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Acts Chapter
Ten
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Witness Was Spread to the Household of
the Gentile Cornelius
I. The guidance of the vision:
A.
Cornelius’ vision (v.1-8).
B.
Peter’s vision (v.9-16).
II. Peter visited the house of Cornelius:
A. The
men who were sent by Cornelius met Peter (v.17-23).
B.
Peter accompanied them to the house of Cornelius (v.24-27).
C.
Peter asked the reason why he was invited (v.28-29).
D.
Cornelius told him the reason (v.30-33).
III. The message of Peter:
A. God
is just and He shows no partiality (v.34-35).
B.
Jesus Christ is Lord of all (v.36-39a).
C. He
was crucified and was risen up on the third day (v.39b-41).
D.
Peter testified that He is Judge and whoever believes in Him will receive
remission of sins (v.42-43).
IV. The household of Cornelius were saved:
A. The
Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word (v.44-46)------the baptism
of the Spirit.
B.
Peter told men to baptize them (v.47-48)------the baptism of water.
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Acts. 10:1 “There was a certain man
in
YLT: “And there was a
certain man in Cesarea, by name Cornelius, a centurion from a band called
Italian,”
The
Background: though in the eighth
chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, the Lord’s witness had been spread to
Literal Meaning: “There was a certain man in
Caesarea” “Caesarea” was a
garrison where the Roman Empire set apart the governor of
“A centurion of what was called the
Italian Regiment” “The Italian Regiment” was a volunteer army that was made up of
Roman citizens who grew up in
Acts. 10:2 “a devout man and one who
feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and
prayed to God always.”
YLT: “pious, and fearing
God with all his house, doing also many kind acts to the people, and beseeching
God always,”
Literal Meaning: “a devout man”
“devout” refers to the good expression of religious faith in life.
“One who feared God with all his
household” “Fearing God”
means to holding the respectful and fearful attitude towards God. The word is
used to describe a Gentile who believes that God is the only God, usually reads
the Bible, obeys some ceremonies and regulations, however, he has not been
fully converted to Judaism. Not only Cornelius himself but also “all his
household” feared God.
Please note that “devout” and “fear” are
slightly different: “fear” refers to the negative fear of God; “devout” refers
to living out the image of God positively (1Tim. 3:16).
“Who gave alms generously to the people,
and prayed to God always” It is the normal
behaviors of the devout men to do good to men willingly and pray to God on
time.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) A military officer who is faithful to the
country could also be a devout man to God.
2) Whether one fears God could be seen from his
family members because the one who is devout and fears God truly must more or
less influence his family members through his behaviors.
3) We believers should take care of the states of
our family members before God and lead them to fear God------but as for me and
my house, we will serve Jehovah (Josh. 24:15).
4) The true devoutness is balanced in loving God
and loving men. If men indeed have devout hearts before God, they will have
good deeds before men. Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also
cry himself and not be heard (Prov. 21:13).
5) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the
Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep
oneself unspotted from the world (James. 1:27).
Acts. 10:3 “About the ninth hour of
the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him,
‘Cornelius!’”
YLT: “he saw in a vision
manifestly, as it were the ninth hour of the day, a messenger of God coming in
unto him, and saying to him, `Cornelius;'”
Literal Meaning: “about the ninth
hour of the day” “the ninth hour of the day” is three o’clock in the afternoon
and it is the time when the devout Jews pray on time (Acts. 3:1).
“He…in a vision” “Vision” refers to the
scene that the physical eyes could see (here what Cornelius saw) or the scene
that the inner eyes could see in a trance (what Peter saw in the next
paragraph, See v.10-17).
“He saw clearly…an
angel of God coming in” “Saw clearly”
indicates seeing clearly with the physical eyes. In the Acts of the Apostles,
that the angel appeared to men is recorded many times (Acts. 5:19; 6:15; 7:30,
35, 38, 53; 8:26; 10:3, 7, 22; 11:13; 12:7-10, 11, 15, 23; 23:8, 9; 27:23).
However, none of these are out of men’s request but of God’s authority.
Acts. 10:4 “And when he observed him,
he was afraid, and said, ‘What is it, lord?’ So he said to him, ‘Your
prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.”
YLT: “and he having
looked earnestly on him, and becoming afraid, said, `What is it, Lord?' And he
said to him, `Thy prayers and thy kind acts came up for a memorial before God,”
Literal Meaning: “And when he observed
him” “Observing” in the original means “looking earnestly” or “gazing
steadily”.
“He was afraid, and said, ‘What is it, lord?’” The reaction of Cornelius shows that when he saw the vision, his mind was
quite sober.
“Have come up for a memorial before God” “Having come up” describes that the smoke
of the burning of sacrifices curls upwards and comes to God (Lev. 4:31; Rev.
8:4). The devout behaviors of Cornelius have been acceptable to God and He
leads him further to become one of the children of God.
Acts. 10:5 “Now send men to Joppa,
and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.”
