Verse 42: “He commanded us to proclaim to the people and to testify that this is the One predestined to judge the living and the dead.”

Pre-destined: God saw beforehand – based upon a pattern. God had a pattern. He had a description, and Messiah met that description perfectly. God ordained Yeshua because He was the One who met the criteria for being the Redeemer – being the One who would be anointed by God to judge the living and the dead.

Judge the living and the dead: We cannot go very far in either the Old Testament or in the New Testament without judgment coming into play. All matters of judgment have been given over to Yeshua. He meets the qualifications for being the Anointed One, the King. Kings rule. As King, Yeshua judges.

Verse 43: “To this (One) all the prophets testified concerning how one can receive the forgiveness of sins through His name, to everyone that believes in Him.”

All the prophets testified: To understand Messiah (who He is, what He did and what He is going to do) we need to read and understand Biblical prophecy.

One can receive the forgiveness of sins through His name: We have to call upon Him in faith. That is where we find forgiveness of sins (Not by doing righteous works or living in the fear of the L-rd). It begins by believing that there is a God and by us wanting to serve Him and do His will. When this is our desire, God gets the message of the gospel to us so that we can call upon the name of Yeshua and be saved.

Verse 44: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all the ones hearing the word.”

All the ones: Gentiles

Note: No one laid hands upon them. The moment that they believed, received the gospel, the Holy Spirit fell upon them.

Verse 45: “And they were astonished, the ones of the circumcision who believed who had come with Peter, that also upon the Gentiles the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.”

The ones of the circumcision: The Jewish believers who were those that came from Jaffa with Peter.

The Holy Spirit was poured out: This word for ‘poured out’ is in the perfect passive. This means that the pouring out of the Holy Spirit happened in the past, it happened in the present (in that room in Caesarea), and it is going to continue happening into the future. This is an act of God done to us, and cannot be brought about by ourselves.

Verse 46: “For they heard them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter answered,”

They heard them speaking in tongues: This happened when they came to faith. It was neither a secondary act and nor was it accompanied by the laying on of hands. When a person believes he receives the Holy Spirit, and one of his first acts of obedience is to testify through baptism.

Verse 47: “Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized? These are the ones who received the Holy Spirit, just as us.”

Note: The gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon these Gentiles in the same way that it was poured out upon the Jewish believers. The way of salvation for a Jewish person is the same as the way of salvation for a Gentile. Jews do not receive the Holy Spirit in a different way to non-Jews. God does not show partiality, and His Word is the same for all.

Verse 48: “He commanded them to be baptized in the name of the L-rd. Then they asked him to remain a few days.”

Asked him to remain: They did not want him to depart immediately. They wanted to hear more. They wanted to be discipled. This is what a true believer desires – to know the Word of God in order that they can walk with God, serve God, and bring honour to His Name.