Peter, Cornelius and justification by faith

Act 10:34-48
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PETER GIVEN TO CORNELIUS

Act 10:34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand {now} that God is not one to show partiality,
Act 10:35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.
Act 10:36 "The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)--
Act 10:37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.
Act 10:38 "{You know of} Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and {how} He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Act 10:39 "We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.
Act 10:40 "God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,
Act 10:41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, {that is,} to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
Act 10:42 "And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.
Act 10:43 "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."
Act 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.
Act 10:45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
Act 10:46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,
Act 10:47 "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we {did,} can he?"
Act 10:48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

Acts 11:12-18
PETER DEFENDS HIS ACTIONS

Act 11:12 "The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man's house.
Act 11:13 "And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, 'Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here;
Act 11:14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'
Act 11:15 "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as {He did} upon us at the beginning.
Act 11:16 "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
Act 11:17 "Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as {He gave} to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
Act 11:18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance {that leads} to life."

Act 15:1-11
HOW CORNELIUS WAS SAVED ACCORDING TO PETER


Act 15:1 Some men came down from Judea and {began} teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
Act 15:2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, {the brethren} determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.
Act 15:3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.
Act 15:4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.
Act 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses."
Act 15:6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.
Act 15:7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.
Act 15:8 "And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
Act 15:9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Act 15:10 "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
Act 15:11 "But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."

Comments on Cornelius, his salvation and how it relates to us:

1) Acts 10:43 - tells us that all who believe in his name receive forgiveness of sins. It is consistent with Luke 24:47, Eph 1:13, Gal 2:16, 1 Jn 1:5, and all those verses that says that one is justified by faith.
2) Acts 10:47 - The fact that Peter would baptize Cornelius, a gentile, only after he received the Spirit, tells us that receiving the Spirit is a sign of God accepting him as his child. Cornelius is no longer a gentile but a Jew now(Roman 2:28-29).
3) Cornelius received the Spirit before he was baptized, so he was already saved before being baptized. Also see my post on " Baptism of the Spirit and indwelling of the Spirit, are they the same?"
4) Acts 11:17 - tells us that Cornelius received the Spirit by the hearing of faith (Gal 3:2,5-6), just as the apostles. Peter says that because God accepted them, he ate with the gentiles.
5) Acts 15:7 - Peter was sent to preach the gospel, so that Cornelius would believe the gospel. Note that Peters gospel doesnt include baptism for salvation. It was only after Cornelius received the Spirit of Christ, that he was baptized.
6) Acts 15:,9 - God accepted Cornelius by giving him the Holy Spirit, just as he did to the apostles. He did not make any distinction between Jew or Gentile. If Cornelius was required to be baptized to receive the Spirit, HE would have made a distinction between the apostles and the gentiles. Also tell us that God looks at the heart and gives the Holy Spirit. Cornelius heart was purified by faith. Note that the greek word for faith - pistis is related to believe - pisteuo. Faith is not baptism, to have faith is to trust God completely. Peter says that Cornelius was saved by faith and just as we are.
7) Acts 15:11 - all of us are now saved in the same manner as Cornelius. Cornelius believed and received the Spirit. We believe and receive the Spirit. Consistent with Pauls gospel in Rom 3:21-5:10, Gal 3, 1Jn 5:1,4,5,10,13, etc. Also see my post on 'verses that show justification by faith'
8) The fact that Peter uses the example of Cornelius to say that everyone else is going to be saved in the same way, tells us that Cornelius case was not a special case. With God there are no exceptions.
9) If circumcision was the issue here, wouldnt it have been much easier for Peter to say that baptism has now replaced circumcision. Instead he takes great pain to explain that God looks at the heart and justifies a person. He says that it is by faith that ones heart is prified.