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Acts, Language, Teaching

Acts 10:44-48 – Good Gentiles calling for more insight

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While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

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This is the Acts reading from the Episcopal Lectionary for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B 2018. It will next be read aloud in church by a reader on Sunday, May 6, 2018. It is important because it tells how the Holy Spirit is for all human beings who seek the truth and hear the word of God speaking to them, individually. As non-Jews hearing the word and receiving the Holy Spirit, this means bloodlines that share no DNA with the tribes of Israel, as those not direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and those not educated in Mosaic Law, Gentiles have the capacity to be reborn as Jesus, the Christ promised to the Jews.

Certainly, the key element in this reading that makes one worthy of being awarded the Holy Spirit is, “the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.”

It descended like a dove.

The limiting caveat is the Holy Spirit is not something everyone receives. It is not guaranteed to devoted Jews who profess to adhere to Mosaic laws; and it is not guaranteed to all Gentiles who gather around a true Christian who speaks.

As a reading presented on the Sixth Sunday of the Easter season, the key theme of the Epistle and Gospel reading is clearly “God’s love.” We see that here when we read, “The Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God.” The Gentiles – Romans who worshiped pagan gods – who were filled with the Holy Spirit were highly praising [the One] God, which is a sign of the love that overcame them – a love from God.

When Peter asked, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” the focus was on how rules, dogma, laws, or edicts that state a right to symbolically wash a body clean of sin, plays no role in true baptism. When we learn that Peter “ordered [the Gentiles of Cornelius] to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ,” they had already been baptized by the Holy Spirit, filled with God’s love, and reborn as Jesus Christ. This states that baptism by water can ONLY truly be done after the presence of God has transformed [or Transfigured] one of faith, by His presence in one’s heart.

It is natural for Christians today to want to claim this presence; but after centuries of training by the various denominations of Christianity the majority opinion has been reduced to a belief that baptism by water (done first, as early as infancy) is the call for the Holy Spirit to come to one. We believe ministers, priests, pastors, preachers and educated church leaders are the “Jesus Christ tamers,” who command Jesus to surround a congregation, by invoking that name (“in the name of Jesus come!”). Unfortunately, this reading from Peter’s acts as an Apostle says the truth is quite different.

Prior to these verses from Acts chapter 10, Peter and fellow Apostles spoke to Cornelius and fellow Gentile soldiers.  Peter said the following:

“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:39-43)

Significantly embedded in that text is the truth that states, “[Jesus, the risen Lord] was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen.” That says that after Jesus has resurrected from death, he appeared to the ones who had been prepared to see him. This is why he appeared in unrecognizable form to Mary Magdalene, to Cleopas and his wife Mary, and to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee (an event that was actually a dream). It was after Jesus spoke to those disciples that they knew who it was speaking “the word” to them. Because they had been prepared, as “witnesses whom God had already chosen” (during three years of Jesus’ ministry and lessons), they saw Jesus in the flesh and received the Spirit.

This same selectivity that is relative to who can know God’s presence is nearby and to know Jesus is the Messiah can be seen when John told of Jesus predicting his death as the Passover Festival neared. There John wrote, “[Jesus said,] “Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.” (John 12:28-29) The point of that is it says not everyone heard the voice of God speak. It was only heard by those who had opened their hearts to God, with faith in Jesus as His Son.

This inability of some to hear the voice of God is still in effect today. It is reminiscent of the event that was witnessed by an estimated crowd that ranges between 30,000 and 100,000 people. It occurred in Fatima, Portugal on October 13, 1917, as the sixth (and final) Marian apparition before three shepherd children (all on the 13th of the months from May and October). The children had prophesied that a miracle would take place on that final date, attracting a much larger crowd than prior. The “voice of God” can be read then as visual words (a picture is worth a thousand words), rather than spoken words. (source: Wikipedia)

The three shepherds of Fatima.

The voice of God for that event is called the “Miracle of the Sun.” According to the Wikipedia article about that event: “Newspapers published testimony from reporters and other people who claimed to have witnessed extraordinary solar activity, such as the sun appearing to “dance” or zig-zag in the sky, careen towards the earth, or emit multicolored light and radiant colors. According to these reports, the event lasted approximately ten minutes.”

This event was officially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1930. However, there are critics of this recognition, such as reported by Wikipedia:

“According to theologian Lisa J. Schwebel, claims of the miracle present a number of difficulties. Schwebel states, “not only did not all those present not see the phenomenon, but also there are considerable inconsistencies among witnesses as to what they did see“. Schwebel also observes that there is no authentic photo of the solar phenomena claimed, “despite the presence of hundreds of reporters and photographers at the field.”

