The spirit then said to Peter, “Behold, three men seek thee. Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”[108]
Peter immediately descended, met the messengers, and received from them the following communication: “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.”
Peter invited the men in, entertained them for the night, and the next day accompanied them to Joppa. The vision had taught him, that, in the eye of God, there was no distinction between the clean and the unclean in the human family; that the barrier between the Jew and the Gentile was now broken down; and that the gospel of Jesus was now to be preached to all nations, tribes, and families alike. The centurion received Peter with profound reverence, regarding him as a divinely-appointed ambassador to him. Several of the friends of Cornelius, probably all Greeks or Romans who had abandoned idolatry, were assembled in his house to meet Peter. The zealous and bold apostle, addressing them, said,—
“Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I, without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for. I ask, therefore, for what intent ye have sent for me.”
Cornelius informed Peter of his vision, and of the direction given him by the angel to send for Peter, and receive instruction from his lips. “Now, therefore,” said he in conclusion, “we are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.”
We have but a brief abstract of what Peter said in reply, but enough to show us, without any doubt, what was the gospel which he preached to them.
“Of a truth,” said he, “I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but, in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
After brief reference to Jesus Christ, “Lord of all,” to his teachings, his miracles, his crucifixion, and his resurrection, he concluded by saying,“And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.[109] To him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name,whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”[110]
Following these words of Peter, the miraculous influences of the Holy Spirit fell upon all alike,—upon Gentile as well as Jew. Several Jews had accompanied Peter to the house of Cornelius; and “they were astonished, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost;for they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”[111]
Peter then said, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” He accordingly baptized these believing Gentiles in the name of the Lord Jesus, and thus received them directly into the church without insisting upon their first becoming Jews.