Acts study & commentary

In his book A Savior for All Seasons, William Barker describes a bishop from the east coast who visited a small midwestern religious college many years ago. While there, he stayed at the home of the president who also served on the faculty as professor of physics and chemistry.

During their stimulating after-dinner discussion, the bishop mentioned his confidence that the millennium could not be far off because just about everything about nature had been discovered and virtually anything one could imagine had been invented. What further reason could the Lord have for delaying his return?

Politely but firmly, the young college president disagreed suggesting that many more discoveries and certainly many more inventions lay around the next scientific corner. Somewhat angered, the bishop challenged the younger man to name just one invention he anticipated seeing in the future. The president replied that he was quite certain that within fifty years, men would be able to fly.

“Nonsense!” sputtered the outraged bishop, “only angels are intended to fly.”

That bishop’s name was Wright. At home he had two boys who loved to tinker with things and were fascinated by the sky; two boys with significantly greater vision for the future than their father. Their names were Orville and Wilbur.^[1]

Orville and Wilbur had something their father didn't have, that was vision.  This is the ability to get outside the boundaries of what we think we know; to be a pioneer into uncharted territory.  Those without vision (blind) would say, "Orville and Wilbur, you guys are crazy, men can't fly!!"  The visionary accepts the challenge and says, "Just wait and see!"

We see something similar happening in Acts as the church is growing.  The 'vision' is driven by the Holy Spirit using the disciples who have made themselves available to him.  The early believers would have said, "Saul the Pharisee and persecutor of the church could never be converted!"  The Holy Spirit says, "Stand by!"

And we saw that very thing last week in chapter 9.  The early church, made up of Jews converted to Christianity wouldn't have considered Christianity as available to the Gentiles.  God was the God of the Jews, Jesus was Jewish.  He was the fulfillment of the Jewish law.  This had nothing to do with Christians, they would say.  Except that, clear back in Genesis, it was clear God would be salvation to the entire world, not just the Jews.  Jesus sent the disciples to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the end of the earth.

Acts 10:1-2

Caesarea was a city on the Mediterranean in the NW part of Israel.  It was named to honor Augustus Caesar.  The city was built by Herod the Great.  This city was a major port but also a seat of government for the Roman governor of Palestine.

We remember from chapter 8 that Philip made his way to Caesarea and stayed there.  Is it possible Philip knew Cornelius?  In chapter 9, Paul left Jerusalem when the Hellenists were trying to kill him and he was sent to Caesarea and then on to Tarsus.  As we continue our study in the book of Acts, we'll see Caesarea mentioned many times.

A centurion was an officer in a Roman legion.  The word read as regiment here in the NKJ is actually the word cohort.  This was 600 men or 1/10th of a legion.  A centurion was in command of 100 men.  In general a centurion came to that rank by working his way there.   Here's what one resource said about qualifications as a centurion:

The centurion in the infantry is chosen for his size, strength and dexterity in throwing his missile weapons and for his skill in the use of his sword and shield; in short for his expertness in all the exercises. He is to be vigilant, temperate, active and readier to execute the orders he receives than to talk; Strict in exercising and keeping up proper discipline among his soldiers, in obliging them to appear clean and well-dressed and to have their arms constantly rubbed and bright.

In short, this man was a good soldier.  He was disciplined, respected and he led men on the front lines.  Centurions had a high casualty rate.  These weren't men sitting at the back giving orders, they were in the trenches.  This detachment of soldiers that Cornelius commanded was probably stationed in Caesarea for protection of the governor.

Cornelius was a gentile and up to this point there were no gentile Christians.  Christianity had been confined to the Jews, so Cornelius wasn't a Christian.  Cornelius believed in God, respected Him and prayed to Him but He didn't have a relationship with Him.  I wonder what made this guy respect and fear God as he did?

 Read Luke 7:1-10 as Jesus interacted with a Centurion.  We have to at least wonder if this isn't the same guy, yet, we have no way of knowing.

Rome oppressed the Jews; and as a good soldier for Rome, Cornelius would be naturally despised by the Jews.  They would automatically dismiss this man as one of their enemies from which they needed to be delivered. 