That is basically restating what Peter said about people not being able to see the risen Lord, as he spent time teaching the disciples for forty days before his Ascension. In John’s Gospel, where his words say, “The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him,” become a precise parallel to the criticism of “inconsistencies” that occurred in witnesses to the Miracle of the Sun. It is what should be expected, because not everyone is prepared by God to hear His Word.

In addition to the prophesied miracle that some witnesses claimed took place, no one in the crowd of onlookers said he or she saw the Virgin Mary. The three children knelt at the same spot they had been told to kneel each month (by an angel), with the crowd gathered each time seeing their gazes fixed upward, as if there was something above and before them. No one in the crowds gathered ever witnessed anything other than three children kneeling and gazing upward.  However, after each visitation of the Virgin Mary, the accounts given by the children was how all three children had vividly seen the Blessed Mother, but only two could hear her speaking to them.

This too fits what John and Peter said, as the voice of God is relative to how well prepared one is to hear that word.  The boy shepherd was said by the Virgin to need to do more repentance, which was why he could not hear.  Still, he was uplifted by the visions he was allowed.

The proof of someone hearing the divinity of apostolic words being spoken is then found in Peter’s statement that the Gentiles began “speaking in tongues and extolling God.” That statement in Acts is actually divided into two separate segments (denoted by a comma), such that the word “and” has caused translators to omit the comma.

The Greek states, “lalountōn glōssais , kai megalynontōn ton Theon,” with a literal alternate translation saying, “proclaiming with languages , and enlarging (or increasing, or magnifying) the God.” This translation then allows one to stop being mesmerized by a concept that is misinterpreted by man – “speaking in tongues” – so that “languages” is more appropriate when the “voice of God” and “speaking the word” is the motivation for this reaction.  Rather than them “extolling God,” the separation allows one to see how it was “the God” within them that was “increasing” their ability to speak the word, which the Gentiles suddenly were doing.

This means that the miracle of hearing God’s voice, from listening to the voice of God through Peter (an Apostle-Saint of Jesus Christ), those Greco-Roman-Gentiles began speaking fluent Hebrew and Aramaic, rather than Greek or Latin. As they spoke in those “languages,” they not only quoted from the Torah, Psalms and Prophets (a task they had no training in), but they expanded on the word of Scripture. Peter saying they “magnified” the “languages” of Holy text says the Gentiles began divinely explaining how those words prophesied Jesus Christ. They “spoke the word” just as Peter had been speaking.

This means the proof of having the Holy Spirit “fall upon” one is the God-given ability to explain and defend the books of the Holy Bible, without prior explanation or defense being taught one.

Arthur being knighted by Merlin

That proof was clearly visible to Peter and his companion Apostles, as there was only one way such automatic utterances could come to be. God had sent His Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, transforming their souls to a purely righteous state (i.e.: Saints). That then moved Peter to mark the event with the element of water, where they were not so much “baptized” as we Christians understand that today, but “christened” with water.

The purpose of that naming (the definition now applied to the word “christening”) was to officially proclaim those Gentiles were in the name of Jesus Christ. That is the truest form of one’s right to profess Christianity; and it is the root of the word “christen,” such that one is given a Christian name: Jesus.  Therefore, the ritualistic pouring of water (or a river dunking) was done after the soul had reached a state of righteousness, through a Spiritual rebirth.

When we then read, “Then they invited him to stay for several days,” this is vital to grasp.  That statement is not a simple element thrown in at the end. It is actually what links this reading to two others that have crystal clear themes of love.

The whole of Acts 10 is about God preparing Peter to accept non-Jews in his ministry (through a vision).  This reading’s event occurred soon after Cornelius sent men to request a visit from Peter, asking Peter to go to Caesarea Philippi. Because of a vision Peter had experienced prior, he traveled with Roman soldiers and entered a Gentile home, which was a forbidden act of Jews. Cornelius (a centurion) and his closest soldiers were good human beings and had treated Jews with kindness and fairness. He had heard some Jews speak if Peter, who was then in Joppa, so he sent for him.

Still, neither Peter nor Cornelius expected what happened in this part of Acts 10 to happen; however, when it did, Peter was moved to recognize Cornelius and his men as brothers in Christ. Because they were then of the same “church” (those who gathered “in the name of Jesus Christ”), staying together “for several days” was then an important act of acceptance, out of love for one another, their love of God, and the love of the Holy Spirit.

