Atos 10

Atos 10

Chart from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission See Charles Swindoll's Interesting Chart on Acts THE EXPANDING WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT-EMPOWERED CHURCH Acts 10:1 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, KJV Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, Cir A.M. 4045. A.D. 41. in. Acts 8:40; 21:8; 23:23,33; 25:1,13 a centurion Acts 22:25; 27:1,31,43; Mt 8:5-13; 27:54; Luke 7:2 of what was called the Italian cohort Acts 27:1 Acts 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries John Hannah's Outline The witness of Peter (Acts 9:32-11:18) His witness at Lydda and Sharon (Acts 9:32-35) His witness at Joppa (Acts 9:36-10:22) The raising of Dorcas (Acts 9:36-43) The preparation for further ministry (Acts 10:1-22) The angelic message to Cornelius (Acts 10:1-8) Vision of Peter (Acts 10:9-16) The Spirit's message to Peter (Acts 10:17-22) His witness at Caesarea (Acts 10:23-48) Peter's meeting with Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:23-33) Peter's message before Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:34-43) The result (Acts 10:44-48) His witness in Jerusalem (Acts 11:1-18) Peter's conflict with the Jews (Acts 11:1-3) Peter's explanation of his actions (Acts 11:4-17) The result (Acts 11:18) The witness of the persecuted church (Acts 11:19-12:25) The witness in Antioch (Acts 11:19-30) The beginning of the church (Acts 11:19-21) The instruction of the church (Acts 11:22-26) The ministry of the church (Acts 11:27-30) Agabus' prediction (Acts 11:27-28) The church's relief (Acts 11:29-30) TIME APPROXIMATION - When do the events in Acts 10 occur in relation to the preceding events? There are a number of resources that give dates of the historical events in Acts, but the reader should understand that they are all approximations. One problem is that there is even disagreement on the date of Jesus crucifixion and resurrection, some sources saying A.D. 33 and others A.D. 30. That said, the dates listed below are simply to give you a sense of the span of time of the historical events in the Book of Acts. Thus Pentecost would be 30-33, Stephen's stoning 31-33, Paul converted 33-34, Paul's meeting with Peter in Jerusalem 36-37, Paul ministers in Syria/Cilicia 37-45, Peter's witness to Cornelius 38. Thus the events in Acts 10 occur from 5-10 years after the Church is born in Acts 2. ESV Timeline - below is an excerpt from the larger chart. 33 (or 30) Jesus returns to Judea, is crucified, and resurrected. James the brother of Jesus becomes a believer after witnessing the resurrected Jesus (1 Cor. 15:7; Acts 12:17). Jesus ascends to the Father’s right hand (Acts 1). Jesus’ first followers receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and begin to proclaim the gospel (Acts 2). 33/34* Paul witnesses the resurrected Lord on the way to Damascus and is commissioned as an apostle to the nations (Acts 9; Gal. 1:15–16). 34–37 Paul ministers in Damascus and Arabia (Acts 9:19–22; 26:20; Gal. 1:16–18). 36 Pilate loses his position for incompetence. 36/37* Paul meets with Peter in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26–30; Gal. 1:18). 37–45 Paul ministers in Syria, Tarsus, and Cilicia (Acts 9:30; Gal. 1:21). 38* Peter witnesses to Cornelius (Acts 10). * The Asterisk indicates approximation. / The slash mark indicates "either/or" Biblehub Timeline Book of Acts Story and Structure BlueLetterBible Timeline - see excerpt below Event Reference Year (AD) Descent of the Holy Spirit Acts 2:1-13 30 Setting Up of the Church Acts 2:40-47 30 First Persecutions (Illustration) Acts 4:1-22; 5:21-42; 7:1-60 35 Philip at Samaria Acts 8:4-13 35 Conversion of Saul (Illustration) Acts 9:1-9 36 First Gentile Converted Acts 10:1-48 40 Founding of Church at Antioch Acts 11:19-30 43 Writing of Matthew's Gospel Matthew 43 Below is a Basic Acts Timeline (Ben Witherington - The Acts of the Apostles) A.D. 30—Jesus is crucified under Pontius Pilate. Resurrection appearances, Pentecost, initial growth of the church in and around Jerusalem. A.D. 31–33—The events of Acts 3–7 transpire with mounting concern on the part of Jews and especially the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. The rising tension results in vigilante action taken against Stephen, and then an authorized effort under Saul to disrupt and even destroy this new messianic sect, involving persecution and even the death of some Christians (cf. Acts 8:1–3 to Gal. 1:13). The persecution led various Christians such as Philip to go elsewhere, such as Samaria, and bear witness (Acts 8:4–40). THE FIRST EIGHT CHAPTERS OF ACTS COVER ONLY THE PERIOD FROM ABOUT 30 TO 33. A.D. 33 or 34—Saul is converted on the road to Damascus during his period of persecuting the church (Acts 9; Galatians 1). A.D. 34–37 or 38—Saul is in Damascus and Arabia; he returns to Jerusalem for the first time as a Christian in 37. A.D. 37–46—Saul sent off to Tarsus and home region. In the meantime, Peter has a notable ministry up and down the Mediterranean coast between Lydda, Joppa, and Caesarea, involving at least one notable Gentile and his family. This, in turn, leads to a report to the Jerusalem church (Acts 11). The precise timing is unknown. A.D. 