Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 10:1

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian [band,]

1. There was a certain man in Cesarea ] The oldest MSS. omit the verb was here, and make the sentence read, “Now a certain man in Csarea a devout man which gave much alms saw in a vision, &c.” Csarea is the same place which is mentioned Act 8:40, and was usually the residence of the Roman Procurator (see Act 23:23-26, Act 25:1-4). The soldiers over whom Cornelius was centurion were the necessary troops to support the state and authority of the Roman representative, who at this time was Herod Agrippa, whom Claudius had made king over Juda and Samaria.

called Cornelius ] Lit. “Cornelius by name.” The name shews he was a Roman, and perhaps he may have been of the famous Cornelian Gens. But there were also many plebeians of this name, for Sulla (Appian B. C. i. 100) bestowed the Roman franchise on 10,000 slaves and called them after his own name, “Cornelii.”

a centurion ] This was not a distinguished office. He was commander of the sixth part of a cohort, i.e. of half a maniple. The name must have been given to such officer when his command was over a hundred men. The Roman legion in these times was divided into ten cohorts, and each cohort into three maniples, so that the nominal strength of the legion would be 6000 men.

of the band ] i.e. the cohort. Such a troop was stationed in Jerusalem at the time of the Crucifixion (Mat 27:27).

called the Italian band ] The name at first would be given to it from the country in which it was raised, but no doubt it would afterwards be recruited from other parts, and yet still retain its original title. Tacitus ( Hist. i. 59 &c.) mentions an Italian legion. A centurion of a similar band, which was styled “Augustan,” is mentioned (Act 27:1) below.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Act 10:1-8. Cornelius is divinely warned to send for Peter

St Luke now brings to our notice the circumstances which attended the first preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles. The Apostles, though informed by Christ’s commission that they were to “teach all nations,” yet tarried the Lord’s leisure, and waited till the Spirit, who was their constant guide, shewed them a door opened for such extension of their labours. The first Gentile converts seem to have been living in some sort of communion with the Jews of Csarea, for Cornelius, the representative figure among them, was “of good report among all that nation,” but yet from the complaints of the brethren at Jerusalem, when they heard what Peter had done, we can see that Cornelius was one of the “sinners of the Gentiles.” “Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them” expresses the shock, which the strict observers of the Law experienced in this new development of the Church, and even Peter himself, though chosen to inaugurate the preaching to the Gentiles, was not always proof against the scruples and remonstrances of his brethren of the circumcision (Gal 2:12).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

In Cesarea – See the notes on Act 8:40.

Cornelius – This is a Latin name, and shows that the man was doubtless a Roman. It has been supposed by many interpreters that he was a proselyte of the gate; that is, one who had renounced idolatry, and who observed some of the Jewish rites, though not circumcised, and not called a Jew. But there is no sufficient evidence of this. The reception of the narrative of I Peter Act 11:1-3 shows that the other apostles regarded him as a Gentile. In Act 10:28, Peter evidently regards him as a foreigner – one who did not in any sense esteem himself to be a Jew. In Act 11:1, it is expressly said that the Gentiles had received the Word of God, evidently alluding to Cornelius and to those who were with him.

A centurion – One who was the commander of a division in the Roman army, consisting of 100 men. A captain of 100. See the notes on Mat 8:5.

Of the band – A division of the Roman army, consisting of from 400 to 600 men. See the notes on Mat 27:27.

The Italian band – Probably a band or regiment that was composed of soldiers from Italy, in distinction from those which were composed of soldiers born in provinces. It is evident that many of the soldiers in the Roman army would be those who were born in other parts of the world; and it is altogether probable that those who were born in Rome or Italy would claim pre-eminence over those enlisted in other places.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Act 10:1-48

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion.

Peters vision

The record of the advance of the young Church gives in quick succession three typical conversions: first, that of the eunuch, a foreigner, but a proselyte to the Jewish faith; secondly, that of Saul, born and bred a Jew; thirdly, this of Cornelius, a Gentile seeker after God. Within the range of these experiences the whole world was compassed. The highest apostolic sanction for an unfettered gospel was the need of the hour.

I. The vision of the Roman (Act 10:1-8). The home of Cornelius lay thirty miles north of Joppa. Built by Herod the Great in honour of Caesar Augustus, the seat of the Roman rule in the land of the Jews, a city of splendour, with spacious artificial haven, having a temple erected to the emperor that held his statue as Olympian Zeus, and lying, as it did, within the sacred territory, yet a centre of Grecian influence and plagued by the corruptions of a pagan worship, Caesarea afforded every possible phase of contrast to the age-long intolerance of Peters countrymen. Romes wide empire flashed before the eye of this true-born Italian, nor could he dream that faith in a Nazarene peasant would give the Cornelian name its truest honour. Yet he was one of those rare souls of whom not a few have illuminated the darkness of heathenism, whom heart hunger leads to the truth. He was a devout man. He feared God. The second word is simply a closer definition of his religious character. His fear was not a superstitious dread of the wrath of God, but a brave mans dread of failing to do the will of God. Furthermore, his piety had power in it, and this, mingled with peace, won over to his faith all his house. No mans religion can, without great hurt, fail to set forth the two sides of the character of his God. In the man who orders his household in the fear of God mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Cornelius, constant in alms-giving and prayer, draws near to the kingdom of Gods Son. The kingdom is about to be entered. The order is, Now send. The time had come. The outlying Gentile world had grown sick at heart. The middle wall of partition was falling to the ground. Cornelius, for the pagan world, was to learn that the Cross was the centre of the circle, and Peter, for the Jewish world, that the circle was as big as the globe. The Divine direction is very exact. Both of the apostles names are given. Whether Cornelius knew it or not, Philip, a resident of Caesarea, might have been called to his side within an hour. But Philip was not the man for the occasion. Of all men Peter was best fitted to preach Jesus to Cornelius, of all men the one most needing the results of his preaching. He will tell thee what thou oughtest to do. These words emphasise two important truths:

1. They point to the value of human agency in the salvation of men. The value of human testimony to a historic fact was never lost sight of in the foundation of the Church. The answer to Hume and Strauss may be found in the meeting of these men. A man not a myth has entered our world, and God has committed to men first of all, not to books, nor papers, nor tracts, the publishing of the gospel. The true witness of true men is the surest way of redeeming China to God. A shipload of Bibles sent to Africa will, unaided, amount to little. Ten holy men turned loose will leaven it for the twentieth century, The man and the book together are invincible.

2. They point to Jesus as the consummate revelation of God. When He can be found all else is insufficient. And it was because He could be found that Cornelius was not, could not be, allowed to remain where he was. His devoutness was not enough. No one dare teach that faith in specific doctrines of Christianity is superfluous. The opening words of Peters sermon cannot be bent to prove that all religions are of equal value or that faith in the Redeemer is needless.

II. The vision of the Jew (verses9-20). Gods providences make a perfect fit. The messengers reached the tanners door not an hour too soon, not a moment behind time. Was the man on the house top ready? A great thing was about to happen. A huge prejudice had come to its death. Let us pause to scan the past life of the fisherman. He had been in part prepared for the nearing duty. A more scrupulous Jew would not have entered a tanners house. Peter lodged there. He had not been without much previous training. He had been taught, tried, had fallen, had been forgiven and restored to honour. Yet he was not ready for a worldwide need. The words of Jesus never took the place of the educating activities of after life. Peter had been called to be a fisher of men (Mat 4:19). He had heard the centurion commended (Luk 7:7). He had learned how meats defile, and how they do not (Mar 7:18). Near the tragic close of his Lords life he had seen that certain Greeks sought Him (Joh 12:20), and that in them the Gentile world was welcomed. Yet he was not ready. Like his fellows, he saw in the direction of his prejudices. It required the surgery of events to insert a new truth into their minds. Yet he was Gods best man for this hour, for, as Bruce has well said, Everything may be hoped of men who could leave all for Christs society. To learn that spirit is more than form, and that God is not partial, was a great lesson. Through the opening in heaven a great sheet was let down, held by four rope ends (Alford), or attached with four ends, namely, to the edges of the opening which had taken place in heaven (Meyer). In it were all kinds of animals without exception, clean and unclean. From these Peter was told to choose. With old-time bluntness he refuses. He knows not who speaks, but calls him Lord. What did it mean? Little wonder that he was perplexed. The most outward mark of difference between Jew and Gentile had been set at naught. He knew why these regulations had existed (see Lev 11:1-47 and Deu 16:1-22). The descendants of Abraham were not alone in making distinctions of animals. Yet none others were so thorough as those of the Jews. The ordinance of Moses was for the whole nation. It was not, like the Egyptian law, intended for priests alone; nor like the Hindu law, binding only on the twice-born Brahman; nor like the Parsee law, to be apprehended and obeyed only by those disciplined in spiritual matters. It was a law for the people, for every man, woman, and child of the race chosen to be a kingdom of priests, an holy nation (Exo 19:6). He thought on. Was the hedge between races to be destroyed? Possibly. Was the vision meant for his own enlargement of privilege? Surely not. The sight, the order, shocked his sanitary creed, his patriotic sentiment, his conscience. It was hard for a Jew to yield even to a command from the skies. His thought may have taken in the city spread below. (R. T. Stevenson.)

Peters vision

Jesus Christ is the focus of all good tendencies in history. His light, lighting every man that cometh into the world, is their origin; His triumph is the conclusion toward which they move. The story of Cornelius and Peter shows the bringing together in Christ of two great religious elements–that of devout paganism and that of faithful Judaism. Both make sacrifices, for in Judaism as well as in paganism there is somewhat that is to be left behind. Yet in both there was imperfection. Cornelius had yet to put on the gospel life, Peter had yet to renounce the imperfect Jewish life. Both needed advancement more closely toward Christ, where they could meet as one.

I. Cornelius, the Gentile, is one of the noblest figures of pre-Christian life that we have. It has often been pointed out that the Roman centurions are always well spoken of in the New Testament. But Cornelius is more plainly set before us than either of the others.

1. As a man Cornelius is deserving of our admiration. We see in him a high religious longing. He was not a dabbler in speculation, such as he might have been if he had been a Greek, or a Roman of a hundred years later. He was one of the sort of men Archdeacon Farrar has called, seekers after God: men like Socrates, Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius; men to whom the utmost heathenism could offer in the way of religiousness was unsatisfying (as God meant it to be) to the wants of the soul. The quantity of religiousness offered by the Roman religion was not at fault; there was an abundance of theory to appeal to the mind, plenty of supernatural legend about the gods, and a ritual elaborate enough to gratify the most ardent longing for the externals of worship. But there was not that quality in it all which could appease the cravings of the heart. It was not Divine. Cornelius longed for something better. He had been led to Judaism. Here were no idols, here were no debasing legends of deity, here was real spiritual religion. The purity and spirituality of the Hebrew monotheism, and the loftiness of its code of morals, must have come like a revelation to thoughtful hearts. They came so to Cornelius. The God of the Jews was a better God to him than Jupiter. Yet Cornelius made a discriminating use of Judaism. Cornelius penetrated to the eternally true elements of the Hebrew religion, and disregarded those parts of it which were merely typical and temporary and had no power to satisfy the soul. For his characteristics, named at some length, are spiritual and not ritualistic. He was a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house (Act 10:2). The word devout, it is true, says Lechler, may be applied even to a strictly pagan form of devoutness. It designates a worshipful bent of mind, full of reverence toward Heaven. But in Cornelius case this reverence was rightly directed, for it rose toward the true God. It is said also of Cornelius that he gave much alms to the people (of Israel), and prayed to God always. His religiousness was shown not only in devoutness, but in the outward life. Because, says Calvin, the Law is contained in two tables, Luke in the first place commends Cornelius piety; then he descends to the second part, in the fact that he practised the duties of charity towards men. That such a man should have no influence was impossible, above all in those days when the possibilities of the pagan religions were exhausted and men were reaching out after something more satisfying, after that, indeed, which Cornelius had found. We are not surprised, therefore, to learn that all his house joined him in his fear of the true God (verse 2). A man like Cornelius, reverent and thoughtful, cannot but influence others toward the same traits. And the reason for this was his strength of character. Roman soldiers were not, as a general thing, very reverent. Out of this same strength of character also, doubtless, came his patience. He had prayed earnestly to God, we know not for how long, but no unusual answer had come.

2. Such a man in himself is a delightful study in character; but he is much more valuable in this case because of his spiritual significance in relation to the gospel. He shows us plainly, by his obedience to it, the obligation of the universal law of living up to the light one has. Religious emancipation is by means of the principle of exhaustion. You use an imperfect form of religion faithfully, and you are led out of it into something better. So those who, like Paul, were zealous Jews were offering themselves to God as fit subjects for something higher still. Because all phases of belief have in them the potency of better things, men are rightly to be judged of God by their use of what they have. And no one need fear, whatever his present phase of belief Godward, that his aspirations toward something better are ever overlooked by God. The angel said to Cornelius, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God (verse 4). It is a comforting thought that not a single hope for religious advancement in any human soul is ever overlooked by God. Cornelius was a good man, a religious man. Even these, however, did not merit the gift of the gospel. The best of men can never claim anything at Gods hands, because even the best of men never use all their privileges and perfectly fulfil the will of God. But although Cornelius had not by his life come to deserve the gift of the gospel (which is impossible), he had by it prepared himself for the gospel, and plainly evinced to God his desire for it, although the knowledge of just what it was that he desired and craved for had not crossed his mind. To those who ask it shall be given, and by his good life Cornelius had shown himself to be one of those who ask. God gives grace in exchange for grace. Using what light we have leads on to the desire for more, until we are led to want Christ, who is the final and best gift of God.

II. Peter, the Jewish-Christian, gives us a study in advancing Christianity. Cornelius shows how Judaism helps to Christ; Peter shows how Judaism must be thrown off in order to reach Christ. The same thing which is set before us as a help in Cornelius is shown a hindrance in Peter. Do you wonder that a mans early training should stay by him? Was it not intended so to stay? Peters prepossession against Gentile ways of living was fortified by the knowledge that Jewish life was founded upon Divine ordinances. The things unclean to Judaistic thought had not been made unclean by the Jews themselves, but by the very declaration of God. And yet it was narrow. It did not rise to the idea that God might be planning to displace even His own work. Peter could not see that a thing might be instituted of God and yet be temporary. He could not advance to the full conception of the possibility of progressiveness in Gods revelation. Not that there was anything defective, improper, or bad in any part of Gods ancient work. Bat He meant it for a certain purpose which was temporary. And it was a wonder so great that it took a miracle to dispel it. So hard is it for us to get away from our own set ideas of how God must work when He works at all. And yet God can do the difficult, even what seems the impossible. He can give a form of religion to men that seems perfect, and then He can displace it by another to which the former is but as night to noonday. Peter was to learn that a Gentile soul as such is as ready for the kingdom as a Jewish soul as such, if it is truly longing for salvation. And as this came to him it brought a lesson in humility, for he learned that the judgment of God was far better than his own. He had his prepossessions, founded in the very Word of God. He was asked to give these up by the same God. Here seemed inconsistency, impossibility. But Peter must yield. The ways of man must submit to the ways of God. Our conceptions of God, religion, piety, must all yield before Gods thoughts. And if He displaces His own revelations by better ones who shall say Him nay?

III. The general lessons of our study are apparent.

1. Cornelius and Peter, Jew and Gentile, both had visions granted by God. God is no respecter of persons. Some very ignorant, uneducated man, despised in our eyes, may find the truth as well as we.

2. Christ takes what is best out of all as the foundation of advance into new truth concerning Himself. Gods Spirit makes a preparatio evangelica everywhere.

3. All men need progress religiously–progress not beyond Christ, but progress deeper into the mysteries of the sublime truth given to us in Him. Let no one ever say he has no more to learn about the Son of God. (D. J. Burrell D. D.)

Dreams

The subject of dreams and dreaming is a fascinating one. There have been many extraordinary dreams; but there is an element of mystery in all dreams. They are witnesses to our spiritual nature. They reveal the spirit that is in man. They give us glimpses of the inner life of the soul. Sometimes they may indicate our moral state. Some dreams are the children of an idle brain; others are shaped by the master passion of the soul. President Edwards entered all his dreams in his diary, and carefully examined them. He looked upon them as indicating the real bias of his waking thoughts. Good seeds sown in the day meant a good crop of dreams at night. Undoubtedly there is much truth in this view. Dreams are sometimes instruments of Divine teaching. The Holy Spirit speaks to men by dreams and visions. Many of the inspired parts of Scripture came through that channel. Jacob, at Bethel, saw the ladder of mediation between heaven and earth in a dream. Peter received his commission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles in a dream. The spirit world was unfolded to Paul in visions. He saw heaven, but not with his mortal eyes; and heard the language spoken there, but not with ears of clay. The panorama of the ages passed before John in Patmos while in a state of bodily unconsciousness. The Spirit of God can waken the resources of thought in man, and impress his mind without disturbing a single eyelash, or one beat of the heart.

For human weal Heaven husbands all events,

Dull sleep instructs, nor sport mans dreams in vain.

(G. H. James.)

Cornelius

1. Caesarea was situated on the Mediterranean, about thirty miles north of Joppa. It was built by Herod the Great, B.C. 22, and named after his imperial patron. It was a civil and military capital, the residence of the Roman procurator. It was garrisoned mostly by native soldiers, bat there was one cohort composed of volunteers from Italy, and over a division of that there was the centurion Cornelius. He belonged to an illustrious clan which had given to the state some of its most distinguished men; but greater than the glory of Sulla and the Scipios, who had made the Cornelian family everywhere renowned, is that which is conferred on this centurion in verse 2.

2. Cornelius was not a proselyte, for had he been Peter would have had no difficulty, and Act 15:14 is decisive against it. He belonged to that large class of thoughtful men who had become weary of the worthlessness of paganism. He had outgrown idolatry, and perhaps made himself familiar with the Septuagint, and certainly was convinced that God was the hearer of prayer. He might have become a proselyte, and possibly was contemplating that step when he heard of Jesus, and being a genuine truth seeker he determined to wait for light. This will enable us to understand the object of his fasting and prayer. There had come to him the inevitable question, What wilt thou do with Jesus, that is called Christ? and in his anxiety as to the answer he cried to God for light. And not in vain (Act 15:3-6).

3. In response to the Divine direction he dispatched two of his servants and a soldier to Peter; but God had gone before them, and was even now preparing His servant for their appearance (Act 15:9-16), who received a symbolic revelation of the fact that the restrictions of the Mosaic law were removed, and that the distinction between Jew and Gentile was abolished. It indicated that creation itself had been purified, and rendered clean for our use by the satisfaction of Christ. But Peter did not understand it so, but was helped by the message of the servants of Cornelius, and putting the two together he determined to go to Caesarea. As a precaution he took six brethren with him. Convinced that some important event in the history of the Church was going to happen he desired to have Jewish witnesses: an action which shows that, in spite of his impulsiveness, he was not destitute of prudence.

4. On arriving Peter found a considerable assembly, and after a preliminary discussion and explanation delivered a sermon as remarkable as any recorded in the history. While he was speaking the Holy Ghost descended, which–

(1) Certified the truth of Peters words.

(2) Proved to Peter and his companions the genuineness of the faith of these Gentile converts.

(3) Indicated that those who received Him should be then and there admitted to the Church (Act 11:17).

5. This was the Pentecost of the Gentiles, and so Peter opened the door for their admission as the Lord had promised him. Thus the infant Church took a new departure, and entered on that worldwide mission in which it is still engaged. Learn then–

I. That the way to get light is to act up to what we have and pray for more. Cornelius had not found Christ (Act 11:14), but he had found something, and whereto he had attained he walked by that rule. This is a uniform method of Gods procedure (Deu 4:29; Psa 112:4; Mat 25:29; Joh 7:17; Jam 1:5-6). F.W. Robertson stayed himself up with this principle during that dark wrestle with doubt in the Tyrol. Everything else went from him, but he could hold by this: It is always right to do right; and in the acting out of that he regained his hold of Christ.

II. That in all spiritual matters we should be prompt.

1. Cornelius lost no time in sending for Peter; nay, after Peter came he took in all he said while he was speaking, and so received the Holy Ghost. Do, therefore, at once what is needed to secure your souls welfare. When Pharaoh was asked by Moses when he should entreat the Lord, he said, Tomorrow! and you marvel at his folly. You would have said, The sooner the better; but beware lest you condemn yourself. Today, if ye will hear His voice, etc. You need not send to Joppa, The word is nigh thee (Rom 10:8-9).

2. But the promptitude of Peter is quite as noteworthy (Act 15:29), and we who have to deal with men about their souls should take a lesson. I once preached to an enormous audience in a circus. When I had finished I was quite prostrated, and while in that condition a man wished to speak with me about the way of life. I made an appointment for the next morning. But he never came. And I have written down that as one of the lost opportunities of my life, and its memory has been a spur to me ever since. The Kings business requires haste. Now–alike for preacher and hearer–is the accepted time.

III. That preachers and hearers are prepared for each other by God. Cornelius is led in a peculiar manner to send, and Peter to go: when they come together the result is blessing. It is the same now. The preacher is led through a special spiritual history; he is guided to the choice of a particular subject, to treat it in a peculiar way, to preach it at some distant place. The hearer is brought through circumstances of trial perhaps; he is led on a certain day to a certain place of worship, how he knows not, but there he hears the message God sends for him. It seems as he listens that the preacher must know his past life, and so speaking to his circumstances he is blessed in his conversion. This is no uncommon history. (W. M. Taylor, D. D.)

The character and conversion of Cornelius

I. The character of Cornelius.

1. He was a devout man, and one who feared God. His morality was not of that mean character, or dwarfish stature, or unhallowed allowance, which satisfied the scanty requirements of paganism and idolatry. He had reverence for the demands, he had zeal for the glory, he had impulse from the love of God.

2. He was a charitable man. To heal the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, was his delightful employment.

3. He was a man of prayer. Here lay the great excellence of his character; here the grace which sanctified every other, implanted by the Holy Spirit in his heart; and here the secret of that mercy of which he was made a partaker. His supplication was no transient, hasty homage of the lip or knee, but the settled habit of his mind, the unwearied uninterrupted practice of his life.

4. He was a man of family religion.

II. The course of Divine dealing towards Cornelius. Lessons:

1. God is no respecter of persons.

2. What should be the character of ministerial labour and duty.

(1) The more earnestly and faithfully a minister of religion labours, the more certainly will he find cause to know that the way of God is not as his way, nor the thoughts of God as his thoughts.

(2) The more earnestly a minister is engaged in private prayer for himself, and for the success of the great cause of mercy and of man in which he is engaged, the more surely will he learn the mind of God, the more enlarged will be his views, the more certain his success in preaching the gospel. (R. P. Buddicom, M. A.)

Cornelius

We learn from the history–

1. That it is possible to live a life of piety under unfavourable circumstances.

2. That goodness, wherever found, is noticed and remembered by God.

3. That God gives more light to him who is conscious of his need of it and who humbly seeks it.

4. That in order to impart this greater light the human ministry of the Word has been appointed. (James Owens.)

Cornelius

I. He was a devout man. This takes him out of the ranks of those whose religion is not a religion of devotion. The religion of too many is a religion of fashion. They are expected to go to church, to pray and sing and hear while there, but they are glad when it is over, and that it will not have to be repeated for a week. As a devout man Cornelius was–

1. Thoroughly in earnest. Earnestness alone will never take a man to heaven, but no one ever got there who was not in earnest.

2. Impressed with the majesty of God. He had realised something of the glorious character of Him with whom he had to do. Are you overshadowed by the august presence of the Most High? If not, you are not in the same category as Cornelius.

II. He feared God with all his house. He took an interest in the well-being of his subordinates. He did not regard himself as a mere ruler. Too many officers treat their men as mere automata, made to stand before them in a line and go through their evolutions like machines. Is it a matter of solicitude with us that our servants should feel the power of Gods grace? How many ladies speak to their maids about their souls?

III. He gave much alms to the people. He was a man of large-hearted liberality. How many professing Christians would be startled if they asked the question faithfully, What proportion of my income do I give to God? Remember the generosity of the Pharisees, and our Lords declaration, Except your righteousness shall exceed, etc.

IV. He prayed to God always. How many are content with a few hurried moments of prayer, and think that a trouble.

1. He prayed for greater light. Many are perfectly satisfied with their attainments, or even with their non-attainments, and prefer darkness or twilight to light.

2. He prayed like a man who expected to receive the answer. Would anything surprise some of you more than if God were to answer your prayer?

3. When his prayer was partially answered, he took pains to secure the full blessing.

V. We have said a good deal in Cornelius favour: Now what do you think of him? Some may say, That is an excellence I cannot hope to attain. Stop! Cornelius, with all his excellence, was an unsaved man. Let me not be misunderstood. He had been faithful to the light he had, and if he had been called away he would have been judged according to that, and not by a standard that he was unacquainted with. Peter lays down this principle clearly in Act 15:34-35. But Cornelius was so far unsaved that if when the gospel reached him he had rejected it, he could not have escaped condemnation (see Act 11:14). You cannot save a man who is saved already. If so good a man could yet be a lost soul, what must be the case with many here? (W. Hay Aitken, M. A.)

Cornelius of Caesarea

1. In religious biography army Christians have a recognised place and honour for simplicity and thoroughness. To the soldier the very conditions of his life render compromise an impossibility. In discipline, in the habit of obedience, in the self-restraint and self-effacement required of the true man in arms, are also to be found true elements in the education of the man of God. In Bible history, many of those whom we most admire were warriors–the simple Joshua, the lordly Gideon, the Sweet Singer David, the pious Josiah; and in what book is more praise given to worth than is given to faithful Ittai, grateful Naaman, My sergeant Cyrus, the courteous Julius, and the nameless but immortal centurion of Capernaum?

2. When introduced to us, Cornelius is an officer of the Roman garrison stationed at Caesarea, then the civil capital of Judaea. His name at once attracts attention. What the name of Howard, or Russell, or Talbot is to English, or Douglas, or Gordon, or Stewart to Scottish history, that was the gens Cornelia to the City of the Seven Hills. A cadet of a noble house we may therefore conceive him to have been. The benign influence of noblesse oblige would be upon him and help to preserve a stainless name from stain. The regiment to which he was attached seems to have been one of special honour, and the position of an officer in it would be correspondingly eminent. Later on we encounter an officer of an Augustan cohort at Caesarea, Julius, the courteous custodier of St. Paul. It is quite possible that Cornelius and Julius may have been officers of the same regiment, which would readily account for the kindly feeling which the latter manifested towards his prisoner.

3. As regards the piety of Cornelius the narrative speaks enthusiastically (verse 2). This eulogy seems to describe a proselyte of the gate. The more exclusive Jews made the gate to be as high and forbidding as possible, but the Hellenists gloried in the tribute paid by every inquirer to the spiritual supremacy of the prophets, and encouraged them to study the Scriptures and to attend the synagogues. So it came that there was, more or less loosely, connected with the synagogues in almost every great centre, a floating body of students of all shades of opinion, from those who were merely attracted by the simple and central principle of the unity of the Godhead, on to those who were on the threshold of circumcision. Among these it is strange if we cannot find room for one to whom the terms applied to proselytes are given, devout, and one that feared God; who gave alms to Jews; observed the Jewish hours of prayer, and was manifestly familiar with the Jewish Scriptures.

4. The narrative at once lets us see that this man is thoroughly in earnest. He is one of those violent ones who take the kingdom of heaven by force. We find him spending a whole day (verse 30) in fasting and prayer. At the ninth hour (3 p.m.), the hour of evening prayer, the answer comes. He had heard about Jesus (verse 37, Ye know); his mind, enlightened by Jewish prophecy, and unobscured by Jewish prejudice, saw neither stumbling block nor foolishness in a suffering Saviour. The angelic visitor does not constitute himself the expounder of Divine truth; he only tells where such an expounder may be found. The miracle ceases, as it always does, at the earliest possible point.

5. There is a fitness in the Roman from Caesarea seeking the Jew at Joppa. For Caesarea was new-built and heathen; Joppa from time immemorial had been the port of Jerusalem, a town Jewish in all its history and relations, and associated with many of the most stirring events of Jewish history. It is still further fitting that the city of Jehovah should linger on, like the Jewish people, dejected but not destroyed, whilst that of Caesar has ceased to be.

6. But meanwhile a preparatory work had to be accomplished in the mind of the prejudiced fisherman of Galilee. It is impossible for one who has not encountered it to gauge the mastering tyranny of religious caste. Our class distinctions exist in spite of religion, under its mollifying influence, and, when they pass beyond certain bounds, under its ban. But in caste religion adds its sanction to the distinctions, and stereotypes and stamps them as Divinely appointed, permanent and necessary. Caste had crept into the Jewish Church. The Jews, instead of regarding themselves as Heavens instruments for the sake of others, had come to plume themselves on being Heavens favourites for their own sake. The atmosphere of such a caste pride is like a spiritual sirocco, drying up the moisture of charity, and parching into an unbrotherly Pharisaism. In such an atmosphere St. Peter had been born and bred. Then he and the other disciples are called of Jesus Christ. For three or four years they are within the sweep of His liberalising love. Then comes Calvary, the Resurrection, and thereafter Pentecost. On that day Peter expounded the prophecy: I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh. Surely the truth has now entered into him, and will never more leave room for caste. But no I It is in him still, living and strong, and He who knows what is in man has a feeling for His servants infirmity, and provides that special symbolic teaching which he needs before he may dare to enter upon the work whereunto he is now called.

7. Thus prepared the apostle goes with the messengers of the centurion. And now the two are face to face. It is a strange meeting–the servant of Christ and the soldier of Caesar. That Cornelius did not resent or recoil from such a teacher proves at once how truly religion had done its royal work within him. Two men more opposed as to race, birth, breeding, and habits, can scarcely be conceived; and it could not but be that there was much in the peasant calculated to rasp the Patrician, yet the soldier of Caesar deems it no dishonour to bow the knee before the legate of Jehovah.

8. We need not trace the interview through its details. The significant fact–one of overwhelming importance in the development of the idea of the Church–is that Cornelius and his household are received as Christians, not through the preliminary gate of circumcision, but directly through that of baptism. What the significance of that fact was it now concerns us to see. The infant Church was surrounded by dangers on all sides and far ahead. It had to face those which arose from the hostility of the worlds governments and from the contact of Oriental theosophies. But its nearest, and deadliest danger arose from the Church from which itself sprung. Springing forth from the bosom of Judaism, the Christians were, at the outset, regarded as a Jewish sect, amenable to Jewish ecclesiastical law and discipline. They worshipped in the synagogues and in the temple. In this aspect the danger was that the hierarchy might crush them. This was a danger that could be measured. But the Churchs friends were more to be feared than her foes. Those without might cruelly seek to destroy, but those within conscientiously sought to corrupt. Every Jew was brought up to believe that the Law was eternal in its minutest details, ceremonial and judicial. Other than Jews might enter the kingdom of God, but only by the entrance of circumcision. The majority of the Jewish Christians carefully dovetailed their conceptions of the Messiah into conformity with this fundamental requirement. The popular thought placed the law first; and the Messiah was to be gloried in as the magnifier of its scope and the extender of its authority. If we rightly understand this prejudice, so deeply bedded in the Jewish mind as to be with difficulty dragged out of the hearts of even apostles, we shall be in a position to understand the danger to the Church from the influx of Jewish converts. They came into the Church devoutly believing Jesus to be the Messiah; but they continued to believe that, first of all, He was a Jewish Messiah, and all the citizens of His kingdom must first become Jews. This was the position assumed by an active and aggressive party they of the circumcision, i.e., Judaizing Christians. The position taken up by the Church and by all the apostles, but most strongly by St. Paul, was antagonistic to this. The law was but a pedagogue to lead up to Christ; in all its ceremonial it was local and temporary, designed for a special purpose of preparation, which purpose was accomplished when the Saviour came; it was therefore no longer required. Here was the momentous issue, whether Christianity will shrink into a mere Jewish sect, or swell into the Catholic Church. When we consider the character of the danger, we cease to be surprised that Paul became a chosen vessel to bear the gospel to the Gentiles, free from all the demands of a ceremonial Judaism. Neither the training nor the temperament of St. Peter fitted him for the task; the cause was therefore taken out of his hands. In those of St. Paul it was safe. But let us not forget that the older and less qualified man was the instrument selected of God for the introduction of the first heathen into the Church. As was to be expected from the presence of such a party as I have described, his action was promptly challenged at Jerusalem. The defence was a simple narrative of facts. What was I that I should withstand God? The reply was satisfactory to the Church, and ought to have been final to all. But caste dies hard.

9. And so we have the noble Roman recognised as a member of the Visible Church. The baptism did not make him a Christian; it proclaimed a fact that already existed. God owned him first; man afterwards. (G. M. Grant, B. D.)

Cornelius; or, new departures in religion

Cornelius marks the beginning of a new epoch. Like the first flower of spring he is the sign and herald of the new forces at work changing the face of the whole earth. His history carries us to the final fighting ground of the decisive battle between the narrow and fettering forces of Judaism and the catholic energies of Christianity. He stands at the head of Gentile Christianity, and is to Saul of Tarsus what John the Baptist was to Jesus Christ. Coming up out of the darkness of heathenism, he bursts upon the vision of the Church like a flash of unexpected light. No prophet announces his advent; no visible teacher prepares him for his work. He is outside the churches, but in the kingdom. The building of the City of God offers room for the lowliest worker as well as demands the man of transcendent gifts. It welcomes the inconspicuous Ananias of Damascus not less than the famous pupil of Gamaliel, and advances to its perfection by the experience and toil of Cornelius, the Roman soldier, as well as by the practical wisdom of James, the chief pastor of the Christian flock in the holy city. Let each man, therefore, heed the light he now sees, do the duty that is next him, fill with unfaltering faithfulness his own sphere in the Divine will, and it is enough. God orders our way. If we know and do our own work all is well–its value, its near or far off results, we cannot estimate. In some callings men easily assess their gains, and take their true place in a graded scale of workers. We cannot. They know what they earn. We never do. Gold is easily counted; but where is the ledger account of new ideas disseminated, of spiritual renewals accomplished, of human justice and right established, of souls made true, and peaceful, and strong? Saul, unlikeliest of all the Jews to human seeming, will take up and advance the labours of the martyred Stephen; and Cornelius, unlikelier still, for he is not a Jew, will make the crooked straight and the rough places plain for the advent and ministry of the Apostle of the Gentiles.

I. Approaching in this spirit of trust and hope and ardour, the study of Cornelius, as he appears in Lukes history, revealing the methods and movements of God in securing new departures in religion, we note first that Cornelius gathers into himself in cooperating fulness the chief providential forces of the age, and so becomes the fitting instrument for incarnating and manifesting the remedial energy and wide range of the religion of the Saviour. The historian compels us to see that Cornelius is a Roman. The whole atmosphere is Roman! How, then, could he whose chief business it was to trace in his two Gospels the gradual growth of Christian work from Nazareth to Rome, pass by this first Christian Roman of them all, as he is led into the clear radiance of the light of the world. Cornelius was not a proselyte. He is still within the circle of alienated heathendom, and yet by one step he passes into the school of Christ, and enters into living relations with Him, without being detained for a moment or a lesson in the training school of Moses. It is this which marks the crisis. Herein is the revolution. The germ of the Christian religion is planted in this uncircumcised, uninitiated Gentile, finds in his devout yearnings for God, loyalty to Christ, generous love of the needy, and beautiful largeness of soul, the appropriate conditions for rapid and sure development, and forthwith gives incontrovertible signs that though the planting may be Peters, yet the increase belongs first to the germ itself, and has been secured, in the Divinely-prepared soil, by the operation of the Spirit of God. Religious particularism is in Him exposed, condemned, and cast out for evermore. Gods great universalities of love, provision, and ministry to souls are manifest; Christianity has a new starting point, and henceforth pursues a new line of progress. As a river it had entered into human history in Nazareth and Jerusalem, and had made its channels deep and wide; here in Caesarea, at the borders of the non-elect world, it starts along a new course, cuts for itself wider and deeper channels, and makes everything to live whithersoever it comes. So the Judaism in which Christianity was born is left behind, and that transference of the religion of Jesus to the Latin world, by which it was to work as a regenerating leaven in the European races, is commenced. In Cornelius the centurion, the glorious gospel of the blessed God makes its auspicious start for the Great West. Now this, it must be remembered, is the first proof of the realisation of the world purpose of God in the gift of revelation. The universe, as Renan has said, is incessantly in the pain of transformation, and goes towards its end with what he calls a sure instinct, but with what we believe to be a Divinely-redeeming impulse; that end being the salvation of all men through a universal religion. The first fathers of the Hebrew faith caught a glimpse of that world-embracing aim, and the exile of Israel in Babylon lifted it on high, brought it into the life of the people, so cleansing their conceptions of God and man, and preparing them for their worldwide mission. Then the victories of Alexander the Great brought in their train the diffusion of the Greek language, Greek thought, and Greek culture, throughout the world. To these beneficent ministries were added the discovery of new routes to the East, the development of traffic, and the commingling of the different races of men; all to be perfected and crowned by the ascent to the summit of power of Roman Imperialism, and the shaping of the nations into that one political federation which became the basis for that universal civilisation which was the material condition for the reception and dissemination of a really universal religion. But for us, living in the midst of dreaded religious changes, the biography of Cornelius is not only an argument, but also a message of peace and hope. It bids us trust in the living God–the God who is a consuming fire, but whose fires only burn up the waste materials of old religions to make room for the building of the new and better edifice. The kingdom of truth and of redemption is His. He rules it, and all new departures in religion are under His sway. He prepares for its advances by processes out of sight, continues the succession of heroic souls, who free us from the tyranny of dead dogmas; who gather up the results of His manifold working in all the departments of life, scientific and social, political and religious, and who then, vitalising and unifying them all by the Spirit of Christ Jesus, lead the life of the world to higher and heavenlier places. Lessing says: The palace of Theology may seem to be in danger through the fire in its windows, but when we arrive and study the phenomenon we find it is but the afterglow from the west which is shining on the panes, really endangering nothing, but yet for a moment or two attracting all. Let us not fear. The God of Cornelius is the Father of Jesus Christ, and the Saviour of all men.

II. Advancing to a further point in the record, it appears that God perfects the spiritual education of Peter by Cornelius; ill short, He finishes the work that was commenced on and in the chief apostle by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, by the agency of a saint of paganism. Peter was a dull scholar, and required to be converted a good many times. It was a hard task to surrender his Jewish exclusiveness. All his traditions and preferences were against the sacrifice. He could not see the bearing, and did not admit the far-reaching applications of the truths he proclaimed. Thus the soldier comes to the aid of the seer. So the saint of heathendom goads into bold and aggressive action the disciple of Jesus Christ. Christianity advances through vision and service; through prophets on the heights of meditation and warriors confronted with crowds of foes in the valleys of evil. Some men require arousal. They see, but they stand still; they know, but they will not do. They linger shivering on the brink, waiting for the leadership of a more venturesome spirit. We need one another. The men of intelligence require the men of action; the press cannot dispense with the pulpit, nor the pulpit with the press: even apostles may learn from the humblest inquirers. The Reformation, prepared by Erasmus and the Humanists, waits for the moral fervour and splendid courage of Martin Luther. Peter, leader and apostle though he was, owes an unspeakable debt to the God-trained soldier of Caesarea.

III. Truth, like a torch, the more it is shook it shines. The new light in the house of Cornelius sends out its radiance to Jerusalem, arresting the attention and arousing the opposition of the fathers and brethren of the new Christian society. Peter appeared before the Church and told his simple tale. The appeal was victorious. God was understood and glorified, and the verdict was given by the Church with heartiness and praise, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life. Is not that the way God is working amongst us today? Is He not preparing a glorious future for the Churches by the work and experience of individuals here and there, in and out, of the Churches? Cornelius is a religious reformer. God puts into his experience the truths of His Gospels in their widest range, and thereby they are built into, and operate as part of, the working energies of the Christian system. The centurion himself, in the fulness of his spiritual gifts and achievements, demonstrates that God is not a respecter of persons and races, but of aims and faiths, of yearnings and character. The unit of the Christian theology is a Christian man; a man who has come to Jesus Christ as he was, with all God has done in him and for him, with all he has acquired, in intellect and character, at home and in contact with men; and has come through Jesus Christ to the possession of the ideas, motives, and powers of the Holy Spirit; and is by that Spirit made a new man. I adopt the language of Milton: Now once again by all concurrence of signs, and by the general instinct of holy and devout men, God is decreeing some new and great period in this Church, even to the reforming of the Reformation itself. Let us be hopeful and patient. No knowledge can be a menace to the truth of Christ Jesus. It must glorify Him. The wise men will bring their gifts and lay them at the feet of Christ. A new Cornelius–now outside the Churches not unlikely–will God give to His children who, himself freighted with the rich results of the intellectual, social, and spiritual activity of the century, will force us into the presence of God, to hear what He Himself has commanded His Peters to say to us; and He will fellow the preaching with such signs of salvation and power, that the Churches will gratefully say: Then hath God granted unto the learned and scientific, and to the social outcast also repentance unto life.

IV. Finally, the portrait of Cornelius, together with the glimpses we obtain of Peter, reveals the men in whom God preferably works for the truest spiritual progress of men.

1. Cornelius is a devout man. He cultivates communion with God. Strong impulses urge him towards the higher significance of life, prepare his spirit for visions of the unseen world, and open his soul for the larger faith he avers, and the sublime inspirations he receives.

2. With this intense spiritual yearning he blends a wise management of his house, as if himself consciously under Gods authority, and responsible for the well-being of those under him, so theft some of his soldiers catch the infection of his devoutness, and his domestics share his solitude to hear Gods messenger.

3. In him also is seen the Roman love of rectitude and fair dealing. He is a just man.

4. He has not taken advantage of his place to plunder, as too many others did. But he gave much alms to the people. His social sympathies were as strong as his religious. You cannot hope to take any helpful part in hastening the arrival of an era of purified and enlarged thought of God, of intenser love of God and men, of spiritual quickening and social regeneration, unless, conscious of your weakness and sin, you make it your business, whilst believing in Him who is the propitiation for our sins, to walk in the light as He is in the light, and so to have fellowship with men and experience that continuous cleansing from all sin which is the pledge and guarantee of Divine adequacy for faithful and fruitful work. (J. Clifford, D. D.)

Cornelius, an example of piety

Here is one man who is a truth seeker, and there is another who is a truth teacher. One has what the other needs; but they are unknown to each other, and separated by a great chasm. How can they be brought together? God commissions an angel to appear to Cornelius, and to tell him to send Peter. God appears to Peter, and shows him that nothing that He has made is common or unclean. The scholar and the teacher are soon face to face; and then, while Peter spake, the Holy Ghost fell on those who heard the word. This incident shows that every step in the work of conversion is known and arranged by God. The text affords a beautiful illustration of–

I. Personal piety. Cornelius was a devout man, and one that feared God. A devout man now is one that is devoted to the service and worship of God. This word seems originally, however, to have had the meaning of thoughtful, serious, and reverently inclined. Cornelius had not found the pearl of great price, the one thing needful, but he was an earnest seeker, prayerful, and, according to his light, sincerely pious. The Word of God–

1. Points out the necessity of personal piety. It affirms first that we have all sinned, and come short of the glory of God; and then, that without holiness, no man can see the Lord. Jesus said, Except ye be converted, etc.

2. Explains the nature of personal piety–a change of heart that leads to a change of life. Godliness is Godlikeness–in thought, and spirit, and life: If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, etc. It is possible to observe the outward forms of religion without experiencing its saving power, and to have a name to live, but to be dead. Knowledge, liberality, morality, prayer, cannot save us. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

II. Domestic piety. With all his house. We are not told how many members it contained, nor whether they were old or young; but we are told that they feared God. Cornelius not only renounced idolatry himself, but he taught his children to renounce it. If we want our children to give themselves to Christ, we must lead the way. Example is better than precept. Domestic piety adds very much–

1. To the general comfort of the family circle. In the most orderly households there may be much to disturb the peace and try the temper, but where the home atmosphere is pervaded by a devout spirit, there will be a kindliness of speech and a tenderness of spirit that will lighten the burdens of life.

2. To the spiritual welfare of the family circle. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked; but the Lord blesseth the habitation of the just. The poor man may not enjoy the dainties that are found on the rich mans table, or the pictures that adorn his walls; but the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow thereto. Are we not more anxious about the mental culture and the social status of our children than about their spiritual growth? Do not our prayers pull one way and our lives another?

III. Practical piety. Who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. It is not every servant that has a good word for his master. If there be any defect in a mans character, no one can detect it sooner than his servant. But Corneliuss servant says, His master is a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nations of the Jews.

1. True piety manifests itself–

(1) In generous deeds. This was not a speaking, but a shining religion. He sounded no trumpet, but his light streamed forth, like the light from a lighthouse, far over the troubled sea of life. True piety must report itself. Benevolence is one of the natural fruits of piety. Pure religion and undefiled before God, etc.

(2) In a prayerful spirit. This combination is very beautiful. Work and worship; profession and practice; grace and generosity. (J. T. Woodhouse.)

The character of Cornelius, the first Gentile convert to the faith of Christ

Although it seemed good to Almighty God, under the old dispensation, to separate for Himself a peculiar people, and to make Himself known to them in a wonderful manner, He gave frequent intimations that this knowledge should, in the fulness of time, be extended to the Gentiles also. In this incident, in the conversion of Cornelius, we behold the rise of that mighty stream which has poured its healing waters over so large a portion of the civilised world, fulfilling in its course the prediction of the evangelical prophet: The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined (Isa 9:2).

I. The character of Cornelius. He is introduced in the text as a Roman soldier, a centurion, an officer of considerable rank and distinction, in the cohort or regiment called the Italian band, quartered at Caesarea. He had been a heathen, but by the grace of God had been delivered from the vain and idolatrous worship of the gods of his own country to serve the true and living God. How, or in what way, this change had been effected, we know not with any certainty. It is not improbable that, in consequence of his residence in Judaea, the scriptures of the Old Testament had fallen in his way, and he had been led to study them in an unprejudiced and teachable spirit, and had become convinced that the gods of the heathen were no gods, and that the God of Israel He was the true and only God. He is introduced to us as one that feared God with all his house. And such must ever be the result of an honest fear or reverence of God, drawn from the Word of God, and wrought by the Spirit of God. It is the beginning of wisdom: it works in the mind of the individual to produce conviction. But conviction once produced, it stops not with the individual; it moves him to exert his influence for the benefit of others, and especially of those of his own household; and, if we are right in our conjecture that it was from the Holy Scriptures that the centurion had become acquainted with Israels God, there can be little doubt that these same Scriptures would be employed by him as the means of instructing those about him. If you, like Cornelius, fear God, are you not afraid to neglect His Word? Let me urge it upon you to assemble your children and the members of your house once at least on every day, and read aloud some portion of that blessed Book, and then conclude with a few words of supplication. But it is stated of Cornelius, whose conduct suggests to us these remarks, that he prayed to God alway. It may be, that whilst I have been urging on you once at least each day to gather your families together for a few minutes to read the Word of Life, you have been finding out excuses in your manifold engagements, and saying within yourselves, It is impossible, it is utterly impossible: at such an hour I have to be at such a place, and at such and such a time to do such and such things: it is quite impossible. Listen to me, if it be really and truly impossible, God may possibly accept the excuses you have been framing. But here the question naturally arises, Had Cornelius, concerning whom it is recorded that he prayed to God alway, no engagements? Had he, a Roman soldier, appointed to command at least a hundred men, and to communicate continually with the authorities at Rome concerning the conduct of the refractory Jews, at this time subjects to the emperor his master, had he nothing to do? Might he not easily have found excuses? But how, it may be inquired, could he, if thus fully occupied, how could he possibly pray to God alway? Listen to me whilst I endeavour to supply the answer. He feared God, felt reverently and gratefully His mercy in making Himself known to him; and he was afraid lest, if left an instant to himself, he might, at some time or other, relapse into his former state of idolatry and heathenism; and it was his aim, therefore, to live in a constant spirit of prayer, so that the fire might ever be burning on the altar of his heart: his very duties were so performed, and his mind so carefully regulated by continual meditation upon and intercourse with his heavenly Friend, that it was no exaggeration to say of him, He prayed to God always. Cornelius was a soldier–a profession, generally but too hastily, supposed unfavourable to the growth of grace in the heart. Undoubtedly some callings seem, from their very nature, to afford larger opportunities of the means of grace and association with Gods dear children than do others: but I should say, in general, that the state of all others the most unfavourable to vital godliness is a state of idleness and inactivity. God appoints us duties; and it is, I am thankful to be enabled to state from extensive personal experience and observation, quite possible diligently to attend to them, and yet sedulously to cultivate the paramount interests of the immortal soul; nay, more, so to perform things temporal that they may minister to the attainment of things eternal. In this view of the subject, let us stay a moment to see what the profession of Cornelius would teach him. First, then, his profession would teach one who prayed to God alway, faithfulness to his earthly sovereign, who had committed to him the overseership of that portion of the Roman empire; and thus such a one would be reminded of the fidelity and integrity which he owed to his heavenly Master, to his own soul, and to the interests of those who formed his household. Next, his profession, the very life of which is vigilance, would suggest the need there is of continual watchfulness, lest the adversary, who goeth about seeking whom he may devour, should obtain an advantage over him. I will mention only one other lesson which he would learn, referred to in pointed terms by the apostle in 2Ti 2:4 : No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath called him to be a soldier. To sit loosely by all earthly matters. I might pursue the thought: and if you were each to tell me what are the occupations to which God has called you–whether you be one to whom God has committed the responsibility of wealth and influence; whether you be lawyer, physician, student, man of business, mechanic, handmaid, or domestic servant–it would not be difficult to make out before you how each particular department of your earthly calling might be made subservient to the growth of some spiritual grace, and to suggest the exercise of that blessed state of mind which possessed Cornelius, who prayed to God alway. But the Roman soldier did not restrict himself to his privilege of prayer; neither was he watchful only, as became him. We are therefore in no respect surprised to find it written of him that he gave much alms. He discovered a liberal disposition in relieving the distresses of the poor, as well as a peculiar fervour of mind towards God by the constancy and devoutness of his prayers. His benevolence and his piety were intimately connected, and they reflected a lustre upon each other. They who are always asking, and as constantly receiving, will not fail to be continually communicating. Other particulars are recorded of this most exemplary soldier which I can only cursorily glance at. In the thirtieth verse we read that it was while fasting that the man in bright clothing stood before him; in the twenty-second verse that he was a just man, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews; and this notwithstanding the hatred which they entertained towards the Romans, whose servant Cornelius was; so justly had he conducted himself, so unspotted had he kept himself from the world, that God had given him favour in their sight, and he was well reported of amongst all the nation of the Jews. How lovely and consistent is his character in the view of man! There is not a shade upon it to dim its lustre.

II. The reasons wherefore he was selected from the heathen world as the first convert to the faith of a crucified Redeemer. Some have thought it vain for us to seek the reason wherefore he obtained this honourable preference, and have contented themselves with the reflection that God distributes His favours as He pleases. This is indeed true: He giveth not account of any of His matters (Job 33:13); but I think a reason may be gathered from the history itself, viz., that such was his amiable character before his extraordinary call, that he seemed less likely than many others to offend the prejudices, of the Jews. I do not think this enough. I think the facts of the case supply a more probable and instructive reason. Something more was needed in the counsels of Jehovah than this bright and lengthened catalogue of gifts and graces. What I shall the man who is exemplifying in his daily walk and conversation an amount of excellence so near perfection that there is, perhaps, no merely human character in the New Testament which surpasses it–does he need to be told words whereby he and all his house may be saved? and shall there be no salvation for them without? It is even so. The Word which states the need informs us what it was which Cornelius needed, and which all have need to know as well as he. You will find it in the discourse addressed by Peter to Cornelius, and his near kinsmen and near friends, whom his piety had called together upon the occasion. Speaking to them of Jesus of Nazareth–of Him whom God anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power–the apostle says, at the forty-third verse of the chapter whence our text is taken, To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins. These were the words whereby he and all his house were to be saved: these were the things which God had commanded to be heard. These were the fundamentals of the Christian dispensation.

III. We must at this point seek to gather up from the entire subject some practical instruction, which may, by the gracious influence of the Holy Ghost that fell on all who heard the apostles word, be blessed to us. And first, let those who, like Cornelius, are just, devout, prayerful, liberal, self-denying, and of good report among the people, let them know assuredly that they are sinners as Cornelius was, and have need to learn, if they have not yet learned, words whereby they must be saved. All their virtues are inadequate to the blotting out one single sin. It must be confessed that the case of the Roman soldier, whose character we have been considering, is a very strong one; but if the view which I have taken of it be correct, it would seem to have been selected in order to lay the axe to the root of all self-righteousness, of all regard to and dependence upon works as the ground of mens acceptance before God. But are there none, on the other hand, who profess to have laid hold upon Christ, to believe on Him, to depend on Him alone, who reject the merit of good works; are there none of these who are yet negligent to adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things, in their tempers, in their moderation, in their freedom from selfishness? who possess but little of the energy and benevolence, the charitable, prayerful, estimable spirit of Cornelius? If such there are among ourselves, let them, let all of us, be stirred up by the example of the Roman convert to greater faithfulness and watchfulness and diligence and love. (G. Spence, D. C. L.)

Cornelius, a monument of the omnipotence of grace

A Gentile, a Roman, a soldier, a centurion: all barriers, one would think, to Divine grace; but it goes through them all. (K. Gerok.)

Cornelius the truth seeker

I. The scriptural portraiture of his character.

1. He was devout; he reverenced the Supreme Being. This he might do as a sincere pagan; and in this the pious heathen of all lands may put to the blush the irreligious man in Christian lands.

2. He was God-fearing. His character was not built upon any mere materialistic philosophy that makes all virtue spring from self-interest.

3. His influence was felt throughout his household. A mans religion that does not affect his family is a very weak, sentimental thing, not worth the having. The religion of Cornelius made his very soldiers devout.

4. In him there was a happy blending of subjective piety and of objective goodness.

(1) He prayed–not merely the instinctive prayer of nature, nor the sentimental prayer of the naturalist. His was the intelligent cry of a personal soul to a personal God. And that not in some moment of distress, as does the terrified atheist whose fear overmasters his creed; but always–habitually. Herein does Cornelius rebuke the prayerless man.

(2) He gave much alms–not to his own kindred and friends alone, the limit of many a mans benevolence, but to the despised Jews. There are many whose religion is all breath and no bread. The prayer of faith and the gift of love, like the two wings of a bird, bear the hearts burden up to the bosom of the Infinite, and come back again like a white dove of peace, with a new blessing and a Divine strength. The alms of Cornelius had no merit in themselves; but, as an index of the hearts longing and aim, they were acceptable to God.

5. He was sincere–a word signifying without wax and originally applied to pure honey. Applied to man it indicates the pure honey of honest desire and purpose without the wax of self-deception, prejudice, or pride. God loves a true, sincere man, though his head be enveloped in clouds of error and of doubt.

6. He was an honest seeker after truth. Paganism had not satisfied him; he wandered through the halls of philosophers, but the vision of truth came not to his weary eyes. With yearning of heart he had fled to Judaism, and in its clearer vision of God he had rejoiced; but even there he had not rested, for he felt that the revelation was not full. So he waited and longed for the completed vision as travellers on the mountains watch and wait for the rising of the sun.

7. He was susceptible and receptive. There is many a man, dissatisfied with old formulas and dogmas, calling himself truth seeker and progressionist, who yet has in his heart no open door for truth. There are many, like Pilate, whose intellects cry, What is truth? but whose souls have no eye to perceive it, and no welcome for it. Cornelius cried for it, hailed it, and was therefore led on by the angel into the fair kingdom of truth, down to its deepest mysteries, up to its gleaming heights.

II. Gods dealings with him.

1. Cornelius was praying when he saw an angel, who said, Cornelius, thy prayers and thine alms, etc. This was Gods response to the prayer of that devout, sincere thinker, and everywhere God seeks the soul that seeks Him.

2. But the angel does not preach the gospel to Cornelius. No angel ever preached Christ since that first announcement of His advent. Man preaches to his brother man–the sinner saved, to the sinner lost. To Peter shall be given the distinguished honour of gathering in this first Gentile fruit to the Christian Church. But even he is not prepared for so great a mission, and it required a miracle to induce him to open the door for Gentiles to come in. Prejudice is an evil spirit not easily cast out of the human mind. Hardly yet is the entire Church free from its pernicious influence. Are there not high walls surrounding sections of the Church today, outside of which there is believed to be no salvation? Each in his own way the radical, the sceptic, the free-religionist, and the agnostic is alike the bigoted slave of prejudice. Let us heed this Divine rebuke of all unscriptural distinctions in Christs kingdom. What is their basis? Wealth, social position, colour, and nameless other foolish dividing lines.

3. While Peter hesitated, the messengers from Cornelius arrived, and Peter returned with them, yielded to the heavenly teaching, declaring, Of a truth, etc. And preached Jesus; the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard, who were immediately received into the Church.

III. The great lesson concerning the sufficiency of moral excellence for the individual character, or of natural religion for the race. Let us be candid.

1. God does set a value upon moral excellence. Good works springing from right motives are good in His sight, and nothing is gained, but much is lost, when Christian teachers speak too disparagingly of moral virtues. Whether there be or be not a hereafter, it is far better to be moral than immoral.

2. True moral excellence is an important and hopeful foundation upon which to build. It is not a matter of surprise that men are alienated if they find themselves classed with criminals without a word of qualification. Let us, then, put a right estimate on moral character and good works. The misguided religionist says, Good for nothing; the moralist says, Good for everything; God says, Good according to the spirit that prompts them.

3. It is important that this whole matter should be better understood. The imputation of teaching a religion that does not fully recognise the value of morality is a libel upon Christianity. The Christian religion alone contains an absolutely perfect system of morals, inseparably connected with its facts and doctrines. And wherever Christianity has been faithfully presented the highest type of character has been its unfailing fruit. And yet it is quite possible that the moral element is sometimes less emphasised than the spiritual. But the religion of Christ is not chargeable with such confusion of ideas, or failure in application of Christian ethics. It is not only a gospel of grace, but a gospel of character. It does recognise all that is good in man; but in seeking his highest development it bids him beware of trusting his own deceitful heart, and of seeking to build his character on the sandy foundation of self-righteousness.

4. But there is nothing in this narrative to prove that simple morality is all that a man needs to fit him for heaven, and that the religion of nature is all-sufficient.

(1) Cornelius was no mere moralist; he placed no dependence on good works. He received the gospel under the influence of the first gospel sermon that he ever heard.

(2) The history teaches us that even this mans character was not in its natural state sufficient, and could only find completeness in Christ. Were his condition and character all that could be desired, why did not God leave him as he was? This, then, is the prime thought that underlies this entire subject. There is no completeness of character, of happiness, or of life, apart from Christ. Grant that you are thoroughly moral, is it not better to be Christly too? What if in winter you say, The air is crisp and bracing, the hearth fire is cheerful; I want no better climate than this? Will you shut yourself in when spring comes? (C. H. Payne, D. D.)

Family devotion

Sir Thomas Abney had been accustomed to have family prayer at a certain time. Be was made Lord Mayor of London. His hour of family prayer being some time about the time of the banquet, he begged to be excused for a little, for he had an urgent engagement with a special friend. He then went and called his family together to meet with God in prayer. Do the same; if even a banquet should come down upon you, quit the table for the altar, and your guests for your God. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Cornelius, the truth seeker

I. His character. He was no mere moralist.

1. He acted up to the light he had, which the moralist does not.

2. His morality was only the outward proof of his devoutness.

3. He did not depend upon his good works, but sought something better.

4. He embraced Christ when revealed to him.

5. He impressed others with his devoutness.

II. The heavenly interest in him. This shown by angels, who take active part in the work of human recovery. This interest is seen–

1. In their minute acquaintance with our circumstances. Cornelius mentioned by name, and Peter, and the town, house, situation, host all indicated.

2. In their joy over repenting sinners.

3. In their ministry during the whole career of the heirs of salvation. Thus angels are our examples.

III. His human guide. Peter rather than the angel.

1. This is Gods plan. Man and man only employed to prophesy, give Divine news, to be a vehicle of Christs manifestation.

2. Salvation is a practical work. We need the living illustration of a human life. We need not only a teacher but a witness; one who can verify from experience.

3. It redounds more to the glory of God and Christianity. The greatness of the result is heightened by the feebleness of the instrument.

4. It confers honour upon and promotes unity among men. The most important work reserved for men.

IV. The obstacles removed out of his way. There were great barriers of race, rank, culture etc., but all were broken down (J. G. Hughes.)

Cornelius, or grace operating beyond the pale of the visible Church

I. The workings of redemptive providence are manifold and complex. Paul is converted, and is being trained for his future work. Peter receives a vision intended to break down exclusiveness. Cornelius receives Divine instructions to send for the apostle. Each is done separately and miles apart. Yet Divine power and wisdom unite them, and bring out of them the subjection of the Roman empire to Christ and the creation of modern Europe. How much depended on these three men, strangers to each other!

II. Divine grace operates beyond the pale of the visible Church. Cornelius a good man according to his light. Reverent and charitable, two indubitable marks of religion. Not a proselyte, but not counted common or unclean. Entered the kingdom of Christ without passing through the Jewish gate. Many like Cornelius at Rome and in Greece, and now in India, China, etc.

III. The limits and insufficiency of natural religion. The prayer and alms of Cornelius went up as a memorial to God; but these were not enough, or he would not have been bidden to send for Peter. But faithfulness to the light of nature led up to the Christian revelation.

1. A caution against latitudinarian indifference. There is no foundation for a belief in the sufficiency of natural light.

2. The breaking down of natural impediments to the progress of the gospel. In every nation.

3. Here is the ground of hope for humanity.

4. Here is the essential character of the provisions of the gospel. There is none other name, etc. (Preachers Monthly.)

Cornelius: a model for volunteers

1. How often Roman officers are honourably mentioned in Scripture. I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof, etc., was the humble language of one of them. Truly this man was the Son of God! cried another, as he witnessed the Crucifixion. How humane and prudent the chief captain who saved St. Paul from scourging and treachery; or the centurion who saved all the prisoners from execution at Melita, in order to secure the life of St. Paul! It says much for the discipline of the Roman army that men of such humanity and intelligence were promoted to places of authority, and partly accounts for the marvellous successes of that wonderful nation; while, again, it testifies to the power of Christianity, that men so much opposed to it should be induced to admire those in whom it was seen most conspicuously. Look now, however, at this centurion mentioned in the text. You, who have volunteered to buckle on the sword in defence of your country, may well contemplate the picture of this good soldier of Caesar and of Christ.

2. Note his bravery. Some say that Christianity and bravery cannot co-exist, Nonsense! The Christian is the only brave man in existence. Ungodly men are the cowards! Why is it that so many never enter the house of God, or make a profession of religion? Because they are ashamed to be taunted with the title of saint or Christian. Not so, Cornelius. He was valiant as a soldier serving beneath the Roman eagles. He was brave, too, as he showed his anxiety to enlist under the banner of the Cross!

3. He was also religiously brave, for he is described as a devout man, and one that feared God. He was at this period in a most interesting state of mind. He had come over from Rome a worshipper of false gods. While in Judaea, he appears to have become convinced that heathenism was wrong; and, in searching after truth, he was probably influenced by the proceedings of the devout among the Jews in Caesarea. He also became devout. How he reproves the careless talkers in Christian England, whose lips are often glib for the oath, and ready for the immoral jest!

4. The acorn contains the oak, and the hero may be often discovered in the recruit. It is beautiful to notice in the centurion the early germ which needed only the fuller light of the gospel to bring it into maturity. This devout man already feared God. It would require more moral courage than many who have been enlisted under Christs banner possess, to enable them to say, I fear God. It is a noble testimony when a man can put down the scene of godless hilarity and the foolish jesting of the scoffer by any such noble confession.

5. And now observe a yet more eloquent proof of the reality of the work which was proceeding in that mans soul! Cornelius, if he had been a hypocrite, might have disguised the fact from his soldiers and from his neighbours; but he would hardly succeed with his household. What a testimony it is to this noble centurion, that he stood not alone in his family, while he avowed his creed in Jehovah as the Lord God of heaven and earth! He feared God with all his house. It may be one great cause why we have so few specimens of thorough family religion that the consistency which adorned this centurion is not found in modern professors.

6. And there is yet another testimony to his sincerity. It is usual for officers to select their attendants and servants from amongst the soldiers of their regiment. Cornelius did so, and when he was bidden to send for Peter, to whom could he look for ambassador on so important an enterprise? Does it not tell a tale that he found no sort of difficulty? He could look at home and find persons whose character fitted them to go, ay, and in the ranks of his own men as well (verse 7).

7. Notice further how excellently this truth seeking man endeavoured to live according to his profession. He gave much alms to the people. True religion is an active, living energy, which influences you in everyone of your proceedings. It enforces acts of self-denial; and in this list of self-denying deeds is the act of almsgiving.

8. Thy prayers too! I can remember when it was considered a soldier-like act to swear lustily. Happily that day is over; but the day has not yet arrived when a prayerful soldier, or indeed a prayerful civilian, is not exposed occasionally to scorn and derision for his piety. Conclusion: You who have come forward so nobly, when your queen and country were imperilled, aim to rival the Roman in bravery, and see that you are not outdone by him in the heartiness of your piety, and in your confession of Christ. (G. Venables, M. A.)

A good mans conversion

(Act 10:24):–

I. Gods word treats all men as needing to be saved. It is interesting to notice how the language changes as the story runs on. In his vision Cornelius is informed that Peter shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do (Act 10:6). When the man comes to relate it to others, he quotes it thus, Who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee (Act 10:32). But Simon declares that what he had been sent to do was to tell Cornelius words whereby he and all his house might be saved (Act 11:14). It becomes evident, therefore, that this centurion was as yet an unsaved man And this is worth noticing, when we look at his character.

1. He was a thoroughly religious man (verse 2).

2. He was prayerful. That is a great felicity which in the New Revision changes our tame expression into, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house (verse 30). It is likely that Cornelius had family prayers regularly.

3. Twice, also, it is stated that he was liberal in benefactions.

4. He was a useful man. There comes out a fact which is in many respects more impressive because of its artless form. His servants and orderly were religious. It might be conjectured that Cornelius had had something to do with the training of these people.

5. He was of good reputation among his neighbours (verse 22). What could anyone need more? Yet Gods inspired Word declares here that Cornelius was not saved.

II. Gods Word gives us to understand that all men can be saved. Simon Peter is dispatched on the errand of saving Cornelius. Just think, for a moment, of the disabilities of this man. If we should doubt anybodys chance, we should doubt his.

1. He was a heathen from Italy at the start.

2. He was a soldier. His daily life led him constantly to be in the barracks, and among the followers of a legion of loose homeless creatures whose lives were apt to be immoral. Still, we must be fair: there are four centurions mentioned in the New Testament, and each of them has left behind him a most creditable record. One of them Jesus commended for his remarkable faith (Mat 8:10). One of them bore witness to the divinity of the Lord Jesus on the Cross (Mar 15:39). One of them was of much help and comfort to the Apostle Paul at what was very nearly the lowest point in his fortunes (Act 27:3). And this is the fourth one, and he certainly shows well. But war is a hard trade; piety in military life is pitifully like an alpine flower pushing up through the snow, and trying to blossom on a rock beside a glacier. And so it is the more beautiful when it succeeds in its pure purpose.

