Astonished Bigots 2020 08 30
Acts 10:44 – 48
Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines a bigot as: A person who is obstinately and unreasonably wedded to a particular religious creed, opinion, practice or ritual. The word is sometimes used in an enlarged sense, for a person who is illiberally attached to any opinion, or system of belief; as a bigot to the Mohammedan religion; a bigot to a form of government.
In general use, today, a bigot is someone who is intolerant of any ideas other than his or her own, especially on religion, politics, or race. Bigots tend to think that their view is the only one that matters and in more extreme cases, that their race is the best race and that they are the only ones going to heaven.
It is said that “you can tell a bigot, but you can’t tell him much!”
Acts 10:44 – 48
Peter was in Joppa, fasting and praying on the roof top of the house where he was staying, when he had a very strange vision. In it, a sheet was lowered to him three times, full of all manner of four-footed beasts, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds. Three times a voice told him to kill and eat. Three times he refused, saying that he had never eaten anything unclean or common. Three times, a voice told him not to call common or unclean what God has cleansed. Just as he saw the vision for the last time, three Gentiles were knocking at the door, sent to find Peter by the gentile Centurion, Cornelius, as he had been commanded by an angel. Peter understood then that all men are equal under God.
As our passage today opens, Peter had arrived at the home of Cornelius, and had just finished preaching the gospel.
I These Gentiles were Saved
- While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Ghost fell upon these Gentiles at Caesarea!
- Furthermore, the Holy Ghost fell on ALL who were listening! All those Gentiles present at Cornelius’ house were obviously saved, else the Holy Ghost would not have fallen on them.
- But these people barely understood the gospel they had trusted, and they weren’t even baptized, yet! But the evidence came upon them, even without the Apostle laying his hands on them!
- Even while Brother Peter was still speaking, the Holy Ghost fell upon them!
- This is not proof that the evidence of salvation for all time must be demonstrated by speaking in tongues, but it is evidence that these people were saved. The evidence of salvation is not speaking in tongues or getting baptized, but it is the Holy Ghost indwelling someone. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:12,13
- Again notice: They were not yet water baptized, but were spiritually baptized by the Holy Ghost and added to the one body of Christ. Remember this! It’s very important! There are many churches on Earth, but only one body of Christ.
II This Was Just Like Pentecost
- In verse 47 we see Peter’s confirmation of this fact, but it is also clear in verse 44.
- This was just like Pentecost. Just like what happened when the Holy Ghost fell upon the apostles and other Jewish believers at Pentecost, the Holy Ghost fell upon these Gentile converts without the laying on of hands or water baptism.
- This was God the Holy Ghost coming directly upon the Gentile believers in power, just as He had done on the Jewish converts. This was clear evidence that God is no respecter of persons, and that includes Baptists!
III Astonished Bigots
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- So strong was the bigotry among the Jews in those days that the Jewish converts, called those of the circumcision, who were present, were utterly astonished when the Holy Ghost fell upon these Gentile dogs. (for that is what Gentiles were considered to be by the Jews).
- There was no mistaking it! The same signs that followed the Holy Ghost falling upon the Jewish converts at Pentecost were seen here. These Gentile believers were speaking with other languages that they did not know and magnifying God.
- Therefore, Peter challenged those with him to tell him if there was any reason that these new believers should not be baptized, since God had so clearly approved of them, just as he had of the Jewish converts at Pentecost, and then he called for them to be baptized.
- So strong was the bigotry among the Jews in those days that the Jewish converts, called those of the circumcision, who were present, were utterly astonished when the Holy Ghost fell upon these Gentile dogs. (for that is what Gentiles were considered to be by the Jews).
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IV A Sign of the Times
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- One final note needs to be made about this amazing event.
- This is the only other time recorded in scripture, apart from the events of Pentecost, in which the Holy Ghost fell upon a group of new believers without the laying on of hands by the Apostles.
- This was a sign of the times, a sign given by God in the early church to clearly show that Jesus Christ died for ALL, not just for the Jews. God showed by this sign once and for all that He is no respecter of persons, but that He sent His Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- One final note needs to be made about this amazing event.
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V No Room for Bigots
- There is no room for bigots in Christ’s churches. Ours is a reasonable faith; therefore we must hold reasonable beliefs and doctrines.
- It is NOT wrong to separate from the way of the world, because God tells us to (eg Romans 12:2)
- It is not wrong to hold to particular doctrine. I Timothy 1:3,4 says, “As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.”
- And 1 Timothy 6:3 – 5 says, “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”
- Therefore it is not wrong or bigoted to hold to correct, Biblical doctrine, because it is not unreasonable, but reasonable.
- What IS wrong is for us to think that only people from our church, or only Independent Baptists, or only “name a church,” are part of the bride of Christ or that we are the only ones who will be in heaven. Many who do not have exactly the same doctrine as we do, even though they may well be in error on many points, if they have truly repented toward God and trusted in Jesus Christ as their Saviour, are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
- It is not wrong for us to call out doctrine that is in error, or to point out error when truth is being neglected or rejected. But we must not be astonished bigots when Christ comes back and we see all those others with us who were not the same as us in this life!
Conclusion
“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:12,13 It is our duty to make sure, as Peter did, that those who claim to be Christians truly are saved. But that determination must be based on what they believe and not on where they go to church. That requires, as it does with anyone we meet, reaching out in love with the gospel of Jesus Christ.