Sunday, October 31, 2021
Acts 10:23b-48
“Free For All”
Service Overview: Peter had to put aside his former prejudices in order to experience the fullness of the implications of the gospel; that the good news of what Jesus came to accomplish was for everyone!
Memory Verse for the Week: “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.” James 2:1 (NIV)
Background Information:
- There can be little doubt as to why Luke included the Cornelius series of events in his account. Not only was this interaction between the early (so far, exclusively Jewish) church and Gentile outsiders a historical first, but it set a theological precedent for all subsequent Christian-Gentile relationships. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts, Kindle Edition)
- Peter is uneasy entering the house of a Gentile. He feels he must explain his action, saying, “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him.” Peter was citing human law, not God’s law. God never prohibited Jews from associating with Gentiles. The Jews had adopted those rules on their own. (Ray C. Stedman, Acts, 144)
- The circumcised believers could be translated “the Jewish believers” (see also 11:2). These were the men who had accompanied Peter (10:23). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 184)
- Ordinarily a Jew would not invite a Gentile into his home. Peter must have done some explaining of his vision to his host Simon to be allowed to show the three men hospitality for the night. Then, in the morning, Peter went with them. But he was careful to take six “of the brothers from Joppa” with him (see Acts 11: 12). He knew other believers would call him into question for going into a Gentile house, so he wanted some reliable witnesses. Just to be sure, he took double the two or three required by the Law (see Matt. 18: 16; Deut. 19: 15). (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4570-4574)
- The parallels between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) and the outpouring here upon the body of Gentile believers at Caesarea, are such as to justify calling this occasion the Gentile Pentecost. This occasion signals and attests the beginnings of the Church among the Gentiles. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 122)
- 10:38. The word Messiah means “Anointed One”; so when Peter said, Acts 10:27-45 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth he was saying, “God declared Him the Messiah” (cf. Isa. 61:1-3; Luke 4:16-21; Acts 4:27). This declaration occurred at the Lord’s baptism (cf. Matt. 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:32-34). Isaiah spoke of the Anointed One performing great deeds (Isa. 61:1-3), and as Peter declared, He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 381)
- It was largely because of their lack of scruples in food matters that Gentiles were ritually unsafe people for a pious Jew to meet socially. [Interaction] with Gentiles was not categorically forbidden; but it was liable to render a Jew ceremonially unclean, as was even the entering of a Gentile building or the handling of articles belonging to Gentiles. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 232)
The question to be answered is…
Why all the fanfare over one man coming to faith in Jesus?
Answer…
It wasn’t simply about one particular man. It was about the further revelation of the new redemptive reality in light of Jesus and Pentecost.
The word of the day is… Reveal
What revealed matters are important to note in this text?
- The message; as the plain truth of it is declared.
(John 3:16; 14:6; Romans 5:8; 6:23; 10:9-13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9)
We hear people all the time saying, “I’m committed to sharing the gospel,” yet if we look at the content of what it is they share, it is not gospel at all. I may share with my neighbor that Jesus changed my life; that is a wonderful testimony, but it is not the gospel. I can say to my friends, “I’ve got good news for you: God loves you.” That is good news, but it is not the gospel. In New Testament categories, the gospel is understood in terms of a definite content, and that content is not about me, and it is really not about you. The content focuses attention on the person and work of Jesus—who He is and what He has done—and added on is how we can receive the benefits of His ministry by faith. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 157)
- The implications; as acceptance and inclusion would be the new trajectory.
(Romans 15:7; Galatians 3:28; Philippians 2:3-4; Colossians 3:11; James 2:1-4)
Peter continued to remove barriers: not only was he staying in a place that his prejudices would have previously prohibited (see commentary on 9:42-43), he went a further step by inviting Gentiles into that home to be his guests. This kind of fellowship would have been unacceptable to a strict Jew. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 177)
the baptism of these Gentile converts pointed to a new spiritual reality in their lives. But it also had immense significance for Peter and his six companions. For in baptizing these Gentiles, Peter and those with him confessed that God in his sovereignty does bring Gentiles directly into relationship with Jesus Christ, apart from any prior relationship with Judaism. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 395)
- The confirmation; as this “2nd Pentecost” would serve to further remove any doubt regarding God’s agenda.
(Matthew 3:11; John 14:16; 16:7-8; Acts 1:8; 2:38; Romans 5:3-5; Ephesians 1:13)
45–46 The descent of the Spirit on those Gentiles was outwardly manifested in much the same way as it had been when the original disciples received the Spirit at Pentecost: they spoke with tongues and proclaimed the mighty works of God. Apart from such external manifestations, none of the Jewish believers present, perhaps not even Peter himself, would have been so ready to accept the reality of the Spirit’s coming upon them. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 237)
Conclusion…How does a text like this inform, influence, and shape our faith?
