Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 11:16

"And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit." — Acts 11:16 (ASV)

Peter defended his actions by recounting his experiences at Joppa and Caesarea, with an emphasis on (1) the divine initiative in all that transpired and (2) his inability to withstand God. Thus he recounts the details of the vision that came to him at Joppa (vv.5–10), of his reception by Cornelius (vv.11–14), and of the Spirit’s coming upon the group gathered in Cornelius’s house (vv.15–17). It was the Lord, insisted Peter, who gave him the vision and who explained its meaning. It was the Spirit who told him to have “no hesitation” to go with the messengers to Caesarea and enter Cornelius’s house. And it was God who took the initiative by baptizing Cornelius and his companions with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, concluded Peter, “Who was I to think that I could oppose God?” By giving a second witness to this story of the Gospel reaching out to Gentiles (cf. introductory comments on 2:42–12:24), likely taken from a different source than ch. 10, Luke is providing greater support for his theme of the legitimacy of a mission to Gentiles.