Chapters 8–11:18
The first stage of the apostles’ witness for Christ had been rendered in “Jerusalem and in all Judea” under His direction through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8a). In spite of the testimony being rejected by the leaders of the nation, many thousands of Jews (including some priests) were saved by the grace of God. Now, beginning with this 8th chapter, and onward through the book, we get the second and third phases in this outreach—namely, the evangelization of “Samaria” and the Gentile nations in “the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8b).
This new section begins with the words: “And at that time ... .” (vs. 1). (The first sentence of chapter 8 regarding Saul of Tarsus belongs to the subject at the end of the previous chapter.) Luke’s narrative now turns to focus on the spread of the gospel to the world. The Jews had closed their door to it, but God was about to answer that by opening a door of blessing to the Gentiles. He was going to “visit the Gentiles (with the gospel) to take out of them a people for His name” (Acts 15:14). To use Old Testament typology: the “branches” of Joseph’s “fruitful bough” were about to “run over the wall” and bring blessing to those outside the confines of Israel (Gen. 49:22). A number of the Lord’s parables speak of this shift in the ways of God (Matt. 21:33-44; 22:1-10; Luke 14:16-24, etc.). Paul and Barnabas, being in the current of God’s thoughts, echo the same, saying: “It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you (Jews): but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).
To illustrate this new departure toward the world with the gospel, in the next three chapters the Spirit moves Luke to give three accounts of God’s saving grace reaching a person from each of the three great sectors of the human race. As the Genesis record indicates, God re-populated the earth after the flood through the three sons of Noah—“Shem, Ham, and Japheth” (Gen. 10:1). The whole human race today descends from these three men. The descendants of “Shem” are the Asian peoples (including Israel), the descendants of “Ham” are the African peoples, and the descendants of “Japheth” are the Caucasian peoples.
• In chapter 8, “an Ethiopian” eunuch is saved and brought in from the lineage of Ham.
• In chapter 9, “Saul of Tarsus” is brought in from the linage of Shem.
• In chapter 10, “Cornelius” is brought in from the lineage of Japheth.
These conversions give us a sample of the material that the Lord is using to build His Church (Matt. 16:18).
The First Great Persecution
Chap. 8:1-4—Luke proceeds to give a brief account of the first great persecution against the Church. He says, “There was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (vs. 1). The apostles had already experienced persecution from the chief priests, as chapters 4-5 indicate, but this which Luke speaks of here is the first official persecution against the Church. It was an organized purge of Christians led by a crazed zealot, Saul of Tarsus, who acted on authority from the high priest (Acts 9:1-2).
While taking note of Stephen’s burial (vs. 2), Luke describes Saul’s intimidation tactics and violence. He would enter into private residences and hale men and women “to prison” (vs. 3), and in some cases, it was “to death” (Acts 22:4). After Saul was converted, he admitted to several of these atrocities, for which he never forgave himself (Acts 22:4, 19-20; 26:10-11; Gal. 1:13; 1 Cor. 15:9; 1 Tim. 1:13). Even though the saints suffered dearly from this persecution, their hearts were rejoicing in the Lord. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews reports that those at this time were in such a state of soul that when they had their material possessions confiscated, they “took joyfully the spoiling of their goods!” (Heb. 10:32-34) Truly, there was “great grace” upon them in those early days! (Acts 4:33)
We might wonder why Luke would mention this heightened animosity of the Jews against the Church before giving us his account of the spread of the gospel, but they are connected. God uses the rage of man in his hatred of the gospel to scatter the saints through persecution, and they in turn carry the message of His grace to “the regions beyond” (2 Cor. 10:16). In this way, He makes “the wrath of man” to “praise” Him and to accomplish His will (Psa. 76:10). This shows that God can overturn every evil intention that man has to hinder the blessing of the gospel going out to the world. He can bring good out of evil, but this, of course, does not justify man’s sin (Rom. 3:8).
In Mark 16:15, the Lord gave the disciples His directive to go out with the gospel, saying: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel.” But here, we have the means by which it was carried out—through persecution. Thus, “they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word” (vs. 4). See also Acts 11:19.
Philip Goes to Samaria With the Gospel
Chap. 8:5-25—In keeping with the transitional nature of the book, the first place the gospel reaches outside of Judea is Samaria. The Samaritans were a hybrid people, an extraction of both Jew and Gentile. They came into existence when the king of Assyria re-populated the land of Israel after conquering it and deporting most of the people. To keep the land from being overrun with wild beasts, he brought in Gentiles who inter-married with the poor Israelites who were left in the land (2 Kings 17:29). After some 700 years, they became a people of considerable population. They dwelt in the area of Samaria, and from thence they got their name.
Samaria is both a “region” (vs. 1) and a “city” (vs. 5) in the central part of the land of Israel. It was a place to which some of the saints fled during the persecution (vs. 1). They went there because the Jews hesitated to set foot in that area, and thus, were not likely to hunt for Christians there—being that the Samaritans were of impure bloodlines and considered a defiled people. Under normal conditions, the Jews would have nothing to do with the Samaritans (John 4:9). In fact, if they had to travel from Judea and Jerusalem in the south, to Galilee in the north, they would circumnavigate the whole region of Samaria to keep themselves ceremonially clean. This made the trip considerably longer.
Luke reports: “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them” (vs. 5). He was one of the Hellenist Jews who were appointed to do deacon work in the assembly at Jerusalem (Acts 6:5). Like Stephen, he had “ministered well” in that office and had purchased for himself “a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 3:13), and thus, he went forth to exercise his gift as an “evangelist” (Acts 21:8).
The point that we need to see here is that this evangelical outreach did not come about through a missionary board being set up by the Church, and those on the board choosing this work for Philip. Nor did it come about by Philip going to the apostles and asking for permission to go to Samaria to preach. Rather, it was a work of the Spirit, directed by the Lord in heaven. As “the Lord of the harvest,” He was sending forth labourers into the field, and He directed Philip there (Matt. 9:38). Philip was simply following the instructions the Lord had given to those in the upper room. He told them that after they had borne witness of Him in Jerusalem and Judea, they were to do the same in Samaria (Acts 1:8). Accordingly, Philip was led of the Spirit to go down and fulfil that word by preaching to the Samaritans. Thus, this movement toward Samaritans was carried out through the free action of the Spirit as directed by the Lord (1 Cor. 12:11), not by some human agency.
Whether it is here in chapter 8:5, or in chapters 8:26; 9:20; 11:19-20; 13:2-4, etc., all service in going forth to preach in the book of the Acts was ordered by the Lord in heaven. Man-made, para-church organizations that send out the Lord’s servants into various fields of service are unheard of in Scripture. Such systems in place in the work of the Lord peremptorily interfere with His call and direction of His servants. It may be well intended, but in principle, it makes the Lord’s servants dependant upon the arm of the flesh for support, rather than looking solely to Him. Every servant who believes that he is called by the Lord to some work needs to prove it by having the faith to trust Him for support (1 Cor. 9:7). J. N. Darby said, “If Christ has thought proper to give me a gift, I am to trade with my talent as His servant, and the assembly has nothing to do with it: I am not their servant at all ... .The Lordship of Christ is denied by those who hold these ideas; they want to make the assembly or themselves lords. If I am Christ’s servant, let me serve Him in the liberty of the Spirit. They want to make the servants of Christ the servants of the assembly, and deny individual service as responsible to Christ ... .I am free to act without consulting them in my service to Christ: they are not the masters of the Lord’s servants” (Letters, vol. 2, pp. 92-93).
It is clear that Philip had a genuine love for souls, regardless of what nation they were from. He knew that the Samaritans needed Christ as much as the Jews did, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). It is interesting that Philip did not preach repentance in connection with the crucifixion of Christ, as Peter had done in chapters 2:38 and 3:19. This was because the Samaritans were not blood-guilty of His death. They needed individual repentance regarding their personal sins in order to be saved (Luke 24:47; Acts 17:30; 20:21), but not in regard to Christ’s death.
