Why did Cornelius receive the Holy Spirit before Water Baptism?

QUESTION:

Explain how Cornelius and the Gentiles had received the remission of sins by believing in Him as Peter said and received the Holy Ghost BEFORE water baptism.

I still say Peter did not preach another gospel as that gospel of the kingdom is the same gospel of grace as the gospel of the kingdom was never going to happen until after His death, resurrection and ascension as Jesus said to Nicodemus and again in John 6th chapter.

REPLY:

There are many types and shadows in the Bible. The life of Joseph has about 40 similarities to the life of Jesus. Abraham’s almost sacrifice of Isaac was a shadow of the crucifixion, etc, etc. God confirms His Word with events or happenings that depict Christ or that announces his will.

Before I get to Cornelius, consider what happened in the beginning of Paul’s ministry to herald the blinding of the Jews and a new dispensation of grace to the Gentiles without the need for Israel. Read Acts 13:6-12 and consider the blinding of Barjesus (who represented Israel, being blinded for a season).

Similar to this event of Paul to relay the change of dispensation from Israel to Paul’s grace ministry, in the same way, God provided a shadow event for Peter to herald the change of dispensation. This event with Cornelius was key to Peter defending Paul at the Jerusalem council meeting in Acts 15. God was teaching Peter that He was doing a new thing and that a dispensational change was about to happen.

From the vision of the sheet filled with animals of Peter, to the angelic appearance testified to Peter by Cornelius, to the astonishment of Peter and the other Jews in his party when they saw the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles BEFORE water baptism; it was all for the instruction and confirmation for Peter, to help him accept that God was going to move upon the Gentiles without the use of Israel. Regarding the ‘premature’ Holy Spirit baptism, and why it astonished the Jews, it all comes down to the order of washings in the Mosaic law and priesthood. Priests and kings needed to be washed with water before being anointed with oil. That sequence was set in Deuteronomy and Leviticus centuries before. The Holy Spirit ALWAYS followed AFTER water baptism in the Kingdom gospel. Thus, when Peter saw the Holy Spirit come down BEFORE Cornelius was water baptized, it shocked Peter, which explains his frantic need to water baptize them quickly after the Holy Spirit come upon them. This event jarred Peter and later, at the Jerusalem council, Peter made mention of it in his speech to convince James of the validity of Paul’s gospel.

So, bottom line is that the Cornelius event was a confirming event of the change of dispensation, God Himself teaching Peter of His will and plan to fill Gentiles with His Holy Spirit without the washing of water. God would fill them because they would be forgiven by the blood of Christ and not by the washing of water. Cornelius was still saved into the Kingdom program, but his conversion was an extraordinary event to convince Peter of the validity of Paul and his gospel and doctrine.