Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. [Intro] - Peter’s sermon in one sense portrayed the life and ministry of Jesus as outlined in the Gospels. In addition, we have an outline of the basic elements of apostolic preaching and the common doctrines (kerygma) that run through them. Furthermore, we have the consistent apologetical arguments of the early church. Observe the following gospel and themes by the Spirit through Peter.

2. Jesus of Nazareth, Attested and Anointed by God (37-38)

3. The Death of Christ (39)

4. The Resurrection of Christ (40)

5. Chosen Apostolic Witness (41)

a) The resurrected Christ did not reveal Himself to everyone, but to those who were chosen beforehand” (proscheirotoneō - lit. “stretching out the hand in advance, choose in advance).

b) Though well over 500 hundred saw the resurrected Christ, Peter is referring specifically to the apostles (“who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead”).

c) The chosen apostolic witness was not only fundamental to the credibility of the gospel message but it was a major message of the apostolic kerygma (Ac 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39, 41; 13:31; 22:15; 23:11; 26:16).

d) Skeptics often ask why Christ did not reveal Himself to everyone. Even if that would have been the case, the ever-unsatisfied skeptic would then ask why Christ does not reveal Himself to everyone today. In addition, skeptics make bad apostles. Also, skeptics have the testimony of Scripture which is a “more sure” testimony (2Pe 1:19; cf. Lk 16:29-31). Finally, the skeptic would have to rid himself of skepticism and exercise faith.

6. Apostolic Commission (42a)

a) It was these apostles, Peter being one of them, that were commissioned to “preach” (kārussō - herald or proclaim, also root of kārugma) the gospel. As eyewitnesses, they were to “solemnly testify” (diamarturomai) to the death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Ac 1:8).

7. Return of Christ as Judge (42b)

a) A crucial point that even the Gentiles needed to know was that Christ was going to return again as Judge (Jn 5:22-25).

b) This speaks at least of Christ’s Second Coming when He will judge the Gentile nations (Ac 3:20-21; 17:31; Re 19:11, 15) and the Great White Throne Judgment (1Pe 4:5; Re 20:11-13).

8. Witness of the Prophets (43a)

a) When the apostles preached, they either argued that the prophets prophesied (Ac 3:18, 21, 24, 25; 7:52; 10:43; 13:40; 26:22) and/or they quoted from the OT Scriptures to show that Jesus was the Christ (Ac 2:25-28, 30-31, 34-35; 3:22, 25; 4:11; 7:3, 5-7, 18, 27-30, 32-35, 37, 40, 42-43, 49-50; 13:22, 33-35, 41).

b) Only God could foretell the coming person and work of the Messiah. Only one individual could fulfill all of those prophecies. The apostles aptly identified Him as Jesus of Nazareth.

9. Faith and Forgiveness of Sin (43b)

a) The prophets in Scripture reveal the great message that “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

b) The apostles’ message to both Jew and Gentiles was “forgiveness of sins” (Ac 2:38; 3:19; 10:43; 13:38; 22:16; 26:18) through faith in Christ (Ac 3:16; 10:43; 13:39; 20:21; 26:18). A theme that goes along with these is “repentance of sin” (Ac 2:38; 3:19; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20).

IV. THE SPIRIT’S DIVINE EVIDENCE (44-48)

A. Gentiles Received Salvation and Holy Spirit (44-45)

1. [44] In the midst of Peter’s sermon, the text says that “speaking these words,” the Holy Spirit fell upon them. The “words” may refer to Peter’s entire sermon, but more likely they refer to the phrase, “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Ac 10:43).

2. It would have been at that moment that these Gentiles believed, were saved, and received the Holy Spirit. That they were not saved prior to this is evident from Ac 11:14 where it says, “[Peter] will speak words to you by which you will be saved.” We should not think that the Holy Spirit came upon theses Gentiles without first having exercised saving faith. Nowhere in the NT do we read that that Holy Spirit came upon someone who did not believe. The phrase “those who were listening to the message” suggests that they heard the gospel, believed, and received the Holy Spirit in the same way believers do today (Ac 11:17 cf. Ep 1:13).

3. Why did Peter not have to lay hands upon these Gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit? Unlike the situation in Samaria, Peter was already present. Peter, a chosen apostle, a pillar of the church, and the one to whom the “keys of the kingdom heaven” had been given (Mt 16:18-19), was present when the Holy Spirit came to the Jews (Ac 2:4), Samaritans (Ac 8:17), and now the Gentiles.

4. [45] It is here that we learn that “some of the brethren from Joppa” (Ac 10:23) were the “circumcised believers,” i.e. Jewish believers. They were amazed that the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles. They understood it to be something similar to what F.H. Chase termed as the “Pentecost of the Gentile world.”

B. The Holy Spirit in Gentiles was Evidenced by Tongues (46)

1. How did they know the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit? They witnessed the fact that these Gentiles received the “gift” of the Holy Spirit, namely speaking in tongues.

2. There are only three references to the gift of tongues in the book of Acts: 1) Ac 2:3-4, 11; 2) Ac 10:46 [recounted in Ac 11:17]; and 3) Ac 19:6. Having only three references to speaking in tongues in the entire book of Acts implies that speaking in tongues was not the experience of every believer nor the evidence of the Spirit in every case (also see Speaking in Tongues 1, 2, 3).

3. Luke’s three accounts of tongues were given to identify the broad meaning of the “sign” of the gift of tongues

a) Ac 2:4 - Tongues was a sign that the Holy Spirit was sent by the Father and the Son to indwell all believers (Ac 1:4 cf. Jn 15:26).

b) Ac 10:46 - Tongues was a sign that the Gentiles received the Spirit and therefore salvation (Ac 11:18).

c) Ac 19:6 - Tongues was a sign of the affirmation of Paul’s apostolic authority and the inclusion of those still under John’s baptism (He 2:4 cf. Ac 8:17).

C. Believer’s Baptism (47-48)

1. [47] Since Peter now understood that Gentiles were included in God’s salvation, He reasoned that they should also be included in the church’s ordinance of baptism. Peter challenged the Jewish believers who also witnessed their salvation in asking if they could see a reason why these Gentiles should not also be baptized. Notice that baptism followed salvation. It did not precede it.

2. Believer’s baptism was also a part of the apostles’ kerygma (Ac 2:38; 10:47; 22:16).

3. [48] With apostolic authority, Peter “ordered” (protassō - arrange before, command or order) that these Gentiles believers be baptized.

4. Like newborn babes craving the milk of the Word, the Gentiles believers asked Peter to stay. They desired to be instructed in the way of God further.

V. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. What if Gentiles did not receive the Holy Spirit? Then they would not have been saved (Ro 8:9), not have security (Ep 1:13), not have understanding (1Co 2:12-14), not been able to live unto God (Ro 8:4), not have life in Christ (Jn 7:37-38; 10:10), not have hope or God (Ep 2:12).

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516