The power of God was with him and there was wonderful blessing in Samaria. “The people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city” (vss. 6-8). This harvest of souls illustrates the Lord’s saying: “One soweth, and another reapeth” (John 4:37). The Lord had sown the seed of the gospel in Samaria in His ministry (John 4), and Philip reaped a great crop of souls saved.
Simon the Sorcerer—the First Tare Among the Wheat
Chap. 8:9-17—As mentioned earlier, wherever the blessing of God is found, the enemy (Satan) will not be far away. Being foiled several times by trying to frustrate the work of the Lord doesn’t mean that he was going to give up and go away. To the contrary: in an effort to hinder the blessing in Samaria, Satan came against the testimony of the Lord with a new tactic—he tried to join the work in an attempt to corrupt it from within. His plan was to introduce a counterfeit Christian among the saints. To use the language in the Lord’s parable, the enemy would sow “tares among the wheat” (Matt. 13:25).
The instrument Satan used for this evil ploy was “Simon” the sorcerer. Luke tells us that in time past, he had “bewitched” the poor superstitious Samaritans into thinking that he was some great one, and had used it to his advantage and for personal gain (vss. 9-11). When the light of the gospel penetrated their dark hearts and the Samaritans “believed” the things which Philip preached and were “baptized,” Simon joined them in believing, and was also baptized (vss. 12-13). But there was a vast difference in their belief. They believed the message of God’s grace in their hearts and were truly saved (Rom. 10:10), but he only believed those things with his mind. Thus, Simon’s believing was a mere intellectual exercise; he was convinced by the miracles he saw. But there was no real work of soul-saving faith in him. Having the appearance of being a believer, he passed, for the moment, unnoticed by Philip.
The House of God Becomes Larger Than the Body of Christ
As mentioned earlier, the saints in that day had not yet been taught the truth of the body of Christ and the house of God, so they wouldn’t have known what had taken place when Simon was baptized. However, through baptism, Simon was formally made part of the Christian testimony (Gal. 3:27), which is the professing house of God (1 Cor. 3:9-17; Eph. 2:22; 2 Tim. 2:20; 1 Peter 4:17). But he wasn’t really saved! At that moment, the house of God—as far as the number of persons in it are concerned—had become larger than the body of Christ. Today, the Christian profession (the professing house of God) has grown to the point where those who merely profess faith in Christ (but are not real believers) vastly outnumber the true believers. To put it in the language of the Lord’s parable in Matthew 13, there are many more tares than there is wheat! Those who are true believers are but “a remnant” among the mass (Rev. 2:24). Such is the ruin in the Christian testimony.
Potential Division in the Christian Testimony Pre-empted by the Holy Spirit
Chap. 8:14-17—Luke tells us: “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost [Spirit]. (For as yet He was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost [Spirit].” Peter and John came down to Samaria to report on this new work and found that these new believers had not yet received the Holy Spirit. Why had the Spirit not been given to them? God had ordered it to be so for a good reason. Had the Spirit of God been given without them having had the “right hands of fellowship” (Gal. 2:9) from the assembly at Jerusalem, there would have been two assemblies independent of one another, and thus, “the unity of the Spirit” (Eph. 4:3) would have been broken. This is something that the Lord never intended for His Church; He wanted them to be “one” (John 10:16; 11:52) and prayed to that end (John 17:11, 21). With the history of prejudice between these two peoples dating back hundreds of years, it would only be a matter of time before that old rivalry surfaced among the saints. The breech would be nigh impossible to heal.
To prevent this, God wisely did not give the Samaritans the Spirit until they had practical fellowship with those in Jerusalem. C. H. Brown said, “Why do you think the Spirit of God was withheld from the Samaritans until Peter and John came down from Jerusalem? I believe it was for a very wise reason. We read in John that our Lord Jesus Christ would gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad, that there might be one flock and one Shepherd. Here was a very delicate situation, a situation fraught with grave danger. That age-old prejudice between the Jew and the Samaritan was so strong that we could easily have had a Samaritan church and a Jewish church. It would have been the most natural thing to expect. But oh, beloved, the Spirit of God knows nothing of any such distinctions or divisions. If you had a Jewish church and a Samaritan church, you would have two bodies. So the Spirit is going to be jealous over that truth and is going to see to it that that wall of prejudice is broken down—that there is no excuse for that truth being denied; so He does not permit the Samaritans to get the Holy Spirit until they have been identified with that group in Jerusalem ... .He did not permit the Samaritans to get official recognition as belonging to the Church until they got it from these emissaries that came down from Jerusalem.” (The Ground of Gathering, pp. 9-10). F. B. Hole said something similar: “This would have meant a Samaritan church independent of, if not in rivalry to, a Jerusalem church; and thus any practical expression of the ‘one body’ would have been imperilled even before the truth of it had been revealed (The Gospels and Acts, p. 336).
We see great care being taken here by the apostles and the Holy Spirit in establishing this new assembly so that it would be linked together with those in Jerusalem, and there would be one practical expression of the body of Christ on earth. This was the first assembly to be established in a new area, and as such, it is important that it would be done according to the mind of God—for it would be the model that would be followed thereafter when establishing an assembly in a new locality. The Spirit is not withheld from believers today, as it was in Samaria, but the same care as to unity is to be followed. The point to get here is that when the Lord's Table is spread in a new locality, it should be done in fellowship with other assemblies already on the ground of the one body.
Someone asked J. N. Darby about this, giving him two scenarios: “In the case of several in fellowship removing to another town where there is no gathering; or where several may be converted and brought out of the denominations; should they begin breaking bread at once, and of their own accord, or announce their intention and seek the fellowship of the surrounding gatherings before doing so?” He answered, “It is always desirable that they should do it in unity with those united in the place nearest, or whence they come. No one can hinder their doing so, but it is not done happily or godlily when it is not done in communion with those with whom they are already in communion” (Letters, vol. 2, p. 458). With the Holy Spirit being withheld until Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritans (signifying their formal identification with the assembly in Jerusalem), the oneness of the Church’s testimony was kept intact, and Satan’s attempt to divide the saints was defeated.
Simon Exposes Himself
Chap. 8:18-26—Simon proceeded to expose himself and thus prove that he was not a real believer at all. When the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit, he didn’t. This is seen in the fact that he asked to have the Spirit after the others had received Him (vss. 18-19). He didn’t get the gift of the indwelling Spirit because He is only given to true believers (Acts 2:38; 5:32; Eph. 1:13; 1 Thess. 4:8). Simon’s falseness was also revealed in that he wanted to buy the power of the Spirit from the apostles so that he could use it to further bedazzle the Samaritans. He clearly wanted it for wrong reasons. He wanted the power of God but there is no mention that he wanted a personal relationship with Christ. He thus proved he was a sham. This is the third occurrence of money being involved in sullying the Christian testimony.
Peter picked up on these things and rebuked Simon for his falseness. At the same time, he held out the possibility of forgiveness being granted to him if he repented of his wickedness (vss. 20-23). But having no faith or confidence in the Lord to ask for forgiveness, he asks Peter to pray to the Lord for him. Sad to say, the idea of getting Peter to pray for people is something that the Catholic Church has adopted. Did they get the idea from this sorcerer? Peter has nothing more to say to Simon, and the narrative concerning him drops off at this point. He is left outside the fellowship of the apostles, but having been baptized, he was still in the house of Christian profession. On the way back to Jerusalem, Luke tells us that the two apostles followed Philip’s example and preached in a number of Samaritan villages. We are not told whether there were any conversions.
The Ethiopian Eunuch—A Descendant of Ham
Chap. 8:26-40—“Philip the evangelist” (Acts 21:8) was then directed by “the angel of the Lord” to go further afield. In this passage we have the account of the gospel reaching a descendant of Ham—an Ethiopian eunuch, who would carry the gospel into the African continent.
