Acts 10:44-48 question

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DVIN_CKS

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Would this be a passage that non-Catholics could use to show that we don’t need baptism in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. I’m in discussion with a Baptist and she insists that baptism is something that takes place only AFTER a person believes and makes a public profession of faith whereupon they at THAT time receive the Holy Spirit.

This verse shows that the Gentiles *did * receive the Holy Spirit before they were officially commanded to be baptized. How am I to understand this verse in light of Catholic teaching?

Thanks!
 
DVIN CKS:
Would this be a passage that non-Catholics could use to show that we don’t need baptism in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. I’m in discussion with a Baptist and she insists that baptism is something that takes place only AFTER a person believes and makes a public profession of faith whereupon they at THAT time receive the Holy Spirit.

This verse shows that the Gentiles *did * receive the Holy Spirit before they were officially commanded to be baptized. How am I to understand this verse in light of Catholic teaching?

Thanks!
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DVIN CKS,

Well, I don’t see anything in the Catechism that addresses the question; there is one reference to Acts 10:48 that says that baptism is open to God-fearing Gentiles. If I may venture an opinion, I would say that while baptism is not strictly necessary–God can make exceptions whenever He wants to–it is the way that we have, under ordinary circumstances, been commanded to follow.
  • Liberian
 
But Peter commanded that they be baptized anyway.

There is the mistake being made that speaking in tongues equates salvation or justification. It does not. Spiritual gifts are given to build up the Church, which is exactly what happens in Acts 10. The incorporation of the Gentiles occurs upon their baptism.
 
We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives in many ways and at different times. If an unbaptized adult chooses to become a Christian and is baptized, it is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that he is motivated to receive baptism. We receive the Holy Spirit when we feel the urge to pray, or to do some good work in the name of Christ.

I think the question that you’re really asking is, what is the purpose of baptism? We know that it is to cleanse us from all sin and to bring us into God’s family. So, by the Holy Spirit one can be inspired to be baptized, and in Baptism it is the Holy Spirit that cleanses us of our sins and makes us brothers and sisters of Christ.

Look at Acts 3:38 and Acts 8:16-17.
 
Baptism instills in us sanctifying grace, and is the ordinary means in which one first recieves grace.

That does not mean God can not grant gifts of grace to others before this. These are extraordinary graces called “actual grace.” In this verse, we see that the manifestation of the spirit wasn’t the norm before baptism, and was used as a sign from God to grant them baptism. Notice the purpose of the spirit WAS TO HAVE THEM RECIEVE BAPTISM.

Josh
 
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