Cornelius served Rome and the Roman Caesar.  The Caesar was worshiped as a God.  A soldier's allegiance to his Caesar had to be unquestionable.  We know Caesar worship was alive and well and temples were built to Caesar.  As Christian persecution broke out, many times Christians were called upon to deny Jesus and hail Caesar by burning a pinch of incense to him saying, "There is no god but Caesar."

Acts 10:3-8

Cornelius was afraid when he saw an angel.  This wasn't a man that was accustomed to being afraid of anything.  Yet, this fear was warranted.  He was seeing something unusual, someone beyond this world.  He seemed to know this was an angel and he responds as a servant, ready to serve.  

The prayers and alms honored God and not Cornelius.  The faithfulness of this man was a memorial to the God.  This doesn't earn him anything.  He didn't work his way to a higher rank in God's army.  This just displays the pattern of his life as that of one making himself available to God.  A good leader is a servant.  This man was a spiritual leader as well as a military leader.  Yet, with all that, this man doesn't know Jesus.  His sins are not forgiven. 

 Money is given and prayers are offered and we mostly forgot about both.  But God doesn’t forget, he sees our efforts and hears our prayers.  This devout and pious life of Cornelius brings him a mission from God.  He was to send men to dispatch Peter.  Joppa was 25 mile south. 

As a side note, it is interesting that Peter is staying with Simon the tanner.  Being the tanner was considered the vilest of all jobs.  This guy would have been despised by the Jews.  You dealt with dead animals and skins all day long.  Between all that and the chemicals used to tan the hides, the smell was horrendous.  The tanner was always located down wind and outside of town.  Everything about this man, his life and all that he did was considered unclean.  The Jewish law even made provision for a woman to divorce a tanner.  It was the only provision for a woman to initiate a divorce.  Also, if a husband died and the brother was a tanner, the woman didn’t have to marry the brother as would be proper in the levirate marriage.

So, a Roman soldier, who would normally be despised by the Jews sent messengers to the house of Simon, the tanner, a man despised by Jews as unclean.  The message was for Peter, an apostle, and another who was despised by Jewish leadership.  This is getting interesting.  These men all seem to come from different walks of life but they had more in common than anyone thought.

Acts 10:9-16

This noon prayer on the roof was a normal practice at that time.  It would be cooler and somewhat private.  Worship and praise and meetings of all kinds happened on the roof.  The architecture of that time included flat roofs with stair access. 

This sheet in Peter’s vision was full of all kinds of clean and unclean animals all mixed up.  This was symbolic of the mingling of Jews and gentiles.  And what God cleansed (the gentiles) could no longer be considered unclean.  Likewise, since there is no distinction between a Jew or gentile then dietary law was abolished.  God gave all the animals to Peter and said to kill and eat.  This was the end of the Jewish dietary restrictions.  They no longer had to live with a kosher diet.  Leviticus 11 details what was considered clean and unclean.

Peter's response is interesting since he is standing in the home of a tanner and considered unclean.  Peter tells the Lord no, as if God had made a mistake or that Peter would never do such an awful thing.  Spurgeon said this regarding this passage:

Peter was so stuck on the law that when the lawgiver released him from it, he wanted to argue!

Acts 10:17-20

Peter didn't automatically understand what was going on.  Why would the Lord send this vision showing His approval of what was previously restricted?  As Peter pondered, there was a knock at the door.  God's confirmation was on the way!  Peter was informed by the Spirit that he shouldn't say 'no' this time.  He needed to go with these men without doubting.  This was a divine appointment.  He was to go 'doubting nothing'.  This was something unusual for Peter.  As a Jew he would not associate with gentiles, let alone travel with them and go to their home, not to mention this man was also a Roman soldier normally despised by Jews.  Peter was to go with them without reservation because they were sent by God.

Acts 10:21-23

This is a strange picture.  Peter, a Jew, was staying at the tanner’s house which was unclean due to animal carcasses.  Peter get’s hungry and has a vision of God giving permission to eat of these types of animals.  A gentile entourage showed up at the tanner’s door and inquired about the Jew.  They spoke of angels bringing a message to a Roman soldier that this Jew was supposed to come speak to him.  While Peter is contemplating the vision, the Lord tells him there are 3 men there to see him.  Peter invited these gentile men in and gave them lodging.  This was unheard of.  A Jew didn’t invite gentiles into his home, even the home of a tanner.  The Lord is showing Peter that things had changed. 