Directions were given to Philip to go toward the south to the road that went down “from Jerusalem” to “Gaza.” In simple obedience to the Lord’s instructions, he dropped the work in Samaria and went, with no questions asked. We might wonder why the Lord would direct Philip away from a place of blessing—where many people were open to the Word and were getting saved—to a “desert” where it would be highly unlikely that he would find anyone with whom he could share the gospel. Nonetheless, the providence of God leads him to connect with an Ethiopian eunuch who was searching for the truth.
A Seeker of Light
This black man had come a long way in search of the truth—perhaps 800 miles! He had gone to the place (Jerusalem) where he thought he could get spiritual light and help, but the Jewish religion (Judaism) was full of spiritual darkness then. It had been benighted through the unbelief of the people as to the very things that their own Scriptures speak of concerning the sufferings of the Messiah—through which soul-salvation has been secured for all who call upon Him. It’s clear that the eunuch got no help there, and how could he have? Not only did the leaders of the nation not believe the Scriptures concerning the Messiah, but they were in such a deplorable state that when He came to them, promising blessing in His kingdom, they murdered Him! Thus, the city of Jerusalem, which was once a beacon of light to the world (1 Kings 10), had become the guiltiest spot in all the earth! By the time the eunuch reached Jerusalem, the guilty nation still had the blood of their Messiah on their hands (Matt. 27:25).
The Seeker of Light Meets the Seeking Saviour
The Ethiopian eunuch came to Jerusalem to “worship,” but when he got there, he must have been disappointed to learn that he wasn’t allowed into the congregation—not because he was black, but because he was a eunuch (Deut. 23:1; Isa. 56:3). But he did do something that is commendable, and what was ultimately used in the salvation of his soul—he obtained a copy of the book of Isaiah, part of the Old Testament Scriptures (vs. 28). And, since “the Holy Scriptures” are able to make one “wise unto salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15), through them he was introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ, and was saved. This shows that a seeker of light and the seeking Savior eventually meet (Luke 19:3, 10).
When Philip joined up with the caravan heading south, providence would have it that the eunuch was reading the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. This is the passage that speaks of the death of Christ by which He made atonement for sin (vss. 29-33). The man asked Philip who Isaiah was speaking of—“of himself, or of some other man.” With a query like that, the door was wide open to share the gospel, and Philip took the opportunity and preached unto him “Jesus” and the way of salvation (vss. 34-35).
It is significant that Philip would preach “Christ” to the Samaritans (vs. 5) and “Jesus” to the eunuch (vs. 35). Both speak of the Saviour, but in different aspects. This shows that he had discernment as to what each needed to hear about the Lord. Since the Samaritans had some understanding of the Messiah who was to come and save His people from their sins (John 4:25), they needed to hear that He had come, and that He had died and had risen again, etc. Philip, therefore, preached Christ (which means “Messiah” – John 1:41) to them. But, in the case with the eunuch, who was not likely to be aware of God’s promises to Israel through the Messiah, he preached a different line of things to him. Philip told him of the Man called Jesus who came from God to “bare the sin of many,” and in Him all who believe are saved (Isa. 53:12). This teaches us that he that wins souls must be wise (Prov. 11:30). Evangelism requires more than having a love for souls; there also needs to be intelligence given by the Spirit as to what to say and how to say it.
We can see by the fact that the eunuch asked to be “baptized” that Philip didn’t just speak to him about Isaiah 53. Like Peter when he preached—who spoke “many other words” than what are recorded in Scripture (Acts 2:40)—Philip touched on other related subjects which “accompany salvation,” such as baptism (Heb. 6:9). Having had the significance of baptism explained to him, the eunuch wanted to be on the Christian ground of privilege through that ordinance, so they stopped at “a certain water” and Philip baptized him (vss. 36, 38). (Verse 37 should be omitted from the text; it has no real manuscript authority.)
It has been asked, “What is the correct mode in water baptism?” We believe that this passage shows that it is by total immersion. It says that the eunuch went down “into the water” and that he came up “out of the water.” Furthermore, the word “baptize” comes from the Greek word baptizein, which means to dip. Many of the churches of Christendom do it by sprinkling the person with water in what they call “Christening.” The one who is thus sprinkled is thereby made part of the Christian testimony, even though the Scriptural way of baptizing is by immersion.
This man was the first Gentile to be saved and baptized, even though the door to the Gentiles would not be officially opened until chapter 10. The eunuch headed south to his homeland with a spiritual treasure in his soul—something superior to the earthly treasure which he had charge of on behalf of the queen of Ethiopia. It was a prize he could share with his fellow countrymen. This may answer the question as to why Philip was told to drop the work in Samaria and find this man. If every evangelist could multiply himself, the work of spreading the gospel could be done much more effectively. This man had the whole African continent at his doorstep and would no doubt be key to the work of reaching the vast population there. He could use his position of “great authority” in that land of Ethiopia (vs. 27) to spread the gospel of God’s grace. This was something that Philip couldn’t have done as effectively.
With Philip’s work with the eunuch being complete, he was miraculously “caught away” by the Spirit to “Azotus” (Ashdod), a city about 20 miles north of Gaza (vss. 39-40). In his vanishing from sight, we have a moral lesson suggested to us that is good for all Christian workers. Knowing the tendency of new converts to get enamored with the Lord’s servants through whom they have received blessing—and seeing them as being bigger than they really are (Mark 8:24)—the servant should seek to hide himself from being made much of by such. We can’t, of course, vanish literally as Philip did, but we can remove ourselves from their sight by diverting their attention from the vessel that was used for their blessing, and to Him who used the vessel. With the Lord thus before the eunuch’s soul, “he went on his way rejoicing.” The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch was a sign that the time for the blessing of the Gentiles was at hand.
Saul of Tarsus—A Descendant of Shem
Chapter 9:1-31—The next step in God’s outreach to the Gentiles with the gospel was the conversion of the man who would be “the apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13). He would be instrumental in carrying the glad tidings to “the regions beyond” (2 Cor. 10:16). His name was “Saul of Tarsus” (vs. 11). Luke proceeds to give us the account of the conversion of this descendant of Shem.
Although Saul has already been mentioned in the book, we are formally introduced to him here in chapter 9 as being a ferocious opponent of Christianity—“breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (vs. 1). He belonged to the Jewish nation that had killed its Messiah, and he was in full accord with it. In fact, he personified the nation’s blindness, unbelief, and hatred for the name of Jesus Christ. He gave all his energy to crushing that testimony out of existence and headed up a movement among the Jews to that end. He was willing in his zeal to go far afield to accomplish his objective, and he had the support of the high priest in Jerusalem in doing it. The occasion in this 9th chapter was his mission to Damascus (in Syria) to “bring” any who believed in that way “bound unto Jerusalem” to receive judgment (vs. 2).
His Arrest on the Road to Damascus
But the Lord had “mercy” on this poor “insolent overbearing man” (1 Tim. 1:13) and intervened upon his mad course. As Saul drew near to “Damascus,” two things happened to him that changed his life forever. Suddenly, “a light from heaven” shone down on him (vs. 3), and he “heard a voice” calling to him (vs. 4). The result of this was that he made a twofold discovery: firstly, that he was the chief of sinners, and secondly, that Christ was the Saviour of sinners! What a strange turn of events took place that day—but it was all good! Saul went to Damascus to arrest Christians, and as it turned out, he was arrested himself!
“And thus, the eternal counsels ran,
Almighty Love, arrest that man!”
#88 Echoes of Grace Hymn Book
God turned heaven’s light on Saul of Tarsus that day and he saw the Lord in glory! (1 Cor. 9:1) Not only did that light shine on him, but it also shone in him as a mighty searchlight. We know this because he said later that its effect caused him feel “pricks” in his conscience (Acts 26:14). For the first time in his life, he saw himself in God’s light—that is, as God saw him—and what he saw was so horrifically bad that he “fell to the earth” stunned.
