A.The first Gentile convert to Christ was a man named Cornelius.He was the first of many, including us.
B.Presently, let us consider Cornelius’ conversion from Acts 10-11.
II.THE CHARACTER OF CORNELIUS
A.Cornelius was an officer in the Roman army.
1.Cornelius was a centurion, which meant that he had charge of a nominal force of one hundred soldiers (Acts 10:1).This speaks to his effectiveness and ability as a soldier (compare Matt. 8:9).
2.Typically, Roman soldiers were hostile toward Jews, and Jews had a poor regard for soldiers.
B.More significantly, Cornelius was also a God-fearing Gentile.
1.Cornelius and his soldiers were part of the Italian cohort, which was a battalion from Italy.
2.Despite his Gentile and Roman heritage, Cornelius is described as “a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people, and prayed to God continually” (Acts 10:2).Similarly, his own attendants described him as “a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews” (Acts 10:22).
3.Notice that although he was a devout, God-fearing man, he was still lost in sin without Christ.
III.CORNELIUS’ SALVATION
A.Cornelius was told to send for Peter.
1.Cornelius was stationed at Caesarea, which was a little more than thirty miles from Joppa, where Peter was staying at the home of Simon the tanner.
2.An angel appeared to Cornelius as he was praying, and the angel commended him for his prayers and alms and directed him to send to Joppa for Peter (Acts 10:3-6).Cornelius obeyed immediately by sending two servants and a devout soldier to retrieve Peter (Acts 10:7-8).
B.Cornelius and his household were saved when they had heard and obeyed Peter’s message.
1.Three days after the angel appeared to Cornelius, his three men returned with Peter and six other Jewish Christians (Acts 10:9, 21-24, 11:12).When they arrived, they found that Cornelius had assembled all of his relatives and close friends.
2.Notice that Cornelius was anticipating a message of salvation.
a.The three men who came to Peter told him that the angel directed Cornelius to send for “you to come to his house and hear a message from you” (Acts 10:22).
b.When Peter came, Cornelius said to him, “Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord” (Acts 10:33).
c.When Peter recounted these events to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, he said that the angel told Cornelius, “[Peter] shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household” (Acts 11:14).
3.It was by Peter’s message that salvation came to the household of Cornelius.
a.Peter preached the gospel of Christ to Cornelius and his assembly, including the works and words of Jesus, His death, His resurrection, and His witnesses (Acts 10:36-43).
b.Regarding their salvation, Peter told them, “Through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43).
c.While Peter was speaking, “the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message” (Acts 10:44-46).We will examine the meaning of this shortly.
d.Peter then “ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:48).
e.Consider the following:
i.This pattern – preaching, hearing, believing, baptism – is consistent with other accounts of conversions (Jews – Acts 2:22-41, Samaritans –8:5-13, Ethiopian – 8:26-39, Saul – 9:17-18; Lydia – 16:11-15, Philippian jailer 16:25-34).
ii.The purpose of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is given in Acts 2:38, which is “for the forgiveness of sins.”This baptism served the same purpose for Cornelius and for us as well.
iii.Notice that belief in Jesus is synonymous with baptism in His name (Mark 16:16; Acts 8:36-38; 10:43, 48; 16:31-34). Both are necessary for salvation.
4.Notice some incidental events that were important, but they did not save Cornelius.
a.The appearance of the angel did not save Cornelius.
b.The arrival of Peter did not save Cornelius.Cornelius even attempted to worship Peter, but Peter refused him, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man” (Acts 10:25-26).
c.The outpouring of the Holy Spirit did not save Cornelius.He still needed to be baptized.
IV.BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
A.Peter identified two important points to explain the gift of the Holy Spirit that was given to the Gentiles.
1.He recognized that the Gentiles had received the same gift that had been given to the Jews.
a.Notice Acts 10:45- 47 – “All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also…Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’”
b.Also notice Acts 11:15, 17 – “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He did upon us at the beginning…If God therefore gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
c.This event reminded Peter and the other Jewish Christians of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that occurred on Pentecost after Christ ascended to heaven (Acts 2:1-21).
2.He also connected this event to the words of Jesus – “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 10:16).
a.Jesus said these words just before He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:5).
b.These words were fulfilled a few days later on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21).
B.The purpose of the gift of the Holy Spirit was to powerfully demonstrate God’s approval.
1.On Pentecost, Peter said that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit fulfilled Joel 2:28-32.These events signified “that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).
2.When the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles, it completed God’s purpose in the gospel, for it meant that truly everyone, including Gentiles, could call upon the Lord and be saved (Eph. 3:4-12).
3.Let us understand this plainly.
a.Just as God attested of Jesus with miracles and wonders and signs (Acts 2:22), He also attested of first the apostles and then Cornelius’ household via the Holy Spirit.This was a divine endorsement of these believers.
b.The two occurrences of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit were unique.There are no other records of any such events in the Scriptures, for otherwise the gifts of the Holy Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands (Acts 8:14-18).
V.THE FIRST GENTILE CONVERT
A.Cornelius’ story is important because it was the opening of salvation for the Gentiles.
1.The vision shown to Peter enlightened him to God’s acceptance of the Gentiles (Acts 10:9-16).
a.The vision’s message was, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (v. 15).
b.Peter understood this later when he said, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:35).
2.Peter explained his vision and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem so that they also would accept the Gentiles (Acts 11:1-18).
a.When the Jewish Christians first heard that Gentiles had received the word of God, they opposed Peter (vv. 1-3).
b.After Peter explained these events, they said, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” (v. 18).
B.These events facilitated the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the Gentiles’ salvation.
1.God had promised to bless all the nations of the earth through Abraham’s seed (Gen. 22:18; Gal. 3:7-9, 16).Beginning with Cornelius’ household, the Gentiles were introduced to that blessing.
2.This also fulfilled prophecies such as Isaiah 2:1-4; 11:10; 49:6; Joel 2:28-32; John 10:16; etc.
VI.CONCLUSION
A.With these events, God opened His kingdom unto believing Gentiles through Jesus Christ.
B.Now, all believers are equal, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26).