A. By reminding us that the hope we have in Jesus is for everyone.
(Mark 16:15-16; John 3:17; Romans 5:2-5; 8:24-25; 10:14; 15:13; 1 Peter 1:3; 2:9)
Whenever you see yourself, not as the clean animal but the unclean animal, not as the attractive beast but as the creeping thing, as one who by the grace of God got into that sheet and is pronounced clean by the sheer grace of God in Jesus Christ, then you are ready to open your heart and arms to other People. And it does not make any difference who they are. God does not show favorites. If you got in, the gospel must be for everybody. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 179)
We must not miss Cornelius’s example as an evangelist. He anticipated a message from Peter and invited his family and friends to hear the message that he himself had not yet heard! There’s an example of someone who had great confidence in what God was going to do and who was willing to take the relational and reputational risks to expose those he loved to the gospel. Are you willing to do the same? (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 177)
B. By alleviating us of any pressure to overcomplicate the message.
(John 6:28-29; 16:7-8; Romans 1:16; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 1:27)
You never know when your witness for Christ is exactly what somebody has been waiting and praying for. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 357)
It is exciting to see how Peter packed so much into a short message. We sometimes confuse length with effectiveness. Not so for the apostle, who was filled with the incisiveness and guidance of the Holy Spirit. He covers the ground: who Christ is, what He did, the power of the resurrection, divine election of those set free to believe, and the offer of forgiveness of sin. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 187)
C. By reassuring us through the Deposit we’ve been promised.
(Acts 2:38; Rom. 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 3:17; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:13-14)
God will not give us the Holy Spirit to enable us to gain celebrity or to procure a name or to live an easy, self-controlled life. The spirit’s passion is the glory of the Lord Jesus, and [the Spirit] can make His abode [only] with those who are willing to be at one with Him in this. F. B. Meyer (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 184)
We also must understand that no two of us come into the Christian life at the same point in development. We all bring different baggage into our Christian life. Sins that you may struggle with concern things I put away the first week I was a Christian, whereas things that never bothered you took me forty years to get over. The point of this text is that God’s Holy Spirit is poured out on each one of us, and if we are in Christ, we have His Spirit. However, there is no magic bullet that is going to get us out of our weakness instantly. There is no substitute for making diligent use of the means of grace, of diligently pursuing the truth of God through the Word of God, because the Spirit of God works with the Word and through the Word and never against the Word. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 166)
Gospel Application…
The greatest news of all is that you can have peace with God through Jesus if by faith you turn to and trust him alone to save you.
(John 14:6; Romans 5:1; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 4:9-10)
Who was responsible for Jesus’ death? The Jews? Yes. The Romans? Yes. But also any person whose sin has broken his or her relationship with God, a relationship Jesus lived and died to restore. Today’s Jews have no more responsibility for Jesus’ death than do today’s Christians. Jesus died for Jews just as He died for Gentiles. Any form of racial prejudice, anti-Semitism included, has no place in the Christian’s life. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Our sin is like a great wall between God and us. We cannot bridge it in order to make peace with God. We are on the far side of this wall, fighting God all the time. How can that wall be removed? The cross is God’s answer. At the cross God took our sin, placed it upon Jesus Christ, and punished it there. Jesus did not die for himself; he had not sinned. He did not die merely because he was a man. He died for us. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 185)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- What evidence is there that Cornelius expected God to work in today’s text?
- Which elements of Peter’s gospel summary would have most surprised Cornelius as a Roman army officer? How would you respond to such a story?
- What may have been the consequence if Peter or Cornelius had not obeyed God?
- Has there ever been a time you were prompted to tell someone else about Jesus?
- Do you struggle with any temptation to overcomplicate the good news of Jesus when talking with others? Why may that be?
Quotes to note…
What we must never forget is that God has shown favor to us precisely because he does not show favoritism. That is the only way you and I ever became Christians. If God had shown favoritism, we would not have been saved. Therefore, we must never show favoritism in our presentation of the message. The gospel is for all who will come to Jesus. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 179)
The only person we see anywhere in Scripture who accepted the worship of people is our Lord Himself because He is God incarnate. That is why we have to be careful that in our appreciation for those who have gone before us—and we are to give respect and honor to those who have been faithful in the past—we need to guard ourselves carefully that we never cross that line to veneration and detract anything from the glory of God, about which God says, He will not give to another (Isa. 48:11). So the first thing to note here in this encounter between Peter and Cornelius is the original greeting. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 157)
We are a narcissistic culture such as the world has never seen before. We think that salvation is all bound up in what we do and what we allow. Today we do not tell people what Christianity is really about: Jesus is our judge, not just after we die but right now. How popular is that gospel? That doesn’t sound like good news because it isn’t. It is bad news unless He is also our advocate, our defense attorney, our redeemer—unless we put our trust only in Him for our salvation. Then the Judge becomes our friend and advocate. Then the Judge gives remission of sin; that is, He removes from the record all charges against us. But until or unless we put our trust in Christ alone, He is our judge, and our sins are written large in front of Him. If we do not submit to Him, the gavel will come down, and there will be no mercy. We will stand on the basis of our righteousness, or lack thereof, before that Judge. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 159-160)
Peter’s words marked a great change in the life of the church—the door of the gospel was swinging wide open to the Gentiles. Look at Peter’s wording: no partiality, every nation, anyone. These terms express Peter’s clear understanding of the universal application of Christ’s work on the cross and the subsequent universal offer of the gospel. For more on God’s acceptance of all kinds of people, see Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; James 2:1, 9; 1 Peter 1:17. Because God doesn’t discriminate on the basis of race, economics, or sex, neither should any believers. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 179-181)
The reason the gospel is good news of peace is that apart from the work of Jesus Christ, we are not at peace with God. We are at war with God. Paul puts it in other terms in Romans, saying that we are actually under God’s wrath. The world says, “I’m okay; you’re okay.” But God says that everything is not okay. God says the world is in rebellion against him. Humanity wants to fight him to the death. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 182)
This outpouring of the Spirit was at once identified as the same experience as the original Jewish Pentecost. This was, in fact, a very important matter. It became the clinching argument for the reception of the Gentiles into the church. Just as at Pentecost, these Spirit-filled people spoke in other languages and magnified God. If there had been a difference, it would have been noted and would have produced a problem. But there was no difference. The Jews present, including Peter, were convinced. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 123)