As some of you may know, I am daily reading through Scripture in its order. Today’s devotion was Acts 11:1-18. In this section, Peter came up to Jerusalem to report to the other apostles and brethren who heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. Some took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence how God got them (Apostle Peter, a Jew, and Cornelius, a Gentile Centurion) together. See Acts 11:1-3. After these verses, Peter explains in detail the rest of what happened very much like the original account by Luke in Acts Chapter 10.
The key verse is Acts 11:18: “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”
The summary of what happened was that God granted to these Gentiles repentance that leads to life. This verse is one reason why Reformed doctrine emphasizes God’s sovereignty in salvation. In this section and the surrounding Scripture (Acts 10:1 – Acts 11:18), there is nothing expressing or even inferring that Cornelius first initiated repentance or that he even first believed in Christ. Rather, there are two verses which speak of the Holy Spirit falling on Cornelius and the rest with him as Peter was beginning to speak. In Acts 11:15, Peter states in his account of what happened: “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.” Earlier, in Acts 10:44, Luke describes the event as it was happening: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.”
Arminians portray the road to salvation as first a presentation of the Gospel and an altar call by the preacher and then man listens and man makes his own decision through his own free will as to whether or not he will believe and repent and come to Christ. However, this is not what happened here in this account.
What happened here is that God miraculously worked in both Peter and Cornelius and gave both men visions, including an angelic visit to Cornelius, that brought these men together. Then, it was emphasized that God poured His Holy Spirit on Cornelius and the rest with him as Peter was beginning to speak. Prior to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, there is no reference to any decision for Christ or any repentance by Cornelius and the rest with him. Finally, we come to the summary in Acts 11:18 which states simply that God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.
Reformed doctrine (a/k/a Calvinists) teach that the Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration goes before repentance and belief. Arminians teach that man’s repentance initiated by his own free will, his own wisdom, and his own belief goes before regeneration (or the filling of the man by the Holy Spirit). Reformed doctrine teach that God is in control saving those whom He wants to save and accomplishing all the details. Arminians teach that man is in control and that man initiates belief and repentance leading to salvation.
In conclusion, the purpose of this e-mail is to not lay out all the Scripture supporting this Reformed doctrine. I will only refer the reader to one additional supporting passage of John 3:1-8. Rather, the purpose of this post is to point out Reformed doctrine, from time to time, as I go through Scripture in its order.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 