Cornelius And The Holy Spirit
"If the Holy Spirit does not come to alien sinners to save them, then why did Cornelius receive the Holy Spirit at the time of his conversion?" This is a question recently put to us by one who was interested in learning the truth.
We readily grant that Cornelius received the Holy Spirit for the record clearly states that he did. "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word." (Acts 10:44.) Also Peter told the Jerusalem Jews, "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning." (Acts 11:15.) We are just as willing to accept this truth as any other that is contained in the Scriptures. But the fact that we accept the truth that Cornelius received the Holy Spirit does not obligate us to accept a position with regard to the work of the Holy Spirit which is contrary to fact or truth.
Cornelius received the Holy Spirit. But it is hardly accurate to say that he received it "at the time" of his conversion. Now, if one thinks of the expression "at the time of his conversion" in a general way, that is, in the same general period of time, we might grant the statement to be correct; but if one suggests that the expression means at the moment of his conversion, then we disagree. There can be no question that Cornelius received the Holy Spirit before his conversion was completed. Not only did he receive the Holy Spirit before his sins were washed away in the waters of baptism, but there is more than a strong suggestion that he received the Holy Spirit even before his faith was established in Jesus Christ as the Son of God!
It would be most difficult for one to ascertain from Acts, chapter ten, exactly or even approximately when the Holy Spirit came on Cornelius. It simply says, "While Peter yet spake these words . . ." That does not tell us whether the Holy Spirit came just as Peter finished his message, or in the middle of his discourse, or near the beginning. Luke simply records Peter's message first, and then tells us that "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word." If, however, one turns to the eleventh chapter, one gets a good picture of the exact chronology or order of the events happening that day in Cornelius' house. Here, Peter reports, "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even- as on us at the beginning." (Acts 11:15.) Not only did Cornelius receive the Holy Spirit before he was baptized, he received the Spirit even before he heard the gospel from Peter's lips. And if "faith comes by hearing" (Rom. 10:17), then we are forced to conclude that Cornelius received the Holy Spirit even before he had faith in Jesus Christ as God's Son. Thus the Holy Spirit came upon this man even before he was converted, that is, before his faith was established by Peter's preaching of the gospel.
Some have tried to argue that since the Lord has said the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit (John 14:17), and since Cornelius did receive the Holy Spirit before his baptism, then Cornelius must have been saved (i.e. not "in the world") before he was baptized. This is an effort to discredit the Lord's command to be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), and to be baptized into his body. (Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 12:13.) But whatever this argument proves with regard to baptism it likewise proves with regard to faith. For as we have shown, Cornelius received the Holy Spirit at the beginning of Peter's discourse, and before his faith had been established by the preaching of the gospel. Since it was Peter's message which produced faith in Cornelius' heart, that faith could not have been there prior to the hearing of the message.
Add to this dilemma which the "anti-baptism" teachers create for themselves the fact that some of them suggest that the alien sinner must receive the Holy Spirit in order that he may repent and believe and one sees how difficult it is for the teachers of error to sustain their false positions. Take a look at their reasoning:
1. They say that Cornelius' receiving the Spirit before his baptism proves that he was saved before baptism and without baptism.
2. They teach that the alien sinner must receive the Holy Spirit before he can repent, believe, or do a single good act.
Now if Cornelius' receiving the Spirit before baptism proves that he was saved before and without baptism, then (as per their doctrine) the alien sinner receiving the Spirit before repentance and belief must prove that he can be saved before and without repentance and belief! Applying their own logic to their doctrine would prove that one is saved without either repentance or faith!
Why, then, did the Holy Spirit fall on Cornelius? It came as testimony or evidence from God that He intended that the Gentiles should be invited into the kingdom of Christ and should be accepted by other Christians as full brethren. It did not come to "save" Cornelius, for he and his household were to be "saved" by the "words" that Peter should speak to them. (Acts 11:14.) It did not come to produce faith in Cornelius' heart, for " faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Rom. 10:17.) The Holy Spirit did not fall on these people to cleanse their hearts, for Peter later stated that it was by his "mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith." (Acts 15:7-9.) Peter's preaching produced faith; this faith moved Cornelius to obey the things spoken by Peter; and this obedience brought him to salvation. Remember the angel had said, "Send to Joppa, and fetch Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall speak unto thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house." (Acts 11:14.) Whatever influence the Holy Spirit exerted in the conversion of Cornelius was exerted through the words that Peter spoke — the gospel message which is available to all. This involved faith (Acts 10:43), repentance (Acts 11:18), and baptism (Acts 10:48).