YLT: “and now send men to
Joppa, and send for a certain one Simon, who is surnamed Peter,”
Literal Meaning: “and send for Simon whose
surname is Peter” It means that God
wants to teach him through Peter and makes him know the word of God (See v.33;
Acts. 11:14). It proves that though the devout one who fears God and gives alms
generously to the poor (See v.2, 4), all these cannot make him be saved.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though the angel appeared to Cornelius, the
angel did not directly preach the gospel to him. Many times, God does not speak
Himself or through the angel, He has instructed the mission of preaching the
gospel and teaching men to His servants, showing that the position of “men” is
important in God’s works.
2) It is a very important thing to serve God by
words. Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor,
especially those who labor in the word and doctrine (1Tim. 5:17).
Acts. 10:6 “He is lodging with Simon,
a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.’”
YLT: “this one doth lodge
with a certain Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea; this one shall speak
to thee what it behoveth thee to do.'”
Literal Meaning: “He is lodging with Simon, a
tanner, whose house is by the sea”
“A tanner” is workman who makes leathers. They were always unclean (Num.
19:11-13) because they always dealt with the dead bodies of animals. They were
not allowed by the Jewish law to live together with the people in the city and
therefore they had to live in the places by the sea.
Acts. 10:7 “And when the angel who
spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a
devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.”
YLT: “And when the
messenger who is speaking to Cornelius went away, having called two of his
domestics, and a pious soldier of those waiting on him continually,”
Literal Meaning: “and a devout soldier from
among those who waited on him continually” It indicates that the soldier of Cornelius also
feared God, showing that Cornelius had influence on those who are around
him.
Enlightenment in the Word: a devout one must influence those who are with him
in his life.
Acts. 10:8 “So when he had explained
all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.”
YLT: “and having declared
to them all things, he sent them to Joppa.”
Literal Meaning: “So when he had explained
all these things to them” means “he had told
them the reasons for all these things”.
Acts. 10:9 “The next day, as they
went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to
pray, about the sixth hour.”
YLT: “And on the morrow,
as these are proceeding on the way, and are drawing nigh to the city, Peter
went up upon the house-top to pray, about the sixth hour,”
The
Background: The devout Jews pray
three times on time every day: the third hour, the sixth hour and the ninth
hour, i.e. morning (i.e. nine o’clock in the morning) sacrifice, noon (twelve
o’clock) sacrifice and evening (i.e. three o’clock in the afternoon) sacrifice.
Literal Meaning: “as they went on their
journey…about the sixth hour” There were about three to four hours ride
from
“Went up on the housetop to pray” In
ancient times, the housetops in
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Went up on the housetop to pray” Many servants
of God like to work among people and are unwilling to have communion with the
Lord. Oh, how urgently it is for us to retreat from the multitude, come out of
the prosperous career, hide ourselves in the lonely circumstances and look upon
the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2) Cornelius saw the vision in the prayer (See
v.2-3) and here Peter saw the vision in the prayer (See v.10-16). Prayer is to
pave the way for God so that God could take His actions. If men do not pray to
cooperate with Him, God always would rather do nothing.
3) If the one who serves God does not always pray,
he is useless in the work of God because God cannot reveal His will to
him.
4) Martin Luther said that, I have so many things
to do and therefore I have to spend three hours praying every day (it is
translated from the Chinese version).
Acts. 10:10 “Then he became very
hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance”
YLT: “and he became very
hungry, and wished to eat; and they making ready, there fell upon him a
trance,”
Meaning of Words: “a trance”:
bewilderment, astonishment, ecstasy.
Literal Meaning: “he fell into a trance” “Fell into a trance” indicates that one’s
heart is under an unusual condition as if he is dreaming, however, he has not
fallen asleep. It is not “the vision” itself but that he is elevated to a state
so that he could see the “vision”.
Spiritual Meaning: “Then he became very hungry
and wanted to eat” “Becoming hungry”
symbolizes that men seek things of God (Matt. 5:6). God has filled the hungry
with good things (Luke. 1:53).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God always makes one feel that he is “hungry in
the soul” before He works in a man.
2) The vision that Peter saw was in his prayer when
he “fell into a trance”. And therefore the so-called vision may not be the
visible “true things” (See Acts. 12:9) but a state in the spiritual realm. And
therefore when we seek the vision of the Lord, we should not be limited to the
visible sight, lest we be deceived by the evil spirit.
Acts. 10:11 “and saw heaven opened and
an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and
let down to the earth.”
YLT: “and he doth behold
the heaven opened, and descending unto him a certain vessel, as a great sheet,
bound at the four corners, and let down upon the earth,”
Meaning of Words: “object”: vessel,
container.
Spiritual Meaning: “and saw heaven
opened” It shows that the vision that Peter saw is the revelation from heaven.
“And an object like a great sheet” “A great sheet” symbolizes the net of the
gospel which is large enough to gather people throughout the world.
“Bound at the four corners, descending
to him and let down to the earth”
It symbolizes that the net of the gospel is expanded to four sides where men
reside.
Acts. 10:12 “In it were all kinds of
four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of
the air.”
YLT: “in which were all
the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping
things, and the fowls of the heaven,”
Spiritual Meaning: animals, wild
beasts, creeping things and birds symbolize people in all kindreds, and tongues, and nations (See v.28).
Acts. 10:13 “And a voice came to him, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’”
YLT: “and there came a
voice unto him: `Having risen, Peter, slay and eat.'”
