Acts 10:47

"Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?" "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized" (NASV). Peter knew that baptizing these Gentiles would be viewed as. very controversial event, but He appeals to the events happening. Peter knew why the Spirit was given, to remove all doubts in the minds of Jewish Christians that Gentiles could be Christians too, without becoming Jews first. It is very popular in many denominational circles to argue that the baptism mentioned in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), the baptism linked with salvation (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38), is Holy Spirit baptism, not water baptism. The words of Peter completely contradict such an assertion. The baptism commanded of all, Jew or Gentile, the baptism of the Great Commission, is water baptism. This is the one baptism of Ephesians 4:5 to which all men must submit in order to be saved.

Peter recognized that what fell on the household of Cornelius was the same type of thing that fell upon the apostles (Acts 11:15-17)."Some neo-Pentecostal writers in this century have attempted to use this verse to prove that every Christian receives the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The attempt is based on the explanation of the word 'we' as being the six Jewish Christians rather than 'we apostles'" (Reese p. 404). from Acts 11:15-17, is it clear that Peter has the apostles in mind. The Holy Spirit only came upon the apostles at the "beginning", that is on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14). In addition, the Holy Spirit did not fall upon every convert, even in the first century (Acts 8:12 ff).