A World-Wide Ministry—In Caeserea: Breaking Down Prejudice, 10:1-33

From the beginning of time prejudice has existed (Cain and Abel, Genesis 4:1f). Prejudice is everywhere in the world—in every nation, state, city, and neighborhood. Prejudice (discrimination) even exists within families between parent and child, brother and sister, family and relatives. Feelings toward and against people are a tragic reality.

Note several facts about prejudice.

1. There are at least two basic reasons for prejudice.

a. People differ. They differ in nationality, color, beliefs, religion, speech, looks, behavior, ability, energy, position, status, social standing, possessions, wealth, birth, heritage. Prejudice arises when people feel they and their differences make them better than others.

b. Mistreatment causes prejudice, both mistreating others and being mistreated. When a person mistreats others or is mistreated by others his nature is immediately aroused to become prejudicial and judgmental. The mistreatment that gives rise to prejudice covers a wide range of behavior: ignoring, neglecting, joking, gossiping, opposing, cursing, abusing, fighting against, persecuting, passing over, segregating, enslaving.

2. The present passage strikes a fatal blow against prejudice. It shows forever that Jesus Christ has erased all prejudices and barriers between people. Jew and Gentile are now one in Christ Jesus. This is the subject of the present passage. However, before launching into the passage, some background will be helpful in understanding just what is happening and the significance of it.

The Jews, like all other people of the earth, had developed their own laws and customs; and every Jewish child was born and reared in the environment of those laws and customs. They, like all other people, were steeped in their own nationality and looked upon other people with suspicion. However, there were two factors which made the Jewish prejudice run deeper than most.

1. The Jewish people had always been mistreated, enslaved, and persecuted much more than the other people of the world. Through the centuries the Jewish people had been conquered by army after army, and by the millions they had been deported and scattered over the world. Even in the day of Jesus they were enslaved by Rome. Their religion was the binding force that kept Jews together, in particular their belief that God had called them to be a distinctive people (who worshipped the only true and living God) and their rules governing...

 

· the Sabbath · the temple · intermarriage

· worship and cleansing · diet, what foods they could and could not eat

Their belief and their rules kept them from alien beliefs and from being swallowed up by other people through intermarriage. Their religion was what maintained their distinctiveness as a people and as a nation.

Jewish leaders knew this. They knew that their religion was the binding force that held their nation together. Therefore, they opposed anyone or anything that threatened or attempted to break the laws of their religion and nation.

2. The Jews misread and misinterpreted God’s Word and purpose for them. God had called Abraham and given birth to the Jewish nation for one primary purpose—that they might be His people, His witnesses, His missionaries to the rest of the world. God had given the Jews His Word and instructed them to take His Word to the world and tell them about God. They were to bear witness that God is—God does exist—and that men are to worship and serve Him and Him alone.

It was here that Israel failed. Instead of proclaiming God and His Word of righteousness and morality to the world, Israel separated itself from the world, hoarding and claiming that God and His law were theirs and theirs alone. They became separatists, extremely prejudiced, building barriers and partitions between themselves and the other people of the world (Gentiles).

Prejudice became so deep-seated that attitudes such as these were adopted:

Þ They called other people "dogs."

Þ They would have no contact with a Gentile unless absolutely necessary, and then after contact, they had to go through a religious ceremony to be cleansed.

Þ They would not help a Gentile woman who was giving birth lest another Gentile be born into the world.

It was into such a world that the church was born, a world of prejudice, the prejudice...

· of Jew against Gentile.

· of Gentile against Jew.

· of Gentile against Gentile.

How was God going to overcome and break down the walls and barriers of prejudice that had been built up through the centuries of history? How was He going to get His church, His people to break away from their Jewish roots and reach out to the whole world?

That is the point of the present passage. The doors of God’s salvation are about to be gloriously swung open to the people of the world. Every man will soon have the wonderful privilege of hearing the marvelous message proclaimed: God is love and has sent His dear Son into the world that the world might be saved and not perish. The present passage shows how God broke through the prejudicial environment and customs of his dear servant, Peter, and led him to swing open the door to a Gentile soldier who was desperately crying out to God.

The story is one of the great stories of history, and it should be studied by all people everywhere. A study of this event shows that God has broken down the barrier of prejudice between men racially and religiously, and that He means and intends them to be erased forever—in the name of His dear Son who came to show that God loves all men and wishes all men to be saved.

(10:1-8) Prejudice—Jew vs. Gentile—Seeking God: the breakdown of prejudice in the Gentile, Cornelius. Note: it is God who breaks down prejudice. Prejudice is so deep-seated in the heart of man, only God can erase it and reconcile man.

1 . Cornelius was a soldier, a military officer, a Centurion in the Roman army. The Italian band simply means that all the soldiers (100) under his command were from Italy. Cornelius was stationed in Caesarea. This is important to note, for Caesarea was a Gentile city, a place in which strict Jews would never set foot, not if preventable.

2. Cornelius had an unusual reverence for God. He was...

· a devout man: one who worshipped the true and living God.

· a God-fearing man: one who sensed the presence of God in the world and knew he was responsible to God to live righteously, justly, and morally toward all men.

· a benevolent and charitable man: one who gave to charity, and note he gave "much."

· a praying (deomenos) man: the word means begging of God. Note that he prayed always.

The point is this: Cornelius was totally unlike most of the Gentiles of his day. He was not worshipping false gods. The Scripture says he worshipped and "prayed to God" (tou theou). In Greek this means the true God, the only living and true God. Cornelius had done two things.

a. He had looked at nature and at the world around him and seen that there was bound to be one God who had created all things.

b. He had looked at Jewish religion (Judaism) and seen that it was head and shoulders above all other religions in...

· its worship of one God.

· its teachings of righteousness and justice and morality.

· its religious practices such as praying three times daily. (Note his praying at the Jewish ninth hour, which today is 3 p.m.)

But note: Cornelius did not become a Jewish worshipper. He was not circumcised (cp. Acts 11:3). He would never consent to becoming a Jewish convert. He could learn from them and their religion, but he would never become one of them. The prejudice existing within his own heart, existing between Gentile and Jew was too great to overcome. (We must always remember, prejudice is too great to overcome in the flesh of natural man.)

3. Cornelius was given a vision from God. Note five points.

a. Cornelius was in prayer when the vision came.

b. The vision involved an angel bringing a message from God.

c. Cornelius "looked on" (atenisas), that is, fastened his eyes, gazed, focused his attention; he was startled, frightened.

d. Cornelius realized the angel of God was a messenger from God (cp. Acts 9:30, "bright clothing"). He addressed him as "Lord."

e. The message to Cornelius was twofold:

1) His prayers and charity had come before God as a memorial.

2) He was to send men to Joppa to see Peter and ask him what to do. Now note a critical point: despite Cornelius’ enormous reverence and faithful service for God...

· he was still not doing enough.

· something else was missing.

· one thing was still lacking.

Note another fact as well: Cornelius was aware he still lacked something, very aware of the fact. He had asked God what he still needed. Despite all his reverence and good works, he still felt a lack, an emptiness; and he was begging God to fill that emptiness, to show him what he still had to do.

4. Cornelius was obedient to the heavenly vision and instructions. He sent two trusted household servants and his most trusted military orderly to find Simon Peter. Cornelius would seek the answer to his heart’s need from a Jew.

The scene changes from Joppa to Cæsarea, about thirty [129] miles northward along the Mediterranean shore; and we are introduced to another case for conversion, a Gentile and a soldier. (1) "There was a certain man in Cæsarea named Cornelius, a centurion of the cohort called Italian, (2) a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God continually."

We desire to examine, with great care, the process of this man's conversion, and begin by noticing the present religious elements of his character. He is a "devout man"--a man of deep religious feelings. He is not a devout pagan, but he "fears God," the true God. He must, then, be somewhat acquainted with the Jewish religion. He is not identified with the Jews, being uncircumcised. He is not a timid or unfaithful worshiper of God, but has taught all his family the same worship. He gives much alms to the people, and is a praying man.

At first glance, it might appear strange that such a man should need conversion. There are many men, at the present day, in whose favor not so much can be said, who flatter themselves that their prospects for eternity are good. They are honest in their business, honorable in their intercourse with men, good husbands and fathers, generous to their neighbors, and benevolent to the poor; what have they to fear at the hands of a just and merciful God?