Spiritual Meaning: “Rise, Peter; kill
and eat” “Kill” symbolizes gaining them; “eat” symbolizes receiving them and
having communion with them.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The will of God is to gain everyone through the
gospel (Rom. 1:16) because the Lord Jesus has “tasted death for everyone” (Heb.
2:9) instead of men of a certain race.
2) In the church, we should not discriminate
against those who have different opinions with us. We should specially receive
those who are weak in faith (
Acts. 10:14 “But Peter said, ‘Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or
unclean.’”
YLT: “And Peter said,
`Not so, Lord; because at no time did I eat anything common or unclean;'”
The
Background: it is ordered in the
regulations of the Law of Moses to make a difference between the unclean and
the clean concerning wild
beasts, creeping things, and birds.
The Jews are not allowed to eat the unclean (Lev. 11:46-47). This regulation of
the food and drink is set up to make the Jews be separated from the Gentiles
and be separated to God.
Literal Meaning: “common or unclean” “Common” is in contrast to “holy”; “the
unclean” is in contrast to “the clean”. It is forbidden in the Law of Moses for
the Jews to eat common and unclean.
“For I have never eaten anything common
or unclean” It shows that Peter strictly kept the regulations of the Law all
the time.
Spiritual Meaning: “anything common or
unclean” symbolizes the Gentiles who are far off and sinners.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) How stubborn men’s subjective ideas, prejudice,
traditional ways and etc. The traditional ideas concerning faith are specially
difficult to break. Men with such ideas do not hear the word of others and
still do not hear even when God Himself has spoken to them.
2) Men always use “I have never…” as an excuse to
reject the Lord’s brand new guidance. The traditional and conventional ways
always block us from obeying the will of the Lord. May the Lord use the
heavenly vision to shatter our deep traditional ideas and lead us live in the
infinite renewing of the Holy Spirit.
Acts. 10:15 “And a voice spoke to him
again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you
must not call common.’”
YLT: “and [there is] a
voice again a second time unto him: `What God did cleanse, thou, declare not
thou common;'”
Spiritual Meaning: “‘What God has cleansed” It symbolizes the Gentiles whom God has
cleansed by Jesus Christ’s blood of redemption (Rev. 1:5) and the renewing of
the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5; Acts. 15:9).
“You must not call common” God has cleansed the Gentiles who were
unclean in the ceremony and therefore the Jews should no longer discriminate
against them (See v.28).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Men are always constrained by the earthly
customs so that they give up making renovations for fear of a little trouble
and refuse the heavenly revelation.
2) The difference between “holy” and “common” lies
in whether something has been cleansed by God. This principle is applied to all
persons and things.
Acts. 10:16 “This was done three
times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.”
YLT: “and this was done
thrice, and again was the vessel received up to the heaven.”
Literal Meaning: “This was done three times” God showed the vision to Peter three times
in order to reveal His will in the dispensation of the New Testament to him and
renew his idea.
Spiritual Meaning: the wild beasts,
creeping things, and birds in the great sheet symbolize that the unclean
Gentiles and the clean Jews are put together, showing that God has cleansed the
Gentiles who were unclean in the ceremony so that they partake in the grace of
the New Testament. And therefore Peter should contact with them and preach the
gospel to them and finally receive those who repent and believe in the Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is easy for men to limit the work that God is
going to do today by the way that He had used in the past. And therefore when
God is going do something great, He always makes men be prepared in their minds
in advance.
2) Once our minds are influenced by the religious
traditions, it is hard to changes our minds. Even when God had showed the
vision to Peter “three times”, he still held on his own view.
Acts. 10:17 “Now while Peter wondered
within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who
had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood
before the gate.”
YLT: “And as Peter was
perplexed in himself what the vision that he saw might be, then, lo, the men
who have been sent from Cornelius, having made inquiry for the house of Simon,
stood at the gate,”
Literal Meaning: “Now while Peter wondered
within himself” It shows that
Peter felt confused at that time and his heart undulated.
“What this vision which he had seen
meant” It shows that the
scene that Peter had saw when he felt into a trance is a “vision”.
Acts. 10:18 “And they called and asked
whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.”
YLT: “and having called,
they were asking if Simon, who is surnamed Peter, doth lodge here?”
Acts. 10:19 “While Peter thought about
the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are
seeking you.”
YLT: “And Peter thinking
about the vision, the Spirit said to him, `Lo, three men do seek thee;”
Literal Meaning: “the Spirit said to him” Please see the notes in Acts. 8:29.
Acts. 10:20 “Arise therefore, go down
and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.’”
YLT: “but having risen,
go down and go on with them, nothing doubting, because I have sent them;'”
Literal Meaning: “doubting nothing”
“doubting” in the original refers to the uncertainty of the state of mind and
it could also be translated as “discern” (1Cor. 11:29, 31) and “partial”
(James. 2:4). And therefore it has another meaning that the Lord did not want
Peter “to make a difference among men”.
“For I have sent them” They were sent by Cornelius (See v.7-8),
however, here God said that they were sent by Him. It shows that men’s obeying
the commandment in the vision is to obey the will of God. And therefore God
regarded men’s actions as His actions.