He also heard the voice of the Lord calling to him: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” In this searching question, we have the truth of the “one body” of Christ implied (Eph. 1:23; 2:16; 3:6; 4:4, 12, 16; 5:23, 30)—a truth that this very man would be used to teach the saints in his ministry as a servant of the Lord. When the Lord said, “Me,” He was alluding to his mystical body—Himself being the Head and the saints the members on earth (Eph. 5:23, 30). Hence, to persecute believers, as Saul was doing, was to persecute Christ. This is the first hint of this truth in Scripture. It is taught in four epistles of Paul—Romans, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, and Colossians.
In a state of shock, Saul asked: “Who art Thou Lord?” and the Lord replied: “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest!” (vs. 5). Upon learning that Jesus of Nazareth whom he hated was “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36), he took an immediate about-face and confessed Him as “Lord” and was converted (Phil. 2:9-11). Thus, the light showed him what he was, and the voice revealed to him who the Lord Jesus was.
(The latter part of verse 5 and the first half of verse 6 should not be in the text—at least here in chapter 9. There is little or no Greek manuscript authority to justify it. The words have been imported from Acts 22:10 and Acts 26:14 by the well-meaning KJV translators.)
It is interesting to note that both the eunuch and Saul got help and blessing when they were moving away from Jerusalem. It is not a coincidence that Luke should note this. It is a trend in the book from chapter 8 to 19:20, reflecting the transition in God’s dispensational ways away from Judaism (which Jerusalem signifies) toward Christianity. Judaism had become a religion filled with spiritual darkness, resulting from the nation’s rejection of Christ. All who do not dissociate themselves from it become spiritually blinded under the governmental judgment of God (Rom. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:14). This judgment is an answer to the Lord’s imprecatory prayer on the cross (Psa. 69:22-23).
His Humbling in the Presence of the Lord
Vss. 6-18—At this point, Saul asked: “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10). The Lord had many things for him to do in Christian service (vs. 15), but he first needed to get his feet under him, so to speak. Besides needing to have his eyesight restored, Saul needed to receive the Holy Spirit, and to be baptized, and to be received into the fellowship of the saints. These things took precedence over service done for the Lord. He had converted Saul of Tarsus by a miraculous intervention of divine “mercy” and “grace” (1 Tim. 1:13-14). It was a work that He didn’t entrust to any of His servants—e.g. Philip. However, when it came to Saul’s spiritual care as a new convert, the Lord put him in the hands of the brethren in Damascus. Hence, He said to him: “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
Luke tells us that those who journeyed with Saul “beheld the light” and heard “a sound” (J. N. Darby Trans. footnote), but “heard not the voice of Him” that spoke to him (Acts 22:9). What the Lord said to Saul was unintelligible to his travelling companions; the message was clearly for him, and him alone (vss. 7-9). This shows us that getting saved involves a transaction of faith that occurs between the person and the Lord alone. The salvation of souls is purely an individual thing, though many persons might get saved at the same time (Acts 2:41).
By virtue of the power of the revelation and “the glory of that light” (Acts 22:11), Saul was left blinded, and had to be brought by the hand into the city. What an incredible change had taken place! He had gone to Damascus like a vicious lion, and now he had to be led about by the hand like a little child! He had been humbled in the presence of the Lord. He lost his physical eyesight momentarily, but gained spiritual eyesight forever!
Seven Divine Communications in the Book
This was the first of seven super-natural communications which Paul had in the book of the Acts (chap. 9:4-6; 9:12; 16:9; 18:9-10; 22:17-21; 23:11; 27:23-24).
His Experience in Romans 7
Saul was without sight and food for “three days.” Not having his sight was the Lord’s doing, but refusing food and drink was Saul’s choice. In a solitary state of fasting, he could attend upon the Lord without distraction. He used that time to pray. In those three days, he evidently passed through a spiritual process of death and resurrection. The foundations were laid in his soul at that time, of which he expressed later as: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal. 2:20).
During those three days, Saul went through the experience of Romans 7. F. B. Hole said: “What a lot of time is usually spent in learning not to trust the flesh, and in passing a ‘vote of no confidence’ in it. What experiences often have to be gone through! The kind of experiences we refer to are detailed for us in Romans 7, and the lesson is one that cannot be learned theoretically, merely; it must be learned experimentally. There is no need that we should take a long time to learn the lesson, but as a matter of fact, we usually do. Paul’s own case—to which he refers in Philippians 3:4-7—shows that the lesson may be learned in a very profound way in a very short space of time ... .In that tremendous revelation which occurred on the road to Damascus, all was reversed. He discovered himself to be outrageously wrong. His fancied advantages he discovered to be disadvantages; his religious flesh, to be rebellious flesh. All that he counted on, trusted in, and prided himself upon, came down about him with a crash. Christ in His glory was revealed to him. All that he had esteemed gain he now counted loss for Christ. His confidence in the flesh was gone forever. As soon as the three days of his blindness were over, his boasting in Christ Jesus began. In those three days this great lesson was learned, and the lesson was learned solidly and forever” (Paul’s Epistles, vol. 2, pp. 78-79).
His Establishment on Christian Ground
Saul needed to make contact with the Christians in the city who could help him. The Lord undertook for that; He worked behind the scenes to move “Ananias” to look up Saul at the house of “Judas” on a street called “Straight” (vss. 10-11). Ananias was obedient and the connection was made. The Lord worked at both ends, preparing the care-giver with a special revelation (vss. 10-16) and the receiver of care with a revelation also (vs. 12). This shows that God is well able to guide a seeking believer to the place where he should be in fellowship with other Christians. The only condition necessary is that the seeker must truly want to do the will of God (John 7:17). Saul’s time in solitary prayer and fasting surely indicates this. He asked sincerely: “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10).
The Lord told Ananias that Saul had been converted, and that he was “a chosen vessel” to bear His name before “Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (vs. 15). (It is interesting, and in keeping with the transitional nature of the book, that the Lord puts the children of Israel last, while He mentions the Gentiles first – (Matthew 20:16.) Ananias was a Christian who lived in Damascus. We don’t know but he might have moved there at the time of the scattering (Acts 8:1; 11:19-20). He was one of the very ones whom Saul planned to slaughter! Such are the ways of God that He would have this humble and obedient believer be the one to help Saul. This, no doubt, was calculated to touch and soften Saul’s heart. His evil intentions were about to be requited with good (Rom. 12:21).
It took considerable courage, but Ananias went to the place where Saul was and put his hands on him, and said, “Brother Saul ... .” (vs. 17a). What an amazing thing this was! The arch-enemy of Christians was now a brother! He was one of them! Immediately, his eyesight was restored. This miraculous healing would have been a testimony to Judas and the others there of the power of God in Christianity.
At that same time, Saul received the Spirit. He was once filled with religion and pride (Phil. 3:4-6), but now he was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (vs. 17b). He had been “quickened” by the Spirit on the road to Damascus (Eph. 2:1, 5), but now he was “sealed” with the Spirit’s indwelling presence (Eph. 1:13; 4:30). Thus, he was brought into the full Christian position before God in Christ. Quickening is the beginning of God’s work in souls and sealing is the completion of that work. F. G. Patterson said: “We must not confound the state of many quickened souls with that of those who have believed [the gospel]. The action of God in quickening and in sealing are as distinct as possible. He does not seal a sinner as such, surely; that were to seal him in his sins; nor does He seal a quickened soul in his misery. He did not seal Peter when he cried out, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord’ (Luke 5:8), or when the soul is crying out in misery needing forgiveness. He seals a believer; and ‘Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty,’ not doubts, and bondage, and fears. These two actions of the Holy Ghost are never, as far as I know, synchronous—they do not happen at the same moment ... .Paul was quickened by a voice from heaven (Acts 9:4), and yet he did not receive the Holy Ghost till the third day after, when he had gone through all the deep exercises in his soul for the three days (Acts 9:17)” (Scripture Notes and Queries, pp. 58-59). Receiving the Spirit also made Saul part of the body of Christ.