They forget that their obligations to God are infinitely higher than those to men, even to the dearest friends on earth; and that, therefore, it is the most inexcusable of all sins persistently refuse him the worship which is his due.

This offense takes the hue of the blackest ingratitude, when we remember the blood which has been shed to touch our hearts, and to open up to us the way of pardon and eternal life. Of this crime every man is guilty who does not worship the living God, and submit to the ordinances of Jesus Christ. But Cornelius was a praying man, a devout worshiper of God, besides possessing every other virtue claimed by self-righteous sinners; yet it was necessary for even him to hear "words by which he might be saved."^{1} Until a man can claim for himself something more than is here said of him, he may not flatter himself with the hope of salvation.

Under the former dispensation, the piety and fidelity of Cornelius would have given him an honorable place among the holy men of God; but this alone could not suffice him now. Jesus the Christ had stepped in between God and man, and opened, through the rent vail of his flesh, the only access to God. All heaven had confessed his authority, and the holy disciples on earth had come to the Father by him.

But Cornelius was still calling upon God, without the name of Christ, and seeking to approach him by the old, not by the new and living way. He was in the same condition with any pious but unbelieving Jew of that or of our own age. It was necessary to his salvation that he should believe in Jesus and obey him. This would secure to him the pardon of his sins, which he had not and could not secure by worshiping according to the law.

3-6. This defect in his religious character was not a fault; it was only a misfortune. He was doing the best he knew how; and, if we may infer what he prayed for, from what he obtained in answer to his [130] prayers, he was praying for additional knowledge, and perhaps for an interest in the salvation offered through Christ. Such a prayer, offered by such a man, is always acceptable to God. On a certain day he had fasted till in the afternoon, and at three o'clock was praying within his house, ^{2} when, (3) "He saw distinctly in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him and saying to him, Cornelius. (4) He looked intently upon him, and was full of fear, and said, What is it, Lord? He said to him, Thy prayers and thine alms have come up for a memorial before God. (5) And now, send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon who is surnamed Peter. (6) He is lodging with a certain Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea-shore. He will tell you what you ought to do."

The devotion of Cornelius has been spoken of already; now see the result of this devotion. No devotion goes unrewarded that is given to Jehovah in complete sincerity. While Cornelius was in the act of praying, God visited him. It is interesting to note that this was also true of the time He used in speaking to Peter, to Saul and many others. The vision of this devout Gentile was given to him "openly" at three o’clock in the afternoon. "He saw in a vision openly" suggests the idea that this angel "in bright apparel" was seen objectively by Cornelius. When such a heavenly visitor stood before this Roman officer he was quite naturally wide-eyed with fright. TO him this man could be nothing short of God himself or a representative of deity. Hence, he cried out "What is it, Lord?" The angelic stranger let Cornelius know that his worship had not been in vain.

The prayer and devotion of Cornelius was all offered up by him that he might be saved. Now here is the opportunity for receiving God’s answer to the petition. And so it is that God grants to all of a similar spirit a like opportunity. The angel had no sooner vanished from his sight than Cornelius began immediately to obey the divine injunction. Two of his house-hold servants and a devout soldier, these were some who were his personal attendants, were called in. These evidently made up a part of this man’s house in whom he had instilled the fear of the Lord (2a). Even though the day was far spent these three were sent on their mission, after having been told in greatest detail of the vision that they might repeat it accurately to Peter. In the late afternoon the three started their walk to the seaport of Joppa.

Here is an unconverted man praying, and his prayer is answered. But the circumstances of the man, the nature of the prayer, and the answer given, are all essentially different from those of unconverted men who are taught to pray by the Protestant sects of the present day. The man was not instructed in a knowledge of the Redeemer, and the way of salvation, and of his own interest in the same, but neglecting his duty, as in the case with the modern sinner. Neither was he praying for pardon, while postponing obedience to the gospel, as in these cases; but his prayer was for a knowledge of his duty, and he had no one by to instruct him. The answer to his prayer was given, not, as is now so often pretended, by sending forth the Spirit into his heart to speak his sins forgiven, but by sending an angel to tell him where he can find a man who will guide him in the way of salvation.

In the case of the eunuch, an angel appeared to the preacher and sent him to the inquirer. In this case, the angel appears to the inquirer, and tells him to send for the preacher. In both cases, the only work of the angel was to bring the two men together, face to face. Thus, again, we seen an insuperable necessity, in case of a scriptural conversion, for the presence and co-operation of a human agent, showing that the divine influences, whatever, and however numerous they may be, reach the heart through the word of truth. The prayer of Cornelius was answered, like that of Saul, by referring him to inspired authorities within the Church. This shows how vain, at the present day, must be every prayer for direct answers from heaven, in reference to the pardon of sins.

If a verbal answer to such prayers could be obtained, we are bound to conclude, from these precedents, that it would still be, "Go to Damascus and it shall be told you," or "Send men to Joppa for Simon whose surname is Peter, and he will tell you what you ought to do." Peter and Ananias are before us now, with the same instruction which they gave then, and it is useless for us to offer for what we have in hand, prayers which Saul and Cornelius offered for what had not yet been granted. The directions given by the two teachers, in these cases, and by other inspired men, is all that God granted to sinners then, and it is certainly all that we have a right to ask for now.

The necessity for the spoken word in order to the conversion of men is not only exhibited in these mission of angels, but it also [131] explains the occurrence, in the two cases of Cornelius and the eunuch, of an agency not discernible in other cases. If no heavenly messenger had been sent to Philip, he could not have known that there was an Ethiopian on the road to Gaza, reading his Bible, and ready to hear the gospel. And if no angel had appeared to Cornelius, he could not have known that he had any interest in the blood of Jesus, or any right to send for Peter.

No human being could have informed him, because all others, including Peter, were as ignorant of it as himself. An interposition from heaven is necessary; but when it occurs, it provides only for just such demands of the case as could not be supplied without it. The multitude on Pentecost needed no such angelic aid, for the preacher was before them, and each party was conscious of the right to speak, on the one hand, and the right to obey, on the other. So with us. When we wish any information, or the enjoyment of any religious privilege, we have the apostles before us, face to face. Their words are in our hands, and may be in our minds and hearts. We have no need for heavenly apparitions or illuminations; and if we expect them, we will be disappointed, or deluded. If a man in ignorance prays for a knowledge of salvation, this incident in the case of Cornelius, instead of encouraging him to pray on, actually answers his prayer, by telling him to send for some man who understands the gospel, and will guide him as Peter did Cornelius.

7, 8. (7) "And when the angel who spoke to Cornelius went away, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of those who attended him, (8) and having fully related all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa." The two servants are included in the household, who with him feared God, and the soldier selected had also learned the same great lesson. None but men of such character would be suitable messengers in a case like this.

9-16. The scene of the narrative now changes again, from Cæsarea back to Joppa, and to the house of the tanner, where we left the Apostle Peter. Leaving the messengers of Cornelius on the way, Luke anticipates their arrival, and relates how Peter was prepared for the favorable reception of their message. (9) "Now, on the next day, while they were on their journey, and were drawing near to the city, Peter went [132] up upon the house to pray, about the sixth hour. (10) He was very hungry, and desired to eat; but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance, (11) and saw heaven opened, and saw a certain vessel descending, like a great white sheet tied by the four corners, and let down to the earth; (12) in which were all kinds of four-footed animals and wild beasts and reptiles of the earth, and birds of the air. (13) And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat. (14) But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing common or unclean. (15) And the voice spoke to him again the second time, What God has cleansed, do not you call common. (16) This was done three times, and the vessel was taken up again into heaven."

It would be delightfully refreshing if when we came to the homes of our friends we could know that at certain hours we would find them m prayer. It was so with the household of Simon. While Peter awaited the preparations of the noon meal he retired to the housetop to observe the Jewish hour of prayer. While here his hunger reminded him that it was time to eat. As he waited and prayed God gave him some real "food for thought." The ex-perience of Peter was somewhat different from that of Cornelius, for Peter’s experience seems to be more subjective than objective. Before the mind of Peter there came a strange sight; he saw the expanse of heaven opened and a large receptacle let down through the

opening. It seemed to be a great sheet suspended from the four corners. It came to rest directly before the astonished Peter. When Peter could view the content of this unusual vessel he saw upon it "all manner of four-footed beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven." If Peter was astonished when the heaven-sent vessel began its descent, he must have been completely confounded when a voice spoke and calling him by name said: "Arise, Peter; kill and eat." At once Peter spoke the convictions of his heart in regard to the use of such animals.

