The Argument of That Book Which Contains the Acts of the Apostles

We must therefore diligently consider the force of this argument, which is so often repeated in the Acts. Which book is written to confirm and establish this argument: for it teaches nothing else but that the Holy Spirit is not given by the law, but by the hearing of the gospel. For when Peter preached, the Holy Spirit forthwith fell upon all those that heard him, and in one day three thousand which were present at the preaching of Peter, believed and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). So Cornelius received the Holy Spirit, not by his alms which he gave: but when Peter had opened his mouth and was yet speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all them which with Cornelius heard the word (Acts 10). These are manifest arguments, experiences, and divine works, which cannot deceive us.

And Luke writes of Paul in the 15th chapter of the Acts, that where he had preached the gospel together with Barnabas among the Gentiles, and was returned to Jerusalem, he set himself against the Pharisees and disciples of the Apostles which urged circumcision and the keeping of the law as necessary to salvation: whose mouths he so stopped (says Luke) in showing what things he and Barnabas had done among the Gentiles that the whole church was amazed at the hearing thereof, especially when they heard that God had wrought so many and so great miracles and wonders by them among the Gentiles. And when they which bore a zeal to the law did greatly wonder how it could be that the uncircumcised Gentiles, not doing the law nor the works thereof, nor having the righteousness of the law, should notwithstanding attain to this grace, to be justified and receive the Holy Spirit as well as the Jews that were circumcised: here Paul and Barnabas did allege nothing else but manifest experience, with which they were so confounded that they had nothing to reply again. By this means Paulus Sergius the Lieutenant, and all those cities, regions, kingdoms and countries where the Apostles had preached, by the only preaching of faith did believe, without the law and the works thereof.

In the whole book then of the Acts there is nothing else handled in effect, but that it is necessary as well for Jews as Gentiles, as well righteous as unrighteous to be justified by faith alone in Christ Jesus, without the law and the works thereof. The which thing does appear as well by the preaching of Peter, of Paul, of Stephen, of Philip and the other Apostles, as also by the examples of the Gentiles and Jews. For as God gave the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles which lived without the law, by the preaching of the gospel, so did he give the same to the Jews: yet not by the law nor by the ceremonies and sacrifices commanded in the law, but by the only preaching of faith. Now, if the law had been able to justify, and the righteousness of the law had been necessary to salvation, then doubtless the Holy Spirit had not been given to the Gentiles which kept not the law. But experience itself does plainly witness that the Holy Spirit was given to them without the law: and this did the Apostles, both Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and others see: therefore the law does not justify, but faith only in Christ, which the gospel sets forth.

These things are diligently to be marked because of the adversaries, who do not consider what is handled in the Acts of the Apostles. I myself in times past also read this book when indeed I understood in it nothing at all. Therefore when you hear or read in the Acts of the Apostles, or wherever it be in the scriptures, this word Gentiles you must there think that it is not to be understood literally of the common nature of the Gentiles, but it carries with it a spiritual meaning, and is to be taken, not for those which are under the law, as were the Jews (as before is said in the second chapter: We by nature Jews, etc.) but for those which are without the law. Therefore to say that the Gentiles are justified by faith, is nothing else, but that they which observe not the law nor do the works thereof, which are not circumcised, which sacrifice not, etc. are justified and receive the Holy Spirit. By what means? Not by the law and the works thereof (for they have no law): but freely and without any other means saving only the hearing of the gospel.

So Cornelius and his friends whom he had called to his house, do nothing, neither do they look upon any works going before, and yet as many as are present, receive the Holy Spirit. No man speaks but Peter: they sitting by do nothing: they think not of the law, much less do they keep it: they sacrifice not: they care not for the receiving of circumcision, but only are bent to hear that which Peter speaks. He by his preaching brought the Holy Spirit into their hearts as it were visibly: for they spoke with tongues and glorified God.

But some man may here cavil and say: who knows whether it were the Holy Spirit or no? Well, let him cavil. Sure it is that the Holy Spirit so bearing witness does not lie, but hereby shows that he accepts the Gentiles for righteous, and justifies them by no other means than by the only voice of the gospel or hearing of faith in Christ preached. We may see also in the Acts how greatly the Jews marveled at this new and strange thing. For the faithful which were of the circumcision and came with Peter to Caesarea seeing the gift of the Holy Spirit to be poured out also upon the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius, were amazed. Also they that were at Jerusalem complained of Peter for that he went into men uncircumcised and did eat with them (Acts 11:3): but when they heard the matter declared by Peter in order as it was done touching Cornelius, they marveled, and glorified God saying (verse 18): Then has God also given salvation to the Gentiles.

