Cornelius’ Conversion and the Mission to the Gentiles

God’s bestowing of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius in the same manner as at Pentecost played a decisive role in determining how the early church carried out the Great Commission (Matt 28:18–19). Despite many references to “the nations” being included within God’s salvation plan (Matt 28:19; Mark 13:10; Luke 24:47; Acts 15:17; Rom 15:9–12; 16:26), some Jewish believers were still hesitant to embrace this mission.

Peter’s reluctance about God’s plan for the Gentiles was first challenged by his divine vision (Acts 10:9–17, 28), then by the Spirit’s direction to visit Cornelius (Acts 10:19–20, 28–29). The most compelling factor, however, was when he and “those believers from the circumcision who had accompanied [him]” saw the Holy Spirit poured out “even on the Gentiles,” evidenced by their speaking in tongues (Acts 10:45). This had only ever happened to one other group: the apostles and believers at Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4).

When Peter returned to Jerusalem, his concerns about engaging in fellowship with non-Jews (Acts 10:28) seemed to be well-founded—the Jerusalem leadership seems to be shocked (Acts 11:3). To explain himself Peter recounted the story of his vision, invitation, and ministry to Cornelius (Acts 11:3). But it was God’s outpouring of the Spirit—without the laying on of hands—that swayed the Jerusalem leadership to accept the Gentiles as part of the Christian community (Acts 11:14–17). However, the statement in Acts 11:18 clearly indicates that they hadn’t expected the inclusion of the Gentiles. At first, they were silent.

Cornelius’ reception of the Spirit was also used as support for God’s mission to the Gentiles in Acts 15. Paul and Barnabas were appealing to the Jerusalem Council not to require believing Gentiles to be circumcised. After a heated debate, Peter reminded them of what they had learned from Cornelius (Acts 15:7–9). God had chosen Peter to preach the gospel to Gentiles, and He had chosen to testify “to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us” (Acts 15:8). God made no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. Once again, the leaders responded with silence, listening to Paul and Barnabas recount all that God had done among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12). Then the Jerusalem leaders made the decision to affirm God’s plan for Gentile believers (Acts 11:19–29).

Peter had twice been at the forefront of successfully countering Jewish efforts to forbid uncircumcised Gentiles from joining in fellowship with Jewish Christians. This situation changed in Antioch (Gal 2:11–14). “For before certain people came from James” (who was ostensibly the brother of Jesus and a leader in the Jerusalem church) and arrived in Antioch, leading Peter, Barnabas, and the other Jews to revert to practicing the very Jew and Gentile distinction that he had previously opposed.

Just as Peter alludes to the price he could pay for associating with a non-Jew (Acts 10:28), many people today fear the response of fellow believers to their association with non-Christians. But God’s mission extends beyond existing believers just as much today as it did in Peter’s time.

Steven E. Runge

Further Reading

Gentiles

Gentiles CLBD

Cornelius CLBD

Cornelius DLNT

Jerusalem, Council of AYD