3. Cornelius was a government officer. That army of possession was in a sense political. It is natural always for the spirit of authority to generate arrogance; and true piety invariably demands humility and charity. As a matter of fact it is known now that Palestine in those days was a hot bed of corruption; the Roman officers oppressed and fleeced the conquered inhabitants unmercifully. All this was against Cornelius: he was once a heathen, military, politician. But it is edifying to learn that even he could be saved (verses 34, 35).

III. Gods word prescribes the conditions of every mans being saved.

1. The two conditions which Simon Peter lays down plainly are faith (Act 10:43) and repentance (Act 11:18). There is a voluminousness in his argument that renders this quite clear.

2. It is of inestimable advantage for any teacher of the gospel that he should surrender all other dependences, and rely only on the pure gospel for the conversion of souls. It is manifestly of the highest moment that Simon Peter should have been intelligently informed, and now humbly possessed, of the doctrines of grace. We do not see how he could have made his speech and fulfilled his duty that day, if he had not felt precisely what the prophet Isaiah once said (Isa 50:4).

IV. Gods Word settles the conclusion that even a good man, if without Christ, cannot be saved.

1. One may be aroused in conscience, and yet remain unsaved. Suppose Cornelius had been mortified, and wounded, and grown petulant, and so refused to obey the angels command!

2. One may be diligent in religious routine, and yet remain unsaved. How exemplary this man appears to us now!

3. One may be virtuous in his life, and remain unsaved. Cornelius was just and devout; but he was yet lacking.

4. One may be counted excellent, and yet remain unsaved.

5. One may even be instrumental in saving others, and yet remain unsaved. Cornelius needed the whole gospel still. (C. S. Robinson, D. D.)

The conversion of the Gentiles

I. There are three dramatic chapters in the Bible that stand out with special prominence and significance. Take–

1. Genesis

1. How worlds are made, and light is parted, and arrangements are completed as if some stupendous event were about to transpire! Something is going to happen! The secret is revealed in these words, and God said, Let us make man.

2. Mat 1:1-25. The first of Genesis turned into human history. There again you have that movement, urgency, and great rapidity. The reading of the genealogical record means something. The secret is revealed in the statement that Jesus was born to save His people from their sins.

3. Act 10:1-48. What movement, what dreaming and visioning and singular combination of events! Having read the first of Genesis and the first of Matthew, I feel that all these visions and trances must lead to something. What is it? The secret is revealed in these words, God is no respecter of persons, etc. In all the three chapters, therefore, I find a result which explains the process and satisfies the imagination.

II. What unconscious preparations are proceeding in life!

1. We cannot tell what we do. No occasion ends in itself. We know not what a day may bring forth, but tomorrow will certainly bring forth the seed of today. Always know that you are being prepared for some Divine issue. Your coming to church today may be the making of you! The introduction to a friend this morning may change every aspect of your coming history! The grave you dug but yesterday may be the altar at which your first heart prayer was uttered!

2. How wondrously Peter was prepared for this marvellous outcoming of Divine purpose. We read in the preceding chapter, last verse, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner. He has got so far on the road to the Gentiles. A Jew of Peters temper who could lodge with a tanner may tomorrow go to convert a Gentile. God fixes lodgings. An ancient Rabbi said, It is impossible that the world can do without tanners, but woe unto that man who is a tanner. The address is given–whose house is by the seaside. The reason being that the Jews would not have tanneries in the towns. If a man married without telling his bride that he was a tanner, she could instantly demand release. The law which provided that the childless widow was to marry the brother of a deceased husband was set aside in the event of that brother being a tanner. You see, then, how stubborn were the prejudices against tanning, and yet we read as if it involved no extraordinary principle that Peter tarried many days with one Simon a tanner. It means everything, there is a revolution in these words. This makes a breach in the wall, buttressed with the traditions of generations–a breach that will widen until the whole falls, and man everywhere hail man as brother!

3. The point to be observed is, how unconsciously men are being prepared for higher communications and wider services. God leads us on step by step. We do not jump to conclusions in Divine Providence. We go forward a step at a time, and we never know how far we have advanced until we come to the last step, and find that it is but a step. This is Gods way. This is how He trains you, dear children, for the last step which we now call death. Now in this early morning of your life you do not want to die. But little by little, day by day, suffering by suffering, trial by trial, loss by loss, a time will come when even you will say, I have a desire to depart. God deals thus gradually and gently with us. Sometimes His providences seem to be abrupt and even violent, but in reality they move along a gradation settled and adjusted by the tenderest love. Things that are impossible to you today will be the commonplaces of tomorrow. You do not speak to the farthest-off man at once; but you speak to the man who is next to you, and then to the one following, and so, a man at a time, you move on until the distance is traversed and he who was once far off has been brought nigh! Upon this daily and inevitable process rests your confidence that prejudice of the most stubborn kind shall be broken down, and one day we shall know that every land is home and every man is brother!

III. What mysterious combinations of experiences and events are continually taking place.

1. Cornelius saw in a vision an angel. Peter fell into a trance and heard a voice. That is our daily life. We cannot be shut up within the four corners of a vulgar materialism. God has still over us the mysterious reign of dreams. Why wonder if dreams will come true, when dreams are true? You should have spoken to the angel, and said, What is it, Lord? You should even have contradicted the angel, and said, Not so, Lord, and then further conversation would have ensued. Instead of that you continue to sleep, and in the morning ask if dreams come true! You had your chance and missed it. The night is full of crowds. In the infinite galleries of the night the angels walk, visiting the beloved of God. Dreams of your own causing are not the dreams we are now speaking about. Physical nightmare is one thing, spiritual vision is another.

2. But even apart from the ministry of the night we have in our day dreams events sufficiently spiritually mysterious to inspire the religious imagination. How strange, say we, that it should have been so. How remarkable that our letters should have crossed. Why, at the very time I was doing this you must have been coming to me! How singular! This is an irreligious way of talking about human history and Divine issues, I want to cleanse my life of all mere accidents, and to feel that my down-sitting and my up-rising, and my out-going, my in-coming are matters of importance in heaven–that the very hairs of my head are all numbered! Why do we belittle our experience and deplete it of everything that could give nobility, and enlargement, and apocalypse to our highest nature? Rather be it mine to say the vision was from heaven, and an angel spake to me, than to vulgarise the universe and to find in it nothing that I cannot mark with plain figures.

IV. Here we have a higher law swallowing up a lower one–God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. It requires God to show that to some men. This is nothing short of a Divine revelation–to see the man within the creature. I see the poor clothing, the unkempt body–there is something behind! I see the roughness, rudeness–there is something behind. A man! Said the murmuring multitude respecting Zacchaeus, Christ hath gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. But Jesus called the sinner a son of Abraham. Lord, open our eyes that we may see one another! Christianity has come to eat up and absorb all our little laws and to set us under a nobler legislation. Said Christ, Who is My mother, and who are My brethren? And turning to His disciples, He said, Whosoever doeth the will of My Father that is in heaven, the same is My mother, and sister, and brother. We are under the foolish notion that a man is a brother because we were born of the same mother. Nothing of the kind. There may be no greater stranger in the universe than the one born of the same mother. They are brothers who are one in soul, one in conviction, one in hope! (J. Parker, D. D.)

The providential guidance of the Church

The conversion of the Gentiles was no new idea to Jews or Christians, but it had been universally regarded as to take place by their reception into Judaism. A gospel of the uncircumcision however soon began to be recognised by some. Stephen, carrying out the principles of his own apology, could hardly fail to recognise it, and the Cyprian and Cyrenean missionaries of Act 11:20 preached the Word to pure heathen certainly before the conversion of Cornelius. This state of things might have given rise to a permanent schism in the Church. The Hellenists, and perhaps Saul, with his definite mission to the Gentiles, might have formed one party, and the Hebrews, with Peter at their head, the other. But as Neander observes: The pernicious influence with which from the first the self-seeking and one-sided prejudices of human nature threatened the Divine work was counteracted by the superior influence of the Holy Spirit, which did not allow the differences of men to reach such a point of antagonism, but enabled them to retain unity in variety. We recognise the preventing wisdom of God–which, while giving scope to the free agency of man, knows how to interpose His immediate revelation just at the moment when it is requisite for the success of the Divine work–by noticing that when the apostles needed this wider development of their Christian knowledge for the exercise of their vocation, and when the lack of it would have been exceedingly detrimental, at that very moment, by a remarkable coincidence of inward revelation with a chain of outward circumstances, the illumination hitherto wanting was imparted. (Dean Alford.)

The supernatural preparation

This consisted in a miraculous communication–

I. To Cornelius. It required a special Divine interposition to prepare in the Gentile world an audience for a gospel sermon, and one occurred in the case of this heathen soldier. An angel–

1. Visited him.

(1) The form was human. Painters and poets give angels wings, the Bible does not.

(2) The appearance was appalling. The sentimental may talk about the beauty of angels, but to the sinner their manifestation is always connected with terror.

2. Encouraged him (Act 11:4).

(1) Genuine goodness includes piety and philanthropy.

(2) The virtues of good men are recognised in heaven. What more encouraging than this?

3. Directed him (Act 11:5). Why not tell him what to do thyself, angelic spirit? Because the gospel is to be preached by men, not angels. The supernatural communication answers the end. Cornelius is prompt to obey. What Abraham is to Jewish saints, Cornelius is to the Gentile Christians–the first called out miraculously by God, the moral father of the great family. The preparation of the heart for the reception of the gospel is a work of the Lord. When the Great Husbandman prepares the soil the seed will germinate.

II. To Peter. Observe–

1. His circumstances.

(1) His spiritual exercise. He had just been employed in prayer. He who would see heaven opened must pray.

(2) His physical state–hungry. Both soul and body therefore were craving, the one for communications from God, the other for food.

(3) His mental state–in a trance, a state of utter abstraction from all external objects. Then the vision came. There was a natural connection between his hunger and the creatures he saw. In Gods revelations the human often plays a conspicuous part. The vision was symbolic. The vessel may denote the human creation containing Jews and Gentiles: its descent from heaven the equal Divine origin of both; the command to kill and eat the advent of a dispensation to annul all that was ceremonial and narrow in Judaism. The vision teaches–

(a) The Divine origin of the race. All let down from heaven. Every birth is a Divine emanation. There is nothing new but souls.

(b) The great diversities of the race. All manner, etc. Great are the distinctions among men–physical, mental, and moral; yet all from heaven.

(c) The ceremonialisms which divide the race. They are to be killed by the apostles of Christianity.

2. His strong antagonism to the purpose of this wonderful vision (Act 11:14). The fact that the vision occurred thrice plainly indicated how potent his religious antipathies were.

3. The providential agency by which this antagonism was removed. While Peter was in doubt, just at that point the centurions emissaries came. If our doubt is honest, as was Peters, Providence will send an interpreter. (D. Thomas, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

CHAPTER X.

An angel appears to Cornelius, a centurion, and directs him to

send to Joppa, for Peter, to instruct him in the way of

salvation, 1-6.

He sends accordingly, 7, 8.

While the messengers are on their way to Joppa, Peter has a

remarkable vision, by which he is taught how he should treat

the Gentiles, 9-16.

The messengers arrive at the house of Simon the tanner, and

deliver their message, 17-22.

They lodge there that night, and on the morrow Peter accompanies

them to Caesarea, where they find Cornelius and his friends

assembled, waiting the coming of Peter, 23, 24.

Peter makes an apology for his coming, and inquires for what

purpose Cornelius had sent for him, 25-29.

Cornelius answers, 30-33.

And Peter preaches unto him Jesus, as the Saviour of the world,

and the Judge of quick and dead, 34-43.

While he speaks the Holy Ghost descends on Cornelius and his

company; and they speak with new tongues, and magnify God,

44-46.

Peter commands them to be baptized in the name of the Lord,

47, 48.

NOTES ON CHAP. X.

I have already observed (see the conclusion of the preceding chapter) that hitherto the apostles confined their labours among the Jews and circumcised proselytes, not making any offer of salvation to the Gentiles; for they had fully imbibed the opinion that none could enter into the kingdom of God, and be finally saved, unless they were circumcised, and became obedient to the law of Moses. This prejudice would have operated so as finally to prevent them from preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, had not God, by a particular interposition of his mercy and goodness, convinced Peter, and through him all the other apostles, that he had accepted the Gentiles as well as the Jews, and would put no difference between the one and the other, purifying their hearts by faith, and giving the Gentiles the Holy Ghost, as he had before given it to the Jews. The means which he used to produce this conviction in the minds of the apostles are detailed at length in the following chapter.

Verse 1. There was a certain man in Caesarea] This was Caesarea of Palestine, called also Strato’s Tower, as has been already noted, and the residence of the Roman procurator.

A centurion] , The chief or captain of 100 men, as both the Greek and Latin words imply. How the Roman armies were formed, divided, and marshalled, See Clarke on Mt 20:16. A centurion among the Romans was about the same rank as a captain among us.

The band called the Italian band] The word , which we translate band, signifies the same as cohort or regiment, which sometimes consisted of 555 infantry, and 66 cavalry; but the cohors prima, or first cohort, consisted of 1105 infantry, and l32 cavalry, in the time of Vegetius. But the cavalry are not to be considered as part of the cohort, but rather a company joined to it. A Roman legion consisted of ten cohorts; the first of which surpassed all the others, both in numbers and in dignity. When in former times the Roman legion contained 6000, each cohort consisted of 600, and was divided into three manipuli; but both the legions and cohorts were afterwards various in the numbers they contained. As there were doubtless many Syrian auxiliaries, the regiment in question was distinguished from them as consisting of Italian, i.e. Roman, soldiers. The Italian cohort is not unknown among the Roman writers: Gruter gives an inscription, which was found in the Forum Sempronii, on a fine table of marble, nine feet long, four feet broad, and four inches thick; on which are the following words:-

L. MAESIO. L. F. POL.

RVFO. PROC. AVG.

TRIB. MIL. LEG. X.

APPOLLINARIS. TRIB.

COH. MIL. ITALIC. VOLUNT.

QVAE. EST. IN. SYRIA. PRAEF.

FABRVM. BIS.

See Gruter’s Inscriptions, p. ccccxxxiii-iv.

This was probably the same cohort as that mentioned here by St. Luke; for the tenth legion mentioned in the above inscription was certainly in Judea, A.D. 69. Tacitus also mentions the Italica legio, the Italic legion, lib. i. c. 59, which Junius Blaesus had under his command in the province of Lyons. We learn, from the Roman historians, that the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth legions were stationed in Judea; and the third, fourth, sixth, and twelfth in Syria. The Italic legion was in the battle of Bedriacum, fought, A.D. 69, between the troops of Vitellius and Otho; and performed essential services to the Vitellian army. See Tacitus, Hist. lib. ii. cap. 41. The issue of this battle was the defeat of the Othonians, on which Otho slew himself, and the empire was confirmed to Vitellius.

Wherever he sees it necessary, St. Luke carefully gives dates and facts, to which any might have recourse who might be disposed to doubt his statements: we have had several proofs of this in his Gospel. See especially Lu 1:1, &c., and Lu 3:1, &c., and the notes there.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

In Caesarea; in Caesarea Palestine, as it was called in contra distinction to Caesarea Philippi.

Cornelius; a Roman by his name; which name was ordinarily to be found amongst the families of the Scipios and Syllas.

A band answers either to a regiment amongst us, or to a legion amongst the Romans (this latter was far greater than the former).

It was called the Italian band, as being composed of Italian soldiers, and might be used as a guard of the proconsul, who dwelt at Caesarea, who was that Felix we read of, Act 23:24.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1, 2. Csarea(See on Ac8:40).

the Italian bandacohort of Italians, as distinguished from native soldiers, quarteredat Csarea, probably as a bodyguard to the Roman procurator whoresided there. An ancient coin makes express mention of such a cohortin Syria. [AKERMAN,Numismatic Illustrations of the New Testament.]

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

There was a certain man in Caesarea,…. This was the Caesarea formerly called Strato’s tower, not Caesarea Philippi; for the former, and not the latter, lay near Joppa:

called Cornelius; which was a Roman name, and he himself was a Roman or an Italian:

a centurion of the band called the Italian band; which consisted of soldiers collected out of Italy, from whence the band took its name, in which Cornelius was a centurion, having a hundred men under him, as the name of his office signifies.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Case of Cornelius.

      1 There was a certain man in Csarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,   2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.   3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.   4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.   5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:   6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.   7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;   8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

      The bringing of the gospel to the Gentiles, and the bringing of those who had been strangers and foreigners to be fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, were such a mystery to the apostles themselves, and such a surprise (Eph 3:3; Eph 3:6), that it concerns us carefully to observe all the circumstances of the beginning of this great work, this part of the mystery of godliness–Christ preached to the Gentiles, and believed on in this world, 1 Tim. iii. 16. It is not unlikely that some Gentiles might before now have stepped into a synagogue of the Jews, and heard the gospel preached; but the gospel was never yet designedly preached to the Gentiles, nor any of them baptized–Cornelius was the first; and here we have,

      I. An account given us of this Cornelius, who and what he was, who was the first-born of the Gentiles to Christ. We are here told that he was a great man and a good man–two characters that seldom meet, but here they did; and where they do meet they put a lustre upon each other: goodness makes greatness truly valuable, and greatness makes goodness much more serviceable. 1. Cornelius was an officer of the army, v. 1. He was at present quartered in Cesarea, a strong city, lately re-edified and fortified by Herod the Great, and called Cesarea in honour of Augustus Csar. It lay upon the sea-shore, very convenient for the keeping up of a correspondence between Rome and its conquests in those parts. The Roman governor or proconsul ordinarily resided here, Act 23:23; Act 23:24; Act 25:6. Here there was a band, or cohort, or regiment, of the Roman army, which probably was the governor’s life-guard, and is here called the Italian band, because, that they might be the more sure of their fidelity, they were all native Romans, or Italians. Cornelius had a command in this part of the army. His name, Cornelius was much used among the Romans, among some of the most ancient and noble families. He was an officer of considerable rank and figure, a centurion. We read of one of that rank in our Saviour’s time, of whom he gave a great commendation, Matt. viii. 10. When a Gentile must be pitched upon to receive the gospel first, it is not a Gentile philosopher, much less a Gentile priest (who are bigoted to their notions and worship, and prejudiced against the gospel of Christ), but a Gentile soldier, who is a man of more free thought; and he that truly is so, when the Christian doctrine is fairly set before him, cannot but receive it and bid it welcome. Fishermen, unlearned and ignorant men, were the first of the Jewish converts, but not so of the Gentiles; for the world shall know that the gospel has that in it which may recommend it to men of polite learning and a liberal education, as we have reason to think this centurion was. Let not soldiers and officers of the army plead that their employment frees them from the restraints which some others are under, and, giving them an opportunity of living more at large, may excuse them if they be not religious; for here was an officer of the army that embraced Christianity, and yet was neither turned out of his place nor turned himself out. And, lastly, it was a mortification to the Jews that not only the Gentiles were taken into the church, but that the first who was taken in was an officer of the Roman army, which was to them the abomination of desolation. 2. He was, according to the measure of the light he had, a religious man. It is a very good character that is given of him, v. 2. He was no idolater, no worshipper of false gods or images, nor allowed himself in any of those immoralities to which the greater part of the Gentile world were given up, to punish them for their idolatry. (1.) He was possessed with a principle of regard to the true and living God. He was a devout man and one that feared God. He believed in one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and had a reverence for his glory and authority, and a dread of offending him by sin; and, though he was a soldier, it was no diminution to the credit of his valour to tremble before God. (2.) He kept up religion in his family. He feared God with all his house. He would not admit any idolaters under his roof, but took care that not himself only, but all his, should serve the Lord. Every good man will do what he can that those about him may be good too. (3.) He was a very charitable man: He gave much alms to the people, the people of the Jews, notwithstanding the singularities of their religion. Though he was a Gentile, he was willing to contribute to the relief of one that was a real object of charity, without asking what religion he was of. (4.) He was much in prayer: He prayed to God always. He kept up stated times for prayer, and was constant to them. Note, Wherever the fear of God rules in the heart, it will appear both in works of charity and of piety, and neither will excuse us from the other.

      II. The orders given him from heaven, by the ministry of an angel, to send for Peter to come to him, which he would never have done if he had not been thus directed to do it. Observe,

      1. How, and in what way, these orders were given him. He had a vision, in which an angel delivered them to him. It was about the ninth hour of the day, at three of the clock in the afternoon, which is with us an hour of business and conversation; but then, because it was in the temple the time of offering the evening sacrifice, it was made by devout people an hour of prayer, to intimate that all our prayers are to be offered up in the virtue of the great sacrifice. Cornelius was now at prayer: so he tells us himself, v. 30. Now here we are told, (1.) That an angel of God came in to him. By the brightness of his countenance, and the manner of his coming in, he knew him to be something more than a man, and therefore nothing less than an angel, an express from heaven. (2.) That he saw him evidently with his bodily eyes, not in a dream presented to his imagination, but in a vision presented to his sight; for his greater satisfaction, it carried its own evidence along with it. (3.) That he called him by his name, Cornelius, to intimate the particular notice God took of him. (4.) That this put Cornelius for the present into some confusion (v. 4): When he looked on him he was afraid. The wisest and best men have been struck with fear upon the appearance of any extra-ordinary messenger from heaven; and justly, for sinful man knows that he has no reason to expect any good tidings thence. And therefore Cornelius cries, “What is it, Lord? What is the matter?” This he speaks as one afraid of something amiss, and longing to be eased of that fear, by knowing the truth; or as one desirous to know the mind of God, and ready to comply with it, as Joshua: What saith my Lord unto his servant? And Samuel: Speak, for thy servant heareth.

      2. What the message was that was delivered to him.

      (1.) He is assured that God accepts him in walking according to the light he had (v. 4): Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Observe, Prayers and alms must go together. We must follow our prayers with alms; for the fast that God hath chosen is to draw out the soul to the hungry,Isa 58:6; Isa 58:7. It is not enough to pray that what we have may be sanctified to us, but we must give alms of such things as we have; and then, behold, all things are clean to us, Luke xi. 41. And we must follow our alms with our prayers that God would graciously accept them, and that they may be blessed to those to whom they are given. Cornelius prayed, and gave alms, not as the Pharisees, to be seen of men, but in sincerity, as unto God; and he is here told that they were come up for a memorial before God. They were upon record in heaven, in the book of remembrance that is written there for all that fear God, and shall be remembered to his advantage: “Thy prayers shall be answered, and thine alms recompensed.” The sacrifices under the law are said to be for a memorial. See Lev 2:9; Lev 2:16; Lev 5:12; Lev 6:15. And prayers and alms are our spiritual offerings, which God is pleased to take cognizance of, and have regard to. The divine revelation communicated to the Jews, as far as the Gentiles were concerned in it, not only as it directed and improved the light and law of nature, but as it promised a Messiah to come, Cornelius believed and submitted to. What he did he did in that faith, and was accepted of God in it; for the Gentiles, to whom the law of Moses came, were not obliged to become circumcised Jews, as those to whom the gospel of Christ comes are to become baptized Christians.

      (2.) He is appointed to enquire after a further discovery of divine grace, now lately made to the world, Act 10:5; Act 10:6. He must send forthwith to Joppa, and enquire for one Simon Peter; he lodgeth at the house of one Simon a tanner; his house is by the sea side, and, if he be sent for, he will come; and when he comes he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do, in answer to thy question, What is it, Lord? Now here are two things very surprising, and worthy our consideration– [1.] Cornelius prays and gives alms in the fear of God, is religious himself and keeps up religion in his family, and all this so as to be accepted of God in it, and yet there is something further that he ought to do–he ought to embrace the Christian religion, now that God has established it among men. Not, He may do it if he pleases; it will be an improvement and entertainment to him. But, He must do it; it is indispensably necessary to his acceptance with God for the future, though he has been accepted in his services hitherto. He that believed the promise of the Messiah must now believe the performance of that promise. Now that God has given a further record concerning his Son than what had been given in the Old-Testament prophecies he requires that we receive this when it is brought to us; and now neither our prayers nor our alms can come up for a memorial before God unless we believe in Jesus Christ, for it is that further which we ought to do. This is his commandment, that we believe. Prayers and alms are accepted from those that believe that the Lord is God, and have not opportunity of knowing more; but, from those to whom it is preached that Jesus is Christ, it is necessary to the acceptance of their persons, prayers, and alms, that they believe this, and rest upon him alone for acceptance. [2.] Cornelius has now an angel from heaven talking to him, and yet he must not receive the gospel of Christ from this angel, nor be told by him what he ought to do, but all that the angel has to say is, “Send for Peter, and he shall tell thee.” As the former observation puts a mighty honour upon the gospel, so does this upon the gospel ministry: it was not to the highest of angels, but to those who were less that the least of all saints, that this grace was given, to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. iii. 8), that the excellency of the power might be of God, and the dignity of an institution of Christ supported; for unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come (Heb. ii. 5), but to the Son of man as the sovereign, and the sons of men as his agents and ministers of state, whose terrors shall not make us afraid, nor their hand be heavy upon us, as this angel’s now was to Cornelius. And as it was an honour to the apostle that he must preach that which an angel might not, so it was a further honour that an angel was despatched on purpose from heaven to order him to be sent for. To bring a faithful minister and a willing people together is a work worthy of an angel, and what therefore the greatest of men should be glad to be employed in.

      III. His immediate obedience to these orders, Act 10:7; Act 10:8. He sent with all speed to Joppa, to fetch Peter to him. Had he himself only been concerned, he would have gone to Joppa to him. But he had a family, and kinsmen, and friends (v. 24), a little congregation of them, that could not go with him to Joppa, and therefore he sends for Peter. Observe, 1. When he sent: As soon as ever the angel which spoke unto him had departed, without dispute or delay, he was obedient to the heavenly vision. He perceived, by what the angel said, he was to have some further work prescribed him, and he longed to have it told him. He made haste, and delayed not, to do this commandment. In any affair wherein our souls are concerned it is good for us not to lose time. 2. Whom he sent: Two of his household servants, who all feared God, and a devout soldier, one of those that waited on him continually. Observe, a devout centurion had devout soldiers. A little devotion commonly goes a great way with soldiers, but there would be more of it in the soldiers if there were but more of it in the commanders. Officers in an army, that have such a great power over the soldiers, as we find the centurion had (Matt. viii. 9), have a great opportunity of promoting religion, at least of restraining vice and profaneness, in those under their command, if they would but improve it. Observe, When this centurion had to choose some of his soldiers to attend his person, and to be always about him, he pitched upon such of them as were devout; they shall be preferred and countenanced, to encourage others to be so. He went by David’s rule (Ps. ci. 6), Mine eye shall be upon the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me. 3. What instructions he gave them (v. 8): He declared all these things unto them, told them of the vision he had, and the orders given him to send for Peter, because Peter’s coming was a thing in which they were concerned, for they had souls to save as well as he. Therefore he does not only tell them where to find Peter (which he might have thought it enough to do–the servant knows not what his Lord doeth), but he tells them on what errand he was to come, that they might importune him.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Cornelius (). The great Cornelian family of Rome may have had a freedman or descendant who is

centurion (–, leader of a hundred, Latin centurio). See on Mt 8:5. These Roman centurions always appear in a favourable light in the N.T. (Matt 8:5; Luke 7:2; Luke 23:47; Acts 10:1; Acts 22:25; Acts 27:3). Furneaux notes the contrasts between Joppa, the oldest town in Palestine, and Caesarea, built by Herod; the Galilean fisherman lodging with a tanner and the Roman officer in the seat of governmental authority.

Of the band called the Italian ( ). A legion had ten cohorts or “bands” and sixty centuries. The word (note genitive in – like the Ionic instead of –) is here equal to the Latin cohors. In the provinces were stationed cohorts of Italic citizens (volunteers) as an inscription at Carnuntum on the Danube (Ramsay) has shown (epitaph of an officer in the second Italic cohort). Once more Luke has been vindicated. The soldiers could, of course, be Roman citizens who lived in Caesarea. But the Italian cohorts were sent to any part of the empire as needed. The procurator at Caesarea would need a cohort whose loyalty he could trust, for the Jews were restless.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Centurion. See on Luk 7:2.

Band [] . See on Mr 14:16.

Italian. Probably because consisting of Roman soldiers, and not of natives of the country.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

Vision of Cornelius in Caesarea, V. 1-6

1) “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius,” (aner de tis en Kaisereia onomati Kornelius) “Now there was a certain man by name (of) Cornelius in Caesarea,” in the Caesarea “by the seaside,” not Caesarea Philippi, Act 8:40; Mat 16:13; Mar 8:17, This Caesarea was then headquarters of the Roman procurator, the territorial Roman governor.

2) “A centurion of the band,” (hekatontarches ek speires) “A centurion out of a cohort-band,” a band that protected the procurator or governor and also assisted in enforcing his decisions.

3) “Called the Italian band,” (kaloumenes Italikes) “That was called (being called) the Italian cohort,” perhaps composed of volunteer Roman citizens born in Italy but then residing in Judea near Caesarea.

Centurions seem to have been referred to as devout, reverent, throughout the New Testament. They appear to have been morally and ethically upright and to have reverence toward God, a thing that perhaps helped them hold the position of trust over one hundred (100) soldiers, Mat 8:10; Luk 7:2; Act 27:3.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

1. Luke passeth over now unto a worthy (643) history, to wit, that God vouchsafeth to advance a stranger, and one uncircumcised, unto singular honor above all the Jews, because he doth both send his angel unto him, and for his sake bringeth Peter to Cesarea, that he may instruct him in the gospel. But first of all Luke showeth what manner of person this Cornelius was, for whose cause an angel descended from heaven, and God spake to Peter in a vision. He was a captain [centurion] of the Italian band; a band [cohort] did consist upon [of] a thousand footmen, and he which was chief captain was called a tribune, (or marshal.) Again, every hundred had a captain. A legion had for the most part five bands. That band was called the Italian band, because the Romans did choose soldiers oftentimes from amongst those which dwelt in the provinces; but they had the strength of the army (644) out of Italy; therefore, Cornelius was an Italian born; but he was at Cesarea with his hundred, to guard the city. For the Romans were wont so to distribute their places of abode, (645) that every city of renown might have a garrison to stay sudden uproars. A rare example that a soldier was so devout towards God, so upright and courteous towards men! For at that time the Italians, when as they were carried into the provinces to live in warfare, ran to and fro like hungry wolves to get some prey; they had for the most part no more religion than beasts; they had as great care of innocency as cutthroats; for which cause the virtues of Cornelius deserve the greater commendation, in that leading a soldier’s life, which was at that time most corrupt, he served God holily, and lived amongst men without doing any hurt or injury. And this is no small amplification of his praise, in that casting away superstition wherein he was born and brought up, he embraced the pure worship of God; for we know what account the Italians made of themselves, and how proudly they despised others. And the Jews were at that time in such contempt, that for their sakes pure religion was counted infamous, and almost execrable. Seeing that none of these things could hinder Cornelius, but that forsaking his idols he did embrace the true worship of the true God alone, it must needs be that he was endued with rare and singular sincerity. Moreover, he could find scarce any thing amongst the Jews wherewith he could be allured unto the study of godliness, because there was then scarce one amongst a thousand which had even some small smattering of the law; and, undoubtedly, Cornelius had lighted upon some good worshipper of God, who being sound from corrupt opinions, did expound unto him the law faithfully, without mixing any leaven therewith; but because Luke giveth him many titles of commendation, we must note them all [singly.]

(643) “ Memorabilem,” memorable.

(644) “ Robur exercituum,” the flower of their armies.

(645) “ Stationes,” stations.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

PETER, THE MIRACLE WORKER

Act 9:32

HEREIN is an indication of the rapid spread of the Gospel. The Church at this place is easily accounted for when it is remembered that Philip passed from Azotus to Caesarea, preaching in all the cities between (Act 8:40). The saints at this place were doubtless the fruits of his ministry. Modernists have tried to make it out that Scriptures which have not an evident spiritual intent can have no spiritual profit, and famous writers have even affirmed, There are whole pages of the Old Testament that can in and of themselves by no legitimate method be made to minister to the souls welfare and evidently were not written for that purpose, and yet one of the most recent writers, and one who is not unacceptable to critics themselves, has called attention to a number of instances by which men have been converted by the very passages intended in that remark.

It might not seem a matter of special interest that Philip moved from Azotus to Caesarea, and preached as he passed through the cities, but in it is a historic base for this report concerning Peters find at Lydda, and had to do with the creation there of an atmosphere in which Peter could do such marvelous works, and marvelous they are. The remaining part of the 9th chapter and the 10th of Acts recites miracles not exceeded, and gives occasion to a discussion under three heads: The Miracles of Peter, The Mission of Peter and The Message of Peter.

THE MIRACLES OF PETER

The text makes it perfectly evident that neas was a member of the Church at Lydda, a special saint among the members of that little city. For eight long years he had been bedridden; his malady was most malignant. Palsy had paralyzed him, and while it had not despoiled his spirit, produced in him skepticism or made him the easy victim of morose sorrows, it had rendered him utterly impotent in body. To him Peter came and the record of his healing here is clear and specific.

Peters address presented Christ as the cure for incurables. neas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately (Act 9:34), One thing about Christ which could neither be denied nor discredited was His wonder working. Enemies and friends alike were compelled to affirm, We never saw it on this wise. The healing was a perfect healing of one for whom men had no hope. That is like Jesus Christ.

It is true that God has made a promise, My grace is sufficient for thee, which the sick often appropriate, and prove the same in the sweetness of their lives when they truly trust the Word. It is also true that He has promised the sick to make their bed in their affliction, and He does temper the pillow to the fevered brow of the believer. It is also true that our God, in Christ, is capable of the yet better and bigger thing, namely, the perfect restorationJesus Christ maketh thee whole, and Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

His purpose toward the saint is no less gracious now than in the day of neas. His proclamation for the saint is no less effective. He is not only the One that forgiveth all our iniquities, but He also hath power to heal all our diseases. Jesus is none other than Jehovah-Rophi, I am the Lord that healeth thee.

Joseph Parker truly says, But you are not the people to wait for such crises in which to invite the Lords anointed to your house. Send for Him that day when every table is laden with flowers and every corner of the dwelling is ablaze with His own sunshine.

Doubtless one reason why we have such difficult times to secure the Christ in our houses when sickness smites and sorrow is on and death draws nigh, is in the circumstance that He has not been a welcome guest when all was well.

Peter believed Christ to be life for the dead. Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did (Act 9:36). Gods answer to prayer begets further faith. The healing of neas had doubtless spread to Joppa and led the friends of Dorcas to feel that burial was not justified, and to hope that if Peter came, a resuscitation of this dear friend might be expected. That was the effect of healing upon their faith. That a kindred result was accomplished in Peter was made perfectly evident when, in response to their invitation, he went at once and, coming into the home of death, pushed the weeping friends aside, and in secret made his appeal to God, and then, turning to the body, said, Tabitha, arise! and apparently experienced no surprise when she opened her eyes, but rather gave her his hand and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and witnesses, presented her alive.

Every answer to prayer effects an increase of faith. There is a strange psychological effect concerning ones study of his own image as reflected by a mirror. The moment he turns from the mirror, he forgets what manner of man he is, but that mental aberration is not so strange as the speedy forgetting of some work of grace. In that work we have seen Christ, but when tomorrows crisis is come, if we could but remember what manner of man He was, we would put our case into His hands with confidence, knowing that with Him it is one, whether He say, to the sick of the palsy, Arise and make thy bed, or to the buried dead, Come forth! Christs promise to His Apostles when He commissioned them to the lost sheep of the house of Israel was, As ye go, preach, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead. Peter belonged to that company and is simply exercising here his proper prerogative.

Later, when the seventy were sent out, the commission was extended, but the miraculous powers were limited. Whatsoever city was their field, healing the sick was their privilege, but not so with raising the dead. People sometimes say, If the miracle is continued, and the sick are to be healed, why then do you not raise the dead? We answer, The apostolic privilege was one thing, and the privilege of the disciple another. See Mar 16:17-18. Peter was an Apostle, and when he said to the dead woman, Arise, he had back of him a Divine commission, and in his risen Christ, the resurrection power.

Welcome, thou victor in the strife,Almighty now to save!Today we triumph in thy life,Around thine empty grave.

Our greatest foe is put to shame,His short-lived triumph oer,Our God is with us, we exclaim,We fear our foe no more.

Peters ministry demonstrated the effectiveness of the miracle as a message. When neas was made whole, all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him and turned to the Lord. It is likely that the word all here is used in an accommodating sense, just as we say, The whole town attended church, when the congregation is exceedingly great.

When Dorcas was raised from the dead, it was known throughout all Joppa and many believed on the Lord (Act 10:42).

The one reason why the message is non-effective in many churches is that there is no miracle in the midst.

I have in the city of Memphis, Tenn. a friend, Dr. Ben Cox. He once published in the Memphis News Scimitar what he terms a Confession, and in that he says, For a number of years I have been more or less interested in the passages of Scripture in the last chapters of Mark and James, and other places, but have either lacked courage or conviction enabling me to step out on the promises of God. I am frank to confess, I rebelled, as many others do, against the idea of putting a few drops of oil on a persons forehead when having prayer for the sick. I could see nothing in it. * * * * * * I was led to invite Brother Collins here because the news had come to me of the marvelous manner in which the Lord was blessing him and his associates in New Orleans. I simply expected that he would be here one or two weeks, conducting the noon prayer meeting and perhaps have a short sermon at night. Nobody in Memphis is more thoroughly surprised and dazed than I am at the marvelous happenings we have witnessed the last three weeks. Very many people are coming to me saying, Dr. Cox, this makes me think of the days when Christ was upon the earth.

At the beginning of this wonderful revival meeting, I saw scarcely anything in the matter except the blessings brought to the people by the Lord healing the sick in answer to prayer. The tremendous evangelistic feature did not appeal to me; I had not thought of it. I am now thoroughly convinced that Jesus intended these two streams should flow on side by side, as that great Baptist preacher of Boston, Dr. A. J. Gordon, used to contend. Traditionalists and materialists have dammed up one of these streams, claiming the days of miracles are past, but they do not seem to be able to show the chapter and verse which teaches that the days of miracles are past. Jesus plainly says, Greater works than these shall ye do because I go to My Father, and as dear Gordon used to put it, The force of the stream is stronger because the source of the stream has been raised.

People are constantly making evangelistic plans. The average pastors study is flooded with evangelistic programs. Year succeeds year and the evangelistic tide ebbs! Why? Because these plans and programs do not anticipate the reappearance of Christ, the Miracle Worker. Men want the salvation of their fellows as the fruits of their own endeavor and it will not come that way. The rejected Christ will be recalled in all His plenitude of power, or the church perish.

Evangelism without the miracle is unknown. The miracle without the evangelistic results is equally unknown. The Divine miracle has forever been the entering wedge for evangelism. It is the sign of God in the midst. That true, converts come easily and often!

THE MISSION OF PETER

The last sentence of the 9th chapter leads naturally to the story of the 10thAnd it came to pass that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner. Possibly due to the ceremonial laws of the Jews, the business of tanning was despised. An eminent rabbi is quoted as having said, It is impossible that the world can do without tanners, but woe to that man who is a tanner. He was not permitted either residence or shop inside the city limits; hence the significant statement of Simon, the tanner, that his house was by the seaside. Peter was beginning to break with Jewish customs when he consented to be entertained by this practical outcast. To lodge with a Jew who was under condemnation is a step toward fellowship with a Gentile who is regarded by the Jews as a dog.

But in order to take that step, two visions were essential. The first was granted to Cornelius and the second to Peter himself. And in the study of these two visions, we have Peters Response to the First Vision, Peters Experience of a Second Vision, and Peters Interpretation of the Same.

Peters response to the first vision. The subject of this vision was Cornelius, a Centurion of the band called the Italian Band, hence a Roman citizen, a Gentile, and yet a devout man, one who feared God and his whole house. So far, he had yielded to Jewish teaching, and instead of worshiping many gods, had feared the Name of Jehovah and worshiped Him alone. Faith is always fruiting in righteousness and the result in this instance was much alms to the people and constant prayer.

At three oclock in the afternoon, an hour often devoted to prayer, the angel of the Lord came to Cornelius and bore testimony that his prayers and alms had come before God for a memorial, and gave direction to send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do (Act 10:5-6).

Men have long debated the question, Will the heathen be saved? Some one who relies upon his reason is constantly affirming that it must be so or God will be unjust. Since the heathen have not had the Gospel, how can they be held responsible for rejecting Christ? If that argument were sound, missions would be a sin, enlightenment an iniquity. If ignorance is redemption, then woe to the man who lifts its darkened veil and lets in the light! On the other hand, this text makes it fairly clear that a man may be accepted of God without knowing the Name of Christ, but it is when he, himself, has sought to find the true Way and stands ready to receive light from whatever source, and lives up to the light after it comes.

There has long been a story current to the effect that Brainerd found in the Northwest an Indian whose custom was to retire daily into the forest and pray to the Great Spirit to pardon his personal sins and save him and his people. We can readily believe that such an Indian was accepted of God, and can even imagine that God may have sent Brainerd to make known to that Indian the more perfect way. It is a truthChrist is our authority for itif any man is willing to do the will of God, he shall know of the teaching, and it is very doubtful if there has ever been a heart on the earth who truly cried to God for light and life, but some way God got to him both.

It may have been the cry of a man like Cornelius that compelled Carey to leave cobbling and sail for India. It may have been the cry of a man like Cornelius in the heart of Africa that drew Livingstone to the Dark Continent. It may have been the cry of a man like Cornelius that brought Morrison across the seas to benighted China; that sent Verbeck to Japan, and Williams to the South Sea Islands.

No one will ever measure the might of a sincere petition. If faith as a grain of mustard seed can remove mountains, surely such a faith as that exercised by Cornelius in the mighty God would move Him to create, equip and commission a missionary.

A few years since we sent out from the Northwestern Bible School eight or nine young people. Three of them went to India, two to Africa, and two to South America. I do not know; the principle on which the minds of each of these was made up. It is doubtful if they could defend their choice at all, but each of them felt a tug. How do we know but that there was some marvelous medium of spirit through which the cry of men in South America reached the ears of Mr. Lange, or the yearning of some men and women in Africa was committed to Mr. and Mrs. Rosenau, or the pathetic longing of certain seeking souls in India was brought by the blessed Spirit to the heart and mind of Miss Olson and Miss Johnson and Miss Levang? I do not believe God would let such a man as Cornelius go to his grave in darkness. Peter had to go. An Apostle had to come. Such prayers cannot go unanswered simply because God is God.

But in order to respond,

Peter himself must experience a vision. Drawn aside from his journey, he went to the top of his hosts house to pray at about the sixth hour. Hunger smote him; a trance came upon him; a sheet descended from Heaven, filled with four-footed beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air. A voice came, Rise, Peter; kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that was common or unclean. That is a suggestive phrase. It is bad enough to be in Simon the tanners house; Jews declare uncleanness is here. But now to eat wild beasts, creeping things and fowls of the airthat is unthinkable to the Jew.

But thrice over the command came, and Gods statement, What God hath cleansed call not thou common, and the sheet was received up again into Heaven. There is no indication that Peter killed anything or that he ate anything. That was not the purpose of the vision. The purpose was to show him that what God had cleansed was clean indeed, and open the way for a Gentile work. The purpose was to impress him with the fact that if God justify the Gentile and send His Spirit upon the Gentile, he became as surely a saint as was any saved Jew.

All of this conspired to prepare Peter to respond to the man that waited without to conduct him to Cornelius house. The preacher needs a preparation to preach as surely as the inquirer needs a preparation to hear and to receive. The vision of Cornelius fitted him to hear and to understand, and the vision of Peter fitted him to go and to speak. They came alike from God. In each record an angel appeared, but in no instance did the angel tell the message. Gods ministers are privileged above angels. The Divine program is preached by ones fellowmen.

The Spirits voice is not always an audible one, but none the less clear on that account, and the man who obeys it will find properly prepared people to whom to preach.

When Philip went down the South way, the Ethiopian treasurer was waiting for his coming. The same Spirit that convicted the treasurer commissioned Philip.

Some years ago in Temple, Texas, I rode up and down on an elevator run by a young colored man. One day when there was no one else on the elevator, instead of getting off at my floor, I took a few minutes for conversation with him on the subject of giving his heart to Christ. I did not at the time know exactly why, although I felt prompted to do so. I have ridden with hundreds of other elevator men and had no such impulse. But that day the prompting was clear. Years went by. I heard nothing from it until I visited Fort Worth, Texas. The meeting in that city was over and I had been at home perhaps a month when I had a letter from a man in far Western Texas, who said, I have seen by the papers that you were preaching in Fort Worth. I hoped against hope to get away from duties and get down for a day at least to hear you again. You may not remember me, but I am the colored boy who used to run the elevator in the hotel at Temple when you held the meeting there, and to whom you talked one day. As a result of that conversation, I have lived a Christian life for eight years, and you can imagine how much I wanted to see you and tell you what the conversation had meant to me. If only Christian people yielded to the promptings of the Spirit to bear their testimony, the march of the Church of God would be a continuous victory.

But let us further consider

Peters interpretation of the vision. This call to direct a Roman citizen and a Roman officer into the way of life was at once a commission to the Gentile world and a declaration of the Divine principle, namely, God is no respecter of persons. To be sure the Jews are the people of promise and God can never make a promise to any people without keeping His Word; but they were never intended to be the solitary subjects of grace. From the beginning God so loved the world, and always in Gods thought of grace there was neither Jew nor Gentile.

The great Joseph Parker says, He will not allow the Jew; to come in by one way and the Gentile to come in by another way. He does not say to the Jew, You shall come up the front avenue; you shall drive to the portals of your fathers house in chariots drawn by steeds of fire, wearing harness of gold, and you Gentiles must come in at midnight by some unfrequented path that will be pointed out to you by some condescending person. He says, There is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. How is it to be then? By ransom, by sacrifice, by propitiation, through faith in His Blood. Are there those who would have it explained? They must be denied. Are there those who think of blood in some narrow, common, vulgar, debasing sense? Then they do not take Gods view of the meaning of the term blood. This is not a murder; it is a sacrifice. This is not a measurable quantity of hot fluid rushing from the fountains of life; this is an offeringnever to be explained in cold words, yet to be felt when the heart is most tender, penitent, broken, self-helpless. When the heart is in that receptive mood, it will know the meaning of the words, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Where is boasting then? Gone! Who can find it? None! By what law is it excluded? The law of works? No, but by the law of faith, the new law, diviner, higher, larger law.

THE MESSAGE OF PETER

The 10th chapter concludes with Peters message. This begins with the 34th verse and eventuates in the 48th, and involves some fundamental facts. First,

The salvation of all is through the risen and ascended Lord. The Word which God sent unto the Children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ; He is Lord of all (Act 10:36-43), etc. read for all the world like a declaration of Christian fundamentals. The inspiration of the Bible is in the 36th verse, The Word which God sent; the declaration of the Deity is in the same verse, He is Lord of all. The matchless ministry of the Lord is in the 37th verse, Was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached. His anointing is in the 38th verse, Anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power. His miraculous workings are in the same verse, Healing all that were oppressed of the devil. His crucifixion is in the 39th verse, Whom they slew and hanged on a tree. His resurrection is in the 40th verse, Him God raised up the third day, and shewed Him openly. His commission is in the 42nd verse, He commanded us to preach unto the people. His office of judge is in the same verse, And to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. His Saviourship is in the 43rd verse, To Him gave all the Prophets witness that through His Name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.

Henry Van Dyke in speaking of Redemption makes statements that sound like an interpretation of this Scripture.

The inspiration of the service that we render to this world, to our homes, our country, our fellowmen, springs from the recognition that a price has been paid for us; the vital power of noble conduct rises from the deep fountain of gratitude, which flows not with water, but with warm hearts blood.

How, then, shall a like power come into our religion? How shall it be as real, as living, as intimate as our dearest human tie, unless we know and feel that God has paid a price for us, that He has bought us with His own precious life?

And this is the truth which the Gospel reveals to us. This is the price of which the text speaks. It is the incarnation, life, sufferings and death of the Son of God. This is the great ransom which has been given for all. He gave Himself to poverty, to toil, to humiliation, to agony, to the Cross. He gave Himself for us, not only for our benefit, but in our place. He bore the trials and temptations which belong to us. He carried our sins. He endured our punishment. Through torture and anguish He went down to our death. Through loneliness and sorrow He descended into our grave. If it were merely a human being who had done this for us, it would be much. But since it was a Divine being, it is infinitely more precious. Think of the Almighty One becoming weak, the glorious One suffering shame, the holy One dwelling amongst sinners, the very Son of God pouring out His Blood for us upon the accursed tree! It is this Divinity in the sacrifice that gives it power to reconcile and bind our hearts to God. It is God Himself proving how much He loves us by the price which He is willing to pay for us. It is God Himself manifest in the flesh to redeem us from sin and death, in order that we may belong to Him entirely and forever.

Words fail me to express the splendor and might of this great truth as it is revealed in the Holy Scriptures. It is the wisdom of God and the power of God unto salvation. It is the supreme revelation of the Divine nature which is like the human nature, and yet so far outshines it as the sun outshines a taper. It tells us what God will do for us, for He that spared not his own Son, but freely delivered Him up for us, how shall He not also, with Him, freely give us all things? It tells us what we owe to God, for He died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again. It is the source and center of a true theology. It is the spring and motive of a high morality. It is the secret of a new life, redeemed, consecrated, sanctified by the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.

This redemption is to Jew and Gentile alike by Jesus Christ.

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them which heard the Word 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.

And they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God (Act 10:44-46).

This was in fulfilment of the Psalmists statement, Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them (Psa 68:18).

I am increasingly persuaded that the true interpretation of the Scriptures, To the Jew first and also to the Gentile, has had its literal fulfilment. It was necessary, according to Paul and Barnabas,

that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you (Jews): but seeing ye put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles,

For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have sent thee to he a light to the Gentiles that thou shouldst be for salvation unto the ends of the earth (Act 13:46).

The Jews rejected Christ in His first appearance. With few exceptions they will walk in darkness now until Christ come again. What they refuse to accept by faith, they will be compelled to acknowledge by vision, and so deep will be their grief over the blunder of having put away their own Messiah, that their penitence shall be accepted, and a nation shall be born in a day!

The conclusion of Peters message was the command of baptism.

Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptised, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

And he commanded them to be baptised in the Name of the Lord (Act 10:47-48).

There is a strange argument, made by my Quaker forefathers, that the baptism of the Spirit renders needless the baptism in water. Peter did not so consider. On the contrary, he felt that the inner experience should be immediately symbolized by this outer ceremony. That is what water baptism is. It is the only ceremony that typifies death to sin, burial with Jesus Christ and resurrection to walk in newness of life; and unless it become a symbol of these essential truths, it is indeed a meaningless ceremony.

Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection;

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin (Rom 6:4-6).

Types and symbols are sometimes louder than speech itself. Certainly that is a truth concerning the ordinance of baptism when properly administered. In the language of the great Moravian writer,

Witness ye men and angels, now Before the Lord we speak,To Him we make our solemn vow A vow we dare not break;

That, long as life itself shall last Ourselves to Christ we yield;Nor from His cause will we depart,Or ever quit the field.

Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

CRITICAL REMARKS

Act. 10:1. There was.Omitted in best MSS. Centurion. (Act. 27:1) = (Act. 21:32; compare Luk. 7:2-6; Luk. 23:47). Italian band, or cohort.The legio Italica of Tacitus (Hist, i. 59, 64), raised by Nero (Dion. Cass, Leviticus 24). was not at this time in existence. An inscription in Gruter informs us that volunteer Italian cohorts served in Syriai.e., Italian or Roman cohorts who enlisted of their own accord instead of being obliged to perform military service (Hackett). The number of soldiers in a cohort was usually six hundred, though the term was frequently used for a maniple, which was a third of a cohort (Holtzmann).

Act. 10:2. Devout.. different from in Act. 2:5, Act. 8:2, describes the special type of devotion that belonged to Gentile converts (Plumptre), though there is no ground for believing that Cornelius was a proselyte (Olshausen, Neander, Wendt). Against this stand (Zckler):

(1) the word of another nation, applied by Peter to Cornelius (Act. 10:28);

(2) the characterisation of Cornelius and his family as belonging to the Gentiles (Act. 10:34);

(3) the great excitement kindled by their reception of the Spirit, and their baptism by Peter (Act. 10:45; Act. 11:1 ff).

Act. 10:3. Evidently = openly, so that the vision was not purely subjective (Neander).

Act. 10:4. For a memorial before God.Alluding to that part of the meat offering which is burnt, and whose savour was intended to remind God of the worshipper (Ewald). It is doubtful, however, if this is not somewhat fanciful.

Act. 10:5. Send men to Joppa, etc.Zeller correctly observes (Die Apostelgeschichte, p. 181) that this minute acquaintance of the angel with Peters name and residence with Simon the Tanner shows that Corneliuss vision was not a mere fancy, ein blosses Phantasiegebilde des Betenders, but an objective appearance.

Act. 10:6. The best MSS. omit the words, he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do, as an insertion in accordance with Act. 9:6 and Act. 11:14.

Act. 10:7. For unto Cornelius read unto him. Of thom that waited on him continually may point to similarity of disposition, as in Act. 8:13 (Zckler, Holtzmann), as well as to menial service (De Wette, Overbeck).

HOMILETICAL ANALYSIS.Act. 10:1-8

Corneliuss Vision; or, a Gentile Inquirer directed

I. Corneliuss person.

1. His name. This may indicate a connection with the great Cornelian gens which had been made famous by the Gracchi and by Sylla (Plumptre). There is no reason to suppose he was the individual mentioned in Luk. 7:5.

2. His profession. A soldier. A centurion of the band called the Italian. The military profession not incompatible with Christianity. Christianity has won numerous converts from the army. Yet modern soldiers too seldom resemble Cornelius. The special cohort commanded by Cornelius may have derived its name from having been either composed of native Italian soldiers, or at least commanded by Italian officers. Another cohort, called the Augustan, is mentioned later (Act. 27:1). The ordinary cohorts stationed at Csarea, which consisted of levies from the provinces, were not always reliable (Jos., Ant., XIV. xv. 10; Wars, I. xvii. 1).

3. His rank. A centurion or captain of a hundred, the sixth part of a cohort and the sixtieth of a legion.

4. His residence. Csarea, situated on the Mediterranean Sea, was the headquarters of the Roman procurator, and the seat of a Roman garrison. Built by Herod the Great, it was inhabited mostly by Gentiles, though it contained a considerable sprinkling of Jews (see on Act. 8:40).

II. Corneliuss character.A devouti.e., pious man, a worshipper of Jehovah, not necessarily a proselyte. The word here used differs from that employed to describe serious and religious-minded Jews (see Critical Remarks). His piety exhibited itself in four ways.

1. In cherishing the fear of God in his own soul As the absence of such fear is characteristic of the wicked (Psa. 36:1; Rom. 3:18), so does its presence mark the good or righteous man (Psa. 2:11; Psa. 103:11; Pro. 1:7; 2Co. 7:1; Eph. 5:21). That Corneliuss fear, of God was sincere, was attested by his own domestics (Act. 10:22).

2. In seeking the spiritual welfare of his household. In caring for the religious training of all committed by providence to his care, his family, his slaves, his soldiers; like Abraham (Gen. 18:19), Job (Act. 1:5), and David (2Sa. 4:12). A proper exemplar in this respect to Christian husbands, fathers, masters, and superiors (Eph. 6:4; Eph. 6:9). It is the highest ornament of a house when both the master and the dependants acknowledge and fear God (Starke).

3. In practising benevolence towards the poor. In distributing much alms among the peoplei.e., of the Jews (see Act. 10:42; Act. 26:17; Act. 26:23; Act. 28:17), though not necessarily to them exclusively. Kindness to the needy (Psa. 112:9), a grace enjoined upon Christians (Luk. 10:37; Joh. 15:17; Rom. 12:10; Gal. 5:13; 1Jn. 3:17), as well as a dictate of ordinary humanity. There may have been in Corneliuss philanthropy something of the service of works, yet was it not on that account to be adjudged as hypocritical.

4. In habitually maintaining the exercise of prayer. This was another mark of indwelling grace. A religion that does not prompt men to pray is not a true religion (Rom. 12:12; Eph. 6:18; Php. 4:6; Col. 4:2; 1Th. 5:17, etc., etc.). Among other matters carried by Cornelius to the throne of grace, it may be assumed, was the new religion which had been brought by Philip to Csarea (Act. 8:40), and concerning which he most likely desired to be guided. N.B.All the centurions of scripture (Act. 27:3; Mat. 8:5; Luk. 17:2) are presented in a favourable light.

III. Corneliuss vision.

1. The time. About the ninth hour of the dayi.e. somewhere in the course of it (the force of ). As this was 3 p.m., one of the hours for temple worship (Act. 3:1), it has been suggested that Cornelius may have been a proselyte, but this hardly harmonises with subsequent statements (Act. 10:28; Act. 10:34; Act. 11:1; Act. 11:8; Act. 15:7; see Critical Remarks on Act. 10:2). The most that can be inferred is that along with his family he had adopted some of the forms of Hebrew worship.

2. The manner. Evidently, or openly; meaning clearly and distinctly, not obscurely and faintly, neither in a dream (compare Mat. 1:20; Mat. 2:13), nor in a trance (compare Act. 10:10; Act. 22:17), but with his bodily eyes, thus asserting the objective truth of the appearance (Alford).

3. The appearance. An angel of God (as in Act. 8:26; Act. 27:23). Cornelius, it should be observed, did not call him an angel of God, but described him as a man in bright apparel (Act. 10:30). Yet Cornelius must have recognised the apparition as an angel, since his messengers used this appellation (Act. 10:22); which suggests that Cornelius was accustomed to read the Scriptures in his household (Eze. 1:13-14; Dan. 10:6). In any case Peter, who had witnessed the Ascension and seen the two men in white apparel (Act. 1:10), had no difficulty in identifying the man in bright apparel as a celestial intelligence (Act. 11:13); and this fact that Corneliuss visitor was from heaven presumably weighed with him and his fellow-apostles in deciding whether right had been done in admitting an uncircumcised Gentile into the Christian Church. That Cornelius saw the angel coming in, and heard him speak, accords with the Biblical representation of these heavenly messengers (Act. 5:19; Act. 12:8; Act. 27:23).

4. The impression.

(1) Cornelius having fastened his eyes upon the angel, was afraid, no doubt, at his dazzling appearance. That men should be alarmed at unusual phenomena, and in particular at the presence of the supernatural (Job. 4:15), is an indirect witness to the fall.

(2) Having recovered from his fright he inquired the reason of the angels comingWhat is it, Lord?

IV. Corneliuss commendation.His prayers and his alms, said the angel, reversing Lukes order, perhaps to show that God regarded chiefly the heart (Lechler), had been

1. Noticed by God. The Supreme is an indifferent spectator of nothing, least of all of what is done by them that fear Him (Job. 34:21; Pro. 15:3; Mal. 3:16; Heb. 4:13).

2. Remembered by God. Gone up for a memorial before God; before God not as a plea in justification but as requests to be kept in mind and answered (see Critical Remarks). God forgets nothing but pardoned sin. Never in any instance the supplication of a humble heart (Psa. 65:2; Isa. 65:24; Mat. 7:8.)

V. Corneliuss instruction.Given by the angel.

1. Whom to send for. One Simon, who is surnamed Peter. The angel did not attempt to convert Cornelius. Neither had he been sent for that purpose. His mission was to direct Cornelius to send for Peter.

2. Where to find him. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner in Joppa (see Act. 9:43), whose house is by the seaside. N.B.Gods knowledge of men extends to their names, surnames, residences, trades, etc.

3. What to do. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. (But see Critical Remarks.)

VI. Corneliuss obedience.

1. Prompt. Immediately the angel had departed he took steps to carry out the injunctions received. Faith commonly brooks no delay. Straightway a familiar word in Faiths vocabulary.

2. Exact. He did precisely as the angel had commanded. He sent men to Joppa. Faith never attempts to improve on Divine instructions. As the Lord commands so does faith (Gen. 6:22).

3. Prudent. The messengers were carefully selectedtwo of his household servants, who, no doubt, like himself, were God-fearing, and a pious soldier who usually waited on himself. Faith never abandons prudence, but looks well to her goings.

Learn.

1. That piety may exist and flourish in any rank and station in life.
2. That Gods salvation is nigh them that fear Him.
3. That more servants wait on man than hell take knowledge of.
4. That prayers and alms are twin advocates of great influence with God.
5. That God never leaves the meek without guidance. 6, That good men should study to have pious servants about them.
7. That pious households are often visited by angels.

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS

Act. 10:1. The Centurion of Csarea.A Roman from head to foot, Cornelius had still no heart for the Roman gods; he was one of Japhets children, who in the conquered tents of Shem had himself been conquered by the God of Shem. Certainly he was still a heathen; Jerusalems desolate temple had not had for him attraction enough to cause him to become a proselyte; had he sought to find peace there, he would have returned from Jerusalem just as unsatisfied as the Treasurer from the East.Besser, Bibelstunden: Apostelgeschichte, III. i. 514).

Cornelius the Centurion.An example of

I. Goodness in high station.A Roman soldier of exalted rank, and yet obviously kind to and considerate of his dependants as well as of the poor; two marks of moral excellence not always found among Christians, though they should be (Rom. 12:13; Rom. 12:16).

II. Piety outside the pale of the Church.A devout man who prayed to God always and gave much alms to the poor, though by birth and education he was a Gentile. God has other sons besides those who are called by His name (Hos. 2:23; Rom. 9:25-26), and Christ other sheep than those who belong to the recognised foid (Joh. 10:16).

III. An earnest soul seeking after God.Though pious, he was yet conscious of a want. Though no longer in heathen darkness, he realised he had not yet attained to perfect light. Though delivered in a measure from fear, he was not at rest. For more light, fuller knowledge, deeper peace, his prayers were doubtless directed.

IV. Meekness instructed by God.The meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek will He teach His way (Psa. 25:9). This promise was signally illustrated in the case of Cornelius.

V. Faith proving itself by obedience.No sooner did the angel command than with military promptitude he obeyed. (Compare Luk. 7:8.)

Act. 10:2. Praying Always.

I. Enjoined in Scripture.By Christ (Luk. 18:1) and by Paul (1Th. 5:17).

II. Not impossible.Except as a mere external performance or bodily service (Mat. 26:41). As a spiritual exercise (1Co. 14:15) by no means unattainable, as the cases of the Twelve (Act. 6:4), of Cornelius, and of Paul (Col. 1:9) prove. The heart may be always in an attitude of prayer, though not every instant conscious of desire.

III. Eminently reasonable.The man who prays always shows himself to be goodi.e., humble and wise.

IV. Never unprofitable.The soul that communes much with God will not only receive much from God (Mat. 7:8), but will gradually become like God.

Act. 10:5-6. Simon the Apostle and Simon the Tanner; or, Christian Preachers and Christian Tradesmen.

I. Both known to God.Their names, callings, and residences.

II. Both serve God.Their callings may be different; their Master is one.

III. Both advance Christs kingdom. The preacher (the apostle) directly by publishing the gospel; the tradesman (the tanner) indirectly by lodging the preacher.

IV. Both honoured by God.Their names stand together in the annals of the Church and on the page of inspiration.

Act. 10:7. A Model House.

I. Religious.Characterised by the fear of God and sanctified by prayer.

II. Harmonious.Master and servants, doubtless also parents and children, living in concord and love.

III. Benevolent.Mindful of the wants of others; distributing to the necessities of the saints.

IV. Blessed.Visited by angels, Gods ministers of salvation.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

CRITICAL REMARKS

Act. 10:1. There was.Omitted in best MSS. Centurion. (Act. 27:1) = (Act. 21:32; compare Luk. 7:2-6; Luk. 23:47). Italian band, or cohort.The legio Italica of Tacitus (Hist, i. 59, 64), raised by Nero (Dion. Cass, Leviticus 24). was not at this time in existence. An inscription in Gruter informs us that volunteer Italian cohorts served in Syriai.e., Italian or Roman cohorts who enlisted of their own accord instead of being obliged to perform military service (Hackett). The number of soldiers in a cohort was usually six hundred, though the term was frequently used for a maniple, which was a third of a cohort (Holtzmann).

Act. 10:2. Devout.. different from in Act. 2:5, Act. 8:2, describes the special type of devotion that belonged to Gentile converts (Plumptre), though there is no ground for believing that Cornelius was a proselyte (Olshausen, Neander, Wendt). Against this stand (Zckler):

(1) the word of another nation, applied by Peter to Cornelius (Act. 10:28);

(2) the characterisation of Cornelius and his family as belonging to the Gentiles (Act. 10:34);

(3) the great excitement kindled by their reception of the Spirit, and their baptism by Peter (Act. 10:45; Act. 11:1 ff).

Act. 10:3. Evidently = openly, so that the vision was not purely subjective (Neander).

Act. 10:4. For a memorial before God.Alluding to that part of the meat offering which is burnt, and whose savour was intended to remind God of the worshipper (Ewald). It is doubtful, however, if this is not somewhat fanciful.

Act. 10:5. Send men to Joppa, etc.Zeller correctly observes (Die Apostelgeschichte, p. 181) that this minute acquaintance of the angel with Peters name and residence with Simon the Tanner shows that Corneliuss vision was not a mere fancy, ein blosses Phantasiegebilde des Betenders, but an objective appearance.

Act. 10:6. The best MSS. omit the words, he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do, as an insertion in accordance with Act. 9:6 and Act. 11:14.

Act. 10:7. For unto Cornelius read unto him. Of thom that waited on him continually may point to similarity of disposition, as in Act. 8:13 (Zckler, Holtzmann), as well as to menial service (De Wette, Overbeck).

Act. 10:9. The house-top was frequently employed for devotion. The roof, almost flat, only sloping enough to let the rain run off, was surrounded by a balustrade as directed by the law (Deu. 22:8), and formed thus a terrace which served as a place of retirement (Stapfers Palestine in the Time of Christ, p. 175).

Act. 10:10. Would have eaten should be desired to eat, felt the demands of appetite consequent upon long fasting.

Act. 10:11. And saw should be and seeth. Omit unto him after descending. As it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth, according to the R.V. should be as it were a great sheet let down by four corners upon the earth being wanting in the best MSS. In the former case the sheet was tied at its four corners with ropes which let it down towards the earth; in the other it was let down by its four corners or ends (to which, however, ropes may have been attached, though this is not stated). The sense is not materially different. Alford, Hackett, Lechler, Plumptre, and others, prefer the first reading; Lachmann, Zckler, Holtzmann, with Westcott and Hort, whom the R.V. here follows, decide for the second.

Act. 10:12. Should read all manner of, or simply all the four footed beasts (omitting and wild beasts, a clause introduced from Act. 11:6) and creeping things of the earth, with the sanction of the best texts (Tischendorf, Lachmann, Meyer, Westcott and Hort).

Act. 10:14. Common or should be common and unclean.Common is the opposite of holy, hence unholy.

Act. 10:16. Substitute straightway, , for again, . Thrice.For the sake of emphasis. (Compare Dan. 6:10; Dan. 6:13; 2Co. 12:8.)

HOMILETICAL ANALYSIS.Act. 10:1-16

Peters Trance; or, the Apostolic Agent prepared

I. The circumstances.

1. Where?

(1) In Joppa (see Act. 9:36-43). How Peter came to be in that seaside city has already been related.

(2) In the house of Simon the tanner (Act. 10:6). A good man is near to heaven anywhere and everywhere.

(3) On the flat roof of Simons mansion, whither he had retired for devotion. Since Christ came every place is holy ground. Oriental houses were commonly constructed like Simons (Mar. 2:4).