Acts. 10:21 “Then Peter went down to
the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, ‘Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you
come?’”
YLT: “and Peter having
come down unto the men who have been sent from Cornelius unto him, said, `Lo, I
am he whom ye seek, what [is] the cause for which ye are present?'”
Literal Meaning: “Yes, I am he whom
you seek.” According to the original, there is a word “behold” before this
sentence.
Acts. 10:22 “And they said, ‘Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God
and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely
instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from
you.’”
YLT: “And they said,
`Cornelius, a centurion, a man righteous and fearing God, well testified to,
also, by all the nation of the Jews, was divinely warned by a holy messenger to
send for thee, to his house, and to hear sayings from thee.'”
Meaning of Words: “reputation”:
testimony.
Acts. 10:23 “Then he invited them in
and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren
from Joppa accompanied him.”
YLT: “Having called them
in, therefore, he lodged them, and on the morrow Peter went forth with them,
and certain of the brethren from Joppa went with him,”
Literal Meaning: “and some brethren from
Joppa accompanied him” There were six
brothers who accompanied with Peter (Acts. 11:12).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The vision had been revealed to Peter “three
times” (v.16) and Peter still “wondered within himself what this vision which
he had seen meant” (v.17). Even when the environment was manifest and the Holy
Spirit urged, he still “lodged them” and arose then. It shows that the
tradition harms men so deeply and it is really hard for men to depart from
it.
2) Peter did not act by himself in this action and
accompanied with several Jewish brothers and later they became the witnesses of
this matter (Acts. 11:12, 18) so that the Jewish believers had nothing to say
against. The Lord’s workers had better not work by themselves and they should
act in the principle of the body of Christ.
Acts. 10:24 “And the following day
they entered
YLT: “and on the morrow
they did enter into Cesarea; and Cornelius was waiting for them, having called
together his kindred and near friends,”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Cornelius not only feared God but also cared for
others’ souls. And therefore he had invited “his relatives and close friends”
to his house to hear Peter preaching. It is a good example of the gathering of
family.
2) We believers should also open our house and
invite relatives and friends to hear the gospel.
Acts. 10:25 “As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell
down at his feet and worshiped him.”
YLT: “and as it came that
Peter entered in, Cornelius having met him, having fallen at [his] feet, did
bow before [him];”
Literal Meaning: “fell down at his
feet and worshiped him” Cornelius was a Roman officer (v.1). A solider who
always showed off his strength was willing to worship a foreign commoner
unexpectedly. It is fairly impossible unless he feared God.
Acts. 10:26 “But Peter lifted him up,
saying, ‘Stand up; I myself am also
a man.’”
YLT: “and Peter raised
him, saying, `Stand up; I also myself am a man;'”
Literal Meaning: “Stand up; I myself am also
a man” The words shows
that: 1) men could only worship God and should not worship men (Rev. 22:8-9);
2) no matter how spiritual one is, he is a man of like passions to us (James.
5:17) and he cannot become God; 3) we honor God’s servants not to think beyond
what is written (1Cor. 4:6), lest we provoke the jealousy of God (Exod. 34:14).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Whoever he is, we should honor him and should
never worship him------no matter how great and honorable one is, he is “also a
man”.
2) Satan sets its heart as the heart of God (Ezek.
28:2) and wants to exalt itself to be like God (Is. 14:14). And therefore it
fell from the archangel to the devil. He whoever advocates the theory that “men
becoming God” indeed follows the example of the way of “the son of perdition”
who shows himself that he is God (2Thess. 2:3-4). And his end is quite
dangerous!
3) Not only the dictatorial politicians who hold
immeasurable power like to deify themselves but also some religious leaders
cannot overcome the temptation and like others to worship and serve them like
God.
4) To whoever regards himself as God, though he
preaches the gospel to others, he himself falls.
Acts. 10:27 “And as he talked with
him, he went in and found many who had come together.”
YLT: “and talking with
him he went in, and doth find many having come together.”
Acts. 10:28 “Then he said to them, ‘You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep
company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should
not call any man common or unclean.”
YLT: “And he said unto
them, `Ye know how it is unlawful for a man, a Jew, to keep company with, or to
come unto, one of another race, but to me God did shew to call no man common or
unclean;”
Literal Meaning: “But God has shown
me that I should not call any man common or unclean” The word of Peter proves
that the wild beasts, creeping things, and birds that Peter saw in a great
sheet in the vision (See v.12-15) symbolize men.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Holy Spirit works just as “the wind blows
where it wills” (John. 3:8). There is no regular example for us to follow and
the Holy Spirit always breaks the rules. And therefore we should not make an
excuse that “how unlawful it is” to decline many things, lest we cause delay in
the work of the Holy Spirit.
2) Believers should never classify types of the
world as those who are able to be saved and those who are unable to be saved.
The fact proves that the worst sinners are bestowed the salvation.
Acts. 10:29 “Therefore I came without
objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent
for me?’”
YLT: “therefore also
without gainsaying I came, having been sent for; I ask, therefore, for what
matter ye did send for me?'”
