Acts 10-10:44-48

Cornelius

For the beginning of the church, it was exclusively Jewish. It makes sense, Jesus was a Jew, the apostles were Jews, they were based in Jerusalem the capital city of the Jewish country Israel. Even in Jesus’ own words (Matthew 15:24) said that he came to save the lost sheep of Israel. It was, in the eyes of the world, another sect of the Jewish religion based around Christ. That is, until it wasn’t. We can read about people like Nebuchadnezzar and Ruth who were gentiles that began worshipping God, but unless they married in, like Ruth, or proselytized, they did not share in the covenant of Israel. Romans 2 tells us that a Gentile could be found faithful to God by obeying the law that is written on their hearts. We can see examples of this in our world through just about every law system. Murder is illegal. Stealing is illegal. There are certain things that just about every person on the face of the Earth agrees is wrong. We even meet people that share many of the same values of God despite the fact they have no interest in Christianity or God.

All that being said it is not impossible that a God-fearing gentile existed in the first century. Meet Cornelius. Cornelius was a Roman centurion, part of the Italian Cohort, and he was faithful to God. I want you realize what this means. A cohort was a group of about 600 Roman soldiers. The fact they were called Italian means that they would have been recruited from Italy, rather than from the common people in the region. These soldiers would have been more loyal to Rome and to Caesar who they saw as a god, so it is boggling to hear about a Roman Centurion from Italy view God as God and not Caesar. Cornelius was recognized by God as being faithful to Him and came to Cornelius with a vision and instructions. Acts 10:1-8

Acts 10:1–8 ESV

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, 8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Remember from Chapter 9, it ends with Peter doing work in Joppa and staying with Simon the tanner, and now God is telling Cornelius to find Peter in Joppa. The next day, Peter is going to get a vision from God. He sees this great sheet and and every animal imaginable. Acts 10:9-16

Acts 10:9–16 ESV

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

Under Jewish law there are certain dietary restrictions. Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 lay out all the dietary restrictions for Israel. That is why we see the word Kosher today. This signifies that it is safe for a Jew to eat. There’s even a way to make your home Kosher. This sheet that Peter saw contained clean and unclean animals and God told him to eat of these animals, but Peter had never violated the dietary laws. Was it the animals God wanted Peter to focus on or was there some other purpose?

Peter is confused by what he sees, and at this point the men that Cornelius sends makes it to Joppa. A short summation is they find Peter, and he and other brothers go with the men to see Cornelius in Caesarea.

Peter in Caesarea

When Peter makes it to Cornelius’ house, Cornelius bows down to Peter, probably not understanding who Peter was and his purpose there. Do know how uncomfortable of a spot Peter was in? You’ve got this Roman Centurion, who is supposed to only worship Caesar, bowing and worshipping Peter. On top of that, God has put him in a very uncomfortable situation compared to the interpretation of the Law of Moses at the time. In the Law, there were several laws that dealt with Jew and Gentile relationships. Uncircumcised could not enter the temple, Israel could not marry foreign women, do not make covenants with the Gentiles, along with the general understanding the Gentiles partake in unclean customs, it was then taught to just completely avoid associating with Gentiles period. Don’t talk to them, don’t eat with them, and especially don’t go in their house, see what Peter says Acts 10:24-29

Acts 10:24–29 ESV

24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

We also know Peter struggled with his own biases against Gentiles. Paul writes about a dispute that he had with Peter, perhaps referencing events in Acts 15. Galatians 2:11-14

Galatians 2:11–14 ESV

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Perhaps this is why God chose Peter to open the doors of the church to the Gentiles. He needed some growing spiritually, and this kind of growth only comes by being put in uncomfortable situations. Just because his upbringing said stay away from them, they are unclean, they are ungodly does not mean that Peter could ignore them. Paul writes about these things that divide us but we are united in Christ. Galatians 3:28 “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In the context of the chapter, if you have been baptized into Christ then you are His. It doesn’t matter your ethnic background, your gender, whether you are owned or you are free, you belong to Christ and you are united in Him. These arbitrary lines that we draw are gone because of the work He did.Peter recognizes this because he opens his mouth and says these words Acts 10:34-43

Acts 10:34–43 ESV

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Peter goes through a shortened version of Jesus’ ministry and he begins by saying you’ve heard the stories. You heard about all the healings He has done. You heard about all the teachings He gave. We saw them. We were there. They killed Him but God raised Him up and we are witnesses to it. We ate and drank with Him, he was not just some apparition. He is our judge appointed by God. And all who believe receives forgiveness. While Peter says these things something amazing happens. Acts 10:44-46

Acts 10:44–46 ESV

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.

The Holy Spirit falls on these Gentiles as if God is saying, “They are not unclean,” reinforcing that God shows no partiality. There was still something that needed to be done, they needed to be baptized. See, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles while Peter was saying verses 34-43. He had not even told them what needed to happen next. Acts 10:46-48

Acts 10:46–48 ESV

46 Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

The first Gentiles are added to the church. This would also open a host of potential problems as we will see later on in the book. Can two cultures coexist peacefully? Hardly. That is why, in my opinion, that America has such a difficult time being unified, because we have a million different cultures. This is how you end up with places like Chinatown in San Francisco, Little Italy in New York, or Little Havana in Miami. Cities have different cultures. Mobile has a different culture than Vancleave. Even the church has different cultures. I’ve been a member of four congregations in my life and all four have their own culture. They might share some similarities, but each of them are unique in their own way. Even though we have different cultures, we can still find unity in Christ.