"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
In today's quote, the baptism Peter supposedly referred to, in verse forty seven, was obviously a water baptism since the word "water" appears in the text. However, we should make note that those supposed statements were made AFTER Cornelius and his guests had already believed in Jesus Christ, and had already received the Holy Ghost.
I used the word "supposed" because what is said in verse forty seven makes no sense when analyzed against the entirety of what ultimately happened at the home of Cornelius. For that cause and the seeming conflict in verse forty seven, it appears that it might have been added to the original text after it was written.
The fact that those people at the home of Cornelius were already saved and had already received the Holy Ghost is borne out by what is said in verse forty four of yesterday's lesson: "While Peter YET SPAKE THESE WORDS", (While Peter was STILL preaching) "the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Peter's command that Cornelius, and those in his house, should be baptized in water into the name of the Lord makes no sense and could NOT have played any part in their salvation or their having received the Holy Ghost.
NOTE, I strongly encourage that everyone in this class prayerfully and carefully study the lessons contained in Acts 10. We should careful analyze ALL bible lessons "rightly dividing the word of truth". (2Timothy 2:15)
That is very important because so much of God's word has been tampered with by heretics throughout history. God's holy word to is ALL still in the bible text, but just as Jesus Himself instructed us in Matthew 7:14, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it." Jesus clearly knew that there would be those who would try to destroy His word. In Matthew 24:35, Jesus promised us, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Jesus' words are most assuredly still stand, it is up to each of us to discern the wheat form the chaff.
Let us all be vigilant in our study always praying for the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit. The souls of everyone we can affect lies in our hands, We MUST get it right.~
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