Acts. 10:30 “So 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,”
YLT: “And Cornelius said,
`Four days ago till this hour, I was fasting, and [at] the ninth hour praying
in my house, and, lo, a man stood before me in bright clothing,”
Literal Meaning: “four days ago…until
this hour” When the Jews counted the days, they did not regard twenty-four
hours as a day. Their calculation was as follows: 1) it was regarded as a day
when the angel appeared to Cornelius; 2) it was regarded as a day when the
messengers arrived at Joppa and Peter saw the vision; 3) it was regarded as a
day when men started off from Joppa; 4) it was regarded as a day when they
arrived at the house of Cornelius.
“And behold, a man stood before me in
bright clothing” It is the common
wording that is used to describe that the angel in the image of a man appears
to men (Matt. 28:2-3; Luke. 24:4).
Acts. 10:31 “and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are
remembered in the sight of God.”
YLT: “and he said,
Cornelius, thy prayer was heard, and thy kind acts were remembered before God;”
Acts. 10:32 “Send therefore to Joppa
and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of
Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.'”
YLT: “send, therefore, to
Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter; this one doth lodge in the
house of Simon a tanner, by the sea, who having come, shall speak to thee;”
Acts. 10:33 “So I sent to you
immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present
before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.’”
YLT: “at once, therefore,
I sent to thee; thou also didst do well, having come; now, therefore, are we
all before God present to hear all things that have been commanded thee by
God.'”
Literal Meaning: the word of
Cornelius in this verse shows the intention and attitude that those who hear
the word should have: 1) attend the meeting with the intention of hearing “the
things commanded by God”; 2) give their mind to hear attentively in order to
hear “all” the things commanded by God; 3) listen to all the words of the Lord
just as “we are all present before God”; 4) hear all the things commanded by
God “now” rather than hear when we have a convenient season in future (See
Acts. 24:25); 5) sincerely feel that it is a good thing to hear all the things
commanded by God now before God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We should judge “before God” and hear God’s
words through men. We should never regard what men say as “the word of God” in
order to fawn on others “before men”.
2) “To hear all the things commanded you by God” The Lord not only commands men to speak
but also asks men to hear. Faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:14).
Acts. 10:34 “Then Peter opened his
mouth and said: ‘In truth I perceive that
God shows no partiality.”
YLT: “And Peter having
opened his mouth, said, `Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of
persons,”
Literal Meaning: “In truth I perceive that
God shows no partiality” “perceive” in the
original means “seize” and “hold”; “shows no partiality” in the original is “do
not regard persons” (Deut. 10:17), i.e. do not practice favoritism. The word of
Peter shows that he had seized the principle how God treats men through the
vision that he had seen.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers should observe circumstances, persons
and things carefully in order to “perceive” God’s will and works
2) And if you call on the Father, who without
partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout
the time of your stay here in fear (1Pet. 1:17).
3) Since the God whom we believe in is God who
shows no partiality, we should not show favoritism (James. 2:1).
Acts. 10:35 “But in every nation
whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”
YLT: “but in every nation
he who is fearing Him, and is working righteousness, is acceptable to Him;”
Literal Meaning: “whoever fears Him
and works righteousness” refers to fearing God and being just towards men.
“Is accepted by Him” The word does not
express that doing good is the condition of one’s being saved because by grace
are we saved through faith and that not of ours works (Eph. 2:8). In this
message Peter clearly shows that only when one has received the name of Jesus
Christ could he receive remission of sins (See v.43). However, one who has the
right attitude towards God will be glad to let God reign over his life and God
is glad to show mercy to him and reveal His will to him so that he could be
acceptable to God in the redemption of Christ.
Controversial Clarification: according to this verse some people think
that all the religions in the world all teach men to worship God and encourage
them to work righteousness and therefore all religions are acceptable to God.
This view is totally wrong because: 1) if “fearing God and working
righteousness” is enough, God did not need to guide Cornelius to send men out
to invite Peter in the vision; 2) Only men in Judaism and Christianity worship
the true God and men in other religions worship man-made gods or the god that
men imagine and they are all false gods; 3) only men in Christians have a way
to God because of Jesus Christ (John. 14:6) and therefore they could truly
approach God (Heb. 10:19-22). However men in Judaism are rejected by God
temporarily because they rejected the Lord Jesus. And until the fullness of the
Gentiles be come in, so all
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God likes men to fear Him and unceasingly
glorify Him in all things they do on the earth.
2) To those who are acceptable to the Lord, we
should have communion with them without any gap and love one another and there
should not be divisions among us (1Cor. 11:18; Tit. 3:10-11).
Acts. 10:36 “The word which God sent
to the children of
YLT: “the word that he
sent to the sons of
Meaning of Words: “all”: every, the
whole, all men.
Literal Meaning: “He is Lord of all” This sentence has two meanings: 1) He is
the ruler of all and all is in His hand (Rom. 11:36). Men have all if they have
Him; 2) He is the Lord of all, the Lord of both the Jews and the Gentiles (Rom.
10:12). He is the Lord of both believers and the world (1Tim. 4:10).
“Preaching peace” “Peace” has multiple
effects: 1) make all be reconciled to God (Col. 1:20-22); 2) make the Jews be
reconciled to the Gentiles and make both one (Eph. 2:11-18); 3) make men have
peace and rest in their hearts (Pill. 4:7; Matt. 11:29).
