Acts 10:1-48

The story of Cornelius is remarkable. In himself, as Luke tells us, he was "a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." This man received a direct communication in an open vision.

While God was thus drawing Cornelius toward the Evangel, He was preparing the messenger to declare that Evangel. Peter was astonished, and made his astonishment known, but yielded ready obedience to the prompting of the Spirit, and came to the house of Cornelius.

His discourse there opened with a declaration of a new perception of things which had come to him, a perception breaking down his prejudices and broadening his outlook. In dealing with Cornelius he recognized that the preaching which he and the rest had already heard, the proclamation concerning the Lordship of Jesus according to the herald John, was not enough, and he proceeded to testify to the great facts of the Evangel. The result was that a company of new believers were baptized by the Holy Spirit. After this, and as a sign of the essential baptism, they were baptized with water.