Saul was then “baptized” in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—the name of the very One whom he had hated! (vs. 19) This put him on Christian ground formally, outwardly identifying him with the Christian testimony on earth. There are vital differences between faith and baptism:
Faith puts the believer “in” Christ (Gal. 3:26).
Baptism puts Christ “on” the believer—nominally (Gal. 3:27).
Faith saves a person from eternal judgment (John 5:24).
Baptism saves a person from governmental judgment (1 Peter 3:21).
Faith in Christ washes sins away judicially (1 John 1:7).
Baptism unto the Lord Jesus Christ washes sins away governmentally (Acts 22:16).
Faith in Christ places the believer in a new position before God in heaven.
Baptism places the believer in a new position on earth among men.
Faith in Christ makes one a Christian inwardly.
Baptism makes one a Christian outwardly.
These things were all true of Saul of Tarsus, resulting from his faith in Christ and his baptism. He was a real Christian through and through.
His Fellowship With the Disciples in Damascus
Vs. 19—The next thing in Saul’s development as a Christian was that he needed to be introduced to the saints in Damascus, and to be found in fellowship with them. Luke says: “Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.” Fellowship plays an important part in practical Christian living. Through it, we receive mutual comfort and encouragement (Rom. 1:12). Without it we tend to drift and grow cold in our souls. Also, with the world’s animosity and persecution leveled at the Christian (John 16:33), we need fellowship and encouragement from those of “like precious faith” (2 Peter 1:1). Saul was thus absorbed into the fellowship of the saints in Damascus, and he profited from it.
His Testimony in the Synagogues
Vss. 20-22—Saul didn’t waste any time; he immediately began sharing his new-found faith in Christ. “Straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” It is interesting to note that Peter preached Christ as being Jehovah’s “Servant” (Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30), but Saul preached Christ as “the Son of God” (Acts 9:20; 13:33; Rom. 1:3-4; Gal. 1:16; 2:20). This is a marked distinction in the character of their ministry. Peter knew the Lord as the Son of God (Matt. 16:16; John 6:69), but his apostleship was to the circumcision (Gal. 2:7), and thus, he presented Christ in the way in which the Old Testament prophets project the Messiah—as Jehovah’s Servant (Isa. 42:1, etc.). Christ presented as the Son of God is in accordance with the Christian revelation of truth (John 1:18; 3:16, etc.) which Saul and John’s ministry emphasize.
Saul’s preaching in the synagogues created quite a stir among the Jews in Damascus. They had a hard time believing that he was the same man (vs. 21). He learned the truth in connection with Christ the Messiah rapidly and “increased in (spiritual) strength” as a result. Like Stephen before him, he “confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the very Christ.” We learn from chapter 17:2-3 how he proved his points—it was by using the Scriptures, for they testify of Christ (John 5:39). He did not use fleshly tactics of human reasoning (2 Tim. 2:14). We get a practical lesson here for all effective ministry; we must present the truth from the Scriptures (2 Tim. 4:2). The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and will accomplish what God intends for the blessing of souls (Isa. 55:11; Heb. 4:12).
His Suffering for Christ’s Name Sake
Vss. 23-31—The Lord had said to Ananias that Saul would suffer “great things” for His “name’s sake” (vs. 16). Thus, he was to feel for himself the very things he had inflicted on others. A remarkable thing about this is that we look in vain in his writings to find him complaining about it.
At this point, Saul made a visit to “Arabia” (Gal. 1:17). How long he stayed there, and the reason for which he went, we are not told. Arabia is a desert place; perhaps he went there to be alone with God and to work out the truth in his soul practically. Many assume that he was in Arabia for three years, but that is not what Galatians 1:17-18 says. It says he “went into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus,” and “then after three years,” he went to Jerusalem. Thus, the three years were spent in Damascus, not in Arabia. They are alluded to in our chapter in verse 23 by the words, “many days.” Most expositors place Saul’s hiatus in Arabia between verses 22 and 23.
Saul grew in his ability to prove from Scripture that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, and so did the persecution grow in proportion with it—to the point where “the Jews took counsel to kill him” (vs. 24). His brethren intervened and helped him escape “through a window in a basket” that was “let down by the wall” of the city (2 Cor. 11:33). Such was the undignified manner which this humbled man had to take to preserve his life from the Jews (vs. 25).
His Reception in Jerusalem
When Saul was “come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem” (vss. 26-28). It is of note that when Saul arrived in the city, he didn’t look up the high priest and his old comrades. No, he sought out “the disciples” of the Lord; they were his companions now (Acts 4:23). This shows that there had been a real work of repentance with him. He no longer wanted the company of those who were haters of Christ (James 4:4).
The assembly at Jerusalem was careful in receiving Saul—and rightly so—he had been the arch-enemy of Christianity! They didn’t have the New Testament epistles to consult, as we do, in dependence on the Lord. They acted in their simplicity on some basic principles on which all Christian assemblies should act—for the sake of preserving the Lord’s name from being associated with evil doctrine and/or practice.
Reception falls into the category of Church government. The purpose of which is to maintain holiness and order in the house of God. The elders/overseers in the assembly are responsible to the Lord in this (Rev. 1:20), though all saints are to be watchmen and caretakers. The Bible teaches that the assembly must be careful not to bring someone into fellowship who may be involved in evil; whether it is moral, doctrinal, or ecclesiastical. The principle is simple. If a local assembly is responsible to judge evil in its midst by excommunicating evildoers (1 Cor. 5:12), then it naturally follows that it must be careful about what or who it brings into its midst.
It has been rightly said that the local assembly is not to have an open fellowship, nor is it to have a closed fellowship, but rather, a guarded fellowship. The assembly is to receive to the Lord’s Table every member of the body of Christ whom Scriptural discipline does not prohibit. While every Christian has a title to be at the Lord’s Table, every Christian does not necessarily have the privilege to be there, because his privilege may be forfeited by his engagement in some evil. It is important to understand that the brethren in the assembly do not decide what is suitable to the Lord’s Table and what is not—the Word of God does. If there is no Scriptural reason why a person should be refused, the person is to be received. If a believer has been baptized, is sound in the faith, and is godly in walk, there is no reason he should be refused. Knowledge of the truth is not a criterion (Rom. 14:1).
If a person is not known by any in the assembly, determining whether he is sound in the faith and godly in walk usually cannot be done immediately. If this is the case, then wisdom would dictate that the assembly should ask the person desiring to be in fellowship to wait. This does not mean that the brethren believe that the person is connected with evil—they simply do not know, and they should wait until they are satisfied that he is not, because they are ultimately responsible to God for whom they bring into fellowship. Scripture says, “Lay hands suddenly on no man” (1 Tim. 5:22). This verse is speaking of personal fellowship in the house of God, but the principle is broad enough to guide the saints in collective matters of assembly fellowship at the Lord's Table. Being asked to wait should not offend a mature believer who desires to come into fellowship, for certainly no godly Christian would expect the assembly to violate a principle of Scripture. In fact, it should give him confidence that he is coming into a company of Christians where there is a concern for the Lord’s glory.
Another principle that the assembly is to act on is that all things are to be done “in the mouth of two or three witnesses” (2 Cor. 13:1). Accordingly, the assembly is not to receive a person on the basis of his own testimony alone. This is why a person desiring to come into fellowship may be asked to wait until others in the assembly have gotten to know him, so that it can receive him on the basis of the testimony of others. Even the Lord submitted to this principle when He presented Himself to the Jews as their Messiah. He said, “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true [valid]” (John 5:31). He then proceeded to give four other witnesses who testified as to who He was: John the Baptist, His works, His Father, and the Scriptures (John 5:32-39). The Lord warned the Jews that there was a day coming when the nation would receive a false messiah (the Antichrist) without witnesses (John 5:43). Thus, the Lord denounced the practice of receiving someone on the grounds of his personal testimony alone. Having “Barnabas” speak for him, Saul was received into fellowship in the assembly at Jerusalem and was found going “in” and “out” with the saints there (vs. 28).