As a Easter lesson, it is this aspect of God’s love that instantly came over two groups of strangers that fits into a theme of the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B 2018. The Easter lessons are all about a personal Resurrection of Jesus Christ needed in each of us.  This Resurrection is only possible when one willingly surrenders oneself to God, dying of ego so one can be reborn as a soul cleansed by the presence of God and the Mind of Christ (which allows one to know everything about Scripture, so a Saint can “speak the word of God” fluently).  Thus, from this reading we are to see ourselves as Gentiles who have been prepared for God’s presence, which “falls upon” us by our acts of goodness and fairness towards those who serve the One God faithfully.

Still, being prepared through acts of human love does not fully make one a true Christian.  This reading says we need to strive for more.  We need to know the love of God.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ in us can be seen reflected in this story from Acts. Cornelius did good, but he went beyond by sending for Peter. As a Gentile, he wanted to know more. He wanted someone to convince him to convert to Judaism, rather than remain a polytheistic Roman. He reached out to find the truth.  God saw that, so He prepared Peter to be His servant who would offer the truth to Cornelius.

We must become opened to receive God. We must pray that the truth will open our eyes and minds. When the bearer of truth comes, we need to listen to the word and let the Holy Spirit fall upon us, so we see the meaning. We must seek to see the truth where others have not seen it. We must desire to know the truth where others have only heard its sound. We must surrender ourselves so our brain is freed to know the truth of the Mind of Christ.  When one experiences that knowledge, it is because one has been truly baptized by the Holy Spirit, with one’s soul cleansed by the presence of God, with one then in the name of Jesus Christ.

When that state of existence has been reached, one knows love. One then can recognize all others who have the same state of love surrounding them. Once one knows that love, one enjoys spending a few days with others of the same Godly heart and the same Christian mind. It is like a newfound reunion, where joy abounds.

Acts, Language, Teaching

Acts 10:44-48 – Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing?

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While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

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This is the mandatory reading from the Acts of the Apostles for the sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B, according to the lectionary of the Episcopal Church. It will be the first reading presented, to be followed by Psalm 98, where David sang, “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” That will precede a reading from First John, where was written: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.” All will bring the Gospel reading from John, where Jesus said, “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.”

This reading ends the tenth chapter in Acts, where verse 34 – 43 were read on Easter Sunday. All of chapter ten deals with Peter being called by God to go to Caesarea and meet with a Roman centurion named Cornelius and his Gentile followers. Simply meeting in the same place as Gentiles was forbidden by Jewish laws and mores. Thus, that is the setting in this reading, where Yahweh has spoken through Peter to Gentiles.

The first word of this reading is translated as “While.” The Greek word written is “Eti,” which is capitalized, meaning a divine essence elevates this adverb to a greater importance. The word itself, in the lower case, means “(a) of time: still, yet, even now, (b) of degree: even, further, more, in addition.” The capitalization means the prior verses, which began with Yahweh speaking through Peter, these verse now speak of a time when Yahweh was “Still” speaking, being a “Further” state of that presentation of the Word.

The segment of verse 44 that shows above as “the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word” needs to be recognized as a syntactical paraphrase that combines two capitalized words, so “Holy Spirit” becomes read as one entity. It is indeed two, as the two capitalized words denote. The order of presentation in the Greek has been changed to suit the preconceptions of English speaking readers, so “Holy Spirit” was not written.

The “Holy Spirit” is read by Christians as one entity; and, it is used commonly as “Jesus Christ” being one name, to the point that “Christ” seems to be the last name of “Jesus.” It is not a last name.

The Greek written in Acts states: “epepesen to Pneuma to Hagion epi pantas tous akouontas ton logon.” That literally says, “lit upon that Spirit that Set apart by God on the basis of all comprehending those this divine utterance.”

Seeing that translation makes it possible to see the “Spirit” as that flowing through Peter from Yahweh, where the source makes the “Spirit” known to be divine, without any need to add that it is “Holy.” Thus, it was this flow of “Spirit” being received by “listeners” that made them become “Set apart by God” [“Hagion”], as “all comprehending those this divine utterance.”

Without seeing the two capitalized words as having separate divine meanings, seeing just the “Holy Spirit” becomes one falling short. It leaves weak imaginations to struggle to understand what that means. The truth written says: The listeners were made Holy.