It would have been a two-fold sin, thought the apostle, the sin of sacrificing something unclean and the sin of eating something unclean. Both of these thoughts were repugnant to the Jewish mind, trained as it was in the law of Moses against such. Perhaps Peter thought the Lord was trying him; be that as it may, he impulsively replied: "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean." Again the voice of God; and this time it must have shaken the heart of Simon even as the same voice did melt the hearts of those on Sinai. Indeed this was the first and only revoking of the law of Sinai by the audible voice of Jehovah: "What God bath cleansed, make not thou common." The divine mandate was repeated three times and then the vessel was taken back to heaven out of the sight of the apostle.

(10:9-22) Prejudice—Jew vs. Gentile: the breakdown of prejudice in the Jew, Simon Peter. The servants from Cornelius had almost reached the city of Joppa where Peter was. They would be approaching Peter soon with the request to visit and help Cornelius. However, Peter was not ready...

· to welcome these men.

· to return with them to visit Cornelius.

· to stay and share in the home of Cornelius.

Why? Cornelius was a Gentile and Peter was a Jew. There was deep-seated racial discrimination between the two. Welcoming and visiting and sharing in the homes of each other was out of the question. And on top of that, there was a religious difference, a difference that was even more deeply seated in Peter’s mind than the racial difference. Peter was just not ready for these Gentile men to approach him with the request to visit Cornelius the Gentile, not yet.

But God was ready. And it is God who makes the difference. God can break down prejudice. God can reconcile the Jew to the Gentile and the Gentile to the Jew. God can reconcile man to man; He can bring peace to men and between men. Note these facts.

1. Peter prayed often every day. This is seen in the fact that he was praying about the sixth hour (12 noon Jewish time). This was one of the three prayer hours practiced by Jews. Peter got alone and prayed at least three times daily.

Peter was such a man of prayer that God could intervene in his life and direct him, give him specific instructions. It was while he was praying that God spoke to Peter.

2. Peter was a mere man, very human. Despite his being the leader of Jesus’ apostles—the great apostle to the Jews, a man of great spiritual maturity and depth, a great servant of the Lord, a minister highly esteemed—Peter was still just a man, a man who hungered and thirsted, ached and hurt, was weak and frail, prejudiced and too often wrong just like the rest of us.

The point is this: being saved and spiritually mature and called to serve God did not make Peter perfect. It did not free him from need and lack, nor from sin. Peter as a mere man was subject to hunger just as all men, and subject to the prejudices of his environment just as all men—subject to the prejudices until God changed him. And praise God, He was about to change Peter’s prejudice against us, the Gentiles! If God had not changed him and his prejudices, we would still be lost and without Christ in this world.

3. Peter experienced a trance. The Greek says that "a trance [an ecstasy] came upon him"; that is, he was transported out of himself (ekstasis). His mind was so concentrated, so focused that Peter lost all sense of the world around him. He was swallowed up in the thoughts of God, transported mentally out of this world. It is something like a daydream, but a daydream so concentrated and focused that all contact with one’s surroundings is completely lost. It is a time of ecstacy in the presence of the Lord, receiving His Word, whatever He has to say to one’s heart.

a. The trance (ecstacy) was of heaven. Peter saw heaven open. Peter’s prejudice was encrusted and hardened. He had never known anything but prejudice within his environment except what Christ had demonstrated. Peter did not think or know that he was prejudiced. He thought he was only standing against the unrighteousness and injustices of men, that he was to ignore and have nothing to do with ungodly and unjust men. If Peter was to change and begin to reach out to the heathen, the ungodly and unjust, he had to know that the instructions were from heaven, from God Himself.

b. The vessel or platter (plate) upon which a meal was served was huge.

Þ It was a large receptacle, so large it looked like a large sheet (othonen), which in the Greek means linen cloth. This probably means it was white.

Þ The huge vessel or platter had four corners that were knit, that is, that were held by four ropes and let down from heaven, descending to earth and being sat before Peter.

Þ The vessel or platter contained all manner of animals.

c. The instruction to Peter was, "Rise, Peter; kill, and eat."

d. Peter refused, for the animals were common and unclean according to the laws of Jewish religion. Note the enormous spiritual struggle Peter was going through.

e. Peter was clearly corrected: "What God has cleansed, that call not unclean."

f. Peter experienced the event three times and then the trance ended with the platter being received up into heaven.

g. Peter was perplexed. While Peter was thinking about the trance and wondering what it meant, the men arrived downstairs and asked for him.

h. Peter’s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leadership is clearly seen from this point on. Note: it was the Holy Spirit who...

· told him the men were downstairs.

· told him to go "with them" (Peter did not yet know they were Gentiles).

· told him to "doubt nothing": do not waver, wonder, hesitate, question the thing to be done.

· told him that He, the Holy Spirit, had sent the men after him.

Note: Peter did not yet know the men were Gentiles. But the Holy Spirit had just told Peter exactly what to do. Peter could not question this fact. Peter was now ready to have his prejudice against Gentiles erased. Note also: Peter did not yet know the meaning of the trance. This would be made clear later.

i. Peter received the Gentile servants. He obeyed the Holy Spirit, did exactly what the Spirit said. Peter even lodged them, an unheard of thing. (As a point of humor, imagine the kosher food they had that evening.)

 

Before Cornelius could be welcomed into the Church, Peter had to learn a lesson. Strict Jews believed that God had no use for the Gentiles. Sometimes they even went the length of saying that help must not be given to a Gentile woman in childbirth, because that would only be to bring another Gentile into the world. Peter had to unclean that before Cornelius could get in.

There is one point which shows that Peter was already on the way to unlearning some of the rigidness in which he had been brought up. He was staying with a man called Simon who was a tanner (9:43; 10:5). A tanner worked with the dead bodies of animals and therefore he was permanently unclean (Numbers 19:11-13). No rigid Jew would have dreamed of accepting hospitality from a tanner. It was his uncleanness that made it necessary for Simon to dwell on the sea-shore outside the city. No doubt this tanner was a Christian and Peter had begun to see that Christianity abolished these petty laws and taboos.

At midday Peter went to the roof to pray. The house-roofs were flat and, since the houses were small and crowded, people often went up to the roof for privacy. There he had a vision of a great sheet being let down. Perhaps above the flat roof there stretched an awning to ward off the heat of the sun; and maybe the awning became in Peter's trance the great sheet. The word for sheet is the same as for a ship's sail. Maybe on the roof Peter was looking out on the blue waters of the Mediterranean and saw the ship's sails in the distance and they wove themselves into his vision.

In any event the sheet with the animals on it appeared to him and the voice told him to kill and eat. Now the Jews had strict food laws, recorded in Leviticus 11. Generally speaking the Jew might eat only animals which chewed the cud and whose hoofs were cloven. All others were unclean and forbidden. Peter was shocked and protested that he had never eaten anything that was unclean. The voice told him not to call what God had cleansed unclean. This happened three times so that there could be no possible mistake or dodging of the lesson. Once Peter would have called a Gentile unclean; but now God has prepared him for the visitors who would come.

In order to fully appreciate the necessity for this vision, we must remember the prejudice of the Jews against uncircumcised Gentiles. Previous to the Babylonish captivity, they had too great an inclination to intimacy with their idolatrous neighbors; but that terrible affliction cured them of idolatry, and when they returned to their own land, they put away, at the instigation of Nehemiah, all the idolatrous wives among them.^{3} This was the beginning of a reaction toward the opposite extreme, and such a state of feeling was finally induced, that, in the traditions of the elders, it was regarded as a sin even to go into the house of one who was uncircumcised.

The disciples of Jesus had been educated from their childhood to an intense degree of this prejudice, and there were facts in the history of Jesus calculated to foster rather than to eradicate it. They had heard him say, "I am not sent save to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."^{4} They had seen him work no miracle for a Gentile except under the protest, "It is not proper to take the children's food and cast it to dogs."^{5} And when he had sent them out on their first mission, he had commanded them, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and enter not into a city of the Samaritans; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."^{6}

It is true, that in their final commission he had commanded them to disciple and immerse all nations; but they very naturally interpreted this in the light of past experience, and concluded that all nations were to be gradually absorbed into the Jewish commonwealth by circumcision, and afterward brought into the Church. They had not hesitated, therefore, to immerse proselytes, and even to give them office in the Church,^{7} though they still regarded it as a sin to enter the house of a Gentile who was uncircumcised.^{8}

This fact in the mental state of the apostles shows that they were not guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth at once, but their knowledge was extended according to the demands of the occasion. It was a prejudice, however, belonging to them as Jews, which had prevented them, thus far, from perceiving the particular truth here involved; and this involves the conclusion that prejudices previously were capable of impeding the inspiring influence, so that special measures were required for their eradication.

The time had now arrived when this prejudice must be uprooted from the heart of Peter. If it were a part of the work of the indwelling [133] Spirit to act immediately upon the heart, then there need be nothing more done with Peter than for the Spirit thus to act. But there is not the slightest intimation of any such action. On the contrary, influences of an entirely different nature are brought to bear upon him, and to them the effect is plainly attributed. A series of significant objects are presented to his eye, certain words are addressed to his ear, and a combination of facts are brought to bear upon his understanding.

Falling into a trance, while hungrily awaiting his noonday meal, he sees descending from heaven, and then spread out before him, a great sheet full of animals, both clean and unclean. This vision conveys no meaning, until he hears the words, "Arise, Peter; kill and eat." He now understands it as indicating that he shall eat unclean animals. But this is so shocking to his sense of propriety that he exclaims, in perplexity, even to the invisible God who had spoken to him, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing common or unclean." But he is commanded, "What I have cleansed, do not you call common." The vessel is brought near to him, and the same words repeated three times. Then the vision closes, and he recovers from the trance.

17-20. Restored now to his natural state of mind, Peter remains upon the housetop, reflecting upon the vision, and wondering if there was not some meaning in it besides that in reference to unclean animals. The question was soon solved. (17) "Now when Peter was doubting in himself what this vision which he had seen could mean, behold, the men who were sent from Cornelius, having inquired out the house of Simon, were standing at the gate; (18) and calling, they inquired if Simon surnamed Peter was lodging there. (19) But Peter was still thinking of the vision, and the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are seeking you. (20) Arise, therefore, and go down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them."

In this passage the most surprising things are happening. Once again let us remember that the Jews believed that other nations were quite outside the mercy of God. The really strict Jew would have no contact with a Gentile or even with a Jew who did not observe the Law. In particular he would never have as a guest nor ever be the guest of a man who did not observe the Law. Remembering that, see what Peter did. When the emissaries of Cornelius were at the door-and knowing the Jewish outlook, they came no farther than the door-Peter asked them in and gave them hospitality (verse 23). When Peter arrived at Caesarea, Cornelius met him at the door, no doubt wondering if Peter would cross his threshold at all, and Peter came in (verse 27). In the most amazing way the barriers are beginning to go down.

In the skillful arrangements of divine wisdom, all the separate influences which are to remove Peter's prejudices are adjusting themselves for combined and harmonious action. Those men have been on their journey two days, but God had measured their steps to the house of Simon, and timed the appearance of the vision to the motion of their feet, so that when they reach the gate he is still on the house-top absorbed in reflection; but ere they are admitted to the house, the Spirit has sent him down to meet them, and to go with them.

17-20 The perplexity of Peter can be more clearly understood when we consider his Jewish background. "Why was it that God had revoked the law of clean and unclean animals?" To Peter this must have been the whole import of the vision. He may have wondered if the rest of the Mosaic law had been abrogated as well. But even while he thought on these things there were men standing before the gate of the house who could give to him God’s answer. The three messengers from Cornelius had inquired diligently for the house of Simon the tanner; now having found it they stood at the outer gate of the house and called to those inside in an inquixy as to whether Simon Peter lodged there. The Lord had synchronized perfectly the movements and thoughts of both Peter and the three. Now it was time to bring them together; but they could not meet as God wanted without a word of divine introduction. Hence, the spirit introduced Peter to his visitors before he saw them. "The Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. But arise, and get thee down, and go with them, nothing doubting, for I have sent them."

Peter did not even wait for Simon the tamer to call him, but immediately arose and descending the stairs came into the presence of the three. While on his way down, what type of men do you suppose Peter expected to see? He probably expected something unusual, but he would have hardly been prepared to find three Gentiles. But, obedient, the heavenly vision, he introduced himself and asked the question that was clamoring for an answer in his heart. It was in essence: "God has sent these men, I am to go with them, but to where? And for what?"

21, 22. He knows nothing, as yet, of the nature of their mission, neither does he yet understand any better than before the meaning of the vision. (21) "Then Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom you are seeking. What is the cause for which you are come? (22) And they said, Cornelius, a centurion, a just man, and one who fears God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for you into his house, and to hear words from you."

Upon hearing these words, the whole truth at once flashed upon the mind of Peter, and the agencies which for two days had been preparing to uproot his prejudice, sprang upon it with their combined force. No less than an angel from God has sent these men to call me into the house of a Gentile, to preach the gospel to him. My vision of clean and unclean beasts is [134] explained. God has cleansed the Gentiles, and I am no longer to call them unclean. The Spirit has commanded me to go with these men, without doubting. The authority of God, of an angel, of the Holy Spirit, all impel me. I can resist no longer. His prejudice is gone, and doubtless he feels a new thrill of joy as his heart tremulously enlarges to take the whole world within the embrace of his philanthropy.

23. As the Spirit had directed, he does not hesitate as to the line of duty, but at once announces to the messengers that the journey shall begin to-morrow. (23) "Then, calling them in, he lodged them; and on the next day Peter went out with them, and certain brethren from Joppa went with him." It was a wise precaution that he took other brethren with him, so that the whole of this new movement might be properly attested by competent and disinterested witnesses.

Strange indeed were the workings and messages of God. First a strange vision; next a stranger command; now the strangest of all, Peter is called to speak to an uncircumcised Gentile. Such must have been something of the feelings of the apostle on this matter. The embassaries of Cornelius made the mission as attractive to the Jewish mind as possible. Peter was to come to speak words to a Gentile named Cornelius, a righteous man, one that feared God and had a fine reputation among the Jews for his devotion. None the less he was a Gentile. But Cornelius had been commanded by "a holy angel" to send and bring Peter. The three were invited into the house of Simon. As Peter thought on these things, he must have surely tied together the events with the truth God wanted him to receive. There yet remained the inherent hesitancy which was to be entirely removed when he arrived at his destination.

(10:23-33) the confrontation and lessons learned by the Jew and the Gentile, the prejudiced of the world.

1. The preparation by Peter. He took six Jewish believers, orthodox Jews, with him (Acts 10:45; Acts 11:12). Peter knew he was treading troubled waters by associating with Gentiles; he sensed he would need witnesses to what he was doing. Therefore, he was preparing himself against attack (cp. Acts 11:1f).

2. The preparation by Cornelius. Note...

· He was expectant, excited, eagerly waiting for their arrival.

· He had "called together his kinsmen and close friends." There were many present.

Note also the faith of Cornelius. He knew Peter would be coming, that God would fulfill His Word (Acts 10:6) and do what He had promised.

3. The confrontation of the Jew and the Gentile, two men humbled by God.

a. Cornelius had been humbled by the vision from God. He had been mulling over the experience for four days now, being humbled and prepared more and more to receive the Jewish messenger. When he confronted Peter, he was so humbled he prostrated himself before Peter in an act of deep reverence.

b. Peter demonstrated humility as well. It was the custom to bow before men of high honor, showing reverence and respect for them. But God had humbled Peter too. Peter forbade the act, disallowed it. No man is to be idolized or reverenced in the sense of being held in awe. Peter rebuked Cornelius: "I myself also am a man."

4. The lesson learned by Peter. Peter now knew that no man was common or unclean. He now knew...

· that Christ had abolished the distinction between Jew and Gentile.

· that Christ had abolished the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile.

· that Christ had abolished all distinctions between men, whether racial, social, or some caste system.

No man was to treat any other man with anything but love and care, mercy and forgiveness, concern and compassion. Peter’s prejudice was wiped out, erased, and overcome. It had been overcome by God. The door of salvation was about to be thrown open to the Gentiles forever.

Note Peter’s reference to how it was unlawful for a Jew to associate with a Gentile (Acts 10:28). This law was not in the Scripture. It came from the Scribal law.

5. The lesson learned by Cornelius was threefold.

a. The man who truly seeks God moves God. Cornelius declared that God answered his prayer.

b. The man who seeks God must listen to God and obey God. Cornelius declared that he listened and did exactly what God said, and that he did it immediately (Acts 10:33).

c. The man who seeks God must be receptive to the Word of God.

