We continue in the book of Acts or our Summer Reading Challenge of 2022. Today’s reflections from Acts chapter 10 address the unconventional way that God brings the Gospel – through Peter – to the Gentiles and how they receive the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 10 essentially has 4 main movements: (1) Cornelius’ vision (10:1-8); (2) Peter’s vision & visit to Cornelius’ house (10:9-33); (3) the Gospel is proclaimed (10:34-43); and (4) the Holy Spirit is poured out on the hearers of the Word and they are baptized (10:44-48).
- Today’s episode will walk through the context of the two visions and then hone in on Peter’s preaching of the Gospel.
Part 1: A Pair of Visions
- We see in Acts chapter 10 a wonderful working of the Lord. A God-fearing Gentile man who was known for his generosity and life of prayer, Cornelius, is blessed with a vision. An angel of the Lord appears to him in this vision and gives him specific instructions to send men and where to find Simon Peter in another town. And without hesitation, he does so!
- The following day around noon, Peter was praying on the roof of the house where he was staying (think along the lines of an upstairs patio). He became hungry and while his friends were preparing the food, he fell into something like a trance and had an incredible vision of a sheet coming down from heaven. Within that sheet were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air (10:12).
- And the Lord told him to “rise, kill, and eat” (10:13) — to which Peter replied, “by no means Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean” (10:14). Peter, as a Jewish man responded in accordance with the laws of Leviticus 11:2-47 — those laws forbade eating anything unclean. And yet, the Lord spoke to him saying, “What God has made clean, do not call common” (10:15)
- And three times the sheet came down and three times Peter responded and three times the Lord said, “What God has made clean, do not call common” — this is vaguely reminiscent of the way Jesus restored Peter at the end of the Gospel of John with the threefold command to “feed my sheep.”
- We see in this verse that the Lord himself — the one who issued the dietary laws found in Leviticus — is overturning the clean and unclean distinctions and dietary laws. Why would this be important? Because of who was about to knock on his door.
- And the Lord told him to “rise, kill, and eat” (10:13) — to which Peter replied, “by no means Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean” (10:14). Peter, as a Jewish man responded in accordance with the laws of Leviticus 11:2-47 — those laws forbade eating anything unclean. And yet, the Lord spoke to him saying, “What God has made clean, do not call common” (10:15)
- Peter was very perplexed by this and while he was pondering the thing, the men from Cornelius arrive. And the Spirit speaks to Peter — “Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation for I have sent them” (10:19-20).
- Due to the time of day, to avoid the danger of traveling at night, the following morning they leave the city of Joppa and journey to Caesarea.
- Upon arrival at Cornelius’ house, Peter is greeted by Cornelius and all his relatives and close friends. Cornelius falls down at Peter’s feet and worshipped him.
- Why this act? Imagine being in Cornelius’ sandals. He has spent his life praying and seeking the God whom he fears. And four days prior to this moment, he beholds and angel of the Lord in a vision who told him to go get a man named Peter. Who or what this Peter may be — Cornelius is not sure — but what he is sure of is this: he has sought the Lord and never in his life has he been more eager to hear what God would say!
- Peter’s response was to lift up Cornelius with the words, “Stand up; I too am a man” (10:26)
- Peter’s self introduction seems a little off-putting. By Jewish traditions and customs (not Old Testament commands) Peter explains that he was not supposed to associate with or visit anyone of another nation (10:28). To his credit, Peter applies what he learned from his vision – not calling any person common or unclean.
- There is an awkward apprehensive tension in the air–its like Peter is saying, “I am not supposed to be here — its not lawful for me to be here, I am breaking the traditions of my people, but God said “go” — so here I am”
- He then says, “I ask then why you sent for me” (10:29).
- This was not like bearing witness before fellow Jews, it was not like anything Peter had done before! The Samaritans that Peter saw receive the Word of God and the Holy Spirit — well they where at least half Jewish and distant relatives… but in this case, Peter was just brought to a high ranking soldier’s house – and a Gentile’s house no less. It seems rather striking that Peter had no idea why he was there!
- There is an awkward apprehensive tension in the air–its like Peter is saying, “I am not supposed to be here — its not lawful for me to be here, I am breaking the traditions of my people, but God said “go” — so here I am”
- Cornelius graciously retells the story and reason why Peter is there, concluding with these words: “So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord” (10:33).
Part 2: The Gospel is Preached to the Gentiles
- What follows is Peter’s sermon delivered to this crowded gathering of Gentiles (10:34-43). Like the other sermons in Acts, this is surely a summary of the content which Peter preached. This sermon is different from Peter’s other sermons as he takes some time to summarize the life and ministry of Jesus in 10:36-38.
- This sermon is, however, very much like his other sermons. He includes the following common elements:
- He draws upon Old Testament language to describe the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
- He proclaims the physical, bodily resurrection of Christ form the dead!
- He mentions the commissioning of the Apostles to “preach to the people”
- He says everyone who believes in Christ receives forgiveness of sins
- He emphasizes how all the prophets bear witness to both the Christ, and the salvation He would bring
- And He emphasizes how important it is that forgiveness is “through Jesus’ name.”
- Friend, I want to challenge you — what is central to the preaching of the Gospel — not only in this passage but throughout the New Testament? We see the focus of all the Apostles’ preaching is to exalt Jesus Christ – to lift Him high so that all might see something of His beauty.
- Friend, if that is central to the examples of Gospel proclamation in the Scriptures, then let it be central to our own proclamation of the Gospel. May our churches be saturated with Biblical preaching and may our evangelism be patterned after the example of the Apostles!
- How would Peter conclude his sermon?
Part 3: The Holy Spirit is Poured Out on the Gentiles
- Peter does not get to bring his sermon to the normal call to action — before he gets there, while he was still speaking, “the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word” (10:44). How did the observers know that the Spirit had come? Verse 46 tells us that “the believers from among the circumcised” heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God! There was visible and audible evidence that they were receiving the gift of God, the Holy Spirit!
- Consider this – These Gentiles — who did not follow the ceremonial laws of Moses — received the gift of the Holy Spirit – the gift which is a “down payment” a promise of the eternal inheritance which God would give to His people. This was a paradigm shift for any Jew!
- Genuine saving faith in the person of Jesus Christ had come to the Gentiles — and they had received the promised Holy Spirit — a clear sign for both the Gentiles and the Jewish people that God has accepted them as equal members of His Kingdom.
- What is Peter’s response to this amazing thing? He declares – “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have” (10:47)?
- Here we see another step forward in the inclusion of the Gentiles to the Kingdom – they received the outward sign indicating that they now are a part of the body of Christ!
- The fact that the Spirit came upon these Gentiles and that they were baptized into the body of Christ, becomes VERY important in the chapters to come and sets the stage for the discussion in Acts 11.
Conclusion & Application:
- So my friend, I would like to draw to your mind to a few concluding observational and applicational thoughts:
- First, I took the time to walk through the story of the two visions because it is an example of how God used unconventional means to bring people to someone who would share the Gospel with them.
- We see this happening through some of the hardest to reach places in the world. There are many testimonies of how people in predominately non-Christian countries have dreams or visions either about Jesus or to go and find a Christian to tell them about Jesus.
- There is an incredible story about this sort of thing in the book “Secret Believers” by Brother Andrew (https://amzn.to/3P0ISab) – see the link in the description.
- While we personally may not experience this phenomenon — we can pray that the Lord would bring the Gospel to unreached people using whatever means necessary! (But be careful — He may use you as part of the answer to that prayer!)
- While Cornelius certainly did have a vision — God still used the agency of Peter of preach the Gospel – and that leads to application number two:
- We see this happening through some of the hardest to reach places in the world. There are many testimonies of how people in predominately non-Christian countries have dreams or visions either about Jesus or to go and find a Christian to tell them about Jesus.
- Second, the Lord wanted Peter to see and experience this — He wanted Peter to see and be the one through whom these Gentiles would hear the Word and for Peter to witness the Holy Spirit coming upon them.
- This would be significant in the chapters to come as controversy is right around the corner! The Lord used Peter in this way to shape Peter because he was, as Paul would say, “a Pillar in the church.”
- Third, in these days of unrelenting distraction and division among believers over tertiary items — let us be focused on the faithful proclamation of the Gospel to a dying world!!
- Let us not only intimately know and cherish its content but also faithfully focus on its full and genuine proclamation.
- First, I took the time to walk through the story of the two visions because it is an example of how God used unconventional means to bring people to someone who would share the Gospel with them.
LINKS:
Secret Believers” by Brother Andrew (https://amzn.to/3P0ISab)
“ESV Study Bible” (https://amzn.to/3azWAlJ)
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