Peter took six Jewish brothers with him (11:12).  There was no doubt the Lord was moving and these Jewish witnesses would become important.  I'm sure Peter also went with a little caution and wonder.

Acts 10:24-29

Cornelius gathered this gentile group as the first gentile congregation.  These were all believers in God also; but people that didn't know Jesus Christ.  These gentiles had no access to scriptures, with no teaching or connection to Judaism, yet these folks were hungry and eager.

We don't know if these folks knew of Peter or not, I suspect they had heard of him by their response.  When Cornelius saw Peter he fell before him in worship.  Not a good start!  This was a big moment in Cornelius’ life.  This is another strange picture; a Roman centurion falling at the feet of a Galilean fisherman!  But Peter stood him up to talk face to face, man to man, as an equal. 

Peter went against the Jewish laws and traditions he knew so well, but he did so at the direction of the Lord.  Peter was there in obedience.  Again, we should see the picture of this Roman centurion, all his family and servants, a few soldiers all entertaining the famed apostle Peter with an entourage of other Jews.  This is the very definition of change.

Cornelius was to not treat Peter as a god and Peter was to no longer him as a dog.  Bother were changing the patterns of their lives.

Acts 10:30-33

Cornelius understood that Peter was bringing something important to them from God.  They were anxious to hear what the Lord gave Peter to speak to them.  Peter was probably equally curious, as he was figuring this out along the way, was God revealed it to him. 

They weren’t aware of it specifically, but they were prepared for this good news and eager to receive it!!

Acts 10:34-43

Peter began to understood.  Things were changing.  Previously these Jewish disciples thought a gentile had to come to God through Judaism, then trust in Christ.  They thought one had to come to the Jews to get to Jesus.  

God doesn’t show partiality.  No matter what nation you are from, if you believe in Him, you will receive remission of sins.  To "believe in Him" is to believe all that was previously said.  This is the real and physical person of Jesus Christ.  He was born the Son of God as a man.  He lived, walked the earth doing good; healing and delivering people from demonic possession and oppression.  He was crucified and he rose again.  This was the reality of Jesus who went first to the Jews but was rejected.   

Whoever believed in Jesus could receive remission of sins.  Jesus placed no restriction on the gospel.  In fact, He told them to take the good news to the ends of the earth.  The ‘whoever’ was all inclusive.  What a moment this was.  Peter was watching the birth of the gentile church.

Acts 10:34-43

While Peter proclaimed Jesus to this congregation, the Holy Spirit was at work.  He had prepared them and brought the good news to them and now openly moved upon them.  The Jews with Peter were astonished – meaning they nearly lost their mental composure! 

The Jews saw it and believed and therefore understood that God loved the gentiles and that He had saved them.  There would still remain some understanding that the Jews were elevated or had some special status among believers.  God would deal with that in time.  The Jews were amazed at these gentiles receiving the spirit in the same way they did.  This is the same Spirit, same God, same love because of the same grace and same resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This is what the men were brought along for; to understand and bear witness to this among other. 

Aren’t we always amazed when we find out we don’t have it all figured out and all along God was doing something outside our understanding? 

Who could dispute their salvation when these Gentiles received the same witness and gift as the Jews had received on the day of Pentecost?  Peter ordered them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.  This was likely a command for the Jews to baptize these gentiles.  There was surely some initial reluctance. 

What a day that was.  Peter led a group of Jews to the house of a Roman centurion.  On one side were the Jews and Peter; on the other Cornelius, his family, friends and probably a few soldiers.  What a mixed bag of confusion; many backgrounds, traditions and understandings.  Then Peter declared the gospel.  There were lots of opportunities for every one of those people to say, "I just don't understand God that way" or "my traditions are different" or "I was raised in a different church."  The Holy Spirit had prepared these people and then brought the gospel to them. 

They set aside their traditions and understandings aside to let the Lord speak to them.  When they opened their hearts to the saving grace of a Jesus Christ, they were changed.  And they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

“Shake yourself up a little, my brother. If you are too precise may the Lord set you on fire, and consume your bonds of red tape! If you have become so improperly proper that you cannot commit a proper impropriety, then pray God to help you be less proper, for there are many who will never be saved by your instrumentality while you study propriety.” (Spurgeon)

©2008, 2014, 2021 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater