Acts: The Gospel Unleashed Part 18

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.”

Caesarea located on the Mediterranean sea. It was georgious.

10:1 Cornelius resided at Caesarea, a city on the coast 31 miles (50 km) north of Joppa; Caesarea was the seat of the Roman government of Judea (see note on 8:40). Cornelius was a centurion, a commander of 100 men, and a member of the Italian Cohort. (A “cohort” consisted of 600 men under the command of six centurions, but with auxiliary forces in remote areas such as Judea a “cohort” might have as many as 1,000 men.) Ten cohorts formed a “legion.” Centurions were paid very well (as much as five times the pay of an ordinary soldier), so Cornelius would have been socially prominent and wealthy.

God is creating a multi-cultural/multi-ethnic people through faith in Christ.

Expect the Lord to work in unexpected ways.

Expect the Lord to confront prejudice in your life.

What the Lord was doing was showing Peter that he had blind spots that he was unaware of blinding power of sin.

God is not silent on this issue!

The gospel deals with the issue of discrimination.

Jonah -

Jonah 4:1–3 ESV

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah had rather die than to see God save the Ninevies.

Everyone is made in the image of God. No matter how unbiblical their world view might be we never have permission to speak of people in a demeaning and derogatory way. That is an attack on the image of God. And speak of people in ways that show utter and complete contempt.

Martain Luther King

What bias needs to be addressed in my life?

Please notice something about Cornilious - He was very religious but not righteous.

Being religious is not the same as being regenerate.

Luke goes to great lengths to remind us how moral and upright this mans life was.

However we need to know that moral men need to meet the savior.

There are no prerequisites for the gospel.

Since God is impartial I must strive to be impartial too.