Saul’s testimony in the synagogue in Jerusalem was met with the same response as in Damascus—the Jews wanted to “kill” him! (vs. 29) Like the brethren in Damascus, the brethren in Jerusalem escorted him down to “Caesarea,” a seaport on the Mediterranean, from where he was transferred by ship to his hometown “Tarsus” (vs. 30). With Saul, once the leader of the persecution against Christianity, soundly converted and back in his homeland, the Church had some respite. Luke says: “The assemblies then throughout Judea (the south) and Galilee (the north) and Samaria (the interior) had peace, being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord, and were increased through the comfort of the Holy Spirit” (vs. 31).
Salient Points in Saul’s Conversion
Apart from the miraculous way in which the Lord revealed Himself to Saul of Tarsus (which is unique to him), his conversion is a model or “a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting [eternal]” (1 Tim. 1:16). Thus, the basic elements in his conversion should be evident in every true conversion. We note them as:
He confessed Jesus as Lord (Acts 22:10).
He had a genuine desire to do the Lord’s will (Acts 22:10).
He obeyed the Word of the Lord (Acts 9:6-8).
He took time to pray (Acts 9:11).
He was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17).
He was baptized (Acts 9:18).
He sought the fellowship of other Christians (Acts 9:19).
He shared his new-found faith in Christ (Acts 9:20-21).
He grew in his understanding of the truth (Acts 9:22).
He suffered for Christ’s name sake (Acts 9:23-25).
The Activities of Peter—On the Mediterranean Coast
Chap. 9:32-43—Luke returns to follow the activities of Peter on the Mediterranean Coast. He singles out two incidents in particular in which Peter performed a miracle. These miracles are significant because they illustrate (figuratively) certain features of the transition from Judaism to Christianity. These word-pictures show how God used His servants in those early days to bring saints in the old system of Judaism out of that yoke of bondage into the glorious liberty of Christianity (Gal. 5:1).
The Lord spoke of this work in John 10. He said that He would take His sheep out of the Jewish “sheepfold” (vss. 1-4) and lead them to His one “flock” in Christianity (vs. 16), where they could go in and out freely and find pasture (vs. 9). A fold and a flock are two vastly different principles of gathering sheep together. A fold (a corral) is a circumference without a center, whereas a flock is a center without a circumference. Judaism, like a fold, keeps the sheep together by the external force of the Law. In Christianity, a work is done in believers by the indwelling Spirit whereby they are attracted to the Shepherd, and as a result, they want to be where He is. Drawn by their attraction to Him, the sheep are gathered together without the use of a fence. Such is the liberty of Christianity.
Aeneas
Chap. 9:32-33—The first miracle was the healing of “Aeneas.” Luke says that he lay in a condition of paralysis for “eight years.” This covered the whole period of time in which God had been working with the Jews nationally regarding the Messiah. There had been just over 3 years of the Lord’s ministry in the Gospels, and about 5 years of the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the apostles in Acts 1-7. Even though such a ministry of power and grace was happening in the land of Israel in those days, it still hadn’t touched Aeneas; he still “kept his bed.” His bed, to which he was confined, is a picture of the legal bondage that holds one in Judaism. His palsied state illustrates the fact that in spite of the incredible grace that was being shown to the nation, there were still many Jews who had missed the blessing, and consequently, were still in that yoke of bondage (Acts 15:10). When Peter announced “Jesus Christ” to Aeneas, everything changed; he was healed! Aeneas’ rising out of his bed is a picture of the believing “remnant according to the election of grace” being saved and delivered from the Law (Matt. 11:28-30; John 8:36; Rom. 7:6). The epistle to the Hebrews is a prime example of this ministry.
Dorcas
The second miracle was the raising of “Dorcas” from the dead (vss. 36-43). She was “sick, and died,” but God used Peter to bring her to life on a different ground in an “upper room.” She is a picture of the saints in the old legal dispensation, who through hearing the gospel, believe in Christ. Through their identification with His death and resurrection (Rom. 7:6; Col. 2:12-13), they are removed from that old position and are placed in the new Christian position before God. Her transfer to the upper room might suggest this transition (Luke 22:12; Acts 1:13; 20:8).
Dorcas was marked by her works of faith. She was “full of good works and alms-deeds.” But in dying, it appeared that she had lost everything that she had done on that old ground. However, this picture shows that all works of service and alms-giving done by the saints in the context of Judaism are not lost by their belief of the gospel. Dorcas’ works were laid in the upper room with her. This indicates that all such deeds are not lost, but are carried forward with them, and will be recompensed with reward at the judgment seat of Christ.
It is interesting that after Dorcas was raised, Peter would stay “many days in Joppa” which is “by the seaside” (Acts 9:43; 10:6). The “sea” in Scripture is often used as a figure for the Gentile nations (Psa. 65:7; Rev. 17:15, etc.). To mention it here gives us a hint as to the direction in which the Spirit was moving. It is also significant that Luke would tell us that the man whose house Peter lodged in was “a tanner” (vs. 43). Tanning has to do with handling the skins of dead animals. It was a trade considered unclean by the Jews. This suggests that the truth of moral and spiritual cleanness as opposed to ceremonial cleanness—which was first taught by the Lord (Matt. 15:10-20)—was about to be understood by the Jewish saints who by faith had taken Christian ground.
Cornelius—A Descendant of Japheth
Chaps. 10:1–11:18—The final step in this outreach to the Gentiles was to have the Apostle Peter use “the keys of the kingdom” to open the door to the Gentiles officially (Matt. 16:19). In this passage, we see the gospel reaching a descendant of Japheth—the progenitor of the Caucasian peoples.
Born Again But Not Saved
Vss. 1-2—The chapter begins by introducing us to a God-fearing Gentile named “Cornelius.” Luke describes him as “a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway” (vs. 2). From this description, we can see that he was clearly a converted man—someone with whom God had wrought. The Lord indicated to Peter that God had “cleansed” him (vs. 15) and after speaking with him, Peter perceived that he had been “accepted” by God (vs. 35). Yet it says that he needed to hear “words” (the gospel) whereby he and his house could be “saved!” (Acts 11:14) Thus, Cornelius was converted and cleansed and accepted, but not saved! To the mind taught in the terminology that pervades evangelical Christendom, this is nonsense, for in that school of teaching, if a person has been cleansed, he is saved. Notwithstanding, this is the state in which we find this man. God had begun a work in Cornelius, and He was going to use Peter to complete that work (Phil. 1:6).
Since Cornelius needed to hear words whereby he and his house could be saved, it has been concluded by many evangelicals that before he heard the gospel from Peter, he was a religious man but lost. They point to him as an example of how religion can’t save a person. It’s true that religious performance cannot save a person, but Cornelius was not lost; he was clearly a child of God, but with limited light. Actually, at the point in which we are introduced to him, he was neither saved nor lost! Again, this may sound like double talk, but it is what Scripture indicates. The truth is: Cornelius was “born again,” but not “saved.” Being born again, he had divine life and was one of God’s children, and thus, he was heaven-bound. But he was not in the full Christian position before God, not having heard and believed the gospel. He was, therefore, safe from judgment, but not yet saved in the Christian sense of the word.
Confounding new birth and salvation, as most Christians do, has led to much confusion in evangelical Christendom—so much so, that when the truth of these terms is presented, it sounds like error. W. Potter pointed this out, stating: "'Canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth,' refers to the Spirit of God, not to salvation. It refers to being born again; 'so is every one that is born of the Spirit.' We must keep Scriptural truths in their Scriptural connection; when it speaks about being born again, it is not speaking about salvation. That is where we get into such confusion" (Gathering Up the Fragments, p. 226). J. N. Darby confirmed the same, stating: "We must not confound manifested salvation and being born of God" (Letters, vol. 3, p. 118). He also said, "The Church has lost the thought of being saved. People think that it is enough to be born anew" (Collected Writings, vol. 28, p. 368).