 

23b-27 The trip was started in the morning, probably because Peter felt that the thirty mile walk could best be made in two days. By starting in the morning they could time their arrival on the next day at an appropriate time for the work to be done. Six brethren from Joppa were taken on the journey to be witnesses of this unusual circumstance (11: 12). On the morrow following their departure they entered, as planned, into the city of Caesarea. Cornelius with his customary military efficiency had prepared carefully for their arrival. When Peter stepped into the house of Cornelius he had a waiting audience; this was made up of the friends and relatives of Cornelius. It would seem from the wording of the text that Cornelius was either waiting on the outside of the house or saw

Peter coming, and left the house to meet him. There somewhere outside the house in the court of Cornelius there met for the first time a Jew and Gentile for the avowed purpose of worshiping God as one (although at this time Peter was not thoroughly convinced that it should be so). Cornelius fell at the feet of Peter and paid homage to him as to one whom God had sent. The word "worshiped" indicates a type of reverence paid to those of superior rank. Peter did not know the mind of Cornelius and so imagined that he was worshiping him as deity, even as so many of the Gentiles were wont to do with great men. Hence, Peter reached down and lifted Cornelius to his feet with the words "Stand up. I myself also am a man." From the court or patio surrounding Cornelius’ house the two walked together into the house; as they did they talked. Perchance Cornelius explained the reason for his kneeling at Peter’s feet and Peter made it evident to Cornelius that there was no distinction between them. There was nothing in God’s will that would exalt Peter as divine.

24. During the four days which had elapsed, Cornelius had made no secret of the vision he had witnessed, but had communicated it to such friends as were likely to take the same interest in it with himself. Having presumed, with all confidence, that Peter would come, and knowing the time that the journey would require, all was in readiness for his arrival. (24) "On the next day they entered into Cæsarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his kinsmen and intimate friends." These friends and relatives, it must be remembered, and not the mere family of Cornelius, were the chief part of the audience about to be addressed by Peter.

25-27. (25) "Now as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet and worshipped. (26) But Peter raised him up, and said, Stand up. I myself also am a man. (27) And conversing with him, he came in and found many who had come together." It is not in keeping with the character of Cornelius to suppose that he rendered to Peter such worship as is due to God. But prostration was the common attitude of approach to a superior, as it yet is in eastern countries, and Cornelius was but complying with this custom. To Peter, however, it appeared as if he intended something more, and hence the rebuke.

28, 29. Upon entering the house of this Gentile, side by side with him, and into the presence of others who were likewise uncircumcised, Peter deemed it proper to inform them of his reason for thus departing from a well-known Jewish custom. (28) "And he said to them, You know that it is unlawful for a Jew to attach himself to, or to come into the house of one of another nation. Yet God has showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. (29) Therefore, I came without objecting when I was sent for. I ask, then, for what purpose you sent for me?" This speech shows clearly that Peter had interpreted the vision of unclean beasts as referring to men as well as to animal food.

28-33 Upon coming into the room where all were assembled Peter addressed his remarks to the whole group. He came right to the point. Naturally the first question in the minds of all assembled was: "How is it that this Jew has been sent to us Gentiles?" Peter removes this query by speaking of the divine hand in breaking down "the middle wall of partition." In the statements made by Peter we can see that God’s efforts had not been in vain, but that Peter had drawn the conclusion the Lord wanted him to draw: "God hath shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean." He said in essence: "You want to know why I am here? It is because God broke down my prejudice and sent me to you." Peter had heard from the messengers that he was to come and speak but now he wanted to know if there were any more particulars to this mission. He wanted to hear from Cornelius himself. Perhaps there was something more he should know concerning his words that he was to speak. Cornelius immediately came forward to answer for all; after all he was the "main-spring" in this whole circumstance. In the recital of Cornelius to Peter there are a number of points that we have not before considered that should be here mentioned:

1. Cornelius stated that it was four days to the very hour since he had seen the angel. Since the Jewish way of reckoning time was to count a part of a day as a whole day this would be true,

2. When Peter reiterated the message of Cornelius to him he said that the angel asked Cornelius to send for him that he might speak unto Cornelius things whereby he and his house might be saved.

3. Cornelius also informed Peter that they were gathered together "to hear all things that have been commanded him (thee) of the Lord."

(10:28-29) Religious Traditions—Church, Prejudice—Gentiles Vs. Jews: Jews were forbidden to eat certain animals because they were said to be unclean. This was a symbolic vision. God was teaching Peter that Gentiles (represented by the unclean animals) were acceptable to Him and were to be as much a part of His church as were Jews (Acts 10:28). This is of extreme importance, for God was revealing that this had been His eternal plan for the church from the beginning. It was the revelation made to the "holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Ephes. 3:5). Note that "apostles" and "prophets" are plural. Paul was not the only apostle to whom the revelation was given. Peter later shared this experience with the Gentiles at Caesarea (Acts 10:24-29) and with the Jews at Jerusalem (Acts 11:1-11). Peter says very plainly in Acts 15:7-14 that God was calling out both Gentiles and Jews to make up the church.

This move on God’s part stirred one of the most revolutionary movements in human history. Both Jews and Gentiles were gripped with the deepest prejudice against one another. Note the open invitation among the Gentiles: "We are all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded...of God" (Acts 10:33). The door for Gentile evangelism was thrown wide open!

30-33. (30) "Then Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I was praying in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel, (31) and said, Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your alms are had in remembrance before God. (32) Send, therefore, to Joppa, and call for Simon who is surnamed Peter. [135] He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea-shore. When he comes he will speak to you. (33) Immediately, therefore, I sent for you, and you have done well that you have come. Now, then, we are all present here before God to hear all things which are by God commanded you." In this last remark Cornelius speaks for his friends who were assembled, as well as for himself. As was becoming the occasion, he had gathered in, to hear the expected messenger, only those who were willing to hear him as a messenger of God. In the statement that they were all present before God to hear what he had commanded, there was an implied pledge to obey what they might hear, and there is no doubt, from the sequel, that such was their purpose.

(10:34-43) Introduction: this passage gives the first message ever preached to Gentiles by one of the apostles. It is the message that opened the door of salvation to all the people of the world, to the Gentiles. It gives the points that need to be preached to all the nations of the world.

1. God is no respecter of persons—He accepts anyone who fears Him and works righteousness (v.34-35).

2. God sent His Word to Israel; He sent Jesus Christ preaching peace (v.36-37).

3. Jesus is God’s anointed Savior (v.38-39).

4. Jesus was crucified (v.39).

5. Jesus was raised up by God (v.40).

6. Jesus appeared to some who were chosen to be witnesses (v.40-41).

7. Jesus shall judge the living and the dead (v.42).

8. Jesus is the prophesied Messiah (v.43).

9. Believing in Jesus brings forgiveness of sin (v.43).

 

34, 35. The scene before Peter enlarges his conceptions of the purpose of God; for he now sees that his mission is designed not for the benefit of Cornelius alone, but for a large number of his Gentile friends; and if for all these, then, there is to be no further national limitation to the gospel. He gives utterance to this conception. (34) "Then Peter opened his mouth and said, In truth I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons; (35) but, in every nation, he that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him."

It is clear that we have here but the barest summary of what Peter said to Cornelius which makes it all the more important because it gives us the very essence of the first preaching about Jesus.

(i) Jesus was sent by God and equipped by him with me Spirit and with power. Jesus therefore is God's gift to men. Often we make the mistake of thinking in terms of an angry God who had to be pacified by something a gentle Jesus did. The early preachers never preached that. To them the very coming of Jesus was due to the love of God.

(ii) Jesus exercised a ministry of healing. It was his great desire to banish pain and sorrow from the world.

(iii) They crucified him. Once again there is stressed for him who can read between the lines the sheer horror in the crucifixion. That is what human sin can do.

(iv) He rose again. The power which was in Jesus was not to be defeated. It could conquer the worst that men could do and in the end it can conquer death.

(v) The Christian preacher and teacher is a witness of the resurrection. To him Jesus is not a figure in a book or about whom he has heard. He is a living presence whom he has met.

(vi) The result of all this is forgiveness of sins and a new relationship with God. Through Jesus the friendship which should always have existed between man and God, but which sin interrupted, has dawned upon mankind.

