Who were "they of the circumcision" in Acts 10:45?
They of the circumcision were the believing Jews who accompanied Peter, specifically the six men who came with him, totaling seven. Like Peter, they had recognized Jesus as the Christ, and they were astonished that Gentiles heard a salvation message, believed it, and had the Holy Spirit fall on them.
Les explains that "they of the circumcision" simply means these Jews who believed, like Peter, who had recognized that Jesus was the Christ. These believing Jews were utterly astonished. He points out that these were the six men who came with Peter, making seven total. God proved to these seven Jews that He was doing something totally different than ever before by having these Gentiles speak other languages. This occurred in the house of Cornelius, a Roman officer, not a great Colosseum, with perhaps a dozen and a half or two dozen Gentiles present. So God was showing that Gentiles were hearing and believing the salvation message.
And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
More Questions
Who were the circumcised believers that were astonished in Acts 10:45?
The circumcised believers who were astonished in Acts 10:45 were the believing Jews who came with Peter from Joppa—six Jews plus Peter, making seven in all.
What happened to the circumcised Jewish believers with Peter in Acts 10:45 when the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles?
The six circumcised Jewish believers who came with Peter were astonished when they saw the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentile listeners, even though they already believed that Jesus is the Christ.