Acts 10:45

And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. AND THEY OF THE CIRCUMCISION WHICH BELIEVED, [ pistoi (G4103 ) = pisteuontes (G4100 )], WERE ASTONISHED, AS MANY AS CAME WITH PETER - the six Jewish brethren 'that accompanied Peter from Joppa' (Acts 11:12, and Acts 10:23), BECAUSE THAT ON THE GENTILES ALSO WAS POURED OUT THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Their wonder arose not from the descent of the Spirit upon me...

45._The faithful were astonished. _He calleth them faithful who were as yet possessed with a wicked error. So the Lord doth not by and by wipe away all clouds of ignorance from his, and yet they do not darken the praise of faith before God, because he pardoneth errors and doth vouchsafe to favor it, as if it were pure and plain. And yet it is a wonder, that seeing they knew that Peter was sent of God, they would now be amazed, as at some strange and new thing, because God giveth the grace of his Spirit to those to whom he would have Christ now preached; but the sudden change is the cause of this, because, whereas God until that day had separated the Gentiles from his people as strangers and aliens, he doth now favor them both alike, and lifteth them up into the like degree of honor. Although we be also taught by this example, how hard a matter it is for us to wind out ourselves out of ou...

44-48 The Holy Ghost fell upon others after they were baptized, to confirm them in the faith; but upon these Gentiles before they were baptized, to show that God does not confine himself to outward signs. The Holy Ghost fell upon those who were neither circumcised nor baptized; it is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. They magnified God, and spake of Christ and the benefits of redemption. Whatever gift we are endued with, we ought to honour God with it. The believing Jews who were present, were astonished that the gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the Gentiles also. By mistaken notions of things, we make difficult for ourselves as to the methods of Divine providence and grace. As they were undeniably baptized with the Holy Ghost, Peter concluded they were not to be refused the baptism of water, and the ordinance was administered. The argument is conclusive...

Verse Acts 10:45. _THEY OF THE CIRCUMCISION - WERE ASTONISHED_] Because it was a maxim with them that the _Shechinah_ or Divine influence could not be revealed to any person who dwelt beyond the precincts of the promised land. Nor did any of them believe that the Divine Spirit could be communicated to any _Gentile_. It is no wonder, therefore, that they were amazed when they saw the Spirit of God so liberally given as it was on this occasion....

AND THEY OF THE CIRCUMCISION - Who had been Jews. WERE ASTONISHED - Were amazed that Gentiles should be admitted to the same favor as themselves....

EXPOSITION ACTS 10:1 Now _there was _(two last words in italics) for _there was _(in roman), A.V. and T.R.; _Cornelius by name _for _called Cornelius, _A.V. A glance at the map will show that Caesarea (see note to Acts 9:30) was but a short distance, some thirty miles, from Joppa. It was doubtless with a view to Peter's momentous errand to Caesarea that Luke recorded his previous visit to Lydda and his residence at Joppa, consequent upon the restoring of Dorcas to life: the _origines _of Gentile Christianity being the prime object of the Acts (see Introduction to the Acts). THE ITALIAN BAND; or, _cohort _(σπείρα). The σπείρα, or cohort, was used in two _senses. _When spoken of strictly Roman troops, it meant the ten

AND THEY OF THE CIRCUMCISION WHICH BELIEVED,.... Or "of the Jews that believed", as the Ethiopic version renders it; the circumcised Jews who believed in Jesus Christ: WERE ASTONISHED, AS MANY AS CAME WITH PETER; who were six brethren, as appears from Acts 11:12 these were amazed, BECAUSE THAT ON THE GENTILES ALSO WAS POURED OUT OF THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST; which they before thought was peculiar to the Jews; and this was according to their former notions, and the sentiments of the whole nation, that the Shekinah does not dwell without the land, and only in the land of Israel o; yea, they sometimes say, only upon the families in Israel, whose genealogies are clear p: the same they say of prophecy q, which is one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and was one of those which were now bestowed. They own, that before the giving of the law, the Holy Ghost was amo

CHAPTER 10 _ 1. Cornelius of Caesarea and his Preparation (Acts 10:1)._ 2. The Trance-vision of Peter (Acts 10:9). 3. Peter with Cornelius at Caesarea (Acts 10:17). 4. Peter Preaching to the Gentiles (Acts 10:34). 5. The Interrupted Message (Acts 10:44). The ending of the preceding chapter tells us that Peter tarried in Joppa in the house of Simon the tanner. Was he breaking with his Jewish law and customs? Tanning as a trade was considered unclean by the Jews. In...

RESULT OF THE SERMON. The Holy Spirit comes as a rule at baptism, but here, before anything is said about baptism, Peter's speech is interrupted by the descent of the Spirit. Those who had come with Peter from Joppa knew at once what had happened when they heard the Gentile hearers break out into speaking with tongues and praising God. They were surprised that this should happen to Gentiles; Jews alone till now had had these visitations. Peter's reply to their exclamations was that one part of baptism had already taken place with these people, so that God Himself had solved the question of their reception into the Church. Could anyone refuse them the other part of baptism, the water? They are at once baptized; the Church is opened by Peter's means to the Gentiles....

A DEVOUT SOLDIER (Acts 10:1-8)...