Was Peter still in the middle of his sermon when the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles in Acts 10?
Yes. In Acts 10:44, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles while Peter was still speaking these words. He had not reached the end of his message, yet the moment they believed, the Spirit came down. Their baptism followed afterward, showing the order differed from Acts 2.
Les teaches that in Acts 10:44, “while Peter yet spake,” Peter had not even come to the end of his message or his three points. The Holy Spirit fell on all them who heard the word. These Gentiles had not been baptized yet and had not even heard anything of the Law, but the moment they believed Peter’s message, the Holy Spirit came down. God had to prove to Peter and six other men—seven Jews—that He was now saving Gentiles, not on the basis of repentance and baptism but the moment they heard the Word and believed. Peter, still tied to the Jewish economy, then said to baptize them after the fact, unlike Acts 2. Les emphasizes this is not a contradiction but a change of events: Acts 10 is Gentiles, Acts 2 is Jews.
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
More Questions
In Acts 10, when did the Holy Spirit come to Cornelius's household?
In Acts 10, the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius's household while Peter was still speaking, setting up a contrast with the order in Acts 2 where the Spirit was received after repentance and baptism.
What did Peter preach to the Gentiles before the Holy Spirit fell in Acts 10?
Peter's preaching to the Gentiles in Acts 10 was about who Jesus was, what had happened to Him, and how He had risen from the dead.