The Holy Spirit in Acts

The message delivered by the voice directly opposed all of Peter’s past thinking. Although the voice repeatedly spoke to Peter, he was perplexed as to what the vision might be. According to Robertson (p. 138), Peter was “at a loss to know what road to take.” Now, Peter was no longer in a trance, but he was puzzled by the vision. He wondered what the vision “might be.” As Lenski (p. 405) explains, this means “‘What might this be if it were explained?'”

While Peter was in this perplexed state of mind, the three messengers sent by Cornelius arrived in Joppa, asked for directions to the home of Simon, and appeared at his gate. They called out, asking whether Peter was staying there.

Now, Luke further describes Peter’s frame of mind. While Peter was thinking on the vision, the Spirit spoke to him. Fernando (p. 321) writes: “The word translated ‘thinking’ (dienthymeomai), which appears only here in the Bible, means ‘to think about something thoroughly and/or seriously.'” Robertson (p. 138) says “Peter was revolving in his mind, through and through, in and out, to find the meaning of the strange vision.”

No doubt, we all identify with Peter’s position. Many times we are confronted with finding the will of God. God speaks to us in a variety of ways–through the Word, others, and circumstances. The Holy Spirit speaks inwardly to us. All the while, we give serious thought to all the indications that we have. We sincerely seek His will.

Then, the Spirit spoke to Peter. As Gangel points out, this was the third authoritative revelation in this story. He (p. 161) says there was “first an angel to Cornelius, then a voice from heaven to Peter, and now the Holy Spirit telling Peter precisely what to do. In Acts, the voice of Jesus, angelic messengers, and the prompting of the Holy Spirit all convey God’s Word with equal power and authority.”

The Spirit told Peter (vv. 19-20) that three men were looking for him. He was to get up, go downstairs, and “accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” He was not to have a divided mind (diakrinomenos), nor was he to waver. This called for an unfettered obedience which takes no time to fret over conscience.

The Spirit gives Peter the reason. It was the Spirit Himself who had sent these men to Him. An angel had spoken to Cornelius, but it was the Spirit who sent them. As Roland Allen points out (pp. 47-48), the apostles acted submissively to the impulse of the Spirit. They sometimes did not know what the result of their action would be, nor how to justify it intellectually, but they were certain they were directed of the Spirit.

This was not thoughtless action. The apostles simply put the “source” of their action above the “consequences.” Allen (p. 48) writes:

The apostles did not act thoughtlessly, because they did not base their action upon a nice calculation of the probable consequences. To calculate consequences and to act solely with a view to consequences is worldly wisdom. The apostles were not guided in their action by worldly wisdom. They were guided by the Spirit. Care and consideration are as clearly shown in consideration of the source as in consideration of the probably result of an action. It was this care and wisdom which the apostles showed. They did not consider consequences so much as sources.

How are we to apply this to our lives? Clearly, there are times when we must count the cost. Speaking about the cost of discipleship, Jesus asked the multitudes (Luke 14:28-29): “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?” NASU Many times in life, we must weigh the cost of our actions. It is prudent to do so.

However, when we know the Spirit is leading, we must obey. We must obey regardless of the cost. The Spirit has weighed all consequences before He speaks! When Paul was on his way to Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit had revealed the cost (Acts 21:11). The apostle would suffer, but his response was (Acts 21:13) “‘I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.'”