“The word which God sent to the children
of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Only when men truly know that Jesus is “the Lord
of all” can they break the artificial barriers and confess wholeheartedly that
Christ is “ours” and “theirs” (1Cor. 1:2) and receive all whom the Lord has
received.
2) God has called us to peace (1Cor. 7:15) and
therefore believers should love one another and should not bite or devour one
another (Gal 5:13, 15, 26).
Acts. 10:37 “that word you know, which
was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from
YLT: “ye -- ye have
known; -- the word that came throughout all Judea, having begun from
Meaning of Words: “word”: word in season,
prompt word (rhema).
Acts. 10:38 “how God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and
healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
YLT: “Jesus who [is] from
Nazareth -- how God did anoint him with the Holy Spirit and power; who went
through, doing good, and healing all those oppressed by the devil, because God
was with him;”
Literal Meaning: “anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power”
“Anointing” means smearing; here God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with
power. The Holy Spirit and the power are one and the Holy Spirit is the power
when He is manifested upon men. The Lord Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit
(Matt. 1:18; Luke. 1:35). He was full of the Holy Spirit within Himself,
however, for the work and mission, He still needed to be anointed by the Holy
Spirit------the Holy Spirit came upon Him (Matt. 3:16; Mark. 1:10; Luke. 3:22;
John. 1:33). This is exactly that God anointed Him with the ointment (Luke.
4:18) so that He got the power to do the work of God on the earth.
“Who went about” “Going about” means “going around”.
“And healing all who were oppressed by
the devil” The devil is very
foxy. If it cannot oppress men in the spirit to make them rebel God, it will
work in men’s body and oppress them so that they might fall ill and cannot
enjoy the happiness of the resurrection life, lose firmness and watchfulness in
the spirit because of the uncomfortableness of the body. By this way the devil
achieves what it wishes. When the workers of the Lord are careless, they would
fall ill because the devil wishes that Christians might fall ill so that they
would stop working for the Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The main power of the Lord Jesus’ whole work of
preaching the gospel lies in the Holy Spirit. When preaching the gospel, if the
Holy Spirit does not work, it will be of no effect.
2) The Holy Spirit is upon us just as one is
anointed with oil. It is serene and comfortable and there is not any other
special feeling. However, when others contact with us, they will feel the power
out of us. And therefore the one who is full of the Holy Spirit is full of the
power.
3) The anointing of the Holy Spirit is from the
devotion (or separation). Whenever our devotion goes wrong, our power will go
wrong and naturally our work will go wrong.
4) Sin and sickness, as our soul and spirit, are
closely linked. Remission of sins and healing of sickness coexist and
supplement each other.
Acts. 10:39 “And we are witnesses of
all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in
YLT: “and we -- we are
witnesses of all things that he did, both in the country of the Jews, and in
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Peter did not consider himself as a great
apostle but a witness. We should also learn from him and be a witness of the
Lord in lowliness of mind. We should never think to do something great for
ourselves and achieve high positions.
2) We, as the witnesses of the Lord, have to
determine not to know any thing among the world, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified (1Cor. 2:2).
Acts. 10:40 “Him God raised up on the
third day, and showed Him openly,”
YLT: “`This one God did
raise up the third day, and gave him to become manifest,”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Jesus that we believe in and preach is not the
dead Jesus but the living Jesus.
2) And if Christ is not risen, our faith is futile;
we are still in our sins (1Cor. 15:17).
Acts. 10:41 “not to all the people,
but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him
after He arose from the dead.”
YLT: “not to all the
people, but to witnesses, to those having been chosen before by God -- to us
who did eat with [him], and did drink with him, after his rising out of the
dead;”
Enlightenment in the Word: the Lord appears according to His principle and He
“appeared to witnesses chosen before by God”------His appearance is to equip
and fulfill His witnesses. Many believers do not have the desire to bear
witness of the Lord and it’s no wonder that they have not got the appearance of
the Lord.
Acts. 10:42 “And He commanded us to
preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to
be Judge of the living and the dead.”
YLT: “and he commanded us
to preach to the people, and to testify fully that it is he who hath been
ordained by God judge of living and dead --”
Literal Meaning: “be Judge of the living and
the dead” God has committed
all judgment unto Christ (John. 5:22) and He shall judge the living and the
dead (2Tim. 4:1). When Christ comes for the second time, He will sit on the
glorious throne and judge the living (Matt. 25:31-46). After the kingdom of a
thousand years, He will sit on the great white throne and judge the dead (Rev.
20:11-15).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We should not think that we won’t be judged
since we have believed in the Lord because judgment must begin at the house of
God (1Pet. 4:17). And therefore after we have believed in the Lord, we have to
live well before God.
2) The authority of judging the living and the dead
is of the Lord and therefore we should not judge others randomly (Rom. 14:4;
1Cor. 4:3-5).
3) Jesus Christ who died and rose is God’s only
standard of judgment towards all humans.
Acts. 10:43 “To Him all the prophets
witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission
of sins.’”
YLT: “to this one do all
the prophets testify, that through his name every one that is believing in him
doth receive remission of sins.'”
