Change Agent – Part 4

Peter is at Cornelius’ home.  Cornelius has shared his experience with the angel.  Peter is sharing the good news of Christ’s resurrection and the implications of that event.  Suddenly, like what happened to Peter at Pentecost in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit is poured out on Cornelius, his family, and friends.

Peter and the rest of his Jewish party from Joppa are stunned.

Here is the next phase of Peter’s reprogramming.  He has seen the vision and heard the directive to accompany Cornelius’ men.  He has heard the account of Cornelius’ encounter with the angel.  Now he is witnessing happening to gentiles exactly what happened to him and the others in the upper room at Pentecost.

World view shattered.

In Acts 10:47 Peter states, well, pretty much the obvious, these people, who we thought to be unclean, have received the Holy Spirit, just as we have.  Therefore, God has brought them into the Body.  So, as a sign of that we need to baptize them.

In one trip he has been moved from the certainty that he cannot associate with gentiles to the realization that they are now his brothers and sisters in Christ.

But there is more.  God is still not done.

Posts in this series:
Change Agent - Part 3
Change Agent - Part 2
Change Agent - Part 1