2. When?

(1) On the morrow after Corneliuss vision, after the departure of his messengers and as they were approaching the city.
(2) About the sixth houri.e., about noon. This also was a favourite hour for prayer with devout Jews (Psa. 55:17).

(3) While Simons domestics were making ready (Act. 10:10)i.e., while they were preparing the midday meal, which in all probability would consist of fish, locusts baked in flour or honey, onions, and (perhaps) butchers meat (Stapfers Palestine in the Time of Christ, p. 189).

3. How engaged? In prayer, for which roofs of houses were often used (Mat. 10:27; Mat. 24:17; Luk. 17:31), as being both secluded and safe, in consequence of ordinarily having a balustrade of three or four feet high running round them (Deu. 22:8). It was not surprising that Peter should have a heavenly vision while engaged in prayer (see Hints on Act. 10:11). Glimpses within the veil are most likely to be enjoyed by them who live nearest it.

4. In what condition? Hungry, very (Hackett), and desirous of eating. He had probably partaken of no food since the morning, more especially if the day was one of those (the second and fifth of the week, Monday and Thursday) which were habitually observed as fasts by pious Jews (Stapfers Palestine in the Time of Christ, p. 381). Although Jews often fasted from strange motives, as, e.g., to secure pleasant dreams, to find the explanation of a dream, or to avert some evil omen (Stapfer, p. 381), it cannot be supposed that either Cornelius (Act. 10:30, A.V.), or Peter was similarly actuated. By them, doubtless, abstinence from food, either wholly or in part, was regarded as a valuable, if not necessary, preparation for high spiritual exercises (Psa. 35:13; Psa. 69:10; Dan. 9:3; 1Co. 7:5; Act. 14:23).

II. The occurrences.

1. The trance. He fell into a trance; or there came upon him an ecstasy or rapture (= being in the Spirit, Rev. 1:10), by which, as it were, he was carried out of himself and put into a mental state in which he could discern objects beyond the apprehension of mans natural powers (Hackett). Compare Act. 11:5, Act. 22:17; 2Co. 13:3; perhaps also Num. 24:4 and Eze. 8:3.

2. The sights.

(1) Heaven opened. So it happened to Christ on the occasion of His baptism (Luk. 3:21); to the beloved disciple in Patmos (Rev. 4:1; Rev. 19:11); and to Stephen in the council chamber (Act. 7:56). Compare also in the Old Testament the oases of Jacob (Gen. 28:17), Isaiah (Isa. 6:1), Ezekiel (Eze. 1:1), and Daniel (Dan. 4:13).

(2) A great sheet descending out of it, let down by the four corners upon the earthi.e., either the sheet, which in form resembled a vessel or receptacle, was fastened to the four corners east, west, south, and north of heaven (Meyer), or the ends of the sheet were fastened to and upheld by ropes let down from heaven (see Critical Remarks).

(3) The cavity in the sheet filled with all manner of four-footed beasts and creeping things of the earth and fowls of the heaven.
(4) The sheet swaying and moving towards Peter. The words unto him, though omitted by the best MSS. (see Critical Remarks), probably express what Peter beheld (compare Act. 11:5).

(5) The drawing up of the sheet into heaven after a threefold repetition of the scene.
(6) Whether Peter saw any personal form or figure is not stated, but seems almost implied in what follows.
3. The sounds.

(1) Rise, Peter. The apostle may at this moment have been kneeling in prayer, or most likely prostrate in awe and wonder before the vision (compare Rev. 1:17). The mysterious voice, recognised by Peter as that of a heavenly being (compare Act. 10:4), addressed him by name. Compare the cases of Moses (Exo. 3:4); Samuel (1Sa. 3:10); Saul (Act. 9:4); and Cornelius (Act. 10:3).

(2) Kill and eat. Any of the creatures, without regard to the distinction of clean or unclean, was what the voice intended. That Peter understood this his answer showed: Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common (unholy) and unclean, or, according to Peters own version, Nothing common or unclean hath ever entered into my mouth (Act. 11:8). Peters scrupulous conscientiousness as a Jew caused the commandment to come upon him with a shock of surprise. In the times of the Maccabees (1Ma. 6:18; Act. 7:1) the Jews suffered death rather than submit to the seeming indignity here proposed. Peters refusal accorded with his well-known character for impulsiveness (compare Joh. 13:8).

3. What God hath cleansed call, or make, not thou common. Like the former voice this came from heaven, and implied that all meats were originally alike clean, that the distinction of clean and unclean had been of Gods making, that henceforth God had abolished all such distinctions, and that the perpetuation or institution of such distinctions was an express violation of the Divine ordinance. Compare Christs teaching on defilement (Mar. 7:14-23).

III. The teachings.These were all such as concerned the Church, and in particular

1. Its universal character. It was henceforth to embrace all nationalities, not Jews only, but also Gentiles. Ceremonial distinctions were no more to operate as dividing lines between the peoples of the earth. The Churchs gates were to stand open continually for the admission of all comers. All souls were in future to be equally precious in Gods sight (Rom. 1:14-16; Rom. 2:22; Rom. 2:29; Rom. 3:1; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:14-22).

2. Its absolute permanence. Not even an apostleand far less a Church council, and least of all a private membershould be at liberty to change its constitution, restrict its freedom, or impose conditions which would deny entrance therein to a heathen. What God hath cleansed make not thou common. Three times had the Lord formerly commanded Peter to feed His sheep and lambs: three times He here admonishes Peter to make the door into the sheepfold no narrower than God will have it (Besser). The Church of Christ in all ages has suffered from the illegal intrusion of mans power into her sacred domain.

3. Its sole sovereign. God or His Son Jesus Christ, to whom alone pertains the right of making laws for His kingdomof admitting to or excluding from the fellowship of His Church (Eph. 1:22).

Lessons.

1. The reality of a supersensible world.

2. The possibility of Revelation 3. The world-wide destiny of the Church. 4. The dignity of human nature.

5. The headship of Christ within and over His own Church.

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS

Act. 10:11. Heaven opened.

I. Heaven may open to any man.To a Jacob (Gen. 28:12), an Ezekiel (Eze. 1:1), a Stephen (Act. 7:56), a Paul (Act. 9:3), as well as to a Peterand in any place, on a hillside, a river bank, a council chamber, a public high way, or a housetop.

II. Heaven mostly opens to them who have prepared themselves for itBy prayer, meditation, or other suitable exercise. God is mostly found of them who seek Him.

III. Heaven seldom opens without imparting new revelationsEither of truth or duty. God has promised to instruct and guide those who wait upon Him in humility and faith.

IV. Heaven never opens to the spiritually blind.The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. The eye must be opened before it can discern visions. He that is of the truth heareth Him who is the truth.

Act. 10:15. No Difference.

I. The one broad level of humanity, in the sight of God, for blessing.There are various levels in other respects, various ranks and differences; national, personal, intellectual, educational; but here, in connection with spiritual blessing,acceptance, favour, and the like, all these disappear.

II. The rebuke here given to national pride.The Jew despised the Samaritan, and the Samaritan the Jew, both despising the Gentile. There was the pride of birth, the pride of descent, the pride of race. Here was Gods rebuke to all such pride.

III. The rebuke given to spiritual pride.This spiritual reward is twofoldthe personal and the ecclesiastical.

IV. The open door for all.There is no restriction now. Gods free love goes out unconditionallywithout restriction or qualificationto the lost.H. Bonar, D.D.

Act. 10:16. The Number Three in the New Testament.That some special significance, most likely that of solemn emphasis, was designed by the threefold repetition of an event becomes apparent from a study of the instances in which this occurs.

I. In the history of Christ.

1. The three temptations in the wilderness (Mat. 4:1-11).

2. The three raisings of the dead (Mat. 9:25; Luk. 7:14-16; Joh. 11:43-44).

3. The three prayers in Gethsemane (Mat. 26:44).

II. In the history of Peter.

1. The three denials of Christ (Mat. 26:69-75).

2. The three questions of the Saviour (Joh. 21:15-17).

3. The three voices in the vision.

III. In the history of Paul.

1. The three requests about the thorn (2Co. 12:8).

2. The three scourgings (2Co. 11:25).

3. The three shipwrecks (2Co. 11:25).

Act. 10:9-16. Peters Vision on the Housetop; a Mirror for the Heathen Mission. To show

I. Its heavenly origin.Appointed by God.

II. Its immense field.The whole world, Jew and Gentile.

III. Its severe work.To make all nations obedient to the faith.

IV. Its doubts and difficulties.The first from within, in the prejudices, fears, and unbelief of Christs people; the second in the hardness and hostility of the natural heart.

V. Its Divine promise.Of continual assistance and ultimate success.Adapted from Gerok in Lange.

Lessons from Peters Vision.In this vision we see the beginning of a great erathe first important breach in the iron partition wall that divided the human race into two hostile ranks. We have here the annexation of the whole Gentile world, without shedding a single drop of blood or wasting a single pennyweight of gunpowder. Peter saw the vision when engaged in prayer on the housetop of Simon the tanner, at Joppa. Prayer is a great revelation, and the stronger the prayer the grander the vision. He who would see the heavens opened must first open the heavens with the key of prayer. Ecstasies and visions are rewards of importunate prayer. Peter prayed from the housetop of a tanner; was there anything strange in that? Undoubtedly. Tanners were looked down upon as the pariahs, the outcasts of Jewish society. For Peter, the orthodox Hebrew, to lodge with a tanner, an outlaw, was the first step out of his miserable narrowness; and we are not surprised to find the tanners lodger entering the Gentile centurions house a little later. How striking these coincidences of history! There is as much Divine design in the movements of the centuries as in the formation of the rocks or the clustering of the stars. Cornelius prayed in Csarea, and Peter prayed in Joppa. How exquisite these dovetails, these morticings of history, and how marvellously well timed the correspondence! Surely the world is not governed by a fortuitous concourse of blind atoms, but by intelligence and unity of design. The first lesson of this vision of the great sheet is:

I. The Divine origin of the Christian gospel.Peter saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth. The gospel did not spring up from the ground; it came down from the upper skies, and it bears innumerable evidences of its Divine origin. If God be not its parent, who is? The angels could not have invented it, for in inventing a false system and labelling it with the Divine name they would have become demons instantly. Demons could not have invented this system, whose main purpose is to destroy the works of the devil. The science of comparative religion proves that Christianity is as much loftier than all other systems as the heavens are loftier than the earth. A religion well adapted for the whole race must have the following elements:

1. An adequate revelation of God.
2. A provision of mercy for the guilty which satisfies the conscience.
3. Power given to lead a new life of virtue and holiness.
4. An ideal pattern of life which men may imitate.
5. A refuge for man in sorrow and bereavement.
6. Such a revelation of the future life as shall help man to prepare for his duties and destinies. All these important elements are in the Christian gospel, and are not in any other system under heaven. Does not this one fact establish its unquestionable preeminence?

II. The Divine origin of the human race.The sheet, with its miscellaneous contents, came down from the heavens, and this suggests the Divine origin of all men. The contents of the sheet, as well as the sheet itself, came down from above. The gospel that gave the world a new conception of God has also given it a better conception of man. It teaches us to say Our Father, that we may the better be able to say My brother. In this respect for man as man the gospel stands alone among the great religious systems of the world. Look at man through the eyes of Jesus, and if the man be only a London dock labourer or a Dorset farm labourer, you will be able to see something of the Divine in him. Positivism boasts of its love for the race, and talks of the parliament of man, the federation of the world. Where has Positivism found its fundamental doctrines? I charge it with being a plagiarist. The doctrines of the brotherhood of man and the oneness of the race are stolen from Christ.

III. The universality of the gospel.Man is the heaven-sent ambassador to man. Cornelius sent for Peter. Why not send an angel to preach to him? The angel would have been the very first to object. Indeed, it was the angel who suggested Peters name. Methinks the angels know a great deal about us. The angels seek for a man to preach to men. A preacher is never so effective as when he speaks to us in the first person. Cornelius must have a man named Peter to preach the sermon. Why not send troops of angels into the heart of Africa, or to the isles of Polynesia to evangelise those blacks? Thank God He has dignified man by making of him a minister to men. He sent a Divine Man to reveal the gospel, and he commissions man to preach it. When Cornelius fell down at Peters feet and worshipped him, the apostle instantly cried out, Stand up; I myself also am a man. Man must neither be worshipped on the one hand nor maligned on the other.J. Ossian Davies.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

4.

IN CAESAREA, Act. 10:1-48.

a.

Cornelius and his vision. Act. 10:1-8.

Act. 10:1

Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

Act. 10:2

a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.

Act. 10:3

He saw in a vision openly, as it were about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius.

Act. 10:4

And he, fastening his eyes upon him, and being affrighted, said, What is it Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God.

Act. 10:5

And now send men to Joppa, and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter:

Act. 10:6

he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side.

Act. 10:7

And when the angel that spake unto him was departed, he called two of his household-servants, and a devout soldier that waited on him continually;

Act. 10:8

and having rehearsed all things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

Act. 10:1-2 Beginning with the tenth chapter we have the introduction of the incident that opened the door of the kingdom for the Gentiles. The recording of this incident was in the mind of the inspired writer when he began to describe the work of Peter, Caesarea is the background setting for this incident. There lived in this town a certain man. This man was no ordinary person for he was to be the first Gentile in all the world to find forgiveness of his sins in the blood of Jesus. It would seem that Luke is trying to show us how religious a man could be and still be lost. Note a few facts about this Gentile:

CAESAREA.

Herods kingdom embraced the whole land of Palestine on both sides of the Jordan. At his death it was divided among his three sons; to Archelaus, with the title of king, fell Idumaea, Judaea, and Samaria; (Mat. 2:22) to Herod Antipas, Galilee and the territory between the Yarmuk and the Arnon called Peaea; and to Philip, the territory on the north of the river Yarmuk, embracing the small districts Ituraea, Trachonitus, Aurantitus, Gaulanatis, and Batanea. (Luk. 3:1).

Archelaus had a troubled and inglorious reign of ten years, at the end of which on complaint of the Jews he was banished to Gaul. Judaea was then formed into a Roman province governed by a procurator. Procurators were for the most part appointed only in imperial provinces governed by a legate of the emperor. The duty of the procurator in such cases consisted of collecting the revenue and judging in causes appertaining to fiscal affairs. The procurator of Judaea, however, had a wider range of duties. There being no legate in the province he was charged with the general government and was invested with military and judicial authority. In some matters he was subordinate to the legate of Syria. He usually resided at Caesarea, but went to Jerusalem at the time of the feasts, taking with him a strong military force.

The taxes were of two kindsthe direct tax collected by imperial officers under the control of the procurator, and an impost tax which was farmed out to the highest bidder and again sold out to collectors. These collectors or publicans were of low social and moral standing and were looked upon with contempt. (Mat. 11:19; Mat. 21:31)

a.

His name was Cornelius.

b.

He was an army captain or centurion.

c.

He was an Italian, as was the cohort over which he had authority.

d.

He was a devout man.

e.

He feared or worshiped God as did his house.

f.

He was very generous with his substance as he gave many gifts to the poor.

He evidently obtained his faith and devotion through close contact with the Jewish religion.

Act. 10:3-8 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 oclock 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.

Thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God (Act. 10:31). Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial (Act. 10:4).

In the mind of this Gentile there must have burned this question upon hearing these heartening words:
If indeed my prayers have been heard what form will the answer take? I have prayed for acceptance and favor in the sight of God. How can I find it? Can it be that I am already in the favor of Jehovah?

The answer is forthcoming even while the question is forming. And now, (i.e. because thy prayers have been beard) send men to Joppa and fetch one Simon who is surnamed Peter. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side . . . who shall speak unto thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house (cf. Act. 11:14).

The prayer and devotion of Cornelius was all offered up by him that he might be saved. Now here is the opportunity for receiving Gods 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 household servants and a devout soldier, these were some who were his personal attendants, were called in. These evidently made up a part of this mans house in whom he had instilled the fear of the Lord (Act. 10:2 a). 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.

322.

Give from memory four facts about Cornelius.

323.

How did Cornelius obtain his faith?

324.

What was the reward of the devotion of Cornelius and how does it apply today?

325.

What is the meaning of the statement that the angel or vision appeared openly?

326.

Do angels have bodies? If so, explain Heb. 1:14.

b.

Peters vision. Act. 10:9-16.

Act. 10:9

Now on the morrow, as they were on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour:

Act. 10:10

and he became hungry, and desired to eat: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance;

Act. 10:11

and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth:

Act. 10:12

wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven.

Act. 10:13

And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat.

Act. 10:14

But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean.

Act. 10:15

And a voice came unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common.

Act. 10:16

And this was done thrice: and straightway the vessel was received up into heaven.

Act. 10:9 Since it is thirty miles from Caesarea to Joppa and from the fact that Luke states they arrived on the noon of the day following the vision in Caesarea, we might conclude these men walked all night.

327.

What causes us to conclude that these men from Caesarea walked all night? Or, do you conclude this?

Act. 10:10-16 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 in 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 experience of Peter was somewhat different from that of Cornelius, for Peters 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 hath cleansed, make not thou common.
This divine mandate was repeated three times and then the vessel was taken back to heaven out of the sight of the apostle.

328.

What fine custom was observed in the house of Simon the tanner that we would do well to imitate?

329.

What was the difference between the vision of Cornelius and that of Peter?

330.

What two-fold sin would have been committed according to Peter if he were to have obeyed the divine injunction: Arise, Peter, kill and eat?

331.

What was repeated three times?

c.

The messengers arrive. God directs Peter. Messengers received. Act. 10:17-23 a.

Act. 10:17

Now while Peter was much perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simons house, stood before the gate,

Act. 10:18

and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, were lodging there.

Act. 10:19

And while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

Act. 10:20

But arise, and get thee down, and go with them, nothing doubting: for I have sent them.

Act. 10:21

And Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

Act. 10:22

And they said, Cornelius a centurion, a righteous man and one that feareth God, and well reported of by all the nation of the Jews, was warned of God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words from thee.

Act. 10:23

So he called them in and lodged them.

Act. 10:17-20 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 Gods 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 inquiry 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 tanner 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 to the heavenly vision, he introduced himself and asked the question that was clamoring for an answer in his heart. It was in essence:

332.

What import do you suppose Peter put upon the vision?

333.

Show how the Lord had perfectly synchronized the movements and thoughts of Peter and the three.

334.

What were the divine words of introduction Peter was given?

335.

Show how all of this incident must have appeared strange to Peter.

God has sent these men, I am to go with them, but to where? And for what?

Act. 10:21-23 a 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.

336.

Show how the servants of Cornelius made their request as attractive to the Jewish mind as possible.

d.

The trip and arrival at Caesarea. Act. 10:23 b Act. 10:27.

Act. 10:23 b

And on the morrow he arose and went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

Act. 10:24

And on the morrow they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his kinsmen and his near friends.

Act. 10:25

And when it came to pass that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.

Act. 10:26

But Peter raised him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

Act. 10:27

And as he talked with him, he went in, and findeth many come together:

Act. 10:23 b Act. 10:27 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 (Act. 11:12). On the morrow following their departure they entered, as planned, into the city of Caesarea.

337.

Why start the journey on the morning after the arrival of the three men? Who was taken along?

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 Peters feet and Peter made it evident to Cornelius that there was no distinction between them. There was nothing in Gods will that would exalt Peter as divine.

338.

What preparations had Cornelius made for Peters arrival? Where was Cornelius while awaiting Peter?

339.

What is meant when Luke states that Cornelius fell down at his feet and worshipped him?

340.

What construction did Peter put upon this worship?

341.

What could have been the content of the conversation between Peter and Cornelius as they walked from the patio into the house?

e.

Cornelius explains. Act. 10:28-33.

Act. 10:28

and he said unto them, Ye yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to join himself or come unto one of another nation; and yet unto me hath God showed that I should not call any man common or unclean:

Act. 10:29

wherefore also I came without gainsaying, when I was sent for. I ask therefore with what intent ye sent for me.

Act. 10:30

And Cornelius said, Four days ago, until this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel,

Act. 10:31

and saith, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

Act. 10:32

Send therefore to Joppa, and call unto thee Simon, who is surnamed Peter: he lodgeth in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea side.

Act. 10:33

Forthwith therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all things that have been commanded thee of the Lord.

Act. 10:28-33 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 Gods 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.

342.

What was the natural question in the mind of all the Gentiles assembled? How answered?

343.

Why did Peter ask the question, I ask therefore with what intent you sent for me?

f.

Peters sermon. Act. 10:34-43.

Act. 10:34

And Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Act. 10:35

but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him.

Act. 10:36

The word which he sent unto the children of Israel, preaching good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)

Act. 10:37

that saying ye yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

Act. 10:38

even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Act. 10:39

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom also they slew, hanging him on a tree.

Act. 10:40

Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest,

Act. 10:41

not to all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

Act. 10:42

And he charged us to preach unto the people, and to testify that this is he who is ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead.

Act. 10:43

To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.

Act. 10:34-35 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 respector 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 mans equality on a national or racial standing and not on a spiritual standing.

344.

What does Peter mean by the statement in Act. 10:34-35? What is meant by acceptable?

Act. 10:36-37 Now follows the body of the apostles discourse. If salvation 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 life. God had sent His word to Israel that through Jesus Christ there was peace. Peter here injects a statement concerning this One in 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.

Act. 10:38-42 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. Mar. 16:9; Mat. 28:8-10; Luk. 24:13-31; 1Co. 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, and that they were included in this covering for sins. Peters next and closing word was that after Jesus had suffered and arose He commissioned the eleven to preach the Lordship and judicial position of Christ. Jesus had said that salvation is from the Jews (Joh. 4:22), of a truth the household of Cornelius could witness to this fact.

345.

What was the need to be met by Peters sermon?

346.

Give a brief outline of Peters sermon to the household of Cornelius.

347.

How did the words of the prophets come to have new meaning for Peter on this occasion?

Act. 10:43 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 His name everyone that believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins.

g.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit. Act. 10:44-46.

Act. 10:44

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word.

Act. 10:45

And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Act. 10:46

For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

Act. 10:44-46 Here as previously on Solomons porch Peter never finished his discourse (cf. Act. 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 Act. 8:16; Act. 11:15 and in Act. 19:6 came upon. We like the pointed remarks of J. W. McGarvey on Act. 10:45-46. He says:

The ground of amazement to the Jewish brethren was not the mere fact that these Gentiles received the Holy Spirit; for if Peter had finished his discourse, promising them the Holy Spirit on the terms which he had laid down on Pentecost, and had then baptized them, these brethren would have taken it as a matter of course that they received the Spirit. And if, after this, he had laid hands on them and imparted the miraculous gift of the Spirit as in the case of the Samaritans, they would not have been so greatly surprised. The considerations which caused the amazement 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; and second, that this unusual gift was bestowed on Gentiles. (Page 213.)

h.

Baptism in water. Act. 10:47-48.

Act. 10:47

Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

Act. 10:48

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Act. 10:47-48 In Act. 10:47 a 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. Act. 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 (Luk. 24:47).

348.

Show how the circumstances here are alike and unlike those that occurred on Solomons porch.

349.

What was the ground of the amazement of the Jewish brethren?

350.

To whom were the words can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized directed?

351.

What is familiar about the command of Peter that these be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ?

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

X.

(1) There was a certain man in Csarea.We enter on a new stage of expansion in the Churchs growth, the full details of which St. Luke may have learnt either from Philip the Evangelist during his stay at Csarea (Act. 21:8; Act. 24:27) or, possibly, from Cornelius himself. His admission into the Church, even if it were not the first instance of the reception of a Gentile convert as such, became, through its supernatural accompaniments and (in the strict sense of that word) its prerogative character, the ruling case on the subject. Whether it were earlier or later than the admission of the Gentiles recorded in Act. 11:20, we have no adequate data for determining. (See Note on that passage.)

Csarea was at this time the usual residence of the Roman Procurator of Juda, and was consequently garrisoned by Roman troops. Greeks, Jews, and Romans, probably also Phnicians and other traders, were mingled freely in its population.

Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band.The office was a comparatively subordinate one, the centurion commanding the sixth part of a cohort, the sixtieth part of a legion. The Greek implies that he belonged to the cohort, not that he commanded it. The name Cornelius may indicate a connection with the great Cornelian gens which had been made famous by the Gracchi and by Sylla. The bands, or cohorts, stationed at Csarea consisted chiefly of auxiliaries levied from the province (Jos. Wars, ii. 13, 6), who were not always to be relied on in times of popular excitement, and this cohort was accordingly distinguished from the others as Italian, i.e., as being at least commanded by Roman officers. A first Italian legion is repeatedly mentioned by Tacitus (Hist. i. 59, 64; c. 100; iii. 22), but this is said by Dion (lv. 24) to have been first raised by Nero; and the term which St. Luke uses for band (spira) was, strictly speaking, not used of the legions, the latter term being applied exclusively to Roman troops. In Act. 27:1 we meet with another of these cohorts, also at Csarea, known as the Augustan.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Chapter 10

A DEVOUT SOLDIER ( Act 10:1-8 )

10:1-8 There was a man in Caesarea called Cornelius. He was a centurion in the battalion called the Italian battalion. He was a devout man and a God-fearer with all his household. He did many an act of charity to the people and he was constant in prayer to God. About three o’clock in the afternoon in a vision he clearly saw the angel of God coming to him and saying, “Cornelius.” He gazed at him and he was awe-stricken. He said, “What is it, sir?” He said to him, “Your prayers and your works of mercy have gone up to God for a memorial; so now, send men to Joppa, and send for a man called Simon who is also called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is on the sea-shore.” When the angel who was speaking to him went away, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his orderlies. He told them everything and despatched them to Joppa.

Act 10:1-48 tells a story that is one of the great turning points in the history of the Church. For the first time a Gentile is to be admitted into its fellowship. Since Cornelius is so important in church history let us gather together what we can learn about him.

(i) Cornelius was a Roman centurion stationed at Caesarea, the headquarters of the government of Palestine. The word which we have translated battalion is the Greek word for a cohort. In the Roman military set-up there was first of all the legion (see legeon, G3003) . It was a force of six thousand men and therefore was roughly equal to a division. In every legion there were ten cohorts. A cohort therefore had six hundred men and comes near to being the equivalent of a battalion. The cohort was divided into centuries and over each century there was a centurion. The century is therefore roughly the equivalent of a company. The parallel to the centurion in our military organization is a company sergeant-major. These centurions were the backbone of the Roman army. An ancient historian describes the qualifications of the centurion like this, “Centurions are desired not to be overbold and reckless so much as good leaders, of steady and prudent mind, not prone to take the offensive to start fighting wantonly, but able when overwhelmed and hard-pressed to stand fast and die at their posts.” Cornelius therefore was a man who first and foremost knew what courage and loyalty were.

(ii) Cornelius was a God-fearer. In New Testament times this had become almost a technical term for Gentiles who, weary of the gods and the immoralities and the frustration of their ancestral faiths, had attached themselves to the Jewish religion. They did not accept circumcision and the Law; but they attended the synagogue and they believed in one God and in the pure ethic of Jewish religion. Cornelius then was a man who was seeking after God, and as he sought God, God found him.

(iii) Cornelius was a man given to charity; he was characteristically kind. His search for God had made him love men, and he who loves his fellow men is not far from the kingdom.

(iv) Cornelius was a man of prayer. Perhaps as yet he did not clearly know the God to whom he prayed; but, according to the light that he had, he lived close to God.

PETER LEARNS A LESSON ( Act 10:9-16 )

10:9-16 On the next day, when they were on the way and when they were getting near the city, about midday Peter went up to the housetop to pray. He became hungry and he wanted something to eat. When they were preparing the meal a trance came upon him. He saw the heavens opened and he saw a kind of vessel coming down. It was like a great sheet and it was let down by the four corners to the earth. On it there were all four-footed animals, all animals that creep on the earth and all that fly in the air. A voice came to him, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, because I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And the voice spoke again the second time, “What God has cleansed, do not you reckon common or unclean.” This happened three times; and thereupon the sheet was taken up into heaven.

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 unlearn 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 ( Act 9:43; Act 10:5). A tanner worked with the dead bodies of animals and therefore he was permanently unclean ( Num 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 tabus.

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 ships’ 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 Lev 11:1-47. 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.

THE MEETING OF PETER AND CORNELIUS ( Act 10:17-33 )

10:17-33 When Peter was at a loss in his own mind to know what this vision could mean, look you, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked their way to Simon’s house and stood at the door. They spoke and asked if Simon who was also called Peter was lodging there. When Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look you, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and go with them without any hesitation, because it is I who sent them.” So Peter came down to the men and said, “Look you, I am the man you are looking for. Why have you come?” They said, “Cornelius, the centurion, a good man and a God-fearer, one to whose worth the whole nation of the Jews bears witness, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to listen to the words you would give him.” So he asked them in and gave them hospitality.

On the next day he rose and went with them and some of the brethren from Joppa came with him. On the next day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had invited along his kinsmen and his closest friends. When Peter was going to come in Cornelius met him and fell at his feet and worshipped him. Peter raised him up and said, “Rise; I, too, am a man.” So he went in, talking with him as he went. He found many who had assembled there and he said, “You know that it is against the law for a man who is a Jew to have contact with or to visit one of another race. But God has shown me not to call any man common or unclean. So I came without any objection when you sent for me.” So Cornelius said, “Four days ago from this time, I was praying in my house at three o’clock in the afternoon, and, look you, a man stood before me in shining clothes and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your deeds of charity have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and send for Simon who is also called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, on the sea-shore.’ Immediately I sent to you; and I am most grateful that you have come. Now then we are all present before God to hear all that God has enjoined you to tell.”

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 ( Act 10:23). 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 ( Act 10:27). In the most amazing way the barriers are beginning to go down.

That is typical of the work of Christ. A missionary tells how once he officiated at a communion service in Africa. Beside him as an elder sat an old chief of the Ngoni called Manly-heart. The old chief could remember the days when the young warriors of the Ngoni had left behind them a trail of burned and devastated towns and come home with their spears red with blood and with the women of their enemies as booty. And what were the tribes which in those days they had ravaged? They were the Senga and the Tumbuka. And who were sitting at that communion service now? Ngoni, Senga and Tumbuka were sitting side by side, their enmities forgotten in the love of Jesus Christ. In the first days it was characteristic of Christianity that it broke the barriers down; and it can still do that when given the chance.

THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL ( Act 10:34-43 )

10:34-43 So Peter opened his mouth and said, “In truth I have come to understand that God has no favourites; but that in every nation he who fears him and acts righteously is acceptable to him. As for the word which God sent to the sons of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ–this is he who is Lord of all you all know the affair that happened all over Judaea, after the baptism which John preached–you know about Jesus of Nazareth, about how God anointed him with the Spirit and with power, about how he went about healing all who were under the sway of the devil because God was with him; we are witnesses of all he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they took him and hanged him on a tree. It was he whom God raised up on the third day and made him evident, not to all the people but to the witnesses elected beforehand by God, to us who were with him and who ate with him and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he gave us orders to preach to the people and to testify that this is he who was set apart by God, to be the judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets testify that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

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 the 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 could 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.

THE ENTRY OF THE GENTILES ( Act 10:44-48 )

10:44-48 When Peter was still saying these things the Holy Spirit fell upon those who were listening to his word. All the Jewish believers who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles too, for they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone stop water being brought? Can anyone stop those who have received the Holy Spirit, as we too received him, from being baptized?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus. Then they asked him to wait with them for some days.

Even as Peter was speaking things began to happen against which even the Jewish Christians could not argue; the Spirit came upon Cornelius and his friends. They were lifted out of themselves in an ecstasy and began to speak with tongues. This to the Jews was the final proof of the astonishing fact that God had given his Spirit to the Gentiles too.

There are two interesting sidelights in this passage.

(i) These Gentile converts, as always in Acts, were baptized there and then. In Acts there is no trace of one set of people only being able to administer baptism. The great truth was that it was the Christian Church which was receiving these converts. We would do well to remember that in baptism today it is not the minister who is receiving a child; it is the Church which is receiving the child on behalf of Jesus Christ and accepting responsibility for him.

(ii) The very last phrase is significant. They asked Peter to wait with them for some days. Why? Surely in order that he might teach them more. The taking upon ourselves of church membership is not so much the end of the road as the beginning.

-Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)

Fuente: Barclay Daily Study Bible

III. GENTILE INDUCTION NEW CHRISTIAN CENTRE ANTIOCH, Act 10:1 to Act 11:30.

1. Cornelius’ Vision and Mission to Peter, Act 10:1-33 .

Luke now unfolds a new and positive advance in the secession of Christianity from Judaism. (See notes on Act 4:1; Act 6:8; Act 6:13.) The martyrdom of Stephen had sealed the certainty of such a separation, and now head of the movement must be the leading Apostle Peter, under angelic guidance, at the Gentile capital, Cesarea. This was a vital question not for Judaism only, but for even us in this nineteenth century, and in this land of America: Must we be circumcised Jews in order to be Christians? So believed the first Jerusalem Church; so, at first, Peter held; and from this yoke it was Paul, the apostle of us Gentiles, preeminently, who was our emancipator!

That Gentiles should be admitted into the Church was clear; they could be admitted even into the Jewish Church. (See note on Act 3:26.) The Old Testament predicted that Christ, the Messiah, should be a light to the Gentiles, a salvation to the ends of the earth. Jesus commanded his apostles to Go teach all nations, that is, go disciple all Gentiles. This the apostles well understood. But this they could not understand, that the Mosaic ritual, circumcision and all, should, as the Church expanded to universality, fall off, like a dry, outgrown shell, from its back. Of this great truth the Hellenists caught the first glimpse, Stephen the first clear view, and Paul embraced the great conception as the one idea of his life. The Epistle to the Romans is his written and forever permanent expression of this great truth.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1. Cesarea See note on Act 8:40.

Cornelius A common Roman name, and belonging to one of the oldest and noblest Roman lineages.

A centurion Captain over a hundred men.

Italian band A cohort of native Italians, forming the body guard of the Roman procurator, just as an English governor in India needs a body of English troops for safeguard. Cornelius, therefore, as a Roman and a military man, was the proper representative of Gentilism to be met by Peter, the representative of Jerusalem Christianity.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

PART SECOND.

THE CHURCH IN TRANSITION FROM JEWS TO GENTILES, Act 8:5 to Act 12:25.

Through this Second Part of his history Luke traces in perfectly regular progress the successive steps by which Christianity emerges from her Jewish trammels into a free and universal Church. The Samaritans are first evangelized, and the eunuch is the first apostle to Africa. The Gentile apostle is next converted and put in preparation for his work. Peter, emerging from Jerusalem, is taught by the case of Cornelius the lesson of the direct convertibility of Gentiles to Christianity. The refugee Christians, driven from Jerusalem by the Stephanic dispersion, gather a Gentile Church in ANTIOCH, the capital and sallying point of Gentile Christianity. A second check is given to the Jerusalem Church by the Herodian persecution. Thenceforth old Jerusalem, abandoned by the twelve, wanes to her final destruction, and we are prepared to behold in chapter thirteen the Third Part of Luke’s history, opening with Gentile missions issuing forth from Gentile Antioch.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.’

In contrast to Peter maintaining his ‘cleanness’ at the tanner’s house (which may have heightened his sensitivity about maintaining cleanness at this time) was a certain Gentile by the name of Cornelius. He was a centurion (leader over ‘a hundred’ in a Roman legion, which would consist of about sixty men) in the Italian band (cohort). Interestingly the connection of the Italian cohort with Palestine is witnessed to in an inscription dating before 69 AD. He was a devout man and a God-fearer, as were his whole household. ‘Devout’ indicates a godly person in Jewish eyes. He regularly gave charitable gifts to the synagogue for the poor, and prayed regularly to the God of Israel. He thus no doubt also observed certain laws of cleanliness. If any non-Jew or proselyte was fit to be visited by a Jew it was Cornelius. But it did not guarantee that his house was totally free from ‘uncleanness’.

Centurions were usually very solid men. Polybius declared of them, “They wish centurions not so much to be venturesome and daredevil as natural leaders, of a steady and sedate spirit. They do not desire them so much to be men who will initiate attacks and open the battle, but men who will hold their ground when worsted and hard pressed and be ready to die at their posts”. They were the backbone of the army, like sergeants today. Solid, dependable, reliable, experienced, and keeping things going when they were at their toughest. (And like sergeants probably not necessarily always actually attached to a group of men).

Caesarea was the Roman provincial capital of Judaea where the procurator, when there was one, resided. It was on the sea coast not far below Mount Carmel, and while an unsatisfactory natural harbour, had been turned into an efficient artificial harbour by Herod the Great. It was thus at this time an important site. The procurators would necessarily have a bodyguard, and while we do not know of an external Roman legion being in Palestine as early as this (the procurators had the use of local auxiliaries) the presence of such a man as Cornelius cannot be ruled out. Indeed the mention of him by Luke is good historical ground for knowing that he was present. If he was familiar with Jewish customs he would be a good man for a procurator to have brought with him, and for subsequent procurators to hold on to, someone who was solid, reliable and aware of the oddities of the locals.

‘With all his house.’ This would include family members, and servants and slaves.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Expansion of The Church As A Result of Persecution (8:1-12:25).

How thrilled the Apostles must have been at this stage at the progress of the church. Through the first few years of the infant church they had suffered a few minor discomforts, but they had come through those triumphantly, and the church had continued to grow and grow. Jerusalem was ‘filled with their teaching’ and the work of caring for all the true people of God was now being successfully administered.

And then came the shock waves. It was like a spiritual earthquake. It seemed that Satan was not asleep or held fully in check after all. Suddenly there was devastation among the people of God. Many were being dragged off to prison, others recognised that they had no alternative but to flee for their lives and the lives of their families, and the carefully erected administration had collapsed. The Apostles now bravely remained in Jerusalem so as to care for the few who were left, and to visit in prison those who were being held in captivity. And as they looked around at the people that they now had to cater for, and the numbers crowded in the prisons, it must have appeared as though all their dreams were in tatters. It must have seemed as though they had to begin all over again.

But in truth the situation was the very opposite, for it was now that the expansion of the church began apace. As a result of the martyrdom of Stephen the Christians, who were now established and taught in the faith, were driven out of Jerusalem in all directions in accordance with Isa 2:3. When Jesus had originally sent out His disciples He had told them that if they were not received in one town, they had to go on to the next. For there was so much work to be done that it would never be finished before the Son of Man returned (Mat 10:23). And now, in this situation, that was precisely what God was making them do. Within a few short months the Good News, which up to this point had been almost limited to a Jerusalem which must surely have been becoming Gospel saturated, would spread to all the neighbouring countries round about, and would establish a platform for reaching out to the rest of the world. And all as a result of this heart numbing catastrophe combined with the power of the Holy Spirit and the sovereign activity of God. It was the signal that Jerusalem had had its opportunity. Now it was time for the ends of the earth to know.

The sections that follow deal with the initial spread of the word, which divides neatly up into the following pattern:

a Scattered Christians preach in all directions, including Judaea and Galilee (Act 8:4).

b Philip goes to the Samaritans, followed up by Peter and John – a distinctive outreach (Act 8:5-25).

b Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch (Act 8:26-39).

b Philip is found at Azotus (formerly Ashdod), where passing along the coastline he preaches the Good News to all the cities, until he comes to Caesarea (Act 8:40). These cities would include Jamnia, Joppa, and Apollonia. And when he comes to Caesarea he settles down (Act 21:8). It was of mixed Jewish and Gentile population and the seat of Roman government, and presented great opportunities for evangelism.

c Saul is converted in Damascus and proclaims the Good News there (Act 9:1-26).

c Saul returns to Jerusalem and proclaims the Good News in the Hellenist synagogues at Jerusalem (Act 9:27-30).

b Peter’s ministry is successful in Lydda where he heals the lame (Act 9:32-35).

b Peter’s ministry is successful in Joppa where he raises the dead (Act 9:36-43).

b Peter goes to the Gentiles and converts Cornelius and his household, and those in Jerusalem rejoice because God is reaching out to the Gentiles – a distinctive outreach (Act 10:1 to Act 11:18).

a Scattered Christians preach successfully in Phoenicia and Cyprus to Jews only, but then in Syrian Antioch, first to Jews and then to Gentiles. The work in Antioch is confirmed by Barnabas who calls in Saul (Act 11:19-26).

Note the carefully worked out pattern, which could be even more particularised. It consists of a general description followed by three ministries of Philip, commencing with the ministry to the Samaritans (a new distinctive outreach), then central is Paul’s conversion and new ministry, then come three ministries of Peter, possibly following up on Philip’s ministry in Act 8:40, finalising in Peter’s ministry to Gentiles (a new distinctive outreach), and then another general description.

This is all then followed by a description of events in and around Jerusalem, while the word of God grew and multiplied (Act 11:27 to Act 12:25).

The complexity of the construction of Acts, and the warning lest we too glibly divide it up into our patterns comes out in that the above analysis overlaps into what might be seen as two sections ending in their summaries (see introduction to chapter 1). Luke has a number of strands going at the same time. We do him an injustice not to recognise the fact.

A further interesting part of the pattern is found in the descriptions of the conversion of three vital figures, the Ethiopian eunuch, Saul of Tarsus, and Cornelius the Centurion. Note the huge contrast, the powerful minister of state, the devoted Pharisee and student of Gamaliel, and the officer in the army of occupation, and yet all in their own way men who were earnestly seeking righteousness and truth. In each case Christian men are directed to go to them. In each case those to be converted are chosen men. In each case a vision or equivalent is involved. In each case they are led to Christ by God’s chosen instrument. In each case they are baptised. And yet the differences are many too. They are not just reproductions. But they do bring out that God is at work not only on multitudes, but on individuals, as he expands the Kingly Rule of God.

The Consequences of the Death of Stephen.

The result of the death of Stephen was that Christians had to flee from Jerusalem, and this certainly included Philip, one of the Hellenists appointed along with Stephen. Indeed the six who remained of the original seven were probably targeted as known associates of Stephen. It must be seen as quite probable that the Hellenistic Christian Jews were the most prominent target of the persecution, a persecution probably largely pursued by their antagonists in the Hellenistic synagogues (compare Act 9:29), as well as especially by Saul, who was himself one of the Hellenists, although a very Hebrew one. They wanted to demonstrate to their Hebrew brethren that they too were true Jews (the Hellenists who had come to live in Jerusalem, and who had not already been converted, would tend to be those most fanatically gripped by Jewishness).

But behind the flight of the people of God was God Himself. Without that flight the impetus to spread the Good News widely would have been absent. They had felt it necessary to concentrate mainly on Jerusalem, but it was now His purpose that the word might spread far beyond the walls of Jerusalem. He was fulfilling the prophecy of Isa 2:3, ‘Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem’.

This was taking place some years after the crucifixion during which time the church had become well established in Jerusalem. This is evident from the fact that the events of the previous chapters of Acts require such a length of time for their fulfilment. How far the Apostles were involved in the persecution we do not know, although we do know that they remained in Jerusalem (Act 8:1). Perhaps they were seen as still under the protection of the Sanhedrin’s edict that they be left alone. And perhaps their known loyalty to the Temple, (for they met there regularly), marked them off as giving full respect to the Temple and as not following the heresy of Stephen. It might have been argued that, while they were known Messianists, they had never been heard to speak against the Temple and the Law. They may have been seen as dutiful in following their religious responsibilities so that the Pharisees had nothing against them, for there were many priests and Christian Pharisees among their number who would maintain their Jewishness. Thus they may have been left alone. With their reputations it is certainly difficult to see how the Apostles could have remained hidden. They were still no doubt performing signs and wonders, and people would still be seeking them out. But there was still a strong sense of Jewishness among the early Judaistic church and that probably helped them. (Consider how the Apostles are later called to task by Hebrew Christians when they are thought to have erred from a Judaistic emphasis – Act 11:2).

But having said all that danger had to lurk for them. While the persecution may have majored on the Hellenistic Christians, the Hebrew Christians would be drawn in by association. They certainly had no certainty that they would be spared. And the impression given is that Saul was determined to hunt down any Christians that he could find. Thus it took a great deal of courage to remain in Jerusalem. But now full of the Holy Spirit that was not something that any of the twelve Apostles lacked.

However, while devastating at the time the persecution accomplished what the passage of time had failed to accomplish, not only the spreading of the Good News, but also the gentle separating of the Jewish church from its extreme Jewishness. Christian Jews were being faced up with a choice of adherence, whether to the Jewish authorities, or to the wider church. And the persecution would help them to make up their minds. The grip of Judaism was being slowly relaxed.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Continuing Ministry of Peter (9:32-11:18).

In preparing for the Gentile ministry of Paul, a preparation which has included what we have just considered concerning his conversion and ministry to Jews, Luke goes back to considering Peter’s ministry. Along with the other Apostles he is continuing the oversight of the church and here, at least to some extent, following in the steps of Philip along the Judaean coast. In Act 3:1 onwards he had brought the Good News to the ‘lame’ and now he does a similar thing again to the paralytic (Act 9:32-35). Luke does not want us to think that Peter has faded out of the picture, nor that the work of God does not go on apace. This is then followed by a raising from the dead of a believer (Act 9:36-43). Does this raising of the dead to some extent parallel the life-giving coming of the ‘breath’ of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 coming on all believers? Jesus had paralleled the resurrection with the raising of the dead in the story of Lazarus. And Luke then finalises this series of Peter’s activity with the description of the opening of the Good News to Gentiles, which will result in the spread of the word to ‘the uttermost parts of the earth’ (Act 10:1 to Act 11:18 – paralleling Act 1:8?). Note also the build up of ideas. A paralysed man healed, the dead brought to life, the Good News goes to the Gentiles. The advancement in idea is clear.

This sequence also to some extent parallels that in Luke’s Gospel where the healing of the paralytic (Luk 5:18-26), is followed by the raising of the widow of Nain’s son (Luk 7:11-17) and of Jairus’ daughter (Luk 8:41-46), between which is the healing of the centurion’s son and Jesus’ express admiration for the centurion’s faith (Luk 7:1-10), although here in Acts the story of the centurion’s faith necessarily follows the raising of the dead in order to stress its importance and lead in to what follows.

While at the same time we might see this as Peter’s taking an interest in and following up Philip’s ministry to the cities along the coastline (Act 8:40), we should note that that is not Luke’s specific intent for he stresses that Peter is going ‘throughout all parts’.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Activity of Peter Results in Gentiles Being Welcomed And Welcoming The Lord, But The Rejection Of The Messiah Is Confirmed By Jerusalem Who Commence a Process of Elimination of His Chief Representatives (9:32-12:24).

The first part of this section is all positive as God’s work moves forwards with signs and wonders and the raising of the dead through Peter, God revealing that it is His desire that the Good News goes to the Gentiles through Peter, that desire being vindicated when carried out by Peter, and the forming of a new church in Syrian Antioch minister to by Barnabas and Saul.

But the second part of the section is negative and deals with the final rejection of the Messiah by the king and people of Jerusalem. This comes about as the result of the rise of a new ‘king of Israel’ who is totally sympathetic to the people and enjoys their confidence. This results in an open attack on the Apostles, the martyrdom of James the Apostle, the imprisonment and enchaining of Peter with the same end in view, his release by an Angel of the Lord and forsaking of Jerusalem, and the judgment on the king of Israel for blasphemy.

It can be analysed as follows:

a Peter comes to Lydda and Joppa, in the area of Caesarea, and heals the paralysed man but Tabitha sickens and dies. God raises her from the dead (Act 9:32-43).

b The angel of the Lord comes to Cornelius resulting in the salvation of his house (Act 10:1-48).

c Peter is challenged concerning his activity and is vindicated (Act 11:1-18).

d The Good news is welcome by the Gentiles in Antioch which is to become the new centre for evangelisation (Act 11:19-30).

d The Good news is rejected by the king and people in Jerusalem which will cease to be the centre of evanglisation (Act 12:1-2)

c Peter is seized and put in prison and left in chains (Act 12:3-6).

b The angel of the Lord comes to Peter resulting in the death of his guards, the rejection of Jerusalem and the humiliation of Herod (Act 12:7-19).

a Herod comes to Caesarea and he sickens and dies. The angel of the Lord causes him to be eaten by worms (Act 12:20-23).

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Peter and Cornelius (9:43-10:48).

It is difficult for us to appreciate the huge step that is now about to be described. To us it may all seem like a great fuss about nothing. But it was bringing about a total change in the way that Christian Jews would see Gentiles. It was doing nothing less than opening the Gentile world to the possibility of their becoming Christians without being circumcised and having to observe all the ritual regulations of the Jews.

For centuries the Jews had seen themselves as separated from the Gentiles by the question of religious ‘cleanness’ and ‘uncleanness’. On the whole Jews were ‘clean’ and Gentiles ‘unclean’ by virtue of the nature of their lives. This was because of the regulations that all orthodox Jews followed, some to a greater extent than others. This covered such things as washings, types of food eaten, contact with dead things, partaking of blood, contact with skin diseases, contact with those who were ‘unclean’, and so on. That is why when Gentiles sought to become Jewish proselytes, and to become ‘members of the congregation of Israel’, and so able to enter the Court of Israel in the Temple and partake in the Passover, they had to initially ritualistically bathe themselves fully in order to remove the ‘uncleanness’ of the Gentile world, and be circumcised. After that they could be treated as full Jews.

‘God-fearers’, on the other hand, were people who worshipped the God of Israel as the one God, and respected the Old Testament and the moral teaching of the Jews, but were not willing to be circumcised. Nevertheless any of these who wished to mix and eat with Jews would certainly be required to observe the basic laws of ‘cleanliness’.

These laws are in part described in Leviticus 11-14, and include the necessity of avoidance for food purposes of ‘unclean’ animals, such as pigs, conies and camels, (any which did not both ‘cleave the foot and chew vigorously’), together with the avoidance of certain types of bird and fish, and of all creeping things, and included the necessity of avoiding the eating of blood, and of killing animals in such a way as to avoid this. And especially important was the avoidance of contact with what was dead or had had contact with death.

These were good laws which to some extent prevented them from eating things that could have done them harm, but, more importantly, they originally inculcated in them a taste for what was wholesome (see our commentary on Leviticus 11), and ensured a wholesome environment. It should be noted that the laws themselves were originally given in order to promote positive wholesomeness of life. It was only once Israelites began to live among other peoples that they necessarily resulted in a certain level of separateness and discrimination against them. And as so often with such things certain very religious people began to take them to extremes, and as a result even began to discriminate against fellow-Jews.

But as Jesus demonstrated, it was possible to observe these laws of cleanliness without discriminating against people to such an extent as to have nothing to do with them. No Pharisee ever criticised Jesus for failing to keep high Scriptural standards of ‘cleanliness’, and yet He still moved freely among tax collectors and ‘sinners’ (Mar 2:15-17; Luk 5:27-32). He lived a disciplined life.

It was in order that Gentile Christians might be able to eat with Jewish Christians that the meeting of Apostles and elders at Jerusalem would later enjoin on Gentile Christians, even at that stage, the need to avoid ‘what is strangled, and blood’ (Act 15:20). But those were the minimum limits which it was felt must essentially be applied even after the willing acceptance of Gentiles into the body of Christ, when prejudices had to some extent been broken down. This was partly as a result of what is about to be described. Even at that stage close contact with Gentiles as a whole was seen as not possible for a Christian Jew without careful regulation.

But at this stage in the life of the church things were not even as liberal as that. The general thought during the first chapters of Acts would be that if a Gentile wished to be accepted into the ‘community of Christians’ (something which rarely came up at that stage when the preaching was to Jews), it must be by becoming a proselyte, by an initial bathing to remove attaching ‘uncleanness’, followed by circumcision, for they would be seen as becoming members of the new Israel. They would then, of course, be expected to keep the laws of cleanliness in their lives and within their residences, in other words behave as Jews did as regards the laws of uncleanness. In this way no doubt a Gentile might be allowed to become a Christian.

But the thought of wholesale acceptance of Gentiles without following these conditions would have been anathema. Gentiles were of necessity ‘unclean’, for they made no attempt to avoid ‘uncleanness’, their lifestyles and homes were ‘unclean’, especially because they ate what was ‘unclean’ and allowed what had been involved with death into their homes, they were careless about contact with dead things, they partook of blood, and all in all it was necessary to keep them at a safe distance. (While we may criticise this we do well to remember that hygiene in Jewish homes was unquestionably superior to that in most Gentile homes).

We can thus imagine what Peter’s reaction would have been (and the reaction of all Jews who heard of it) if without any warning he had been invited into the home of a Gentile centurion, even a God-fearer. God-fearers remained on the fringe of synagogue life. They believed in the one God, admired the moral laws of Israel, and observed the Sabbath. Their contributions to the synagogue were gratefully accepted, and they were welcome to participate to some extent in synagogue worship, but they were in no way looked on as Jews. In order for that to happen they had to become proselytes, which would include circumcision. So even for Peter to visit such a God-fearer in their home would have been frowned on in normal circumstances.

Of course, he had been used to meeting such people when they had joined the crowds in order to hear Jesus, and where they had been welcomed by Him, but that was a very different situation from this. While many would go away believing in Jesus and seeking to follow His teaching they did not join any form of identifiable ‘community’. He also knew that Jesus had responded to the Syro-Phoenician woman, and to the former demoniac in Decapolis, and we can compare also Jesus contact with the Greeks brought to him by Philip the Apostle in Joh 12:20-26. But in none of these cases had there been the suggestion of too close a personal contact or of entering into their homes or of them becoming part of a ‘community’.

To Peter had been given the keys (the method of opening the door) of the Kingly Rule of God. In Acts 2 he had therefore opened that door to Jews at Pentecost, and he had constantly opened that door since, as had all the Apostles, together with, among others, Stephen, Philip and Saul. Now he was to take a step further and open it to God-fearers (who would in future prove for some time to be the most fruitful people to evangelise).

It was inevitable that at some stage this challenge as to what to do with God-fearers would come up, and that fairly rapidly, so that we should not be surprised to find reference to it here. In fact we might rather be surprised that the issue had not arisen for Peter earlier. They were already to a certain extent accepted within Judaism, and the Jewish church would therefore inevitably have to consider what they were to do about them once they showed an interest in Jesus as their Messiah. Indeed how the Christians would face up to them would certainly have to be decided as soon as Christian preachers went to mixed territory, as Peter was doing here. Peter could hardly have preached in the synagogues here, in a mixed Jewish-Gentile community without the question arising, ‘can we God-fearers be baptised?’ Perhaps even as this all happened he had been challenged on the matter and was puzzling about it in his own mind. But it is certainly no surprise that he would be faced up with the question. Luke is actually not dealing here with the question as to whether any believing God-fearers had already become one with Christ. That was between them and God. He is concerned with the question of what Peter did when he was faced up with the question (as at some stage he had to be) of whether he should enter their homes, and whether they could be baptised and accepted into the community of Christians without become proselytes, together with its consequences for the future.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Witness of Peter in Caesarea In Act 10:1-48 we have the account of Peter preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the household of Cornelius. The story of Cornelius is unique to the New Testament. Why would Luke have chosen to tell the story of Cornelius? We know that Luke is giving testimony to the first Gentile convert to Christianity. But another answer may be found in The Apostolic Constitutions, a collection of ecclesiastical law that is believed to have been compiled during the latter half of the fourth century. This ancient document states that a man named Cornelius became the second bishop of the church at Caesarea. This may not have been the same person recorded in the book of Acts. But when the names of Zacchaeus and Theophilus are found alongside the name of Cornelius in the same sentence, and when all three names are found to be unique to Luke’s writings, one has to believe that it was very likely the same Cornelius. In other words, Luke’s Gospel and Acts were a compilation of testimonies of the life and works of Lord Jesus Christ. For Luke to use the testimony of Zacchaeus, the living bishop of Caesarea at the time of his writing, would have fit the way in which Luke was gathering his testimonies.

“Now concerning those bishops which have been ordained in our lifetime, we let you know that they are these:–James the bishop of Jerusalem, the brother of our Lord;(5) upon whose death the second was Simeon the son of Cleopas; after whom the third was Judas the son of James. Of Caesarea of Palestine , the first was Zacchaeus, who was once a publican; after whom was Cornelius , and the third Theophilus.” ( Constitutions of the Holy Apostles 7.4.46)

Cornelius was a Giver – The story of Cornelius is the testimony of how giving is the key to God answering our prayers. Anytime we mix giving with our prayer, God will respond. 2Co 10:2 tells us that Cornelius was both a giving person as well as a man of prayer. We see these two virtues in other people in the Scriptures. For example, we see this in the story of Hannah. She made a vow to God that she would give her son into the ministry if He would give her a man-child. After years of prayer, God heard her when she mixed giving with prayer.

1Sa 1:11, “And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”

But in order to give alms unto the Lord on a regular basis, we must be able to trust Him with our finances. When we seek God, we come to know Him. We grow in our understanding of His character and faithfulness. When we know Him, we can easily trust Him with our finances by sacrificial giving.

The Household Salvation of Cornelius and His Family The story recorded in Act 10:1-48 testifies to the household salvation of Cornelius along with his entire family and servants. We read in the book of Acts how the household of Lydia and the Philippian jailer, as well as the household of Stephanas in the church of Corinth, were also saved.

Act 16:15, “And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.”

Act 16:31, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

1Co 1:16, “And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.”

It is difficult for us in the western culture to understand household salvation. This is because we as individuals are much less bound to our relationships as a family. But my wife’s family, who are Filipinos demonstrated household salvation when her father became a Muslim for a few years. The only member of this family that did not covert was my wife, and that was because we were married. She later brought them back to Jesus Christ, but it was a family decision although the father made the decision. We see in the households of Cornelius, Lydia, the Philippian jailer and Stephanas that their households followed in the faith “from their hearts” in this collective decision to follow Christ. It means that they all gave their lives to Jesus Christ together and were genuinely saved, something that would rarely happen in the more independent Western cultures.

Act 10:2 Comments – Why did God choose Cornelius as the first Gentile to hear the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? We find the answer in this verse when it tells us that he prayed and gave alms to the people. To whom did he give these alms, but to the Jewish people. His prayers were to bless the children of Israel. Three times in this passage we are told that Cornelius gave alms and prayed (see Act 10:4 and Act 10:31). These two principles of almsgiving and prayer were so much a part of his lifestyle that Luke records this man’s characteristics by these two virtues. God will bless those who bless the people of Israel. This was a promise that God made to Abraham when the Jewish nation was born, and it is still valid today.

Gen 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

We see another example of this divine law of blessing in Luk 7:1-10 when Jesus heals the centurion’s servant. This Gentile was blessed by God because the Jews came to Jesus and said “that he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.” (Luk 7:4-5).

Act 10:3 Comments – There are many visions that occur throughout the book of Acts. Peter prophesied this in Act 2:17-19 as “visions, dreams, prophesies, wonders, signs.”

Act 10:4 “Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God” – Comments – Note a similar description of how our prayers go up to God in the Paul’s testimony of the Philippians.

Php 4:18, “But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.”

Cornelius’ name came up before God’s throne because of his prayers and alms. In a similar manner Job’s name came up before the Lord because of his righteousness (Job 1:8).

Job 1:8, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”

Act 10:4 Comments – God sent the Gospel to those who sought Him. God will bring bearers of the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who seek Him. Note another example of this in Act 16:13.

Act 16:13, “And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.”

Act 10:3-6 Comments The Angel Did Not Evangelize Cornelius – Why did the angel not tell Cornelius about Jesus in order to lead him and his family to salvation? Because God has ordained that men preach the Gospel, and not angels.

Act 10:12 Word Study on “creeping things” The Greek word ( ) (G2062) means, “a creeping animal, a reptile.” The Enhanced Strong says this Greek word is used 4 times in the New Testament, being translated “creeping thing 3, serpent 1.”

Act 10:12 Comments – Many modern versions translate only three animals, and not four as in the KJV, following the Greek manuscripts that omit the word for “wild beasts” in this verse. The fourfooted beasts, the reptiles and the birds represent the three major divisions of the animal kingdom. But they symbolize all of the families of mankind as being clean before God.

Act 10:15 “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common” – Comments – Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God did not impute the trespasses of men unto them. He now looked at them as clean.

2Co 5:19, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

Act 10:19 Comments – Kenneth Hagin uses this verse as an example of how the audible voice of the Holy Spirit sometimes speaks to us. [165] He says that when the Lord speaks to us in such a dramatic and clear way, it usually means rough waters ahead. This was the case with Peter. For after he preached to the house of Cornelius and they were gloriously saved, he was confronted by the church in Jerusalem as to why he preached the Gospel to the Gentiles. He defends his trip to Cornelius’ house by saying, “the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting” (Act 11:12). There was no doubt in Peter’s heart and mind that he had heard the voice of the Lord. This word from the Lord was what gave him the courage to defend his actions to the church in Jerusalem.

[165] Kenneth Hagin, Following God’s Plan For Your Life (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, c1993, 1994), 117.

Act 10:22 Comments – In Gen 12:3 God told Abraham, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” History records many accounts where God blesses those who bless the Jews, and curses those who curse he Jews. For example, God judged the Pharaoh of Egypt for persecuting the children of Israel. Just as he commanded the Jewish male children to be drown in the river, so was his entire army drowned in the Red Sea. In addition, the firstborn males were killed, and the nation destroyed. Laban acknowledged that his blessings had come through Jacob (Gen 30:27). Jesus healed the Roman centurion’s servant, who has blessed the Jews (Luk 7:4-5). God sent Peter to preach the Gospel to the house of Cornelius, a man that blessed the Jews (Act 10:22). God promised to reward the heathen according to what they had done to the Jews (Oba 1:15). Jesus makes a similar statement about rewarding those who has done good to His “brethren,” which certainly includes the Jews, as well as the Church (Mat 25:40).

Gen 30:27, “And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.”

Oba 1:15, “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”

Mat 25:40, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Luk 7:4-5, “And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.”

Act 10:22, “And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.”

Act 10:31 “and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God” – Comments – There came a day when God remembered the gifts that Cornelius had contributed to His people. This act of remembrance reminds us of the story in the book of Esther when the king remembered the good deeds of Mordecai (Est 6:1-11). Just as the king remembered Mordecai, so does God have His time and season of remembering us and rewarding us.

Act 10:31 Comments – In Act 10:31 the angel came to remind Cornelius that his prayer had been heard. We see a similar in story in the book of Daniel when the angel Gabriel stood before Daniel and told him that his prayers had been heard (Dan 9:20-27).

It is important to note that the angel spoke of two issues in Cornelius’ life. This man was a man of prayer and a man who gave offerings. We cannot buy God’s favor, but we can find His favor by the way we give offerings to Him. For example, we read how Solomon found favor with God after having offered one thousand burnt offerings unto Him. That very night, the Lord appeared to Solomon and ask him what He could give back to him in return for such an offering.

1Ki 3:4-5, “And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.”

In a similar way, Cornelius found favor with God, but it was connected to his lifestyle of giving offerings unto the Lord.

Act 10:37 Comments – The Synoptic Gospels tell us that when John the Baptist was imprisoned, Jesus Christ began His Galilean ministry and later moved into His Judean ministry. Act 10:37 clearly refers to this series of events by making a summary statement about them.

Act 10:38 “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power” Word Study on “power” – The word translated “power” in Act 10:38 is the Greek word “dunamis” ( ) (1411). The Enhanced Strong says it is used 120 times in the New Testament, being translated “power 77, mighty work 11, strength 7, miracle 7, might 4, virtue 3, mighty 2, misc 9.”

Comments – We find this same word used in Luk 5:17 to describe the manifested presence of the Holy Spirit, and in Mar 6:5 to describe the working of miracles.

Luk 5:17, “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.”

Mar 6:5, “And he could there do no mighty work , save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.”

Thus, we could translated this phrase in Act 10:38 as “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and miracle-working power.”

Act 10:38 “and healing all that were oppressed of the devil” – Comments – Bob Larson, who has one of the most dynamic deliverance ministries today, once said that his ministry is not all about exorcism, but about healing. Delivering a person from demons is about healing. [166]

[166] Bob Larson, Bob Larson in Action, on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television program.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Church’s Structure (Divine Service): Key Witnesses that Began the Spread of Gospel into Judea and Samaria While Act 2:1 to Act 5:42 gives us the testimony of the founding and growth of the Church in Jerusalem, the stoning of Stephen gave rise to the spreading of the Church to Judea and Samaria. Act 6:1 to Act 12:25 serves as the testimony of the spread of the Gospel to the regions beyond Jerusalem as a result of persecution, which was in fulfillment of Jesus’ command to the apostles at His ascension, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Act 1:8) In Act 6:1-7 the New Testament Church begins to structure itself with the office of the deacon. One of these deacons named Stephen becomes the first martyr of the Church (Act 6:8 to Act 7:1 a). As the result of a great persecution fueled by the zeal of Saul of Tarsus, the Gospel begins to spread into Judea and Samaria. Philip the evangelist takes the Gospel into Samaria and to an Ethiopian eunuch (Act 8:5-40), Saul of Tarsus is converted (Act 9:1-31), Peter takes the Gospel beyond Jerusalem to the house of a Gentile named Cornelius (Act 9:32 to Act 10:48), while Luke provides additional testimonies of Church growth to Antioch and further persecutions (Act 11:1 to Act 12:25). These testimonies emphasize the spread of the Gospel into Judea and Samaria.

Outline Here is a proposed outline:

1. Introduction: Appointment of First Deacons Act 6:1-6

2. The Witness of Stephen Act 6:7 to Act 8:4

3. The Witness of Philip the Evangelist Act 8:5-40

4. The Witness of Paul’s Conversion Act 9:1-31

5. The Witness of Peter Act 9:32 to Act 10:48

6. The Witness of Church Growth Act 11:1 to Act 12:25

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Witness of Peter’s Ministry Beyond Jerusalem In Act 9:32 to Act 10:48 we have the testimony of Peter’s ministry beyond Jerusalem. In these passages he heals Aeneas (Act 9:32-35), he raises Dorcas from the dead (Act 9:36-43) and he preaches to the household of Cornelius (Act 10:1-48).

Outline Here is a proposed outline:

1. Witness of Peter in Lydda Act 9:32-35

2. Witness of Peter in Joppa Act 9:36-43

3. Witness of Peter in Caesarea Act 10:1-48

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Cornelius the Centurion.

