Acts 10
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion
in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout
and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God
regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He
distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” – Acts
10:1-3
Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he
asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor
have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring
back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the
tanner, whose house is by the sea.” – Acts 10:4-6
When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius
called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.
He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. – Acts 10:7-8
The angel told
Cornelius that his prayers and gifts to the poor had been received by God. His acts went up to God just as the smoke of
the incense rose up to God at the altar.
At this point in time, Cornelius was not saved. He had not yet believed the gospel. He hadn’t received the Holy Spirit. None of his prayers and gifts to the poor
earned his salvation. He too was guilty
of sin and rebellion towards God and needed his sins forgiven.
About noon the following day as they were on their
journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became
hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he
fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being
let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed
animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice
told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” –Acts 10:9-13
“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten
anything impure or unclean.”
The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call
anything impure that God has made clean.”
This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was
taken back to heaven.
While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the
vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped
at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was
staying there. – Acts 10:14-18
While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the
Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go
downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” – Acts
10:19-20
Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re
looking for. Why have you come?”
The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the
centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the
Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he
could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to
be his guests. – Acts 10:21-22
According to
God’s law, Peter had abstained from eating animals that were considered unclean
by God. Now, God was revealing something
new. At this point, God hadn’t revealed
all of His thoughts about the matter. He
only gave Peter a basic understanding at first.
Peter knew that God was calling something that was once unclean as now
clean. He didn’t say anything to Peter
about the unclean thing being the Gentiles.
God doesn’t always give us the understanding of His will right up
front. Sometimes it comes piece by
piece. But we don’t need to let what we don’t know to keep us from obeying what
we do know.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the
brothers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea.
Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close
friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in
reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
– Acts 10:23-26
Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large
gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against
our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown
me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I
came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” – Acts
10:27-29
Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house
praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining
clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and
remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter.
He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ So I sent
for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the
presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
– Acts 10:30-33
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is
that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him
and do what is right.” – Acts 10:34-35
God is not
only about to reveal something to Cornelius and his family. He’s also revealing more to Peter. He finally realized what the vision was all
about. Peter didn’t have a complete
understanding of the gospel or the church, but he didn’t let that keep him from
obeying what God had already told him.
As you go, as Jesus commanded us, He will reveal more.
Peter came to
understand that God would accept those who would fear Him and do what was
right. The word “accept” doesn’t mean
that they are saved. I’ve heard it
explained that the word means “to get a favorable hearing.” In other words, that person would have a
chance to stand before the judge. A
person is not forgiven because of their good works. They’re only saved by grace through
faith. But they have a humble heart that
can now accept the grace of God. I’ve
talked with many people who believe there is a God and that Jesus died for
everyone. But not many people fear Him. It takes a good long look into the mirror,
God’s law, for us to learn what it means to fear Him.
God gives a
certain amount of light to every person.
This light is His truth. He gives
an understanding of right and wrong to every person. He gives knowledge of His existence to every
person. A person can choose to accept
this light or to reject it. If they
accept it, then God will give more light.
Consider the following verses about God giving certain understanding to
every person:
“The true Light that gives light to every man was coming
into the world.” – John 1:9
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but
men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” – John 3:19
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against
all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their
wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has
made it plain to them. For since the
creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine
nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so
that men are without excuse. – Romans 1:18-19
Every person
needs to be careful how they respond to what God has revealed to them
personally. Not every person has heard
the gospel, but every person has received light from God. John MacArthur, in reference to Cornelius,
said,
Here is a man who, in his own heart and
his own mind, has come to the understanding of the true God. He has a certain amount of light, and he’s
living to the full capacity of that light, and God moves in and really shows
him the full light, the [L]ight of the world, Jesus Christ. (https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1734)
Jesus said
that people need to be careful to do something with the light that God has
given them:
“Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has
will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be
taken from him.” – Luke 8:18
Luke gives
more references to this type of God-fearing person in Acts:
“He and all his family were devout and God-fearing…” – Acts
10:2
“He is a righteous and God-fearing man…” – Acts 10:22
“but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do
what is right.” – Acts 10:35
“Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen…” – Acts
13:16
“Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you
who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.” – Acts 13:26
“Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and
Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks…” – Acts 17:4
God will
figure out a way to get the message of the gospel to the God-fearing person who
responds to the light He’s given them.
Just like Cornelius, God prepares the heart of the one who will receive Him. He will find a way and a person to get the
message to them. Consider how God does
this in the following verses:
“…The LORD opened her [Lydia’s] heart to pay attention to
what was said by Paul.” – Acts 16:14
“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be
taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard
and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” – John 6:45
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.” – II Corinthians 4:6
“You know the message God sent to the people of Israel,
telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You
know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the
power of the devil, because God was with Him. – Acts 10:36-38
“We are witnesses of everything He did in the country of
the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed Him by hanging Him on a tree, but God
raised Him from the dead on the third day and caused Him to be seen. He was not
seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who
ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach
to the people and to testify that He is the One whom God appointed as Judge of
the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who
believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” – Acts 10:39-43
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy
Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had
come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been
poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and
praising God.
Then Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being
baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he
ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked
Peter to stay with them for a few days. – Acts 10:44-48
Cornelius and
his family responded well to the light, and when they heard about the Light of
the world, Jesus Christ, they received Him as well. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul explains that a person
receives the Holy Spirit when they believe the gospel. Cornelius and his family had believed the
gospel. Now, the Jews and Gentiles could
be one in Christ. If Peter told other
Jews that the Gentiles received the Spirit just as they did, then how could his
fellow Jews believe that this really happened?
Cornelius could have said, “Yes, I believe the gospel.” But what evidence would show that he had
eternal life and was now a part of the church?
God allowed Peter and his Jewish companions to witness something. Cornelius and his family spoke in other
languages which they had not known previously.
This is one of the evidences in the book of Acts which showed that the
Gentiles had eternal life just like the Jews.
God was confirming that something new was happening and He was giving
proof by them speaking in tongues.
The gospel of
Luke and the book of Acts should probably be seen as one work with two
parts. They’re not two totally separate
writings. At the end of Luke in 24:47-49,
he records Jesus saying,
"and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached
in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these
things. I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the
city until you have been clothed with power from on high." – Luke 24:47-49
In Acts 1, Luke writes that Jesus told them to wait at
Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. Jesus
said that they would be His witnesses in “Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In Acts 2, they received the Spirit, and then
in the rest of Acts, Luke was explaining how the mission they were given was
carrying on to the ends of the earth.
Cornelius was the first Gentile convert.
As we continue in Acts, we will read about the continuation of the
church’s mission to the ends of the earth. 
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