This expansive thought was sufficient to burst asunder all the exclusive bonds of the Mosaic institution, and should be sufficient now to explode the equally injurious theory of an arbitrary predestination of certain men and angels to their eternal destiny.^{9} It is a positive declaration that God respects not persons but character. To fear him, and to work righteousness, and not any other distinction between persons, is the ground of acceptability with him.

34-35 With this request before the apostle there was only one message he could bring. Neither the details of the Jewish law nor the rite of circumcision were the need of these Gentiles. God through the angel had asked Peter to tell these persons what to do to obtain salvation, to speak to them those things the Lord had commanded him. There was only one word for this occasion, the message of Jesus Christ. Peter prefaced his sermon with a bold statement of the fact that he was now fully persuaded that "God is no respecter of persons"; i.e. God does not consider the fact that a man is a Jew or a Gentile has any part in His acceptance of him. "In every nation" the emphasis is upon "nation" not on "he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness." Those in any nation who were going to be acceptable to God would have to fear Him under His Son and work righteousness through Him. This is a discussion of man’s equality on a national or racial standing and not on a spiritual standing.

(10:34-35) Favoritism—Partiality—Discrimination: God is no respecter of persons. The term "respecter of persons" (prosopolemptes) means to regard with partiality and favoritism; to favor a person because of looks, position, or circumstances.

The great point of this chapter is that God has no favorites and no prejudice against anyone. He shows no partiality or discrimination whatsoever. He does not accept a person because of nationality, race, caste, social standing, or class. God does not favor a man because of...

· who he is

· what he does

· what he has

Person or appearance, possessions or position, abilities or works, health or stature—these things do not make a person acceptable to God. "God is no respecter of persons." He has always said so; but men, including Peter, had not paid attention to Him (cp. Deut. 10:17; 2 Chron. 19:7; Job 34:10; Romans 2:11; Ephes. 6:9; Col. 3:25; James 2:1; 1 Peter 1:17). They just went right on ignoring the truth of God’s Word and feeding their prejudices. Note that Peter said...

· God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34).

· God is no respecter of nations (Acts 10:35. Cp. Romans 2:27-29.)

Two things make a person acceptable to God. Peter covered them both.

1. Fearing God.

2. Working righteousness. In the Bible righteousness means two simple but profound things: to be right and to do right.

a. There are those who stress being righteous and neglect doing righteousness. This leads to two serious errors.

1) False security. It causes a person to stress that he is saved and acceptable to God because he has believed in Jesus Christ. But he neglects doing good and living as he should. He neglects obeying God and serving man.

2) Loose living. It allows one to go out and do pretty much as he desires. He feels secure and comfortable in his faith in Christ. He knows that what he does may affect his fellowship with God and other believers, but he thinks his behavior will not affect his salvation. He thinks that no matter what he does he is still acceptable to God.

The problem with this stress is that it is a false righteousness. Righteousness in the Bible means being righteous and doing righteousness. The Bible knows nothing about being righteous without living righteously.

b. There are those who stress doing righteousness and neglect being righteous. This also leads to two serious errors.

1) Self-righteousness and legalism. It causes a person to stress that he is saved and acceptable to God because he does good. He works and behaves morally and keeps certain rules and regulations. He does the things a Christian should do by obeying the main laws of God. But he neglects the basic law: the law of love and acceptance—that God loves him and accepts him not because he does good, but because he loves and trusts the righteousness of Christ.

2) Being judgmental and censorious. A person who stresses that he is righteous (acceptable to God) because he keeps certain laws often judges and censors others. He feels that rules and regulations can be kept, for He keeps them. Therefore, anyone who fails to keep them is judged, criticized, and censored.

The problem with this stress is that it, too, is a false righteousness. Again, righteousness in the Bible is both being righteous and doing righteousness. The Bible knows nothing of being acceptable to God without being made righteous in Christ Jesus.

 

36-38. Cornelius has now related to Peter such an experience, as, we have seen above, would secure him recognition as a genuine convert to Christ among Protestant sects; but Peter was so far from regarding it in this light, that he proceeds to preach to them as he would to other sinners. We will consider his speech by the sections into which it naturally divides itself. (36) "You know the word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all,) (37) the word which was published throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the immersion which John preached, (38) concerning Jesus of Nazareth, how that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power; who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him." From this it appears that Cornelius and his friends were familiar with the personal history of Jesus, and even with the message of peace which God has caused him to preach to the children of Israel. The information which they lacked, therefore, was only that which referred to their own interests in that message.

36-37 Now follows the body of the apostle’s discourse. If salva tion were the request, if the things commanded him of the Father were to be heard, he could only tell of Jesus and His glad tidings. It was in Jesus that salvation was to be found; it was Jesus who had commanded and empowered him to preach. But then, these Gentiles knew something of the events of this beautiful Me. God had sent His word to Israel that through Jesus Christ there was peace. Peter here injects a statement concerning this One m whom we have peace: "He is Lord of all" . . . that is, He not only offers reconciliation to God but is to be held as the Lord of our lives as well. Luke gives us a challenging historical word here, for he states that the word concerning the life and works of Jesus was common knowledge to many persons in that day. The household of Cornelius evidently had not only heard of Jesus but had also a deep respect for Him as a servant of God.

(10:36-37) Jesus Christ, Ministry—Witnessing: God sent His Word to Israel; He sent Jesus Christ preaching peace. Note exactly what is being said.

Þ God sent His Word to Israel. Israel was the first nation to receive God’s Word. Salvation is of the Jews.

Þ God sent His Word to Israel by Jesus Christ, God’s very own Son. It was Jesus Christ who brought the message of God.

However, God’s Word was not meant for Israel alone. Jesus Christ did not come just for Israel’s salvation. God is no respecter of persons. God accepts people from every nation, all those who fear Him and work righteousness. Peter declared three facts.

1. He burst forth: Christ is Lord of all.

2. Peter declared that Jesus Christ had been talked about throughout all Judea. Peter told Cornelius: "You know. You have heard the Word." Cornelius and the ones sitting there had just paid little or no attention to it.

3. Peter said that Jesus Christ began to preach God’s Word in Galilee right after John’s ministry of baptism. No one had an excuse for rejecting the gospel of God’s kingdom. Jesus Christ had travelled and preached the gospel everywhere, and He was the topic of conversation upon everyone’s lips. They were without excuse. So it is today with those who have heard the gospel. They are without excuse.

(10:38-39) Jesus Christ, Anointed One: Jesus is God’s anointed Savior. His very name "Christ" (Messiah) means "the Anointed One of God". Jesus was anointed by God in a very special way.

1. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit. But note: He was anointed with the Holy Spirit in a way that no other person has ever been anointed: the Holy Spirit was given without measure to Christ. He received an unlimited measure of the Spirit, and it was once-for-all. That is, the Spirit’s fulness never left Christ, not for a moment.
2. Jesus was anointed with miraculous power. Power is the presence and outworking of the Holy Spirit within a person. Jesus declared this. He was very clear in declaring two things.

a. He Himself was anointed with the Holy Spirit so that He could be anointed with the power to minister.

Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit so that He could go "about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil," oppressed by the devil’s...

 

· evil spirits and demons · temptations and sins · strategies and methods · lying and deception · bitterness and hatred · killings and wars · selfishness and greed · enslavements and bondages

· indulgence and extravagance · hoarding and storing up · neglect and unconcern · immorality and lust · stealing and injustices · laziness and complacency · power over death (Hebrews 2:14-15

b. The believer receives the Holy Spirit so that he can have the power to be a witness to the world.

3. There is proof that Jesus did these things. Peter and the earliest believers saw and knew Him.

Þ "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (1 John 1:1-4).

39. Not content with assuming that these facts were familiar to them, Peter gives them a surer foundation for their convictions, by presenting the testimony upon which he relies to prove the facts. (39) "And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew, hanging him upon a tree." In view of the fact that Cornelius had been "warned from God by a holy [136] angel," to send for Peter and hear what he had to say, no confirmation of this his testimony was needed. They were prepared to receive everything he might say to them as a message from God.