The vision of Cornelius:

v. 1. There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

v. 2. a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

v. 3. He saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

v. 4. Anti when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

v. 5. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter;

v. 6. he lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside; he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

v. 7. And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;

v. 8. and when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

While Saul, in his own city of Tarsus, was awaiting the time when the Lord would assign definite work among the Gentiles to him, or, as some think, was bringing the Gospel to the province of Cilicia, God was Himself stirring the hearts of some few people outside of the chosen nation. A certain man there lived in Caesarea by the seaside, the residence of the Roman governors of Judea, whose name was Cornelius. This man was a heathen by birth, as his Latin name seems to indicate. His official position was that of centurion of the company known as the Italic cohort, the tenth part of a Roman legion, which was stationed at Caesarea. The Italic cohorts were made up of volunteer Roman citizens born in Italy, and are shown by history to have existed in several eastern provinces. Cornelius was not only good and generous, but devout, pious, a God-fearing proselyte, a man who with his family, and probably his servants as well, had come to know the true God, much like the centurion of Capernaum, Mat 8:5. From the Jews, among whom he lived for so many years, Cornelius had heard of the coming Messiah, by whose coming and work the true righteousness before God would be his: this faith had taken hold of his heart and gave sufficient, evidence of its presence in his many alms and in his continual prayers to God. Thus Cornelius was not merely an upright, honorable man of the world, but a believer in the Messiah, whose coming he, however, with many of the devout Jews, put into the future, not knowing that all the prophecies had been fulfilled in and through Jesus of Nazareth. But the Lord knew the condition of his heart and determined to give him and his entire house the full revelation of the New Testament. Accordingly, God arranged it so that Cornelius, about the ninth hour of the day, about the time of the evening sacrifice in the Temple, one of the hours of prayer, saw in a vision distinctly, manifestly, plainly, making an illusion impossible, an angel of the Lord coming in to him with a message. The heavenly messenger, first of all, called him by name, in itself a distinction, Isa 43:1. But Cornelius instinctively shrank back, as sinful men are liable to do in the presence of a sinless being. His eyes were fixed upon the angel and he was filled with fear, as he said, “What is it, Lord?” for he recognized the messenger from God. But the angel’s calm words reassured him. His prayers had been heard by God, and his works of mercy had come to the attention of God; they were credited to him in the memory of the Lord. The eyes of God are ever watching those that fear Him, whose hearts trust in Him by faith, and whose hands are willing to serve Him. He hears their prayers and remembers all their works. But the angel now told Cornelius that he should send some men to Joppa as his messengers, to fetch one Simon, distinguished from other men of the same name by his surname Peter. His place of lodging was with Simon, the tanner, who lived near the sea, outside of the city proper, on account of the nature of his business. This Peter would be able and willing to give him such information as he needed at this time. For while Cornelius was a true believer according to Old Testament standards, See Joh 1:47, he lacked the knowledge of the Messiah that had appeared, and this should be supplied by Peter. Note: Although the angel might well have given Cornelius a full understanding of the Gospel, the Lord does not commission him to that end, but directs the centurion to one of His preachers of salvation. Through His holy Word, as proclaimed by the mouth of men, God calls men to salvation. No sooner had the angel delivered his message than Cornelius proceeded to act upon the command which he had received. Though it was now late in the afternoon, he summoned two of his own domestic servants and a soldier who, like himself, was devout and God-fearing, one who belonged to the smaller guard of sentries whom he could trust implicitly, since they were truly devoted to him. To these three messengers Cornelius explained the entire matter in all confidence, withholding nothing from them which might serve for the understanding of the situation, and then sent them off to Joppa, which was located almost due south of Caesarea, at a distance of some thirty miles. Note: The relation between Cornelius and those employed by him and under his jurisdiction, as here pictured, might serve as an example to all employers and servants alike. If such conditions of mutual respect and confidence, based upon the fear of the same God, obtain, there will hardly be a servant problem or a dissatisfaction of labor.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

Act 10:1

Now there was (two last words in italics) for there was (in roman), A.V. and T.R.; Cornelius by name for called Cornelius, A.V. A glance at the map will show that Caesarea (see note to Act 9:30) was but a short distance, some thirty miles, from Joppa. It was doubtless with a view to Peter’s momentous errand to Caesarea that Luke recorded his previous visit to Lydda and his residence at Joppa, consequent upon the restoring of Dorcas to life: the origines of Gentile Christianity being the prime object of the Acts (see Introduction to the Acts). The Italian band; or, cohort (). The , or cohort, was used in two senses. When spoken of strictly Roman troops, it meant the tenth part of a legion, and consisted of from four hundred and twenty-five to five hundred or six hundred men, according to the strength of the legion. Its commander was called a chiliarch, and it was divided into centuries, each commanded by a centurion. But when spoken of auxiliary provincial troops, it meant a regiment of about a thousand men (Josephus, ‘Bell. Jud.,’ 3.42). It is in this last sense probably that it is used here. Josephus, in the passage above quoted, speaks of five such auxiliary cohorts coming from Caesarea to join Vespasian’s army, and he tells us in another place (‘Bell. Jud.,’ 2.18, 7) that the principal portion of the Roman army at Caesarea were Syrians. It is pretty certain, therefore, that the Italian cohort here spoken of were auxiliaries, so called as being made up in whole or in part of Italians, probably volunteers or velones (Farrar, vol. 1.278, note). Another reason for this conclusion is that it does not seem likely that one of the divisions of a legion should have a name, but that separate regiments would naturally have appropriate names for the same reason that the legions had. Thus, besides the Italian cohort here named, we have the Augustan cohort in Act 27:1. It might be important for the security of the procurator, in so turbulent a province as Judaea, to have at least one cohort of Italian soldiers at the seat of government. Renan thinks the full name of the cohort may have been “Cohors prima Augusta Italica civium Romanorum;” and adds that there were in the whole empire not fewer than thirty-two cohorts bearing the name of Italian.

Act 10:2

Who for which, A.V. A devout man (); and in Act 10:7. It is an interesting question as to what was the precise religions status of Cornelius, whether he was a proselyte in any technical sense. But the whole narrative, in which he is spoken of simply as a Gentile and uncircumcised, seems to indicate that, though he had learnt from the Jews to worship the true God, and from the Jewish Scriptures read or heard in the synagogue to practice those virtues which went up for a memorial before God, yet he was in no sense a proselyte. It is pleasant to think that there may have been many such in the different countries where the Jews were dispersed (comp. Act 13:16, and probably Act 11:20).

Act 10:3

Openly for evidently, A.V.; as it were about for about, A.V. and T.R.; unto for to, and to for unto, A.V. Openly; or, evidently (), indicates the distinctness and certainty of the vision. It was, as Meyer says, a clear angelic appearance; there was no indistinctness or confusion about it, and consequently it left no kind of doubt in the mind of Cornelius. An angel; or rather, the angel; the addition of God defines it (see Act 5:19, note).

Act 10:4

He, fastening his eyes upon for when he looked on, A.V. (, as Act 3:4, etc.); and being affrighted for he was afraid and, A.V.; gone for come, A.V. For a memorial; i.e. thy prayers and thine alms are set is the sight of God, and are the cause of his now remembering thee and sending this message to thee. Cornelius’s good works were the fruit of his faith in God as revealed in the Old Testament.

Act 10:5

Fetch for call for, A.V.; one (in italics) for one (in roman), A.V. and T.R.; who is surnamed for whose surname is, A.V. Peter is always used by St. Luke, rather than Cephas.

Act 10:6

The last clause in the A.V. and T.R., “he shall tell thee,” etc., is omitted in the R.V.

Act 10:7

That for which, A.V.; him for Cornelius, A.V. and T.R. Two of his household servants (see Act 9:38, note). Cornelius’s faith and piety were like Abraham’she taught his household to keep the way of the Lord, and to do justice and judgment (Gen 18:19).

Act 10:8

Having rehearsed for when he had declared, A.V.; all things for all these things, A.V.

Act 10:9

Now on for on, A.V.; were for went, A.V. The house top; the quietest and most retired place in an Eastern house. It is not inconsistent with this that the hour-top could also be made a place of special publicity, from its height and open space (see Luk 12:3). About the sixth hour. Noon, the second of the three hours of prayer among the Jews, called “the midday prayer.” The last was the ninth hour (Act 3:1) and the first the third hour, nine in the morning (Act 2:15). See Psa 54:1-7 :17.

Act 10:10

Hungry for very hungry, A.V.; desired to eat for would have eaten, A.V. Hungry. The word so rendered () occurs nowhere else either in the New Testament or in any other writer. Possibly he, like Cornelius (Act 10:30), had been fasting till the time of prayer. A trance () expresses a state of transition from the ordinary state into a new or different state. Applied to a man, it denotes that state in which the external senses and the volition are suspended, and all his impressions are derived from within (see Act 11:5; Act 22:17). It is also used to express great astonishment. In the LXX. of Gen 2:21 it is spoken of Adam’s deep sleep, and in Gen 27:33 of Isaac’s exceeding trembling, and elsewhere of strong emotions.

Act 10:11

He beholdeth the for saw, A.V.; descending for descending unto him, A.V. and T.R.; were for had been, A.V.; let down by four corners upon the earth for knit at the four corners and let down to the earth, A.V. and T.R. The vessel coming down from the open heavens implied that the command to eat what was contained in it was given by revelation. The things sent were from God, and the command to eat was from God. Peter’s hunger had prepared the way for the particular form of the vision.

Act 10:12

Beasts and creeping things of the earth for beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, A.V. and T.R.; heaven for air, A.V. The distinction between clean and unclean was very sharply drawn in the Levitical Law (Lev 11:1-47.; see especially Lev 11:41-44 and Lev 20:25; Deu 14:3-20). Peter’s astonishment must, therefore, have been exceeding great at the command to slay and eat. And so his answer in Act 10:14 shows. And yet our Lord had taught him the same truth.

Act 10:14

And unclean for or unclean, A.V. and T.R. It is rather a striking testimony to Peter’s religious character as a Jew before his call to the apostolate, that, poor Galilaean fisherman as he was, unlearned and ignorant, he had yet always conscientiously obeyed the Law of Moses in regard to things clean and unclean (comp. Dan 1:8-15). The address, Lord (), seems certainly to recognize the voice as that of Christ, which also agrees with the descent of the vessel from heaven. The answer is very similar to the refusals in Mat 16:22; Joh 13:8.

Act 10:15

A voice for the voice, A.V.; came for spake, A.V.; make not for that call not, A.V. What God hath cleansed, etc. “The Law was our schoolmaster [‘tutor,’ R.V.] to bring us to Christ.” But now, under the gospel of faith, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. There is neither Jew nor Greek. “Old things are passed away, and all things are become new.”

Act 10:16

And this for this, A.V.; straightway the vessel for the vessel again, A.V. and T.R. This was done thrice; i.e. as is clear from the previous “the second time;” the same voice addressed to him the third time a direction to eat. The repetition three times of the same injunction was to give certainty (comp. Gem 41:32). For the repetition of the same words, comp. Mat 26:44. The receiving of the vessel again into heaven merely indicated the termination of the vision. The interpretation of it was to follow Mat 26:19 and following verses (see especially Mat 26:28), and was further emphasized by what is related in Mat 26:44-46 and Act 11:15-17.

Act 10:17

Was much perplexed for doubted, A.V.; the for this, A.V.; might for should, A.V.; that for which, A.V.; by for from, A.V.; having made inquiry, stood for had made enquiry, and stood., A.V. The gate (); the porch or gate into the court of an Eastern house. In Act 12:13 we have “the door of the gate” (see Mat 26:71; Luk 16:20, etc.).

Act 10:18

Lodging for lodged, A.V.

Act 10:19

And while for while, A.V. Thought (, R.T.), stronger than the of the T.R.; thought over through and through; considered in all its bearings. It only occurs here and two or three times in Cyril and other Church writers. The Spirit (so Act 11:12). In Act 13:2 it is .

Act 10:20

But arise for arise therefore, A.V.; nothing doubting for doubting nothing, A.V. But arise. The but answers the unexpressed ideaDo not hesitate, do not delay, but go at once. For I have sent them. This is one of the many passages which distinctly mark the personality of the Holy Spirit (comp. Act 8:29; Act 13:2; Act 20:28, etc.). Here, too, we may notice the working of God’s providence, under whose direction Peter’s thoughts and Cornelius’s message meet at the same point, like men working from opposite ends of a tunnel and meeting at the same spot.

Act 10:21

And for then, A.V.; the men for the men which were sent unto him from Coffins, A.V. and T.R.

Act 10:22

A centurion for the centurion, A.V.; righteous for just, A.V.; well reported of for of good report among, A.V.; of God (in italics) for from God (in roman), A.V.; a holy for an holy, A.V.; from thee for of thee, A.V. Righteous; as Mat 1:19 (comp. the description of Cornelius in Mat 1:10). The mention here of his being well reported of by all the nation of the Jews is an additional trait (comp. Luk 7:2-5). For the expression, “of good report” (), see Act 6:3, note. Of God. The rendering, “warned from God,” however, fairly represents , because does not mean “to be warned,” but “to be divinely warned.” , (Theophylaet). See the frequent use of the word in the New Testament (Mat 2:12; Luk 2:26; Heb 8:5; Heb 11:7, etc.). Josephus frequently uses the verb in the active voice in the same sense. To hear words from thee. A Hebrew turn of expression.

Act 10:23

So he called for then called he, A.V.; he arose and went forth for Paler went away, A.V. and T.R.; certain of the brethren for certain brethren, A.V. And lodged them is rather a feeble rendering of . The same word is rendered entertained in Heb 13:2, which is nearer the sense; “to entertain as a guest.” The word carries with it that he showed them hospitality, and thus broke down the wall of partition between him and them. “He gave them friendly treatment, and made them at home with him” (Chrysostom). (For , see verse 32.) He arose and went forth. This was on the morrow of their arrival. It was two days’ journey from Caesarea to Joppa, and two days’ journey back again, the distance being thirty miles. They would probably stop the night at Apollonia, which was half-way, on the coast road. Certain of the brethren. The ready missionary spirit of the first disciples is here apparent (comp. Act 20:4).

Act 10:24

On the morrow for the morrow after, A.V.; was waiting for waited, A.V.; having called for and had called, A.V.; and his near for and near, A.V. On the morrow. The addition of after in A.V. makes the sense clearer. They entered into Caesarea. A memorable event, being the first invasion of the Roman empire by the soldiers of the cross. His near friends. We have hero a proof of the strong faith of Cornelius. He did not doubt the angel’s promise (Act 10:5 and Act 10:6). We see his brotherly love. He invited his friends to come and hear the message of salvation; those whom, as Chrysostom suggests, he had himself brought to a better mind.

Act 10:25

When it came to pass that Peter entered for as Peter was coming in, A.V. The commentators all notice the ungrammatical phrase, , of the R.T. It seems to be a mixture of two con- structions and . But probably the T.R. is right. Worshipped him; not necessarily as a god, because (with a dative or an accusative, or, as here, without any case, Hebrew ) is constantly used to express that prostration which Orientals practiced before those whom they wished to honor; e.g. Gen 23:7, Gen 23:12; Gen 33:3, Gen 33:6, Gen 33:7, etc. But Peter’s answer shows that he saw in it greater honor than ought to be paid by one man to another (see Act 14:15).

Act 10:26

Raised for took, A.V.

Act 10:27

Findeth for found, A.V.; many come for many that were come, A.V.

Act 10:28

Ye yourselves for ye, A.V.; to join himself for to keep company, A.V.; and yet unto me hath God showed for but God hath showed me, A.V. Ye yourselves know. It was notorious among the Romans that the Jews kept themselves aloof from other people. Hence the accusation against them, in common with Christians, of being haters of the human race. Tacitus says of them that they hated all people, except their own countrymen, as their enemies, and refused to eat or intermarry with them (“Separati epulis discreti cubilibus;” ‘Hist.,’ 5.5). The word , one of another nation, occurs only here in the New Testament, but is common in the LXX. often as a synonym for “Philistines” (see Jdg 3:3, etc.). This rather refutes Meyer’s remark that “the designation (of Gentiles) here is tenderly forbearing.”

Act 10:29

Wherefore also I came for therefore came I unto you, A.V.; when for as soon as, A.V.; with what for for what, A.V.; ye sent for ye have sent, A.V.

Act 10:30

Until this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer for I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed, A.V. and T.R.; apparel for clothing, A.V. Four days ago. This was the fourth day (see Act 10:23, note). Until this hour, etc. The reading of the R.T. is not adopted by Meyer or Alford, and the R.V. is unintelligible. The A.V. seems to give the meaning clearly and accurately. Until this hour probably denotes the sixth hour, midday, as in Act 10:9. Peter’s journey would naturally have been taken in the cool of the early morning. Starting at 5 or 6 a.m., five hours, with perhaps an hour’s halt, would bring him to the end of his fifteen miles’ journey by 11 or 12 a.m. Apparel. The same phrase, , is used by St. Luke (Luk 23:11). In the description of the transfiguration a stronger expression is used, , dazzling.

Act 10:31

Saith for said, A.V.

Act 10:32

Unto thee for hither, A.V.; who is surnamed for whose surname is, A.V.; lodgeth for is lodged, A.V. ( in the middle voice; for the active, see above, Act 10:23); Simon for one Simon, A.V. The clause which follows in the A.V., “who when he cometh shall speak unto thee,” is omitted in the R.T. and R.V.

Act 10:33

Forthwith for immediately, A.V.; we are for are we, A.V.; in the sight of for before, A.V.; have been for are, A.V.; the Lord for God, A.V. and T.R.

Act 10:34

And for then, A.V.

Act 10:35

Acceptable to for accepted with, A.V. As regards the truth that God is no respecter of persons, which the present incident had brought home so vividly to Peter’s apprehension, there can be no difficulty in understanding it. Cornelius was devout, he feared God, he was fruitful in prayer and almsgiving. God did not say to him, “All this would have been accepted in a Jew, but cannot be noticed in a Gentile.” But, Gentile as he was, his prayers and alms went up for a memorial before God. If the things done were good in themselves, they were equally good whoever did them. God is no respecter of persons to accept or reject one or another, because of who he is, and not because of what he does (Eph 6:8). The rule is glory, honor, and peace to every one that worketh good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile, for there is no respect of persons with God (Rom 2:10, Rom 2:11). The word (respecter of persons) occurs only here at all; (to accept or respect persons), once only, in Jas 2:9; (respect of persons), Rom 2:11; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; Jas 2:1. The same idea is expressed by , by which the LXX. render the Hebrew , and by , by which they also render it and the kindred phrase, (see Le 19:15; Deu 10:17, etc.). The first phrase occurs in Luk 20:21 and Gal 2:6; the latter only in Jud Gal 1:16, where it is rightly rendered in the R.V., “showing respect of persons.” Another phrase is (without respect of persons), 1Pe 1:17, and (to regard the person), Mat 22:16; Mar 12:14.

Act 10:36

He for God, A.V.; preaching good tidings of peace for preaching peace, A.V.

Act 10:37

That saying ye yourselves know for that word, I say, ye know, A.V.; beginning for and began, A.V. The construction of Act 10:36, Act 10:37, and Act 10:38, is somewhat difficult, but by far the easiest and most natural way, both as regards grammar and sense, is to make govern directly: You, Gentiles, well know the word which God sent to the Israelites, when he caused the gospel of peace to be preached to them, the word, namely, which came [ comp. especially Luk 3:2] throughout all Judaea,” etc. (Act 10:38), “about Jesus of Nazareth, how that God anointed him,” etc. In the above sentence, is in apposition with , but amplifies and explains it; and again , with all that follows down to the end of Act 10:39, is a still further explanation of the , and a summary of that gospel which, as Cornelius already knew, had been preached to the Jews by Jesus himself. The parenthesis, “He is Lord of all,” is most opportunely inserted, that his hearers might know that Jesus of Nazareth was Lord of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews. The words and are synonymous, as in Act 10:44 and in 1Pe 1:23, 1Pe 1:25 (see Luk 3:2; Eph 6:17), and are better both expressed by the English word, as in the A.V., than by word and saying, as in the R.V.

Act 10:38

Even Jesus of Nazareth, how that God anointed him for how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth. The reference to the anointing (Isa 61:1; Luk 4:18, Luk 4:21; Mat 1:16, Mat 1:17; Act 4:27) was necessary to represent him as God’s Christ (see Act 9:22). For the designation, of Nazareth, comp. Act 2:22; Act 3:26; Act 4:10; Act 6:14; Luk 24:20. Oppressed of the devil. This ascription of disease to Satan agrees with Job 2:7 and Luk 13:16. The word rendered “oppressed” () occurs in the New Testament only here and Jas 2:6, but, with its substantive , is found repeatedly in the LXX. and the Apocrypha, and in classical Greek, though rarely. A good example of its force is Exo 1:13, and of the substantive Exo 6:7. It means “to rule over oppressively, and by force.” In the explanatory addition, For God was with him, Peter teaches what our Lord himself and St. John in his Gospel so constantly do, that our Lord’s miracles were wrought by the power of God (see e.g. Joh 5:17, Joh 5:19, Joh 5:30; Joh 7:28; Joh 8:28; Joh 9:3, Joh 9:4; Luk 11:20, etc.). The unity of the Son with the Father would be taught later.

Act 10:39

Country for land, A.V.; whom also for whom, A.V. and T.R.; hanging him for and hanged, A.V.

Act 10:40

Gave him to be made manifest for showed him openly, A.V.

Act 10:41

That were chosen for chosen, A.V. Peter hero again brings forward the special apostolic office of being witnesses of Christ’s resurrection. This constant reference to the testimony of eye-witnesses is an indication of the thoroughly historical character of Christianity, and of the importance of Christian evidences. The new matter which Peter was to bring before Cornelius and his company begins at Act 10:40, but with the prefatory remarks in Act 10:39, which both attest the truth of what Cornelius already knew and prepare for the following revelation. Who did eat and drink (see Luk 24:30, Luk 24:41-43; Joh 21:12, etc.).

Act 10:42

Charged for commanded, A.V.; this is he which is for it is he which was, A.V. To be the Judge, etc. This statement involves the resurrection of the dead (comp. Joh 5:21-29; Rev 20:11, Rev 20:12). It is easy to see how the creeds would be formed from the repetition of short doctrinal statements like this (see 1Co 15:3, 1Co 15:4).

Act 10:43

Bear for give, A.V.; every one that for whosoever, A.V.; on him for in him, A.V. Here we have another article of the Creed, the forgiveness of sins, preached too in immediate anticipation of baptism, on the profession of faith in Jesus Christ (Act 10:48). Comp. Act 8:37 (T.R.) and 38.

Act 10:45

Amazed for astonished, A.V. They of the circumcision would doubtless be the brethren from Joppa who accompanied Peter (Act 10:23). A more striking confirmation of Peter’s vision cannot be conceived than this descent of the Holy Ghost upon the uncircumcised. How could they any longer be reckoned common or unclean whom God thus cleansed with his Holy Spirit?

Act 10:46

For they heard them, etc. This was the incontrovertible evidence of their reception of the Holy Ghost (see Act 11:15-18, and Act 2:4 and Act 2:11, and note on Act 2:4).

Act 10:47

The water for water, A.V. They actually had the Spirit, which God himself supplied; could any one object to their having the water also, which was the part of the sacrament which it rested with man to supply, in order to complete the new birth (Joh 3:5)?

Act 10:48

Jesus Christ for the Lord, A.V. and T.R. No one forbidding or objecting, Peter immediately ordered that they should be baptized. He does not appear to have baptized them himself, any more than St. Paul did his converts (1Co 1:13-17). They prayed him to tarry with them, no doubt that they might receive fuller instruction in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, into which they had been baptized.

HOMILETICS

Act 10:1-33

The indenture.

The meeting of Peter and Cornelius is one of those binges upon which, small as they seem at the moment, vast interests turn. It was one of those moments when revolutions in the whole state of human society are at the birth; when that is being unconsciously enacted by the doers which will powerfully affect mankind to the end of time and beyond it. From the call of Abraham to the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the covenanted mercies of God had been restricted within the narrow bounds of the Hebrew race. The very ordinances which were necessary to preserve them as a separate people, able to have the custody of the great truth of the unity of God, and of the great promise of a Messiah which should come, erected an impassable barrier between them and the rest of mankind. But this state of things was designed to be only temporary, and to pass away when it had accomplished the purpose for which it was set up. The time was to come when that knowledge of God which had been confined in the narrow reservoir of the Jewish people was to burst its embankment and flood the whole world with truth. But the embankments were very strong. The institutions which were intended to isolate the seed of Abraham had done their work well. The mind of the Jew was built in by a wall of prejudice, which it might have seemed impossible to break down. But it was to be broken down, and that by the band of God. The manner of doing it was remarkable. Among the things which powerfully persuade the human mind coincidences occupy a foremost place. An event which, happening alone, might not have any very commanding power, happening concurrently with another event which has distinct marks of special relation to it, acquires enormous influence. And when all possibility of human agency in producing the coincidence is removed, the sense of a Divine purpose falls irresistibly upon the mind, and with a peculiar energy of conviction. The edges of two events, wholly independent as far as the will of man goes, fitting into one another with the precision of the two edges of an indenture, produce the absolute certainty that the two events were foreordained of God, and have their unity in his eternal purpose. Such a coincidence broke down the barrier in Peter’s mind between Jew and Gentile, and was the first beginning of that wonderful movement which transferred the religion of the Jews, purified and spiritualized, to the possession of the Gentile, and brought Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem. Little did the good men whom Cornelius sent to Joppa think what would be the results of their embassy to Simon; and even Simon Peter, when he went with them to Caesarea, probably scarcely understood the magnitude of his errand. He opened the gates with the keys of his apostolic office, but scarcely realized the multitudes who would enter through them to the kingdom of heaven. To us there is something wonderfully instructive in standing where we can see the simultaneous events on both sides of the wall. The messengers of Cornelius wending their way to Joppa, to find the unknown teacher. Peter praying and seeing his vision, and perplexed about its meaning, in utter ignorance that the Italians were approaching his door and bringing its interpretation with them. Their arrival makes the vision plain, and the voice of the Spirit within him concurs with the voice of the men without. One sees at once the irresistible effect of such a coincidence in overcoming the strongest prejudices, and forcing upon a reluctant mind the conviction that duty lay in a hitherto untrodden path. “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life” was the just conclusion to which all who heard it were brought. And even so in our own lives, if we watch with a careful eye, shall we see many coincidences of a like nature giving us the clearest evidence of God’s watchful care for us, revealing distinctly his hand and his purpose, and making our own path of duty clear in the light of his providential ordering. Sometimes it will be a coincidence between our thoughts and feelings and the events which come unexpectedly upon us; sometimes a coincidence between our own thoughts and the thoughts of others previously unknown to us. It may be some word of wisdom coming home to us at some crisis in our life; some guide sent to us at the very moment when we were in danger of losing our way; or some comfort poured into our heart by a stranger “in his simplicity;” but anyhow a coincidence in which the two edges of the indenture so manifestly fit into one another that we are constrained to hold our peace and to glorify God, and say, “This is God’s work.”

Act 10:34-48

The great surprise.

How seldom do things turn out as we expect! What frequent proofs we have that God’s thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor his ways as our ways! And yet we are always making iron cages in which we think to confine the operations of God’s Spirit, as well as the thoughts of men, and are surprised when either God or men refused to be confined within their bars. The pride of caste is perhaps that which, more than any other one cause, tends to mislead our judgment and to narrow our conceptions. The Jews thought that all God’s grace and favor was reserved for themselves alone. The Pharisees thought that true holiness was confined within the still narrower circle of their own sect. The Romanist conceives of salvation as tied within the four corners of the Church of Rome. Each narrow sect thinks of itself as being exclusively the people of God. Even various parties in the Church can hardly think of grace being found in any party not their own. The great truth that burst upon Peter’s mind, that God is no respecter of persons, is one which we are all very slow to admit. Peter and his companions learnt it with astonishment when the Holy Ghost fell upon the mixed multitude in the house of Cornelius. They were, perhaps, half surprised at their own liberality in sitting in the same room with the uncircumcised soldiers of the Italian cohort, when lo! all difference between them was swept away in an instant, and, to the utter amazement of the condescending Jews, those Gentiles spake with tongues and magnified God. They had received the very same gift of the Holy Ghost which the Jewish disciples had received on the day of Pentecost. They were on an equal footing with them. The middle wall of partition was fallen to the ground. There was not any longer Jew and Gentile, bond and freethey were all one in Christ. “One body, and one Spirit, even as they were called in one hope of their calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who was over all, and through all, and in all.” It was a great surprise, but it was a great and new discovery of the hidden mind of God, a blessed manifestation of the width of that saving grace which embraces all who believe those glorious truths which Peter opened his mouth to declare to the assembled company.

HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON

Act 10:1-8

Piety, its place, its associations, and its reward.

We gather

I. THAT GOD HAS HIS SERVANTS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES. We look for piety in certain quarters where it may be supposed to flourish; in others we do not look to see it; yet in these latter it may be found. Who would have expected that a centurion in a Roman regiment would prove to be a worshipper of Godone that “feared God with all his house”? He and his family must have been living in a way that contrasted strangely with the great majority of those in a similar position. We must never conclude that men are irreligious because of the class to which they belong or of the occupation in which they are engaged. Sometimes, in spite of the most uncongenial surroundings, and sometimes taking part in avocations which few godly men could possibly embrace, there are found simple-hearted and sincere Christian men. Christ has his servants, not only on the exposed hillside and the open plain, but in the most secluded glen, hidden where no eye can see them, living in the very last place where we should go to find them.

II. THAT PIETY SHOULD BE INSEPARABLY ASSOCIATED WITH CHARITY, Cornelius was “a devout man . who gave much alms to the people” (Act 10:2). In certain lands and at certain times, as in the country and at the period to which our text belongs, devotion and almsgiving were very closely conjoined in the public mind. It is quite possible, as was then too painfully evident, that these may be found existing together in outward form, with no acceptableness to God. But it is not the less true that God demands of us that reverent thought directed toward him should be found in close connection with generous thought directed toward our brother (see 1Jn 4:20). Christian charity should be both deep and broad.

1. It should spring from a deep sense of the worth of human souls whom Christ pities and seeks to save.

2. It should extend beyond occasional gifts to those who are in extremity of want. It should include an intelligent endeavor to do that which is really best for the lasting well-being of the people.

III. THAT A SPIRIT OF DEVOUT INQUIRY IS ONE SURE SIGN OF GENUINENESS IN RELIGION. Taking the expression, “Thy prayers are come up for a memorial” (Act 10:4) with “he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do” (Act 10:6), we conclude that Cornelius was deeply conscious that he needed to know more of God than he knew, and that he was prayerfully endeavoring to find his way into the path of truth and heavenly wisdom. This is a mark of reality. Those who complacently conclude that they know all that is to be known, that wisdom dwells with them as in its chief home, that they have no need for spiritual solicitude as to themselves,these are they whose piety we may distrust. But the humble and earnest seeker after more light and truth is the man about whose moral integrity there cannot be two opinions. He bears the stamp of sincerity on his brow.

IV. THAT GOD WILL FULFIL THE DESIRE OF HIM WHO IS THUS SEEKING AND STRIVING. God gave to this devout inquirer that which he sought. He granted him a vision, and instructed him how to obtain the further truth he needed that he might find rest unto his soul (Act 10:3-6). Thus he will treat us also. Only we must fulfill his Divine and constant conditions, viz.:

1. Earnest, repeated, patient inquiry (Mat 7:7, Mat 7:8).

2. Living up to the light we have (Joh 7:17). Half-hearted or impatient prayer will wait in vain for the door to be opened into the kingdom. Inconsistent piety will never know the doctrine which is of God. But let a man seek with his whole soul and let him live according to the known will of God, and then let him “rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him,” and God will give him his heart’s desires (Psa 37:4, Psa 37:7).C.

Act 10:9-48

Man in God’s sight; or, Divine impartiality.

The incident of the conversion of Cornelius is suggestive of some important truths, but of one in particular, viz. the perfectness of the Divine impartiality. We look first, however, at

I. THE PART OF THE PHYSICAL IN THE APPREHENSION OF THE SPIRITUAL. Peter went up to pray (Act 10:9); but he was very hungry and desired bodily refreshment (Act 10:10). This state of body was probably favorable to his “falling into a trance” (Act 10:11); however that may be, it evidently had something to do with the character of the vision which he beheld. The contents of the great sheet, the invitation to “kill and eat,“ answered very closely to his physical cravings. In truth, our spiritual apprehensions depend in no small degree on our bodily condition. We may safely conclude that:

1. Fasting, as such, has a very small place, if it have any at all, in the Christian dispensation. (It had only the very smallest in the Law, though Pharisaic accretions had made it a prominent feature of Jewish piety in our Lord’s time.)

2. Abstinence rather than indulgence is favorable to spiritual apprehension.

3. Bodily health is the best condition for religious service.

II. THE ABSOLUTE NOTHINGNESS OF OUR PHYSICAL DISTINCTIONS IN THE SIGHT OF THE SUPREME. Peter did not at first perceive the full significance of the vision, in which he was bidden to partake of anything before him: he “doubted what this vision should mean” (Act 10:17). But the coincidence of the vision with the coming of the messengers of Cornelius, and the statement of the centurion himself, removed all difficulty and doubt, and he used the noble words recorded (Act 10:34, Act 10:35). Not that he meant to say that God was indifferent to the consideration whether men believed what was true or what was false; that is a gross perversion of his language, which the apostle would have resented with the greatest indignation. He meant that God regarded with equal acceptance all who held and loved the truth, whether they were sons of Abraham or whether they stood quite outside the sacred circle. The lesson for us is that most valuable one, viz. that no physical distinctions of any kind affect our position in the sight of God. “The accident of birth” has no bearing on our place in his kingdom. Neither age, nor sex, nor class, nor race has anything whatever to do with the estimate he forms of us or with the sphere he will assign us. This absolute indifference on God’s part to distinctions of which we make so much, applies:

1. To the remission of sins now; that depends wholly on our spiritual relation to Jesus Christ (Act 10:43).

2. To his judgment of us after death; that also will be decided by our attitude towards him (Act 10:42).

3. To his communication of special gifts (Act 10:44, Act 10:45). This impartiality should be copied by us and, particularly, made applicable to the standing we give to men in the visible Church (Act 10:47, Act 10:48).

III. OUR COMMON RELATION TO GOD THE SOURCE OF HUMAN SACREDNESS, “What God hath cleansed, call not thou common” (Act 10:15). Probably or possibly it may have been intended by this vision to confirm and illustrate the words of our Lord when he “made all things pure” (new rendering). But, however this may be, the words certainly denote that we are not to consider common or profane those whom God has redeemed from profanity. And who are these? Not only

(1) those of our race who have been actually redeemed and renewedthose who are “washed and cleansed and sanctified by the renewing of the Holy Ghost;” but alsoand this is the main thought

(2) all the children of men in virtue of their common relation to the Divine Father and Savior. As those who are “all his offspring,” and who are all free to become his sons and daughters by spiritual resemblance; as those for whom the Son of God shed his blood and to whom he sends his message of love and life,all are worthy of our “honor” (1Pe 2:17); none are to be “lightly esteemed.”C.

Act 10:38

The imitable and inimitable in Jesus Christ.

I. THAT IN CHRIST WHICH IS INIMITABLE BY US.

1. God sent him on a mission altogether higher than our own. He “anointed him” to be the Redeemer of a world, to be its Savior by suffering and dying in its stead, by revealing truth which it could not possibly have discovered.

2. God dwelt in him as he dues not and could not do in us. He was anointed “with the Holy Ghost,” and God “gave not the Spirit by measure unto him.”

3. He was armed with a power which was irresistible: the “winds and the waves obeyed” him; sickness fled at his touch; death itself was obedient to his voice; the spirit-world owned his presence and yielded to his authority; he “healed all that were possessed of the devil.” Our function in the world, our possession by God, our power over the forces around us,this is in striking contrast with the work and present power of Jesus Christ.

II. THAT IN CHRIST WHICH IS IMITABLE BY US.

1. We are charged with a holy and benign mission; we are “anointed” to do a good if not a great work in the world (see Joh 20:21). We are “sent” by our Lord to “bear witness unto the truth,” both in word and deed; “to work and speak and think for him;” to “serve our generation by the will of God.”

2. We are to be those in whom God dwells by his Spirit (see 1Co 3:16; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:22).

3. We are to be possessed of spiritual power (Eph 3:16, Eph 3:19; Eph 6:10; Col 1:11).

4. We are to be the sources and channels of blessing; we are to “go about doing good” (Heb 13:16). We may “do good” everywhere and alwaysthe smile of encouragement, the look of love, the sigh of sympathy, the touch of kindness, the word of truth, the act of integrity, every manifestation of the Spirit of Christ is “doing good.” And all is to be done under the same condition. For:

5. We are to have the continual presence and sanction of our heavenly Father: “God was with him.”C.

HOMILIES BY E. JOHNSON

Act 10:1-8

The pious centurion.

I. THE SCENE OF THE STORY. It was at Caesarea. Hitherto we have heard of Judaea, Samaria, and Galilee. Here the fiery baptism had descended, and here the martyrs had sealed their testimony in blood. Now the second part of the early Church history begins, and the great thought of the gospel, the conversion of the Gentiles to Christ, begins to be an accomplished fact.

II. THE GENTILE SUBJECT OF CONVERSION.

1. A centurion; a captain; a soldier. An old proverb says that “There is no faith and piety with men who follow the camp.” Not always so, and Cornelius is an early type of those who have united the calling of the soldier with simple faith and loyalty to a Divine Master. Whatever view be taken of the military profession, such an example makes it clear that God has his chosen in places, as it may seem to us, the most unlikely, in callings the most unfavorable, as we may think, to the growth of piety. But in reality, religion shows its power in transmuting the raw material of external circumstance. Were piety dependent on happy external circumstances, it would be merely a matter of grace of manners. We cannot expect elegance of the boor, refinement of savages and roughs, but the sparks of Divine love may be struck from the roughest flint of human nature. Those characters which present naturally the greatest resistance to the gospel become often its brightest illustrations when subdued by the power of the truth.

2. Moral preparation for the gospel. He was pious, recognizing the reality of religion, reverencing God in the life of the household, and practicing known duties with diligence and zeal. Almsgiving, it is well known, was commended and enjoined by the rabbis as the chief duty in religion. And this was connected with the habit of constant devotion. Not to self-neglected hearts does God come; not on eyes unused to watch does the vision of heavenly forms beam. The oratory is the reception-room for God, and the heart is the true oratory.

3. Fulfillment of secret yearnings. He sees and hears that which satisfies deep desires of his heart. He beholds an angel of the Lord coming in to him, and hears his name pronounced, “Cornelius!“ Let us not distract ourselves by considering whether this was a dream. The point is not how the centurion saw and heard, but what he saw and heard; not the mode but the matter of the revelation. Evidently here was a Divine visita personal and particular visita visit of Divine recognition, sympathy, and blessing. We may notice:

(1) The invariable fear excited in the soul by Divine revelations. The brave soldier feels it, no less than Moses the stern leader of men, or Isaiah the leal-hearted prophet, or Peter the rock-like and bold. “Woe is me; for I am a man of unclean lips;” “Hide thy face, or I die”such is the language of those to whom God appears and speaks.

(2) This is followed by inquiry, “What may God’s will with one so selected and singled out be? What is it, Lord?” So Isaiah, after the vision in the temple, expresses his readiness for service, “Here am I; send me.” 4. Clear directions of providences. “Send men to Joppa, and cause Simon Peter to be fetched.” Here, again, is the ministry of man to man. That Cornelius is bidden to send for Peter, and that Peter is bound to follow him, shows, not that Cornelius is turning to Judaism, but that the kingdom of God is turning to the Gentiles. Cornelius, with prompt and soldier-like despatch, sends two servants under the escort of a soldier to Joppa. We should be ready to meet our mercies half-way, as unhappily we are too ready to meet our troubles.J.

Act 10:9-17

The ecstasy and vision of Peter.

I. THE ATTITUDE OF PRAYER, HOW constantly is the act and the habit of prayer mentioned in the course of this historyon the part of the community and on the part of individuals! Peter and Cornelius, the Jew and the Gentile, are in communion with God at the same moment; and it is thus shown that true fellowship between man and man on earth is conditioned by fellowship with God. Souls far apart in space are near and at one by means of this mystic tie. It was the calm noonday hour, when, as the ancients were wont to say, “Pan sleeps.” All the mighty heart of nature is at rest, and the very houses of Joppa at his feet might seem to be asleep. But the living God slumbers not; watching over his faithful ones and listening to their prayers. Fixed hours of prayer may be useful and blessed. The thought of uniting with others at the same hour may strengthen devotion. But it is an abuse if the fixed hour only is employed in prayer, so as to make devotion outside it superfluous.

II. THE VISION.

1. Its character is determined both by the physical and the natural state of the apostle. The rapture of his spirit in devotion causes a drain on the forces of the body, and, like the Lord in the desert, he is hungry. The noonday meal is preparing. At this moment the ecstasy comes upon him, and the earthly need is stilled by the heavenly revelation. The food of the spiritual man is to know and do God’s will, and he can learn, with St. Paul, how to be full and to be hungry, how to abound and to suffer need.

2. Its particular features. The vast vessel, like a sheet let down by its four corners from heaven, contains a miscellaneous collection of quadrupeds, reptiles, and birds. Thus the first impression is shocking to a strict believer in and observer of the Mosaic ritual. The confusion of the clean with the unclean, the profane with the holy, is that which he abhors with all his soul. It is, in fact, the visible presentment of the feelings of repugnance with which Peter must secretly have viewed the drawing of the Gentiles with the Jews into the kingdom of God.

3. The Divine voice. “Slay and eat.” Here the Divine resistance to natural and acquired prejudice reaches its height. If we would be followers of the Truth, and make progress in the knowledge of God, we must be prepared to meet with such rebuffs. Prejudices we have thought to be a clear and integral part of our faith must be overcome when the call comes to us to emerge into larger views and clearer light. The most mysterious elements in such struggles is that we seem to be placed in strife with the holiest traditions and best associations of our earlier life. But it is when the fight begins within the man that he becomes worth nothing. And never do ideas become clear, never is the higher generalization grasped, except as the result of such struggles. As Saul, in the zeal of the old faith, kicked against the goads of his new convictions, so was Peter now repugnant to that new truth which was breaking in with so much power upon his mind. In both cases it was a wider view of the kingdom of God, a more loving interpretation of his purposes to mankind, which was struggling for admission to the intellect and heart. Never let us fear the generalization of our ideas and feelings of the truth. The change, in uprooting the old, gives us something far better to put in its place. The resistance of Peter on this occasion is so like himsharp, stubborn, peremptory. “Never, Lord!” When Peter spoke thus it was a sign that he was about to give way, either on the side of good or evil. So had he said on former occasions: “I will never forsake thee.” “Thou shalt never wash my feet!” And we know what followed. So in this instance. In each case there was a right feeling combined with a wrong or ignorant thought. Ignorance of self precipitates into rash resolves; ignorance of the grace of Christ and of the power of truth leads to mistaken obstinacy and resistance.

4. The repeated voice. This time in explanation of the command. What God has cleansed, men are not to deem common. This is a deep and pregnant word. The distinction of clean and unclean animals was

(1) a sanitary distinction;

(2) a ceremonial distinction founded upon that;

(3) therefore a relative and temporary distinction.

Apart from the special purposes for which the distinction holds good, the general truth of universal and eternal application obtainsthat all creatures of God are good and to be received with thanksgiving. So deeply important is this truth, it is repeated over and over again, that it may not possibly be forgotten, that it cannot henceforth be ignored.

(1) Ceremonial, local, national distinctions are for a time; truth and love are universal.

(2) The local must give way gradually before the universal; the truth which reveals differences before the truth which reconciles.

(3) The truth for which a sect contends, once clearly established, cannot be lost. But the universal truth of the gospel absorbs both it and all partial definitions of truth with itself.J.

Act 10:17-23

Peter’s visit to Caesarea.

I. THE CALL TO ACTION FOLLOWING THE REVELATION OF FAITH. Peter was in perplexity at this astounding vision of the sheet let down from heaven. Every Jewish prejudice was confuted by it, and a new view of the purpose of God in the gospel, quite dazzling to his unaccustomed sight, was opened. Well might he hesitate. But when God gives us a new view of truth and duty, it is not long before he calls us to act upon it. So in this case. Often do feelings in the mind thus coincide with outward occurrences. They join hands and irresistibly indicate the will of God. While Peter is inquiring the meaning of what he had seen, he is being inquired for by the strangers at the door. Then comes the inward intimation of the Spirit: “Lo, three men are seeking for thee.”

II. THE CLEARNESS AND EXPLICITNESS OF THE DIVINE CALL. “Arise, go down, go with them, doubt nothing; I have sent them.” Happy for us when the path of duty is made equally clear. Let us remember that the light is given to those who are sincere, and serve God in simplicity of heart. And when the clear call is heard, unhesitatingly must be the obedience. “Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.” The habit of conferring with flesh and blood, i.e. with inclination and disinclination, obscures the conscience, and, perhaps, destroys our hope of future inspirations. “I never rise so high,” said Cromwell, “as when I know not whither I am going,” that is, in obedience to the Divine call. So Peter went forth to meet the men.

III. THE MEANING OF THE CALL EXPLAINED. Cornelius, a Roman centurion, has sent for him. A just and pious man is he, the servant says. Here, then, the vision begins to explain itself. What has the Roman to do with the Jew? Everything, if God brings them together. And that this was here the case was too evident to be ignored. For while God was revealing his will in one way to Peter in a vision, drawing the thought of the apostle toward the Gentile, in another way he was speaking to the Roman, impelling him to send to the apostle, that he might listen to his teaching. What secret attractions of Providence bring lives together! Do we sufficiently consider this? The great lesson reflected both from the conduct of Peter and that of Cornelius is that we should be prompt to obey Divine calls, whether to do good or to seek good. Willingness to receive and to give is the great condition of being rightly led. To speak good words to others may be, for some, the noblest function; to listen to them, for others, the greatest means of blessing. It is the Divine will to bring the speaker and the hearer together, the teacher and the disciple. Let each, then, be true to the voice within.J.

Act 10:23-34

Peter and Cornelius.

I. THE RECEPTION OF THE CHRISTIAN APOSTLE BY THE GENTILE CONVERT. Here were Jew, Gentile, and Christian visibly brought into juncture and unity in the persons of these two men.

1. The Roman officer gives a noble reception to Peter, at once a true Jew and a true Christian, by calling together his kindred and friends. He desires that others may partake of spiritual gifts and blessingsa true mark of love. We become poor by giving earthly goods away; rich by imparting of those that are spiritual. Perhaps there is commonly too much reserve in such relations. We assume reluctance where we might meet with a ready response on the part of friends to such invitations.

2. Cornelius feels deep reverence for the person of the apostle; fell at his feet on his entrance, to do him homage. The Romans were an intensely religious people in their way. They recognized the numen, or Divine power, in all the great objects of the creation. It was a profound mystical instinct, needing only proper direction.

II. THE CHRISTIAN APOSTLE‘S DEMEANOUR TOWARDS THE GENTILE CONVERT. “Rise! I also am a man.” “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” had been his confession to Jesus; and on this he had been appointed fisher of men. Perhaps he remembers that incident now, and, in view of the respect and preparations of Cornelius, repeats, “I am also a man.” “Cornelius does too much in his reverence towards a living and genuine saint; then how can prayer to the images of saints be justified?” No true successor of Peter is he, nor has he Peter’s humble mind, who suffers his feet to be kissed. The worship of the instrument obscures the honor of the Divine Agent. The word of Peter rebukes, not only the worship of saints, but all excessive hero-reverence and worship paid to great men in the Church.

III. THE CONNECTION OF EVENTS EXPLAINED.

1. There was a great prejudice to be overcome. (Verse 28.) The prejudice of the Jew against intercourse with the stranger. No barrier in nature, no mountain to be crossed or traveled, river to be forded, waste to be reclaimed, is comparable to the obstinacy and difficulty of prejudice, most of all of religious prejudice. And where in all the pages of history do we find a prejudice equal in strength to that of the Jew against the Gentile?

2. The Divine victory over prejudice. God had shown that “no man is to be called common or unclean.“ Immense word! Not yet has its meaning been exhausted; not yet, perhaps, begun to be truly unfolded. How profound the strength and the comfort which flows from such a clear word of God? For the preacher, teacher, missionary, every kind of worker for anthropic good, it is a clear light, a clue to hand and heart alike. The ideal human nature is pure and beautiful, for God made itwhatever actual human nature in the individual may be. ‘Tis this thought gives inspiration. Peter will not hesitate to come to the Gentile’s house when he is filled with it; and we may face the facts of the life of the nations, as they are now being so abundantly unfolded to us by scientific inquiry, with intelligent interest and cheerful hope, with the light of the gospel resting broadly over the whole field of inquiry. Such is the impulse which has brought Peter hither. But why have they sent for him? The answer will disclose:

3. Further coincidences. Cornelius now relates his vision. He, too, had been praying and seeking. To him, too, an apocalypse had been given; and the Divine finger had pointed Jew-wards, as to Peter it had pointed Gentile-wards. Equally Divine is the call; with equal promptness obeyed. Cornelius has sent, Peter has done well to come. Happy meeting, divinely brought about, and pregnant with Divine consequences! Such a series of events indicates God’s hand, prepares the mind to listen to God’s voice. The inarticulate voice of events is his voice, and it prepares us to listen to that which is clear and definite.J.

Act 10:34-43

Discourse of Peter at Caesarea.

I. THE EQUAL JUSTICE AND LOVE OF GOD. He is no respecter of persons. The conditions of acceptance in his sight are everywhere and for all men the same, viz. reverence and rightness of moral conduct. Does this imply, it matters not what a man believes, so long as he fears God and does what is right? Certainly, belief is not immediately under the control of the will. But indirectly it so far is that we are bound to keep our minds open to the light, and to seek some belief that may guide conduct. The truth is that the reverence and the moral rectitude spoken of cannot exist apart from the root of faith in a supersensual order and Divine Law. Indifferentism is not recommended nor excused. But the truth that it is only the genuine qualities of the heart, the real disposition of the will, not external associations nor advantages of birth, which constitute true worth in God’s sight. And any other principle of Divine dealing than this would shock the conscience as unjust.

II. RECAPULATION OF THE GOSPEL.

1. It was a good message of peace sent to the sons of Israel. He says nothing about natural religion and the universal conscience, on which St. Paul dwells in the Romans. The gospel is pre-eminently a message by man to man; by a selected people as ministered to the race. It was diffused through the Holy Land, and its substance was well known.

2. Its substanceJesus: his person, his sanctified character, and his mighty deeds. His life of perpetual beneficence, his healing of those under the bondage of disease and of ignorance. It was manifest to men that God was with him, setting the seal of power upon his character and deeds.

3. The existence of living witnesses to those truths. The apostles were witnesses of the facts in the physical world on which Christianity was founded. Christian teachers and Christian men now are witnesses of the facts in the moral world which are eternal, and which interpret the physical facts.

4. The death and resurrection of Jesus. The suffering and the triumph of love; here lies the very kernel of the gospel. This triumphant Christ has been made manifest to chosen witnessesto his close companions and intimate associates during his earthly life. And they have a commission to make proclamation of these truths to the people, and to testify that he is appointed Judge of the living and the dead. Finally, the gospel has the confirmation of prophecy; and all who believe on him may receive the remission of their sins. Here, then, is a useful summary of the gospel.

(1) Peace through Jesus Christ, who has lived, suffered, and risen for men.

(2) This is a message to all men, and a call to salvation.

(3) Its aim is universal human blessedness.J.

Act 10:44-48

Descent of the Spirit at Caesarea.

Let us notice the following particulars in connection with this visitation:

I. EVER THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES UPON MEN IN CONNECTION WITH THE RECEPTION OF THE TRUTH. So at Pentecost; so here. The falling of the rain from heaven is concurrent with the germination of the seed. It can hardly be said that either is first or second. Each is the necessary condition of the other. If we desire to secure the heavenly words, we must preach the Word” be instant in season and out of season.”

II. EVER A NEW REVELATION BRINGS WITH IT ASTONISHMENT AND PERPLEXITY. The believing Jew could not understand this outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the heathen; nor how they could be found speaking with tongues and glorifying God. To us it seems natural enough that the great purpose of God, the generous germ-thoughts of eternal truth and love, should break forth into larger meaning and wider development. But there is a lesson for us here. We are all slow to see the large consequences of the truth we hold and teach. It surprises us, and alas! not always with a joyous surprise, when we find people accepting the consequences of our own doctrines, and proving that they have taken seriously what perhaps we preached with only half a heart.

III. LOVE AND TRUTH PREVAIL ALONG WITH EVERY MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. It is Peter, the very personification of the Jewish and exclusive spirit, who now pleads for the reception of the new converts. We never understand a truth till we have striven against it. Then we become enthusiasts for it when it has conquered our own heart and intelligence. The representative of the circumcision, that is, of the exclusive or Jewish view of the gospel, is now the very champion, not merely of toleration, but of a free and loving reception of the heathen converts to the fellowship of Christ. The case of Peter, like that of Paul, shows how the best advocates of a holy cause are often, it may be always, to be found amongst those who have been its sincere opponents. Thus do extremes meet; thus out of weakness comes strength, from bitterness sweetness; thus does the gracious and gentle will of God select foes to turn them into friends. But we shall see in the next section the further victory of Divine love over the narrowness and hate of the human heart.J.

HOMILIES BY R.A. REDFORD

Act 10:1-8

The Spirit of God in the Gentile world. Caesarea.

Roman spirit there. Philip’s visit (see Act 8:40). Herod’s influence. Possible contact of Cornelius with gospel truth. Necessity that the entrance of the Church on its new territory should be solemn, authorized, undoubtedly firm, because of the subsequent controversies which would be largely settled by reverting to the facts.

I. CORNELIUS, A TYPE of the religious heathen under the influence of the Spirit.

1. Devotion may be sincere, while unenlightened; yet needing the higher teaching.

2. Almsgiving, when accompanied by prayer, a sign of real religion.

3. Household piety. The true man lives his faith, however imperfect. As best he could he feared God in the regulation of his life.

II. SUPERNATURAL HELP leads on the seeking minds. The resources which were open to the heathen world insufficient. Philosophy dumb on the greatest questions. Heathen priests mostly deceivers. Cornelius was not satisfied. Sense of sin awakened. The heathen must be evangelized, even though we admit that their religious position is not absolutely hopeless. The gospel is not a mere individual message; it proclaims a remedy for universal ills. The centurion was a man of great influence. His conversion would open the way of the truth to many others.

III. LESSONS FOR GOD‘S PEOPLE to be learnt from those without.

1. Responsibility for light.

2. Position to be faithfully employed for God.

3. Family religioneven soldiers in the house had learnt devoutness from their master.

4. Follow the leadings of God’s voice.R.

Act 10:9-16

(or Act 10:15)

The light of heaven on the open gate of a new world.

Review the preparations made for the revelation to be now vouchsafed. The teaching of Christ. His commission to his apostles. Stephen; Paul; Samaria. Peter’s charge of the key. His visit to Joppa. His mind probably already at work on the problem.

I. THE TWO WORLDS FACE TO FACEthe heathen and the Jewish, both the scene of spiritual manifestations. The two streams of grace flowing, ready to commingle in one broad river of new life.

1. Take the two men as types or the two different forms of thought and faithPeter and Cornelius.

2. Both worlds need supernatural communications. Jews had abused privilege. Gentiles had trampled underfoot the remnants of Divine tradition.

3. The new world, that is, the new humanity to be called forth, a union of the Jewish and the Gentile. Christ making peace (Eph 2:11-22).

II. THE LIGHT DESCENDING FROM HEAVEN at the open gate.

1. Such a vision requisite to dispel the darkness of Peter’s mind and to assure his faith. He was practically weak (see his controversy with Paul, Gal 2:1-21.).

2. A reversion to the original position of man in creation. All distinctions of clean and unclean subsequent to creation (see Gen 1:1-31.).

3. Authority removes what authority had prescribed. “God hath cleansed.”

4. While the vision must have loosened prejudice, it was not itself commandment. It prepares the way, shows the open door, but is not itself a substitute for God’s Spirit. Learn from this that all such help should be used. in dependence on the still higher help, the direct teaching of God’s Spirit, both by facts and words.R.

Act 10:17-23

The finger-post of Providence.

It is well when we can look away from visions to facts, and deal with living men. Opportunity for action often disperses the cloud of perplexity. The vision in the memory, the men at the gate, the Spirit presiding over all.

I. GOD‘S METHOD ILLUSTRATED.

1. The subjective and the objective united. The spirit within is experience. The work of grace in the outward world.

2. Providential guidance is vouchsafed. The facts that will help us are at the gate.

3. There is a background of the supernatural to which we are able to refer for authoritythe Spirit in the Word, in the living Churches, in the world.

II. BELIEVING OBEDIENCE. EXEMPLIFIED.

1. Natural feeling overcome in the presence of undoubted Divine commandment.

2. A new enterprise faced, in dependence on Divine support.

3. Wisdom humbly seeking light that it may be followed.

4. The Spirit’s seal recognized by the spiritual man. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,” etc. Doubt too often a moral defect.R.

Act 10:23-43

The first trumpet-sound of the gospel in the heathen world.

I. A REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY.

1. Cornelius, his kinsmen, his near friends, probably some of them devout soldiers.

2. Peter, his brethren from Joppa. The different states of mind. Inquiry after truth, perplexity as to duty. The helplessness of the heathen world well set forth in Cornelius’s salutation. The sense of darkness and spiritual want a temptation to worship men instead of God. The false Church accepts such worship. The true says, “Stand Up! I myself also am a man.”

II. THE LIGHT OF GOD the only true light in which differences are removed and blessings are recognized. Peter brings into that light his Jewish prejudice, and it vanishes. Cornelius brings into it his desire for knowledge and equality with all God’s children, and it is abundantly satisfied. So in the controversies of men, let them meet together “in the sight of God,” and to hear his voice, and all will be well.

III. THE TRUMPET–SOUNDS awaking the Gentile world.

1. The personal Redeemer.

2. The witnessing Church.

3. The universal invitation. The true evangelthe true liberty, equality, and fraternity. The Holy Spirit spake by Peter’s mouth.R.

Act 10:34

“God is no respecter of persons.”

A great truth exemplified in fact becomes like a new revelation. What Simon Peter perceived in the setting of real life he had often acknowledged before. It was the application that was requisite. Difference between holding a truth and being held by it.

I. A CONDEMNATION OF SELF–RIGHTEOUSNESS. Not person, but his own Divine righteousness does he respect. The acceptance of the sinner is not a personal favor, but a manifestation of that which is perfectthe righteousness of Christ. Ritualism supposes God capable of being turned aside from his perfect justice. The intolerance of bigotry. Class distinctions in the Church. Priestcraft.

II. A CONDEMNATION OF UNBELIEF, in the form of distrust and despondency. Nothing acceptable in self-reproaches except as they are sincere and accompanied with active efforts to do his will.

III. THE MOTTO OF THE CHRISTIAN AMBASSADOR, whether in carrying the message to the degraded classes of our own population or to the heathen. One gospel for rich and poor, cultivated and uncultivated.

IV. THE NOTE OF THE TRUE CHURCH. That which will not recognize the universal brotherhood of men will not be the Church of the future. Coincidence of providential teaching with the teaching of the Bible. The world will acknowledge no form of Christianity which respects persons. The history of the last century showed that a false Christianity produces atheism.R.

Act 10:36

The universal proclamation.

“Preaching peace by Jesus Christ.” Taking Cornelius as an example of a devout heathen, show that the world needed a new proclamation of peace, both to individuals and to nations. A personal name must be announced; for it must be preached, not by wars and worldly power, but by persuasion and appeal to the heart.

I. THE MESSAGEPEACE.

1. Peace between man and God in atonement.

2. Peace rising up as a wellspring of new life in the heart.

3. Peace ordering the life.

II. THE PREACHERJESUS CHRIST.

1. Not destroying the Law, but fulfilling it. The gospel preached from the first.

2. The power of the message is in the messenger. Personal power. Power of love. Power of Divine supremacy inviting confidence.

3. Jesus Christ preached in his people, by his Church, in the embodiment of the Word. Test of all doctrines claiming to uplift humanityWill they bear to be made the oasis of fellowship? Rationalism has never been able to form a Church. Jesus preached and preaches still a peaceful revolution which shall totally change the world.

III. THE AUDIENCE.

1. None excluded. No other condition would harmonize with both the message and the preacher.

2. Christianity preaches peace in states and among the contending nations, not by substituting spiritual principles for laws, because it is not the preacher’s province to legislate, but by proclaiming the Word of Jesus Christ.

3. The mission of the Church to the homes of men, not the peace of blind submission, intellectual and moral death, but the peace of Jesus Christ, the life of God in the soul of man, flowing out into the surrounding world. Is it peacewithin, without?R.

Act 10:38

The great Philanthropist.

“Who went about doing good.” The true criterion by which Christianity must be tried is its adaptation to the world’s necessities. The text of Peter’s sermon was Jesus Christ. “We are witnesses” of what he was, what he did, how God testified his authority.

I. THE WORLD‘S GREAT WANT.

1. Deeds, not words. Failure of all mere human schemes of philanthropy.

2. A benevolence working from a spiritual basis. External reform insufficient.

3. Universality. “All the ends of the earth shall see this salvation.”

4. A permanent motive to philanthropy. National, legislative, personal efforts apt to die out.

II. THE WORLD‘S GREAT RESOURCE.

1. Philanthropy springing out of religion. The deepest springs of humanity touched. The lowest and highest united together. Reverence for the weak a truly Christian sentiment; absent from all heathenism. Destroyed by science unless guarded by higher motive.

2. A Divine hope at the root of all effort. The kingdom of heaven was what Jesus proclaimed. Not relief merely, but restoration.

3. A perfect Example. The character of Christ acknowledged even by opponents to be unique. Its influence on his disciples inexhaustible. The method of Jesus a great guiding fact”he went about doing good,” not waiting for organization, or merely presiding over others, or sitting on an inaccessible throne of dignity, but doing the work by personal, individual ministration.

III. THE TOUCHSTONE OF TRUTH.

1. Apply it to the claims of rival religions. “Doing good.”

2. Apply it to the prevalent tendencies of modern society. Philosophical scepticism. Socialistic experiments. Rationalistic criticism. Lowering Christianity to a mere republication of morality.

3. Apply it to individuals. Are we treading in the footsteps of Jesus as he went about doing good? Is there an impelling motive, a generous self-sacrifice, a single-minded simplicity in us, like his?R.

Act 10:42

The Savior’s charge to his ministers.

“He commanded us to preach unto the people.” No secrets in the Christian religion. Apostles witnesses for the sake of others. The key opened the door, and then was flung away. Baptism of the Holy Ghost preceded the universal message.

I. THE DIVINEST WORK OF GOD‘S PEOPLETO PREACH.

1. The greatness of the work rests upon the greatness of the necessity. Teaching can never be dispensed with. The root of a true faith is knowledge. Popular ignorance immeasurable.

2. No ritualistic display can supersede preaching. Nor is devotion the whole of worship. As a moral force, Christianity must be preached to men, both conscience and heart.

3. Preaching is the most simple and pure channel of connection from soul to soul. The Spirit flows through the Word.

II. THE CHIEF AIM OF GOD‘S MINISTERS MUST BE TO REACH THE PEOPLE.

1. No sophistry should blind us to the fact that the proclamation of gospel truth is the first duty of Christians.

2. The Word preached must be the Word which is adapted to the people, life power like that of evangelical truth.

3. Churches must guard against being “at ease in Zion.” Edification is best aimed at through aggressive efforts on the surrounding population. Intellectual preaching must be subordinated to popular wants. An educated ministry is the want of the times, but the education, like all other means employed, must be full of the Holy Ghost.

III. THE MASTER‘S COMMISSION THE SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH‘S HOPES.

1. Direct charge must silence all questioning and all speculation.

2. Jesus Christ reads the future. Let the commander give the orders. Then his predictions of victory will be fulfilled.

3. The reflex action of zealous fulfillment of the charge on the Church’s own faith and experience. These who do much for the people the happiest Christians, the most assured believers. The triumphs of practical Christianity will be its best evidence. What are we doing, both as individuals and as Churches, to preach to the people?R.

Act 10:43

Faith directed to its highest object.

“To him give all the prophets witness,” etc. Peter’s climax. He led his hearers up the ascent of faith, and bid them see Jesus on the height, above all, summing up all in himself, before all eyes, testified to by all witnesses from the beginning.

I. THE TWO TESTIMONIES here set forththe witness of the written Word, the witness of the unwritten work of the Spirit in the heart.

1. The union of these the ground of a sinner’s confidence. Faith lays hold of the object.

2. The world is invited to examine these two witnesses for Christ. The Bible, as the Book of the prophets, stands not alone. God writes a Bible in his Church, in great examples of his Spirit’s work; in the consciences of men. We must appeal to both. Review the course of revelation side by side with the facts of spiritual history. Great revivals accompanied by great openings of the Word.

II. THE WORLD–WIDE BLESSEDNESS.

1. Remission of sins the foundation on which all spiritual, moral, and physical change must be built up. No compromise with a lower doctrine. The promise of the Spirit is to faith. The kingdom proclaimed is not man’s kingdom, but God’s.

2. The Name of Jesus is the center of all religious reformation. Apostolic successes were due to the unflinching steadfastness of the ambassadors.

3. Connect the conclusion of Peter’s sermon with the preceding testimony. Faith is acceptance, not of any Christ, but of the Christ to whom all the prophets witnessed. Practical religion is based upon intelligent understanding of the object of faith. It is obedience to the truth.R.

Act 10:44-48

The first Gentile Church.

1. Importance of the event as removing all doubt and opening the new future. The Holy Ghost his own witness. To resist such evidence would be blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

2. The immediate consecration and public sealing of the work by baptism a striking example of obedience to the Spirit, and shows us that we should bear in mind always how much profession and consecration bear on the interests of Christ’s kingdom.

3. Apostolic authority is great, but is itself subject to the Spirit. Inspiration in the people of God blends with inspiration in his specially anointed messengers. Wherever he shows us that his Spirit has already been poured out, let us hasten to bear witness to it. So shall we strengthen our own faith and enlarge the Church. The whole history, thus concluded, a lesson on the blessing attending a simple following the guidance of the Spirit. Peter an example of a heart enlarged by simplicity.R.

HOMILIES BY P.C. BARKER

Act 10:1-48

Broadening foundations.

The promises of God to “Abraham and his seed for ever” are not going to be diminished now, but something of the extent of them is to be made more plain. Nothing shall be taken from the Jew which he is willing to have and to keep; but much is going to be given, with a manifestation unknown before, to the Gentile. With some form of vision, of dream, of angel-appearance, the covenant of long ages ago was made with the patriarch, and it seems that now, some nineteen centuries later, similar august realities shall be graciously put into movement, to inaugurate the abundant entrance of the whole Gentile world to the blessings of revealed religion. Multifarious as the detail of this chapter is, it is knit together by strongest bonds. It is one in spirit and in subject, and its impression is one. It is the moving drama-like representation of a very real and very significant transition in universal history. We are in the presence of a landmark that shall be seen far and wide and to the end of time. And we may observe

I. IN WHOM THIS GREAT TRANSITION IS ILLUSTRATED. Confessedly indications of it had not been wanting, while Jesus lived on earth, in the eulogy he pronounced upon the faith of such as the centurion whose servant was ill, and the Syro-phoenician woman. And within the actual ministry of Peter as an apostle, the Ethiopian eunuch, his conversion and baptism, had given similar indications. But more than indications are now arrived. The time is ripe for manifestation. And the illustration, nay, the full and. distinct announcing, of the universal privileges and universal blessings of the gospel of Christ are made in the personal history of Cornelius.

1. He is a Roman. No larger, better type of the world could be chosen.

2. He is a Roman of the profession of arms. No profession could be chosen fitter to yield in fullest surrender to the message of the Prince of peace.

3. He is a man of large and liberal heart, of large and open eye. One detail after another of this history betrays it.

4. He is already of a religious and devout disposition. He is held in her our for his practical goodness among the people. His character as a religious man is regarded by them as a consistent character. But past these, he has been a genuine seeker after God in prayer. Though a Gentile, he had a soul like that of the true Israelite. His gaze was to the East; he would not bow down to the West. Some of the gospel’s grandest triumphs are, and are set forth in Scripture as, over the worst lives. But signally the grandest revelations of truth and of things to come have been vouchsafed to the pure and the watchful, those devout in heart and devoted in lifeay, from Enoch to the shepherds of Bethlehem, and on by the Ethiopian and Cornelius to John of Patmos.

II. IN WHAT MANNER THIS GREAT TRANSITION IS FORMULATED. The one great effect is that we are impressed with the Divine initiative and the Divine conduct in even the details of what took place. The Divine purpose shall be carried out with Divine attention.