Verse 45 is then shown to begin with these words: “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded.” In reality, the verse begins with the word “kai” [lower case], followed by the Greek segment of words [ending with a comma mark]: “exestēsan hoi ek peritomēs pistoi,” which says that segment of words is important to understand, before adding any more words to that.

The Greek literally translates to say, “were amazed those out from circumcision believers.” That has absolutely nothing to say about Gentiles. The “kai” says it is important to see how the flow of the “Spirit” from Peter had an “amazing” effect on those who said they “believed” in Yahweh. Because they were born and circumcised as Jews, Yahweh was their exclusive God. The importance of this segment of words is this: even the Jews who came with Peter were transformed [“amazed, astounded”], which means they had not been transformed before going with Peter to meet with Gentiles.

By seeing that there was nothing of value by having been circumcised, as no true faith can be generated by the physical trimming of a male baby’s foreskin, the importance is realizing that the Jews Peter took with him to Caesarea had yet to be filled by Yahweh’s “Spirit,” even though they were of the same religion. That importance is then followed by Luke writing, “as many as [circumcised believers] had come them with Peter , seeing that kai upon them Gentiles this gift of that Set apart by God of this Spirit having been bestowed liberally.” In that, the presence of “kai” is ignored as a marker of importance, which needs these words be closely inspected.

The comma mark that separates a segment of words that focuses on Jews being Spiritually filled, due to the words Yahweh spoke through Peter, that was witnessed by Cornelius and his Gentile companions [“seeing that,” from “hoti” defined as “introducing a causal clause expressing a reason: because, seeing that”]. While the Jews were becoming elated, the “kai” says importantly “upon them Gentiles this gift of that Set apart by God [“Hagion”] of this Spirit [from “tou Pneumatos”].” The Greek word “ekcheo,” the root of “ekkechytai,” says Yahweh “poured out (liquid or solid); shed, or bestowed liberally” His “Spirit.” There was plenty for all who sought to serve Yahweh.

Verse 45 ends in a period mark, meaning verse 46 is no longer limited to focus on Gentiles. It becomes a fresh new statement about all who were present, Jews and Gentiles. From that perspective, Luke wrote [NRSV], “for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God.” This is another segment of words that needs straightening, so the translation becomes more powerful.

The Greek text states: “ēkouon gar autōn lalountōn glōssais kai megalynontōn ton Theon.” Literally this says, “they were listening indeed themselves of speaking languages kai magnifying that of God.”

The NRSV translation gives one the impression that one group [the Jews] were amazed by watching the other group [the Gentile], “listening” to them “speaking in tongues.” This becomes one of those nebulous concepts that people say they believe, but no one knows what it is they believe. What does “speaking in tongues” mean?”

The reality of what is stated in all [both groups – Jews and Gentiles] were “listening,” where the Greek word “ēkouon” [from “akouó”] says all “were hearing, were listening, were comprehending from hearing,” such that the meaning one must realize is this: Yahweh spoke through Peter and the words that came forth “were understood.”

When this then leads to Luke writing, “indeed themselves,” the Greek word “autōn” needs to be read as a statement of plural “selves,” where “selves” are “souls.” Thus, what Peter was saying, coming from Yahweh, was connecting “indeed” with the “souls of all” there.

Because it was Peter doing the “speaking,” it was the “Spirit” of Yahweh that was “speaking” to the souls of all. It was not anyone other than Peter making vocal noises, but rather the abilities of all to understand what was said, so all were “speaking” the same language.

The Greek word “glōssais” is translated as “tongues,” but such a translation should only be applied anatomically – relative to physical “tongues.” This means the accusative plural is only relative to “languages,” which means whatever “languages” the people present were fluent in “speaking,” they all heard the truth spoken in that “language.” What each heard was then relative to the truth that has the translation indicating the people present spoke multiple “languages” [Aramaic, Latin, Hebrew, whatever]. As it was Yahweh “speaking” His divine “language,” His Word was known by all.

Peter’s dialogue is not recorded, but it could be he was reciting [without a scroll to read] divine Scripture. What would have amazed the Jews present is they understood Hebrew, but the looks on the faces of the Gentiles said they too were understanding what Peter said. Still, the more amazing thing to the Jews [that would have also affected the Gentiles] is Peter was explaining the text he recited, in ways that they had never heard explained before.

That became spiritually uplifting; and, that is the truth about “speaking in tongues.”

