44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47”Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
No invitation is given, no record of repentance or confession of faith. Recognizing that the book of Acts is not a systematic theology textbook, we see that Luke did not include all the particulars of what happened, but only those things the Holy Spirit guided him to write.
The facts of what happened are clear: God was showing that He does not show partiality toward the Jews to the detriment of all others (Acts 10:34). Cornelius had an open heart to the Lord, and God had “welcomed” him (10:35). Peter preaches the historical facts of the gospel: Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit and did miraculous works of healing, showing that God cares for people; He was crucified and raised from the dead, showed Himself alive to many witnesses, and has been appointed by God to be judge of all. Finally, Peter emphasizes that all the prophets of Israel pointed to forgiveness of sins for all who believe.
Therefore, we can reasonably conclude that when the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and those with him, they had believed the message of the gospel as Peter had preached it to them. Elsewhere in Acts, Luke specifically states the listeners’ response; see, for example, Acts 2:41, where they were said to have “received his word” (that is, in faith) and then were baptized. But here, repentance, faith, and receiving the word are not mentioned. Yet we see two things that show they had a genuine conversion of faith: the Holy Spirit fell on them, and they were immediately baptized (vs. 47).
The important focus here is the similarity to what took place at Pentecost: God validated the believers’ acceptance of the Gentiles into the community of faith as genuine believers in Jesus Christ. He worked in the same way with Cornelius and company as He did with the Jews in Jerusalem. The reaction of the “circumcised believers” with Peter supports this: they “were amazed the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.” This becomes the crux of Peter’s defense of this event in the next chapter, when he returns to Jerusalem and relates the story to the other apostles.
Lord, keep reminding me that You welcome even those who seem most lost if they turn to You in faith.
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