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Ministry of Peter
227
The Vision of the Church Enlarged
Then Peter candidly laid the whole matter before them. He
related his experience in regard to the vision, and pleaded that it
admonished him no longer to keep up the ceremonial distinction of
circumcision and uncircumcision, nor to look upon the Gentiles as
unclean, for God was not a respecter of persons. He informed them
of the command of God to go to the Gentiles, the coming of the
messengers, his journey to Caesarea, and the meeting with Cornelius
and the company collected at his house. His caution was made
manifest to his brethren from the fact that, although commanded by
God to go to the Gentile’s house, he had taken with him six of the
disciples then present, as witnesses of all he should say or do while
there. He recounted the substance of his interview with Cornelius,
in which the latter had told him of his vision, wherein he had been
directed to send messengers to Joppa to bring Peter to him, who
would tell him words whereby he, and all his house, might be saved.
He recounted the events of this first meeting with the Gentiles,
saying, “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as
on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord,
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how that He said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be
baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the
like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ,
what was I, that I could withstand God?”
The disciples, upon hearing this account, were silenced, and
convinced that Peter’s course was in direct fulfillment of the plan
of God, and that their old prejudices and exclusiveness were to be
utterly destroyed by the gospel of Christ. “When they heard these
things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath
God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
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