43—James (brother of John) is killed, and Peter is imprisoned. A.D. 44—Agabus’s prophecy in Antioch; Herod Agrippa dies. NOTE THAT LUKE’S DATA FOR THE PERIOD A.D. 37–46 ARE CLEARLY SKETCHY. HE IS BETTER INFORMED ABOUT THE PERIOD AFTER THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL (49), IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THE PAULINE PART OF THE STORY. A.D. 46–48—famine in Judea. A.D. 48—Second visit by Paul to Jerusalem (with Barnabas, cf. Galatians 2) for famine relief to Jerusalem (Acts 11:29–30). A.D. 49—Claudius expels Jews from Rome; Priscilla and Aquila go to Corinth; Jerusalem council (Acts 15). A.D. 50–52—Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 15:36–18:23). A.D. 51 or 52—The Gallio incident in Corinth (Acts 18). A.D. 53–57—Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 18:23–21:26). A.D. 57–59—Paul in custody under Felix, and then briefly under Festus. A.D. 59–60—Paul goes to Rome (for a fuller discussion of the Pauline material for the period from 48 to 50, see below). A.D. 60–62—Paul under house arrest in Rome. James Montgomery Boice rightly states that "The tenth chapter of Acts is one of the most important chapters in Acts, perhaps also one of the most important chapters in the Bible. It is so important because it tells how a gospel that was originally thought of in exclusively Jewish terms came by the intervention and revelation of God to be practically as well as theoretically a gospel for the whole world. Gentiles should be especially thankful for this chapter, since it is because of this revelation that they are able to come to God as Gentiles. (Acts: An Expositional Commentary) This chapter describes God's flinging open the door of His Church to Gentile believers and thus marking a key transition point in the spread of the Gospel in the Book of Acts. As noted in Acts 9, it is clear that God's Spirit was moving Peter step by step (from Lydda to Joppa to Caesarea) toward fulfillment of Acts 1:8 and the taking of the Gospel to the Gentiles. So in Acts 8 we see the conversion an Ethiopian eunuch, a son of Ham, in Acts 9, the conversion of Saul, a son of Shem, and, in Acts 10, Cornelius, a son of Japheth. These represent the three divisions of humanity after the flood (cf Genesis 6:10). Stanley Gundry - This passage divides into a vision seen by a centurion named Cornelius (Acts 10:1–8); a complementary vision seen by Peter (Acts 10:9–16); Cornelius’s invitation to Peter (Acts 10:17–23a); their meeting each other (Acts 10:23b–26); Peter’s explanation of why he came (Acts 10:27–33); his presentation of the gospel (Acts 10:34–43); and the conversion of his Gentile audience (Acts 10:44–48). The dovetailing of the two visions that make this episode possible displays God as inaugurating his plan to bring Gentiles en masse into his kingdom. (Commentary on the New Testament: Verse-by-Verse Explanations with a Literal Translation) Chuck Swindoll has a telling opening title for Acts 10:1-23 - "Facing the Prejudice Sin-Drome!" Swindoll follows by saying "For all our many differences, such as race, creed, culture, gender, and nationality, people all over the world have at least one thing in common: prejudice. It’s a stubborn, thorny weed that grows in every heart and draws nourishment from the rotting compost of our fallen, sinful nature. Cut it to the ground, poison its leaves, or pull it out by the roots . . . and it’ll be back before you know it. The creeping infestation of prejudice can happen so gradually it goes unnoticed. And it takes hold in unexpected ways. We’re familiar with the most common variety, racial prejudice. Some nurture a secret bigotry against people with certain colors of skin, specific nationalities, different cultures, or even particular accents. Other types of prejudice take more subtle forms: political affiliation, economic stratum, marital status, religious background, the presence of tattoos, style of clothes or hair, or even the use of cosmetics. It’s a universal problem. Your prejudice might not be my prejudice, but some form of it tries to grow in every heart. Even so, some people do a better job of weeding than others. Peter, the hero of the Jerusalem congregation and arguably the most courageous Christian in the first two decades of the church, struggled with prejudice. Fortunately for Peter and the church, the Lord would not let that sinful attitude remain; He would soon uproot it." (Acts - Swindoll's Living Insights Commentary) Stanley Toussaint rightly points out that "The importance of this event is seen in the fact that Luke recounts it three times—here in Acts 10, again in chapter 11, and finally in Acts 15:6–9. The geographic extension of the gospel in Acts is an initial fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Matthew 8:11: “Many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places … in the kingdom of heaven.”" (Bible Knowledge Commentary) Pohill - Acts 10:1–11:18 is the longest single narrative in all of Acts. This in itself witnesses to the great importance Luke placed on the incident. ( Luke does not give us specific dates, but an old resource, the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK), has a note at the beginning of Acts 10 of circa AD 41. (