Acts 10:44

The Holy Ghost fell. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentile Cornelius and his family before their baptism directly fulfilled, for Peter’s companions, Christ’s promise that the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all truth.” In spite of Peter’s vision they still were unprepared to accept Gentiles fully into the church, until the coming of the Holy Spirit demonstrated that Gentiles were acceptable to God.

Many Christians have held that the reception of the Holy Spirit is dependent upon the act of water baptism. They have taught that baptism has a sacramental power, and so is an instrumental cause that produces divine grace for the recipient. The present instance, in which Cornelius and his family received the gift of the Holy Spirit before they had been baptized by water, indicates that the reception of the Spirit is not dependent upon the act of baptism. Baptism is rather an outward symbol of an inner spiritual regeneration, and derives its meaning from that experience.