This report and fame then, that God has given salvation also to the Gentiles, was not only at the first intolerable, but also a great offence even to the believing Jews: which they could not easily shake off: for they had this prerogative above all other nations, that they were the people of God: the adoption, the glory, the worship, etc. belonged to them (Romans 9). Moreover, they did exercise themselves in the righteousness of the law: they labored all the day long: they bore the burden and heat of the day. Moreover, they had the promises for keeping of the law: therefore they could not but murmur against the Gentiles and say: Behold the Gentiles come but even now, and have not suffered any heat or borne any burden: notwithstanding they have the same righteousness and Holy Ghost without labor, which we by labor, and by the heat and burden of the day could not obtain. They have labored indeed, but that was but one hour, and by this labor they are more refreshed than wearied. Therefore then has God tormented us with the law, if it avail nothing to the obtaining of righteousness? He now prefers the Gentiles before us, which have been so long burdened with the yoke of the law. For we which are the people of God, have been vexed all the day long: but they which are not the people of God, neither have any law nor have done any good at all, are made equal with us.

And hereupon the Council of the Apostles, through great necessity, was assembled at Jerusalem to satisfy and pacify the Jews, who though they believed in Christ, yet was this opinion notwithstanding deeply rooted in their hearts, that the law of Moses ought to be kept. There Peter upon his own experience, set himself against them saying: If God has given the same grace to you Gentiles, which he has given to us that have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who am I that I should forbid God? Again: God who knows their hearts, bore them witness in giving to them the Holy Ghost, even as he did to us. And he put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you tempt God to lay a yoke on the disciples' necks which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? etc. With these words Peter at once overthrows the whole law. As if he would say: We will not keep the law: for we are not able to keep it: but we believe through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be saved as they do. So Peter here is altogether occupied in this matter, that God has given to the Gentiles the self same grace that he has given to the Jews. As though he would say: When I preached to Cornelius, I learned by my own experience, that the Holy Ghost was given without the law, to the Gentiles by the only hearing of faith. Therefore in no case are they to be burdened with the law. To conclude, since it is certain that neither we nor our fathers were ever able to fulfill the law, it behooves you also to reject this opinion, that righteousness and salvation comes by the law. And this did the believing Jews by little and little: but the wicked which by this preaching were offended, at the length were altogether hardened.

We must therefore pay close attention to the force of this argument, which comes up repeatedly in the book of Acts. That entire book was written to confirm and establish this very point — it teaches nothing other than that the Holy Spirit is given not through the law but through hearing the Gospel. When Peter preached, the Holy Spirit immediately fell upon all who heard him, and in a single day three thousand people who were present at Peter's preaching believed and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). Cornelius likewise received the Holy Spirit not through the alms he had given, but while Peter had opened his mouth and was still speaking — the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the word with Cornelius (Acts 10). These are clear evidence, actual experience, and divine acts that cannot deceive us.

Luke records in Acts 15 that after Paul had preached the Gospel together with Barnabas among the Gentiles and had returned to Jerusalem, he stood against the Pharisees and disciples of the apostles who insisted that circumcision and keeping the law were necessary for salvation. Luke says that Paul and Barnabas silenced them by describing what God had done among the Gentiles through them — and the whole church was astonished at what they heard, especially when they learned how many great miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. Those who were zealous for the law were deeply puzzled: how could uncircumcised Gentiles — who neither followed the law nor did its works, nor possessed the righteousness of the law — still receive this grace and be justified and receive the Holy Spirit just like the circumcised Jews? Paul and Barnabas responded with nothing other than the plain evidence of what had happened — and those arguing for the law were silenced with nothing to say. By this same means, Sergius Paulus the governor, and all those cities, regions, kingdoms, and countries where the apostles had preached, came to believe through the preaching of faith alone — without the law and its works.

The whole book of Acts, then, deals at its core with a single point: that it is necessary for both Jews and Gentiles, both the righteous and the unrighteous, to be justified by faith alone in Christ Jesus — without the law and the works of the law. This is shown both through the preaching of Peter, Paul, Stephen, Philip, and the other apostles, and also through the examples drawn from the Gentiles and Jews. Just as God gave the Holy Spirit to Gentiles who lived without the law through the preaching of the Gospel, so He gave the same Holy Spirit to the Jews — and not through the law or through the ceremonies and sacrifices commanded in the law, but through the preaching of faith alone. Now, if the law could justify and the righteousness of the law were necessary for salvation, then the Holy Spirit would certainly not have been given to Gentiles who did not keep the law. But experience itself plainly shows that the Holy Spirit was given to them without the law — and the apostles, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and others, saw this themselves. Therefore the law does not justify; only faith in Christ, as proclaimed by the Gospel, justifies.