Simply put, being born again is a sovereign act of God of imparting divine life to men (John 1:13; 3:1-8; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 2:29). It is, essentially, the same thing as being “quickened” (Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13). Both terms refer to the initial action of God in communicating divine life to a person. As a result of being born again, men have their spiritual faculties awakened, and they are made conscious of their having to do with God. Having been given life and faith through this mighty action of God, people have the capacity to understand the gospel and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Without this initial work in the souls of men, no one would repent and come to Christ.
However, new birth is only the beginning of the work of God in souls. It is not until they hear the gospel and rest in faith on what Christ has accomplished on the cross, that they are saved and sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). Being born again and being saved are two distinct actions of the Spirit: one is the beginning of that work and the other is the completion of it. There is an interval of time between the two—it could be as little as a few minutes, or in some cases, it could be years. J. N. Darby remarked: “The indwelling of the Holy Ghost is a very different thing from the quickening power of the Spirit ... .instances given in the Acts, where there was an interval of time, make us sensible of the distinction of the two” (Collected Writings, vol. 26, p. 89). As quickening and sealing are distinguished in the conversion of Saul, so also are new birth and salvation distinguished in the conversion of Cornelius. Until the 1800s, this distinction had been lost for centuries. W. Kelly said, "The fact is that theology in all schools, Popish or Protestant, Calvinistic or Arminian, has somehow lost, and ignores, this most momentous truth of the Spirit's primary setting apart of a renewed soul to God before, and in order to have justification" (The Epistles of Peter, p. 12).
The following passages of Scripture show that new birth precedes a person’s believing on Christ for soul-salvation:
John 1:12-13—Those who “believe on His name” are they “which were” born of God.
John 3:3-8, 14-17—Concerning the order of God’s work in souls, the Lord spoke of being “born again” by the Word of God and the Spirit of God first before speaking of being “saved” through believing on the Son of God.
John 5:21, 24—Again, the Lord spoke of God’s work of quickening souls before going on to speak of their believing on Him for life eternal.
John 6:44-47—The Lord spoke of His Father’s work of drawing people, which is the effect of being born again, before speaking of those who were drawn believing on Him.
Ephesians 2:1-5, 8—In delineating the activity of God’s love and mercy toward us, the Apostle Paul referred to His work of quickening souls first, and then went on to speak of those whom God had quickened being “saved by grace” through faith.
2nd Thessalonians 2:13-14—Paul speaks of the “sanctification of the Spirit” which is the result of new birth, before a person’s belief of the truth of the gospel.
1st Peter 1:2—Peter speaks of the “sanctification of the Spirit” (the result of new birth) as that which precedes “obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (which is the appropriating by faith the work of Christ on the cross for salvation).
1st Peter 1:22-23—Peter speaks of the purification of the soul through obeying the truth of the gospel, and this being a result of “having been begotten again” (W. Kelly Trans.).
The Divine Leading of Cornelius and of Peter
Vss. 3-8—Returning to the narrative, with Cornelius, we see a man acting on the light that he had, limited as it was. This is beautiful to see. His life showed that he was a man of faith. What he needed was more light so that he could be in the full Christian position before God in Christ, through being saved and sealed with the Holy Spirit. He would thereby be made part of the Church, which is Christ’s body.
To bring about this meeting with Peter, God worked from both ends, preparing both men, as he had done with Saul of Tarsus and Ananias in chapter nine. An “angel of God” appeared to Cornelius and told him to “send men to Joppa” and inquire at Simon the tanner’s house for “one Simon, whose surname was Peter,” and he would come and tell him the gospel (vss. 3-6). Cornelius responded immediately and dispatched two servants and a devout soldier to Joppa (vss. 7-8). This was no little jaunt; Joppa was 30 miles south of Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. We might wonder why God didn’t just have the angel tell Cornelius the gospel; it would have saved his servants and Peter (and the six men who came with Peter), a lot of time and energy. However, God does not use those who haven’t known redemption personally to carry that blessed news to others. Angels are not the subjects of divine grace, as men are, and therefore, cannot speak of its power from personal experience. Such can only come from redeemed men.
Though angels may with rapture see
How mercy flows in Jesus blood,
It is not theirs to prove, as we,
The cleansing virtue of this flood.
#317 L.F. Hymn Book
Vss. 9-16—The Lord had more work to do in preparing Peter, than He did with Cornelius. With Peter, there was resistance when the mind of God was revealed to him on account of his Jewish scruples which he had not yet shed. However, both men were in prayer and both received divine communications while praying (vss. 9, 30), and at length the connection was made between them.
While the three men sent from Cornelius were arriving at Joppa, Peter was on the housetop praying. He fell into a “trance [ecstasy]” (vs. 10) and saw in a vision “heaven opened.” The Lord revealed to him what He was about to do by bringing believing Gentiles into blessing in the Church. Peter saw a "great sheet" let down from heaven "knit at the four corners," and there were gathered into it all manner of unclean beasts (vss. 11-12). These creatures are a picture of the Gentiles being gathered into the Church by the gospel. "Four" is the number that signifies universality; it indicates the four points of the compass to which the gospel would be sent and from where these Gentiles would be brought in (Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Col. 1:23). Peter was then called to "eat" (a symbol of fellowship) those animals that were gathered in (vs. 13). When Peter objected: “Not so, Lord,” a voice said, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common” (vss. 14-15). This call was repeated three times and then the sheet was “received up again into heaven” (vs. 16).
This “vessel” is a picture of the Church. The fact that it was let down from heaven and received up again into heaven indicates that this new thing started in heaven (in the purpose and counsel of God) and would finish in heaven, due to the work of Christ in redemption and the power of the Holy Spirit. It shows us that everything to do with the Church is heavenly in origin, character, and destiny. It is not an earthly institution. The truth of the Church as the body of Christ composed of believing Jews and Gentiles would be taught later in Paul’s epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians (Eph. 2:11-22; 3:6; 5:32; Col. 1:24-27).
Vss. 17-33—Divine providence then arranged the events circumstantially to give Peter confirmation that what was happening was of God. As Peter thought on the meaning of the vision, the three men sent from Cornelius were at the gate of the house. Right at that moment, Peter received a second communication from the Spirit telling him to go with the men to Caesarea. He received the men, and the next day he and six men from Joppa went with Cornelius’ servants to Caesarea (vs. 23). In the meantime, Cornelius called his relatives and friends together, and they all waited for Peter and company to arrive (vs. 24). Upon meeting Peter, Cornelius fell on the ground and worshipped him (vs. 25). What a sight this must have been! The Romans were the lords of the earth in those days; for such a one to bow before a simple, unlettered, Jewish fisherman from Galilee showed this man’s sincerity. But his reverence went too far. It shows that while Cornelius was a very devoted man, he wasn’t very intelligent in divine matters, due to the minimal light he had. Peter told him to cease and to get up (vs. 26). This, too, was something quite out of the ordinary—a Roman centurion taking a command from a lowly Jew whose land they had conquered and ruled over!
Peter and Cornelius then exchanged stories of the visions each had received from God and this led to a prepared preacher having a prepared audience (vss. 27-33).
Peter’s Message to Cornelius and His Relatives and His Friends
Vss. 34-48—After weighing what Cornelius said, and what had happened to both of them, Peter discerned that God had been to Cornelius’ house before he had! It was clear that God had begun a work by the Spirit in this man’s soul long before he met Peter. Accordingly, Peter did not tell Cornelius that he needed to be born again; it was clear that he was already born of God. Nor did Peter preach repentance to him, as he had done to the Jews in chapters 2-3, because it was clear that he was already repentant (Acts 11:18). What Cornelius needed, and what Peter gave him, were words whereby he and his house might be saved. F. G. Patterson said, “Cornelius was a devout man, one that feared God, and prayed to God always—a quickened soul. He is told to send for Peter, to hear words of him, whereby he and all his house would be saved (Acts 11:14). God does not call him a saved man, as merely quickened. When Peter comes, he does not tell him he must be born again, which as a sinner he needed and had been, but he points him to Christ, and tells him of forgiveness of sins; they accept the message, and the Holy Ghost fell on them at once” (Scripture Notes and Queries, pp. 59-60).