1. A vision, and an angel in the vision, appear to Cornelius. Instruction lies, no doubt, both in what is said to Cornelius in this vision, and what is left even to him to fill up.

(1) He is graciously and approvingly advised that his “prayers,“ though he was not of the favored nation, and his “alms” have been noticed of Heaven, and have been accepted. They have availedeven as though they had been “incense” and the “evening sacrifice.”

(2) He is told to send to a certain place for “Peter,” whose name, possibly enough, he had heard by this time; whom, however, it is evident he did not personally know, both from the mode in which the angel described him, and from what we read of the way in which Cornelius received him (verses 5, 6, 25).

(3) He is left to gather that Heaven’s own clock has signified that the time is ripe for some event on earth worthy of its marking, and, with exemplary promptitude, he does to the letter what he is commandedand waits the issue. Let alone what was left to Cornelius to surmise, it is left to us also to imagine how this interval was passed by himhow devoutly he mused, how surely he expected what was divinely worth the having from the manner in which communication had been made to him, how he talked about it with any like-minded, and invited such together, that with himself they might share the privilege and responsibility of receiving the illustrious visitor, and hearing his mission.

2. A trance, and a vision in the trance, a voice distinctly repeated, and the direction of the Spirit (verse 19), are given to Peter. These were to act as

(1) strong impulse to him;

(2) deeper instruction in the understanding of the one universal God and Savior, and one large family of mankind “of one blood,” though spread among many a nation of the earth;

(3) literal guidance in the path of duty, and especially when the close of the trance and vision was timed to the hour of the arrival of the embassy from Cornelius. A wondering and awed and asking mind in Peter is in some measure satisfied as well as relieved by the errand and practical work to which he is immediately challenged by the three messengers. We may note that all this is mere myth and idle tale on the page of Scripture, or that it strongly begs our study of providence and a very grateful faith in such providence. Though the age of vision and trance be passed, the age of providence and of the Spirit has not passed and never will pass.

3. A designed and manifestly adapted meeting of instructor and instructed carries on what may be designated without irreverence the divinely planned program of the occasion. Companions and witnesses go with Peter, who has already entertained for one night in the same “lodging” with himself the strange messengers of Cornelius, and arrived at the abode of Cornelius the next day but one after the “trance.” Peter finds a little congregation of Gentiles to see him and receive, not so much him, as God’s Word by him. All these things must be viewed as the arrangements and preparation for that which was to follow, and to prove itself the great object in the Divine purpose. Forces long estranged are led toward one another in happiest and most impressive omens, and very soon they find themselves one in one “Lord of all.” Often have there been larger congregations to hear Peter and brother apostles and the true successors of these to the present; rarely have there been more expectant or more rightly and devoutly prepared.

4. God’s own great sermon to the world is now spoken by lips prepared to speak to hearts prepared to receive. The text is that God accepts every man who is ready “to walk humbly with him, to do justice and to love mercy” (Mic 6:8). And the real sermon consists of this, that Jesus Christ is the only way hereto. His Name, his anointing, his unwearied goodness, his oneness with God, his crucifying, his rising from the grave, his charge to the apostles in that mystic forty days that they now should preach him “to all the world,” as, in fine, Judge of living and dead,these are the touching, thrilling, inspiring heads of Peter’s discourse, a summary of the way of life. And the practical exhortation in the conclusion amounts to this, that to Jesus all men are to have recoursehe, the one object of faith for the forgiveness of sins: “Every one that believeth on him shall through his Name receive remission of sins.” With these words the errand of Peter was very nearly finished. The visions and the trance, the intimations of the Spirit, and the journeyings to and fro of messengers, the expectant Cornelius and friends, have all found their meaning face to face with one another. Men might little think today what lay in that brief address of Peter, or that matter of such precious import could lie in so simple a rehearsal. Yet it was so. Those few words of Peter were even burdened with the material of hope, comfort, joy. They were like the charter of liberty, of right, of wealth, to a household and a nation. They were really such a charter to the world.

III. THE SANCTION BY WHICH THIS GREAT TRANSITION IS CONFIRMED AND CROWNED. This consisted in the descent of the Holy Ghost, with his wondrous powers. It was another scene of Pentecost; nay, it was the other scene of Pentecost, its counterpart. Pentecost in its divinest significance, let us say, in the Divine eye itself, awaited this perfecting. The world, it is true, does not yet lie at the feet of Jesus, but “this day is salvation” proclaimed to the world, and “the Son of man” is announced as “come to seek and to save that which was lost,” of whatsoever nation, tribe, tongue. Again, “there was great joy in that city” and in that house. Notice:

1. The stress that is laid on “those of the circumcision” being witnesses of the effects of the descent of the Holy Spirit “upon the Gentiles.”

2. The respect shown to the administration of the initiatory rite of baptism.

3. The little stress that is laid upon the matter of who should be the administerers of that rite. It is only said that Peter uttered forth the deciding word that this congregation of Gentiles, upon whom the gift of the Holy Ghost had fallen, and who were showing manifestly forth his “gifts,” “should be baptized in the Name of the Lord.” We are reminded of the words of Paul, “I thank God I baptized none of you, save,” etc. (1Co 1:14). The apparent abstinence on the part of Peter now, and the language of Paul subsequently, whatever else may possibly underlie them both, may certainly be justly understood to “magnify the office” and the work of preaching. In how little honor do we sometimes hold that which was now honored so highly alike by the anxious longing and attention of Cornelius and his friends; by the conduct of Peter; and by the Divine preparation of vision, trance, the Spirit, and some coincident providences! The “words” of Jesus are “spirit and are life.” Near the fount itself they were sometimes honored as such. They spread light and life. They have lost nothing of their own force as time has gone on, nor ever will to time’s end, though men may neglect or reject.B.

HOMILIES BY R. TUCK

Act 10:2, Act 10:22

Devout heathen.

To correct the tendency to limit the operations of Divine grace to particular sections, classes, or nations, the Scriptures record instances of true devoutness and sincere piety both before and outside the Abrahamic covenant. The comforting and inspiring truth of the Divine call and election man has too often changed into a doctrine of Divine favoritism, involving the sovereign and groundless choice of some, and the consequent repudiation and hopeless condition of many. We should ever seek to hold the truth which God is pleased to reveal with a jealousy of ourselves, lest we should unduly apply it to the disadvantage of others. Our God has said, “All souls are mine;” he maketh “his sun to rise upon the evil and upon the good.” And if he claims the right to judge all mankind, he must have given them all knowledge, opportunities, and measures of grace. While fully realizing that the only book revelation has been made to the Jew and the Christian, and that the great revelation of God to man has been made in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that this revelation is the key to, and the completion of, all others, we need not refuse to admit that God has had gracious access to the minds and hearts of heathen peoples, and has guided, in measures that seemed wise, their gropings and seekings after him. One of the remarkable cases is that of Cornelius the Roman centurion, a man declared to be of pious character, and to have won the Divine acceptance. As illustrating the above statements, mention may be made of Melchizedek, Balsam, Araunah, etc. Accepting the fact that there may be genuine religion among the heathen, we may ask by what signs may we hopefully recognize it, and then turn to the story of Cornelius for aid in making answer.

I. The first sign is BELIEF IN GOD, as distinguished from the gods. The conception of one supreme Being is more common among the heathen than we are wont to admit. It is often lost sight of by the prominence that is given to subordinate divinities, and the elaborate worship rendered to them. It is often sadly limited and deteriorated by the notion of a second being, who is regarded as a rival of the supreme Being, and energetically destroying his work. Polytheism and dualism represent the two evil tendencies of man’s religious nature; but we may reasonably hope that not a few of the heathen have, like Cornelius, risen above the prevailing sentiments, and held firmly their faith in one supreme God. And we must, in all charity, assume that there may be a personal trust of heart on the living God, when the intellectual conceptions of him, and of his relations with men, are very imperfect and unworthy. To be acceptable, a man’s religion must include faith in one God; and we must remember that this was the first great fact and truth revealed to men, and, however men may have blotted it over in their souls, they have not blotted it out.

II. The second sign is SUCH APPREHENSION OF GOD AS BRINGS FEAR. The Bible use of the word “fear” should be carefully explained. It is the word which most suitably expresses the proper attitude of men towards God. It includes awe, reverence, worship, and obedience, and may be best illustrated by the feelings entertained by a good child towards a good and noble parent. The sense of Divine authority should make us fear to do wrong, and the sense of Divine holiness should make us fear to approach unpreparedly his presence or to take his Name in vain. “Fear,“ as an equivalent for “worship,” needs explanation, and, rightly explained, it will be seen that it is the very essence of religion, so far as religion affects man’s feeling. Wrong senses of the term fear may be considered. Fear which crushes hope and keeps us from God must be wrong; as is also fear that makes us unwilling to accept the grace he offers.

III. The third sign is SUCH APPREHENSION OF GOD AS LEADS TO PRAYER. Not merely to prayer as a sudden act, forced on by calamity or distress, but to prayer as the daily expression of the cherished spirit of dependence on Goda daily leaning on God and waiting for him, which is indicated by the description of Cornelius as a” devout man.” Miss Cobbe strikingly says, “Our belief in the personality of God is in a peculiar manner allied to the moral side of religion. In proportion as that moral side is developed in us, so, we may almost say, is the clearness of our conviction that it is indeed a living God who rules the world, and no mere creative intelligence. Now, this moral side comes out only in its full luminousness in prayer. Prayer is in its essence the approach of the finite and fallible moral agent to its infinite moral Lord, to whom it is conscious of erring allegiance, and to whom it comes for forgiveness and strength. In such prayer all the moral life bursts into vivid consciousness. In prayer there comes to us the true revelation of the personality of God.” Illustrate by the characteristic feature of the converted Saul of Tarsus, “Behold, he prayeth!”

IV. The fourth sign we may speak of as the RESULTS OF TRUE RELIGION IN PRACTICAL CHARITIES. These are signs, because they are the natural and necessary fruitage and expression of true piety. Right ideas of God tone our relations with our fellow-men, so that we can be “kind even to the unthankful and the unholy” Cornelius is marked as one who “gave much alms to the people.” The more internal features of true piety are, of necessity, beyond our reading; but our Lord taught us that by men’s fruits in conduct we might know them, and that, if there is ever the Divine life in souls, it will force its way out into practical charities and goodness of conduct. When, therefore, we find those we call “heathen” exhibiting Christian virtues, we may reasonably hope that there is a right-heartedness towards God of which these are the expressions. By the story of Cornelius we are taught that God may make more or less open responses to such devout and prayerful souls by visions, revelations, or inward communications, witnessing thus their acceptance, and guiding the open soul to righteousness and truth. It is true for all the world that “if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.” While this subject needs to be treated with great prudence, and strongly dogmatic statements should be avoided, we may gain from it some relief from the pressure of our questioning as to the salvability of the heathen, and we may conceive how the heathen state may become a moral preparation for Christianity. It is an important feature of modern missionary enterprise that those who preach Christ’s gospel seek to find points of contact in the heathen mind and religious sentiments, and expect to discover that God has been beforehand with them, preparing men’s hearts to receive the wonderful message of Divine salvation by a Divine sacrifice.R.T.

Act 10:5, Act 10:6

The intimacy of Divine knowledge.

This is a striking passage when thoughtfully considered. The doctrine of Divine omniscience we may accept without having any adequate conception of it, or feeling any practical impression attending on our faith. The ease with which a general truth or principle may be held, while it yet remains ineffective on the life, has often been urged on us. The skilful teacher seeks to set forth the general truth in some particular instance, and expects that the truth will thus be seen clearly and grasped firmly. We have an instance in the passage before us. Cornelius had some appropriate ideas concerning God’s omniscience and omnipresence, yet we may be sure that they had never been practical, real, and searching thoughts to him, until the angel showed that God knew all about him and all about Peter, his name, lodging, host, etc. In our childish days we were often frightened by being reminded of the words, “Thou God seest me.” It is well if in our manhood we can have such a revelation of the marvelous minuteness, yet more marvelous tenderness and graciousness, of the Divine inspection. David’s joy in the omniscience and omnipresence of God, as indicated in such psalms as the hundred and forty-ninth, may be referred to. “The Lord knoweth them that are his.” We may notice the points in the passage which suggest the intimacy and exactness of God’s daily knowledge of us.

I. GOD KNOWS OUR NAMES. Our surname, by which we are commonly known to the world, and even our Christian name, by which we are known to our intimate friends. He knew Peter the fisherman, but he knew him as Simon. This includes God’s knowledge of all that our fellow men, with whom we have to do in daily business, know of us; and his further knowledge of all that our most intimate relatives could tell of our character and disposition. There may be some things of private thought or conduct which we would gladly keep from God; even these are “naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

II. OUR EMPLOYMENT. God knew that this other Simon was a tanner by trade. We somehow dissociate the common occupations of life from the thought of God, but he watches us in daily work. And we may surely feel that he judges day by day the spirit in which our daily work is done. “Whereunto a man is called, therein let him abide with God.”

III. THE SITUATION OF OUR HOUSE. God knew that this tanner’s house was “by the seaside,“ placed there, probably, for the conveniences of his trade. So God knows our precise circumstances and surrounding, and the exact influence which these things bear upon us. And if he knows all this, we may confidently rest assured that he is ready and willing to be the power that helps us to overcome our disabilities, and master our difficulties, and live for him “even where Satan’s seat is,” if our lot should be cast in such scenes.

IV. OUR RELATION TO THE FAMILY. Brining his inspections to bear on the family circle, he knows the place of each one. He knew that Peter was only a lodger. Then he can give each one the needed grace for worthily occupying his place, and faithfully maintaining his relations and doing the consequent duties. Apart from the revelation of the humanity and sympathetic brotherhood of Christ, as “God manifest in the flesh,” so minute a Divine knowledge would only appall us, crushing down energy, effort, and hope. Now we glory in the thought of the perfect knowledge, for he who besets us behind and before is our Father, whom we know well through his Son and our Brother, the “Man Christ Jesus.”R.T.

Act 10:14, Act 10:15

Nothing common in God’s sight.

Introduce by an account of St. Peter’s vision, observing how it affected the mind of one who was so thoroughly imbued with Jewish notions. In our Lord’s time the laws of the clean and unclean were scrupulously observed, and the apostles had not yet realized how the new spirit of Christ’s kingdom was to set them free from the bondages and the limitations of the Jewish ceremonial. God would, by this vision, correct two of the prevailing mistakes.

1. That his favor was granted only to certain defined classes and individuals of mankind. He “so loved the world.“

2. That his service was found in the obedience of merely external regulations, that once had their usefulness and their meaning, but were not necessarily expressions of heart-love and devotion. The first mistake was corrected, in the vision, by the outstretched sheet, which was a figure of the wide world, and the four corners as the directions into which the gospel was now to be borne forth into all the world. The second mistake was corrected by the obliteration of all formal distinctions in the announcement that what God has cleansed man may not call common, for God will receive the love and trust and worship of “whosoever will.” Dean Plumptre says, “In the interpretation of the vision, all that belongs to humanity had been taken up into heaven,

(1) when man’s nature was assumed by the eternal Word in the Incarnation (Joh 1:14), and

(2) when that nature had been raised in the Ascension to the heaven of heavens.” We may consider

I. THE UNIVERSAL TRUTH AS HERE STATED AND ILLUSTRATED. “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” God affirms that the whole earth is free to receive the message of the gospel, all disabilities and barriers are for ever removed, and he recognizes no longer the distinctions of elect and non-elect; “To the Gentiles also is granted repentance unto life.” It may be shown

(1) that God, as Creator and Preserver, cares for his whole world;

(2) that, as the fatherly Ruler, he is concerned for the moral well-being of the whole world;

(3) that, as dealing with willful and rebellious children, we must conceive that he seeks to accomplish the salvation of all. This truth is the very life of our missionary labor. We are bidden to preach the gospel “to every creature,” with a perfect assurance that God would have “all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” This truth is often embraced with difficulty, after strong conflict with limiting prejudices; it is often held as mere sentiment; and perhaps on few men is it the inspiration to noble labors and sacrifices that it was designed to be. How it would urge us to missionary work, if we really believed that Christ wants every man to come to him, and would have us bring them!

II. THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS TRUTH FOUND IN JUDAISM. Special favor to one particular raceor, as we may better express it, the special call of one race to a particular work or witnessdoes not assume or involve the Divine indifference to the rest; we might more wisely say that all special calls of the few were made for the sake of the whole, and God’s love to the world made him commit a special revelation to the trust of the Jew. The distinction between “clean and unclean” in the food represented a distinction of clean and unclean between Jew and Gentile. But “unclean” things were still God’s, and used by him for other purposes, though not just for food. They were not despised or rejected things, but each had its mission. And so Gentiles were not out of God’s care and favor because Jews were in. They too occupied the places he assigned and did the work he willed. It may further be shown that the Jewish limitations were designedly

(1) temporary,

(2) educational

preparatory to the advent of Christ, in whom and by whom the Divine thought for the whole race could be fully revealed.

III. THE REMOVAL OF THE LIMITATIONS UNDER THE CHRISTIAN SYSTEM. Which deals with man as man, apart from any local and temporary distinctions of

(1) nationality,

(2) class,

(3) genius,

(4) location, or

(5) ceremonial cleanness.

The gospel is for the “sons of men.” Jew and Gentile, Greek and Roman, bend and free, meet as sinners at the feet of Christ, to receive the forgiveness of sins and the life everlasting. Now there is nothing common in God’s sight. Every soul is a priceless soul, for it has been bought with precious blood, the infinite sacrifice of the Son of God.R.T.

Act 10:17, Act 10:18

Providences may translate revelations.

The effect of the vision on the mind of St. Peter is indicated in the simple expression, “doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mesa.” He was puzzled and set anxiously thinking by it. He realized Divine teaching in it, but was not sure about the scope of it. He saw clearly enough that it obliterated, for him at least, the old distinction of meats; but he was set questioning whether there was not some deeper, some underlying meaning, for the sake of which it had been granted. Was it not like a parable, simple enough, at first sight, for a child to understand, but so rich in meaning and suggestion that a man might meditate therein day and night, and find rich reward? St. Peter might well be puzzled, for there seemed to be nothing that could give him the key to the further and more spiritual meanings. That key came in the events of the daycame by the orderings of Divine providence. Following along the line God marked out for him, St. Peter came naturally upon the unfolding of the mystery, and understood the vision and revelation. This we may show more fully.

I. ST. PETER IMPRESSED WITH A DIVINE REVELATION. To a Jew, familiar with the varied visions and direct communications of God granted to his fathers, this vision of the descending sheet would suggest no such doubts as would trouble our minds. He would not be likely to wonder over whether it was a delusion, or the dream of a disordered frame. St. Peter would accept it at once as a gracious revelation of the Divine will to him. His only anxiety concerned its true and proper interpretation. Two things need careful illustration.

1. The various modes of Divine revelation to individuals, for the general good, in all ages. It should be pointed out that

(1) the mode adopted, whether voice, personal appearance, angelic ministry, dream, or vision, was exactly suited to the individual communicated with, and the time and circumstances of the communication;

(2) that the message, though sent to individuals, was never sent for the sake of the individual alone; it was always designed for others, to whom he must become the minister. Just as (it has often been pointed out) our Lord never wrought his miracles for himself, only for the immediate physical, or ultimate moral and spiritual good, of others.

2. The receptivity of St. Peter, who, by a season of loneliness, meditation, and prayerful communion with God, was in a state of mind and feeling that fitted him to receive such a vision. Still it is true that the inward communications of God’s love and truth demand an openness of soul such as St. Peter cherished. If we do not know them, in forms and ways suited to our thoughts and our times, it must be because in us there are no fitnesses and preparations.

II. ST. PETER DOUBTING THE MEANING OF THE REVELATION. This may not have been a prolonged state of mind, nor was it a distressing state. Explain how many moods of mind are expressed by the single term doubting. There is the doubting:

1. Of simple uncertainty; the proofs are not reasonably sufficient to lead us to a conclusion, and the matter must be held in suspense.

2. Of criticism, which must get to the root of a matter, and test and try the reasoning by which any fact or truth is declared.

3. Of skepticism, which has a bias or prejudice, and by it is led to require unreasonable tests and proofs; such a spirit persists in doubting when a matter is fairly and adequately explained.

4. Of infidelity, which makes a foregone conclusion a basis for doubt and denial. This spirit is usually most credulous in some matters, and stubbornly unwilling to believe in other matters. St. Peter’s was the simple but earnest questioning of a man who really wanted to get at the truth and the meaning of his surprising vision.

III. ST. PETER CALLED TO ACT, AND SO PUT ASIDE HIS DOUBTINGS. Often the best cure for doubting is a call to present action. It is good advice that bids troubled souls do Christian work. Light on the most puzzling questions often comes to us when engaged in works of love; and, if the light does not come, the burden of the questions ceases to press heavily on us. St. Peter, in his doubtings, was called to meet the messengers from Cornelius, and to arrange as soon as possible to return with them on their journey. Activity stopped the brooding and doubting, and God made it the very way to the mastery of the doubts.

IV. ST. PETER FINDING THAT IN THE WAY OF OBEDIENCE COMES LIGHT. He followed God’s providential leadings, responded to the inward voice, obeyed in all simplicity, went, not knowing quite for what purpose, and, in the line of God’s providence, found the unfolding of his vision, and learned the deep truth about which he had been so anxiously questioning. Led to the house of the devout heathen, who was a man accepted of God, he was delivered from the Jewish bondage of the “clean and the unclean;” he saw that the gospel of life in Christ Jesus was for Gentile as well as Jew; and he delivered this testimony: “Now I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” In ways quite as clear, in fact, though it may be not so sensibly plain to us, God’s providences still unfold God’s Word and will; and he who will obediently follow as God leads shall surely find the heart-rest of spiritual apprehensions of the Divine truth.R.T.

Act 10:33

Good hearers.

Picture the company assembled in Cornelius’s house. It was composed of the God-fearing, devout people in the neighborhood; and, in their attitude, interest, and openness of heart, we may find the example of the “good hearer” to whom God’s Word may come with power, and in whom it may be made fruitful The following are the marks of the “good hearer,” of which we may be reminded by the text: There will be

I. THE DUE SENSE OF GOD‘S PRESENCE. “We are all here present before God.” Though that presence now finds no outward or symbolic expression m cloud or flame, it is inwardly realized, and has now on men’s hearts its due solemnizing effect. The true worshipper can say, “Surely God is in this place.”

II. FULL RESOLVE AND INTENT. The company had not gathered according to custom or merely to please each other; all were purposed to come, and had set their minds upon hearing what St. Peter might have to say. Cornelius had awakened this earnestness by telling of his vision.

III. DUE OPENNESS OF HEART. They were prepared to put all prejudice aside, “and hear all things commanded of God.” The open-hearted listen to all, receiving what God sends, not merely what may please them or accord with their doctrinal views or prejudices.

IV. CONSCIOUSNESS THAT WHAT GOD COMMANDS WILL HAVE TO BE DONE. The only good listener is the obedient listener, who goes forth to life prepared to carry out God’s will as it may be revealed to him, and determined to tone all life by the principles which God may announce. Illustrate by the parable of the Sower and the seed.R.T.

Act 10:34, Act 10:35

Believers outside Judaism.

Several important and interesting cases, taken from the old Scripture histories, may serve to illustrate this conviction which now came to St. Peter, and found suggestive expression in our text. The point of his testimony is that the one living and true God of the whole earth has been and is graciously concerned in the religious life of the human race as a whole, apart from any special revelations which he may be pleased to make to any portions of the race. From the religious point of view, the “God of the whole earth must he be called.”

I. MELCHIZEDEK IN THE PATRIARCHAL PERIOD. We know very little about the religious condition of Palestine in the days of Abraham. Hastily we say that doubtless the Canaanite idolatries absolutely prevailed, for “the Canaanite was then in the land.” But the figure of Melchizedek is, as it were, thrust into the Scripture narrative as if on purpose to correct such hastily formed notions. Abraham is clearly the elect of God, separated from his Chaldean surroundings in order to witness to the great truths of the Divine unity and spirituality. And yet, coming into the lard that was promised to his descendants, he finds believers in the Most High God, presided over by a king-priest, to whom Abraham feels that he must pay homage and give tithes. It has been well said that “when Abraham received the blessing of Melchizedek, and tendered to him his reverent homage, it is a likeness of the recognition which true historical faith will always humbly receive and gratefully render when it comes in contact with the older and everlasting instincts of that religion which the ‘Most High God, Possessor of heaven and earth,’ has implanted in nature and in the heart of man, in ‘the power of an endless life.'” So, in the very starting of Judaism, in the very lifetime of its founder and father, we find God directing our attention to real and acceptable religious life outside the Abrahamic election.

II. BALAAM IN THE PERIOD OF THE JEWISH WANDERINGS. Without attempting to form a full judgment of Balaam’s religious standing, we must admit that he was a prophet of God, to whom God made communications; and whatever may have been his religion, it was certainly distinct from Judaism. “In his career is seen that recognition of Divine inspiration outside the Jewish people, which the narrowness of modern times has been so eager to deny, but which the Scriptures are always ready to acknowledge, and, by acknowledging, admit within the pale of the universal Church the higher spirits of every age and of every nation.”

III. JOB AT THE TIME OF THE NATIONAL CLIMAX. There is little room for doubting that, whenever Job himself may have lived, the book bearing his name was written in the Solomonic age, and represents the religious sentiments of that time, And the book represents the man Job as good, perfect, upright, fearing God, and eschewing evil; but he is not a Jew, he is an Arab chief or the wealthy prince of some city in distant Uz; the very selection of such a hero for the story plainly showing belief in vital godliness outside the Jewish limits. Not a trace of Mosaic religion has been found in the book, and therefore it is evident that the writer accepts the fact that true and acceptable piety may exist apart from the Mosaic covenant.

IV. NAAMAN AND NINEVEH IN THE TIME OF THE NATIONAL DECLINE. We place these two together, but they may be treated separately. Naaman is a Syrian, but God’s prophet makes no difficulty about recognizing the sincerity of his religion, and he requires of him no conformity to Jewish regulations. The Ninevites are penitent before the one living God, and their repentance is even set on record as an example to the willful Jews. So again and again did God, in the olden times, correct the exclusiveness of his people’s feeling, and force them to think of him as the God of the whole earth. And when our Lord Jesus came among men as the Divine teacher, we find him also correcting the same exclusive spirit by blessing Roman centurions, Samaritan villagers, and Syro-phoenician women; commanding that his gospel should be preached to the whole world; sending Paul “far hence unto the Gentiles;” calling Cornelius into the fellowship of the redeemed; saving the eunuch of an African queen; and moving Paul to witness for the universal redeeming love of God, in Athenian agora and before Roman tribunals. That the heathen had some religion God did not make a reason for withholding from them his fuller revelation; neither should we so argue. Our very sympathy with heathen souls groping for the light should increase our longing to give them what we have in our trust, the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”R.T.

Act 10:37-43

The gospel for the heathen.

Under the Divine inspiration, St. Peter preached the gospel to this company of devout Gentiles; and we can find both

(1) what is the essence of the gospel message, and

(2) what are the points of it specially suitable for presentation to the heathen mind, by a careful study of St. Peter’s speech on this occasion. As the points are very simple, and the illustration of them very abundant and familiar, we need only briefly state the several headings. The gospel is the declaration to men of the personal Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the demand of instant acceptance of him and yielding the will and heart and life to him. It must deal fully and efficiently with

I. THE CHRIST WHO LIVED. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good.”

II. THE CHRIST WHO DIED. “Whom they slew and hanged on a tree.”

III. THE CHRIST WHO LAWS. “Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly.”

IV. THE CHRIST WHO CAN SAVE FROM SIN NOW. “Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Upon this gospel, believingly declared to men, even to the heathen, we may still be assured that the power of the Holy Ghost shall rest, and it shall prove, as to the company in the house of Cornelius, a word of “eternal life.”R.T.

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Act 10:1. Cornelius, a centurion, &c. A Roman cohort or band was a company of soldiers commanded by a tribune, consisting generally of about a thousand. It is probable that this was called the Italian cohort, because most of the soldiers belonging to it were Italians. It might perhaps be the life-guard of the Roman governor, who generally resided in this most splendid and celebrated city of Caesarea. Cornelius was a centurion, or captain of one hundred soldiers in this cohort. See Joh 18:3.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Act 10:1-2 . ] See on Act 8:40 .

The centurion was of the Italian cohort , which, stationed at Caesarea, consisted of Italians, not of natives of the country, like many other Roman troops in Syria. Such a Roman auxiliary corps was appropriately stationed at the place where the procurator had his residence, for the maintenance of tranquillity. See Schwarz, de cohorte Italica et Augusta , Altorf. 1720; Wieseler, Chronol. p. 145, and Beitrge z. Wrdig. d. Evangelien , 1869, p. 327 f.

. . ] pious and fearing God . The latter is the more precise definition of the more general . Cornelius was a Gentile , who, discontented with polytheism, had turned his higher interest towards Judaism, and satisfied a deeper pious want in the earnest private worship of Jehovah along with all his family. Judaism (as Stoicism and the like in the case of others) was for him the philosophical-religious school, to which he, although without being a proselyte, addicted himself in his heart and devotional life. Hence his beneficence (Act 10:2 ) and his general esteem among the Jews (Act 10:22 ). Comp. the centurion of Capernaum, Luk 7 . Others consider him, with Mede, Grotius, Fecht ( de pietate Cornelii , Rostoch. 1701), Deyling, Hammond, Wolf, Ernesti, Ziegler, Paulus, Olshausen, Neander, Lechler, and Ritschl, as a proselyte of the gate . [254] But this is at variance with Act 10:28 ; Act 10:34-35 ; Act 11:1 ; Act 11:18 ; Act 15:7 , where he is simply put into the class of the Gentiles, a circumstance which cannot he referred merely to the want of circumcision, as the proselytes of the gate also belonged to the communion of the theocracy, and had ceased to be non-Jews like absolute foreigners. See Ewald, Alterth. p. 313; Keil, Archol. I. p. 317. And all the great importance which this event has in a connected view of the Book of Acts, has as its basis the very circumstance that Cornelius was a Gentile . Least of all can his proselytism be proved from the expression itself, as the general literal meaning of this expression can only be made by the context (as Act 13:16 ; Act 13:26 ) to apply to the worship of proselytes; but here we are required by Act 10:35 to adhere to that general literal meaning without this particular reference. It is to be considered, moreover, that had Cornelius been a proselyte of the gate, it would have, according to Act 15:7 , to be assumed that hitherto no such proselyte at all had been converted to Christianity, which, even apart from the conversion of the Ethiopian, chap.8., is considering the many thousand converts of which the church already consisted incredible, particularly as often very many were admitted simultaneously (Act 2:41 , Act 4:4 ), and as certainly the more unprejudiced proselytes were precisely the most inclined to join the new theocracy.

Accordingly the great step which the new church makes in its development at chap. 10. consists in this, that by divine influence the first Gentile , who did not yet belong to the Jewish theocratic state, becomes a Christian , and that directly, without having first made the transition in any way through Mosaism. The extraordinary importance of this epoch-making event stands in proportion to the accumulated miraculous character of the proceedings. The view, which by psychological and other assumptions and combinations assigns to it along with the miraculous character also a natural instrumentality (Neander, p. 115 f.), leads to deviations from the narrative, and to violences which are absolutely rejected by the text. See, on the other hand, Zeller, p. 179 ff., and Baumgarten. The view which rejects the historical reality of the narrative, and refers it to a set purpose in the author (Baur, Zeller), seeks its chief confirmation in the difficulties which the direct admission of the Gentiles had for long still to encounter, in what is narrated in chap, 15., and in the conduct of Peter at Antioch, Gal 2:11 ff. (comp. also Schwegler, nachapostol. Zeitalt. I. p. 127 ff.; Gfrrer, heil. Sage, I. p. 415; Holtzmann, Judenth. u. Christenth . p. 679 f.). But, on the other hand, it is to be observed, that not even miracles are able at once to remove in the multitude deeply rooted national prejudices, and to dispense with the gradual progress of psychological development requisite for this end (comp. the miracles of Jesus Himself, and the miracles performed on him); that further, in point of fact the difficulties in the way of the penetration of Christianity to the Gentiles were exceedingly great (see Ewald, p. 250 ff.; Ritschl, althath . K. p. 138 ff.); and that Peter’s conduct at Antioch, with a character so accessible to the impressions of the moment (comp. the denial), is psychologically intelligible as a temporary obscuration of his better conviction once received by way of revelation, at variance with his constant conduct on other occasions (see on Gal 2:14 ), and therefore by no means necessitates the presupposition that the extraordinary divine disclosure and guidance, which our passage narrates, are unhistorical. Indeed, the reproach which Paul makes to Peter at Antioch, presupposes the agreement in principle between them in respect to the question of the Gentiles; for Paul designates the conduct of Peter as , Gal 2:13 .

[254] Selden, de jure nat. ii. 3 (whom de Wette follows), has doubted, but without sufficient reason, the existence of , in the proper sense, after the Captivity.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

B.CONCURRING DIVINE REVELATIONS CONDUCT PETER FROM JOPPA TO THE ROMAN CENTURION CORNELIUS IN CESAREA, TO WHOM HE PROCLAIMS CHRIST; AND WHEN THE GIFT OF THE HOLT GHOST IS IMPARTED TO CORNELIUS AND OTHER GENTILE HEARERS, PETER DIRECTS THAT THEY SHOULD BE BAPTIZED

Act 10:1-48

I. The devout Roman centurion Cornelius, at Cesarea, is induced by the appearance of an angel to send to Joppa for Peter

Act 10:1-8

1There was [But]1 a certain man in Cesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which [who] gave much alms to the people [(of Israel)]; and prayed to [besought]God always. 3He saw [Saw (om. He)] in a vision evidently [distinctly], about2 the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming [entering] in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4And [But] when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And [But] he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine almsare come up for a memorial before3 God. 5And now send men to Joppa, and call for one [a certain]4 Simon, whose surname is Peter: 6He [This one] lodgeth with one [a certain] Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side [by the sea]: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do [om. he shall to do]5. 7And [But] when the angel which [who] spoke unto Cornelius [him]6 was departed, he called two of his household [om. household] servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on himcontinually; 8And when he had declared [related] all these things [om. these things] unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Act 10:1-2. A certain man in Cesarea.This city (Csarea Palestin), situated on the Mediterranean, and provided with an excellent harbor, which was visited by many vessels, was built by Herod the Great. It was inhabited chiefly by Pagans, but several thousand Jews also resided in it. At a somewhat later period, it was permanently occupied by the Roman procurators, and is hence called by Tacitus (Hist. II. 79) Jud caput. Cornelius was the commander (centurio) of the Italian band (cohors), which, without doubt, received that name in order to distinguish it from other troops that had been levied in Palestine, or Syria, and then been incorporated with the Roman army. The Italian band consisted of natives of Rome, or, at least, of Italians, and these formed the nucleus of the garrison. The procurator had, probably at that time already, established himself in Cesarea, since the Roman garrison lay there. This centurion Cornelius was, doubtless, himself also an Italian by descent. Luke describes his character as that of a devout man (, the most general term, which may be applied even to a strictly pagan form of devoutness), and of a man who feared God with all his house (the phrase: . denoting that fear of God, of which the one true God is the object). These sentiments he manifested, partly, by diligence in offering prayer and supplications to God, and, partly, by habitually performing acts of charity for the Israelites ( , the people of Israel [as in Act 10:42; Act 26:17; Act 26:23; Act 28:17]). Thus he resembled the centurion of Capernaum, who also loved the people of Israel, and built a synagogue for them with his own means (Luk 7:5.). Such generosity is a beautiful and touching trait of character, not merely in general, in an experienced soldier, but, in particular, in a Roman, when it appears in his intercourse with the Jews, who were subject to Rome, and were, commonly, a despised people.The whole account allows us to assume that Cornelius, like many of his contemporaries, was dissatisfied with the pagan religion which he had inherited, and, as an inquirer, had turned to the faith of Israel, and to the knowledge and worship of the one true God. We are not surprised that he gained the esteem of all the Jews. Still, the narrative before us affords no grounds for assuming that he was a proselyte, in the strict sense of that term, as it is generally supposed (Grotius; Neander and others); for he is regarded in the whole course of the narrative (Act 10:28; Act 11:1) as being, in a legal and social respect, nothing but a heathen. He had simply turned, in an entirely voluntary manner, to Judaism, with respect to his mode of thinking and his domestic worship, without attaching himself to it outwardly by any decisive act.

Act 10:3-6. He saw in a vision an angel of God.The angel appeared to him about the ninth hour (3 oclock, P. M. [see above, Act 2:14-15. c.]), or the third hour of prayer, which the devout pagan probably observed of his own accord, in company with the Jews. He then saw in a vision (that is, by an internal process, of which God was the author, but, in other respects, distinctly, , not by a deception of the senses) an angel of God, who entered the chamber, and addressed him by name. [The popular idea of winged angels is derived from the cherubim, (Exo 25:20) and seraphim (Isa 6:2) but is never suggested by any of the narratives of angelic visits to this world and its inhabitants. J. A. Alexander, ad loc.)Tr.]. Cornelius looks up, gazes attentively at the form before him, is alarmed by the unexpected and dazzling [Act 10:30] appearance, and replies to the address by respectfully asking a question. The angel informs him that his prayers and alms were always remembered before God ( [i.e.] [comp. the word in Mat 26:13], that is: they have ascended to heaven, like the smoke of the sacrifices, so that they remind God of thee.). [See below, Doctr. and Eth. No. 3.Tr.].And now Cornelius is commanded to send to Joppa [see Exeg. note on Act 9:36], for Peter, in order that the latter may conduct him onward in the way of salvation. (The term is used, as the apostle was yet unknown to the Roman). The house, and the man whose guest the apostle is (, hospitatur), are indicated with sufficient precision, [ , on account of his business, for which water was needed. (de Wette).Tr.]

Act 10:7-8. He called two, etc.Cornelius without delay obeys the instructions which he had received, and calls two of his servants (, generally a more honorable appellation than ) who, as belonging to his , feared God, Act 10:2, and also a devout soldier (, see, above, Act 10:2), selecting them from the whole number of his personal attendants (as orderly officers). He communicates to them without reserve () all that referred to the appearance which he had seen, and sends them with the necessary instructions to Joppa.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. That all the circumstances connected with this conversion of the first pagan, were controlled and shaped exclusively by divine Providence, is apparent from the fact (without referring to others) that Cornelius was brought into contact, not with the evangelist Philip, who was much nearer to him (since he undoubtedly resided already at the time in Csarea, according to Act 8:40, compared with Act 21:8), but with Peter, who was not on the spot. It was so ordered, that the first pagan should be baptized and received into the Church, not by an ordinary member of the church, [see above, Doctr. and Eth. No. 3, on Act 9:10-19.Tr.], nor by an evangelist like Philip, but by one of the Twelve themselves, and, indeed, by that one, who had, by his words and deeds, become the most prominent of their number.

2. The angel who appeared to Cornelius, was not appointed to be himself the agent of the conversion of the latter, but was simply commissioned, as a messenger from heaven, to convey the command of God, that Peter should be called. It was, accordingly, Peter who first proclaimed the Gospel to him, and received him into the church of Christ. According to the decree of God and the method which He established, repentance and the remission of sins were to be preached to all nations in the name of Jesus, so that it is the Word of the Gospel, and, indeed, the word to which men bear witness, that is the appointed means of salvation. No case ever occurred in which an angel was sent for the purpose of converting a soul, and no man should ever allow his faith to be dependent on such an extraordinary appearance from the higher world.

3. A high value is attributed to the prayers and alms of Cornelius, not only in the description of his character furnished by the historian, but also in the message of the angel. The first place is assigned by Luke, Act 10:2, to the alms, but by the angel, Act 10:4, to the prayers, since God first looks at the heart. The message of the angel, indeed, connects this revelation of God, which will lead to the salvation of the Roman, with those devout works. Does this fact imply a meritoriousness of works, a meritum ex congruo, according to the Romish view? [According to the Scholastics, who follow Thomas Aquinas, a work acquires meritum ex or de congruo (meritum congrui), when it proceeds from the free will of man, but meritum ex condigno, when it is wrought by the grace of the Holy Spirit. The formerthey explainis not meritoriousness in an absolute sense, but there is a certain congruitas or suitableness in the divine recognition and recompense which it receives, and by which, ultimately, salvation is merited. (Chemn. Exam. Conc. Trid. I. Loc. IX. 1. p. 179. Berlin. 1861).Tr.]. We answer in the negative, for the following reasons: (a) These works, viewed as external works, have no value of their own, but derive it from the devoutness of the heart, from which they proceed as their source; (b) Even the fear of God, from which the good deeds performed by Cornelius for the people of God, like his diligent prayers, proceeded, depended for its own existence on the grace and the revelation of God under the old covenant, which came to meet him, and had already sought him after afar. [Nihil enim precibus conseqi potuit quin fides prcibus consequi potuit quin fides prcederet, qu sola nobis ad orandum janum aperit. (Calvin, ad loc..)Tr.]. It was with the susceptibility of Cornelius for the truth, and with his faithful application of the knowledge which had hither to been imparted to him, that God was well pleased. He who us faithful in tha what is least, will be intrusted with that which is much. Cornelius demonstrates this faithfulnessby his immediate compliance with the instruction which he had received, Act 10:7.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

See below, (Act 10:9-23.)

Footnotes:

[1]Act 10:1. [text. rec.] after is omitted in all the principal MSS. [A. B. C. E. G., and Cod. Sin.], and was only inserted by those who did not perceive that , in Act 10:3, is the verb belonging to Act 10:1-2. [Omitted by Lach. Tisch. And Alf., as well as in Act 10:2 after , which occurs in G. but not in A. B. C. E, Cod. Sin. etc.Tr.]

[2]Act 10:3. The reading is found, it is true, in A. B. C. E., and has been preferred by Lachmann, but without is attested by G., as well as by Chrysostom and Oecumenius; is by no means necessary, and is probably an interpolation. [ is omitted in text. rec.; Alf. reads with A. B. C. E. The reading in Cod. Sin. is (corrected by a later hand: ) . De Wette and Meyer regard as a gloss.Tr.]

[3]Act 10:4. [In place of after ., as in text. rec. and C. E. G., Lach., Tisch. and Alf. with A. B. read , the less usual word. The latter is also the reading of Cod. Sin.The words . were originally omitted in Cod. Sin., but added by a later hand.Tr.]

[4]Act 10:5. The insertion of after , is better attested than the omission [in text. rec.] of the word. It is found not only in A. B. C, but also in many ancient versions [Syr. Vulg.]; it probably seemed [to copyists] to be inappropriately employed in the case of the apostle who was so widely known. [Adopted by Lach. Tisch. and Alf. but omitted in Cod. Sin.Tr.]

[5]Act 10:6. The concluding words: , , in text. rec. [from Erasmus], are undoubtedly spurious. They are wanting in all the MSS. of the first rank [A. B. C. E. G. and Cod. Sin.] and in ancient versions, and were derived from Act 10:32 below, and Act 9:6. [Omitted by Lachm. Tisch. and Alf. and also in Cod. Amiatinus of the Vulg., although inserted in the usual printed text of the latter.Tr.]

[6]Act 10:7. [The text. rec. after reads with G., for which (adopted by Lach., Tisch., Stier and Th., Alf.) occurs in A. B. C. E. Cod. Sin. Syr. Vulg. after . of text. rec. and G. is omitted in A. B. C. E. Cod. Sin., and by Lach. Tisch. and Alf.Tr.]

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

CONTENTS

Cornelius, taught by an Angel, sendeth for Peter. The Apostle is at the same time, taught by a Vision to obey the Call. He preacheth before Cornelius and his Household, and God the Holy Ghost blesseth his Ministry.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, (2) A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. (3) He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. (4) And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. (5) And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: (6) He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. (7) And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; (8) And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. (9) On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: (10) And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, (11) And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: (12) Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls 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 anything that is common or unclean. (15) And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. (16) This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

For the better apprehension of the subject contained in this chapter, it will be proper to consider the scriptural account of the Church of Christ, in relation to all the members of Christ’s mystical body; and no less to notice, the very different views which the Jewish Church had conceived of it.

Nothing can be more evident, from the whole tenor of Revelation, than that the Church of Christ from everlasting is one. So Christ himself sweetly sings, and so, blessed be God, we know. My dove, my undefiled, (saith Jesus,) is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her, Son 6:9 . Hence, both Jew and Gentile are included in this view, and both form but one and the same. And, although the Lord was pleased for wise and gracious purposes known to himself, to form Israel in the family of Abraham, with whom might be the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came: Rom 9:4-5 , yet these were subsequent transactions to the original and eternal gift of the Church to Christ by Jehovah. God the Father in his covenant-office and character, is said to have chosen the Church in Christ before the foundation of the world, Eph 1:4 . And all the members of Christ’s mystical body, were written in his book, when as yet there was none of them, Psa 140:13 ; Joh 17:2 . And agreeably to these things, the Son of God in our nature, speaking by the spirit of prophecy, ages before his incarnation, yea, from the womb of eternity, is introduced to the Church, as calling upon his Church to listen to him, both Jew and Gentile, as Jehovah’s salvation to the end of the earth. I pray the Reader before he prosecutes the subject further, that he would turn to the prophet Isaiah, in proof of this most blessed and important truth: See Isa 49:1-6 . Nothing can be more decisive in confirmation, that the Church of Christ everlastingly was, and is, and can be, but One. And however diversified in the after time-state of the Church, the distinct stock of Jew and Gentile might be formed; yet, under every state, both in time, and to all eternity, Christ hath but one Church, and both Jew and Gentile in their relationship to him, are but one fold. Indeed, as if to shew that oneness yet more decidedly, it is to be noted, that Abraham, the great father of the Jewish Church, when chosen of God for this purpose, was himself a Gentile, (that is, an heathen and idolater,) when called out of Ur of the Chaldees, Gen 12:1Gen 12:1 . So that in fact, Abraham was a Gentile before he became a Jew, and thereby it plainly proves, that the name of the Elder brother given to the Jew, and the Younger to the Gentile, is the reverse of what was the case. See the note on Luk 15:32 . And in exact conformity to this statement, it is still worthy of further notice, that when Jesus himself, in the days of his flesh, was speaking on the same subject, and calling himself the shepherd, and his Church his sheep, he told his disciples, which were all Jews, that he had other sheep, which were not of this fold. Them also, (said the Lord,) I must bring, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. See Joh 10:16 and Commentary upon it.

Having taken this scriptural view of the Church of Christ, and, (as I venture to believe,) having clearly shewn, that that Church, formed in the divine mind before all worlds, was wholly one, and but one; though, in the after days of the time-state of the Church, was branched out into those two distinct families of Jew and Gentile; we shall now be the better prepared to enter into a proper apprehension of the subject, in what is related in this chapter, concerning the conversion of Cornelius, a Gentile, to the faith in Christ.

It will be recollected then, that the whole Jewish nation, were, to a man, brought up in those high notions, that as the Messiah, when he came, was to spring from the stock of Abraham, he would only come for the deliverance of Israel, and all the nations of the earth were uninterested in his mission; hence, they expected him only in this character. And all the Apostles were as deeply tinctured with those opinions, as any of their countrymen. And, although, in the farewell commission which the Lord Jesus gave to his Apostles, he commanded them, that as soon as they were endued with power from on high, they should go in to all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature: Mar 16:15 . yet, so little did they apprehend our Lord’s meaning, and so riveted were they in the same Jewish principles, of the Lord’s grace only to Israel, that when they attended Jesus on the Mount at his ascension, they put the question to Christ, Lord! wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Act 1:6 .

It should seem by the circumstances related in this Chapter, nothing short of a vision from heaven to Peter, and accompanied at the same time, with the message of an angel, and a command of the Holy Ghost, to him to obey, would have been competent to remove those narrow conceits from Peter’s mind: and to teach him, and all the Jewish Church through him, that God had granted to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews, repentance unto life, Act 11:2

In the history of Cornelius, as related in this Chapter, the Lord was pleased to set forth this precious doctrine. This man, we are told, was a Centurion; that is, a Roman officer, commanding an hundred men. His character also is given. He was a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God continually. That is, he was a Proselyte of the Gate so called. He followed the stated hours of prayer, observed by the Jews, and feared the God of Israel. And to the love of God, as far as his knowledge led him, he added the love of man; and was of good report in the neighbourhood where he lived, for his alms, deeds, and charity. So that it appears, he was what the world would call a good man. And very certain it is, that the world at large would be a far different world from what it is, if it was composed of such characters. Happy would it be, for the peace and welfare of mankind, if we could look round, and behold men like Cornelius, in every neighbourhood. But with all these amiable qualities, as they relate to the intercourse with men, they fall short of what is essential to a friendship with God, And it should seem, that the Lord designed, in making choice of this very man, by way of declaring the necessity of salvation, plainly and decidedly to shew, that these things do not stand in account before God; and that without Christ, he must have perished everlastingly.

To accomplish this purpose, and to bring this honest Centurion into the way of learning by outward means, the knowledge of Christ, he is favored with a vision; and directions are given to him where to send, and from whom he should learn words, whereby he, and all his household should be saved, Act 11:14 . I do not think it needful to dwell upon the particulars either of Cornelius’s vision, or that of Peter. In the beautiful simplicity in which they are related in this Chapter, every circumstance is very plain and obvious. I rather wish to direct the Reader’s attention to some of the striking things which arise out of the whole subject.

If I detain the Reader with a single remark on the vision of Cornelius, it shall only be to observe, the particularity of the hour; namely, the ninth hour: that is, three of the clock in the afternoon. That memorable, blessed, precious hour, to which every evening sacrifice, under the law, had respect. The hour, on which the Lord Jesus died on the cross: and by that one offering of himself once offered, perfected forever them that are sanctified, Heb 10:14 . See Exo 12:6 ; 1Ki 18:36 ; Dan 9:21 ; Mat 27:45-46 ; Heb 10:10 .

And if I venture to offer a single remark on visions in general, it shall be only to observe, from the fear with which it is here said that Cornelius looked on the angel; what a natural disposition there is in every man of flesh and blood, to shrink at the supposed sight of what as a spirit. We are so much occupied with earth, and earthly concerns, that a messenger from heaven, even though on an errand of mercy, like this angel to Cornelius, makes the heart draw back. And yet every child of God is in the habit, more or less, of daily, yea, hourly conversing at the throne of grace, with the Lord Jesus: and is not this a spiritual Communion and fellowship? 1Jn 1:3 . Wherefore then should the mind be appalled, in the apprehension of the beloved object becoming visible? Why should any, who know the Lord, and love the Lord, and by grace and faith, keep up an holy acquaintance with the Lord, at his mercy seat, feel a somewhat of reluctancy in the idea of sight? I humbly ask the question, but speak not confidently, when I say, would it not be well in the Lord’s redeemed ones, and to whom Jesus is dear, to familiarize these thoughts? Do I not know, that ere long, I shall be called upon to embark at once into the world of spirits, when my spirit shall be disembodied? And would it not be right now, and before that hour comes, (which cannot be far off, and may be near indeed,) to be sometimes walking as on the confines of the eternal world, and by faith communing with those spiritual objects which at death we instantly meet Yea, is it not certain, that we are now surrounded by them in their ministry and services; and are nearer to them, and they to us, than we are conscious? See 2Ki 6:16-17 ; Psa 34:7 ; Dan 6:22 ; Heb 1:14 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Almsgiving

Act 10:4

Sermons on almsgiving aim at setting forth the rationale of giving to God; and they are not so frequent as they ought to be, considering the prominence given to the subject in Holy Scripture; because (a) they are unpopular. People who never forget themselves are apt to do so when asked for money. (b) There is a dread lest by preaching upon almsgiving the preacher should not appear to be preaching the Gospel; lest He should seem to attribute efficacy to something else besides the blood of Jesus.

I. Let us Appeal to Holy Scripture. Our Lord taught this duty indirectly by parables, e.g. Dives and Lazarus; the steward; directly, ‘Give alms of such things as ye have’ (St. Luk 11:41 ). ‘Sell that ye have and give alms’ (St. Luk 11:33 ). In the Sermon on the Mount He alludes to it as an acknowledged duty. St. Paul says: ‘Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him’ (1Co 16:2 ). ‘He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. God loveth a cheerful giver’ (2Co 9:6-7 ; Eph 4:28 ). ‘Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute’ (1Ti 6:17-18 ; Heb 6:10 ; Heb 13:16 ). Also, in solemn pictures of the Last Judgment, the virtue of showing mercy, sympathy, unselfishness, that is, in its broadest sense, almsgiving, is extolled by our Lord, and contrasted with its opposite, the vice of selfishness. From these passages we gather three things:

(a) Our Lord does not command us to give alms, He assumes it as a duty: to assume is stronger than to command, for to command presupposes an indisposition to do what is commanded. ‘ When ye do your alms’; ‘ When ye pray’; ‘ When ye fast’. He assumes these duties and puts forward the pure motive for doing them.

(b) Almsgiving and prayer are mentioned side by side. ‘When ye do your alms’ and ‘When ye pray’; ‘Thy prayers and thine alms’: not the one without the other, but the one as the correlative of the other, the alms as one wing of the prayers.

(c) A certain spiritual force is attributed to almsgiving ‘Break off thine iniquities by showing mercy’ (Dan 4:27 ). ‘Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven’ (St. Mat 6:20 ). ‘Give alms of such things as ye have, and behold all things are clean unto you’ (St. Luk 11:41 ). ‘Provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens which faileth not’ (St. Luk 12:33 ). ‘God loveth a cheerful giver’ (2Co 9:7 ).

II. How shall I Give? Moved by strong appeals or by personal interest, we give; but why, as a rule, is it necessary to resort to bazaars, entertainments, charity dinners, and sermons to raise money for Christian objects? Because too many require to be amused, attracted, aroused, provided with something in return for their money, before they will give.

(a) We must give on principle and not on impulse. We must give systemically.

(b) What rule then shall we adopt in our almsgiving? We ought to give a fixed proportion of our income every year. This proportion will vary according to a man’s means; to his own Master each of us must stand or fall.

(c) How shall I distribute my alms? First of all, poor relations: then sick and poor in your own parish; then the parochial funds, the Church fund; then the missions of the Church at home and abroad. Then the support of those institutions of the land which care for those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other infirmity.

There are two ways by which we can best carry out the duty of almsgiving: through the offertory, in secret, so that our left hand knows not what our right is doing; and by subscriptions, that we may exert the power of example, and stimulate those who are not giving as they should, and induce them to do so when they see our good works.

References. X. 6. J. Parker, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, p. 60. S. King, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxxiii. p. 262. X. 7. E. H. Bickersteth, Thoughts in Past Years, p. 295. X. 10. Expositor (5th Series), vol. vi. p. 376.

The Vision of the Great Sheet

Act 10:11-12

In this great sheet we see the winding-sheet of all that is transient, and ceremonial, and narrow. That meeting between Peter and Cornelius at Csarea was more than a casual meeting between two individuals; it was the union of the Jewish and Gentile races in that new Centre of humanity Jesus Christ. Let us study together the Lessons of the Great Sheet.

I. The Divine Origin of Christianity. We read that ‘Peter saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet, knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth’. The Gospel has not sprung up from the ground, it has come down to us from the skies. And it bears innumerable evidences of its Divine descent From this Gospel, as from a fountain of eternity, has flowed a living influence, carrying health, and freshness, and beauty, and blessedness wherever it has gone. But mark this: it is the Christianity of Christ that is going to renovate the world, and not the Christianity of Christendom. Alas! the Christianity of Christendom has not always been the Christianity of Christ, but its counterfeit. Let us go right back to the Fountain-head, for the world never longed so much for Christ, ‘the flower of man and God,’ as it does today.

II. The Divine Origin of the Human Race. The sheet, with its miscellaneous contents, came down from above, and this suggests to us the Divine origin of all men. The Gospel that gave the world a new conception of God has also given it a nobler conception of man. In its respect for man, as man, the Gospel stands alone among the great religious systems of the world.

III. The Universality of the Gospel. The ‘sheet’ was a great one, fastened at the four corners; or, as Dean Alford has it, ‘held by four rope-ends’. All other religions are little sheets, because territorial; but the Gospel is a great sheet, because universal. It will have the whole Pantheon to itself, so that it is at one and the same time the most universal, and yet the most exclusive, of all religions. Truth is truth in all the worlds of God, and it must be disseminated at all cost. True religion, like true art, knows no frontiers.

IV. Man is the Heaven-sent Ambassador to Man. In this story, we have Cornelius sending to Joppa for Peter. And God expects every saved soul to be a soul-saviour. We must be finders of men. The incoming blessing must be followed by the outgoing energy. It is an undeniable truth that a Church grows downward in firmness and upward in holiness, in proportion as it grows outward in Divine compassion. Kepler once said that he was thinking over again the thoughts of God; and we must feel over again the feelings of Christ.

J. Ossian Davies, Old, Yet Ever New, p. 159.

References. X. 14. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxxi. No. 1823. X. 22. Expositor (5th Series), vol. i. p. 223. X. 28. F. D. Maurice, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 148. Expositor (5th Series), vol. x. p. 147. X. 29. E. G. Gange, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xliii. p. 153. X. 30. Expositor (4th Series), vol. i. p. 350; ibid. (5th Series), vol. i. p. 15. X. 33. J. Bowstead, Practical Sermons, vol. ii. p. 208. X. 34. Expositor (6th Series), vol. vi. p. 50. X. 34, 35. F. B. Woodward, Sermons (2nd Series), p. 37. X. 34-43. Expositor (6th Series), vol. ix. p. 122. X. 35. R. F. Horton, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxx. p. 353. X. 36. B. J. Snell, The Widening Vision, p. 3. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xvi. No. 952. Expositor (6th Series), vol. x. p. 190.

The Good Physician

Act 10:38

There are many beautiful titles which at various times have been ascribed to Jesus Christ, but there is none perhaps more beautiful and more appropriate than that of The Good Physician’. This title is not, indeed, directly bestowed on our Lord by any New Testament writer; yet it is inevitably suggested, not only by several isolated passages as, for example, the saying, ‘They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance’ but also by the general tenor of the Gospel narrative. Our Lord is there consistently depicted as the Physician of mankind. His life was an epic of healing. Wherever He went He radiated health. The sick bodies were made sound, the feeble souls grew strong, the doors of God were opened to the spirits about to perish. Such was the historic manner of the epiphany of Christ, of His manifestation to His own contemporaries. ‘He went about,’ records the first Evangelist, ‘preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing.’ ‘Who went about doing good and healing,’ says St. Peter.

I. Now when the Gospel of the Good Physician went out into the Roman world, that world in a curious way had been made ready to receive it. For in the age of the Csars the people, it would seem, were much taken up with the question of healing. They had somehow become distractingly aware of sickness. They felt that they were ill; ill in body, ill in soul; mortally ill. And they longed to be made well. So they turned in their need to religion, and (as Harnack has pointed out) there took place about this time a great revival of the cult of sculapius, the pagan god of healing. Men made pilgrimages to his temples as they travel to sanatoria and watering-places today. They brought gifts to the god and dedicated their lives to him. In their physical and spiritual infirmities they prayed to him as one who was ‘most loving toward men,’ as ‘God the Saviour’. Do you remember a passage in the Epistle to Titus which speaks of ‘the kindness of God our Saviour and His love toward men’? The phraseology is interesting, since the title ‘God the Saviour’ was the familiar name for the healer sculapius, while the adjective of the noun translated ‘love toward men’ was the peculiar, standing epithet of that heathen deity. Into this sick Roman world, then, with its terrible sense of disorder and its feverish quest for health, Christianity made its way. It adapted itself deliberately to the necessities of the time. Deliberately it presented itself as the religion of recovery, as the means, the sole genuine means, of sanity and salvation. It offered the sick world health. The Church was declared the hospital of invalid humanity; its doctrines and observances were the salutary remedies: its sacred books- -how full they are of medicinal expressions! held the prescriptions for all cures. And in the wards of the great infirmary, attending on the patients, the faith of the early Christians saw a Good Physician no quack doctor like sculapius, but a true Physician imparting new life, new joy, new hope, to body and mind alike new energy and power. ‘There is hut one Physician,’ St. Ignatius cries, ‘Jesus Christ our Lord.’ ‘The Word of the Father,’ says Clement of Alexandria, ‘is the only Physician for human infirmities and the Holy Charmer for the sick soul.’

II. So much for the past. Let us look now to the present. Let us see, if we can, in what manner Jesus Christ is already, or may become, the Good Physician of the suffering men and women of our day. Now, into the subject of physical healing I cannot here enter in detail. Yet a very few words in passing I desire to say. Our Lord, I ask you to notice, was in the habit of healing not only the souls but also the bodies of men. The Apostles, again, in the Spirit of the Lord, healed not only the souls but also the bodies of men. And both our Lord and His Apostles very evidently anticipated that physical healing would be one of the results of the working of Christ’s Spirit in the Christian Church. Nor even now, among the children of that Church, has the belief in Christ’s action on men’s bodies quite died out; in our own Communion, at least, on every occasion that the Eucharist is administered the formula is said, ‘The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ that was given for thee, preserve thy body’ thy body ‘and soul unto everlasting life’. Ana after all, is not this doctrine that the Good Physician cures even physical diseases intrinsically reasonable? It is right without doubt to pay homage to the science and skill of our doctors; but it is simple folly not to reckon with the truth that there is in recovery a spiritual as well as a material factor, and that no one so effectively as Jesus Christ can get in motion this curative force. Yes, even today Christ does in a real sense heal the bodies of men; nor, I think, do we receive the full Gospel of the Good Physician so long as that comforting fact be not acknowledged.

III. But the healing of the body, after all, is secondary. Our chief and most pressing interest is the restoration of the soul. This is our foremost business. This is our great concern. Here is the sphere in which the whole process of healing must of necessity begin. Now it seems to me that the men of the twentieth century, no less than the men of the Roman imperial era, are keenly alive to the fact that their soul is in need of healing. ‘Humanity up to this day,’ writes Maeterlinck, ‘has been like an invalid tossing and turning on his couch in search of repose’. We are conscious in our nature of a radical disorder. Our music is out of tune. Our flowers have lost colour and fragrance. Our sunshine is flecked with shadow. Maxim Gorky, speaking of the histories of his Russian outcasts, writes: ‘Each story was unfolded before us like a piece of lace in which black threads predominated’. And the description might, perhaps, not unfairly be applied to all the story of the modern spirit. The black predominates. Through the sweetest melody of modern poetry, through the grandest achievements of modern art, through the deepest utterances of modern science and philosophy, through the manifold different expressions of the spirit of the age, there run those threads those gloomy strands of ruin and of wrong. Can we really deny, then, that the soul of us is sick? Surely the old lament of such a one as St Bruno has not lost its force. ‘It is not merely the weaker part of my nature which fails me,’ he cries. ‘It is the very strongest. My understanding, will, and firmness, my spiritual might, all that is or may be virtue, is by my sin enfeebled.’ But for us, as for the men of old, the Good Physician waits. For us, as for them, is the healing power of God put forth in Jesus Christ. Let us never forget that God wills us to be well. His purpose for us is perfection and life; His work is salvation. ‘This,’ says Clement of Alexandria, ‘is the greatest and most royal work of God, the saving of mankind.’

F. Homes Dudden, The Guardian, 14 th January, 1910.

References. X. 38. E. W. Attwood, Sermons for Clergy and Laity, p. 252. Bishop Perowne, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xliv. p. 56. Bishop Alexander, Verbum Crucis, p.. 129. Newman Smyth, Christian World Pulpit, vol xlv. p. 387. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xi. No. 655, and vol. xvi. No. 929. W. Sinclair, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lviii. p. 187. H. C. Wallace, ibid. vol. lxxiii. p. 172. Expositor (5th Series), vol. v. p. 250; ibid. (7th Series), vol. vi. p. 57. X. 40, 41. W. J. Hills, Sermons and Addresses, p. 36. X. 41. Expositor (7th Series), vol. v. p. 504. X. 42. J. M. Whiton, Beyond the Shadow, p. 141. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxv. No. 1476. Expositor (6th Series), vol. vi. p. 404. X. 42, 43. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxvi. No. 1540. X. 43. Bishop Alexander, Verbum Crucis, p. 129. Bishop Browne, Messiah as Foretold and Expected, p. 1. Expositor (5th Series), vol. ix. p. 422. X. 44. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. iv. No. 201. X. 44, 45. Expositor (5th Series), vol. ix. p. 103. X. 48. Ibid, (6th Series), vol. v. p. 43. XI. 2. Expositor (5th Series), vol. vi. p. 295. XI. 15. F. B. Meyer, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xlviii. p. 363. XI. 16. Expositor (6th Series), vol. x. p. 14. XI. 17. F. D. Maurice, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 160. XI. 18. H. Alford, Quebec Chapel Sermons, vol. iii. p. 235. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. i. No. 44. XI. 19-26. Expositor (5th Series), vol. vi. p. 246. XI. 20. Ibid. vol. iv. p. 60. XI. 20-26. Ibid. vol. vii. p. 457. XI. 21. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxii. No. 1282. XI. 22, 23. J. Keble, Sermons for the Saints’ Days, p. 234.

Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson

Chapter 28

Prayer

Almighty God, thou hast shewn us great and marvellous things in thy Word today. We have read a noble Psalm, and have heard of One who shall come down like rain upon the mown grass and as showers that water the earth We have heard of One coming who shall save the poor and the needy, and be the helper of him that hath no friend. Our hearts have risen to this sublime music, and our expectation has heightened as we have looked for him in whom all nations shall be blessed. Behold, he is amongst us, even now. We have seen the prints of the nails in his hands, and we have thrust our hands into his side. We know now of whom the Psalmist spake; surely not of his own son, but of a greater still, the Son of God, the Solomon of the Universe, the Wisdom Divine. He said he would give us rest. He had the tongue of the learned that could speak a word in season to him that was weary. He bore our sins and carried them in his own body on the tree. He was wounded for our transgressions. From his lips we heard the Beatitudes, than which there are no tenderer words in all thy heaven. He gave himself for us, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God. We would run unto him. We would outstretch our arms to him in token of waiting, and needing, and loving. May we this day find him as we have never found him before; with some new beauty shining on his countenance, and some new tone of music sounding and thrilling in his voice. We have come to seek Jesus, assured that we shall find him. We love him because he first loved us. We do not seek him, for he has himself come to seek and to save the lost. We are lost. We have turned every one to his own way. We have run greedily in paths forbidden, and have done the evil work with both hands earnestly, but Jesus Christ has come after us. He will find us, and the Universe for which he died shall live for him. We will think of thy mercy till our hearts glow with fire that cannot consume them. Thy compassions are new every morning. As for thy tears of pity, they are more than the dews of the night. Thy heart goeth out after us; through all cloud, and mist, and darkness of gloom. Thou dost love us and live for us, and continually send thine angels after us. What is man that thou art mindful of him? Is not his breath in his nostrils? and is he not blown away by the scornful wind? Doth he not live to die? We bless thee for all Christian hope. We thank thee for the light within the light, the glory hidden behind the dawn. Thou hast yet more light to shed upon our life, and thou wilt give it beam by beam as our poor vision may be able to receive it. Oh, give us light! Lord, spare not the gift of light! Lord, help us to walk in the light! Enable us at all times to be as the children of the day, and may thy glory burn in us and shine forth from us upon all by whom we are encircled.

Thou knowest our heart’s great hunger. The mystery of our spirit is an open revelation to thine eyes. How poor we are, frail, and faint, and naturally infirm. There is no strength in us. Help us, therefore, knowing our weakness, to abide in Christ, and to seek in him that which we have not in ourselves.

We lovingly commend one another to thy blessing. Hear the strong praying for the weak. Listen to those who form an altar of light, pray for those who are wandering in great darkness. Hear the mother’s prayer for the castaway child. See the father’s dumb entreaty written upon every line of his face as he thinks of one for whom he dares no longer pray. The Lord hear the praises of the glad, and the sighing of those who are ill at ease. As for the little children, take them up in thine arms, and one embrace of thine shall be the benediction of a lifetime. Dry the tears, no other hand can touch. Lead the blind by a way that they know not, with great comfortings from heaven; consolation upon consolation, like wave upon wave; cause us to forget our sorrows and our daily grief.

Thy Kingdom come, O Christ! Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven, thou God and Father of us all! Amen.

Act 10

1. There was a certain man in Csarea [the usual residence of the Roman Procurator, and consequently garrisoned by Roman troops] called Cornelius, a centurion [commanding the sixtieth part of a legion] of the band called the Italian band.

2. A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people [to the Jews of Csarea, as distinct from the Gentiles], and prayed to God alway.

3. He saw in a vision evidently [the adverb here is most important] about the ninth hour [when the evening sacrifice was offered in the temple] of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

4. And when he looked on him he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial [emphatically a sacrificial and liturgical word] before God.

5. And now send men to Joppa [about thirty miles off], and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

6. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

7. And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;

8. And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

9. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop [the house of the tanner was an upper room] to pray about the sixth hour:

10. And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance [an ecstasy].

11. And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners [bound by four ends], and let down to the earth:

12. Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14. But Peter said, Not so, Lord [a resistance characteristic of Peter Luk 22:32 ]; for I have never eaten anything that is common [in the sense of defiled] or unclean.

15. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

16. This was done thrice [the mystic token of a complete ratification]: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

17. Now while Peter doubted [was much perplexed] in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate [porch].

18. And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.

19. [Now. The original has this conjunction.] While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

20. Arise, therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

21. Then [and] Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? [The last seven words are not in the oldest Greek texts.]

22. And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God [there is no Greek for “from God,” but the verb is constantly used of messages from above] by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.

23. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren [six in number] from Joppa accompanied him.

24. And the morrow after they entered into Csarea. [Their road lay all the way along the coast.] And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

25. And as Peter was coming in [that is, before he entered], Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him [the extremest form of eastern homage].

26. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up: I myself also am a man.

27. And as he talked with him [implying a conversation of some length], he went in [so that the previous part of the interview had been without], and found many that were come together.

28. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing [from the standpoint of traditional pharisaism] for a man that is a Jew to keep company [to join himself], or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

29. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for; I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?

30. And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing [ Rev 15:6 ].

31. And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had for remembrance in the sight of God.

32. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee [those words are not in the oldest manuscript].

33. Immediately therefore I sent to thee: and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear [in this word there is implied the intention to obey] all things that are commanded thee of God.

34. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive [I am fully convinced] that God is no respecter of persons:

35. But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him [acceptable unto him].

36. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace [ Isa 52:7 ] by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all):

37. That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee [where Christ’s ministerial life commenced] after the baptism which John preached:

38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

39. And we [a form of speech which has the force of emphatic addition] are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

40. Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly [gave him to be manifest];

41. Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

42. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

43. To him give all the prophets witness [He is not an invented Christ], that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

44. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

45. And they of the circumcision [the six Jewish Christians mentioned, Isa 11:12 ] 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.

46. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

47. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

48. And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

The Conversion of the Gentiles

YOU have noticed no doubt how many dramatic chapters there are in the sacred record. There are three that stand out with special prominence, and to my mind, singular significance. Take, for example, the first chapter of Genesis. What movement, what continual and growing excitement! How worlds are made, and light is parted, and arrangements are completed as if some stupendous event were about to transpire! There is no chapter in the Scriptures more intensely dramatic than the very first chapter in the Bible. There is no rest in it. It is from end to end all palpitation, movement, expectancy, and high color. Something is going to happen! The secret is revealed in these words, and God said, “Let us make MAN.” Thus one creation prepares for another, and even necessitates another, because it would without that other be incomplete and self-dissatisfied. Take, again, the first chapter in the Gospel of Matthew. There you have the same chapter repeated under more human and historic conditions. The first chapter of Matthew is the first chapter of Genesis turned into human history. There again you have that movement, urgency, and great rapidity. Things are happening every moment. Surely we shall hear upon the door a hand, the very knocking of which may imply that the KING is not far off. The reading of the genealogical record means something. The secret is revealed in the statement that JESUS was born to save His people from their sins. But notice how intensely dramatic both the chapters are, and how as you read both you feel that you are being prepared for something that is ahead, and if you finished your reading one verse too soon you would feel as if the chapter were a broken column or an incomplete anthem. The heart would say, What is the rest? What more? This cannot be all. But when the Man in the first chapter of Genesis stands up, we say, “This is the explanation!” And when in the first chapter of Matthew One is called EMMANUEL, heaven has kissed earth in token of reconciliation and blessing yet to come. The third chapter, which is in worthy succession, is the tenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. What movement, what dreaming and visioning and singular combination of events! What novelty of thought, what audacity of progress! What is the meaning of it all? Having read the first chapter of Genesis, I felt that something was going to happen, and the first chapter of Matthew, that a great event was going to be ushered into history; and now in the tenth chapter of the Act 1 feel that all these visions and trances must lead to something. What is it? The secret is revealed in these words worthy to be written with a sunbeam on heaven’s most cloudless blue! “God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted of Him.” In all the three dramatic chapters, therefore, I find a result which explains the process and satisfies the imagination.

What unconscious preparations are proceeding in life! We cannot tell what we do. No occasion ends in itself as a separate and independent event. We know not what a day may bring forth, but to-morrow will certainly bring forth the seed of today. “What I say unto one,” said Christ, “I say unto all, watch.” Always know that you are being prepared for some Divine issue. Your coming to church today may be the making of you! The introduction to a friend this morning may change every aspect of your coming history! The grave you dug but yesterday may be the altar at which your first heart-prayer was uttered! How wondrously Simon Peter was prepared for this marvellous outcoming of Divine purpose. We read in the preceding chapter, in the very last verse of it, that Simon Peter “tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.” He has got so far on the road to the Gentiles. A Jew of Peter’s temper who could lodge with a tanner, may to-morrow go to convert a Gentile. God fixes lodgings. Here we cannot but recall what we have read in Jewish history regarding the relation of the superior Jews to the occupation of a tanner. Modern writers have related instances of a prejudice which to the western mind must be simply preposterous. We have not, however, to judge things from our own historical standpoint, but from the civilization to which they specially belong. Now, consider the relation of the superior Jews to the occupation of a tanner. We are indebted to modern writers for our instances. An ancient Rabbi said, “It is impossible that the world can do without tanners, but woe unto that man who is a tanner.” This is the fact upon which your reasoning must be based. Not what you think of the occupation of a tanner, but what the Jews thought of it, and then remember that Simon Peter, primate of the Apostles, the senior disciple, lodged with one Simon a tanner! The address is vaguely given “whose house is by the seaside.” The reason being that the Jews would not have tanneries in the towns. Tanneries were a necessity a hated and detested necessity but they must be kept as far out of the town as possible in the sea, if the imperious Jews could have had their way! The tanner was not allowed to have his place of business within fifty cubits of a town. He was kept at a greater distance still if he happened to pursue his trade at the west end of a town. If a man married without telling his bride that he was a tanner, she could instantly demand release from the nuptial vow. The law which provided that the childless widow was to marry the brother of a deceased husband was actually set aside in the event of that brother following the occupation of a tanner. You see then how stubborn were the prejudices which the higher Jews entertained against the occupation of tanning, and yet we read as if it involved no extraordinary principle or secret, that Peter lodged or “tarried many days with one Simon a tanner.” It means everything, there is a revolution in these words. There is nothing sublimer in history than is implied in the very last verse of the ninth chapter, “He tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.” This makes a breach in the wall, a stone wall, iron-bound, buttressed with the traditions of generations; this is a breach in the wall that will widen until the whole falls, and man will everywhere hail man as brother!

The point to be observed in this particular study is, how unconsciously men are being prepared for higher communications, wider services, deeper suffering, nobler sympathy. God leads us on step by step. He will send a stubborn Jew who had never eaten anything common or unclean to lodge with one Simon a tanner. Having got him so far on the road, He will send him to a Gentile called Cornelius. The tanner is on the road towards the Centurion! We do not jump to conclusions in Divine Providence. We go forward a step at a time, and we never know how far we have advanced until we come to the last step, and find that it is but a step. Measured from the starting point it is a line longer than miles, but measured by the very last thing we did, it is only a step. This is God’s way. This is how He trains you, dear young children, for the last step which we now call death. Now in this early morning of your young life you do not want to die. But little by little, day by day, suffering by suffering, trial by trial, loss by loss, a time will come when even you will say, “I have a desire to depart.” God deals thus gradually and gently with us. Sometimes His providences seem to be abrupt and even violent, but in reality they move along a gradation settled and adjusted by the tenderest love. Things that are impossible to you today will be the commonplaces of to-morrow. You do not speak to the farthest-off man at once; he could not hear you; your voice would be strained in the abortive effort to reach him at that great social distance; but you speak to the man who is next to you, and then to the one following, and so a man at a time, you move on until the distance is traversed and he who was once far off has been brought nigh! Upon this daily and inevitable process rests your confidence that prejudice of the most stubborn kind shall be broken down. Boundaries which separate man from man shall be obliterated. Tradition shall go down before the advancing tide of philanthropy, and one day golden day we shall know that every land is home and every man is brother!

What mysterious combinations of experiences and events are con tinually taking place. Cornelius “saw in a vision evidently,” “an angel of God coming in to him.” Peter fell into a trance and heard a voice. That is our daily life. We cannot be shut up within the four corners of a rude and vulgar materialism. God has still over us the mysterious reign of dreams. We have before had occasion to say that dreams enlarge our life. Why wonder if dreams will come true, when dreams are true? You had the dream. Why ask if it will come true? You have forgotten the purpose and mission of dreams. You should have spoken to the angels, you should have said, “What is it, Lord?” You should even have contradicted the angel, and said, “Not so, Lord,” and then further conversation would have ensued. Instead of that you continue to sleep, and in the morning ask if dreams come true! You had your chance, and missed it. The night is full of crowds. In the infinite galleries of the night the angels walk, visiting the beloved of God. Dreams of your own causing are not the dreams we are now speaking about. Physical nightmare is one thing, spiritual vision and clairvoyance, the sight of the soul, is another. But even apart from the ministry of the night, the secret coming, and shining, and talking of the angels, we have in our daydreams events sufficiently spiritually mysterious to touch the sentiment that inspires the religious imagination. “How strange,” say we, “that it should have been so.” “How remarkable that our letters should have crossed.” “Why at the very time I was doing this you must have been coming to me. How singular!” You may call it merely singular if you please, but that is an irreligious way of talking about human history and divine issues. It was not an accident. I want to cleanse my life of all mere accidents, and to feel that my downsitting and my uprising, and my outgoing, my incoming are matters of importance in heaven, that the very hairs of my head are all numbered! Why do we belittle our experience and deplete it of everything that could give nobility, and enlargement, and apocalypse to our highest nature? Rather be it mine to say the vision was from heaven, and an angel spake to me, than to vulgarize the universe and to find in it nothing that I cannot mark with plain figures.

Here we have a higher law swallowing up a lower one, “God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” It requires GOD to show that to some men. This is nothing short of a Divine revelation to see the man within the creature. I see the figure, but there is something behind it; I see the poor clothing, the unkempt body there is something behind! I see the roughness, rudeness there is something behind. A MAN! Said the murmuring multitude respecting Zacchus, “Christ hath gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” But Jesus called the sinner, “a son of Abraham.” He saw the figure within the figure, the ideal within the factual, the spiritual within the material. Through the window of the eye he saw the guest of the house, beautiful as a lost angel, worthful as a creation of God! Lord, open our eyes that we may see one another!

Christianity has come to eat up and absorb all our little laws and to set us under a nobler legislation. Said Christ, “Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?” And turning to His disciples, he said, “Whosoever doeth the will of my Father that is in heaven, the same is my mother, and sister, and brother.” We are under the foolish notion that a man is a brother because we were born of the same mother. Nothing of the kind. There may be no greater stranger in the universe than the one born of the same mother. They are brothers who are one in soul, one in conviction, one in hope! The others are but animals, a blood relationship that may be dissolved because of moral considerations, but no man can repudiate intellectual brotherhood, the masonry of the soul, the joy that is felt in a common prayer and a common obedience. This lesson is not fitted for today. Only he that hath ears to hear can hear it. At present it will have no popularity yea, it will only have partial acceptance; yet I would write it down, and commit it to the judgment of the future, that brotherhood is spiritual not physical, and that the true relationship is one of sympathy and of religious unity a common feeling of common loyalty to a common Lord.

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band ,

Ver. 1. A centurion of the band ] He might well have been a commander in the thundering legion, qui plus precando quam praeliando potuerunt, . Preces sunt bombardae et instrumenta bellica Christianorum, said Luther, who also spared not to tell the Elector of Saxony, his protector and patron, that he by his prayers would secure his Highness’s soul, body, and estate engaged in the gospel’s cause. Sive id credat Celsitudo vestra, sive non credat. Imo Iudico, saith he, C. V plus a me praesidii et tutelae habiturum esse quam mihi praestare, &c. Yea, I am of the mind that your Highness hath more safety from me than I have from you.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

1 48 .] CONVERSION (BY SPECIAL DIVINE PREARRANGEMENT) AND BAPTISM OF THE GENTILE CORNELIUS AND HIS PARTY. We may remark, that the conversion of the Gentiles was no new idea to Jews or Christians, but that it had been universally regarded as to take place by their reception into Judaism . Of late, however, since the Ascension, we see the truth that the Gospel was to be a Gospel of the uncircumcision , beginning to be recognized by some. Stephen, carrying out the principles of his own apology, could hardly have failed to recognize it: and the Cyprian and Cyrenan missionaries of ch. Act 11:20 preached the word (not – ), certainly before the conversion of Cornelius . This state of things might have given rise to a permanent schism in the infant church. The Hellenists, and perhaps Saul, with his definite mission to the Gentiles, might have formed one party, and the Hebrews, with Peter at their head, the other. But, as Neander admirably observes (Pfl. u. Leit. p. 111), ‘The pernicious influence with which, from the first, the self-seeking and one-sided prejudices of human nature threatened the divine work, was counteracted by the superior influence of the Holy Spirit, which did not allow the differences of men to reach such a point of antagonism, but enabled them to retain unity in variety. We recognize the preventing wisdom of God, which, while giving scope to the free agency of man, knows how to interpose His immediate revelation just at the moment when it is requisite for the success of the divine work, by noticing, that when the Apostles needed this wider development of their Christian knowledge for the exercise of their vocation, and when the lack of it would have been exceedingly detrimental, at that very moment , by a remarkable coincidence of inward revelation with a chain of outward circumstances, the illumination hitherto wanting was imparted to them.’

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

1. ] As this town bears an important part in early Christian history, it will be well to give here a full account of it. CSAREA (Palestin, , called , Jos. B. J. iii. 9. 1; vii. 2. 2; Antt. xiii. 11. 2, or K., Jos. B. J. vii. 1. 3; 2. 1, or Stratonis (see below), distinguished from Csarea. Philippi, see note Mat 16:13 ) is between Joppa and Dora, 68 Rom. miles from Jerusalem according to the Jerus. Itinerary, 75 according to Josephus (i.e. 600 stadia, Antt. xiii. 11. 2. B. J. i. 3. 5), 36. miles (Abulfeda) from Ptolemais (a day’s journey, ch. Act 21:8 ), 30 from Joppa (Edrisi); one of the largest towns in Palestine (Jos. B. J. iii. 9. 1), with an excellent haven (Jos. Antt. xvii. 5. 1, , . It was, even before the destruction of Jerusalem, the seat of the Roman Procurators (see ch. Act 23:23 ff.; Act 24:27 ; Act 25:1 ), and called by Tacitus (Hist. ii. 79) ‘Jud caput.’ It was chiefly inhabited by Gentiles (Jos. B. J. iii. 9. 1; ii. 14.4), but there were also many thousand Jewish inhabitants (Jos. B. J. ii. 18. 1; Antt. xx. 8.7; Life, 11). It was built by Herod the Great (Amm [56] Marcell [57] xiv. 8; p. 29, Bipont. Beforetime there was only a fort there, called , Jos. Antt. xv. 9. 6 al.; Strabo, xvi. 758; Plin. v.14) fortified, provided with a haven (see ch. Act 9:30 ; Act 18:22 ; Joseph. above), and in honour of Csar Augustus named Csarea (at length , Jos. Antt. xvi. 5. 1). Vespasian made it a Roman colony (Plin. Act 10:13 ). Abulfeda (Syr. p. 80) speaks of it as in ruins in his time (A.D. 1300). At present there are a few ruins only, and some fishers’ huts. (From Winer, Realw.)

[56] Ammonius of Alexandria, 220

[57] Marcellus, cited by Eus.

] The subordinate officer commanding the sixth part of a cohort = half a maniple. See Dict. of Gr. and Roman Antt.

. . . . ] A cohort ( .) levied in Italy, not in Syria . Mr. Humphry quotes from Gruter, Inscr. i. p. 434, ‘Cohors militum Italicorum voluntaria, qu est in Syria.’ Biscoe (Hist. of the Acts, pp. 217 221) maintains that this was an independent cohort, not one attached to a legion. The legio Italica (Tacit. Hist. i. 59, 64; ii. 100; iii. 22) was not raised till Nero’s time.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Act 10:1 . : on the expression see Ramsay, St. Paul , p. 202. ., see Act 8:40 .

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Acts Chapter 10

The sovereign grace of God toward an men was about to have another and yet more conclusive formal seal. It was not enough that the scattered Hellenists were preaching the gospel in the free action of the Holy Spirit or that Philip in particular had evangelized Samaria. It was not enough that Saul of Tarsus had been called from his persecutions to bear Christ’s name before the Gentiles no less but more than before the sons of Israel. The apostle of the circumcision must now openly act on the grand principle of Christianity which knows no distinction between Jew and Greek. As the cross proves them alike sinful and lost (Rom 3:22 , Rom 3:23 ), the gospel meets them alike where they are (Rom 10:12 ), and proclaims the same One to be Lord of all and rich unto all that call upon Him. This was now to be publicly demonstrated by Peter’s preaching to the Gentiles, and their entrance into the privileges of the gospel on precisely the same terms of gratuitous, unconditional, and everlasting salvation by the faith of Christ as to the Jews at and since Pentecost. Henceforth there is no distinction for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved

The circumstances of a change so momentous bore the unequivocal marks of divine authority; though, long before, the Lord Himself had announced it (Luk 24:47 ) to the unwilling and therefore unintelligent ears of his disciples, and Peter had in terms affirmed it (Act 2:39 ), however little he seems to have as yet apprehended the force of what he then uttered. Indeed we are here and now carefully shown how reluctantly he set his hand to the work of indiscriminate grace till God left excuses no longer possible. But He would have the activity of His grace tarry no longer for the dull sons of men: His message of love to the lost must run forth in power; and the great apostle of the circumcision must be the one formally to open the gates of the kingdom not to Jews only but to Gentiles also. The moment was come; the man with whom to begin appears.

‘Now a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of a cohort that was called Italian, pious and fearing God with all his house 1giving much alms to the people, and entreating God continually, saw in a vision manifestly about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in unto him and saying to him, Cornelius. But he, gazing on him and being affrighted, said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Thy prayers and thine alms have gone up for a memorial before God. And now send men unto Joppa, and fetch [one]2 Simon, who is surnamed Peter: he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea. And when the angel that spoke to him had departed, he called two of his domestics and a pious soldier of those in close attendance, and, having recounted all to them sent them to Joppa’ (vers. 1-8).

1 ‘both’ is In Text. Rec. which LP support with most cursives, et al., but the most ancient and best reject.

2 Authorities are divided, so that ‘one’ is here hardly certain.

The Spirit of God is thus careful to make known the godly life of Cornelius. He was already a converted man, though a Gentile. But he did not know salvation proclaimed in the gospel. Therefore was Peter to be sent for, as Peter himself afterwards explained (Act 11:13 , Act 11:14 ): else he could only have hoped for his soul in the mercy of God. But now the gospel is to teach sinful man, without distinction; and it seemed good to the all-wise God to bless thereby such a one as this devout Roman, as He had already in the same grace paid honour to the crucified Saviour by converting as well as filling with peace the penitent robber who hung by His side. They were as different tributes to the grace which came by Him as could well be conceived; but each was seasonable, each to the glory of Jesus, each a display of what God can afford to do through redemption. The pious centurion was only entitled to know his sins remitted on God’s message of grace through the blood of Jesus.

The evangelical school, ignorant of the new and peculiar privileges of the gospel, were wont to regard Cornelius as a self-righteous philanthropist, because they did not distinguish between conversion and the known forgiveness of sins or salvation. But this was their ignorance. Even Bede knew better, when he said, albeit in dubious phraseology, that he came through faith to works, but through works was established in faith. Had Bede said through the gospel, instead of ‘through works,’ it would have been more in accordance with the truth; but those who cite him approvingly seem not more intelligent than our venerable light of the dark ages. It was really God putting honour on the accomplished sacrifice of Christ; and now that the Jews nationally had rejected their Messiah calling by the gospel Gentiles into equal privilege with believing Israelites.

But the known godly character of Cornelius was suited to silence the prejudices of the ancient people of God. He looked to God and served Him in faith before He knew present salvation. If it were too much to say as Calvin does that, before Peter came, he had a church in his house, we are told on the highest authority that he was devout and feared God with all his household: no idol, we may be sure, was tolerated there. Instead of the rapacity of a Roman abroad, with contempt unbounded for the Jew, Cornelius abounded in alms-giving to ‘the people’ in their low estate, and this in Caesarea where Gentiles predominated. Best of all he entreated God continually. To suppose all this in one destitute of life is absurd. Cornelius was born of God and walked accordingly, though he had not yet peace; and God was now about to meet the wants and longings of his soul by the full revelation of His grace in the gospel.

An angel of God he sees in a vision not of the night. It was broad daylight, in the afternoon; nor was he asleep, but inquiring learns that God, not unmindful of his prayers and alms,1 bids him fetch Simon Peter from Joppa. As the great apostle of the uncircumcision wrote at the end to instruct the slow mind of the believing Hebrews, so the great apostle of the circumcision was to be employed at the beginning in evangelizing at God’s command the Gentiles. Does this beautiful interlacing offend you? If so, it proves how little you have entered into the divine ways which cut off all room or excuse for human independence. Neither in Judea nor in Rome (pace Eusebii)2 nor anywhere else was there to be, if God were obeyed, the unseemly suicidal sight of a Jewish church distinct from a Gentile church. The assembly was on God’s part meant to be on earth, let there be ever so many assemblies, the saints composing but one assembly, of which in due time it could be said, even when Corinthians were splitting into divisions, ‘all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas’ (1Co 3:21 , 1Co 3:22 ). Here, however, it was a question of getting the gospel, as necessarily this is the true order, though the church follows in its proper course: individual blessing must be known before collective privilege and responsibility.

1 It is not without interest to note the difference of Scripture from the Apocrypha. For in Tobit 12: 12 the angel is made to bring the memorial of prayer before God. in the Acts the prayers and the alms rise up there without intervention, whether or not an angel brings the answer. Canon Humphrey has well reminded us of this.

2 ‘The reference is to Eusebius (A.D. 264 340), Bishop of Caesarea, who wrote The History of the Christian Church. He has been called the ‘Father of Church History’ – Editor.

On the other hand, while these messengers were approaching Joppa, about noon of the next day, Peter retired to pray and, growing hungry saw in a trance, into which he fell, a sheet of striking significance, which he soon learnt to apply.

‘And on the morrow, when they were journeying and drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray about the sixth hour, and he became hungry and desired to eat, and while they made ready, a trance came over him, and he beholdeth the heaven opened and a certain vessel descending2 as a great sheet by four corners let down upon the earth in which were all the quadrupeds and reptiles of the earth and [the]3 birds of the sky. And there came a voice unto him, Arise, Peter, slay and eat. But Peter said, By no means, Lord; because never did I eat anything common and unclean. And a voice [came] again a second time unto him, What God cleansed deem not thou common. And this was done thrice; and straightway4 the vessel was taken up into heaven’ (vers. 9-16).

2 Text. Rec. (supported by LP and most cursives) adds ‘upon him’ – I suppose from Mat 3:16 , Mar 1:10 , Luk 3:22 , Joh 1:32 , Joh 1:33 , and, very strangely contrary to the best MSS., Versions, et al.

3 The article here is doubtful, though its insertion in Text. Rec. has ancient authority as well as numbers.

4 The best MSS., et al., sustain ‘straightway’ as against the Text. Rec. which gives ‘again’.

Peter had not departed from that condition of dependence on God which he had expressed on the occasion of choosing ‘the seven’ to their diaconal service in Jerusalem. ‘It is not fit that we [the twelve] should forsake the word of God and serve tables. Look ye out therefore . . . but we will give ourselves closely to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ (Act 6:2-4 ). So he assuredly was doing now when a special mission was being assigned him by God. He had withdrawn to be alone before Him. It was no question of repairing to the temple as once, or even to an oratory. The housetop sufficed; but it is well, when forms vanish, if the Spirit abides and grows stronger as here. We cannot afford to be slack in that which God honours in the apostle. The needy should not grow weary in telling out their need to Him and in counting on Him to act worthily of His great Name.

Peter receives a threefold testimony of God’s purifying the Gentiles by faith, instead of separating Israel by circumcision. The cross had changed all, and put no difference between believers, Jew or Gentile. The former had lost thereby their old superiority according to flesh; both were now open alike to incomparably better blessings in Christ by faith. It was no question now of the law or of becoming a proselyte, or even of laying hold of the skirt of a Jew. From the open heaven light streamed on the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus, and grace declared the uncleanness gone which Sinai had denounced for a while with rigour. For all was over with the first man under the law. The Saviour speaks from heaven where such a distinction as Jews or Gentiles has no place, and acts on the efficacy of that blood which has procured everlasting redemption for all believers equally, be they Jew or Greek, barbarian or Scythian, male or female, bond or free. A Jew hitherto could no more eat of an unclean animal than he could eat with a sinner of the Gentiles. But the sheet, which came down from heaven and was taken up there, taught Peter in due time the immense change which hinges on the cross, answers to the glory of Christ on high, and drew from him on a later day even in Jerusalem itself the gracious confession. ‘We believe that we shall be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, even as they also’: not merely the Gentiles as the Jews, but the Jews in like manner as the Gentiles.

How far the saints or even the apostles anticipated the grace of the gospel must be evident to the least attentive reader of the inspired narrative. Even up to this hour Peter had no thought of, and ventured to object in the vision to, what the voice commanded from heaven. So little was the special character of the gospel in its free grace indebted to the hearts or minds of its most blessed preachers; so incontrovertibly does the word of God prove that what concerns us incalculably above all else for time and eternity proceeded from God alone, feeling and acting for Christ in His own love and to His own glory, though for these very reasons to our best and surest blessing also.

Very careful is the Spirit of God to give us full details: so grave a change as the reception of Gentiles on the same footing as a Jew was not made or owned lightly.

‘And as Peter was perplexed1 in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that had been sent by Cornelius, having sought out the house of Simon, stood at the gate, and having called were inquiring whether Simon surnamed Peter lodged there. Now while Peter was pondering over the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men seek thee; but arise, go down, and journey with them, nothing doubting because I have sent them. And Peter went down unto the men and said Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause for which ye are here’ And they said, Cornelius, a centurion, a man righteous, and fearing God, and attested by the whole nation of the Jews, was divinely warned by a holy angel to send for thee unto his house and to hear words from thee. Having therefore called them in he lodged [them]. And on the morrow he arose and went off with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa went with him’ (vers. 17-23).

1 Such is the true construction, not ‘in himself’ separated from the verb, as by G. Wakefield and Valckenaer (like the Codex Bezae).

Men were employed throughout after the angelic mission to Cornelius but God is apparent in every part to disarm prejudice, own righteousness, display grace, and put honour on the name of Jesus to the blessing of man and to His own glory, for all which weighty ends the law, of which Israel boasted, had proved altogether unavailing. The great apostle Peter was indebted under God to the Gentile’s invitation to solve the problem of his vision. But the Spirit is the agent of all blessing, intelligence, and power in the believer; and so His place is made conspicuous here (vers. 19, 20). It must be a divine impulse, and not a mere deduction of reasoning: for us and all this is a lesson of inestimable value. At first no doubt, sensible signs and extraordinary power ushered in His presence and manifested the new truth of His action in man; but the reality abides, as He abides with us, for ever, though outward signs in divine wisdom are no longer vouchsafed. This draws greater importance than ever to scripture in these last days when unbelievers turn from it more and more to unprofitable and mischievous fables.

It was thus made plain, beyond doubt, that God it was, not man nor yet the church, nor even the apostles, who opened the door to the nations equally as to the Jews. So the gospel intrinsically wrought and proclaimed: but even the believer is dull to appreciate the full import of what he has really received, and is wholly dependent on God’s word and Spirit to give him growth and progress. The hour was come for the formal and public owning of believing Gentiles in the enjoyment of full gospel privileges. And it was meet that he who was, beyond doubt, of the twelve should be the one employed, rather than he who, already called, was designated to be the apostle of the uncircumcision. Thus was the uniting bond of the Spirit best maintained in peace.

But it was of all moment that man’s will should be excluded as well as man’s wisdom. What could be more effectual to this end than the vision of Cornelius on the one hand and that of Peter on the other? The character of each gave special weight to what they saw and heard; and their concurrence, as attested by the ‘three men’ from Caesarea, as well as the ‘six brethren’ that accompanied Peter from Joppa, was of high value and unmistakable significance. Men were largely employed, as they were concerned in the deepest way, but so as to demonstrate to every upright mind that God was the moving spring in it all. The ‘devout soldier’ with two domestics has his lowly but valuable place and was soon to share the blessing, as well as the devout centurion on whom he waited closely; a blessing which is as distinctly characterized by the power of grace that brings down far higher than Cornelius, and lifts up far lower than the Roman soldier, uniting all believers even here below in one heavenly and indissoluble relationship to Christ.

The message delivered by the men from Caesarea was to the point. For a Roman officer in a garrison town to have the good report of the whole nation of the Jews was no small thing; but it was more for his own household to bear witness that he was a righteous man and God-fearing, as his soldier attendant evidently was also. And the prevalence of Jewish Sadduceanism did not lead to any toning down of the divine communication, which was calmly affirmed by men accustomed to frank uprightness. Cornelius, they said, ‘was oracularly warned by a holy angel to fetch thee unto his house and hear words from thee.’

What a clear communication to Peter when his vision was followed up by the Spirit’s application of it! Nor can anything be plainer than the divine authority with which the Spirit speaks, and acts here as elsewhere – ‘I have sent them’: He is God.

How vividly too is set forth the value of ‘words’ in the gospel! Let the law demand ‘works’ of man to prove his powerlessness and that the offence may abound so as to overwhelm him with despair of himself and cast him only upon Christ. The gospel makes known in its ‘words’ the true God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent, and is thus the means of life eternal to every one that believes. The Jew might claim the law as imposed on His people in the stern solitude of Sinai, not so God’s gospel concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, dead, risen, and glorified in heaven, which is now as open to the Gentile as to the Jew, but to neither save by the faith of Christ and His redemption.

Peter then set out with the rest from Joppa. ‘And on the morrow he entered into Caesarea, and Cornelius was awaiting them, having called together his kinsmen and his near friends’ (ver. 24).

Dear reader, have you nothing to learn from the zeal now, as well as the habitual piety and devotedness we saw before (vers. 2, 22), in the Roman centurion? Are we to be less zealously affected because we are more familiar with the wondrous grace and truth that came by Jesus Christ? Sorrowful fruit, not indeed of better light, but of fleshly indifference and worldly ease, which hinder the due activity of divine affections that others may live, as well as our own souls grow, by the knowledge of God.

‘And when it came to pass that Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, did homage, but Peter raised him, saying, Rise up, I myself also am a man’ (vers. 25, 26). It was the more remarkable, as a Roman in general never offered the salaam of prostration to a stranger. But the lowly and pious mind of Cornelius was wrought to such a pitch of expectation by the angelic message that he failed to sever the preacher from the truth he was sent to make known, and was thus disposed to pay more than honour meet to him whom God had directed him to send for. On the other hand the dignity which accompanies the truth is not only compatible with the deepest humility but produces and increases it in proportion to the power which grace acquires over the soul. Impossible not to be humble, if we are consciously in God’s presence; and this the gospel is calculated above all things to make good habitually, as it does in the measure of our faith and spirituality. Peter refused such mistaken homage at once.

Oh, you who claim to be Peter’s peculiar and exclusive successor, are you not ashamed? Why are you of all men the most distant from his ways the most opposed to his spirit? Silver and gold you have, which he had not; but the faith he preached you deny and corrupt, and the lowliness he practised even to an unbaptized Gentile pronounces the most solemn rebuke on your pride, when you (installed as Pope) seat yourself ‘on the very spot where the pyx containing the host usually stands’,1 and the cardinal princes of the empire repeatedly adore you, each prostrating himself before you and kissing the slippered toe as well as the covered hand. Can contrast be more complete? And this is ‘succession’!

1 So testifies an eye-witness, Mr. Thompson of Banchory.

‘And conversing with him he entered and findeth many come together and he said to them, Yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to join himself or come unto one of another race. And me God showed to call no man common or unclean: wherefore also without gainsaying I came when sent for. I ask then on what account ye sent for me. And Cornelius said Pour days ago till this hour I was fasting and the ninth [hour] praying in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and says Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms had in remembrance before God: send then unto Joppa, and call for Simon who is surnamed Peter He lodgeth in the house of Simon a tanner by [the] sea. Forthwith then I sent unto thee, and thou hast done well in arriving. Now then we are all here before God to hear all the things that have been commanded thee of the Lord’ (vers. 27-33).

Peter, after entering not only the house but the apartment where Cornelius had his company waiting to hear the gospel, explains first what they all knew, then what God had just shown to himself. For their part they were aware that for a Jew to be familiar with a Gentile was unlawful: he on his had it shown of God that he was not to call any man common or unclean. Now that the true light shines, the old distinction is gone. It was not so at the beginning; it is no longer in force. If God was entitled to institute such a difference, He was no less free to annul it; and so He had shown Peter in special preparation for Cornelius whom God had directed to send for Peter, who had come thereon ‘without gainsaying’, as became him. For what has faith to do in such circumstances but to obey? If Christ Himself was beyond all the Obedient Man, the apostles differed from others not more in their gift and power than in the measure of their obedience. And to this is every saint sanctified by the Spirit – to the obedience of Jesus Christ, as distinctly as to the sprinkling of His blood. Let us exhort one another to this, and so much the more as we see the day approaching.

Cornelius then in answer explains why he sent for Peter. It was not without divine authority. He had been four days also praying, if not fasting also (for the reading is seriously questioned); on that afternoon an angel in a man’s guise told him that his prayer was heard, and that he was to call to him Peter, who had well done in coming, as they were all there to hear all the Lord’s commands through him.

Hear it, you that desire to honour Peter truly, that you may be saved from the destructive superstitions of his false successors. Were there succession, surely the first in the line is peculiarly to be regarded. See how readily he comes, without a word to say against it, at Cornelius’ request. Ah! it is not Peter who demanded or received worldly pomp and human honour; it is you who have lost the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, and are under the dominion of dark and evil traditions which make God’s word of none effect, and play into the hands of the god of this age who has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that the light of the gospel of Christ’s glory should not dawn on them. Listen to Peter, I beseech you, and learn, not merely your error in departure from the living God, but the precious truth which is able to save your souls.

It was a serious moment for the apostle of the circumcision, prepared though he was by God’s dealings with himself and with Cornelius. But there could be no doubt of the Lord’s will, and the first step in the new departure must be taken then and there by himself.

‘And Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to Him. The word which He sent forth to the sons of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all1) – ye know the matter that came to pass throughout the whole of Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached – Jesus of Nazareth, how that God anointed Him with [the] Holy Spirit and power; Who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him. And we [are]2 witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, Whom also1 they slew, hanging [Him] on a tree. Him God raised on the third day and gave Him to be manifest, not to all the people, but to witnesses that were chosen before by God, to us which ate and drank with Him after He rose from [the] dead. And He charged us to preach to the people and testify that this is He that is ordained by God judge of living and dead. To Him all the prophets bear witness that every one that believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins through His name’ (vers. 34-43).

1 Perhaps ‘of all things”. The two accusatives and are dependent on the verb , ‘ye know’, the second being in apposition with the first.

2 ‘Are’ is wanting in the best copies, which read ‘also’ omitted in the Text. Rec. ‘We’ here is emphatic, contradistinguished from the ‘ye’, also emphatic, in ver. 37.

The coming and work of Christ have put all things in their true place. Only since then has God Himself been either manifested or vindicated, for during previous ages, since the flood or at least the law, God seemed the God of Jews only, and not of Gentiles also. Now it is made evident that He cares for Gentiles no less than Jews; but it never was evident in the fullness of the truth till the Son of God was come Who has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true. Not till we know His Son Jesus Christ can we say, This is the true God and eternal life. Nor had anyone more difficulty to pierce through the cloud of Jewish prejudice than the instrument here employed, but God had cast the true light of the cross more fully on his soul; and now he could say, ‘Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons’ (even were they Hebrews of the Hebrews), ‘but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to Him.’ Of this Cornelius and perhaps others of his house were already to a certain extent a living but hidden example. The principle, however, was now to be extended immensely, and what had been comparatively hidden was to be avowed and made public through the gospel. The very piety of Cornelius kept him from appropriating to himself as a Gentile what he knew God had sent forth to Israel, till grace sent it to him also. Thus should the charge of the risen Lord, hitherto suspended as it were, be applied no longer partially but in all its wide extent: ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.’ The law had been proved and declared powerless, and pretension to keep it unto life became the plain proof that no life was there. Christ is all. ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that disbelieveth shall be condemned’ (Mar 16:16 ). Peter understood all this as he never did before. Legal mist was passing away from his eyes. But nothing was farther from the truth than that there could be among Gentiles any more than Jews one to fear God or work righteousness without real living faith. The Jewish feeling which denied to any nation save their own the possibility of this acceptableness with God, he declares to be unfounded. His mission on God’s part to Cornelius was expressly to assert His indiscriminate grace, as well as to begin authoritatively by one whom God set in the first place in the assembly the sending of the gospel to every creature.

Cornelius and those with him already knew the word which God sent forth to the sons of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. But Peter carefully adds that Jesus is Lord not of the Jews only but of all. That which was a thing spoken of throughout Judea, beginning from despised Galilee of the Gentiles, after the baptism which John preached (as we read in Mar 1:14 , Mar 1:15 , where the Lord Himself called men to repent and believe the gospel) is the only salvation for Jew, or for Gentile when afterwards called as he now began to be. Jesus of Nazareth is the object of faith, Whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and power.1 He was come to Whom all pointed that had in figure been anointed of God. The love of God to sinful man was evident in Him, and that love effectual in deliverance; for He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, because God was with Him. He was the true Messiah, but both in Himself and in His work immeasurably more, and this came out into the brightest evidence on His rejection. Yet was there ample testimony to Him before that rejection; so that man was without excuse. ‘And we are witnesses of all things that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, Whom also they slew, hanging Him on a tree.’

1 It is amazing how intelligent Christians can repeat the ignorance of the Fathers, repeated by Petavius (Dogm. Theolog.) and others, confounding the action of the Spirit in the incarnation of our Lord with the anointing and seal at His baptism. But the operations of the Holy Spirit are sadly mistaken by most.

Whatever appearances may say, the will and word of God stands for ever; and faith knows it. ‘Him God raised on the third day and gave Him to be manifest, not to all the people but to witnesses that were chosen before by God, to us who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead.’ The resurrection is the pivoting and clenching of the gospel. If unbelief hold out against its testimony, what is clearer than that man hates both the love and the truth of God, and will not be saved at any price? The same resurrection of Jesus separates those who believe according to the value of Christ’s death before God, making in their measure witnesses of Christ men who bowed to the testimony of the fore-appointed witnesses. He Whom they slew on a tree ate and drank with His own after He arose from the dead: not that He needed the food, but they needed the testimony that He was alive from the dead, a truly risen Man, Who having loved His own that were in the world, loved them to the uttermost.

He it was Who charged His disciples to preach to the people and testify that this is He that is ordained of God Judge of living and dead. Such a testimony clearly goes beyond Israel to take in all mankind within its scope, as the resurrection demonstrated beyond controversy. For if the Son of God deigned to be born of woman, born under law, His rejection by Israel, His death on the cross, broke all links with that people and left Him free for the display of sovereign grace in righteousness now while He is in heaven, as surely as He is determinately appointed by God Judge of living and dead when He comes again in glory. What has the risen Man to do with one nation more than another? He is the divinely defined Judge of living and dead by-and-by, as He is now Saviour of all that believe be they who they may. Judgment and salvation are equally cleared by the gospel and concentrated in His person. The law made nothing perfect. The prophets, on the failure of all, bore their precious intermediate testimony, and Peter appeals to them. ‘To Him bear all the prophets witness that through His name every one that believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins.’

To be born again, as has often been remarked, is not a proper privilege of the gospel, as all the ritualistic sects of Christendom suppose: for the new birth was always true for souls that believed (before, within, and without, Israel) since sin was in the world. The O.T. saints were as truly begotten of God as any of the New. Remission of sins is the primary boon of the gospel, though of course the new birth attached by grace to the same persons, and the privileges of the gospel go far beyond that gracious beginning. Here all is confusion, especially in the Christian bodies which boast of antiquity. Nor were even the Reformers at all clear in this fundamental and necessary truth. Lutherans, Calvinists Anglicans and others made baptism to be the means of life! either to all the baptized or to the elect among them. According to God’s word they are all wrong, and inexcusably so. For scripture never treats baptism as the sign even of life-giving, but of death with Christ to sin, and of sins washed away for such as are already quickened. Christian baptism is a blessed institution, as the initiatory sign of the peculiar though primary privilege of the gospel. Blinder than the Jews are they who pervert it into a quickening ordinance, denying too, as generally they do, that the life given in the Son is eternal life: so that sacerdotal pretension is as vain as the doctrine is false.

And so we find in this very context: ‘While Peter was yet speaking these sayings, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those that were hearing the word. And the faithful of the circumcision, as many as came with Peter, were amazed, because upon the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speaking with tongues, and magnifying God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, which () received the Holy Spirit even as we? And he directed them to be baptized in the name of l Jesus Christ. Then they entreated him to abide certain days’ (vers. 11 48).

1 The older MSS. and Versions omit ‘the Lord’; some give ‘the Lord’, only; a few supply both.

It is striking to notice the various ways of divine wisdom. At Pentecost the believing Jews had to be baptized before they received the gift of the Spirit. They must solemnly take the place of death with Christ to all they had previously trusted. And even to this day the Jews feel its force; for when one of them is baptized to Christ Jesus, he is viewed and treated as dead to them and their religion. And so do the Brahmins, Mohammedans, or any who are not indifferent to their own profession. But the believing Gentiles as we see received the Holy Spirit while hearing the word, as most – perhaps all of us – have done; and baptism follows. Who could refuse the outward sign to the manifest recipients of that divine seal? Their gifts in speaking with tongues and magnifying God proclaimed the more precious and the ever-abiding gift of the Spirit. His seal is the true ground why those having it should be owned as members of Christ’s body: not ecclesiastical intelligence in them; still less the will or the consent of other men. Our business is to honour God and to obey, not to legislate. If ways unworthy of Christ be done and persisted in, there is the remedy of scriptural discipline.

Here, whatever his old prejudices might have been, even Peter bowed. And they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, it would seem, not by Peter, but at his direction by one or more of the brethren who accompanied him (ver. 48). There was neither vanity nor superstition in getting it done by Peter, though he took care in obedience to the Lord that it was duly done. It was of moment that they of the circumcision should go thoroughly with the mighty work of God’s grace in sealing Gentile no less than Jew that believed. It was not too soon to be of moment that all may know that a simple brother may lawfully baptize even in a great apostle’s presence, and that the act derived no value from office or gift. Only the evangelist should see that it be done after an orderly sort. No room was left for circumcision or the law. All is of grace reigning through righteousness. But a disciple is not on the external ground of a Christian till he is baptized. It is a privilege conferred on him who confesses Christ, and a sign of salvation through His death and resurrection.

Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)

Acts

WHAT GOD HATH CLEANSED

Act 10:1 – Act 10:20 .

The Church was at first in appearance only a Jewish sect; but the great stride is now to be taken which carries it over the border into the Gentile world, and begins its universal aspect. If we consider the magnitude of the change, and the difficulties of training and prejudice which it had to encounter in the Church itself, we shall not wonder at the abundance of supernatural occurrences which attended it. Without some such impulse, it is difficult to conceive of its having been accomplished.

In this narrative we see the supernatural preparation on both sides. God, as it were, lays His right hand on Cornelius, and His left on Peter, and impels them towards each other. Philip had already preached to the Ethiopian, and probably the anonymous brethren in Act 11:20 had already spoken the word to pure Greeks at Antioch; but the importance of Peter’s action here is that by reason of his Apostleship, his recognition of Gentile Christians becomes the act of the whole community. His entrance into Cornelius’s house ended the Jewish phase of the Church. The epoch was worthy of divine intervention, and the step needed divine warrant. Therefore the abundance of miracle at this point is not superfluous.

I. We have the vision which guided the seeker to the light.

Caesarea, as the seat of government, was the focus of Gentilism, and that the Gospel should effect a lodgment there was significant. Still more so was the person whom it first won,-an officer of the Roman army, the very emblem of worldly power, loathed by every true Jew. A centurion was not an officer of high rank, but Cornelius’s name suggests the possibility of his connection with a famous Roman family, and the name of the ‘band’ or ‘cohort,’ of which his troop was part, suggests that it was raised in Italy, and therefore properly officered by Romans. His residence in Judaea had touched his spirit with some knowledge of, and reverence for, the Jehovah whom this strange people worshipped. He was one of a class numerous in these times of religious unrest, who had been more or less affected by the pure monotheism of the Jew.

It is remarkable that the centurions of the New Testament are all more or less favourably inclined towards Christ and Christianity, and the fact has been laid hold of to throw doubt on the narratives; but it is very natural that similarity of position and training should have produced similarity of thought; and that three or four such persons should have come in contact with Jesus and His Apostles makes no violent demands on probability, while there was no occasion to mention others who were not like-minded. Quartered for considerable periods in the country, and brought into close contact with its religion, and profoundly sceptical of their own, as all but the lowest minds then were, Cornelius and his brother in arms and spirit whose faith drew wondering praise from Jesus, are bright examples of the possibility of earnest religious life being nourished amid grave disadvantages, and preach a lesson, often neglected, that we should be slow to form unfavourable opinions of classes of men, or to decide that those of such and such a profession, or in such and such circumstances, must be of such and such a character.

It would have seemed that the last place to look for the first Gentile Christian would have been in the barracks at Caesarea; and yet there God’s angel went for him, and found him. It has often been discussed whether Cornelius was a ‘proselyte’ or not. It matters very little. He was drawn to the Jews’ religion, had adopted their hours of prayer, reverenced their God, had therefore cast off idolatry, gave alms to the people as acknowledgment that their God was his God, and cultivated habitual devotion, which he had diffused among his household, both of slaves and soldiers. It is a beautiful picture of a soul feeling after a deeper knowledge of God, as a plant turns its half-opened flowers to the sun.

Such seekers do not grope without touching. It is not only ‘unto the seed of Jacob’ that God has never said, ‘Seek ye Me in vain.’ The story has a message of hope to all such seekers, and sheds precious light on dark problems in regard to the relation of such souls in heathen lands to the light and love of God, The vision appeared to Cornelius in the manner corresponding to his spiritual susceptibility, and it came at the hour of prayer. God’s angels ever draw near to hearts opened by desire to receive them. Not in visible form, but in reality, ‘bright-harnessed angels stand’ all around the chamber where prayer is made. Our hours of supplication are God’s hours of communication.

The vision to Cornelius is not to be whittled down to a mental impression. It was an objective, supernatural appearance,-whether to sense or soul matters little. The story gives most graphically the fixed gaze of terror which Cornelius fastened on the angel, and very characteristically the immediate recovery and quick question to which his courage and military promptitude helped him. ‘What is it, Lord?’ does not speak of terror, but of readiness to take orders and obey. ‘Lord’ seems to be but a title of reverence here.

In the angel’s answer, the order in which prayers and alms are named is the reverse of that in Act 10:2 . Luke speaks as a man, beginning with the visible manifestation, and passing thence to the inward devotion which animated the external beneficence. The angel speaks as God sees, beginning with the inward, and descending to the outward. The strong ‘anthropomorphism’ of the representation that man’s prayer and alms keep God in mind of him needs no vindication and little explanation. It substitutes the mental state which in us originates certain acts for the acts themselves. God’s ‘remembrance’ is in Scripture frequently used to express His loving deeds, which show that their recipient is not forgotten of Him.

But the all-important truth in the words is that the prayers and alms coming from a devout heart of a man who had never heard of Jesus Christ were acceptable to God. None the less Cornelius needed Jesus, and the recompense made to him was the knowledge of the Saviour. The belief that in many a heathen heart such yearning after a dimly known God has stretched itself towards light, and been accepted of God, does not in the least conflict with the truth that ‘there is none other Name given among men, whereby we must be saved,’ but it sheds a bright and most welcome light of hope into that awful darkness. Christ is the only Saviour, but it is not for us to say how far off from the channel in which it flows the water of life may percolate, and feed the roots of distant trees. Cornelius’s religion was not a substitute for Christ, but was the occasion of his being led to Christ, and finding full, conscious salvation there. God leads seeking souls by His own wonderful ways; and we may leave all such in His hand, assured that no heart ever hungered after righteousness and was not filled.

The instruction to send for Peter tested Cornelius’s willingness to be taught by an unknown Jew, and his belief in the divine origin of the vision. The direction given by which to find this teacher was not promising. A lodger in a tan-yard by the seaside was certainly not a man of position or wealth. But military discipline helped religious reverence; and without delay, as soon as the angel ‘was departed’ an expression which gives the outward reality of the appearance strongly, Cornelius’s confidential servants, sympathisers with him in his religion, were told all the story, and before nightfall were on their march to Joppa. Swift obedience to whatever God points out as our path towards the light, even if it seem somewhat unattractive, will always mark our conduct if we really long for the light, and believe that He is pointing our way.

II. The vision which guided the light-bearer to the seeker.-

All through the night the messengers marched along the maritime plain in which both Caesarea and Joppa lay, much discussing, no doubt, their strange errand, and wondering what they would find. The preparation of Peter, which was as needful as that of Cornelius, was so timed as to be completed just as the messengers stood at the tanner’s door.

The first point to note in regard to it is its scene. It is of subordinate importance, but it can scarcely have been entirely unmeaning, that the flashing waters of the Mediterranean, blazing in midday sunshine, stretched before Peter’s eyes as he sat on the housetop ‘by the seaside.’ His thoughts may have travelled across the sea, and he may have wondered what lay beyond the horizon, and whether there were men there to whom Christ’s commission extended. ‘The isles’ of which prophecy had told that they should ‘wait for His law’ were away out in the mysterious distance. Some expansion of spirit towards regions beyond may have accompanied his gaze. At all events, it was by the shore of the great highway of nations and of truth that the vision which revealed that all men were ‘cleansed’ filled the eye and heart of the Apostle, and told him that, in his calling as ‘fisher of men,’ a wider water than the land-locked Sea of Galilee was his.

We may also note the connection of the form of the vision with his circumstances. His hunger determined its shape. The natural bodily sensations coloured his state of mind even in trance, and afforded the point of contact for God’s message. It does not follow that the vision was only the consequence of his hunger, as has been suggested by critics who wish to get rid of the supernatural. But the form which it took teaches us how mercifully God is wont to mould His communications according to our needs, and how wisely He shapes them, so as to find entrance through even the lower wants. The commonest bodily needs may become avenues for His truth, if our prayer accompanies our hunger.

The significance of the vision is plain to us, though Peter was ‘much perplexed’ about it. In the light of the event, we understand that the ‘great sheet let down from heaven by four corners,’ and containing all manner of creatures, is the symbol of universal humanity to use modern language. The four corners correspond to the four points of the compass,-north, south, east, and west,-the contents to the swarming millions of men. Peter would perceive no more in the command to ‘kill and eat’ than the abrogation of Mosaic restrictions. Meditation was needful to disclose the full extent of the revolution shadowed by the vision and its accompanying words. The old nature of Peter was not so completely changed but that a flash of it breaks out still. The same self-confidence which had led him to ‘rebuke’ Jesus, and to say, ‘This shall not be unto Thee,’ speaks in his unhesitating and irreverent ‘Not so, Lord!’

The naive reason he gives for not obeying-namely, his never having done as he was now bid to do-is charmingly illogical and human. God tells him to do a new thing, and his reason for not doing it is that it is new. Use and wont are set up by us all against the fresh disclosures of God’s will. The command to kill and eat was not repeated. It was but the introduction to the truth which was repeated thrice, the same number of times as Peter had denied his Master and had received his charge to feed His sheep.

That great truth has manifold applications, but its direct purpose as regards Peter is to teach that all restrictions which differentiated Jew from Gentile are abolished. ‘Cleansing’ does not here apply to moral purifying, but to the admission of all mankind to the same standing as the Jew. Therefore the Gospel is to be preached to all men, and the Jewish Christian has no pre-eminence.

Peter’s perplexity as to the meaning of the vision is very intelligible. It was not so plain as to carry its own interpretation, but, like most other of God’s teachings, was explained by circumstances. What was next done made the best commentary on what had just been beheld. While patient reflection is necessary to do due honour to God’s teachings and to discover their bearing on events, it is generally true that events unfold their significance as meditation alone never can. Life is the best commentator on God’s word. The three men down at the door poured light on the vision on the housetop. But the explanation was not left to circumstances. The Spirit directed Peter to go with the messengers, and thus taught him the meaning of the enigmatical words which he had heard from heaven.

It is to be remembered that the Apostle had no need of fresh illumination as to the world-wide preaching of the Gospel. Christ’s commission to ‘the uttermost parts of the earth’ ever rang in his ears, as we may be sure. But what he did need was the lesson that the Gentiles could come into the Church without going through the gate of Judaism. If all peculiar sanctity was gone from the Jew, and all men shared in the ‘cleansing,’ there was no need for keeping up any of the old restrictions, or insisting on Gentiles being first received into the Israelitish community as a stage in their progress towards Christianity.

It took Peter and the others years to digest the lesson given on the housetop, but he began to put it in practice that day. How little he knew the sweep of the truth then declared to him! How little we have learned it yet! All exclusiveness which looks down on classes or races, all monkish asceticism which taboos natural appetites and tastes, all morbid scrupulosity which shuts out from religious men large fields of life, all Pharisaism which says ‘The temple of the Lord are we,’ are smitten to dust by the great words which gather all men into the same ample, impartial divine love, and, in another aspect, give Christian culture and life the charter of freest use of all God’s fair world, and place the distinction between clean and unclean in the spirit of the user rather than in the thing used. ‘Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled. . . is nothing pure.’

Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act 10:1-8

1Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Act 10:1 “there was a man at Caesarea” The conversion of Cornelius was a major event. However, it must be remembered that he was not the first social barrier the gospel had overcome.

1. The first was the Samaritans

2. then there was the Ethiopian Eunuch who also was possibly a God-fearer

3. then Cornelius, who was not only a Gentile, but a Roman army officer who was part of the military occupation of the Promised Land

The emphasis of this account is not so much on Cornelius’ conversion because he was already a God-fearer, like the Ethiopian Eunuch, but the large number of relatives and friends, mentioned in Act 10:1; Act 10:24; Act 10:27; Act 10:44; Act 10:48, who were also saved. Peter refers to this account at the Jerusalem Council in Act 15:7-9 and sets the stage for the Gentile mission of the Church.

“Cornelius” Footnote 1 in F. F. Bruce’s Commentary on the Book of the Acts, p. 214, has “Cornelius was an especially common name in Rome ever since Publius Cornelius Sulla in 82 B.C. liberated 10,000 slaves who were enrolled in the gens Cornelia, to which he belonged.” A gens was a clan or group of families who shared a common name and a belief in a common ancestor or hero (as here).

“a centurion” Centurions are mentioned several times in the NT and always in a favorable light (cf. Mat 8:5; Luk 7:2; Luk 23:47; Act 10:1; Act 22:5; Act 27:3; etc). Technically they were leaders of a hundred men; however, they were noncommissioned officers, something like our sergeant majors.

“called the Italian cohort” Usually a Roman cohort is made up of 600 men. This particular one was made up of a thousand Roman volunteers who were stationed in Syria. We know from historical evidence that they were called an auxiliary cohort. Possibly they were archers. Roman troops had to be stationed in Palestine because of the rebelliousness of the Jews.

Act 10:2 “a devout man” There is a threefold description of this man’s devotion:

1. he revered God (see note at Act 10:22) with all his households

2. he was always liberal in his many deeds of charity to the people

3. he had the habit of praying to God (cf. Act 10:22; Act 13:16; Act 13:26).

This man was religiously, emotionally, and socially linked to the synagogue, although he was not a full convert. To be a full convert one had to

1. be circumcised if a male

2. baptize himself in the presence of witnesses

3. if possible, offer a sacrifice in the Temple.

These requirements prevented many interested Gentiles from becoming full proselytes.

“with all his household” This is the first mention of a family as a religious unit which we find often in the Book of Acts (cf. Act 10:2; Act 11:14; Act 16:15; Act 16:31; Act 18:8). It shows the cultural context that the faith of the father was always the faith of the household and even of the extended family which would include servants.

“many alms” This refers to almsgiving. To Jewish people this would show that Cornelius was an active part of the local synagogue and apparently a God-fearer. See Special Topic: Alms Giving at Act 3:2.

“prayed to God continually” There are three present participles here, denoting continuing action which shows Cornelius’ piety.

1. fearing, Present middle (deponent)

2. doing alms, present active

3. praying, present middle (deponent)

This man’s devotion was daily and personal. He was doing the two things which rabbinical Judaism honored mostalmsgiving and prayer.

Act 10:3 “About the ninth hour” This refers to the time of the evening offering (i.e., 3 p.m., cf. Exo 29:39; Exo 29:41; Num 28:3-31; 1Ki 18:29-36; Psa 55:17; Psa 141:2; Dan 6:10; Josephus Antiq. 11.4.1; Wars 1.1.1). This was a traditional time for prayer.

NASB, NRSV,

TEV”clearly saw”

NKJV”saw clearly”

NJB, NIV”distinctly saw”

In the Gospels the adverb phaners means to openly or publicly make an appearance (cf. Mar 1:45; Joh 7:10). This vision came in daylight hours and was very specific and distinct.

“in a vision an angel of God” In some ways this conversion is like Saul’s. This person was a devoutly religious man. God sends a supernatural agent to direct him to faith. Who could say “No”? These conversions are a sign of God’s choice, not human free will. These people are responding to overwhelming evidence and experience of the reality of the gospel.

Act 10:4 The angel’s message contains two sacrificial terms: “ascended”and “memorial before God.” Apparently God accepted this man’s worship (i.e., prayers and almsgiving) even before he heard the gospel.

“fixing his gaze on him” See note at Act 1:10.

“‘What is it, Lord'” It is very difficult to know how to translate this term Lord. It can mean (1) “mister” or “sir” or (2) “Lord” in a theological sense of master/owner/sovereign. Another good NT passage which shows the ambiguity is Joh 4:1; Joh 4:11; Joh 4:15; Joh 4:19; Joh 4:49.

In Acts there is even an added possibility. Cornelius addresses the angel as Lord (cf. Rev 7:14) and Peter addresses “the voice” (cf. Act 10:13; Act 10:15) as Lord (cf. Act 10:14). Therefore, the term could refer to any supernatural, personal manifestation, with reference specifically to Jesus. In Act 8:26; Act 8:29 an angel of the Lord is identified with the Spirit. This same fluidity and transference occurs between “the voice” and the Spirit in Act 10:13-15; Act 10:19-20.

Act 10:5 “Now dispatch some men to Joppa” This is an aorist middle (deponent) imperative. Notice the angel did not share the gospel, but sent for Peter. God uses human instruments (cf. Exo 3:7-10). This man, though a devout, sincere religionist (like Saul), needed to hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Act 10:7 “he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier” This makes a party of three; however, in Act 10:19 only two of them are mentioned. Possibly the soldier was a guard and the two household servants spoke.

Act 10:8 Cornelius involved his family and friends in his faith. This man lived out what he believed. A whole community would come to faith in Christ through him.

These three men must have walked through the night and wondered and discussed the angel’s message and their master and friend’s faith.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

certain. Greek. tis. App-123.

Caesarea. See note on Act 8:40.

called = by name.

centurion = a captain over a hundred men. Greek. hekatontarchos. Occurs elsewhere, Act 10:22; Act 24:23; Act 27:1, Act 27:31. In the Gospels and in nine other places in Acts, the form hekatontarchos is used.

band = cohort. Greek. speira. See Mat 27:27.

Italian. It would be one levied in Italy.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

1-48.] CONVERSION (BY SPECIAL DIVINE PREARRANGEMENT) AND BAPTISM OF THE GENTILE CORNELIUS AND HIS PARTY. We may remark, that the conversion of the Gentiles was no new idea to Jews or Christians, but that it had been universally regarded as to take place by their reception into Judaism. Of late, however, since the Ascension, we see the truth that the Gospel was to be a Gospel of the uncircumcision, beginning to be recognized by some. Stephen, carrying out the principles of his own apology, could hardly have failed to recognize it: and the Cyprian and Cyrenan missionaries of ch. Act 11:20 preached the word (not -), certainly before the conversion of Cornelius. This state of things might have given rise to a permanent schism in the infant church. The Hellenists, and perhaps Saul, with his definite mission to the Gentiles, might have formed one party, and the Hebrews, with Peter at their head, the other. But, as Neander admirably observes (Pfl. u. Leit. p. 111), The pernicious influence with which, from the first, the self-seeking and one-sided prejudices of human nature threatened the divine work, was counteracted by the superior influence of the Holy Spirit, which did not allow the differences of men to reach such a point of antagonism, but enabled them to retain unity in variety. We recognize the preventing wisdom of God,-which, while giving scope to the free agency of man, knows how to interpose His immediate revelation just at the moment when it is requisite for the success of the divine work,-by noticing, that when the Apostles needed this wider development of their Christian knowledge for the exercise of their vocation, and when the lack of it would have been exceedingly detrimental,-at that very moment, by a remarkable coincidence of inward revelation with a chain of outward circumstances, the illumination hitherto wanting was imparted to them.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

In the first chapter of Acts, Jesus said to His disciples, “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” ( Act 1:8 ).

Jesus had commanded His disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. So the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for all men, regardless of nationality, ethnic background. And we watched the movement in the book of Acts as they began first in Jerusalem, bearing witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and multitudes being added to the church daily.

Then upon persecution, we saw where Stephen went up into Samaria. Other disciples were spread throughout Judea, and little pockets of believers began to spring up in the second part of that prophecy of Jesus, in Judea and in Samaria. With the continued persecution of the church and with the increased number of converts who traveled freely in the Roman Empire, we saw how that the Gospel began to spread into all the world.

It is interesting that Paul the apostle, thirty years after the birth of the church, was able to write to the church in Colosse saying that the Gospel, “Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world” ( Col 1:6 ). So the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus as they had carried the Gospel by thirty years into all the world. But we see that the movement was gradual. They began in Jerusalem; they spread to Judea, then into Samaria.

Now beginning in chapter 10, we get the next movement of the spread of the Gospel as it is now being proclaimed to the Gentiles. And the Gospel came to the Gentiles in a very interesting way.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band that is called the Italian band ( Act 10:1 ),

That doesn’t mean they had a mandolin and a guitar and a soloist. The Roman legions had approximately six thousand men and then they had their companies, which would be equivalent to our battalions, which were about six hundred men, because there were ten companies in a legion. And then the companies were divided down, and over a hundred men there was a officer equivalent to our master sergeant, who was called a centurion, inasmuch as he was over one hundred men.

And there are some very interesting requirements that have been found in the Roman record for a centurion. And one of them was a man of great courage and bravery. If he was outnumbered, he must stand with his men and fight until he falls, and he had to be a man of that kind of courage. He wasn’t to go looking for trouble, but he was always to meet trouble with resolute courage.

It is interesting that in the Bible we are introduced to other centurions, and in every case in being introduced to a centurion they were all commendable men. You remember that the centurion came to Jesus and requested that Jesus would heal his servant who was dying. And Jesus said, “I will come to your house.” And he said, “Oh, no, Lord. I’m not worthy that You should come under my roof. But I understand authority because I am a man under authority and I have under me men. And I can say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes. And I can say to this one, ‘Come over here’ and he will come. I understand what authority is about. And I know that all You have to do is say the word and my servant will be healed.” And Jesus marveled at his faith and He said, “I have not found this much faith in all of Israel.” And He marveled at the faith of this centurion.

Now we’re introduced to another centurion, Cornelius. He was over the Italian garrison there in Caesarea, which was the Roman capitol city of that area. And he was, according to the record here, verse Act 10:2 ,

A very devout man, and one that feared [or reverenced] God ( Act 10:2 )

Many of the Romans were tired of the multiplicity of gods that were worshipped by the Romans or by the Greeks. You remember Paul the apostle when he came to Athens said, “I can see that you people are very religious, for as I have been walking through your streets, I have found altars inscribed to so many different gods.” And it is true that the Greeks had such a multiplicity of gods. In fact, they had a god for each emotion: a god of love, a god of hate, a god jealousy, a god of wrath, and a god of peace, a god of war, and a god for everything.

And some Greeks came up with the idea, “We may have missed one. We surely don’t want to slight him and get him angry with us.” And so he built an altar and he inscribed it to the unknown god, “Whoever you are, wherever you are, don’t feel slighted, we want to recognize you too.” And so Paul said, “I saw this altar to the unknown god, and this is the God I would like to declare unto you, because He is the One who created the heaven and the earth and everything that is in them.” And so he declared unto them the true and the living God.

Now many of the Romans and Greeks did not believe in the multiplicity of gods, and many of them after their experience in Israel became convinced of the one true and living God. Cornelius was such a man.

he feared God with all his house, and he gave much alms to the people ( Act 10:2 ),

He was a man of prayer. Now here was a man who was walking in the light that he had. And it is so important that we walk in the light that we possess. Unto whom much is given, much is required. Unto whom little is given, little is required. Luke’s gospel tells us in chapter 12 that a man will be judged according to the knowledge and the light that he has received. “For that servant, that knew the will of the father, and did not accordingly will be beaten with many stripes. Yet he who did things worthy of many stripes, because he did not know the will of the father shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whom much is given, much is required. Unto whom little is given, little is required.” ( Luk 12:47-48 ). But we are always required to walk in the light that we have. And if we will walk in the light that we have, it always follows that God will then give us more light and understanding.

And so it’s important that we walk in the light that we have. Just how much light that Cornelius had, we do not know. He did know of God. He reverenced God; he feared God and he prayed unto God continually. He gave alms to the needy, much alms to the people.