40, 41. The crowning fact of the gospel comes next in the statement. (40) "Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly, (41) not to all the people, to be witnesses chosen by God beforehand, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he arose from the dead." Here Peter states, by way of commending to his hearers the evidence of the resurrection, a fact which has been so differently construed by infidels, as to be made a ground of objection to it; that is, that the witnesses were chosen for the occasion. Whether Peter or the infidels are right in judgment, depends entirely upon the grounds of the choice. If they were chosen because of a dishonest desire to prove the fact, or because of the ease with which they might be deceived into the belief of a fact which had no real existence, then it may be rightly regarded as a suspicious circumstance. But the reverse is true in both particulars. Such was the situation of the witnesses, that there was great danger both to property and person, in giving their testimony, and therefore every motive to dishonesty prompted them to keep silent rather than to testify. They were also the least likely of all the men of Israel to be deceived, because of their long familiarity with the person of him who was to be identified. Peter, then, was right; for the fact that such witnesses were chosen beforehand is proof that no deception was intended; while the fact that they "did eat and drink with him after he arose from the dead," rendered it impossible for them to be deceived.

38-42 Of what these Gentiles were yet ignorant was how this message of peace applied to them. Incidentally, they were also told that Peter and his Jewish friends were witnesses of all these things of which they had heard. The meaning and power of the death of Christ was not yet known to them, to say nothing of His resurrection. Of these facts Peter now speaks; he tells of the humiliating death and then of the glorious resurrection and of His appearances to "witnesses that were chosen before of God." The witnesses were of course the apostles, who, as Peter said, "ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead." These men were not the only ones to whom Jesus appeared. The record speaks of others to whom He showed Himself alive after His passion, (Cf. Mark 16:9; Matt. 28:8-10; Luke 24:13-31; I Cor. 15:6). The eleven were to be His special witnesses of this fact . . . they were chosen before His death for this very purpose. What joy must have flooded the hearts of these Gentiles as they heard for the first time the glad news of the death of Christ for the sins of the world. Yea, md that they were included in this covering for sins of the world. Peter’s next and closing word was that after Jesus had suffered and arose He commissioned the eleven to preach the Lord-ship and judicial position of Christ. Jesus had said that "salvation is from the Jews" (John 4:22), of a truth the household of Cornelius could witness to this fact.

(10:40-41) Jesus Christ, Resurrection: Jesus appeared to some people who were chosen and appointed to be witnesses. Three points are stressed about Jesus’ resurrection appearances.

1. God showed Jesus openly (emphane genesthai), which means that God set Jesus before people so that He could be visibly, openly, and publicly seen. God manifested, showed, and set Him forth as the Risen Lord.

2. Jesus appeared to chosen witnesses. The word "chosen before" (prokecheirotonemenois) means to be pointed out, to be designated, to be appointed (cp. John 17:6). Before Christ ever arose, God chose some people to be witnesses of His Son’s resurrection. They were chosen for the very purpose of proclaiming the resurrection to a world of dying men.

3. The witnesses did "eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead." They had close and intimate fellowship with Him. (Cp. 1 John 1:1-4.) Peter said this for two reasons.

a. To stress that he and the other witnesses had real contact with the risen Lord. They not only saw Him, they "ate and drank," communed and fellowshipped with Him. They were as closely associated with Him as persons can be. They were true, verifiable witnesses.

b. To stress that Jesus actually arose from the dead. The Person they saw was the Jesus whom they knew. His body was real. It was really Him; His body had been resurrected.

 

42, 43. Having now followed the career of Jesus from the beginning to his resurrection and exhibition of himself alive to the witnesses, Peter proceeds in regular order to the next historical fact, the giving of the apostolic commission. (42) "And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is he who is ordained by God the judge of the living and the dead. (43) To him all the prophets testify that every one who believes in him shall, through his name, receive remission of sins."

The last word spoken by Peter before the Holy Spirit fell upon these persons was that all the Jewish prophets testified or looked forward to one great promise in the coming Messiah: "the remission of sins." Peter could now say with real meaning that "through

MS name everyone that believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins."

The declaration that every one who believes in him shall receive remission of sins has been construed as proof that remission of sins is dependent on faith only. But the fact that Peter is here stating what Jesus commanded the apostles to preach should prevent such a construction of his words; for, in the commission to which he refers, immersion is connected with faith, as a condition of pardon. His words must be construed consistently with this fact. There is no difficulty in doing this, for it is a common apostolic usage to employ faith as an equivalent for the conditions of pardon. To deny that immersion is for remission of sins, because, in a condensed statement like this, it is not specifically mentioned, is not less subversive of the truth than to deny that repentance is a condition because it is not mentioned. It is not sufficient to reply to this, that repentance was always implied in genuine faith; for it certainly was not more uniformly attendant upon faith than was immersion. It would be difficult to find, in apostolic times, a penitent believer who was not immersed, without unnecessary delay, as a genuine believer who was not penitent. All [137] believers who repented were invariably immersed. Of course, we exclude from this remark all cases which occurred previous to the date of the commission.

If any one, dissatisfied with this explanation, is disposed to insist that Peter's declaration, that every one who believes in Jesus shall receive remission of sins, must include those--if any there be--who believe, but are not immersed, we have but to show the absurdity of the assumption by referring to a parallel case in which there can be no dispute. The Apostle John says: "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God."^{10} He who would conclude from this remark, that the only condition of communion with God is to confess that Jesus is his Son, subverts the truth no more than he who makes the assumption in question; for the universality of the declaration is the same in both, and there is no limitation expressed in either.

There is no one fact more distinctly stated in Acts that that believers should repent and be immersed for the remission of sins:^{11} hence, there can scarcely be a grosser perversion of the word of God than to construe other statements of the Scripture so as to deny the truth of this. A condition of pardon once stated can never be set aside by any less than express divine authority.

It should be observed, further, that the statement in question is not absolutely that "every one who believes in him shall receive remission of sins;" but that he shall receive it "through his name." The expression, "through his name," was not thrown in here at random; for the inspired apostles never spoke at random. It has a well-defined meaning, and was intended to qualify the sentence of which it forms a part. What we receive through his name certainly can not reach us until we attain some connectionwith his name. But we are immersed into his name with that of the Father and the Holy Spirit; hence it is at the time of this immersion, that the believer receives remission of sins through his name.

(10:42) Judgment: Jesus shall judge the living and the dead of all nations. He shall judge both Jew and Gentile, both...

God has ordained Jesus Christ to judge all men, no matter who they are or where they are, alive or dead. He and He alone shall judge every soul who has ever appeared on earth. (Cp. John 5:21-29.)

Jesus Christ alone is ordained to be the Judge. He alone, as the risen Lord, has the right to determine judgment.

1. He determines the conditions of salvation: what a person has to do to be saved; how a person is saved; who is and is not saved.

2. He determines the conditions of eternity: what eternal life shall be like; what eternal death shall be like; the state, the environment, the reward and the punishment of both heaven and hell.

44-46. We are next informed of a fact which is new to this narrative, and was very surprising both to Peter and his companions. (44) "While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were hearing the word, (45) and the believers of the circumcision who came with Peter were astonished, because on the Gentiles was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. (46) For they heard them speaking in tongues, and magnifying God."

Here as previously on Solomon’s porch Peter never finished his discourse (cf. 4:1-2), but for a vastly different reason. In the previous instance man intervened, but in this case God himself steps in. The purpose of the Holy Spirit baptism as given here is being discussed

in our notes on the Holy Spirit. The special manifestations of the Holy Spirit are sometimes spoken of as the "falling" of the Holy Spirit; note 8:16; 11:15 and in 19:6 "came upon."

The matter of astonishment to the Jewish brethren was not merely that these men received the Spirit; for if Peter had gone on to finish his discourse, promising them the gift of the Holy Spirit as he did on Pentecost,^{12} and had then immersed them, these brethren would have understood, as a matter of course, that they received the Holy Spirit. And if, after this, he had laid hands on them, as he did on the Samaritans, even miraculous manifestations of the Spirit could have created no surprise.

The circumstances which caused the astonishment were: First, That the Holy Spirit was "poured out" upon them directly from God, as it had never been before on any but the apostles; Second, That this unusual gift was bestowed upon Gentiles. [138]

In attempting to classify the manifestations of the Holy Spirit known in this history, we are compelled to distinguish the case before us from the gift of the Spirit enjoyed by all disciples in common, by the fact that these parties "spoke in tongues;" and from the gift of the Spirit bestowed on the Samaritans, by the fact that it was bestowed without prayer or imposition of hands. We have no event with which to classify it except that which occurred on Pentecost. That these two events constitute a class by themselves is further evident from the fact that these two parties alone are said to be "immersed in the Holy Spirit."^{13} These two are the only instances of immersion in the Holy Spirit on record, and they are distinguished from other gifts of tongues, in that they alone were bestowed without human agency.