To make this point, Luke wrote the word “kai” in the middle of that statement, which placed importance that is directly relative to “speaking in tongues,” where the NRSV translation says “extolling God.” That, again, makes the reader be led to hearing a room full of people all talking at once, when nothing has changed since Luke told us Peter was “Still” speaking from Yahweh. Thus, the truth of what Luke wrote is “magnifying that of God,” where what Peter spoke had greater impact on those listening. They were hearing within their souls that which was “that of God.”

The NRSV then has Peter change from speaking the Word of Yahweh, to saying, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” In reality, verse 46 includes a period mark that ends the prior statement, but then adds, “Tote apekrithē Petros,” before beginning verse 47.

The capitalization of “Tote,” means divine essence must be read into the word that means “Then, At that time.” This is a divine statement that until “Then” everything spoken was Yahweh, through Peter’s mouth. Thus, from realizing “apekrithē” is an indication of someone else “taking up the conversation,” we see that “Peter” becomes identified as the one “Then” speaking.

Verse 47 then shows Peter asking, “Can anyone withhold the water,” where the actual Greek states, “If not this water is able to withhold.” In that, physical “water” can only be read in terms of a comparison, such that the statement is about rain falling, which cannot be expected to be selective as to who or what it falls upon. When the rains come, everything and everyone exposed to the rain will get wet. That becomes metaphor and not a literal statement about water being poured out.

Water must always be seen as an element that symbolizes the emotional state of being; so, Peter was moved to realize spiritually that everyone [Jews and Gentiles alike] had been affected by the outpouring of Yahweh’s Word.

The translation by the NRSV that indicates “just as we have” is not actually stated. A comma mark ends the statement about the affect of Yahweh’s “language” on all souls present, as being akin to a heavy downpour of rain [“water”]. From that, everyone who had not previously been filled with Yahweh’s “Spirit” had then become “submerged,” like being dunked [“baptized”].

With that observation made by “Peter Then joining the conversation,” the Greek following a comma says, “hōs kai hēmeis,” which translates as “just as kai we.” This says all who were newly filled [Jews and Gentiles] were “baptized” in the same “Spirit,” “just as” Peter and those who came with him that had been so filled. The word “kai” then becomes a marker of importance saying all [Jews and Gentiles filled “just as”] had become “we,” as a one word statement of unity. All were to be seen as one group, alike as resurrections of Jesus. All were alike as those “Anointed ones” [“Christ”] of Yahweh. Therefore, all were true Christians.

Verse 48, which is translated by the NRSV as stating: “So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ,” is misleading. As the third person makes one assume “he” is Peter, implying that Peter had some special power that could baptize anyone “in the name of Jesus Christ.” The third person becomes best understood as being Yahweh, whose Word flowed through Peter and baptized like rain falling upon everyone there. The only source of baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” is and can only be Yahweh. Thus, verse 48 needs to be closely inspected.

Luke wrote: “prosetaxen de autous en tō onomati Iēsou Christou baptisthēnai.” This literally translates to say, “he ordered now them in then name Jesus of Christ to be baptized.” Because of the first word’s lack of capitalization, one can comfortably say that Peter is the one speaking, even making a directive that all should recognize the truth of that experience. His “command, order, or instruction” is not that anyone “should be baptized,” but a statement that all were indeed “baptized” by Yahweh. All had become reborn as His Son, “in the name Jesus.” All had become possessed by Yahweh, thereby “of Anointment,” which was their “baptism.” Nothing needed to be done further, as God’s work through His Apostle Peter had been done.

Verse 48 then ends with the “we” Gentiles offering the Jews to stay with them for a few days. In this statement, the aspect of “days” becomes metaphor for being “in the light of Christ,” where the presence of the “Spirit” gave them all the promise of eternal life [“days”], removing them from the darkness of mortal existences. Therefore them “asking to remain” becomes a prayer of thanks that offered their souls to be led by Yahweh in ways to serve Him forever.

As the mandatory reading from the Acts of the Apostles during the sixth Sunday of Easter, it needs to be seen that the acts of Yahweh’s servant are to make Yahweh’s “Spirit” available to others who are seekers. Cornelius was a seeker, who had family and soldiers who also sought the Lord. Peter had been raised as one circumcised [a Jew] to live separate from Gentiles. Yahweh had come to him in dream [a vision] and told Peter to go wherever He sent him. Peter complied with that divine instruction and became a “Messenger” of Yahweh. All Peter had to do was meet with seekers and then let God speak through him. Yahweh did the baptizing.