These things deserve careful attention, especially against those opponents who do not understand what the book of Acts is actually teaching. In former times I read this book myself and understood nothing in it. So when you hear or read the word 'Gentiles' in the Acts of the Apostles — or anywhere else in Scripture — do not take it simply in the ordinary ethnic sense. It carries a spiritual meaning: it refers not to those who are under the law, as the Jews were (as Paul said earlier in chapter two: 'We who are Jews by nature'), but to those who are without the law. Therefore to say that the Gentiles are justified by faith is to say that those who do not observe the law or perform its works, who are not circumcised, who do not offer sacrifices, and so on — these people are justified and receive the Holy Spirit. How? Not through the law and its works, for they have no law — but freely, and by no other means than simply hearing the Gospel.

Cornelius and the friends he had gathered at his house do nothing — they have no prior works to point to — and yet all who are present receive the Holy Spirit. No one speaks except Peter; those sitting with him do nothing. They are not thinking about the law, much less keeping it. They do not offer sacrifice; they do not seek circumcision — they are simply attentive to hear what Peter says. Through his preaching Peter brought the Holy Spirit into their hearts in a visible manner, for they spoke in tongues and glorified God.

But someone may object and ask: How do we know it was the Holy Spirit? Let him raise that objection. What is certain is that the Holy Spirit, in bearing witness in this way, does not lie — He was showing by this that He accepts the Gentiles as righteous and justifies them by no means other than the voice of the Gospel, the hearing of faith in Christ proclaimed. We can also see in Acts how greatly the Jews marveled at this new and unprecedented thing. The believing Jews who had come with Peter to Caesarea were astonished when they saw the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out even on the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. And those in Jerusalem complained that Peter had gone to uncircumcised men and eaten with them (Acts 11:3) — but when they heard Peter explain the whole event concerning Cornelius step by step, they marveled and glorified God, saying (verse 18): 'Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.'

This news — that God had given salvation to the Gentiles as well — was not only difficult to accept at first, but was actually a serious offense even to believing Jews; they could not easily let go of it. They held a unique privilege above all other nations: they were the people of God — the adoption, the glory, the worship, all of it belonged to them (Romans 9). Furthermore, they had devoted themselves to the righteousness of the law; they had labored all day long; they had borne the burden and the heat of the day. They also had the promises tied to keeping the law — so they could not help but complain against the Gentiles and say: 'Look at this — the Gentiles have only just arrived, and they have not suffered any heat or carried any burden, and yet they receive the same righteousness and the same Holy Spirit without effort — what we could not obtain despite all our labor and toil through the long hot day. They worked for only an hour, and that little work refreshed them more than it tired them. So has God tormented us with the law all this time, if it counts for nothing in obtaining righteousness? He now puts the Gentiles ahead of us, who have carried the weight of the law for so long. We who are the people of God have been burdened all day long — while those who are not the people of God, who have no law and have done nothing at all, are made equal to us.'

This tension made it absolutely necessary for the apostles' council to be assembled at Jerusalem — to address and settle the minds of the Jews who, though they believed in Christ, still held deep in their hearts the conviction that the law of Moses must be kept. There Peter spoke from his own experience and set himself against this position: 'If God has given the same grace to the Gentiles that He has given to us who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?' And again: 'God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.' 'Now therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?' (Acts 15:10). With these words Peter at once dismantled the whole law. It is as if he were saying: We will not keep the law, for we are unable to keep it — but we believe through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, just as they are. So Peter here is entirely focused on this one point: God has given to the Gentiles the very same grace He has given to the Jews. He is saying: When I preached to Cornelius, I learned from my own experience that the Holy Spirit was given to the Gentiles without the law, through the hearing of faith alone. Therefore they must not under any circumstances be burdened with the law. In conclusion: since it is certain that neither we nor our fathers were ever able to fulfill the law, you must also let go of the view that righteousness and salvation come through the law. The believing Jews did abandon this view — gradually; but those who were offended by this preaching and refused to repent eventually became completely hardened.