…I consider myself a Christian …
First let me say that your faith in Christ is a gift from God, which should certainly enlighten and strengthen you toward the “obedience of fatih” which St. Paul speaks of in his Epistle to the Romans.
Secondly, a person of faith should ask himself what this “obedience of faith” is all about.
In Acts 10, a God-fearing man named Cornelius prayed to God and gave alms. Was he Christian based merely upon this?
Acts 10:2 calls him a “
religious man, and one that feared God, with all his house, giving much alms to the people, and praying to God always.” (Douay-Rheims version). Did that mean he was Christian? From the context of Acts 10, it doesn’t appear so. However, an angel appear to this non-Christian God-fearing man. Now, I’ve been a Christian many years and I’ve never had an angel appear to me in the same sense that an angel of God came to this non-Christian named Cornelius. This was certainly a great blessing, a gift from God. The angel confirmed to this non-Christian, “
Thy prayers, and thy alms, have ascended for a memorial in the sight of God.” (
Acts 10:4). So, did this make him “Christian?” It doesn’t appear so.
Certainly, being non-Christian did not lessen the Divine blessing he received. However, God had something more in mind for this God-fearing man, as he does for all God-fearing men.
God sent to him his servant, Peter. Why Peter? Because as Peter would later testify, from among all the apostles and fellow brethren in Christ, God chose Peter to be the voice of God to the nations, such that they would believe.
Acts 15:7: “Brethren, you know that in the early days ***God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ***” Peter was given the “
keys of the Kingdom” (
Matt 16:18), which meant that he was the chief pastor of the universal Church of Christ, which Christ Himself said he would build upon the rock (kepha) of Peter, who is called Cephas, meaning “rock” in Aramaic.
So, what did Peter do? He said to Cornelius and his household, “
YOU KNOW THE WORD which hath been published through all Judea…” (
Acts 10:37). From this we understand that Cornelius, although non-Christian, did indeed know about Jesus Christ and what had been testified about Him. Did merely being a “religious man” and knowing “the word” make him Christian? It doesn’t seem so.
However, a pretty amazing thing happened to Cornelius and his household. While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit poured out upon him (ie. baptized Him) and his household. This is called by Catholic theology “extra-sacramental” baptism, or “baptism by desire.” Notice that this occurred without Cornelius
explicitly stating that Jesus was his Lord and Savior. In other words, it seemed to be based upon an “implicit” desire to become Christian. Scripture states, “
While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell upon all them that heard the word.” (
Acts 10:44). Did this event make Cornelius and his household “Christian?” In a sense, yes, but not fully. How do we know this? Because Peter is said to have “commanded” Cornelius and his household to be baptized, even when it was manifest that Holy Spirit had already fell upon them all.
Notice the word used by Scripture, Peter “
commanded (Gk prostasso) them to be baptized…” (Acts 10:48)
You might note that that word in Greek
prostasso for “command” is only used 7 times in the NT, pertaining to the commands of the Lord, Angels of the Lord, Moses, and
Peter. That Peter ALONE among the apostles is among the list of those who could
command is significant. It seems clear from this that Peter had special command authority within the Church, and exercised it.
Now, this bring us back to “obedience of faith.” If you believe in Jesus Christ, what is keeping you from being baptized, as Peter Himself commands? Perhaps like Cornelius, the Holy Spirit has fallen upon you. If so, your desire for the sacrament of baptism brings its effect, but not the full effect which sacramental baptism brings. However, perhaps you are like Cornelius before the Holy Spirit fell upon him, a “religious man” who “knows the word?” But does that make you Christian?
If you have the “obedience of faith” which Paul speaks of, why do you delay in obeying Peter’s command to be sacramentally baptized? Do you think Cornelius would have told Peter, I’m already Christian, so why be baptized? Why then would anybody not want to enter into full communion with Peter’s historic successor, by receiving the Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church?
