acts 11. When Peter and his companions return to Jerusalem, they face the circumcised believers who object to what he has just done with Cornelius and his friends. He had no right to go into the home of a Gentile to eat or to teach. In 11:4, Peter explained the details of what had happened there "IN ORDERLY SEQUENCE" (Was Acts 10 not an orderly sequence? Is Acts 11 going to reveal something to us that will further clarify our understanding of Acts 10? Since this in orderly sequence we can look at this explanation as chronological in nature.) In recounting the complete story for them, Peter said that Cornelius had been told that Peter will "speak WORDS to you by which you will be saved" (11:14). Obviously Cornelius must first hear the sermon before he can believe and be saved. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). But Peter goes on to say, "As I BEGAN TO SPEAK, the Holy Spirit fell on them..." (11:15). The Holy Spirit fell on them as they began to speak at the beginning of the sermon, prior to the preaching of the gospel which Cornelius had to hear in order to believe and to be saved. The speaking in tongues was not to save him or to prove that he was saved. It was to convince those Jewish Christians who had accompanied him that he had the right to do what he was doing and later would use it to prove to the folks in Jerusalem that he had the right to do this, as well. In verse 16, he argued that if God had given the same gift (salvation?) to them as he gave to them in the beginning, who was I to stand in God's way? (He wouldn't stand in God's way. And those who accompanied him wouldn't do it. Now he is calling on these Jerusalem Christians to get out of their way, too.) God's acceptance of them was not as Christians, but as candidates for receiving the gospel message. When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God. They were now satisfied that God has granted to the Gentiles repentance that leads to life. (By the way, the HS fell on them prior to repentance, as well. How could they repent prior to hearing the message and believing it? Were they saved without repentance?) Having said all of that, it is my conclusion that the conversion of Cornelius parallels precisely the conversion of everyone else in the book of Acts in what they were required to do--i.e. believe, repent and be baptized in water for the remission of sins prior to salvation. The circumstances of his conversion were different than most, because this was the first time that the gospel was being preached to the uncircumcised and not everyone was convinced that such an action met with God's approval. The vision with the animals in the sheet convinced Peter and the Gentiles speaking in tongues convinced the rest. Baptism in the name of Jesus is "for the remission of sins." Peter used the presence of the Holy Spirit through the speaking in tongues to remove any objections anyone might have to using water to baptized UNCIRCUMCIZED folks who had believed and repented. They were as eligible for salvation by grace through faith (without circumcision) as was anyone. -David West, Evangelist for 25+ years, currently at Dade City, Florida. |
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