The Book of Acts Chapter 10

[뉴맨]

The Book of Acts Chapter 10

Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/ACT.10.NIV

Conversion of Romans

Cornelius Calls for Peter(1, Significance)

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. (Cornelius was a Roman centurion, the Gentile who had been considered as a outsider of God's salvation.)

2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. (The Romans were generally polytheistic (many gods) at the time. But Corneilus was a godly man who believed in the One God, even he may not reached to the knowledge of the Yahweh God. )

3 One day at about three in the afternoon (ninth hour) he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

4 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.

5 Now send men to Joppa (40 miles to South) to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.

6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” (The angel of God invited Cornelius to the true knowledge of God. Also, God was introducing Gentiles to the church community. It was a divine intervention in the evangelism.)

7 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.

8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. (Cornelius followed God's guidance.)

Peter’s Vision

9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. (Meanwhile God also ministered to Peter for upcoming unexpected visit from Cornelius.)

10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.

11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.

12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.

13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” (God challenged Peter to eat those unclean animals and birds which was prohibited by the Mosaic laws. The unclean animals and birds imply Gentiles whom Jews to consider unclean.)

14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” (Peter refused the order due to his knowledge of the Mosaic laws.)

15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (The Mosaic Law was a basic, but God decides what is clean or not.)

16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. (The repetition confirm‎s the truthfulness of the message.)

17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision (He didn't get the lessen of the vision yet.), the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.

18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you.

20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” (The timely message of the Spirit awakened Peter for the true teaching of the vision. Open the Gospel to the Gentiles.)

21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

22 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 ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”

23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. (Peter invited visitors to his house despite the Jewish hostility at the time against the Romans who invaded the Jews. God's will comes first over man's.)

Peter at Cornelius’s House

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. (Peter and a company not only invited them in but also went out to visit them. The ethnic wall was falling down in the faith.)

24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. (Cornelius gathered relatives and friends for Peter's visit because it was a God-given chance to encounter deeper truth.)

25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. (Also expressed his respect humbling himself before Peter.)

26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” (Peter also humbled himself. Nobody competes each other before the Lord.)

27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.

28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. (Sharing the Gospel is God's intension but there were/are many humanly hurdles along the way.)

29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” (Humanly is temporary and partial but God's unchanging and perfect.)

30 Cornelius answered: “Three 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 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.

32 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.’

33 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.” (Cornelius reported what had happened to Peter.)

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. (Peter acknowledged the new era of the Kingdom of God beyond of the chosen Israelites.)

36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. (Began to share the God's message through Jesus Christ.)

37 You know what has happened (with Jesus) throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached- 38 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.

39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. (Life and ministry of Jesus from the beginning to the resurrection.)

41 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. (Eye-witnessed of the resurrection of Jesus.)

42 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. (The God-commissioned Messiahship of Jesus)

43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (The Gospel has been foretold throughout the Old Testament by the prophets.)

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The Holy Spirit has finally certified the legitimacy of the Gospel in addition to Peter, one of the first apostles, and his Bible-based message

45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. (The manifestation of the Holy Spirit also confirm‎s that the Gentile became the same family in the faith.)

46 For they heard them speaking in tongues(2) and praising God. (as like the Pentecost.)

Then Peter said,

47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (Peter declared the universality of the gospel beyond all peoples and nations.)

48 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. (Baptism of the newly joined believers confirm‎s unity of the church.)

(1)The Significance of the Conversion of Cornelius

In early churches, crossing historical, ethnic, and cultural barriers was a huge challenge.

God began the history of evangelism using Peter's apostolic authority and the Old Testament. And the Holy Spirit confirmed this.

The implications of it- the expansion of the church but unity at the same time- will be discussed in more detail in the next chapter.

(Now the standard of authenticity of the church is much more established with the OT and NT biblical teachings and practice.)

(2)Speaking Tongues

Following is from https://cafe.daum.net/k331/PeqF/31

What is the purpose of the tongues then?

Why the Holy Spirit gives the gift of tongue?

To talk about the purpose of the gift, I want to categorize the tongue-speaking happenings in the Bible into two types- historic and personal.

Historic means the happenings have historical meanings and served a purpose, and the latter for more personal and private purpose.

The Book of Acts reports three occasions of historic tongue speakings- in the upper room (2:4), at Cornelius' House (10:46), and in Ephesus (19:6), and one more indication of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in Samaria (8:17).

What had happened afterward clearly shows what these happenings served certain purposes in history.

The Pentecostal happening initiated the age of the church and disciples (2:38).

Because of the special nature of those tongues, which were recognized by those local people, even those unbelievers were shocked and came to the Christian faith (2:11-41).

The second and the third occasions, and one more manifestation served that those communities, regardless of their ethnicities or backgrounds, are confirmed and received into the same church community. (Refer the chapters 8, 10-11 and 19.)