He saw a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day ( Act 10:3 ),

So he was probably observing the three o’clock afternoon prayer hour of the Jews.

[He saw] an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Your prayers and your alms are come up for a memorial before God ( Act 10:4 ).

God is aware of your prayers; God is aware of your giving. They have come up before God.

And now send men to Joppa ( Act 10:5 ),

Which was one of the ancient seaports along the Mediterranean. The area of Caesarea was also a seaport, but it was built by Herod the Great. It was not a natural seaport. But Herod the Great built a breakwater there and it is still a beautiful little harbor today. And it’s a great place for skin diving because you can find Roman coins on the sandy floor of the beach within the harbor there at Caesarea. But Joppa was south from Caesarea about twenty miles, which means a two day journey in those times, because an average day’s journey was ten miles. So he is told,

That there in Joppa, he is to inquire for a man by the name of Simon, whose surname is Peter: he will tell you what you ought to do ( Act 10:5-6 ).

So he is lodging with Simon who is a tanner whose house is by the seaside, and he will come and tell you what to do. Walls are tumbling. The Jew had many walls built up, nationalistic walls, inasmuch as a Jew would really have no dealings with a Gentile in close contact. They would not eat with Gentiles, they would not invite a Gentile into their home, nor would they go into the house of the Gentile, for the Gentiles were considered unclean. And to touch a Gentile would make you unclean and you’d have to go through quite a ritual of cleansing before you could go back into the temple if you touched a Gentile.

Now the Pharisees were so particular about this that when they walked down the street they would wrap their robes very tightly around them. Their robes they would wrap them very tight so that their robes wouldn’t swish. They didn’t want their robes swishing and actually touching a Gentile. For if they did, they would be unclean and actually go through this cleansing right before they could worship God again. And so you see the Pharisee, his robe wrapped tight around him, small steps going down the street, careful that his robe doesn’t swish out and careful that he doesn’t come into physical contact with the Gentiles.

Now another person who was an outcast was a tanner. For under the Mosaic law, anybody who touched a dead body of an animal or of a person was also unclean. And so a tanner would be considered a man who was constantly unclean, and therefore, you would also be careful not to touch a tanner for that would constitute your becoming unclean. So the very fact that Peter is in the house of Simon the tanner indicates that walls are already beginning to come down in Peter’s heart, as Paul tells us in Ephesians, chapter 4, that Jesus Christ has broken down that middle wall of partition that used to exist between the Jew and the Gentile. So in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, Barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, but Christ is all, and in all. He has broken down these racial barriers between men. So Peter was there at the house of Simon the tanner.

And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; and when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa ( Act 10:7-8 ).

So he called his servants, and as you recall the one centurion said to Jesus, “I also am a man under authority. I can say to one, go, and he goes.” And so he is exercising again his authority that was given to him, and he is commanding these fellows to go to Joppa to bring back this man Peter.

Now God always works on both ends. Know that. My son, Chuck Junior, who used to be on staff here years ago, and whom I would readily admit is a very handsome young man, had great difficulty while he was single in the ministry. For many a beautiful young lady felt that God had revealed to them by an angel or dream or some other means that they had been chosen by God to be his helpmate. And it actually got to the place where it began to bug him after a while, he became shy and asked the girls, “Please don’t send any young girls over for counseling.” But God works on both ends, and they come in a tell how God had revealed that he was to marry them and all, and he would say, “Well, God hasn’t revealed that to me yet.” But God does work on both ends.

If God is guiding you to a particular project to go and to get someone to come and help you do something, you can be sure that God has already worked on the other end and is also speaking to them about going. God always works on both ends. And I would not venture out into any venture for God until God had first spoken to me. If someone should come up and say, “Well, God has revealed to me that you’re to resign Calvary and you’re to go to Cucamonga and start a fellowship out there and buy a grape vineyard,” I would say to them, “Well, I’ll wait upon the Lord to see if God speaks to my heart upon this issue.” I would not go upon what God has spoken to someone else. I would wait for God to speak to me and I encourage you to follow the same example.

If someone comes up and they’ve had a tremendous revelation, they saw colored lights in the sky, they went into a trance and the angel of the Lord appeared unto them and told them that they were to come unto you and tell you that you’re to sell everything you have and move to Hawaii. As much as that appeals to your flesh, you had better wait upon God to speak to your own heart about that, or your move to Hawaii could be disaster and you find yourself as Jonah, probably intercepted somewhere in between.

God works on both ends. So as God was speaking to Cornelius, He also was speaking to Peter there in Joppa. So we see now the other side of the coin and God working in Peter’s heart. Now it was on the next day and there’s a day’s difference here. So,

On the next day, as they were on their journey, and they were getting near to the city [of Joppa], Peter went up on the housetop to pray about the sixth hour ( Act 10:9 ):

So he was still following the Jewish pattern of prayer, which they prayed at the third hour at nine o’clock in morning, the sixth hour noon, and the ninth hour three o’clock in the afternoon, were the Jewish hours of prayer.

And so it was lunchtime, it was noon, and Peter had gone up on the rooftop to pray. And that sounds strange to us, but if you’ve ever been to Israel, that kind of a mystery would soon disappear, because the rooftops there in Israel are part of the living quarters of the family. And usually they have flat roofs and you’ll see little patios with gardens and potted plants and you’ll see them hanging their clothes out there on the rooftops. And it is just a standard part of the house. Because of the limited space, they don’t have yards and so their yards and play area are oftentimes the roof of the house. And so you call your kids, “Come down off the roof and eat your lunch!” And the kids jump off the roof or come on down and eat there. But it’s a part of the living quarters there. So it is not at all unusual that Peter would go up on the rooftops to pray. And because it was noon,

And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they were preparing his lunch, he fell into a trance ( Act 10:10 ),

Now I really don’t know much about trances. I’ve never had one. That is not to say that I am opposed. In fact, I would find probably going into a trance probably a very interesting experience. And if God wants to put me in a trance to reveal something to me, that’s all right. I’ll buy that. I want to be open to any way God wants to communicate to me. I would imagine that it would be sort of in a dream state.

Now I just about go into trances sometimes as I’m sitting listening to people talk and I’ve been up half of the night. And my eyes get glassy and I sort of drift off and you sort of come to. And I think that sort of in between that sleep and awake state is probably the trance state. And however it may be and whatever it may be, in this trance,

He saw the heavens open, and a certain vessel descending unto him, it was like a great sheet ( Act 10:11 )

And that word in the Greek is used for sails. Now he’s right there on the seashore, so he sees this great sheet or sail,

knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: and on it were all manner of fourfooted beasts ( Act 10:11-12 ),

Now according to the law, they could only eat the animal that chewed the cud or had a cloven hoof. But on this sheet there were all kinds of animals.

fourfooted beasts, and there were creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him and said, Rise, Peter, kill; and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean ( Act 10:12-14 ).

I would like to draw your attention to Peter’s response as being a perfectly inconsistent statement, but one that is very familiar to all of us, “Not so, Lord.” Impossible! That is total inconsistency. How can you say, “Not so, Lord”? If the Lord has asked you to do something, the only possible response is, “Yes, my Lord.” If He is indeed your Lord, how can you say, “Not so”? So Peter could have said, “Not so, buddy.” “Not so, friend.” But you can’t say, “Not so, Lord.” Completely inconsistent. God, free us from that inconsistency in our own speech. For so often we find ourselves arguing with God, and God is challenging us to do something. “Oh, Lord, I can’t do that. Oh Lord, not me. I don’t want to do that Lord.” And it puts me then in the driver’s seat. You see, I’m putting myself in the position of lord. So Peter’s inconsistency of speech, “Not so, Lord. I’ve never eaten anything that is not kosher. I’ve never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” Now in the mind of the Jew, the Gentile was both common and unclean.

And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God has cleansed, do not call common. This was done three times: and the vessel was received up again into heaven ( Act 10:15-16 ).

So this experience three times over, and I suppose Peter was inconsistent three times over, and then the vessel was taken back up into heaven. But the Lord was preparing Peter’s heart.

Now while Peter was wondering in his mind what this vision should mean, [What in the world is that all about? Those pigs on there; kill them and eat them. What can that mean?] behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and they were standing before the gate ( Act 10:17 ),

Now that’s all the further they could come. According to the Jewish customs, they would not dare to come in beyond the gate because that would make the house of Simon the tanner more unclean than it was already. Being a tanner, it was unclean, but it would be doubly unclean at that point. So they stood at the gate.

And they called, and asked ( Act 10:18 )

They were calling in. They wouldn’t come in; they just called through the gate and said, “Is there a Simon Peter around here?”

While Peter was wondering about the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, there are three men who are seeking you. Arise, and get down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am the man you are looking for: what is the cause for which you have come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, is a just man, and he is one who reverences God, he is of good report among all the nation of the Jews, and he was warned from God by an holy angel to send for you into his house, and to hear words from you. Then Peter invited them in. [The walls of tumbling. Peter is inviting these gentiles to come on into the house.] And on the next day Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And on the next day after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his family and close friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man ( Act 10:19-26 ).

Peter refused to receive the worship. He didn’t let him kiss his toe, but ordered the man to stand up because, “I also am a man.” It is interesting how that people seek to elevate the servant of God many times to a position of almost worship. This was something that the apostles had to guard against. Paul the apostle with Barnabas, when they were in Lystra, found the people coming down the street with the priest of Jupiter who was dragging an ox behind him. And he was going to sacrifice unto Paul because they were amazed of the healing of the lame man. Paul had to strip off his clothes and said, “Hey, I’m not a god; I’m a man. Don’t do this. Worship God.”

So Peter is refusing to receive worship from this man, honor, glory. All of the honor, all of the glory belongs to Jesus Christ. We make a mistake when we hold persons up in high esteem, and the Bible actually warns us about being a respecter of men’s persons. If someone comes into the assembly and is wearing a Rolex watch and diamond rings and all, you say, “Oh, come on down here to this nice seat, soft cushion, comfortable, where you get a good view.” Where someone comes in in Levi’s that are dirty, bare feet. You say, “Sit back there in the corner. Don’t get the carpet dirty. After all…”

And James says, “Look, you are showing respect unto persons just because the way the fellow is dressed.” He said that is not right, you should not do that. We are not to be respecters of men’s persons. We are to give honor and glory unto God and respect Him. So Peter refused to receive the worship of Cornelius, but he took him up and he said, “Stand up. For I myself am only a man.”

And when he talked with him, he went into the house ( Act 10:27 ),

Walls are still crumbling. Peter now goes into the house of a Gentile. He’s had the Gentiles in the house there in Joppa. Now he enters into the house of the Gentile.

and found many people that were come together ( Act 10:27 ).

Hungry hearts there in Caesarea. Now, here’s an interesting thing, and I don’t have the answer for it; I only have the puzzle. How God works. There was living in Caesarea at this time Philip the evangelist. Why didn’t God send Cornelius over to Philip’s house? Since Caesarea isn’t that big, he couldn’t have lived that far from Cornelius. Why would God have him send all the way down to Joppa to get Simon Peter? Probably because Philip was not a leader in the early church, but only a deacon. And had Philip gone to the house of Cornelius and God worked by His Holy Spirit in the lives of the people, they would have booted him out of the church immediately, and he wouldn’t have even had a hearing. At least they were ready to give Peter a hearing because of his position in the church.

They were upset when they heard that Peter went into the house of a Gentile. They really got shook back in Jerusalem, and when Peter got back, they called him on the carpet. They contended with him. “What are you doing? Taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Terrible.” So the Lord, no doubt, chose Peter because of his position of authority, leadership in the early church, and at least he was able to have a hearing before the brethren before they kicked him out.

And he said unto them, You know that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; [Now you know that what I am doing is illegal, according to the law of the Jews you know that what I’m doing is illegal,] but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I to you without gainsaying [without arguing], as soon as I was sent for: I ask for what purpose did you call me? And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and he said, Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your alms have been brought in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he comes, shall speak unto thee. Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded to you by God. Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons [man is, but God isn’t]: but in every nation he that reverences God, and works righteousness, is accepted with him ( Act 10:28-35 ).

That God does not limit His work to any nationality. What an eye-opener this was for Peter. What a difficult truth this was for the rest of the church to receive. That a man could be saved without becoming a Jew. They felt that a man had to become a Jew before he could be saved. And when there were many Gentiles who came to the Lord in Antioch and word came back to the church in Jerusalem concerning the Gentiles being saved, there were certain of those who came up from Jerusalem and they said to them, “Look, you guys can’t be saved until you are circumcised and you keep the law of Moses.” And they created quite a big stir there in Antioch with this premise.

So Peter said, “I realize that God is no respecter of persons, but He will accept any nationality who will fear Him or reverence Him and do the works of righteousness.”

The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)( Act 10:36 )

Now up until this point the centurion probably only knew of God through Judaism, and now he’s being introduced to the fuller revelation that God has fulfilled His promise and sent the Messiah and he is preaching peace unto all men through Jesus Christ. For He is the Lord of all.

That word, I say, you know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached ( Act 10:37 );

“Now you’ve heard of Jesus. You’ve all heard of Him.” You remember when Paul was facing Herod in Caesarea, he said, “Hey, Agrippa, you know all about this. This thing wasn’t done in a corner. You know about Jesus; you’ve heard about Him. He didn’t just go stand in a corner some place. Everybody knows about him.” So Peter recognizes that you’ve heard about Jesus Christ, the works He did beginning in Galilee.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God as with him ( Act 10:38 ).

So he is testifying now to the works of Jesus Christ.

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly ( Act 10:39-40 );

So again, the testimony of the resurrection by Peter. But He showed him,

Not all the people, but unto witnesses who were chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead ( Act 10:41 ).

So we remember that Jesus had the fish prepared by the seaside and He said, “Come and dine.” And He ate fish with them and He drank with them. So after His resurrection He was both eating and drinking with them.

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead ( Act 10:42 ).

Christ has been given by God that authority of standing in judgment of men. Now it is interesting that Jesus was judged by men. He was brought before Pilate and He was judged by Pilate. But there’s a paradox here. For Pilate said, “What shall I do with this man Jesus who was called Christ?” The crowd said, “Crucify Him!” He said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried all the louder, “Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify the king of the Jews?” “We have no king but Caesar.” So Pilate delivered Him over into their hands to do what they please. But he said to Jesus, “Don’t you realize I have power to release you, set you free, or to order You to the cross?” Jesus said, “You don’t have any power except that which has been given to you by my Father. But don’t worry about it, those that turn Me over to you have a greater guilt than you have.” And Pilate sought to release Him, and Pilate was frightened at that statement. But in reality, Pilate was judging himself.

Now every man must face the same question Pilate faced. What am I going to do with Jesus who is called Christ? You must make a judgment of what you’re going to do with Him. But in reality, the one being judged is you by the judgment that you make. You see, if you reject Him, then you are declaring your own judgment. You will be rejected of God. If you deny Him, then you’re declaring your own judgment because you will be denied by God. So every person really has to stand in judgment of Jesus, but the person who is affected by the decision that they make is really themselves. Everyone is determining their own destiny by how they judge Jesus Christ. God has made Him to be the judge both of those who are alive and those who are dead. And we read of this judgment in 2Co 5:1-21 , and Rev 20:1-15 .

To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins ( Act 10:43 ).

He declares that this is something that the prophets all spoke about, that God would grant the remission of sins through their believing in Jesus Christ. And, of course, we can go back in the Old Testament and we can find these hundreds of prophecies that related to Jesus Christ. And the central message of the prophets is that God would send His Son. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” ( Isa 9:6 ). But that His Son would be despised and rejected of men, but all of our sins would be laid upon Him. Those who believe in Him shall be saved. So Peter refers to the prophecies.

While Peter was saying these things [while he was preaching his sermon] the Holy Spirit interrupted him and he fell on all of those who heard the word ( Act 10:44 ).

Now Peter didn’t coach them and say to them, “Now say, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba.” He didn’t coach them how to speak in tongues, it just happened simultaneously to all of them through the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit.

I am a little leery about these sessions when a person is coached and taught how to speak in an unknown tongue. I believe in that sovereign work of God’s Holy Spirit. Some instruction is needed and necessary, but yet, the work that is to be wrought should be wrought by the Spirit of God.

Now you remember some came down with Peter from Joppa. In fact, there were six that came with Peter; Peter made the seventh.

And they that were of the circumcision who believed [that is the Jews that had come with Peter who were believers] they were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost ( Act 10:45 ).

How can this be that God would put His Holy Spirit upon an unclean Gentile? They were astonished at the sovereign work of God that the Gentiles had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. How did they know?

For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God ( Act 10:46 ).

Now that’s exactly what was happening back in the second chapter of Acts when the Holy Spirit fell upon the church. In the beginning they were speaking in these other dialects, magnifying God, declaring the glorious works of God. The same thing is happening here. The people are speaking in unknown tongues, magnifying God.

Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? ( Act 10:46-47 )

Now up until this time, they would not baptize any Gentile into the church. But Peter says, “Hey, what can we do? God’s given the Holy Spirit. We might as well go ahead and baptize them.”

And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry for a few days ( Act 10:48 ).

“

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

Act 10:1. , a man) Heretofore all the facts described took place among the circumcised: now we come also to the Gentiles.- , at Csarea) Already the doctrine of salvation was not unknown there: ch. Act 8:40. Comp. below, Act 10:37. For which reason Peter quotes the prophets, Act 10:43. Jerusalem was at that time the seat of the ecclesiastical government of the Jews: Csarea, of the civil government. The Gospel, preached as it was by those divinely taught, though unlearned men, took hold of each metropolis, which was followed by the other towns: it was so afterwards in the case of Philippi, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome itself.-, Cornelius) A frequent name among the Romans.-, the Italian) A considerable portion of these soldiers were alive at the time when these things were written; and they could bear witness of their truth. , the foot-soldiers of the Italian Band, are mentioned also by Arrian, as C. G. Schwarzius observes in his dissertation on the Italian and Augustan cohort or band, p. 42.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Act 10:1-16

PETERS VISION

Act 10:1-16

1 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea,-Caesarea at this time was the most prominent city in Palestine, and was virtually the capital; it was built by Herod the Great as a seaport, which he had founded on the ruins of Samaria; it was named Caesarea after Caesar Augustus. Cornelius is a Roman name, and this certain man may have been a descendant of the great Cornelian family of Rome; however, there were many Romans bearing this name. He was a centurion, which means that he was a leader of a hundred soldiers; centurion comes from the Latin centurio, and means one hundred. Of the band called the Italian band, means that the soldiers that made or composed this band or cohort were from Italy; the Italian cohorts were sent to any part of the empire where they were needed. It is possible that the soldiers of this cohort could have been Roman citizens who lived in Caesarea.

2 A devout man who feared God—Cornelius is described as being devout, one that feared God with all his house, one who gave much alms to the people, and one who prayed to God always. It seems that he worshiped God with all earnestness and devotion, and taught his house to do the same; he was liberal in that the Jewish people among whom he was stationed needed help and he gave of his means to help them; he continued praying to God and seemed to be anxious for greater knowledge of Gods way. However, this good man, Cornelius, was an unsaved man; he was unconverted.

3 He saw in a vision openly,-Cornelius was not in a trance, but was engaged in prayer when an angel appeared to him. He was not in a dream, but saw in a vision the angel. The Greek oramati means something seen; it is not the same word as used for Peters trance in verse 10. The Jews had three regular hours of prayer; the hour when the evening sacrifice was offered in the temple was the hour also of prayer, and this was the time when Cornelius was praying. It was supposed to be about three oclock in the afternoon. Cornelius did not call the messenger an angel, but the men sent to Peter spoke of an angel.

4 And he, fastening his eyes upon him,-Cornelius looked steadfastly at the angel, and became frightened and exclaimed: What is it, Lord? It seems that Cornelius recognized the angel of God as a messenger from God; hence, he addressed the angel as Lord. Such a messenger coming so unexpectedly frightened Cornelius. The angel responded and told Cornelius that his prayers and his alms had gone up for a memorial before God. Memorial means a remembrance; it comes from the Greek mnemosuon, and is used only one other time in the New Testament by Jesus concerning the act of Mary of Bethany. (Mat 26:13; Mar 14:9.) The prayers of Cornelius had ascended like incense and were remembered by God; he had faith to pray to God that God would in some way answer his prayer.

5-6 And now send men to Joppa,-The angel gives Cornelius definite instruction as to what he should do; Peter was at Joppa, and the angel instructs Cornelius to send men to Joppa and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter. The information that Cornelius is to receive must come through human agency. Note the several particulars mentioned by the angel; men are to go to Joppa; they are to bring a man by the name of Simon; this Simon was called Peter; he lodged with another Simon who was a tanner; Simon the tanner lived by the sea side. The Jewish name, Simon, is mentioned, and then the name Peter, which describes minutely the preacher for whom he should send. Next the city where he was sojourning, and the name and occupation of the man with whom Peter was dwelling; then the exact location of the house is given. With these minute and accurate directions the messengers of Cornelius could find Peter without any delay. Philip the evangelist was probably in Caesarea. (Act 8:40.) Why was not Philip called ? We are not told; however, Peter had the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mat 16:19), and he is to give by the Holy Spirit the conditions of salvation to the Gentiles; Peter is to open the door to the Gentiles.

7-8 And when the angel that spake unto him-So soon as the angel had finished his message to Cornelius, preparation began to be made to carry out in detail all that had been commanded. Cornelius selected two of his household-servants, and a devout soldier and dispatched them immediately. The angel departed, apparently as a man would walk away; it is not said that he vanished as Jesus did after his resurrection. (Luk 24:31.) Cornelius promptly selected men whom he could trust-two of his household servants and a devout soldier. Probably the two servants were to bear the message to Peter and the soldier was to act as guard for them. It seems that they started that evening, and would be able to arrive at Joppa, thirty miles away, the next day soon after midday. Cornelius rehearsed all things to these men before he dispatched them to Joppa. It seems that Cornelius put great faith in the message of the angels, and also equal faith in these three men whom he sent for Peter; he recited to them his vision and conversation with the angel; they reverently listened to him and hastened to obey his orders.

9 Now on the morrow, as they were on their journey,-The roofs of the houses in that country were built flat, and there was a stairway on the outside that led to the roof. The roof of the house was the place where worship and conversation were usually had. Samuel chose this place for his conference with Saul before he anointed him king. (1Sa 9:25-26.) The housetop was used for religious purposes also. (Jer 19:13; Zep 1:5.) We see from verses 23 and 24 that the journey from Joppa to Caesarea occupied more than one day, so that the vision of Cornelius took place on the day before the trance of Peter, and the messengers had time almost to accomplish their journey before Peter was prepared to receive them; the distance between Caesarea and Joppa was thirty Roman miles. Peter had gone upon the housetop to pray; it was about the sixth hour, or about noon. The Jews had three periods in the day for prayer-third hour or nine oclock, sixth hour or noon, and the ninth hour or three. oclock in the afternoon.

10 and he became hungry,-Hungry comes from the Greek prospeinos, and means very hungry; that is, exceedingly hungry. His appetite for food was very strong; he desired to eat. His hunger and longing for food was so strong that it was beyond his control; it was about noon and they were making ready the noon meal in Simon the tanners house. While in this extremely hungry condition, he fell into a trance. Trance here comes from the Greek ekstasis, which means that an ectasy came upon him, in which trance he passed out of himself and from which one came to himself. (Act 11:5 Act 12:11 Act 22:17.) A trance is dif-ferent from a vision. In a trance the bodily senses are dormant or inactive, while in a vision the bodily senses are active and awake. Peter had a mental vision, but not a dream, for the trance differs from the dream.

11-12 and he beholdeth the heaven opened,-In this trance Peter saw as it were a certain vessel descending like a great sheet, which was let down through the opened heaven by four corners to the earth. What Peter saw was an extended sheet, the four corners of which were held up, as it were, by cords let down from the four extremities of the opened sky. Enclosed as it were in this great sheet were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven. The classification here included sheep, oxen, swine, and all other fourfooted beasts and creeping things of all kinds and all kinds of birds; there was a mixture of both clean and unclean animals. The vision represented the whole animal creation, yet fish are not mentioned; perhaps fish are not mentioned because the sheet had no water, though they were clean and unclean. (Lev 11:9; Deu 14:9.) It will be noted that there are three groups named: fourfooted beasts, creeping things, and birds; these three great groups were in the sheet, and all kinds of each group. Wild beasts is omitted in the best texts.

13 And there came a voice to him,-As Peter was hungry before he fell into the trance, here is presented the means of satisfying his hunger, and by the command in which he is directed to kill without distinction among all that he sees, this would indicate that the law of Moses concerning the choice among living creatures, or the distinction between clean and unclean animals, had been abrogated. Peter was told to rise; that is, from his knees in prayer, or his reclining posture. The animals were clean and unclean, but the clean animals had become unclean by contact with the unclean, and Peter is told by a voice from heaven to break the Mosaic law, and in his eating do away with the distinction between Jew and Gentile.

14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord;-Peter refused to ease his hunger by violating the law by which he had been governed as a Jew; he had never eaten anything that is common and unclean. This was one of the distinctions which separated the Jews from the Gentiles; but Peter is to learn that there is a better, truer distinction between Gods people than that of choosing diferent kinds of animals for food. Peter showed his usual abrupt determination by the answer that he gave; he is polite but firm in his refusal; he gives his reason for his firm decision. He had never violated this law and he firmly declares that he will not do so now.

15-16 And a voice came unto him again the second time,-After Peters clear and emphatic refusal, the voice stated, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common. The lesson for Peter was clear; he should not make common that which God had cleansed. And this was done thrice. Does this mean that the whole vision was repeated three times, or that the voice gave the command three times? Some claim that the whole scene was repeated three times; but many others understand that the voice came three times to emphasize the one lesson: Peter was not to call the Gentiles common or unclean when God had arranged to give to them the blessings of salvation through Christ. It seems that the vessel was let down from heaven only once, and then taken back up into heaven. Peter was to learn that all nations might be admitted to the kingdom of God upon the same terms of the gospel.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

The story of Cornelius is remarkable. In himself, as Luke tells us, he was “a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.” This man received a direct communication in an open vision.

While God was thus drawing Cornelius toward the Evangel, He was preparing the messenger to declare that Evangel. Peter was astonished, and made his astonishment known, but yielded ready obedience to the prompting of the Spirit, and came to the house of Cornelius.

His discourse there opened with a declaration of a new perception of things which had come to him, a perception breaking down his prejudices and broadening his outlook. In dealing with Cornelius he recognized that the preaching which he and the rest had already heard, the proclamation concerning the Lordship of Jesus according to the herald John, was not enough, and he proceeded to testify to the great facts of the Evangel. The result was that a company of new believers were baptized by the Holy Spirit. After this, and as a sign of the essential baptism, they were baptized with water.

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

Guidance for Men Who Pray

Act 10:1-16

At this point the Church took a new departure, and the gospel broke over the walls of Jewish exclusiveness and was preached for the first time to pure-blooded Gentiles. Caesarea, built by the great Herod, was practically a Roman city, and the official seat of the Roman government in Judea. Cornelius was an officer of high rank, and it would seem naturally of noble character. He had no sympathy with the religious fables and sensuous indulgence of his time, and was attracted to the Jewish faith, which stood alone in the world for pure and undefiled conceptions of God. He adopted some of its characteristic features-its hours of prayer, its practice of fasting, and its almsgiving.

He had apparently set apart the whole of this memorable day for earnest inquiry as to the way of salvation, and as the sun was declining an angel brought the necessary indication of the steps that he should take. In the meanwhile God was about to prepare Peter to bring Cornelius into the perfect light. On the following day, as the messengers of Cornelius were nearing Joppa, the vision of a redeemed world from which Hebrew restrictions had vanished, opened to the Apostle a new and wider conception of Gods purpose.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

We turn now to one of the great crisis chapters in the book of the Acts, which deals with the conversion of the first Gentiles. We have been following the ministry of Peter and the other apostles in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. But our Lord had commissioned them to go to the uttermost parts of the earth. On a number of different occasions before He left them to go back to Heaven, he laid out His program for world evangelization. Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, was part of His commission (Mar 16:15). Again He commanded them: Go ye therefore, and [disciple] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Mat 28:19-20). Lastly He bade them begin at Jerusalem, then go to Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth (Act 1:8).

The amazing thing is that not only months, but years went by, before they carried out the last part of the program. So slowly may good men, even godly men, apprehend Gods plans and act in accordance with them. We do not read of any apostles going to the Gentiles with the gospel message until one of the Gentiles actually sent for Peter and asked him to come. That is the way God came in and rebuked the dilatory methods of these dear servants of His. Somebody might say, The apostles were slow to understand His program. There can be no question of it. In Galatians we find years afterward that the apostle Peter had to be withstood at Antioch because of his attitude toward Gentile Christians. The apostles were not infallible. Some say Peter was the first pope, but he himself made no such claim. He was a man of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ; but a man of like passions as ourselves, and was subject to the same mistakes and blunders. God had to reach out beyond Jewish limits, stirring the heart of a Roman soldier to get Peter to go to the Gentiles with the gospel.

Corneliuss Vision (Act 10:1-8)

In these verses Cornelius is introduced to us and we learn something of his spiritual condition and the command given to him. He was captain of a Roman cohort of a hundred men and was stationed in the city of Caesarea, not far from Joppa. He is described as a devout man, God fearing, and we are told all his family shared with him this fear of God. Many people have, I think, mistaken Cornelius condition. There can be no question that he was already a regenerated man; that is, born again, Of all unsaved men we read, There is none that seeketh after God (Rom 3:11).

Although Cornelius had turned to God, he was not a proselyte to Israel. Had he actually become a proselyte to Israel, he would have been recognized as on the same ground as a Jew, but Peter spoke of him as one in whose house it was not lawful for a Jew to eat bread. So Cornelius was a pure Gentile, standing outside of the Jewish circle. But he had doubtless been influenced by what he had heard and seen in the testimony of his Jewish neighbors and had given up the idolatry of his fathers. That he had turned to God in repentance was very evident; he was born again.

More than this, we are told a little farther on that an angel of God appeared to him in a vision and said, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. That is significant in illustrating this mans spiritual condition. In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews we read that without faith we cannot please God; therefore if this man pleased God and God accepted his prayers and almsgiving, it is evident he had already turned to Him. What was lacking? He was like other people who turned to God before Jesus came. He did not have the light and knowledge that came through Gods Son. He knew God as Creator and prayed to Him; the new nature manifested itself in his almsgiving. But he had no assurance of salvation, and he could not have it until he received definite word from God, for assurance comes by the Word of God. So the angel said, Send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side. The angel of God knew exactly where Peter lived. It is a good thing God knows where we are living. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And.. .sent them to Joppa.

Peters Preparation (Act 10:9-18)

Before the servants of Cornelius reached the apostle, God had to break down his prejudices in order that he might be ready to go into a Gentile home to proclaim the gospel message. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew night unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. The flat roof of a house in the Middle East forms a good place where one may retire in order to be alone for quiet and meditation. Peter prayed so long he became hungry. In that condition he fell into a trance and saw a most remarkable vision: Hesaw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners [by sheet is meant what we might call a vast tarpaulin of some kind], and let down to the earth. It was a picture of the heavenly calling.

It was Gods way of showing Peter that He was going to give to all men the opportunity to enter into one blessed fellowship, to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. But in this sheet Peter saw all types of animals including four-footed domestic beasts, wild beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the air. The domestic animals would even include the ceremonially unclean hog. And creeping things, according to the Old Testament, were considered unclean. After hungry Peter looked on this heterogeneous collection of beasts and birds and creeping things, he heared a voice say, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

Peter, though a Christian, was still very punctilious as to clean and unclean food and he rebelled, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. Notice the contradiction implied in that expression, Not so, Lord. In one breath Peter acknowledged Him as Lord and in the same breath he refused to do as he was commanded. I wonder if some of us are like this. We know what His will is for our lives, we confess Him with our lips as Lord; but we draw back from full obedience and say, Not so, Lord. What a strange, incongruous thing this is! If He is not Lord of all. He is not Lord at all! And if He is Lord, it is not for us to say, Not so, but to give him wholehearted obedience. Peter thought he was being obedient to the express word of God, which in the old covenant forbad the eating of unclean animals. He did not yet realize he had passed completely out of one dispensation into another.

Our Lord Jesus Christ had said, Whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats (Mar 7:18-19). By this He did away with the ceremonial distinctions as to clean and unclean meats. So God answered Peter, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common [or unclean]. And in order that this might be impressed on his mind, the same vision was given to him three times and then the vessel with its strange company of beasts was received up into Heaven.

What a remarkable picture! It illustrates how God can now receive in grace all kinds of men and women. I have heard my mother tell that when my own dear father was dying, this passage was running through his mind and he kept repeating, A great sheet and wild beasts, and-and-and He could not seem to remember the next word but went back and started over, and once more came to that same place. A friend bent over and whispered, John, it says, creeping things. Oh, yes, he said, that is how I got in. Just a poor good-for-nothing creeping thing, but I got in-saved by grace. No matter how low, vile or utterly useless and corrupt or unclean, the soul that trusts Jesus is in the sheet let down from Heaven and will have a place in glory by and by.

Peter meditated on this vision. God had to give him a special revelation to prepare him for his ministry to the Gentiles. He had to show him there is no longer any difference between Jew and Gentile. All stand on common ground before God; all have to be saved by grace. While Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simons house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was sur-named Peter, were lodged there.

Peters Journey (Act 10:19-33)

After the three men approached Peter with their request he did a most unprecedented thing for a Jew: he invited them in and gave them lodging. The day before he received the vision he might have thought these Gentile strangers utterly unfit to associate with. It is delightful to see the confidence with which he went on to carry out the Lords command and give the gospel message to a Gentile family.

When he reached the house of Cornelius a whole company of Gentiles eagerly waited to hear his message. Peter and the few Hebrew Christian friends who accompanied him were the first to proclaim the gospel to a strictly Gentile audience. As Peter came in, we get an idea of the spirit of Cornelius when we see this devout Roman soldier bowing down at the apostles feet. Think of it: A Gentile centurion, a Roman soldier, bowing down reverently before a Jew who had once been just a poor fisherman! It shows how grace was working in Cornelius. Peter reached out to him and said, Stand up; I myself also am a man. He meant, I have no right to such reverence as this. Do not put me in a place that does not belong to me. Would that those who profess to be his successors acted in the same way!

And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Peters faith had laid hold of the import of the vision and he was ready, with confidence, to give the gospel to these Gentiles. What a delightful state of affairs, to find a whole company waiting eagerly for the Word! It was not necessary to advertise a meeting to be held in the house of Cornelius; everybody was there ahead of time, waiting for the preacher.

Peters Sermon (Act 10:34-43)

I think it was easy for the preacher to preach that day with such an enthusiastic audience before him. Then Peter opened his mouth. I like that. If any young preachers are reading this, let me caution you-Dont mumble! Open your mouth and give out the Word so people can hear.

Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. He had learned his lesson. He had learned that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call on Him, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. That is, wherever a man is found, in all the world, who turns in repentance to God and takes the place of a lost sinner and trusts God for deliverance, He will make Himself responsible to give that man light enough to be saved.

Peter was the one sent to convey the message to Cornelius, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. That epitomizes the message of the gospel. Into a world torn by the effects of sin, trouble, distress, bloody warfare, grief, pain, sorrow, and death, God sends His messengers, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. When we trust that blessed Savior, we have peace with God; and when we learn to bring our daily troubles to Him, the peace of God keeps our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. This is the message the world needs today-peace through Jesus Christ.

That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good (italics added). These last five words epitomize the life of Jesus. He has left us an example that we should follow in His steps. Let us never be content with a mere intellectual faith or the thought that we belong to this or that church, but be sure that ours is the faith which worketh by love. Let us too go about doing good.

And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree. The Jews did not understand their actions and He Himself prayed for them, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Let me say a word here. Because the Jewish people long ago had part in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, do be careful not to entertain the unworthy thought that we Gentiles have a right to blame them. The Lord prayed for them, for their forgiveness. The Gentiles were as guilty as the Jews. He prayed for them too. We need to remember that through Christ being immolated as the great sin offering, God is able to proclaim peace to all men everywhere who will trust in Him. God raised Him from the dead and that was Gods token of His satisfaction in the work His Son had accomplished, for Jesus was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.

Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead (Act 10:40-42).

Let us never forget that unless we know Christ here as Savior, someday we shall have to face Him as Judge.

Peter then came to the very climax of his message in one wonderful verse: To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. The word was so clear, the gospel was so plain, and it was all so simple, that Cornelius and his household understood what they heard.

The Effect of the Sermon (Act 10:44-48)

Peter preached the word and, while he was preaching, Cornelius and all his household received the message in faith. Peter did not have to urge and plead and entreat. He preached the word and the whole congregation broke down. God, who reads the heart, saw that every one of them received and believed the message that Christ had died for them, and their sins were remitted. God set His seal on them by giving the same Pentecostal blessing that He had given at Jerusalem to His own blessed disciples. We are even told that they spoke in tongues. This is the second occasion when this strange gift was given, so far as the record goes, though the same things may have occurred in Samaria. We are not told they spoke there in tongues, but they may have done so.

Peter, when he saw the evident blessing of the Lord, turned to the little company of Hebrew Christians who had come down with him from Joppa and he said, as it were, What shall we do about it? God had received them and given evidence that all were forgiven. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? I have heard people say sometimes that if you are baptized with the Holy Ghost you do not need to be baptized in water. It is not a question of what you need-it is a question of what God has commanded. So Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name, or by the authority, of the Lord Jesus.

They were so radiantly happy now that they asked him to stay with them for a while. I can just imagine what a delightful time they all had together as day after day people gathered around Peter and he opened up the Word. He told them more about Gods wonderful grace and led them into the marvelous truths of the gospel. Yet all the time in the back of Peters mind was the burning question-How am I ever going to square myself with the home assembly? How will I ever tell them? As we consider the next chapter we will see Peters presentation of the case to the brethren at Jerusalem.

Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

Act 10:14-15

The Comprehensiveness of the Gospel.

I. The gospel is here compared to a great sheet,- a clear hint as to the cosmopolitan character of Christianity. It is noteworthy that Christianity as let down from heaven is larger than Christianity as represented in human creeds.

II. The gospel is compared to a great sheet let down from heaven. This idea is emphatically Divine. (1) You will not find it in heathenism; (2) you will not find it in Judaism.

III. The gospel is compared to a great sheet let down from heaven and knit at the four corners. What the precise meaning of this phrase is we cannot positively tell; it would, therefore, be wrong of us to try to make it prove anything. But commentators see here an intimation that the gospel is to extend its frontiers, and to exert its influence over the four quarters of the globe.

IV. Peter is here taught that the distinction between clean and unclean is abolished.

V. After the vision came the interpretation. God always explains His supernatural revelations by natural events. Providence is the best commentary on the Bible. Just when God was stirring large thoughts in Peter respecting the universality of the gospel, He was also working silently, but effectually, with Cornelius to send a messenger to the Apostle desiring a fuller knowledge of salvation at his hands.

J. C. Jones, Studies in the Acts, p. 240.

Act 10:15

The Transition from the Old to the New.

I. The questions raised by this narrative are not met by the simple consideration of the narrow prejudice and even bigotry of the apostle of the circumcision, and the liberal teachings of the vision which inaugurated a new era in the heart of the apostle, and through him in the world. From our Christian standpoint the views were narrow-narrow as the discipline of school is to the student, narrow as the discipline of the student seems to the man. But whatever they might be, they were God’s handiwork; and that is a matter much overlooked in the judgment of a boastfully liberal age like this. God knew how much zeal for God was at the bottom of the “not so” of His sturdy servant, and dealt gently with prejudices which hitherto had been a shield to all that was most precious to Peter’s heart. Consider the exclusions of the Mosaic law. Read Lev 11:2-20 and Deu 14:3-21. Let us, while we see how much prejudices like Peter’s, blindly nursed, would stand in the way of progress, recognise how much good there was in his steady determination to cleave to that which, for the present, had strong evidence of being Divine.

II. In the early stages of human culture nothing is strong enough to curb man’s desires on the one hand, and to stimulate the exercise of the faculties of discernment and election on the other, but the solemn power of religion. And God began from the beginning with the Jews, and made the simplest matters of right or prudence matters of religion from the very first. They were to eat every morsel, frequent every place, and fulfil every function of personal or social life, “because He, the Lord their God, the holy God,” would have it so.

III. The progress of society has tended to release men from these bands of religious law, and to bring all that concerns man’s welfare and culture under the influence of the special faculties which have charge of the separate departments of his life. The progress of Christianity tends to place all man’s acts or habits under the rule of his natural faculties, given to him for this very end, and to make the right use of those faculties the most sacred duty of his life before God. First law, then liberty, in order to the discovery of the diviner law, “the perfect law of liberty,” wherein to continue is to be blessed.

J. Baldwin Brown, Christian World Pulpit, May 12th, 1875.

References: Act 10:15.-J. Baldwin Brown, Christian World Pulpit, vol. vii., p. 296; C. Morris, Preacher’s Lantern, vol. iii., p. 440.

Act 10:19

Visions and Tasks.

I. The power of man to stand between abstract truth upon the one side and the concrete facts of life upon the other, comes from the co-existence in his human nature of two different powers, without the possession of both of which no man possesses a complete humanity. One of these powers is the power of knowing, and the other is the power of loving. The more perfectly these two constituents of human nature meet the more absolutely they are proportioned to each other, and the more completely they are blended so much the more ready will the human nature be for the fulfilment of every function of humanity. And as one of the loftiest functions of humanity is to stand between the absolute truth and the world’s needs, and to transmit the one in such a way that it can really reach and help the other, then it will also follow that the more perfectly the knowing faculty and the loving faculty meet in any man the more that man’s life will become a transmitter and interpreter of truth to other men.

II. Every truth which it is possible for man to know it is good for him to know with reference to his brother men. Only in that way is the truth which he knows kept at its loftiest and purest. This is the daily meaning which I want to find in the picture of Peter seeing his vision on the house-top and the three men knocking in the street below. Cast off your sins, not for yourself, but for some soul which possibly may learn from you what it could not learn in any other way, how good and strong and forgiving is the sinner’s God. It is a terrible thing to have seen the vision, and to be so wrapped up in its contemplation as not to hear the knock of needy hands upon our doors. But there is no greater happiness in all the world than for a man to love Christ for the mercy Christ has shown his soul, and then to open his whole heart outward, and help to save his brethren’s souls with the same salvation in which he rejoices for himself. May none of us go through life so poor as never to have known that happiness.

Phillips Brooks, Twenty Sermons, p. 1.

References: Act 10:19.-Phillips Brooks, Twenty Sermons, p. 1. Act 10:28.-Homilist, vol. vi., p. 261. Act 10:29.-Parker, Cavendish Pulpit, vol. i., p. 3. Act 10:33.-Homiletic Quarterly, vol. iii., p. 104; Parker, The Ark of God, p. 192; C. J. Vaughan, Church of the First Days, vol. ii., p. 78.

Act 10:34

I. The warning contained in the text is not unnecessary. For though few or none, I suppose, consciously hold in the grossest sense that God is a respecter of persons, yet in all things, from supposed religious enlightenment down to the smallest advantages of personal gifts or outward circumstances, we see men under temptation to act as if they thought so. In other words, we see them accepting privileges of all kinds with a certain complacency which betrays no sense of a correspondingly enhanced responsibility. If we recognise this, the commemoration of Christian verities which we make on Trinity Sunday ought to be much more than a technical exposition of beliefs. It can hardly be less than a call to a higher morality. What we want, as Frederick Robertson truly says, is a gospel for the guilty. And this is what assuredly comes to believers in the revelation of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

II. Let us remember that even when we seem to be using our gifts profitably, we may be using them in a spirit of blindness and presumption before God, as unlovely as that of those who more openly misuse them. High intellectual culture, good as it is and stimulating, often carries with it an element of moral weakness in developing a man’s acuteness out of all proportion to his training in judgment and moral strength. It has a tendency, especially in early life, to lead to a very false estimate of qualities so common as mere cleverness, or even cleverness combined with learning, to overrate them as possessions, and as keys to unlock what is really deepest in human life,-to make a man overlook the fact that others whom he perhaps despises for their beliefs, are able to rest in them, not because they are less acute than their critics, but because they are of a more earnest mood and a finer spirit. May God keep us all from yielding to the temptations to which our several temperaments or circumstances may most naturally incline us-from idleness and selfish indulgence-from coldness and vanity-that none of these things may ever blind us to our true position and duty as in the sight of the great Judge who is no respecter of persons.

D. Hornby, Oxford Review and Journal, May 24th, 1883.

Act 10:34

This statement cannot mean (1) that God cares for no man; (2) that God treats all men alike; (3) that God exercises no sovereignty of choice in the communication of His grace to men. If the text does not mean these things, what does it mean?

I. First, that Jehovah is not God of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also.

II. Next, the God of the whole earth had regard to all nations in the gift of His Son. He excluded or excepted no people, or nation, or kindred-no section, or class, or family of the human race, in the provision that He made in the gift and sacrifice and resurrection of Christ for human salvation.

III. Again, the gospel of that salvation is to be preached in the power of the Spirit unto all nations. There is no difference in the need that all nations have of that gospel. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. As the old world needed it, so also does this modern world; as the Eastern world, so the Western world,-all round, the world wants this salvation, and God, who is no respecter of persons, would have His Church more impartial than she has been hitherto in making known to all the world the gospel of His grace.

IV. In His present providential government, God’s thoughts and ways are not partial and unjust. The exterior aspect of things is so much to us, while it is nothing at all to Him. It is only in so far as we have the mind of God that we penetrate the superficial skin of things and are able to judge righteously.

V. In the great day of the judgment of men, God will render to every man according to his works. Every work or fact of a man’s life will be estimated in the full light of all the surrounding circumstances,-the temptations if it were evil, and the inducements if it were good, and with God’s unerring knowledge of the spirit in which it was done, and the real motives from which it proceeded. And when things are thus laid bare in God’s light, shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

D. Fraser, Penny Pulpit, No. 426.

References: Act 10:34.-J. Pulsford, Three Hundred Outlines on the New Testament, p. 113; G. Brooks, Five Hundred Outlines, p. 329; Homilist, vol. vi., p. 406. Act 10:34, Act 10:35.-T. T. Munger, The Freedom of Faith, p. 47. Parker, Cavendish Pulpit, vol. i., p. 75; M. Nicholson, Communion with Heaven, p. 339. Act 10:35.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. ix., p. 44. Act 10:36.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xvi., No. 952; Christian World Pulpit, vol. v., p. 73; G. T. Coster, Ibid., vol. xvi., p. 189. Act 10:38.-Ibid., vol. xi., No. 655; vol. xvi., No. 929; Bishop Ryle, Contemporary Pulpit, vol. i., p. 294; Christian World Pulpit, vol. vi., p. 127; Church of England Pulpit, vol. xvii., p. 277; G. Litting, Thirty Children’s Sermons, p. 90.

Act 10:42

Christ the Judge.

Both by natural right, and by a special claim acquired and superinduced on that, the Son of God is Judge of mankind; the natural right putting-as Creator-all things into His hand, and man among these, as their final Arranger and Disposer; the acquired claim giving an especial fitness to His being Judge of men, inasmuch as they are His own peculiar possession, and the family of which He is the undoubted and manifested Head. But there are some subordinate and lesser reasons why He and no other should be the Judge of mankind.

I. He unites in Himself those proprieties for the high office which none other could. The judgment will be for the deeds done in the body, and will not take place till the dead are again united to their bodies. By God’s eternal laws of self-manifestation to His creatures, none other than the incarnate Son of God can be the Judge of mankind; can stand visible and audible on this earth of ours, exercising over us all a right of disposal, inherent in Him, because He is our Creator; purchased and assured to Him, because He is our Redeemer.

II. It would be requisite for the final assurance of God’s people and conviction of God’s enemies, that one should be the chief agent who might cause the greatest possible joy to the one and the greatest possible remorse and dismay to the other. For remember, that judgment will be set to redress the wrongs of the whole lifetime of the world.

III. The day and hour of the final judgment are hidden in the counsels of the Father. We have Christ’s own word for two things respecting it, the one of which we may well set against the other as a corrective, and both of which form solemn incentives to watchfulness. The first is, that when that day is near there will be plain and undeniable signs of its approach; as plain to those who are watching for them as the budding of the trees is a token that summer is nigh. The other is, that when the day actually does come, it will be sudden and unexpected, as a thief breaking into the house at dead of night. In other words, the Church will, on the one hand, not be left uninformed of the signs of her Lord’s near approach; and on the other, she will not lay these signs so deeply to heart as to be thoroughly awakened and on the look out for Him.

H. Alford, Quebec Chapel Sermons, vol. vi., p. 53.

References: Act 11:1-18.-Homiletic Magazine, vol. ix., p. 239. Act 11:8.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. vi., p. 53.

Fuente: The Sermon Bible

CHAPTER 10

1. Cornelius of Caesarea and his Preparation (Act 10:1-8).

2. The Trance-vision of Peter (Act 10:9-16).

3. Peter with Cornelius at Caesarea (Act 10:17-33).

4. Peter Preaching to the Gentiles (Act 10:34-43).

5. The Interrupted Message (Act 10:44-48).

The ending of the preceding chapter tells us that Peter tarried in Joppa in the house of Simon the tanner. Was he breaking with his Jewish law and customs? Tanning as a trade was considered unclean by the Jews.

In Eph 2:11-18 we read of the Grace of God to the Gentiles. Up to this time in the Book of Acts we have seen nothing of this gracious purpose, the blessed result of the finished work of Christ on the cross. Jerusalem heard the Gospel first. Once more the good news of the Kingdom was preached with a full offer of forgiveness to the Jews. God was willing to blot out their transgressions and to make good all He had promised to the nation. Many signs and miracles had been done in Jerusalem in demonstration of the resurrection from the dead of the Prince of Life, whom they had crucified. We have seen how the seventh chapter in this book marks the close of that special offer to Jerusalem. Immediately after the death of Stephen, the Gospel was carried into Judea and Samaria. In Samaria a people heard and accepted the glad tidings. They were a mixed race and practiced circumcision and obeyed parts of the law. In the ninth chapter the conversion of Paul is recorded and the Lord makes known that the persecutor of the church is to be the chosen vessel to bear His name before the Gentiles. Paul, however, was not chosen to open first the door to the Gentiles as such, but Peter, the Apostle of the circumcision. A new work is given him to do, which was indeed a strange work for a Jew. He was to go to the Gentiles, whom the Jews considered unclean. It was unlawful for a Jew to join himself to any Gentile; an insurmountable barrier divided them. For this reason the Jews considered the Gentiles as unclean, common, spoke of them as dogs, and had no intercourse with them. It is of interest to notice that Peter tarried in Joppa; from this old city he is to be sent forth to preach the Gospel to Cornelius and his household. Centuries ago another Jew had come to Joppa with a solemn message from his God, which he was commissioned to bear far hence to the Gentiles. Jonah, the prophet, took a ship from Joppa and refused obedience to the divine call.

But here is one who is obedient to the heavenly vision and who is to bring a higher message to the Gentiles, the good news of a free and full salvation. That Peter, the Apostle of the circumcision, was chosen for this great errand, was all important hint that the middle wall of partition had been broken down and that believing Jews and Gentiles were to form one new man.

Cornelius belonged to that class of Gentiles who, illumined by the Holy Spirit, had turned to God from idols, to serve the true and the living God. He was therefore a converted man, for God acknowledged him as such. Of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and the blessed assurance of that salvation he knew nothing. His prayers had been heard. The angel who appeared gave Cornelius the full directions where Peter was to be found. While the messengers were hastening to Joppa, Peter had his vision.

And what is the meaning of the vision? The vessel is the type of the church. The four corners represent the four corners of the earth. The clean animals it contained, the Jews; the unclean, the Gentiles. But all in that vessel are cleansed. The Grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ has cleansed those who are in Christ. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but Ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1Co 6:11). Jew and Gentile believing, redeemed by blood, saved by Grace, washed and sanctified, are to be put into one body.

Then Peter reached Caesarea and preached to Cornelius and those who were gathered together. How different this message from those he delivered in Jerusalem. There are a few introductory remarks followed by a declaration of the facts concerning Jesus of Nazareth. Then he pressed the message home to their hearts. To Him give all the Prophets witness that through His Name whosoever believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins. This was his last word to the assembled company. It is the first time we find the word whosoever in this book. He had nothing to say to this Gentile company about repentance and baptism. His message was interrupted. They believed and the Holy Spirit fell on them.

Something new had taken place. On Pentecost it meant water baptism as a condition of receiving the Holy Spirit (Act 2:38) and the remission of sins; in Samaria the Apostles Peter and John, according to the wisdom of God, had to lay on hands, but here without water baptism and laying on of hands the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles. Nor was there any process of seeking, surrendering, examining themselves, giving up, praying for it, but by hearing of faith, in believing the message of the Gospel the Holy Spirit fell on them. And to show that every barrier between Jew and Gentile had been removed, that nothing inferior had been bestowed upon Gentiles, than that which came upon the believing Jews on the day of Pentecost, Cornelius, his kinsmen and friends spoke with tongues and magnified God. It was the conclusive evidence that Gentiles, uncircumcised and unbaptized, received the Holy Spirit like the Jews.

Water baptism follows. Up to this chapter water baptism preceded the gift of the Holy Spirit. This shows the place water baptism holds on the ground of grace. Water baptism has no place in the proclamation of the Gospel of Grace. It is not a means of grace, nor a sacrament. Peter, however, does not slight nor ignore baptism. Can any man forbid water? Then he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

28. CORNELIUS – A MAN OF FAITH

Act 10:1-48

Pride and racism are intolerable evils and must never be accepted by the church of God. All who are in Christ are one in him, be they rich or poor, black or white, male or female, learned or unlearned. All true believers are brothers and sisters in Christ (Col 3:11; Eph 2:11-18; Eph 4:1-6). In Christ there are no distinctions of race, sex, or social class, and none should exist in us. This unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ was perhaps the most difficult obstacle for the early Jewish converts to overcome, and it remains a very difficult obstacle for many today. The Jews looked upon Gentiles as being unclean and had no dealings with them, except by necessity.

For four thousand years the revelation of God was restricted to the nation of Israel. The Jews alone had the light of divine truth. Then, because of their unbelief, after Christ came, God rejected the physical nation of Israel and sent his servants to preach the gospel in all nations that he might gather his elect from the four corners of the earth (Mat 21:3-43; Mat 23:37-38; Mat 28:19). The apostle Peter was sent to preach the gospel to Cornelius, who was a Gentile, that he might be established in the faith of Christ. The lesson Peter had to learn, the lesson we all must learn is found in Act 10:34 – “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.” The grace of God is not dependent upon or limited by earthly, human distinctions (Joh 1:11-12; Rom 9:15). God has no regard for those things that separate and distinguish fallen men from one another.

Cornelius was a man of faith, a Gentile in whom the grace of God was evident. He had been converted from paganism to the faith of God’s elect. He worshipped God according to the law of Moses. But he was ignorant of the fact that Christ had come and fulfilled the law as the sinner’s Substitute. He believed God (Act 10:1-2). He saw Christ pictured in the types and shadows of the law. He trusted Christ as he was set forth in the prophets. But he had not yet learned that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of God. Therefore, God sent Peter with the good news of the gospel, telling Cornelius that the Savior for whom he was looking had come and accomplished redemption. Like Simeon, he waited for the coming of Christ in faith, not knowing that Christ had come (Luk 2:25-32). Cornelius was a man in whom all the characteristics of saving faith were evident.

HE WAS A MAN WHO FEARED GOD (Act 10:1-2). When the Holy Spirit tells us that Cornelius “feared God”, he is telling us that he was a saved man, a child of God, a regenerate soul. Those who have the fear of God established in their hearts are saved. The Word of God holds out a multitude of promises to those who fear him. The Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him (Psa 147:11). Those who fear God are accepted by him (Act 10:34-35). “The Lord pitieth them that fear him” (Psa 103:13). “The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him” (Psa 33:18). God’s hand is open to and ready to feed them that fear him. “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him” (Psa 25:14). God remembers those who fear him and comes to them (Mal 3:16; Mal 4:2). Salvation belongs to those who fear the Lord (Psa 85:9). Indeed, all the goodness and blessedness God has laid up for his elect in heaven belongs to all who fear him as Cornelius did (Psa 31:19). The fear of faith is not a slavish, legal fear, but a loving, gracious reverence for the Lord God.

CORNELIUS WAS A CHARITABLE AND GENEROUS MAN (Act 10:2). Faith that causes a person to fear God also creates in him a loving, generous spirit toward his fellow man. Cornelius “gave much alms to the people,” because he feared God. Faith produces and works by love (Gal 5:6), and love shows itself by acts of kindness (1Co 13:1-8).

HE WAS A MAN OF EARNEST PRAYER (Act 10:2). His religion was not a nominal form of worship. Cornelius was earnest. He sought the Lord with all his heart (Jer 29:12-14). He did so by making diligent use of the outward means of worship. At the hour of prayer he was in prayer. At the time of sacrifice he was found in the outer court of the temple. He “prayed to God always.” (See. 1Th 5:16). That means he lived by faith in dependence upon the Lord God. He sought the will of God in all things. Cornelius was a child of light. He walked in the light God had given him (1Jn 1:7), and God gave him more light.

ONCE IT WAS MADE KNOWN TO HIM CORNELIUS WAS IMMEDIATELY OBEDIENT TO THE WILL OF GOD (Act 10:3-23). In Old Testament times the Angel of the Lord ministered to people in much the same way as God the Holy Spirit does today. He appeared to Cornelius when he was engaged in prayer and assured him of his acceptance with God (Act 10:3-4). Like Enoch, he pleased God by faith in Christ (Heb 11:6). “The prayers which he had put up in faith, and the charitable actions he had performed from a principle of love, ascended to God with acceptance” (John Gill). Then the Angel of the Lord showed Cornelius where he could find a messenger from God for his soul. And Cornelius sought him out (Act 10:5-8). In the meantime, God graciously prepared Peter’s heart to minister effectively to his beloved people at Ceasarea (Act 10:9-23). Cornelius needed a word from God. So he sought it by earnest prayer. Peter needed the help of God to preach the gospel. So he sought it by earnest prayer. And both men got what they needed from the Lord.

THIS MAN, CORNELIUS, RECEIVED GOD’S MESSENGER WITH REVERENCE AND SUBMISSION (Act 10:24-33). He was anxious to hear what God would say by the voice of his servant. Knowing that God spoke to men by Peter, he gathered his family and friends to hear the Word of God. And he held God’s servant in high esteem. He erred in giving too much reverence to Peter (Act 10:25). But his attitude was right (1Th 5:12-13; Heb 13:7; Heb 13:17). When reproved, Cornelius submitted (Act 10:26). He even overlooked the sinful faults of God’s messenger (Act 10:27-28). He was determined to let nothing keep him from hearing what God had to say! When he listened to Peter preach, Cornelius expected to hear from God (Act 10:33), and he did!

HE BELIEVED THE WORD OF GOD (Act 10:34-43). He believed what God taught him by his servant Peter: (1) That no man has any claim upon the grace of God (Act 10:34-35), (2) That Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of God (Act 10:36-40), and (3) That the Lord Jesus Christ is the exalted sovereign of the universe (Act 10:42-43).

CORNELIUS’ FAITH IS ALSO SEEN IN HIS OBEDIENCE TO THE ORDINANCE OF CHRIST (Act 10:44-48). The Spirit of God fell upon these Gentile believers, showing Peter and the brethren from Joppa that all believers, Jews and Gentiles, are one in Christ (Act 10:44-47); 1Co 10:16-17). And all who believed were baptized, symbolically confessing their death, burial, and resurrection with Christ (Rom 6:4-6).

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

Cir, am 4045, ad 41

in: Act 8:40, Act 21:8, Act 23:23, Act 23:33, Act 25:1, Act 25:13

a centurion: Act 22:25, Act 27:1, Act 27:31, Act 27:43, Mat 8:5-13, Mat 27:54, Luk 7:2

Italian: The Italian band, or rather cohort, [Strong’s G4686], (a regiment sometimes consisting of from 555 to 1,105 infantry), is not unknown to the Roman writers (see Tacitus); and Gruter gives an inscription in which it is mentioned, which was found in the Forum Sempronii, on a fine marble table. Act 27:1

Reciprocal: 1Ki 8:41 – a stranger 2Ch 6:32 – the stranger Son 8:8 – what Isa 56:3 – the son Mat 27:27 – band Mar 15:39 – the centurion Joh 7:17 – General Act 10:7 – and a Act 10:22 – Cornelius Act 18:22 – Caesarea

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

THE FIRST THING in the chapter is the angelic ministry to Cornelius by which he is directed to send to Joppa and call Peter. No difficulty arose here, for Cornelius immediately did as he was told. The angel, you notice, did not cut a rather lengthy story short by himself telling the message to Cornelius. The message of grace can only be rightly told by a man who is himself a subject of grace. So Peter must be called. God had respect to the prayers and alms of Cornelius, since they expressed the sincere seeking of his heart after God. If, after hearing the Gospel, he had ignored its message and gone on with his prayers and alms, it would have been a different matter. Then they would not have come up for a memorial before God.

Next comes the account of Gods preliminary dealings with Peter by means of a trance. There was more difficulty here, for he was still bound by his Jewish thoughts, and from these he had to be delivered. The hearers were ready, but the preacher had to be made ready to go. The record is that he went up upon the housetop to pray, consequently he was in the right attitude to receive the necessary guidance. There was not only a praying seeker but a praying servant also. Hence remarkable results followed.

The great sheet which Peter saw descended out of an opened heaven. It embraced within its folds all manner of creatures both clean and unclean. It was received up into heaven. Peter was bidden to satisfy his hunger by partaking, and he might have done this by selecting a clean animal for his food. Yet they were all jumbled up together, so he declined. He was told however that God could cleanse the unclean: that in fact He had done so, and what He had cleansed he was not to call common. This happened three times so that the significance of it might sink into Peters mind. We can see in the vision an apt figure of the Gospel, which comes from an opened heaven, which embraces in its folds a multitude, amongst which are found many Gentiles, who were ceremonially unclean; but all of them cleansed by grace, and ultimately taken up into heaven.

Peter at first doubted the meaning of all this, for ancient prejudices die slowly; but, as he continued to ponder, the situation was cleared by the arrival of the messengers from Cornelius. The Spirit distinctly instructed him to go with them and thus carry the Gospel to the seeking Roman. The unclean Gentile was to be saved.

In Act 8:1-40, we saw how accurately God timed Philips interception of the Ethiopians chariot. Now we see the servants of Cornelius arriving at the precise moment to clinch the Divine instructions to Peters mind. The thing was of God, and Peter was irresistibly carried forward.

Arrived at Caesarea, all was ready in the house of Cornelius. He too was conscious the thing was of God, and so he had no doubt as to Peter coming, and he had called together a number of people who like himself were seekers after God. Verse Act 10:25 reveals to us the reverential and submissive frame of mind that marked Cornelius. He carried his reverence too far; still it was no small thing that the haughty Roman should fall at the feet of a humble Galilean fisherman.

Peter now found himself in the presence of a large number of Gentiles, and his opening words to Cornelius show how he had accepted the instruction conveyed to him by the vision. The reply of Cornelius reveals how simply he had believed the angels message and promptly obeyed it. He had accepted Peters gentle rebuke when he asserted, I myself also am a man: yet he knew that God was at work and that the meeting was to be held as in His presence. He therefore placed himself and the whole audience as here present before God, ready to hear from the preacher all things that are commanded thee of God. They were ready to hear ALL. Plenty of folk do not mind hearing pleasant and comforting things, while objecting to the sterner announcements that the Gospel makes.

Peter opened his address with a further acknowledgment that he now perceived that God would have respect to every soul that sincerely sought Him, according to the light he might have, no matter to what nation he belonged. The grace of God was now about to flow richly beyond the boundaries of Israel, though the word which God had sent in connection with Jesus Christ, personally present amongst men, had been addressed to the children of Israel only. Still that word had been well published through Galilee and Judaea, and so Cornelius and his friends knew all about it, being resident in those parts. The things that happened in the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth were well known to them.

So Peter could say, That word… ye know. There were however, things that they did not know; and these all-essential matters he proceeded to unfold. The death of Jesus had been a public spectacle and everybody knew about it. His resurrection had been witnessed by only a few, and common report denied it, the denial having the backing of the religious authorities, as we learn from Mat 28:11-15. Hence Peter now announced the astonishing news that the crucified Jesus had been raised from the dead by an act of God, that he and his fellow Apostles had actually seen Him, eaten with Him, and received from Him a command what they were to preach to others. In verses Act 10:42-43 Peter made the announcements he was commanded to make.

These verses give us the two themes of his preaching, two announcements which must have come with great power to his Gentile hearers. First, the Jesus, whom men crucified, is ordained of God to be the Judge both of the living and the dead. His crucifixion was the act of both Jew and Gentile. Cornelius must have been familiar with the details, and known some who participated in it, if not actually involved in it himself. He was acquainted with His shame and dishonour and apparent failure. Well, the despised Jesus is to come forth in due season as the universal Judge. The destinies of all men rest in His hands. What an astounding declaration! Calculated to overwhelm every adversary with terror!

But second, before this Judge seats Himself on the judgment throne, all the prophets bear witness that there is forgiveness offered in His Name. That forgiveness is received by whosoever believeth in Him. Forgiveness through the Name of the Judge! Could anything be more stable and satisfactory than that? The Judge has become the Surety for sinful men, and hence the believer in Him receives the remission of sins, before the day dawns when will be held the great assizes for the living and for the dead.

Cornelius and his friends did believe. Faith was present in their hearts before ever they heard the message. Hearing it, their faith instantly embraced it, and God signalized that fact by instantly bestowing on them the gift of the Holy Ghost. Their faith leapt forth like the lightning-flash, and was at once followed by the thunder-clap of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was poured upon these believing Gentiles just as He had been at the beginning upon believing Jews, with the sign of tongues following. The two cases were identical, and in this way they of the circumcision who had come with Peter had every doubt dispelled. There was nothing for it but to baptize these Gentiles. If God had baptized them by the Spirit into the one body, men could not deny them entrance among believers on earth by water baptism.

There is just this difference between Act 2:1-47 and this chapter, that there the enquirers had to submit first to baptism by water, and then they were to receive the promise of the Spirit. They had to cut their links with the rebellious mass of their nation before they were blessed. Here God bestowed the Spirit first, for had He not done so Jewish prejudices would have raised a wall against their baptism and reception. So God forestalled them: indeed the whole chapter shows us how this opening of the door of faith to the Gentiles was the moving of Gods hand in the fulfilment of His purpose. It shows us too that no rigid law can be laid down as to the reception of the Spirit. It is always the result of faith, but it may be with or without baptism, with or without the laying on of apostolic hands-see Act 19:6.

Fuente: F. B. Hole’s Old and New Testaments Commentary

The Story of Cornelius

Act 10:1-41

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

Before the Lord Jesus went up into Heaven, He gave command to the Apostles to disciple all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. In view of the far-flung purpose of God to reach the Gentiles, Saul had been recently saved and commissioned. However, while Saul was in preparation of this larger work, God was turning in mercy toward a people who knew Him not.

It is for this reason, that our interest deepens as we come to the story of Cornelius, a centurion of Caesarea. Let us seek to discover the inside meanings of this marvelous Divine record of the first distinctively Gentile ministry wrought by Peter.

As we study let us mark the effect of this ministry upon the larger and later ministry of Paul We detect in back of the remarkable scenes of Act 10:1-48, the hand of God preparing the hearts of Peter and of the Jerusalem saints to give to Paul a cordial right hand of fellowship as he turned to the Gentiles with the message of the grace of God.

