Acts 10:19 ¶ 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 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? 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. 23 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. 25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. 26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. 27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. 28 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 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, 31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in 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. 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 all things that are commanded thee of God.
The Spirit of God and
we know that due to its capitalization alerts Peter to the three men who came
from Cornelius. Verse 23 shows that it took a day and a night and part of
another day to get to Caesarea. Verse 26 warns us about the dangers of
worshipping the messenger and not the One who sent the message. Fundamentalism
in America has this whole “man o’ God” cult going on. There are other times
when persons delivering a message are worshipped and yet are told not to as in
Acts 14:8-18. There is also;
Revelation
19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship
him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of
thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony
of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Verse 28 shows us how
Christ’s resurrection was a great leveler of men and their presumption of
superiority, especially here religious superiority over other men. Verse 29
suggests to us that once we are certain of God’s will for us we should
immediately proceed to obey without hesitation and without holding back.
Cornelius is prepared
to hear some preaching. He is ready to receive what God has given Peter to say
to him. This is basic to our receiving God’s will and understanding what He
wants. We must be prepared like a field must be plowed to receive seed. Both
the giver of the word and the receiver of the word have been prepared by the
Holy Spirit.
Acts
10:34 ¶ Then Peter opened his
mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation he that feareth
him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 36 The word which God sent unto the
children of Israel, preaching peace 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, 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 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; 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, that
through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Before a nation hears
the gospel of Jesus Christ and about His death, burial, and resurrection God
has provided the basis upon which the New Guinea tribesman or the Swedish
businessman could be accepted by Him. The requirement is that they believe and
fear an Almighty Creator and that they try to do right as a result. God will
send them a messenger from Him to deliver the truth of the gospel as He does
here.
There is peace with God
only through Jesus Christ. Mankind is in His wrath apart from Christ. This is
not about religion but about understanding and accepting God’s amnesty in your
rebellion and wickedness.
Peter declares that he
not only walked with Christ before the Cross and Crucifixion, but he ate and
drank with Him after He rose for the dead making Peter a reliable and
authoritative witness. God only revealed Christ after the Resurrection to those
witnesses chose by God and these were sent out to be witnesses as the prophets
were before them.
This explains why
Christ did not reveal Himself after the Resurrection in the emperor’s palace or
to the Sanhedrin. Paul says there were upwards of five hundred of these
witnesses who saw Christ.
1Corinthians 15:1 ¶ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
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