The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-16

'I clearly see," he said, "thet God
makes no distinctions between one
man and another; but that in every
nation those who fear Him and live
good lives are acceptable to Him. The
Message which He sent to the de-
nounced the Good News of peace
through Jesus Christie is Lord of
all--that Message you cannot but
know; the story, L means which has
spread through the length and breadth
of Judaea, beginning in Galilee after
the baptism which John proclaimed.
1t tells how God an0inted Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
with power, so that He went about
everywhere doing acts of kindness,
and curing all who were being con-
tinually oppressed by the Devil-for
God was with Jesus.
And we are witnesses as to/all that
He did both in the country of the
Jews and in Jerusalem. But they
even put Him to death, by crucifixion.
That same Jesus God raised to life on
the third day, and permitted Him to
appear unmistakably, not to all the
people, but to witnesses- men pre-
viously chosen by God-namely, to US,
who ate and drank with Him after
He rose from the dead. And He has
commanded us to preach to the peo-
pie and solemnly declare that this is
He who has been appointed by God
dead. To Him a: the Prophets bear
witness, and testify that through His
name all who believe in Him receive
the forgiveness of their sins.'
Gcntiles receive the Holy Spirit
and Baptism.
words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who
were listening to the Message. And
all the Jewisl. believers who had come
with Peter were astonished that on
the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy
Spirit was poured out. For they
heard them speaking in tongues and
extolling the majesty of God. Then
Peter said,
"Can any one forbid the use of
water, and object to these persons
being baptized-men who have re-
ceived the Holy Spirit just as we did? ?"
And he directed that they should
be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ Then they begged him to re-
main with them for time.
Peter is censured. His Defense
Now the Apostles, and the brethren
in various pa. of Judaea, heard that
the Gentiles also had received Gods
Message; and, when Peter returned to
Jerusalem. the champions Of circum-
cision found fault with him.
"You went into the houses OF men
who are not Jews they said. "ano
you ate with them
Peter, however, explained the whole
matter to them from the beginning.
while I was IL the town of Jaffa,
offering prayer he said, "in 9. trance
1 saw a vision. There descended what
seemed to be an enormous sail. being
let down from the sky by ropes at the
four corners, and it came close to me.
Fixing my eyes on it, L examined it
closely, and saw various kinds of quad
rupeds, wild beasts, reptiles and birds.
I also heard a voice saying to me,
Rise, Peter, kill and eat"
Ion no account. Lord I replied,
for nothing unholy or impure has
ever gone into my mouth
But a voice answered, speaking
a second tim froLl the sky.
"'What God has purified, you must
not regard as unholy.'
''This was said three times. and
then everything was drawn up again
out of sight.
Now at that very moment three
men came to the house where We
to find me. And the Spirit told me
to accompany them without any mis-
gfvings. There also went with me
these six brethren who are now pres
ent, and We reached the Centurion's
house. Then he described to US how
ter his house and say,
"'Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon.
surnamed Peter He will teach you
truths by which you and all your
family will be saved"
And" said Peter, mo sooner had
I begun to speak than the Holy Spirit
fell upon them, just as He fell upon
US at the first. Then I remembered
the Lords words how He used to say,
John baptized with water, but
you shall be baptized in the Holy
Spirit
IF therefore God gave them the
same gift as He gave US when we
first believed on the Lord Jesus
Christ, why. who was I to be able
to thwart God %
This statement of Peters silenced
his opponents. They extolled the
goodness of God, and saids-
so, then, to the GentiIes also God