When Peter saw the Holy Ghost fall upon Cornelius, a Gentile, he said, “I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.” Peter could never retract this statement. He had put himself on record. Thus was the calling of the Church enlarged to include the Gentiles, and thus was the Jewish contingency effectually won over to sanction the Gentile missionary journeys of Paul.

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.

Read the first section of the Scripture assigned.

I. LET US OBSERVE A GENTILE, CORNELIUS THE CENTURION, CALLING UPON GOD (Act 10:1-2)

Cornelius the centurion was a centurion of a band called the Italian band. One would have thought such a man, of such a race, of such an age, and of such an occupation, to have been wholly corrupted by sin, and wholly neglectful of God. Not so. Cornelius was a devout man. He feared God, and his whole house feared God with him. More than that-Cornelius gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

Where Cornelius received his knowledge of God, we do not know. He may have been greatly moved by the mighty marvels that God had wrought during the past several years. The life and ministry of Christ, with His death and resurrection, had not occurred in a corner. The whole world had felt the impact of those great events. The coming of the Spirit, the talking in tongues, the baptism of about 3,000 the unparalleled liberality of the Christians, the healing of the lame man at the beautiful gate of the Temple, the death of Stephen, the conversion of Saul, the deliverance of Peter from a Roman prison; much, or all of these events; had come to his hearing.

Cornelius was different than many, Others passed up the things they saw and heard; Cornelius gave heed. Others centered their life in the things of self, and the things under the sun; Cornelius centered his life in the things of God, and in the things beyond the sun. Others laid by for themselves treasures where the moth and rust corrupt; Cornelius cared for the poor, and laid up treasures in Heaven.

II. LET US CONSIDER HOW GOD TOOK COGNIZANCE OF CORNELIUS (Act 10:3-4)

“The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.”

We do not assert that Cornelius was a saved man; we do assert that his sincerity of heart, his alms toward the poor, and his prayers to God, all found favor with the Lord.

God watches the man who seeks to please Him. God looks upon the heart. He studies the motive which prompts action in men. He who walks in the flesh cannot please God; yet, the men in the flesh, who seek after God and call upon His Name will be found of Him. Whosoever calleth on the Name of the Lord will be saved. The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord; he that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but, whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy. The publican will find God ready to hear, when he prays, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Blessed fact-God is interested in men; He is watching for men who seek His face. He who sees the sparrow does not fail to see the seeking soul. It was when the prodigal was still the prodigal, and still a great way off that his father saw him, and ran, and had compassion, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

Peter conceded the fact that Cornelius feared God and wrought righteousness. Therefore God came to His rescue. Cornelius lived up to the light that he had, therefore God gave him more light.

It will not take long for a seeking sinner, and a seeking Saviour, to meet. When one yearneth for God as yearns the hart for the waterbrook, God will be found of him.

III. LET US PONDER THE RELATIONSHIP OF ANGELS TO HUMAN MINISTERING (Act 10:3)

Cornelius saw in a vision, an angel of God coming to him, and saying unto him, “Cornelius.” All of us believe in the ministry of angels, for God has said, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

However, the ministry of angels as we experience it, is an unseen ministry. Throughout the ages past, angels did, from time to time appear unto men; and, in Apostolic days angels appeared on various occasions to direct or to deliver saints. All of these cases as we weigh them seem to carry exigencies that could not otherwise be met than by angelic aid.

Of one thing we may rest assured, God was tremendously interested in the almsdeeds and prayers of Cornelius. We dare not doubt that God sees and rewards our deeds; nor, dare we doubt that He hears and answers our prayers.

There is just one other word we would say before we pass to our next consideration-when God does speak by a vision, and by angel, let us not neglect His message or warning. “We need to remember, that words spoken by angels are steadfast.

IV. LET US WEIGH THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY AN ANGEL (Act 10:4-6)

The angel, in a vision, said to Cornelius several things we need weigh,

1. He said that the prayers and alms of Cornelius had come up before God as a memorial. From this we learn that God not only sees, but that He remembers; and, we may add, that He records our Godward earth deeds. The word “memorial” is a strong word. A “memorial” is the recognition of a worthy accomplishment. A “memorial” is a monumental recognition. A “memorial” is a published and proclaimed recognition. A “memorial” is a not-to-be-forgotten recognition-a perpetuated recognition.

We are sure that God knows what we are, and what we do in this earth life. We are also sure that He makes indelible the record of these things.

What value does all of this, place upon our earthly deeds, and upon our manner of life? It lifts everything out of the trivial and the inconsequential, and adds dignity and far-reaching effect to each step of our way.

If what we are and what we do in this life is memorialized in Heaven, we had better weigh well our acts.

V. LET US NOTE THAT CORNELIUS SHOULD SEND MEN TO JOPPA, AND CALL FOR ONE SIMON, WHOSE SURNAME IS PETER (Act 10:5-6)

To what lengths will God go to answer prayer! He first sent an angel to Cornelius to give him instructions to send for Peter; He next sent the same angel, or another angel to Peter to prepare him, in heart, to go to Cornelius. Thus, God joined Heavenly and earthly ministrations, all to make grace effective in behalf of a soul that sought His face.

Let us then assure our hearts that God is always interested in our word and work as we preach redemption. Let us guard against prayers, wherein we plead with God as though He was unwilling to save some lost sinner. Let us rather see the willingness of God to save, and pray that we may heartily join with Him in His great work, by carrying the message of salvation to the lost. We still believe that God will move Heaven and earth to save a seeking sinner.

Sometimes we speak of personal work. That is well and good. But personal work must be done by the person appointed. The angel said, “Call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.” It was not the maid who answered the knock of the servants and soldiers, it was Peter. It was not any other of the saints who dwelt in Joppa, it was Peter, We take it that Peter was prepared to tell Cornelius what God wanted Cornelius to know. We take it that Peter was better prepared-the best one available whom God could send to Cornelius. God wanted Peter to go, for Peter could do the work desired.

However, back of Cornelius’ need for Peter, we feel that God had another purpose in commanding that Peter be called. Peter needed the lesson that God was about to show him. Indeed, if God had sent some other disciple of smaller influence among the saints of the Jerusalem district, there is but little doubt that Peter and the rest of the Church would have raised objection. In sending Peter, who was a pillar, an Apostle, and an outspoken leader, God made Cornelius more welcomed among Jewish saints.

The command of Christ had been to the Jew first, and on to the end of the earth; but the “circumcision” had made it to the Jew first, and to the Jew all of the time.

Now we see the reason for the carefully worded instructions, “To Joppa,” to “Simon, whose surname is Peter.” “He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side.” It is evident that God wanted Peter and none other, to be called to the house of Cornelius; and He guarded against any mistake.

No wonder then that when Peter had completed his task, and he had seen Cornelius saved, he said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted.”

A little later, as we open chapter 11 of Acts, we will discover new light on the wisdom in God sending Peter to this Gentile, Cornelius. We will learn that the Apostles and brethren in Judea even contended with Peter, saying, “Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.” What then, would have happened if a man of smaller weight had gone? Even with Peter, it was only when he had fully rehearsed the vision of the net, and the call of the angel, and the falling of the Holy Ghost upon the household of Cornelius, that the “circumcision” “held their peace, and glorified God.”

VI. LET US MARK THE PROMPT OBEDIENCE OF CORNELIUS TO THE ANGEL’S INSTRUCTION (Act 10:7-8)

As soon as the angel who was sent unto Cornelius had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier (mark the word, “devout”) and declared unto them all things that had happened. Then he sent them to Joppa.

We are reminded of the visit of the angel to the shepherds, and of how he said, “Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Then the shepherds said, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” Then they came with haste and found all things as the Lord had told them.

Let us never hesitate to follow the voice of the Lord. If we have the obedience of faith our obedience will be rewarded, for God is always true to His Word.

VII. PETER’S VISION (Act 10:9-48)

While the men from Cornelius were en route to Joppa to seek Peter, the Apostle was being prepared to receive them.

As he prayed on the house top, he saw a net let down from heaven, filled with wild beasts, and creeping things and fowls of the air. Then there came a voice, “Arise, Peter; slay, and eat.” Peter was quick to reply, “Lord, I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.” The voice spoke and said, “What God hath cleansed, call thou not common.” This was done thrice.

While Peter wondered what it all meant the men sent by Cornelius stood at the door asking for Peter.

When Peter heard their story, he at once understood his vision. Then Peter went down, and said to Cornelius, “Ye know that it is an unlawful thing, for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or to come unto one of another nation, but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean, therefore came I unto you.”

Having spoken thus, Peter opened up unto Cornelius the plan of salvation, preaching the old story in a simple way.

While he yet spake “The Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” Thus they were baptized, and God had demonstrated forever that there is no difference, but that alt who call upon Him should be saved.

In all of this there is God’s call to us to go far hence and preach the Gospel to every creature.

There are yet many Corneliuses asking the way for salvation.

Fuente: Neighbour’s Wells of Living Water

1

Act 10:1. This Caesarea was on the coast of Palestine. It was the official headquarters for the Roman government in that province. That is why Cornelius was stationed there, he being a military officer of the government, a centurion or commander of a hundred soldiers. Italian band means soldiers recruited from captives out of Italy.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Csarea and Cornelius, 1, 2.

Act 10:1. There was a certain man. In the Authorised Version there is no equivalent to the little particle but this little particle is not without its importance. It serves to connect what we read here with what we read in the latter part of the preceding chapter. The work and miracles of Peter at Lydda and elsewhere were the preparation for what is now about to be recounted. His residence at Joppa was locally the starting-point for the momentous mission presently to be undertaken. All this sacred history, both in its outward circumstances and in the apostles personal experience, is arranged on a providential plan.

It is not easy, nor is it necessary, to fix the precise relations as to time between the preaching and acceptance of Christianity among the Gentiles at Antioch, the account of which meets us in the tatter part of the eleventh chapter, and that great story of the conversion of Cornelius, which is the subject of the tenth and the earlier part of the eleventh. The exact chronological order of these events is not of essential moment. When a great providential change is about to occur, premonitory indications may be expected; and if the change is one that affects all mankind, such symptoms may be looked for simultaneously in various places. Reuss gives precedence, in point of time, to the events which occurred at Antioch: and certainly the first Gentile Church was there; the name Christian came into existence there; and Antioch became the Jerusalem of Gentile Christianity. But this priority in time cannot be proved. More will be said on this subject when we come to that part of the history. Meantime it is an undoubted fact that CSAREA is set before us as the scene of the bright beginning of that revelation of the mystery of the reception of the Gentiles on equal terms with the Jews, in which St. Paul afterwards so much gloried (Eph 3:3-6; Col 1:26-27), and our attention is pointedly fixed upon Cornelius as the first typical example of Gentile Christendom. We are brought at this part of the history to an event so remarkable, that we must lay emphatic stress both upon the man and the place. They harmonize with and are correlative to one another. Csarea is the appointed and proper frame for the portrait of Cornelius.

In Csarea. Some notice of this place has been already given on the occasion of the first mention of it (Act 8:40; see also Act 9:30), where Philip the Evangelist is described as arriving there from Azotus, after the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. But the importance of Csarea in connection with Cornelius is so great that the following circumstances may be added. This city is very conspicuous in the Acts of the Apostles. For instance, not to refer again to what has preceded, St. Paul closed at this place his second and his third missionary journeys (Act 18:22, Act 21:8). To this place he was sent, after the uproar at Jerusalem, that he might be safe, and that he might appear before the governor (Act 23:23); and from this port he sailed on his voyage to Italy (Act 27:1). This prominence of Csarea in the Acts of the Apostles could not be otherwise, if the history is a true one. It was a city of the utmost importance at this time, partly in connection with the Roman road along the coast, but still more because of its harbour, by which it communicated with all the West. This harbour is said by Josephus to have rivalled that of the Piraeus. Its great breakwater may be compared with that of Cherbourg in our own day. Tacitus says that Csarea was the head of Juda. Moreover it was specially a Gentile city. The Jews were relatively less numerous there than in any other part of Palestine. It was a Pagan metropolis in the Holy Land. Above all things it is to be noted that, when Palestine was a Roman province, the governor resided here. Felix and Festus after this date, and, no doubt, Pontius Pilate previously, had their official palace at Csarea. Here, too, were the chief quarters of the soldiers, who kept this land in subjection, whether under Herodian kings or under Roman governors. Tholuck (Die Glaub-wrdigkeit der Evangelischen Geschichte, p. 174) remarks on the presence of the Italian cohort at this place as an indication of the natural truthfulness of the history. And the same remark might be made concerning the presence of the Augustat cohort in this place (Act 27:1; see note on that passage). In its very name, as in the character of its buildings, Csarea was a reflection of imperial Rome. Thus this city was an expression of the relation of Palestine to the empire, and of the condition of things under which the Gospel was propagated. We should not fail to notice this particular form of the connection between the Holy Land and the Heathen world at large. It was a Gentile capital of Juda with which we have to do in the Acts of the Apostles. There was something providential, if we may say so, in the fact that Jerusalem never became the Roman capital, but always retained its Hebrew character.

Galled Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band. In these two verses we have information as to what he was(1) nationally and officially, and (2) in personal character; and we naturally wish to know all we can about the man who occupies so remarkable a place in the sacred history of the world.

His was a true Roman name, and a very distinguished one. No gens was better known in the Roman annals than the Cornelian. The name of Cornelius probably points to the fact that he was a true-born Italian.

As to his position in life, he was a centuriona military officer holding a responsible position. It is worth while to remark here, in passing, on the honourable character of all the centurions who come specially before us in the New Testamenttwo in the Gospels, and two in the Acts. The close connection of the history of the founding of Christianity with military subjects is remarkable and instructive. We have here, in the case of Cornelius, an anticipation of the intimate association of St. Paul with the Roman army. It does not follow from this that war is a good thing. Rather we ought to say that it is a bad thing overruled for good, and made subservient to missionary purposes. In illustration of St. Pauls frequent use of military metaphors, derived from this connection, see especially Eph 6:11-18.

The cohort to which Cornelius belonged was the Italic cohort. The phrase may denote a popular appellation of this body of troops (see Act 27:14). However this may be, the title seems to indicate a cohort of true-born Italians. Wherever other cohorts quartered in Csarea or in other parts of Palestine may have been recruited, this was recruited in Italy. The Latin character of the corps is strongly marked; and this is in harmony with all the circumstances of the case. Gloag and Alexander compare the position of this cohort in Juda with that of a British regiment in India, as distinguished from Sepoy or native troops. Gloag suggests that it may have been the body-guard of the Roman governor, and valuable to him as formed of troops on whom he could depend in disputes with the natives. But here this useful commentator is in error. Juda was not at this time a province under a Roman governor, such as Pilate, or Felix, or Festus, but a Kingdom under Herod Agrippa I. (see Act 12:1, and especially Act 12:19). This fact has some bearing on the question whether the Italic cohort was a detached body of troops, or a part of a legion. The former is more likely. The relation of the Roman army to petty dependent sovereigns under the empire is full of interest, and derives some illustration from what we read concerning the soldiers of Herod Antipas in Luk 23:11. It is highly probable that the corps under consideration was identical with a cohort of Italian volunteers in Syria, which is mentioned in an ancient inscription adduced by Akerman Numismatic Illustrations of the New Testament, p. 33, an unpretending treatise which ought not to be overlooked in any commentary on this book of the Bible).

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Subdivision 5. (Act 10:1-48; Act 11:1-30.)

The Gentile brought to God.

The quiet and gradual way in which preparation has been made for the disappearance of the barrier between Jew and Gentile must be apparent to all. Israel has had full and patient trial, all possible proof given her of its being God who was appealing to her, God whom she was resisting, fully displayed in goodness ready to forget all past offences, -the very death of His Son, if only now at last, they would turn to Him. When it is manifest that they will not, then the door is opened to Samaria, a circumcised people, not without Jewish admixture, partially obedient to the law, and who are compelled to own Jerusalem in the reception of the distinct characteristic of the new faith that has gladdened them. Then God Himself leads on in a special way to the reception of the eunuch, with whom the grace of Christ goes out to lands afar off. After this it is that the apostle of the Gentiles is raised up, although only very slowly does his mission become known; he himself only slowly awaking to it; himself a “Hebrew of the Hebrews,” yearning over his kinsmen after the flesh, and but now a rigid Pharisee. But even so, he is not to lead in the admission of the Gentiles; but an unexceptionable instrument is provided for this, -no less than the foremost of the apostles of the circumcision, Peter himself.

In this also now God manifests His will with unmistakable plainness in the double vision, at Joppa and Caesarea; then by the outpouring of the Spirit in view of all who came with Peter: those who are ready to oppose at Jerusalem have to own that God has granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life.

After this the way is opened by which certain disciples without any prominence of gift or position can speak at Antioch to the Gentiles, and gather an assembly there; and this becomes a new point of departure from which the first direct mission to the Gentiles is sent out; but this by a special revelation of the Spirit, which sets apart Barnabas and Saul for the new work.

1. The first section here manifestly takes in the work at Caesarea, by which the principles are established which henceforth govern the Assembly. It is in effect constituted by them as now outside the Jewish fold. The exodus is really complete, though there may be an effort afterwards really to undo this, and bring all the disciples under the law of Moses. This is resisted, however, on the very ground of what has been established here.

(1) All through this fresh movement, as already said, God is Himself the Mover. He begins, with the care which we see manifested all through, with an unexceptionably good example of the Gentile, a man “borne witness to by the whole nation of the Jews,” and therefore, not perplexing the matter by any extraneous question. He is moreover a devout man, a worshiper of the true God, and one that truly fears Him, all his house participating with him also in this. Although not outwardly united in any way to Israel, yet his heart necessarily united him to the people of Him he worshiped, and he manifested this by his alms-giving. He was a man of prayer; praying to God continually. But all this, true as it was, and the fruit of faith, (without which it would not have been true, nor could God, as He presently does, have owned it,) had not sufficed to set him where grace sets the believer now, in conscious salvation. God was now “preaching peace by Jesus Christ”; and to those far off, and to those that were nigh, He had to preach it (Eph 2:17).

At the ninth hour of the day, the Jewish third hour of prayer, God owns and answers the man that seeks Him, and an angel of God visits him. The fear that falls on men so naturally in the presence of the supernatural, falls upon him, but the message is one of grace alone; and he is assured that his prayers and alms have come up for a memorial before God. He is directed therefore to send for Peter from Joppa, who shall tell him words (it is added in the account afterwards given at Jerusalem), whereby be and all his house shall be saved.

In such a declaration, if we are to understand it aright, we must remember that we are here in the overlapping of two dispensations. It is as evident, on the one hand, that Cornelius was already a believer, as that, on the other, he had not yet the faith of Christ. In the midst of Christendom today, such a condition would be perfectly anomalous and unintelligible; and so for most it would he to talk of a soul having life and being still unsaved. Cornelius undoubtedly had life; he was one of those sheep not of the Jewish fold, of which the Lord had spoken, whom He would bring and unite with those of Israel, and there should be one flock, one Shepherd (Joh 10:16). He was in fact now causing these to hear His voice, and this accounts for what is strange apparently in the Gentile here; but which is at once intelligible when we consider his position between the dispensations. And though Cornelius was a believer of that which was passing away, yet for final salvation he needed to receive the Christ who had come; and would do so if the Shepherd’s voice fairly reached him: for His sheep hear His voice. If it be final salvation that is spoken of here; all difficulty disappears as to the words used. Of a present salvation Judaism, as a legal system, could know nothing; much less, if possible; a Jewish proselyte, or one like the Roman centurion, converted to God, and yet outside the law. Into the precious assurance of this nothing but Christianity could bring him.

Let us notice, before we pass on, the blessed announcement, “who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.” They are in fact the paschal announcement of Christianity. Of the Jewish feasts, as we have them given in the twenty-third chapter of Leviticus, only those of the seventh month, in their typical significance; belong to Israel nationally, -the number seven being, as we know, the sign of completion -the complete time reached. Passover, the Sheaf of Firstfruits, Pentecost, were all offered to Israel, but rejected by them, and are become the peculiar Christian feasts, a silent gap of time intervening between these and the national seasons -the Blowing of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles -of the seventh month.

Passover is not national, in the sense in which the offerings of the Day of Atonement covered all Israel. It was kept by families, and might be held a second time by those who were hindered by defilement or a journey at the first celebration: just as now it is not nations that are contemplated, but believers from among the nations; however freely the gospel is addressed to all. Yet here nevertheless God would assure us of a grace that would not forget the links of relationship by which He has bound us together. “Thou and thy house” reminds us still of the family ordinance; though unbelief, in a dispensation whose principle is, “Thou standest by faith,” may make all this void. For there is, of course; no possible reason for so wild an imagination as that the comforting promise to Cornelius’ house; or any other, is “irrespective of faith.” Rather, if faith be in any sense the gift of God, are we assured by this, and the general thread of such intimations woven into Scripture; that He is ready to bless the households of His people still, wherever the Abrahamic faith shall be accompanied with that Abrahamic diligence of heart which seeks God’s blessing in His appointed ways. However much the gospel might be preached to Cornelius’ household, such an assurance would mean very much for him. We all have the comfort of knowing that it is the same gracious God with whom we have to do today, who has given us too, as some of us have the consolation of believing, in other ways, an assurance akin to that here vouchsafed the centurion; but which only faith can have and plead with Him aright. Here is not the place further to enlarge upon it.*

{*The name Cornelius is no doubt significant as all is here, though we may not see its significance. It was the name of a prominent Roman family -the Cornelian -and this, with his being the centurion of the Italian band, seems to emphasize the fact of his being absolutely a Gentile. The word Cornelius means, “pertaining to a horn.” S.R.}

The angel does not preach the gospel to Cornelius, but sends Peter to him for this; so thoroughly does the Lord cleave to His own methods and appointments. Peter moreover, as we have seen, is specially needed here; and that need is seen the more in the means taken to prepare the apostle for what is before him. The Lord goes in advance of the messengers from Caesarea to the house of Simon the tanner* by the seaside; and that house is the lowly birthplace of a wide and far-reaching movement in His ways with men.

{*The occupation of tanner was considered unclean by the Jews. A large part of the tanning was the preparation of skins for water bottles. May there not be a suggestion here of the passing of that ceremonial uncleanness which is brought out in the history of Cornelius? Peter was already lodging at the house of this Simon, a preparer of unclean things to be vessels for holding pure water. That his house was by the seaside seems also to suggest the sea of the Gentiles, -a familiar thought in Scripture -upon whose border Peter indeed was. S.R.}

The vision sent to Peter is founded on that distinction of clean and unclean meats which operated so largely in keeping the Jew apart from the Gentile. The Gentile was himself in fact the unclean liver with whom the one who sought conformity to the mind of God could not indeed go far without danger of pollution. The law, entirely apart from the typical significance in which so much of the interest attaching to it is found by us today, served as a useful barrier to unlimited intercourse with the idolatrous world around, which in these very things had upon it, as we know, the stamp of its idolatry. The question of meats offered to idols could in this way become a serious one for Christians themselves, though now for the uninstructed only (1Co 8:1-13). But Judaism as a rule for a people in the flesh, externally rather than spiritually set apart to God, was of necessity negative and prohibitory in its requirements, -a fold shutting in, rather than a principle of liberty: for liberty would be in their case concession, instead of victory over opposing forces. Christianity with its spiritual power alone could permit liberty. It was a sign of weakness for Judaism that it had no missions, preached no evangel: how could the word, “No man can see My Face and live,” be this? So the Jew went beyond the law in his restrictions, built the fence higher and higher, but found none sufficient.

With Christianity a new power had come; Godward and manward there was a significant change. The Jew himself was gone morally: what use of a fence to keep from contamination the crucifiers of the Son of God? It was not merely that the mind of the flesh was not subject to the law of God; it was enmity to God Himself. And what the end of this long experiment proved as to the Jew, it proved really as to man at large; there was nowhere any betterness. Jew and Gentile had been united at the Cross; they had no need to separate after this: for the believer in Christ, the world was crucified by it, and he crucified to the world.

From that side the fence had gone; but from God’s side it was gone also. For those who had crucified Christ, it must be now either judgment wholly, or else pure grace. But Christ need not have died to ensure man’s condemnation; nor would He have died to increase man’s doom. Thus, if there is to be any fruit of His death whatever, it must be grace. If God then means by it to show His grace, how great will that grace be!

In fact man by the murder of the Son of God has consummated his sin, and demonstrated his condition; but on the other hand Christ gave Himself for our sins, and grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life. Thus the fence is down from God’s side; the veil that hid His blessed face is rent from top to bottom, and to all men, guilty alike; and with no pretension to title, Jew or Gentile, God has come out, and whosoever will is welcome in.

In such light as this, then, the contention of Jew with Gentile is at an end; to maintain it is mere self-righteousness. The vessel that Peter sees comes down from heaven; and as seen thus the distinctions made by Judaism are ended and over. “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.” “He” too “that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God overcometh the world;” there is a new power, and with it a new liberty: the true Shepherd is calling His sheep out of the sheep-fold, and with Him, His hand over them, His voice in their ears, liberty is safe.*

{*The unclean beasts and creeping things contained in the net were forbidden in Leviticus (Lev 11:1-47). The food of a clean people must be clean. But as man is assimilated to that upon which he feeds, we see here the character of all men -no doubt Jew as well as Gentile, though prominently the latter. The heavenly vessel is seen to be full of that which is represented by these unclean beasts and creeping things, the foul, vile, violent sinners -cleansed by grace and made meet for heaven. “And such were some of you.” S.R.}

The vessel comes down from heaven and returns again there: it is the Church, heavenly in origin, and heavenly in destination; and those within it are alike those whom God has cleansed, and who must not be called common.

But Peter still doubts the meaning of the vision, until the three men sent by Cornelius are at the door, inquiring after him, and the Spirit bids him rise and go with them, for He has sent them.

(2) Upon all this history the inspired writer dwells, not heeding repetition, for the heart of God is pouring itself out in this getting back to it now of those so long self banished. The Gentile is truly the prodigal here restored; and we as Gentiles may well be touched at the interest displayed in those for whom the ring and robe are waiting. Things are told out at length, and we realize the response upon the other side, as we learn of the company which without prompting, save of a heart opening to the grace that greets him, Cornelius gathers to hear what, if he know not yet, he knows, so heralded, is good news from God. Upon all these, gathered up in the stretched out Arms, the Father’s kiss is pressed in the Spirit presently outpoured, -the Spirit of adoption! What a scene to melt the last bit of legal ice out of the soul of Peter, as he realizes how impossible it is for him to withstand God! Truly it is impossible! the flood-gates are giving way, and all the fulness of divine love, long kept back by the requirements of divine righteousness, is hastening to manifest itself. The ages to come are to bear witness of the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Nothing can keep back now what all the sin of man in its worst display has only shown in its supreme and glorious power.

Arrived at Caesarea, Peter rebukes his would-be successors of today by raising up him who had fallen at his feet as the messenger of God; and having explained how God had delivered him from his Jewish prejudices, preaches Jesus as Christ and Lord to those assembled. He now fully realizes that in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is acceptable to Him. How could He indeed ignore what is but the fruit of His own work in the soul, wherever found?

They were not unaware of the word which He had sent to Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. As a word to Israel they had only as yet known of it; but He is Lord of all; and as that they were also now to have to say to Him. Of His mighty works they could not indeed be ignorant, who through all Judea and Galilee went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil. How plain was it that in all this God was with Him! Yet what they had done to Him was as well known also; they had slain and hung Him on a tree! There for the nation He had disappeared: they indeed had seen Him no more; but God had raised Him up the third day, and manifested Him to chosen witnesses, who (as the one who stood before them now) had eaten and drunk with Him after He was risen from among the dead. From Him had these commission to proclaim Him to the people; and that as One divinely appointed to be Judge of the living and the dead.

There was a breach, then, as to the nation; Israel had rejected the Lord: God had answered it by setting Him high above all, and putting judgment into His hands; yet the testimony of it was already an intimation of grace. How far, and in what manner would that grace be shown? Here Peter brings in the witness of the prophets, by whom from the beginning God had been speaking to men. It could not be; in fact, that such things should take place without having been anticipated and announced in the ages of which they were the consummation. That which affected the whole world could not be isolated from all its previous history. Central in their relation to all human things, the Cross and the Resurrection are in reality their explanation. With the testimony of the ages the glory of the miracle was only in harmonious correspondence. Its exceptionality was its fitness for the place it occupied.

They knew (the men whom the apostle was addressing) the testimony of the prophets, which, just as being Gentiles, would have for them an attraction of a special kind. Did it not speak of nations upon whom the Lord’s name would be called? (Amo 9:11-12.) And in Abraham’s Seed were not all the families of the earth to be blessed? But Peter more definitely interprets and applies the gospel of their predictions, that through the name of Jesus whosoever believed on Him would receive remission of sins. According to such a principle; the Gentile who believed had equal assurance of this with the Jew. If even to the Jew acceptance were by faith alone; then for the Gentile who had faith there was acceptance also.

(3) Thus far had the apostle reached, -and he tells us himself, that it was but the beginning of what he intended to say (Act 11:15) -when he was arrested by a sign of precious significance: without the administration of baptism, as with the pentecostal audience, -without the imposition of apostles, hands, as at Samaria, -the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word! God again was the Mover; and in anticipation of every question that might be raised, setting aside all thought of human succession, or of sacramental endowment, -“by the hearing of faith” alone (Gal 3:2), the Gentiles received the Spirit, and were thus gathered into the assembly. The barrier between Jew and Gentile had been removed by the hand of God Himself, and the Church had assumed the character it was hereafter to retain. In Christ there was to be now neither Jew nor Gentile. The bond was not to be that of nationality nor of legal observance, but of the One Spirit uniting into one body. Not that the body of Christ was yet known doctrinally; nor even of the House of God have we yet heard, though the indwelling of the Spirit would give rise to a growing consciousness of this which would soon find support in the Lord’s words to Peter, with the name given to him. In his first epistle we have the development of this, to which Paul, however, gives completeness. The fact anticipated the doctrine; and that which hindered the development of this had now given way (Eph 2:14-15).

Baptism takes here, therefore, another place from that which it had before this. It follows, instead of preceding, the reception of the Spirit. Peter makes this a manifest reason why baptism cannot be denied them: “Can any one forbid water,” he asks, “that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?” It was not necessarily the place which this was to take henceforth; for after this we find the Jewish disciples of the Baptist (Act 19:5-6), having not only to be baptized, but to have the imposition of hands, in order that they may receive the Spirit. The Gentiles, on the other hand, having had no legal status hitherto, are dealt with in pure grace alone; the ground upon which they are met is manifestly this, and this only: hence God can give way to His love with more simplicity; and He does so, to the astonishment of “those of the circumcision,” who find all their own scruples and hesitation set aside with a decisive authority, against which they have no power to protest. To do aught but accept it would be plainly to “withstand God,” as Peter himself says. He commands, therefore; that they should be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, and, accepting frankly all the consequences of this, stays with them at their desire for some days.

(4) The history is pursued further, and with the same carefulness of detail, to the recognition of this place given to the Gentiles at Jerusalem itself, notwithstanding the objections on the part of the disciples there. In fact, the eating with men uncircumcised seems to have been heard of, before the way of the grace of God. Peter gives an account of all, therefore, from the beginning; and all resistance is silenced by the simple narration. The question with which he ends it is quite unanswerable. They needs must glorify God that He has granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life. Not even a breath is heard about the need of circumcising them to keep the law of Moses; the act of God is too conspicuous; He is so completely in it from end to end. And thus the all-important transformation is effected without a dissenting voice.

2.(1) The principle being now established, the free action of the Spirit is seen in raising up at Antioch what becomes characteristically a Gentile assembly. For this there is not even the putting forth of a man like Philip. None are allowed to be conspicuous in this work, for the eye to fasten upon: God would make it manifestly His own. Scattered by the same persecution which had been already made to minister to the need of Samaria, Phenicia, Cyprus and Antioch are visited by those whose hearts, filled with the grace which they have themselves experienced, lead them out to minister to the need of others. But at first it is to Jews only that the good news is proclaimed; the effect also is not apparent, -certainly seems in marked contrast with the success among the Greeks, to whom at last they turn. The hand of the Lord is with them, and a great number of converts is the result of their evangelistic labor. It is remarkable how officialism is discredited in all this. We do not know the name of a single person used in the work. The great apostle of the Gentiles is yet in comparative obscurity in his native city; Barnabas is not yet upon the scene: God is acting in conspicuous sovereignty by what instruments He will; and this in the case of the first Gentile assembly is surely designed to attract our notice. Antioch is to “stand over against” Jerusalem, as even its name may imply, as identified with such freer action; and it is noticeable that the disciples are first called Christians here in Antioch. In Jerusalem they were but “the sect of the Nazarenes.”

(2) Still the new work is not to drift into independence of the old, but to be acknowledged and accepted at Jerusalem itself, as in the case of the reception of Cornelius and his company at Caesarea. The report, therefore, reaching the Jewish capital, Barnabas is sent forth to go as far as Antioch, -a well-chosen representative. He does not go with authority, nor seek to exercise it; nor has be in hand, as the apostles in their visit to Samaria, to supply any deficiency in the condition of these Syrian brethren, who have evidently received the Spirit, as they did at Caesarea, without need of apostles, or of imposition of hands. Barnabas sees the grace of God in them, and is glad, and simply exhorts them all, that with purpose of heart they should cleave to the Lord; -a word never uncalled for. It is his character that is dwelt upon in this connection, not his office: “he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith;” and this is seen in its effect, doubtless, in the progress of the work there: “a great multitude was added to the Lord.”

It is Barnabas who is the means of introducing Saul into this field of labor. We may naturally suppose that he recognized in him a special fitness for the great work now beginning; but we see how simply his connection is brought about with the field to which from the commencement of his apostleship he is destined. God is not in haste, and His purposes are worked out often in what we may call the homeliest ways. The man who had introduced him to the apostles at Jerusalem, and who there had been witness to his energy and power, now seeks him out at Tarsus, no great distance off, and Saul returns with him to Antioch. There the work still progresses; and there the Christians get what is henceforth their distinctive name. We are not told whence it came; but the argument is just that Jews who refused Jesus as the Christ could not have given it to them; and that we only find it elsewhere, either in the mouth of those outside; as king Agrippa, or where the thought is of one suffering as such from the hands of unbelievers, as Peter uses it (1Pe 4:16). It was therefore given by men outside, as one would infer, and in connection with the notable work accomplished at this time. The disciples were no more looked at as a mere Jewish sect. The weaning-time of Isaac was accomplished; and, while the children of the bondwoman “mocked” at the feebleness of the true heirs of grace; and cast them out, it was really they themselves who were being cast out. The Church’s unity in Christ was being proclaimed, even by the lips of unbelievers; the One Name covering alike Jew and Gentile, while it separated them from all, whether Jew or Gentile; who did not confess Him.

(3) The Spirit of God gives a little glimpse, in closing this portion, of the recognition on the part of the assembly at Antioch of their relationship and obligation to those from whom they had received spiritual blessings so great. Indeed it is from a prophet from Jerusalem that they have warning of the approach of the famine which occasions this ministry, and which seems especially to have affected the province of Judea. It is the first time that Christian prophets are mentioned in the New Testament; although they seem not to have been few in number, and are placed second only to the apostles themselves in the enumeration of gifts bestowed by Christ upon the Church. Prophecy also, as we shall find elsewhere; is in a special way characteristic of Christianity. Unsuccessional, springing out of close intercourse and communion with God, the disclosure of His mind so as to bring souls into His Presence, -it should be and is, in closest relation with the rent veil of the Sanctuary and the ability to draw near to God which mark the present period. Prediction was never more than a comparatively small and variable part of it; although this is what we find in the prophesying of Agabus upon the only two occasions in which he appears in the history. Indeed he is a prophet of sorrow at both times, although of that which God overrules for good; but then, of what sorrow may not this be said?

The disciples do not think little of this ministry of means, when they choose the two most prominent among them to administer it; and Barnabas and Saul, on the other hand, do not think it a matter that they should not be burdened with. Indeed, we know from the epistles of the latter what he thought upon the subject. In those fresh days, when it could be said that every one gave “according to his ability,” how much love -divine love -was there not expressed in it! How different when it would have rather to be said, as in many of the sad days of decline since then, “every one a little of his superfluity, and the richest in proportion least of all!” Everything is degraded or spiritualized by the heart that is in it, -or is not in it.

We hear, too, for the first time; of “elders” in the Jewish assemblies, who, though doubtless an adoption from what was an immemorial custom in Israel (for we have no account of any distinct origin), yet seem from the epistle of Peter to be hardly officially appointed (1Pe 5:1), but rather the natural result of wisdom and experience attaching to age, which would make the “elder” the natural leader in the counsels of a people. In the Gentile assemblies we read of their appointment afterwards, where (and perhaps because) the patriarchal custom did not have the same recognition; and there with some restrictions which were only necessary to right “oversight,” which (and not preaching) was that which was their work. The incidental notice here hardly requires the examination of the subject of eldership which it must receive when we come to the epistle to Timothy. It is well to note; however, that neither was it a gift, nor did it need one for qualification, which was almost wholly moral; while for preaching or teaching there needed no authorization from man, but the gift entailed the responsibility of using it, and manifested itself wherever there was an ear to hear. But all this must wait for its development elsewhere.

Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary

Observe here, 1. The person described to whom St. Peter is sent to preach the gospel: by his name, Cornelius: by his occupation, a soldier; by his religion, a proselyte or converted Gentile, of which there were two sorts; some were proselytes of the covenant, that is, such Gentiles as submitted themselves to circumcision, and the whole Mosaical Paedagogy: These were counted as Jews, and freely conversed with as such.

Others were called proselytes of the gate; These were not circumcised, nor did they conform to the Mosaic rites, but were obliged only to observe the seven precepts of Noah; namely, to worship the true God, and not idols; to abstain from blood, from fornication, from robbery, to administer justice impartially, and to do as they would be done unto. Such a proselyte as this the Jews would not converse with, but counted unclean, being a Gentile, and such an one was this Cornelius; but though a Gentile, though a soldier, though a commission-officer, yet a pious, charitable, good man.

In all nations, in all places, of all employments, God has a number of holy and gracious persons to honour him in the world, according to their present measures of light received from him.

Observe, 2. The evidence which Cornelius gave of his religious fearing God; He feared God with all his house, he gave much alms, and prayed to God always. Cornelius was therefore really, because relatively, religious: he obligeth his family to fear God as well as himself, and together with himself, like Abraham, He commands his household after him to keep the way of the Lord, Gen 18:19.

And thus the blessing of Abraham came upon this Gentile, Cornelius. He feared God with all his house; and his charity was as eminent as his piety: He gave much alms to the people: that is, to the people of the Jews, to whom alms was not unclean, though given by an heathen person.

It is further added, That He prayed to God always; He prayed to the true Gods not to idols; and he prayed to God always: that is, at every fitting season, and convenient opportunity for the duty.

We are said in scripture to do a thing continually, when we do it seasonably. Thus to pray always, to pray evermore, to pray without ceasing, is,

first, to keep the heart continually, as much as may be, in a praying frame and disposition;

and secondly, To embrace the proper seasons and opportunities for prayher.

The beauty of religion lies much in the harmonious performance of the duties of it; when one duty doth not interfere with another, but we prudently find time for all.

Thus did Cornelius here; He feared God with all his house, gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

A God Fearing Gentile Is Directed to Seek the Truth

The city of Caesarea, according to Ash, was “an important seaport and the center of the Roman government and militia for the area. Both Greeks and Jews populated the city, often inharmoniously.” Luke told Theophilus that in that city was a centurion, or commander of a hundred men, named Cornelius. He was of the Italian regiment, or cohort, which would have numbered between 600 and 1,000. The beloved physician described him as being devout, God fearing, one who gave generous gifts to those who might have been in need and prayed. Luke noted that his household also feared God, which was a way of describing one who believed in the God of Abraham but had refused to be circumcised.

At three in the afternoon, which was the ninth hour and a Jewish hour of prayer, an angel appeared to Cornelius in a vision. He reassured the frightened centurion by telling him God positively received his sacrifices. Then, as the ultimate proof of that acceptance, God directed that Cornelius send men to Joppa to call for Simon Peter at the house of a tanner named Simon. Immediately following the angel’s departure, Cornelius dispatched two servants and a religious soldier to the city of Joppa ( Act 10:1-8 ).

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

Act 10:1-2. There was a certain man in Cesarea That is, Cesarea of Palestine, (of which see note on Act 8:40,) where Philip had been and preached before, and where, therefore, the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ was not quite unknown. It had been preached, however, by him, as it was now at Jerusalem and elsewhere, only to the Jews, Samaritans, and such Gentiles as were circumcised, and complete proselytes to Judaism. But God was now determined to open a way for the publication of it to the uncircumcised Gentiles, and to admit them into his church by baptism, on the terms of true repentance and faith in Christ, without obliging them to be circumcised, or proselyted to the Jewish religion. This remarkable change in the economy of divine grace toward mankind; this discovery of the gospel to the Gentiles; and the bringing of them, who had been strangers and foreigners: to be fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God, without laying them under any obligation of observing the ceremonial law, was such a mystery to the apostles themselves, and such a surprise, (Eph 3:3; Eph 3:6,) that it concerns us carefully to observe all the circumstances of the beginning of this great work, this part of the mystery of godliness, Christ preached to the Gentiles, and believed on in the world, 1Ti 3:16. No doubt, before this time, some Gentiles had occasionally entered into the synagogues of the Jews, which Christ and his apostles continually visited, and had heard the gospel preached by them; but the gospel had not yet been designedly preached to the uncircumcised Gentiles, nor had any of them been baptized; the person here mentioned was the first. Of the conversion of this man, the first-fruits of the Gentiles in the Christian Church, we are here presented with a most interesting and edifying account. We are informed that before his conversion, although a Roman soldier, (a centurion, or commander of one hundred men, in what was called the Italian band, or cohort, the soldiers composing it, it seems, being Italians,) and although an uncircumcised heathen: he was a devout man A man of real piety, as , the expression here used, signifies; one that feared God Who believed in the one living and true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, reverenced his glory and authority, and had a dread of offending him by sin. Yea, he feared him with all his house Had not an idolater or profane person in his family; but took care that not himself only, but all his, should serve the Lord. He was also a very charitable man, one who gave much alms to the people Namely, the people of the Jews, notwithstanding the singularities of their religion. Though he was a Gentile, he was ready to contribute to the relief of any one that was a real object of charity, whatever his religious sentiments or mode of worship might be. Add to this, he spent much time in prayer; yea, he prayed to God alway Living continually in the spirit of prayer; and having, and constantly observing, stated times for prayer in private and in his family, esteeming it an important part of his daily business and pleasure to employ himself in such sacred exercises. Observe, reader, wherever the fear of God rules in the heart it will show itself in works both of piety and charity; both equally necessary, and neither of which will excuse our neglecting the other.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

X: 1, 2. The scene changes from Joppa to Csarea, about thirty 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 Csarea 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. 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.

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

Acts Chapter 10

The undiminished power of Peter, his apostolic authority, in the midst of which the entrance of Cornelius into the spiritual house of God takes place, in connection with Peters ministry, and that, after the calling of Saul, which opened a new perspective-all these facts taken together confirmed that which went before. The original work was in no wise set aside to bring in another. Nevertheless, Peters vision did not reveal the assembly as the body of Christ, neither did the admission of Cornelius. They only shewed that in every nation he who feared God was acceptable to Him-in a word, that the favour of God was not limited to the Jews, and that there was no need of becoming a Jew in order to share the salvation that is in Christ. The oneness of the body united to its Head in heaven was not brought out by this event; but it prepared the way for the promulgation of that truth, since in fact the Gentile was admitted on earth without becoming a Jew. The thing was done on earth individually, although the doctrine itself was not taught. Repentance unto life eternal was granted to the Gentiles as such. The Holy Ghost-the seal of Christian blessing among the Jews, the fruit of redemption accomplished by Jesus-was given to Gentiles as to Jews. The latter might be astonished at it; but there was no resisting God. Through grace they could praise Him for it.

From chapter 9:32 to 11:18, we find then, the power of the Spirit of God with Peter in the midst of Israel, and the admission of Gentiles into the earthly assembly, without their becoming Jews, or submitting to the ancient order which was passing away; the seal of the Spirit put upon them; and the heads of the assembly at Jerusalem, and the most ardent of the circumcision, accepting the fact as the will of God, and praising Him while submitting to it, in spite of their prejudices. The door then is open to the Gentile. This was an immense step. The precious doctrine of the assembly had yet to be announced.

Peter had proclaimed the call of the Gentiles in his first discourse; but to realise it, and give form to its conditions, in connection with that which had already existed historically, required the intervention, the authority, and the revelation of God. Progress is evident through the patient grace of God; for it was not the wisdom of man. Altogether Jewish at the commencement, the people of Jerusalem were taught that Jesus would return if they repented. This testimony of grace is rejected, and, in the person of him who maintained it, the firstfruits of the assembly go up to heaven. The Holy Ghost, in His sovereign liberty, acts in Samaria and among the proselytes. The assembly being scattered by the persecution, Saul is brought in by the revelation of a glorious Christ, and by a testimony from His mouth which implies the union of saints on earth with Himself their Head in heaven as only one body. After this a pious Gentile, converted but still a Gentile, receives faith in Christ and the Holy Ghost; so that, marked out by this testimony-this seal from God Himself to his faith-the apostle and the disciples who were the most attached to Judaism receive him; Peter by baptising him, and the others by accepting Peters act.

Let us notice here, that salvation is not only the fact of being quickened and pious, but that of complete deliverance so as to present us to Himself in righteousness, which God grants to every one who has life through the operation of God. Cornelius was pious and earnestly so; but he hears words of a work done for him whereby he may be, and (as we know) was saved. Finally the seal of the Holy Ghost, upon believing in Jesus, [17] is the ground on which those whom God accepts are acknowledged. That is to say, it is the full evidence for man.

Footnotes for Acts Chapter 10

17: If we examine closely the scriptures in its statements and facts, we shall find, I think, as to detail, that it is faith in the work of Jesus for the remission of sins which is sealed.

Fuente: John Darby’s Synopsis of the New Testament

SANCTIFICATION OF CORNELIUS

1-48. Cornelius was a noted Roman officer living at Caesarea, the seat of the imperial government in Judea. The Holy Ghost pronounces him Eusebees, i. e., godly, and certifies that he feared God with all his house, doing much alms to the people, and praying to God always. The application of these inspired adjectives to a sinner is an irreconcilable contradiction. Of course, he was a Gentile Roman, having never been proselyted to Judaism; but he was not simply a pious heathen, like multiplied thousands who are now in heaven, but he knew and worshipped the God of Israel, having lived many years in that country. Meanwhile, since the revival at Pentecost, eight or ten years, the whole country had been overrun by blood-washed and fire-baptized Pentecostal evangelists, preaching from house to house, on every hill-top and under every green tree, till he had actually become familiar with the gospel of Christ. As Peter certifies (v.37), This word you have known, and know yet better than ever, which was throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Act 10:1. Cornelius, a centurion. The person to whom St. Peter is sent to preach the gospel is described by name, Cornelius. By his occupation, a soldier. By his religion, a proselyte or converted gentile. Of these there were two sorts; some were proselytes of the covenant, that is, such gentiles as submitted themselves to circumcision, and the whole Mosaical pedagogy. These were counted as jews, and freely conversed with as such. Others were called proselytes of the gate; these were not circumcised, nor did they conform to the Mosaic rites, but were obliged only to serve the seven precepts of Noah; namely, to worship the true God, and not idols; to abstain from blood, from fornication, from robbery; to administer justice impartially, and do as they would be done unto. Such a proselyte as this, the jews would not converse with, but counted unclean, being of the gentiles; and such a one was this Cornelius. But though a gentile, though a soldier, a commissioned officer, he was a pious, charitable, and good man. In all nations, in all places, of all employments, God has a number of holy and gracious persons, to honour him in the world, according to their present measure of light received from him.

The evidence which Cornelius gave of his religious state and condition. He feared God with all his house, gave much alms, and prayed to God always. Cornelius was therefore really, because relatively, religious. He obliges his family to fear God as well as himself. Like Abraham, he commands his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord. Gen 18:19. Thus the blessing of Abraham came upon this gentile. Cornelius feared God with all his house. His charity was as eminent as his piety: he gave much alms to the people, to the people of the jews, to whom alms was not unclean, though given by a heathen. It is further added, that he prayed to God always. He prayed to the true God, not to idols; and he prayed to God always, that is, at every fitting season, and convenient opportunity for the duty. We are said to do a thing continually, when we do it seasonably. Thus to pray always, to pray evermore, and to pray without ceasing, is to keep the heart continually, as much as may be, in a praying frame. The beauty of religion lies much in the harmonious performance of duties. See the notes on Luk 18:1.

The Italian band. The Romans had various ways of distinguishing their military bands. Sometimes numerically; they were called the first, or the second band, according to their precedency. Sometimes, from the countries they were quartered in; so the German, the Panonian legions, because they were there in service. Sometimes from the commander they were under; the Augustan, the Claudian band, because persons of their name had the command of them. Sometimes from their own behaviour; so victrix, ferrea, the conquering, the iron band, because of the emergencies they had appeared in. Sometimes from the parts they were gathered from; so this is here called the Italian band, because raised out of that country.

Act 10:2. Gave much alms. When a mans heart is open to the poor, it is a good symptom of Gods mercy to him. When Cornelius gave alms, his cutting was near. When speaking of ceremonial cleanness under the law, our Lord says, Give alms, and all things are clean unto you. Luk 11:41. St. James also describes this as a part of the moral purity required under the gospel; for pure religion and undefiled before God, is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction. Jas 1:27. Cornelius gave much alms; much, not only with respect to his rank and fortune, or to his religion, being at most but a proselyte of the gate, but much, considered in itself; for it is said he gave much alms to the people, which must imply an enlarged generous bounty. To give alms, might have argued a sense of religion; but to give much, implies zeal and fervency. To give alms might have argued in him humanity and tenderness of nature, but to give much alms shows a heavenly disposition and greatness of mind made so by faith. Something he might have done for reputation, something out of compliance and decency; but to give much alms, in a person of his circumstances, was an unquestionable proof of sincerity. Prayer and alms are powerful solicitations with God, one assists the other. Alms give wings to prayer, that it may ascend more swiftly to heaven; and prayer gives strength to alms, to enable them to follow.

Act 10:4. For a memorial before God. The word , rendered a memorial, is used both of the incense offered up with the sacrifice, and of a part or handful of the mincha offered up to God. Lev 2:2; Lev 2:9; Lev 5:12. Num 5:15; Num 5:18; Num 5:26. In these places no incense was to be admitted, it being an offering for sin, or a memorial for iniquity; so that there, not the incense or perfume, but part of the mincha, or oblation put upon the altar, is called astharah, a memorial. Now, seeing alms are the christian sacrifices, being so called by the apostle, Php 4:18; and seeing our prayers and our praises are said to ascend as incense, Rev 5:8; seeing they are our sacrifice of praise, Heb 13:15-16, and our alms the odour or sweet savour, Php 4:18, the allusion here may very fitly relate to both. That God hears prayer, is an expression common to all writers; but that prayers ascend up to heaven as a sweet-smelling savour, is a Hebrew form of speech not less vigorous or applicable. It is indeed a beautiful allusion to the odour and fragrance of sacrifice and incense ascending to the skies; grateful to God as his own appointment, and a proper expression of the duty and obedience of his pious worshippers.

Act 10:6. He shall tell thee. Notwithstanding the extraordinary piety and devotion of Cornelius, who was certainly a great moralist, yet he had something still to do, which as yet he did not know of, and without which he could never get to heaven. He must send to Simon Peter to be instructed in the faith of Christ, which is doubtless as clear a demonstration as can be desired, that all the devotion and good works imaginable can never bring us to heaven without Christ, Act 4:12; and therefore, although it be indispensably necessary that we do good works, yet we must not trust in them, but only in Christ for happiness and salvation. God does not send Cornelius to St. Peter, but commands Peter to come to his house, that he may not take Cornelius away from the place where duty required his presence; and that this mercy may extend to his relations and friends.

Act 10:34. God is no respecter of persons. Respect of persons, in matters judicial, is showed when men judge others not according to the merits of the cause, but according to outward respects, as the greatness, the riches, the meanness and poverty of the person, or from motives of friendship or affection. So in spiritual things, to accept persons is to respect them and their services, not on account of any thing that makes them more fit to be regarded than others, or more acceptable in the sight of God, but on account of the nation to which they belong, or the ancestors from whom they were descended. Thus, because God had chosen the jews to be his people, and to perform his promise made to them, the jews imagined that God would accept them and their services on that account; that they were of the jewish nation, of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh; and that he would not accept the persons, or regard the services of the gentiles, for want of these things; but these false conceptions are amply refuted by the apostles of our Lord.

Paul shows that not the jews only, but men of any other nation may be accepted, there being but one God, who is rich to all that call upon him, whether jew or gentile. Rom 10:12. He being the God, not of the jews only, but also of the gentiles, is ready to justify them both through faith. Rom 3:29-30. Peter also shows that God accepts such men, not on account of their descent, or circumcision, but because they fear him and work righteousness. Thus Cornelius being one that feared God, and gave much alms, his prayers and alms came up before God for a memorial. It is therefore evident that some of other nations owning the true God, not only might, but actually did fear him and work righteousness; otherwise they ill deserved the title given to the proselytes of the gate. Nor could St. Peter perceive that God was no respecter of persons on account of a thing which never did or could happen. But glory, honour, and peace, shall be to every one that doeth good, to the jew first, and also to the gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God. Rom 2:10-11.

Act 10:46. They heard them speak with tongues. Partly Greek, and partly Latin, for the love of God which filled their heart gave them wonderful utterance to make their meaning understood in reciting scripture expressions of praise to God.

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Acts 10. The Conversion of Cornelius.This incident is parallel to the conversion of the Ethiopian by Philip; both show the extension of the Gospel beyond the Jews, and prepare for the story of the Pauline mission. On the opening vision cf. Act 8:26, Act 16:9, Gal 2:2. See also p. 767.

Act 10:1. The Italian Band has been much discussed. The points are stated by Schmiedel (EBi. 908). Mommsen considers that the Italian band cannot be identified. Cornelius is introduced as a Gentile adherent of the Jewish religion. Devout is to be taken in the Jewish sense; fearing the Lord, he reverenced the God of Judaism by attending the synagogue. Psa 115:9-13 gives the threefold division of the congregation of the Temple; priests, Jewish members, Godfearers; in the synagogue the priests were wanting.

Act 10:3. in a vision and openly contradict each other.

Act 10:4. Cf. Sir 35:7.memorial before God: used of a particular sacrifice (Lev 2:2; Lev 2:9).

Act 10:5. The distance is thirty miles.

Act 10:7. devout soldier: cf. Mat 8:9 and the whole account of the two centurions.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

Gentiles also must now hear the gospel. The heart of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, had been already prepared by God, having a wholesome, genuine fear of God that proved itself in kind works toward the Jewish people, a man of consistent prayer. Though the apostles had been told to go to Gentiles (Luk 24:47), it was no easy matter for them to begin this, and God gave two visions, confirmatory of one another, to persuade Peter to go. Cornelius was given a vision of an angel, who told him his prayers and alms had come up for a memorial before God (v.4). Therefore there is no doubt that Cornelius was already born again, for only the new life can have God’s approval in this way.

He is told, not to go to Joppa himself, but to send men to bring Simon Peter from there, giving instructions as to where to find him. For it was important, on this occasion of publicly admitting Gentiles into the kingdom of heaven, that Peter should present the gospel to a number of them together. Cornelius chose two household servants and a devout soldier on whom he could depend, to carry the message to Peter (vs.7-8).

As they neared Joppa, the Lord was preparing Peter for their coming, causing him to go to the housetop to pray at about noon. Though he became very hungry, God did not allow him to eat, but while a meal was being prepared he fell into a trance, seeing heaven opened and a vessel resembling a great sheet knit at the four corners let down from heaven to earth. In this were beasts of every kind, domesticated, wild, creeping things and birds

Peter however resisted the voice that told him to rise, kill and eat. Obedient to Old Testament law (Lev 11:1-47), he had never eaten what was there forbidden as being unclean. But he is plainly told, “What God has cleansed you must not call common” (v.15).

What does the vessel with its animals symbolize? Peter recognized its meaning when later he spoke to Cornelius, “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” (v.28). The vessel therefore symbolizes the church of God as including those people redeemed from every nation, whether cultured (domesticated animals), savage and unrestrained (wild beasts); repulsive and deceitful (creeping things); or influenced by

Satanic doctrine (fowls of the air). The vessel descending from heaven indicates that the origin of the church is heavenly: its being drawn up again into heaven shows the destination of the church to be heavenly. Three times the matter is impressed upon Peter’s mind, implying a full manifestation of God’s thoughts on this subject. For the dispensation of the grace of God fully sets aside the principles of legal requirements. The literal eating or not eating of certain meats has no longer therefore any spiritual significance, as 1Ti 4:3-5 insists.

Understandably Peter was in doubt, wondering why the vision was given. But he had not long to wait for an answer, for the men sent from Cornelius were at the gate asking for him. He does not go in response to their asking, however, but by the direction of the Holy Spirit, who tells him of the three men seeking him, and instructs him to go with the men without personal reservations, for God had sent them.

Peter’s interest is greatly awakened, so that he questions the men as to the reason for their coming. In answer they highly commend the character of Cornelius, and inform Peter of his having been instructed by an angel to send to bring Peter to his house, in order to hear the message Peter had to give.

Of course Peter was fully ready to go, and after having the messengers lodged for the night in the home of his host, he accompanied them the next day on their return to Caesarea, together with other brethren from Joppa. There was wisdom in this, for Peter knew that his Jewish brethren would certainly require some witness as to a matter of such tremendous consequence to Jewish minds. He would be very thankful he had done this when he was later challenged as to his having gone into a Gentile’s home, and having eaten with Gentiles (Ch.11:2-3).

Fully expecting Peter, Cornelius had already gathered together his relatives and close friends to hear the word of God. However, because of thorough reverence for the things of God, he made the serious mistake of falling at Peter’s feet to worship him. Some men would proudly accept this, but not Peter, who knew that only the Lord is to be worshiped. Peter took him up, ordering him to stand, for he was just as Cornelius, a mere man, and not God. When John (in Rev 22:8) fell down to worship an angel, the angel solemnly forbid him to do it.

Speaking to the gathered audience, Peter tells them they knew it was unlawful for a Jew to keep company with, or even come on friendly terms to the home of, one who was of a foreign nation. This was not precisely what Israel’s law had said, but it was the interpretation the Jews generally had at this time accepted. The Lord sent Elijah to stay with a Gentile widow (1Ki 17:9). More importantly, God sent Joseph and Mary with the child Jesus to Egypt, where it would be impossible to keep this Jewish regulation. Moreover, the Lord Himself spoke in kindness to a Samaritan woman, she being surprised at this, for the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans (Joh 4:9). But Peter’s rigid thoughts had to give way to the Lord’s revelation to him: he must not call any man common or unclean, of whatever nation he was. This was his reason for coming immediately without objection.

In answer to his question, Cornelius explains to him the experience of his seeing the vision of the angel in response to his prayer, and of the instructions he was given to send for Peter. The miraculous character of this was fully corroborated by the vision given to Peter, so that in this there was no possibility of deception, as in the cases of many who claim to have had visions. The gathering in the home of Cornelius therefore had been carefully arranged by God, and they were ready to hear all that God had commanded Peter.

Peter’s opening words then are precious, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of Him.” Evidently he had himself considered that God was a respecter of persons, for his education was such as to give Israelites a higher place in God’s sight than all other nationalities. In the church of God all of this must be totally leveled; and God used this miraculous way of impressing such truth upon Peter.

He reminds them that they knew of the word of God sent to Israel by Jesus Christ, He who preached peace in the midst of the strife and confusion of the nation. The parenthesis he adds, “He is Lord of all,” shows that the message was not to be confined to Israel. The facts of John’s baptism and of the ministry of the Lord Jesus following this, beginning in and published throughout all Galilee, were well known through the land. Peter speaks of the public anointing of the Lord Jesus at Jordan when John baptized Him, the power of the Spirit of God therefore manifest in His many good works, healing of the sick, etc., proof of God’s being with Him.

The apostles were witness of all these things that the Lord had done, and also of the cruel opposition of the Jewish leaders, who had slain Him, hanging Him on a tree. No doubt Cornelius had heard this too, but beyond that he needed the most vital news that Peter had to give him, that God had on the third day raised Christ from among the dead and showed Him openly. This was not however to the public generally, but to special witnesses before chosen by God, the apostles and others who actually ate and drank with Him following His resurrection.

Having a message of such tremendous import, Peter and the other apostles had been commanded by God to preach to the people and testify that this same Jesus has been ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead. His resurrection is proof of this great prerogative (Act 17:31). Notice that in all this matter there is great care given to back up everything with solid proof, God having first shown this in the two visions given at corresponding times to Cornelius and Peter, then in all that Peter speaks.

Peter’s last words to Cornelius and those gathered in his house appeal to the united witness of all the Old Testament prophets, whose prophecies concerning the Messiah of Israel were unmistakably fulfilled in the blessed Man Christ Jesus. Yet they did not only establish the fact of His being Judge, but that whoever (Jew or Gentile) genuinely believed in Him would receive remission of sins. Marvellous message of grace!

As Peter was speaking God suddenly intervened by sovereign power and grace. The Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening. They were not called upon to be baptized first, as Jews had been (Ch.2:38), but God here demonstrated His full acceptance of Gentiles in a public way that could not be mistaken. Gentiles had not been guilty of the public rejection of the Messiah, as had been the case with Israel, who were therefore required by baptism to publicly reverse their previous stand against Christ before God could publicly accept them.

The Jewish believers who came with Peter were astonished to witness the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon Gentiles: for just as Jewish disciples had spoken in other languages (Act 2:4) at the reception of the Spirit, so now Gentiles do the same, indicating that national barriers are broken over and an understanding established between those of every nation, the result of the value of the sacrifice of Christ. These languages were understandable to some present at least, for they heard them magnify God.

Baptism is not by any means ignored, however, for it is the public badge of Christianity. Neither were they left to decide for themselves whether they wanted to be baptized. Peter by his question sets aside any objection that might be raised by Jews as to whether the Gentiles should be baptized. Actually God had decided it by His giving them the Spirit. Therefore Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Surely this was not any ignoring of the commission the Lord gave Peter and the other disciples in Mat 28:19, as to baptizing “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” For when this formula was used, this was certainly baptizing in the name of the Lord. At their request Peter remained with them some days, certainly to further instruct them in the truth of God.

Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible

Verse 1

Cesarea was a large seaport, and the residence of the Roman governors.–Centurion; a captain, commander of about one hundred men.–Italian band; a part of the army which had been brought into the country from Italy.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

10:1 There {1} was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian [band],

(1) Peter consecrates the first fruits of the Gentiles to God by the means of two miracles.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

2. The conversion of Cornelius 10:1-11:18

Many people consider healing a lame person a great miracle and raising a dead person back to life an even greater one. But the spiritual salvation of a lost sinner is greater than both of them. The Lord performed the first two miracles through Peter (Act 9:32-43), and now He did the third (ch. 10).

"In a sense this scene is the book’s turning point, as from here the gospel will fan out in all directions to people across a vast array of geographical regions, something Paul’s three missionary journeys will underscore." [Note: Bock, Acts, p. 380.]

The episode concerning Cornelius is obviously very important since there are three lengthy references to it in Acts (chs. 10, 11, and 15). It deals with an important issue concerning the mission that the Lord gave His disciples. That issue is how the Christians should carry out that mission in view of the obstacle of Gentile uncleanness. Gentiles were ritually unclean and communicated ritual uncleanness to Jews, according to the Mosaic Law, mainly because they did not observe Jewish dietary distinctions (Leviticus 11). This obstacle kept Jews and Gentiles separate in society.

Luke stressed four things in this conversion story particularly. First, the Christians initially resisted the ideas of evangelizing Gentiles and accepting them into the church apart from any relationship to Judaism (Act 10:14; Act 10:28; Act 11:2-3; Act 11:8). Second, God Himself led the way in Gentile evangelism and acceptance, and He showed His approval (Act 10:3; Act 10:11-16; Act 10:19-20; Act 10:22 b, 30-33, 44-46; Act 11:5-10; Act 11:13; Act 11:15-17). Third, it was Peter, the leader of the Jerusalem apostles, whom God used to open the door of the church to Gentiles rather than Paul (Act 10:23; Act 10:34-43; Act 10:47-48; Act 11:15-17). Fourth, the Jerusalem church accepted the conversion of Gentiles apart from their associating with Judaism because God had validated this in Cornelius’ case (Act 11:18). [Note: Longenecker, p. 383.]

"Although Paul is the primary agent in the mission to the Gentiles, Luke wishes to make it plain, not only that Peter was in full sympathy with his position, but that, as head of the Church, Peter was the first to give its official blessing to the admission of Gentiles as full and equal members of the New Israel [i.e., the church] by his action in the case of a Roman centurion and his friends . . ." [Note: Neil, p. 137.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Cornelius’ vision 10:1-8

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Caesarea stood on the Mediterranean coast about 30 miles north of Joppa. Formerly its name was Strato’s Tower, but Herod the Great renamed it in honor of Augustus Caesar, his patron who was the adopted heir of Julius Caesar. "Sebaste" is the Greek equivalent of the Latin "Augustus." Herod the Great had modernized the city, made it the provincial capital of Judea (Pilate lived there), and built its magnificent harbor. It was at this time the major Roman seaport for Palestine and its most important center of Roman government and military activity. [Note: See Hengel, pp. 55-58.]

Cornelius was a common Roman name. [Note: See Longenecker, pp. 384-85.] Centurions were non-commissioned officers of the Roman army who each commanded 100 soldiers and were on about the same level of authority as a captain in the United States army. A "cohort" contained 600 soldiers, and Cornelius’ cohort had connections with Italy. [Note: See Barrett, p. 499.] Every reference to centurions in the New Testament is positive (Mat 8:5-10; Mat 27:54; Mar 15:44-45; Act 22:25-26; Act 23:17-18; Act 27:6; Act 27:43). These men were "the backbone of the Roman army." [Note: Bruce, Commentary on . . ., p. 215. Cf. Barclay, p. 82.] Cornelius was similar to the centurion of Luk 7:1-10 (see especially Act 10:5).

"The legion was the regiment [cf. an American division] of the Roman army, and it consisted nominally of 6000 men. Each legion was divided into ten cohorts [Amer. battalion], and again each cohort contained six centuries or ’hundreds’ of men [Amer. company]. The officer in command of a cohort was called a tribune or in the Greek chiliarch: Such was Claudius Lysias of xxi 31 and xxiii 26. A century was under a centurion or kekatontarch." [Note: Rackham, p. 147.]

Cornelius represents a new type of person to whom the gospel had not gone before, as recorded in Acts. The Ethiopian eunuch was also a Gentile, but the Jews viewed his occupation favorably. There was nothing about his occupation that would have repulsed the Jews. However, Cornelius, in addition to being a Gentile, was a member of Israel’s occupying army. The Jews would have avoided him because of his occupation even though he possessed an admirable character and was friendly to the Jews.

It is interesting to note that the first Gentile Jesus dealt with during His ministry was a Roman centurion and he, too, believed. In response to that man’s faith Jesus announced that many would come from among the Gentiles to join Jews in the kingdom of heaven (Mat 8:11).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)