There is only one passage of Scripture in even apparent conflict with this conclusion, which, from the interpretation frequently given to it, demands some notice in this connection. It is the statement of Paul: "By one Spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free, and have all been made to drink of one Spirit."^{14} If the apostle intends by this to assert that all the disciples "were immersed in the Holy Spirit," then this immersion was not peculiar to the apostles and the house of Cornelius.

The question turns upon the reference of the word immerse; whether it is to immersion in water or immersion in the Spirit. It is settled by the fact that the immersion here spoken of is that which introduces "into the one body." We know by the commission that immersion in water brought its proper subjects "into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." But when, and by whatever means, men were brought into the relation expressed in these words, it is indisputable that they were brought into the one body. It was immersion in water, therefore, by which "all were immersed into one body."

Moreover, the immersion in the Holy Spirit did not have this effect; for the apostles were in the one body before they were immersed in the Spirit, and Cornelius was immersed in the Spirit before he was immersed into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This makes it certain that the passage in question is not in conflict with our conclusion. As to Paul's assertion that the immersion into one body was "by one Spirit," the words "by one Spirit" are a declaration that the immersion had taken place under the direction of the one Spirit who was the author of all the gifts mentioned in the connection in which the passage occurs.^{15}

The immersion of Cornelius and his friends in the Holy Spirit previous to their immersion in water has been urged as proof that remission of sins takes place before immersion. But it can furnish no such proof unless it be first proved that the Holy Spirit could not be imparted to a man who was yet unpardoned. If Cornelius had been a man of gross wickedness, there would seem to be some incongruity in such an impartation; but, in view of his real character, and the fact that God had previously sent an angel to express his approbation of his conduct, there appears no incongruity in this circumstance.

This incident in the conversion of Cornelius can not, in any way, be held as a precedent for us; from the fact that it was a miraculous [139] gift, and therefore peculiar to the age of miracles. It may as well be regarded as necessary to see the Lord as Saul did, in order to a genuine conversion, as to be immersed in the Spirit as Cornelius was. It is, therefore, a very gross deception to urge upon the people that they should receive the Spirit, after the precedent of Cornelius, before they are immersed.

47, 48. The true explanation of this unusual circumstance is given in the following words, together with Peter's own explanation of it in the eleventh chapter:^{16} "Then Peter answered, (47) Can any man forbid water, that these should not be immersed, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? (48) And he commanded them to be immersed in the name of the Lord. Then they requested him to remain some days."

In verse 47a we have a glimpse of the thinking of Peter on the whole incident. The question of this verse is evidently directed to the six Jewish brethren. "Can any man forbid the water that these should not be baptized . . .? It would seem that up to this point they were going to object to their baptism but now the direct action of God in the case overrules any such hesitancy. Peter had commanded the first Jews to be baptized, and that "in the name of Jesus Christ." Here he commands the first Gentiles to do the same thing. In the command to the Jews he had told them what preceded baptism as well as the purpose of it (cf. 2:38). Here the same man commands the same thing. We are persuaded that in the message of Peter (which is only briefly outlined) he included the same prerequisites since this gospel was to be preached unto "all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47).

The use that Peter made of it expresses the design of its occurrence. That use was to remove all possible objection to the immersion of the parties. In any other case which had occurred, or which occurred after this, no such objection could have existed. The very fact, therefore, which led to this unusual occurrence, was an exceptional circumstance, which furnishes the strongest proof that this case is not a precedent for imitation in this particular.

Before he was interrupted, Peter had already proceeded so far with his discourse as to reach the subject of faith, and of remission of sins, and immersion must have been the next word upon his lips, if he had proceeded after the model of his sermon on Pentecost. The interruption, therefore, did not break the thread of his discourse, but enabled him to proceed with greater confidence to the very conclusion which he had intended. He first appeals to the brethren, to know if any objection yet lingered in their minds, and finding none, he commanded them to be immersed in the name of the Lord.

Let us now recall the fact that Cornelius had been directed to send for Peter to hear "words by which he and all his family might be saved."^{17} Peter has come, and delivered his message. He has told him of Christ, in whom the man now believes. He has commanded him to be immersed, and it has been done. This is the whole story of the conversion. When it was accomplished, the painful anxiety which he must have experienced during the last four days was removed, and his present happiness is indicated by the cordiality with which he invited Peter to remain with him some days.

We now have three individual cases of conversion before us, each detailed with great minuteness. In some particulars they are precisely alike; in others, they are quite different. But they are all three genuine cases of conversion; and, therefore, the points in which they differ are not essential to conversion, but are accidental circumstances arising from the peculiarities of the individual case.

Now, in order that we may learn what is essential to conversion, and what among all the cases on record, are accidental circumstances, we must be guided by the following rule. Whatever is common to all cases is necessary to a scriptural conversion; but whatever we find in one case which certainly did not occur in all others, is a peculiarity of the individual cases in which it occurs. The points in which all the recorded cases agree are the points in which all subsequent conversions must agree [140] with them. The points in which they differ are points in which subsequent conversions may differ from them. In order to determine that certain features are not essential, it is only necessary to find cases in which they do not occur. In order to determine that any one is essential, we must find it in all cases, or find it prescribed in some general law expressly designed to govern all cases.

While the three cases already before us are fresh in the memory, and before points of difference become multiplied by additional cases, so as to confuse the understanding, we propose to institute a comparison between them, in the light of the rule just prescribed.

Leaving out of view the difference in character, occupation, and social position, of the eunuch, Saul, and Cornelius, which show only that the gospel is adapted to all men without regard to previous character or position, we will only notice those differences which might form the ground of erroneous conclusions.

1. First, then, in the cases of the eunuch and Cornelius, there was the visible appearance of an angel; and many converts of modern times have related, as part of their experience in conversion, similar apparitions. But there certainly was not in Saul's case the appearance of an angel; therefore, such an appearance is not necessary to conversion.
2. Second, The Lord himself appeared to Saul and conversed with him; but he certainly did not to either the eunuch or Cornelius. It is not necessary, then, to see the Lord.
3. Third, Saul mourned and prayed for three days after he believed, and before he was immersed; but Cornelius and the eunuch did not; therefore, protracted sorrow and prayer are not necessary to conversion.
4. Fourth, Cornelius was immersed in the Spirit, but Saul and the eunuch were not; therefore, immersion in the Spirit is not essential, but a circumstance arising from the peculiarity of a single case.

The points in which these cases agree are chiefly these: they all heard the gospel preached, with miraculous evidence to sustain it; they all believed what they heard; they were all commanded to be immersed; they were all immersed; and after immersion they were all happy. If, then, we do not hereafter encounter recorded cases from which some of these items are certainly absent, we must conclude that at least all of these are necessary to scriptural conversion. When other cases are before us, we will institute further and more complete comparisons.

We would be glad to know more of the history of Cornelius, so as to determine how far, even in times of peace, the profession of arms is compatible with the faithful service of the Prince of Peace. He is the only soldier of whose conversion we have an account in the New Testament, and of his subsequent career we know nothing. Whether, amid the scenes of blood and desolation not many years after most wickedly visited upon Judea by the army in which he was an officer, he resigned his office, or made shipwreck of the faith, we can not know till the great day.

Let it be noted, however, that his is an instance of a soldier becoming a Christian, not of a Christian becoming a soldier. It furnishes a precedent for the former, but not for the latter. Whether Peter instructed him to resign his position in the army or not, is to be determined not by the silence of the historian in reference to it, but by first determining whether military service is [141] compatible with the moral teachings of the New Testament. If Jesus and the apostles had been, for more than thirty years previous to the publication of Acts, teaching that Christians should not take the sword, it was not at all necessary for Luke to say that Peter so instructed Cornelius.

{1} Acts xi: 14.
{2} Verse 30.
{3} Neh. xiii: 23-31.
{4} Matt. xv: 24.
{5} Matt. xv: 26.
{6} Matt. x: 5, 6.
{7} See Com. vi: 5.
{8} Acts xi: 3.
{9} See Westminster Conf., ch. iii: sec. 5.
{10} 1 John iv: 15.
{11} See Acts ii: 38.
{12} Acts ii: 38.
{13} Compare i: 5 with xi: 16.
{14} 1 Cor. xii: 13.
{15} See 1 Cor. xii: 3-13.
{16} Acts xi: 15.
{17} Acts xi: 14.

Last modified: July 10, 2008