“Christ Without Borders!”

“Christ Without Borders!”(Acts 10:44-48).
A precursor to today’s text is a vision of Peter. Peter was hungry and fell into a trance. Unclean animals were lowered from heaven, and he was asked to kill and eat. But he told the LORD that he had never eaten anything unclean. The voice told him never to call anything impure that the Lord had made clean.
This happened three times. And while Peter was still wondering what the vision meant, he was informed that three men were looking for him.
The men had been sent by Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian regiment at Caesarea.
Peter accompanied them to Cornelius’ home. Peter made it clear that by Jewish law, a Jew was not supposed to mingle with a Gentile, but that he had been warned not to call any man impure or unclean.
When Cornelius explained his reason for inviting Peter, Peter’s earlier vision began to make sense to himself. So he started recounting the vision he had while in the trance. Then this happened: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, ‘Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.”
In the same way that Peter’s vision in the trance has been interpreted as Peter’s moment of conversion, so too what happened in Cornelius’ home is interpreted as *”the Pentecost of Gentiles.” *The gift of the Holy Spirit poured on ‘even the Gentiles’, and they started “speaking in tongues and praising God.”*
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and all the people who were gathered there is a demonstration of the universality of the gospel. Christ is without borders! The gospel has no frontiers!
In the words of Peter, “it is indeed true “that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”
More than that, God’s ways are not our ways. Yesterday, we read that the people of Samaria were baptized in the name of Jesus alone, and they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. Today’s story is the reverse as “the Holy Spirit came down on all who heard” Peter’s message. It was after this that Peter ordered for them to be baptized.
The Holy Spirit does not necessarily pour on people only during baptism. It can happen before, during, or after baptism. Whenever he descends on a person is the moment of full conversion for that person.
When the “revival palaver” ignited in the PCC, the initiator said, “the Holy Spirit told ne that…” The reply from hierarchy was, “we are waiting for the Holy Spirit to tell us that…” When God inspired Cornelius to send for Peter, he also prepared Peter through the vision. The Spirit works both ways.
That notwithstanding, the Spirit is blowing everywhere like wind, and those who are at vantage positions enjoy his presence. Do you feel his presence?
Weekend prayer: Thank you, LORD, for reaching out to us Gentiles with your Spirit. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
30/05/2026.