Before telling Cornelius of the Lord Jesus Christ and how forgiveness of sins can be had through faith in Him, Peter acknowledged that God is able to reach people and bring them into a measure of blessing without their ever hearing the gospel of His grace. The case with Cornelius was a prime example of this. He said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him” (vss. 34-35). From all that had transpired, Peter perceived that God does not confine Himself to the nation of Israel when it comes to blessing men; He works to that end in “every nation.” If a person anywhere on earth truly “fears” God, and proves it by breaking off with his sins, and “works righteousness,” produced by his faith in God, he is “accepted with Him”—even though he has never heard the gospel of Christ! Fearing God and working righteousness is evidence that the person has been born again, and as such, he is part of God’s family. However, he would not be part of the Church of God, for to be part of that special company of blessed persons one must have the indwelling Spirit, and that is only received when the gospel of Christ is believed (Eph. 1:13).
Skeptics often ask, “But what about those who have never heard?” The truth is that no such class of persons exists, for all have heard. They may not have heard the gospel of God’s grace which tells of the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, but they have all heard something from God (Rom. 10:17-18). Creation, day after day and night after night, speaks God’s Word (Psa. 19:1-4); this is called “the everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6-7). Since God’s handywork in creation is everywhere, all men, regardless of where they may be on earth, have had a testimony from God that He exists, and that they are responsible to Him. If men believe that testimony and depart from what they know to be sin, by working righteousness, they are accepted “with” Him. Those in the Church, however, are accepted “in” Him (Eph. 1:6); this denotes a closer relationship to Him.
Peter then announced to his audience that a fuller message from God had been “sent unto the children of Israel” concerning “Jesus Christ” (vs. 36). Unlike Stephen (Acts 7) and Paul (Acts 13), who in speaking to Jews, gave long historical preambles before bringing in Christ, Peter introduced this company of Gentiles to the Saviour immediately. By adding in a parenthesis that “He is Lord of all,” Peter made it clear that the One whom he was presenting to them was a divine Person whose Lordship was over “all” men—both Jews and Gentiles. “That word ye know ... ” shows that these Gentile people had heard of “Jesus of Nazareth” for the message of Him had been published everywhere in the land since the days of John the Baptist (vs. 37). But relatively few understood the significance of His death and resurrection, and what it accomplished for the glory of God and the blessing of all who believe. Peter, therefore, proceeded to give them these important details.
Commencing with the beginning of the Lord’s ministry, when God “anointed” Him with the Holy Spirit at the baptism of John (Matt. 3:13-17; John 1:32-34; 6:27; Heb. 1:9), Peter reported that for 3½ years He “went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the devil.” There was nothing but pure blessing that flowed out in all directions, and the apostles were living “witnesses” of it. But such love and grace were met with hatred and opposition from the Jews, and this led them to reject Him—“whom they also slew, having hanged Him on a cross” (vss. 38-39).
Cornelius and company had probably heard of the death of Christ, being that it was a public scandal (Acts 26:26). But what Peter was about to tell them next, they did not know. He said: “Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from [among] the dead, and He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick [living] and dead. To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins” (vss. 40-43). Thus, the good news Peter announced was that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, and in doing so, He set His seal of approval on Christ’s finished work. He then commanded the apostles to “testify” that the Lord Jesus Christ is both the Judge of the quick and dead and the Saviour of whosoever believes on Him. As Judge, He will execute judgment on all who will not believe—the “living” will be judged at His coming again (His Appearing) and the “dead” will be judged at the end of His 1000-year kingdom (2 Tim. 4:1). As Saviour, He dispenses blessing in the way of “the remission (forgiveness) of sins” to all who believe on Him.
Peter adds: “To Him give all the prophets witness,” to ensure that to Cornelius and his friends this was not some new doctrine that the apostles had invented; the Old Testament prophets had prophesied of it hundreds of years before. “Whosoever” must have been a welcomed word to these eager Gentiles, because it included them. It is clear that they were attentive and believed every word Peter said, because as he spoke, “the Holy Ghost [Spirit] fell on all them which heard the Word” (vs. 44). When that happened, the Jews who came with Peter were shocked that the Spirit would be given to these Gentiles, but the evidence of it in their speaking in tongues could not be denied (vss. 45-46).
Some have called this a “second” Pentecost—as if Acts 2 and Acts 10 were separate works of the Spirit of God. But really, these two events regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit are one work, as 1st Corinthians 12:13 indicates. What happened in Cornelius’ house was the completion of the work begun in Acts 2. Once the Spirit came upon these Gentile believers, the Spirit’s work of baptizing was complete, and never needed to be repeated. As mentioned in chapter 2, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is what formed the body of Christ. Having done that, the Spirit no longer works in the capacity of baptizing.
When Peter saw that the Spirit had fallen upon these Gentile believers, he realized that if God had baptized these Gentiles with the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:15-16; 1 Cor. 12:13), there was no reason that they shouldn’t be baptized with water (vss. 47-48a). Hence, “he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” In chapter 2, the Spirit was withheld from the Jews who believed until they were baptized in water, but here in chapter 10, the Spirit fell immediately on these believing Gentiles without them being baptized in water. The reason for this difference is that the Jews were blood-guilty in the crucifixion of Christ and needed to dissociate themselves from that sin (which water baptism does) before the Spirit would identify Himself with them. The Gentiles, on the other hand, are not guilty in that way, and therefore, water baptism was not necessary before they received the Spirit.
At their request, Peter remained “certain days” with these newly saved souls, establishing them in the faith (vs. 48b).
The Apostles at Jerusalem Hear of The Door Being Opened to the Gentiles
Chap. 11:1-18—What had happened in Caesarea created a stir among the brethren in Jerusalem (vs. 1). When Peter returned to Jerusalem, those with strong Jewish prejudices “contended” with him about it. To them, it was incomprehensible that Peter would identify himself with Gentiles in such a flagrant way (vss. 2-3). And, how could the Holy Spirit come upon uncircumcised, unbaptized, and ceremonially unclean Gentiles, even as He had come upon them at Pentecost? The answer is in the lesson the Lord taught Peter in the vision of the sheet being let down from heaven. The voice said, “What God hath cleansed, that call thou not common.” The truth was God had cleansed these Gentiles; they were not unholy, nor were they unclean. In fact, they were as cleansed as the Jews were, for the same water and blood that cleanses a Jew, cleanses a Gentile! (John 13:10; 1 John 1:7). To emphasize the importance of this great fact, the Spirit led Luke to take time in his narrative to tell the whole story of the vision a second time.
To silence the objections of certain of his brethren, Peter “rehearsed” the matter to them, and showed them how God’s hand was in it from the beginning to the end (vss. 4-17). Peter was not asked to decide in this matter; God had decided for him by giving Cornelius and his friends the Spirit (Acts 15:7). Since that was the case, he said, “What was I, that I could withstand God?” How could he dare to refuse to accept these Gentiles when God had accepted them? So, he went ahead and commanded them to be baptized. After hearing this, the brethren in Jerusalem “held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life” (vs. 18). We see the wisdom of God in having the Apostle of the circumcision open the door of blessing in the gospel to the Gentiles. He could never say that it wasn’t a work of God because he had the witness in his own experience that it was!
The character of divine life which Luke speaks of here is more than that which is communicated in new birth. It is divine life in its fulness—eternal life, which is to be in conscious fellowship with the Father and the Son (John 17:3). We know this because repentance follows new birth (Ezek. 36:25-31); a person will not repent until he is born again. But here, Peter spoke of repentance preceding life. The character of life that he was referring to must, therefore, be eternal life, because while repentance follows new birth, it precedes being saved and sealed and having eternal life.