Literal Meaning: “whoever believes in Him
will receive remission of sins” This sentence is
not directly quoted from some verses in the Old Testament but the summary of
the prophecies of all the prophets in the Old Testament------there is no other
name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts. 4:12).
The word “whoever” has the
special and profound meaning------not only the Jews but also the Gentiles will
be saved for they believe in the Lord.
Enlightenment in the Word: one’s being saved is fully attributed to the name
of the Lord and there is not any other additional condition. One needn’t seek
to be saved through keeping the Law.
Acts. 10:44 “While Peter was still
speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.”
YLT: “While Peter is yet
speaking these sayings, the Holy spirit fell upon all those hearing the word,”
Literal Meaning: “While Peter was still
speaking these words” Please note the
word “while” and it means that Peter did not mean to stop speaking there and he
wanted to continue to speak. Peter saw the vision that “God has cleansed the
Gentiles” with his eyes (v.15, 28) and said that “God shows no partiality” with
his mouth (v.35), however, something was wrong with his thoughts and actions,
i.e. the middle wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles had not
been broken through. When peter still wanted to continue speaking, the Holy
Spirit came in and interrupted his words.
“The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who
heard the word” Others could not
see that the Holy Spirit dwells within men, however, the thing that is
mentioned here that the Holy Spirit fell upon men could be obviously seen by
others (See v.45). And therefore it must indicate that the Holy Spirit poured
upon men. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit refers to the aspect of life and
quality and the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit refers to the aspect of the
power in work. The Holy Spirit dwells in men when they believe in the Lord. The
out-pouring of the Holy Spirit always takes place after men have believed in
the Lord. However, here both the out-pouring and indwelling of the Holy Spirit
took place upon them when they believed in the Lord.
In the Acts of the Apostles when it was mentioned
that the Holy Spirit poured upon men and fell upon men, others were always
needed to lay hands on them (Acts. 8:17; 9:17; 19:6). It tool place here and on
the day of the Pentecost without the laying hands of men. On the day of
Pentecost, the Holy Spirit directly poured upon men from above because no one
could represent the body of Christ to lay his hands on men to receive others
and it was reasonable. However, Peter who represented the body of Christ could
lay his hands on them and the Holy Spirit still fell upon those who heard the
word. It was for the Jewish believers. Peter hesitated to lay his hands on the
Gentiles (please note that laying hands on indicates union, identification and
reception). Even if Peter had the boldness to lay his hands on the Gentiles, it
would be hard to explain when the Jewish believers condemned Peter that he
destroyed the Law of God (Acts. 11:2-3).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Holy Spirit Himself would prove what He has
initiated.
2) The sphere of Christianity includes all those
who are born from above in the world. There should not be the thoughts of
divisions in the church.
3) All men in the house of Cornelius received the
Holy Spirit. In the Bible, it is a great fact that God saves men with the unit
of the household instead of the individual.
Acts. 10:45 “And those of the
circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because
the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.”
YLT: “and those of the
circumcision believing were astonished -- as many as came with Peter -- because
also upon the nations the gift of the Holy Spirit hath been poured out,”
Literal Meaning: “because the gift of the
Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also” “The gift of the Holy Spirit” refers to
“receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts. 2:38) instead of the various
gifts that are given to men by the Holy Spirit (
Acts. 10:46 “For they heard them speak
with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,”
YLT: “for they were
hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God.”
Meaning of Words: “tongues”: language,
dialect.
Literal Meaning: “For they heard them speak
with tongues” “Speaking with tongues”
indicates that they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance (Acts. 2:4) and it does not refer to the pointless sound of tongues.
When the Holy Spirit is manifested on men,
sometimes men speak with tongues. However, not every one who is filled with the
Holy Spirit speaks with tongues, e.g. in the case of the Samarian believers, it
was not mentioned that they spoke with tongues (Acts. 8:15-17). The Holy Spirit
sometimes makes men prophesy (Acts. 19:6) and sometimes makes men gain
different gifts (1Cor. 12:7-11).
“And magnify God” in the
original means “enlarge God and make God great” (Luke. 1:46).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God is a “great” God and He does things “great”
and therefore He is worthy of our great praise.
2) The vessels that the “great” God uses are
“great” and are able to accept various kinds of people. We should ask God to
enlarge our capacity so that we could be used by Him.
Acts. 10:47 “‘Can
anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the
Holy Spirit just as we have?’”
YLT: “Then answered
Peter, `The water is any one able to forbid, that these may not be baptized,
who the Holy Spirit did receive -- even as also we?'”
Literal Meaning: God used Peter to
open the door of the Gentiles (See Matt. 16:19) and it was a great event. And
therefore God used the vision to guide him and used the Holy Spirit to prove it
(v.44-45). Since it had come this far, Peter had to be obedient and agreed to
baptize the Gentiles.
Acts. 10:48 “And he commanded them to
be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.”
YLT: “he commanded them
also to be baptized in the name of the Lord; then they besought him to remain
certain days.”
Literal Meaning: “and he commanded”
Some Bible exegetes held that this sentence showed that Peter did not baptize
the Gentiles by himself and he delivered this work to the brothers from Joppa
accompanied him (v.23) to execute.
