What does Acts 10:46 mean?
Peter and six Jewish Jesus-followers from Joppa (Acts 11:12) are in Caesarea Maritima at the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius. Cornelius, who worships the Jewish God, invited Peter after receiving direction from an angel (Acts 10:1–7). Figuring Peter would have something important to say, Cornelius invited all his friends (Acts 10:24, 33).Peter had barely started telling them about forgiveness through Jesus when the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles (Acts 10:34–44). The Jews from Joppa are stunned (Acts 10:45). Peter hasn't even laid hands on the Gentiles or baptized them, but they are obviously indwelt by the Holy Spirit; they can tell because they're speaking in tongues.
We need to be absolutely clear, here. First, "tongues" is not an unknown language between a Jesus-follower and God. It is a real language, spoken by real people, but unknown naturally to the speaker, as described in Acts 2:4.
Second, tongues is not a universal sign of faith in Christ. Even in the book of Acts there aren't that many recorded cases of someone accepting Christ and immediately speaking in tongues. Since the message of Jesus' offer of salvation has spread to other languages, tongues today are very rare. No one should doubt their salvation because they don't speak in tongues. This is a specific situation in which the Holy Spirit needed to prove a point: Gentiles who are not circumcised or baptized, who have not had an apostle lay his hands on them, can receive the Holy Spirit. Salvation is by grace through faith and nothing we do (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Acts 10:44–48 records the start of the international church. Peter is in Caesarea Maritima, sharing the story of Jesus with a houseful of Gentile God-followers. Before he is even finished presenting the gospel, the Holy Spirit falls on them. This is the only occasion in Acts where the Holy Spirit comes on people before they were baptized. This will rock the Jewish church to its core and prepare the way for Paul's ministry (Acts 11).
Peter has been a dominant voice in the spread of Jesus' message to Jews and proselytes. Now he brings the gospel to Gentiles. An angel tells Cornelius, a centurion, to ask Peter to come to him. Peter is praying when he receives a vision of food—including non-kosher food—and God's voice telling him to eat. When the centurion's messengers arrive, Peter realizes the dream meant that Gentiles are no longer unclean. He follows the messengers and tells Cornelius' household about salvation through Jesus. Before Peter can lay his hands on them or baptize them, the Holy Spirit falls on them.