“To be baptized in the name of the Lord” means that “baptize them unto the name of
Jesus Christ”. One’s name represents him and therefore they have the union of
life with Christ through baptism.
“Then they asked him to stay a few days” Certainly they did so in order to gain
more teachings concerning Jesus Christ from Peter.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Baptism is a important thing. If men repent and
believe in the Lord sincerely, they should be baptized (Mark. 16:16) and the
earlier one is baptized, the better it is for him.
2) Baptism is not the end of church life but the
beginning.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
God’s Work of
Preparation upon Cornelius (the Object of the Gospel)
I. He was dispatched from
II. He feared God (v.2a)------he believed
that there is a true God in the world.
III. He always prayed to God (v.2b)------he
had a heart that seeks God.
IV. He saw the vision (v.3-6)------he was
specially guided by God.
V. He sent men to invite Peter
(v.7-8)------he obeyed the guidance of God.
The Example of
Cornelius
I. He was a devout man and feared God
(v.2a)------he had a heart of fearing God.
II. He feared God with all his household
(v.2b)------he had influence over his family members.
III. He gave alms generously to the people
(v.2b)------he had a heart of mercy.
IV. He prayed to God always (v.2c)------he
had a real spiritual life.
V. A devout soldier from among those who
waited on him continually (v.7)------he had a good example to his subordinates.
VI. He had called together his relatives and
close friends (v.24)------he cared about his relatives and friends around him.
VII. He met him and fell down at his feet
(v.25)------he honored the servants of God (though he should not worship men).
VIII. Now therefore, we are all present
before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God (v.33)------his
attitude of hearing the word was right.
The Prayer of
Cornelius
I. He prayed to God always (v.2).
II. He prayed at the ninth hour (v.3a,
30)------pray on time.
III. He saw clearly in a vision (v.3b,
30)------the prayer that one sees the vision.
IV. Your prayers has come up for a memorial
before God (v.4, 31)------the effectual prayer.
V. He sent men there immediately (v.7-8,
33)------the prayer of obedience.
The Prayer of Peter
II. He felt into a trance (v.10)------prayer
in the spirit.
III. He saw heaven opened (v.11)------prayer
that touches the heaven.
IV. Prayer of seeing the vision (v.11-18).
V. The prayer of struggle that men do not
understand the will of God (v.13-15).
VI. The seeking prayer (v.17-19a).
VII. The revealed prayer by the Holy Spirit
(v.19b-20).
VIII. The obedient prayer (v.21-23).
God’s Work of
Preparation upon Peter (the Preacher)
II. He went up to the housetop to pray
(v.9c)------prepare the proper place.
III. He became very hungry and wanted to eat
(v.10)------prepare the proper state.
IV. Peter was asked to eat things common and
unclean (v.11-16)------instruct the proper example.
V. While Peter wondered within himself,
three men that were in line with the vision visited him (v.17-20)------arrange
the proper circumstance.
VI. Peter went down with them
(v.21-23)------show the proper obedience.
The Example of A
Preacher
I. The one who has a life of prayer (v.9).
II. The one who has the vision (v.11-17).
III. The one who has the voice of God (v.13,
15).
IV. The one who has the proof of the Holy
Spirit (v.19-20).
V. The one who has the proof of the
circumstances (v.21-23).
VI. The one who has brothers who accompany
and work with him (v.23).
VII. The one who is humble (v.26).
VIII. The one who shows no partiality (v.28,
34).
The Meaning of the
Vision that Peter Saw
II. A voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill
and eat” (v.13)------it gives men the brand new guidance.
III. What God has cleansed you must not call
common (v.15)------men should also receive those whom God has received.
IV. It is taken up into heaven again
(v.16)------it is valued by God.
The Example of
Meeting
II. Cornelius fell down at the feet of Peter
and worshiped him (v.25)------honor the Lord’s servants.
III. Peter said that he was also a man
(v.26)------the Lord’s servants keep their own original states.
IV. Now we are all (v.33a)------full
oneness.
V. Being present before God
(v.33b)------hope earnestly.
VI. Hear all the things commanded you by God
(v.33c)------listening ears.
VII. The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who
heard the word (v.44)-----fully gain the spiritual blessings.
The Emphasis of the
Message of Peter
II. God preaches the gospel to the children
of
III. The Holy Spirit also proves the gospel
(v.38).
IV. Testify that Christ died and rose and is
Judge of the living and the dead (v.39-43).
Do not Show
Partiality
I. God shows no partiality (v.34).
II. Jesus Christ is Lord of all
(v.36)------the Lord does not show partiality.
III. The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who
heard the word (v.44)------the Holy Spirit does not show partiality.
IV. Just as we have (v.47a)------the
apostles do not show partiality.
V. Can anyone forbid (v.47b)------believers
should not show partiality.
The Example of
Bearing Witness of the Lord
I. Testifying that He is Lord of all
(v.36)------He is all of believers.
II. Testifying that He is Lord of mercy
(v.37-38)------He is the reliance of believers.
III. Testifying that He is the Lamb that was
slain (v.39, 43)------He is the Savior of believers.
IV. Testifying that He is the Lord of
resurrection (v.40-41)------He is the life of believers.
V. Testifying that He is Judge
(v.42)------He is the hope of believers.
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren